Initial Inspection Report - Ventura Final (2020-2022 inspection cycle)

Initial Inspection Report 2020-2022 Biennial Inspection Cycle Date of Exit Briefing: 8/9/2022 Inspection Type: Targeted/Unannounced County: Ventura Facility Name(s): Ventura County Juvenile Detention Facility, Juvenile Commitment Facility and Secure Youth Treatment Facility BSCC #(s): 7727, 7728, 7740 and 7741 BSCC Type: JH, Camp and SYTF Facility Representatives: Mark Varela, CPO; Sandy Carrillo, DM BSCC Field Representative: Elizabeth Gong Corrective Action Plan Required? YES DATE CAP DUE TO BSCC: 10/9/2022 Current Items of Noncompliance: Title 15. Section Description Title 15 requires a ratio of 1 staff for every 10 youth (1:10) in custody for Juvenile Halls and 1 staff for every 15 youth (1:15) in Camps. Because the agency is housing detention and commitment youth together, due to low staffing and County Counsel direction of adult and juvenile offender placement, the required ratio for all youth in the facility is 1:10. Youth are housed in three units separated by accordion doors. Post on-site inspection, the agency agreed to keep the accordion doors open to create one 30-bed § 1321 (a). Staffing. housing unit. When the doors are closed staffing is non-compliant with three youth supervision staff as one staff floats behind a counter and does not have full observation capabilities for both units. If open and treated as one unit, the visual oversight is not an issue. While on-site, the accordion doors were closed in two units, resulting in insufficient staffing. We note one-third of the agency staffing positions are vacant due to difficulty in hiring/retention or staff on leave of absences. Title 15 Regulations require staff to appropriately § 1352. Classification. classify youth upon admittance and/or for specific purposes during a youth’s stay. Due to the Ventura Tulare IIR\6-30-2022 IIR v1. 10.29.20 Ventura Initial Inspection Report Page 2 Title 15. Section Description County Counsel’s direction to separate all youth at age 18 from all youth under 18, without regard for Federal or State direction that separation is not required, the agency does not use other criteria than over or under 18 years of age and/or graduated youth as the only elements or criteria required to consider appropriate housing and youth needs. The agency is not currently providing the Title 15 minimum of one hour daily of structured programming for all youth in custody. Behavior Health is contracted to provide groups including Moral Recognition Therapy, Drug and Alcohol Counseling, Gender Counseling and Cognitive Behavior Therapy. Contracted providers are on site to facilitate different structured group programming; however, these § 1371. Programs, Recreation and Exercise. program providers are only serving a portion of the youth population. Our review of the facility schedule, observations while on-site, and in conversations with staff and youth revealed programs are not occurring regularly and for each youth daily due to staff shortages for youth supervision officers, lack of sufficient contracted providers and fewer Behavior Health clinicians. Technical Assistance Provided We met with facility administrators during the inspection process and outbrief, making technical assistance recommendations for the staffing and program areas of non-compliance listed above. The agency realized the necessary changes and had action plans in place for remediation. Administrators were advised a further inspection would be forthcoming to ensure the modifications were addressed. Ventura IIR\8-9-2022 Ventura Initial Inspection Report Page 3 Additional Information We noted the staff vacancies/absences directly impact operations and programming, creating non- compliance to regulation. Additionally, and most critical to staffing, is the Ventura County Counsels interpretation of Welfare and Institutions Code 208.5, and that housing youth age 18 years of age and older requires a sight and sound separation from those youth under age 18. Ventura County is the only county in the State of California with this interpretation, disregarding the fact that Federal and State Law allows for the comingling of youth in custody for a juvenile petition up to age 25. This separation means twice the staff are required and the agency cannot compliantly operate with this level of supervision. This also hinders the ability to classify youth based on all Title 15 criteria. Lastly, although the agency has numerous Program opportunities with contracted providers in the works, they are not currently meeting the requirement for one hour of daily structured services as outlined in 1371 (a). Recreation and Large Muscle Exercise are also not occurring as required in Sections 1371 (b) and (c), with a minimum of 60 minutes daily and more on weekends. Currently the youth have a great deal of free time, spent mostly watching television rather than involvement in structured activities and exercise. We acknowledge staffing levels are hindered by long term leaves and vacant positions, amplified by the separation requirements from their County Counsel. Ventura IIR\8-9-2022