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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFamily Services Advisory Committee - Minutes - 9/18/2012 BAYFIELD COUNTY FAMILY SERVICES ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES Courthouse Conference Room A Tuesday, September 18th, 2012 at 4:30 pm Committee Members Present: Lona Schmidt, John Blahnik, and Susan Davis Staff Present: Anita Haukaas, Elizabeth Skulan, Ken Jepson, and Nina Bucher Call to order: Due to the lack of a quorum, Lona started the “informative only” meeting at 4:30pm. Adoption of 6/19/12 minutes: Will be addressed at the December meeting. CAUSEWAY presentation: Bayfield County’s Youth Offender Project Coordinator, Ken Jepson, explained that the federal grant was created as a court diversion program for at risk youth. The grant consists of four components: AODA, cognitive therapy, community service, and targets 14-17 year olds. It is a three year grant that ends on 9/30/12 and will not be renewed. The mentor training was lengthy and intense. It is hoped that the mentors will continue to mentor voluntarily or as employees of Lori Knapp or Geminicares. Some of the challenges of the grant involved: restrictive spending guidelines; not being able to serve younger children; transportation; and a lack of family involvement. Ken was able to relate a few success stories and felt that youth were provided with tools that may be used later in life. Red Cliff Indian Child Welfare (ICW) update: Lorna Gamble, Red Cliff ICW Director, estimated that the Tribe currently has 7 kinship cases; were serving 40 families (78 informal cases and 10 formal cases open through the County or Tribal courts); and provided service to three or four children in foster care. Lorna relayed that they are having trouble with gang violence and are addressing it as a community. Out of Home Placement update: Anita reported that the number remains steady. There are four youth in foster homes, three court-ordered kinship cases, six non court-ordered kinship cases, five youth in residential care centers, and one in youth a correctional facility. There are two families on the waiting list for voluntary kinship. Youth Offender Grant Program update: Bills are being paid and reports completed as the grant draws to an end on 9/30/12. Juvenile Justice Referrals: The Juvenile Assessment Information System (JAIS) will be installed and implemented in late 2012/early 2013. Price County may partner in purchasing the tool which will reduce Bayfield County’s cost by half. Anita distributed a chart comparing juvenile law enforcement referrals for the last four years. 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 K:agenda&minutes/FS/mintes/2012/2012-9-18_FSAC_minutes 2 Child Services & Child Protective Services update: There have been six law enforcement referrals in September. This number usually increases when school resumes. So far there have been 69 referrals to date for 2012 compared to 87 at this time in 2011. Mental Health & AODA: Anita referenced a chart on the handout and indicated that the crisis line has received five calls in September. Anita expressed the desire to more widely distribute the crisis phone number in the community. Lorna said she could have the number listed on Red Cliff TV and she would send out a mass e-mail with the number to all the Red Cliff addresses. Emergency Detentions (EDs) are creating high caseloads within the Family Service section, with some cases rolling to the Aging & Disabilities Services section for Adult Protective Services. Anita handed out a list of 2012 EDs citing that they are all law enforcement unless it says 3 Party Petition (three out of 44). Case Scenario Review: Anita described the challenges of providing service to complex cases and why they are extremely costly . Cooperation between sections and other agencies has been instrumental in determining how to provide service. Information Item: Anita reminded the group that there was a presentation on synthetic drugs at WITC at 6:30pm today. Future Meeting: The next FSAC meeting is on December 18th, 2012 at 4:30. Anita requested input on times/days for future quarterly meetings and it was decided that a survey would be sent to committee members, and the findings will be discussed at the next meeting. Adjournment: The meeting ended at 5:45pm. Minutes submitted by, Nina Bucher, Clerk III