Heartbeat of Human Services

Gamiaz's foster journey takes an unlikely turn when he meets a high school counselor & football coach who help lead him on a path to pursue his passion of becoming a Division 1 football student-athlete. Listen to foster parents Natalie and Jacob, joined by Gamiaz's probation officer Leía, as they recount their families' story!

In today's podcast join Allison McClain from Bakersfield Angels, as we discuss the importance of building life-long positive and stable relationships with foster youth. If you want to support or become a mentor, please visit:  https://www.bakersfieldangels.org/

Did you know May is Foster Care Awareness Month? All month long we'll be highlighting topics related to foster care. For today's podcast we'll be covering the exceptional partnership DHS has with Bakersfield College and how they work together to train and support Resource Parents. For more information on Kinship Care click the link below: www.bakersfieldcollege.edu/FKCE  

Caretakers need a little help at some point in their life and DHS can help provide that extra level of support to bring out the strengths in each family. DHS is doing that through a new initiative,  The Families First  Prevention Services Act (FFPSA)  being led by our Child Protective Services Department. Listen to Program Specialist Jennifer Meyer as she goes over what that plan looks like for DH...

As part of our Child Abuse Prevention Month Series this week we are speaking to Yadira Vargas from the Kern County Network for Children. We will be touching on DHS's ongoing partnership with KCNC and the type of resources we provide for our community that will ultimately help prevent the stressors that can lead up to child abuse.

One whole year has passed since Lito Morillo took over as the director of the Kern County Department of Human Services. In this podcast, we talk about the future of KCDHS and Lito's hopes for the coming year ahead. You don't want to miss the 2 announcements Lito makes near the beginning AND end of the podcast!

Mandated  R eporters!  Listen in to  learn more about  what happens when you call our CPS Hotline and how we triage concerns .  Emergency Response experts , Erin & Cathy  share their experience and tell us how it all works. Follow  us all month long for Child Abuse Prevention Month .  We hope to empower our community by bringing awareness & resource information to help stop the cycle of abuse.

F or Social Work Appreciation Month, we talked to two Social Workers who work in Employment Services helping individuals by removing barriers to employment and being a source of encouragement and support during tough times. We also got to chat with Lupe, who was a recipient of our help, and who came full circle. Now she's helping others, in ways she was helped!! Way to go, Lupe, Richard, and Maria...

Annie , a DHS Social Worker, now Supervisor, is a woman of purpose.  Listen as she talks about how a career in social work changes lives!

Hey, job seekers! Are you ready for JobFest 2023? Get prepared for March 15 th by listening to our podcast! Head to JobFestKern.com for more information. We'll see you at JobFest!

We have exciting news! The Kern County Department of Human Services has now launched a Housing Support Unit to better serve those in crisis in our community.

Listen in as we speak  with DHS Program Director Yesenia & Social Services Supervisor Tammy to get information on what's  new  in the eligibility world- CalWORKS, BenefitsCal, MediCal, and more!

February is Safely Surrendered Baby Awareness Month! We're excited to share an inspiring story from the perspective of a family who adopted a Safely Surrendered baby. Join us in celebrating the bright futures of all Safely Surrendered babies!

Join us for season two of The HeartBeat of Human Services Podcast! This year were are kicking off January with information about Human Trafficking with Kern County's Department of Human Services Social Service Supervisor, Dr. Angela Look, who oversees our CSEC Unit (Commercially Sexually Exploited Children) .

Welcome to today's specially released episode on the HeartBeat of Human Services Podcast covering DHS's booth at this year's Kern County Fair.  At our booth, we have information about the different departments, our new logo, and awesome giveaway items. Plus we're in the same building as some delicious fair food vendors! Listen to today's episode & check us out at the fair!

Learn how our county is helping students achieve their goals inside and outside the classroom. Mary Switalski, a Social Service Supervisor at DHS, joins us to talk about Cal Learn, Empower Hour, Healthy Babies Healthy Mothers program and more!

DHS is privileged to partner with Public Health Nurses, who are stationed inside our Bakersfield building. Today, we'll hear from Susan McArthur, PHN, who will give us tips on keeping our children safe, and preventing heat related injuries.

As the heat ramps up around the US, there have been 10 deaths accounted for due to children being locked alone in a hot motor vehicle. This July we want to spread awareness of these dangers and urge parents and caretakers to look before you lock!

How do foster parents help with reunification? Listen to a 15-year veteran Emergency Foster Parent, Shirley as she shares her story about the crucial role she and other Foster Parents play in reunification.

Did you enjoy our last reunification podcast? We are continuing our Reunification Month series this week. Listen to this week's podcast to hear retired Kern County Superior Court Judge Louie Vega talk about the importance of honoring family reunification. Vega is a Purple Heart recipient, who served in the US Army during the Vietnam War. He's also worked in radio, and TV, as a high school teacher,...

"CPS saved my life." Listen to John's emotional journey from a 30-year addiction, to how he has reunified with his three children, while setting an example of overcoming and learning to dream again.

Are you interested in joining Relay for Life? Listen in on this week's podcast to learn the story behind Team DHS and the big plans we have for the future!

The cost of living is at an all-time high. Learn how CalFresh can help provide you with extra free food resources. Host Jana Slagle and co-host Alison Votaw sit down with Kern County DHS Chief Deputy Director Cindy Uetz to learn more.

Foster parents and friends, Kristy and Renea joined forces to keep a family of foster siblings together. Listen to our interview with Kristy and Renea's family to hear an honest account of what it takes to raise foster youth and how they have become each other's support system.

Dr. Danisha Keating shares her story of being a foster youth and despite her odds, making it on to earn a Ph. D. and create a loving family of her own. In this interview, Dr. Keating gets honest about navigating her childhood, aging out of the system, and her healing journey.