Conditions Governing Access
Conditions Governing Use
Preferred Citation
Acquisition
Organization
Scope and Content
Title: Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services records
Collection number: 0431
Contributing Institution:
USC Libraries Special Collections
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
17.1 linear ft.
39 boxes
Date (bulk): Bulk, 1970-1980
Date (inclusive): 1948-1999
creator:
Los Angeles County (Calif.). Dept. of Public Social Services.
Conditions Governing Access
Advance notice required for access.
Conditions Governing Use
The use of archival materials for on-site research does not constitute permission from the California Social Welfare Archives
to publish them. Copyright has not been assigned to the California Social Welfare Archives, and the researcher is instructed
to obtain permission to quote from or publish manuscripts in the CSWA's collections from the copyright holder.
Preferred Citation
[Box/folder# or item name], Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services records, Collection no. 0431, California
Social Welfare Archives, Special Collections, USC Libraries, University of Southern California
Acquisition
Frances Lomas Feldman; Robert Foust; Gwen Boswell.
Organization
These records have been organized into three series: Bureau of Social Services; Staff Development; and Department of Public
Social Services. Within each series (and subseries), files have been arranged alphabetically by title.
Scope and Content
This collection comprises three groups of records that the Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services has generated
during its history. Two of these groups come from agencies within the DPSS: the Bureau of Social Services and the Staff Development
Division. The former consists solely of a run of administrative memorandums, while the latter group constitutes material--e.g.,
reports and training program--created and received during the course of this agency's activities. Thus it is much larger in
volume and contains more types of material than the does BSS. In the third group have been gathered materials that the DPSS;
its predecessor agency, the Department of Charities; and the Public Social Services Commission have created. The Department
of Public Social Services is central here, with the others closely connected to it. In 1966 the Department of Charities underwent
a name change and eventually became the Department of Public Social Services; in 1967 the Public Social Services Commission
was established, with formalized authority, to act as an advisory and research body to the DPSS. Thus, these LA County governmental
organizations have a symbiotic relationship, with the DPPS the central organization.
This collection's material is all textual, overwhelmingly bureaucratic in nature. Within the holdings of the DPSS exist many
reports or studies privately published and bound by the DPSS. Many of these are statistical reports on DPSS programs, making
them a resource for investigating the types and quantity of work for which the DPSS has been responsible over the years. Of
special interest is an undated compilation of poverty data--e.g., family size, ethnicity--by census tract in Los Angeles (See
box 15, folder 1 ). Also, found in this collection are correspondence, departmental handbooks, and studies of critical social
issues, e.g., child abuse.
The Staff Development Division series contains memorandums, quarterly and monthly reports, research reports, correspondence,
lettergrams, and committee agendas and minutes. There also exist forms, schedules, course plans and outlines, proposals, and
tests for the SDD training programs. Of special interest are the training materials devoted to affirmative action and equal
opportunity employment. Staff Development Division records also include personnel grievances and evaluations, which have been
restricted because of their personal nature.
The chronological span of the DPSS series, including the Public Service Commission, is 1948-1999, with much material dating
from the decade of the 1970s. The Staff Development Division encompasses material dating from 1971-1981, and the Bureau of
Social Services holds material from 1974-1981. Thus, this collection is especially strong in documenting the history of the
DPSS in the decade of the 1970s into the early 1980s. As a result, it covers such important changes in national, state, and
local welfare as the implementation of Title XX and the development of such work programs as GAIN.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Los Angeles County (Calif.). Dept. of Public Social Services. -- Archives
Agendas (administrative records)
Child welfare--California--Los Angeles County--Archival resources
Civil service--Training of--Archival resources
Correspondence
Employees--Training of--California--Los Angeles County--Archival resources
Memorandums
Minutes
Personnel management--California--Los Angeles County--Archival resources
Public welfare--California--Los Angeles County--Archival resources
Reports
Social group work--California--Los Angeles County--Archival resources
Social service--Vocational guidance--California--Los Angeles County--Archival resources