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HHSA announces appointment of Gilbert Rivas as deputy director for child welfare services
Summary
Tulare County Health & Human Services Agency announced Gilbert Rivas has joined the Child Welfare Services team as deputy director, effective the day before the April 8 board meeting. Rivas, transitioning from behavioral health, said he will focus on protecting children and supporting families.
During the April 8 meeting, Francina Martinez, director of Human Services at the Health & Human Services Agency, publicly introduced Gilbert Rivas as the new deputy director of Child Welfare Services (CWS). Martinez said Rivas’s appointment filled a year‑long vacancy and was effective the previous day.
“Gilbert brings a plethora of experience that surrounds a lot of children’s services in Tulare County as well as our surrounding counties,” Martinez said. She noted Rivas’s background in behavioral health, public speaking on children’s services and clinical experience.
Rivas addressed the board and said he was honored for the opportunity. “It’s been an honor and a privilege to work alongside such fabulous leaders in behavioral health,” he said, and added that child abuse prevention and awareness is a continuous priority: “We every day, we need to be able to do that. And everybody, we need to obviously protect our children.”
Why it matters: The deputy director role is a senior operational position within CWS and carries responsibility for coordination between child welfare and behavioral health services. Martinez and Rivas said the appointment strengthens the connection between behavioral health resources and child welfare operations.
No formal vote was required for the announcement; the remarks were made during the public comment period as a staffing announcement and were received by the board.
Sources: Public comment by Francina Martinez, Director of Human Services, HHSA; remarks by Gilbert Rivas; Tulare County Board of Supervisors meeting, April 8, 2025.
