HomeMy WebLinkAboutFamily Services Advisory Committee - Minutes - 9/20/2011
BAYFIELD COUNTY FAMILY SERVICES ADVISORY COMMITTEE
MEETING MINUTES
Courthouse Conference Room A
Tuesday, September 20th, 2011 at 4:30 pm
Committee Members Present: Lona Schmidt, Jim Crandall, John Blahnik, Mary Skerik, Beth
Meyers, and Susan Davis.
Staff Present: Anita Haukaas, Joseph Scribbins and Nina Bucher
Others Present: Barb Flynn (Red Cliff Domestic Violence Case Worker) and Lorna Gamble (Red Cliff
Indian Child Welfare Social Worker)
Call to order: Lona called the meeting to order at 4:35pm.
Adoption of 6/21/11 minutes: John made a motion to adopt the minutes, Jim seconded, motion
passed.
Domestic Violence/Child Protective Services presentation: Bayfield County Social Worker
Joseph Scribbins described domestic violence as an ongoing pattern of intimidating tactics used by
one member in a relationship to exert control over the other. He referenced a handout with a power
and control wheel that categorizes tactics such as: economic abuse; intimidation; emotional abuse;
isolation; male privilege; minimizing, denying, and blaming; using children as pawns; and coercion
and threats. He quoted statistics: the majority of abusers are men; an abused woman will attempt to
leave the abuser an average of seven times before she is able to successfully separate
herself/children from the violence; and children get caught in the crossfire.
A Child Protective Services (CPS) worker must be able to identify signals that domestic violence is
present to address them in such a way as to not further endanger the victims. Protecting children is
key. The possibility of a domestically violent situation should be explored with each ACCESS report
(initial contact after CPS referral). The safety of children is a CPS worker’s first function. A report
should be screened in if it is suspected that the child has witnessed domestic violence or been
directly abused. These children may have lower brain development and pick up traits that they
repeat in their lives because it is the only way they know to behave. Batterers must be held
accountable. Assigning the family to work on healthy parenting skills, anger management, and
general good decision making can stop the cycle of abuse.
Family Services Staffing update: Travis Larson is the new Youth Offender Grant Program
Coordinator, and Kenneth Jepson is now the Mentoring Coordinator.
Child Protective Services: Anita said there have been more CPS referrals in the last few months
and juvenile justice case numbers increase when school starts.
BAYFIELD COUNTY
Department of Human Services
117 East Fifth Street
P.O. Box 100
Washburn, Wisconsin 54891-0100
(715) 373-6144 Voice/TDD
(715) 373-6130 Fax
baycodhs@bayfieldcounty.org
/www.bayfieldcounty.org
Minutes are subject to
change before approval
at next FSAC meeting
K:agenda&minutes/FS/mintes/2011/2011-9-20_FSAC_minutes 2
Juvenile Justice and Out of Home Placement update: BCDHS has begun billing parents for
secured detention. The cost is $175/day. The family’s ability to pay does not affect the services
provided to the child. It may, however, dissuade parents from thinking secured detention is a way to
get respite. Concern was expressed that this may place additional burdens on an already stressed
family. Anita assured the Committee that as with all of our repayment plans, they are developed
using the family’s ability to pay.
Juvenile Community Services Program: Anita said BCDHS is in the process of creating a policy
for community service. There were no responses to a request for similar policies from other counties.
Youth Offender Grant Program update: Unfortunately, the $120,000 that could not be used in
the first year of the grant was not reallocated. Anita will poll recipients of similar grants to see if the
problem is widespread. Michelle Chase, a certified behavioral therapist, has been contracted to work
with the youth in the program.
Juvenile Justice Referrals: A chart comparing referral numbers for 2009-present was distributed.
Referrals for the first half of 2011 are down. Anita will add age ranges for the next meeting.
Mental Health & AODA: The number of crisis line calls from Bayfield County residents has
increased (see handout) and is thought to be a result of the economy. The crisis line serves an 11
county consortium and is advertised on the County website. The telephone number is included on
our phone message. It has been printed on business cards and has been distributed locally on
magnets.
ED process: Anita cited a case in Fond du Lac County where a client with Alzheimer’s was
emergency detained (non-voluntarily) in a locked portion of a hospital. The court said that
Alzheimer’s patients do not meet the mental health criteria necessary for an ED in a locked unit and
an Adult Protective Services assessment should have been completed instead. A meeting at
Memorial Medical Center that included hospital personnel, nursing home personnel, counties,
providers and law enforcement was held to discuss how this ruling would affect the ED process in our
area.
Red Cliff Indian Child Welfare (ICW) update: Lynn Basina, Red Cliff Administrator of Family
Services, asked Barb Flynn from Red Cliff’s Domestic Violence Center and Lorna Gamble, a limited
term employee from Red Cliff’s Indian Child Welfare (RCICW) Department, to attend the meeting.
Lorna said RCICW was short staffed and she had a caseload of 34 currently while there are
approximately 40 more “informal” cases still open for monitoring. There are also 35-40 out of state
cases and 7 out of home placements. A permanent employee will be replacing Lorna in October.
Barb said that positive relationships make her domestic violence work more successful and are
extremely important.
Future Meeting: The next meeting date will be Tuesday, December 13th, 2011 at 4:30pm.
Adjournment: Lona adjourned the meeting at 5:55 pm.
Minutes submitted by,
Nina Bucher, Clerk III