June Program Agenda

The Council meets on the second Thursday of each month at 8:00am at the
Alpert Jewish Community Center unless otherwise noted

Program:

"Navigating and Maneuvering with and Through the DCFS System"

Speaker:

Joi Russell, MSW, LCSW
Deputy Director Service Bureau 1
L.A. County DCFS - email: RusseJ@DCFS.laCounty.gov

In 2007, Ms. Russell in her current role as the Deputy Director of Service Bureau 1 provides oversight to Service Planning Areas (SPA) 7 and 8.  SPA 7 encompasses the geographic located SPA Offices of Belvedere, Santa Fe Springs; and SPA 8 encompassing the SPA Offices of Lakewood, and Torrance.  Also her oversight includes the Department-wide programs of the Adoption Division which ensures child permanency, and the Youth Development Services (YDS) which provides emancipation services and transitional housing to our youth.  Joi embodies a leadership style that encompasses teamwork and mentorship which allows staff of all levels to thrive in a common workplace environment and work together toward achieving the Department Goals.

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Opinions expressed are those of the speaker and not necessarily those of the Council and its membership.
For information about End Abuse Long Beach, please visit www.EndAbuseLB.org or contact the Program Chair:
Paul Sharpe (562) 434-1345 or email Paul@EndAbuseLB.org

Joi J. Russell Biography

Joi J. Russell began her career with the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) in 1980.  First as a dedicated Children’s Social Worker (CSW) managing a high volume caseload and servicing children and families; then as a Supervising Children’s Social Worker (SCSW) providing supervision, guidance, and child welfare expertise to her units.  Ms. Russell’s expertise was apparent and was hired as a Children Services Administrator in various roles throughout the Department.

Soon thereafter Ms. Russell with her child welfare expertise and technical knowledge of computer systems, was promoted as the Division Chief of the Management Information Division (MID) (currently the Bureau of Information Services).   During her tenure under MID, Joi was instrumental in the integration of technology into the DCFS workplace, beginning with the first computer roll-out in 1993.  Shortly thereafter, Joi was tasked as a lead participant in a statewide workgroup under the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) in Sacramento and was an integral part in the pilot phase of the Child Welfare Services Case Management System (CWS/CMS) which became the standard child welfare system for all 58 Counties in California.

In 2004, Ms. Russell was appointed to manage the Child Protection Hotline (CPHL), the Department’s 24/7 operation, receiving approximately 15,000 telephonic calls per month reporting child abuse.  The CPHL is the front-door for assessing reports of child abuse and initiating Emergency Response Referrals to the Emergency Response Command Post or to the SPA Offices.

 In 2005, Ms. Russell in the role of Regional Administrator managed one of the largest SPA Offices.  The Lakewood Office encompassed a span of control managing approximately 350 staff including Emergency Response (ER) units, Family Maintenance/Reunification (FM/R) units, Permanency Planning (PP) units, as well as a high number of various Departmental pilot initiatives including Concurrent Planning, Permanency Partner Program (P3), Point-of-Engagement (POE), Team Decision-Making (TDM), and Electronic Court Report system “Doc Box”.

In 2007, Ms. Russell in her current role as the Deputy Director of Service Bureau 1 provides oversight to Service Planning Areas (SPA) 7 and 8.  SPA 7 encompasses the geographic located SPA Offices of Belvedere, Santa Fe Springs; and SPA 8 encompassing the SPA Offices of Lakewood, and Torrance.  Also her oversight includes the Department-wide programs of the Adoption Division which ensures child permanency, and the Youth Development Services (YDS) which provides emancipation services and transitional housing to our youth.  Joi embodies a leadership style that encompasses teamwork and mentorship which allows staff of all levels to thrive in a common workplace environment and work together toward achieving the Department Goals.

Ms. Russell earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from California State University, Dominguez Hills, and a Master of Arts graduate degree from California State University, Long Beach.  Ms. Russell is also holds a license as an LCSW.  In 1977, she began her employment in the County of Los Angeles with the Probation Department before joining the Department in 1980.  Over her career she has been distinguished in 1984 with the Social Worker of the Year, Foster Parent Association; published in the Child Welfare League of America; has been a statewide presenter at numerous conferences; and most recently the recipient of the 2008 Department of Social Work CSULB Alumni Award.  As a tireless pioneer in the field of child welfare, Joi also believes in giving back to the community and is an Associate Professor at her alma mater at California State University, Long Beach, Social Work Department, Graduate Studies.