Accomplishments
APS Mentor Program
APS developed a mentor program for new caseworkers that it put into practice during FY 2019. The goal of the program is to support and retain new caseworkers by allowing experienced APS staff to help prepare incoming caseworkers and directly contribute to their success.
This is how the APS mentor program works. Tenured staff and subject matter experts apply to become mentors. Once accepted, the new mentors attend six months of training to prepare them for their new roles before they are assigned to caseworkers. Mentors help caseworkers with training activities, office procedures, and in the field (once they are assigned their own caseloads). Mentors meet weekly or biweekly with new caseworkers to provide a supportive learning environment that gives each caseworker the best chance of success.
APS rolled out the mentor program in phases across the state from October 2018 through August 2019. By the end of the fiscal year, 138 new APS caseworkers had participated in the new mentor program. Compared to the previous year, the turnover rate for new caseworkers fell from 50.2% to 44.3%.
Tarrant County Financial Exploitation Partnership
Tarrant County experienced an increase in financial exploitation cases of adults 65 and older in FY 2019. In response to this increase, Adult Protective Services partnered with the Tarrant County District Attorney office to fight the exploitation of elderly residents. This partnership was expanded to include the Financial Exploitation Prevention Center and Guardianship Services Inc. APS also entered into an agreement with the Texas Wesleyan Forensic Accounting Program to help review the more complex financial documents. As of August 2019, these collaborative efforts led to $1.6 million of financial restitution to victims of financial exploitation in Tarrant County.