Friday, May 12, 2006 | 7:21 a.m.
The newly appointed director of Clark County's Family Services Department recognizes the job ahead is difficult, but says he's confident he is up to the task.
Thomas D. Morton, who plans to assume the post in late July, was appointed May 3 by County Manager Thom Reilly. Morton and Reilly are still negotiating the salary.
Outgoing director Susan Klein-Rothschild submitted her resignation, effective immediately, that same day.
Morton takes over a department that has been a lightning rod for criticism under his predecessor.
A state panel's review of 79 suspicious child deaths in Clark County between 2001 and 2004 was critical of the way those deaths were investigated. In that period, 11 Clark County children died while in the custody of the state or county.
There has also been an enormous increase in the number of children placed in foster care during that time. Child Haven, the county's temporary shelter, suffers from chronic overcrowding, and officials say the added burden creates almost insurmountable challenges for caseworkers.
Morton is no stranger to the county's problems. His Georgia-based Child Welfare Institute has been contracted by the county twice in consulting roles, including a request to make recommendations in light of the 11 child fatalities.
"Obviously the fatality report has presented a set of challenges to the department, and the findings and recommendations of that report have to be addressed," Morton said.
"A second issue that the county is confronting is the population of children at Child Haven, which is far beyond its design capacity."
Morton founded the Child Welfare Institute in 1984 and has directed the development of more than 1,000 hours of training curricula that
is used worldwide by various child welfare agencies. He has a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's in social work from the University of Michigan. This will be his first job directing an agency on the county level.
He has also worked with agencies in several states, including Alabama, Illinois and New York, in an effort to improve family services. He said that while it is not good to use boilerplate ideas, he believes concepts that have been successful elsewhere might also be effective in Nevada.
"Agencies are like families, and they are all unique in terms of dynamics that drive them. It would be inappropriate to impose a one-size-fits-all approach on DFS as well."
The transient nature of the Las Vegas community and difficulty in recruiting enough foster families are some of the valley-specific problems Morton has identified. And once families are here, many move frequently within the area, he said, which makes it difficult for social agencies to keep track of them.
Developing a relationship and trust between social workers and the families they serve is what makes family service agencies effective, he said. While he acknowledges the system cannot work without adequate resources, he emphasized that all of the money in the world cannot replace this relationship. Families who trust their caseworkers are more likely to stay in contact with them.
Morton says such trust can be achieved by reducing caseloads, which would provide the opportunity for that crucial interaction. The most obvious way to do this is by adding staff, which requires funds. Morton recognizes more money can be difficult to get.
"There are other dynamics that drive caseloads," he says. "Fear in a community can easily drive up caseloads."
In communities where there have been a high number of child deaths, he said, caseworkers and residents might err on the side of caution, which can drive up the number of children placed in the county's protective system.
A staff that uses the right criteria and is trained in making decisions, Morton said, can keep more children who are not at risk in the home environment, thereby reducing caseloads without endangering children.
Yet other circumstances, such as methamphetamine addiction, make it almost impossible to leave some children in their homes, he said.
That's where Morton hopes extended families and other groups will step in:
"We really believe children grow better in families. The community has to be willing to step up and help us. It's not just foster families; there are a lot of other aspects of the community. I would include in that faith-based organizations, community organizations and others."
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