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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuman Services Board - Minutes - 2/26/2015BAYFIELD COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES BOARD MEETING Bayfield County EOC February 26, 2015 Board Members Present: Rusty Williams, Fred Strand, Jim Crandall, Deb Pyne (remote), Kent Seldal, Lona Schmidt Board Members Excused: John Bennett, Pat Carver, Bill Bussey Others Present: Elizabeth Skulan, Nikki Revak, Jeanine Spuhler, Anita Haukaas Call to Order and Introductions Williams called the meeting to order at 4:03 p.m. Review of the January 22, 2014 Meeting Minutes Motion by Strand, seconded by Schmidt, to approve the minutes as presented. Motioned passed unanimously. Public Comment – Limited to 3 minutes per person None Program Presentation –Bayfield County Energy Assistance Trends – Jeanine Spuhler, Economic Support Session Manager Spuhler remarked how cold it was last year compared to this winter due to the polar vortex in 2014. Compared to last year, the number of households applying for crisis funds is remarkably less, primarily due to the colder weather in and the higher cost of propane in 2014. Crisis assistance is still available to households: with no heat; who have received a disconnect notice; who are nearly out of fuel and are unable to purchase more; and those who meet certain other parameters. Households can be denied crisis funds. The local decision is final. There is no appeal process. Households may be eligible for the Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program (WHEAP) and Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) based on a number of factors. Considerations include household size, income, and energy cost. WHEAP assistance is a one-time payment made during the heating season that will pay for a portion of energy costs. In most cases, once a household is found eligible, the energy assistance benefit is paid directly to the household’s energy supplier. Bayfield County has a 24 hour crisis line for heating assistance. Two households have contacted that crisis line this heating season. If a household’s residence qualifies for weatherization services, they may receive one or more of the following energy efficient measures: insulation; sealants to address air leaks; heating system updates; and/or energy saving products. Insulation may not be available to all households. Eligible WHEAP households who are homeowners might also qualify for furnace repair or replacement should the furnace quit. The total number of WHEAP applications is anticipated to be approximately the same number as last year. BAYFIELD COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES BOARD MEETING Bayfield County EOC February 26, 2015 2 Monthly Section Reports Family Services – Anita Haukaas There is a new process for appealing a substantiation determination of child maltreatment. A letter informing individuals of this right must be issued whenever a child abuse or neglect investigation ends in a determination that substantiates the alleged maltreatment. Bayfield County has issued six such letters since the first of the year. In Bayfield County, Corporation Counsel completes the first appeal process. If the determination is upheld, the individual may then submit a request for a hearing to appeal the decision to the Wisconsin Department of Administration Division of Hearings and Appeals. To date, one substantiation appeal was requested and the first level appeal was completed. The substantiation determination was upheld. The Family Treatment Court has found two families eligible for service. Criminal Justice staff is meeting with Family Services staff to coordinate services. Haukaas reported that the Family Specialist who works with the families in the Family Treatment Court has tendered her resignation. The Family Specialist is a contracted employee who works as a parent aide assisting families to strengthen their parenting skills. They provide a valuable service to the program. Courtney Rauschenbach will start in the Family Services unit on a part-time basis as a Child Protective Services Social Worker on March 9. Rauschenbach is scheduled for 22.5 hours per week. Courtney is currently interning with the Family Treatment Court Program. Family Services is happy to have Courtney join the team. The mural in the Family Resource Room was completed. There were three juvenile justice referrals in January and four in February. In February, two of the four referrals were for truancy reported by the school district. Haukaas is currently working on the Safe and Stable Family Program 2014 year-end report. Aging & Disability Services – Carrie Linder – Elizabeth Skulan reported for Carrie Linder  Jamie Mackin, Jack Holevatz, Ann Marie Mackin and Linder participated in a regional ADRC training in Cable. ADRC staff from Ashland, Sawyer, Price and Iron County was also in attendance.  Linder is now a member of the Memorial Medical Center Patient and Family Advisory Council. She attended one meeting.  Linder attended a Local Emergency Planning Committee Meeting.  Linder met with the New Executive Director for CORE to discuss transportation services and preventative health programming.  AJ VanBeest and Linder set up a computer for staff and participants at the Barnes meal sight. BAYFIELD COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES BOARD MEETING Bayfield County EOC February 26, 2015 3  Linder met with Gary Bentley from the Time Out Restaurant to review the expectations that DHS has of its congregate meal site providers for securing timely registration forms of meal site participants.  Linder met with Iron County DHS staff to answer questions related to coordinating Aging Programs with Aging and Disability Resource Center operations.  JoAnn Paraventi, Michele Reiswig and Linder participated in a joint staffing with Family Services and Sheriff Department staff.  Patti Carlson and Karen Guski have both provided orientation and training to Adult Protective Services Social Worker Michele Reiswig. Carlson and Guski’s limited term employment will be complete at the end of this week.  Linder is currently in Madison participating in Superior Days. Linder is presenting information related to the lack of dementia resources in the northern region. Support Services – Nikki Revak Revak participated in a webinar for Children’s Long Term Services (CLTS) today. The 2014 reconciliation process was reviewed. Revak drove to Phillips with Elizabeth Skulan yesterday for a NIMC Director’s/ Fiscal Manger’s meeting. The Financial Managers were directed to develop a plan to equitably fund services the regional Child Care program. Staff completed final 2014 payments. The next task is to complete all of the 2014 fiscal reports due between mid-March and April 1, 2015. Economic Support Services – Jeanine Spuhler The Federal Marketplace had a special enrollment February 15 – 22 for BadgerCare Plus consumers. Northern Income Maintenance Consortium (NIMC) staff is waiting to receive the special enrollment final batch for processing. The Marketplace recently discovered enrollment applications from December 2013 for the NIMC area that were not processed. NIMC staff is contacting those applicants to determine if the application was abandoned or reprocessed and to assist those who might need help. NIMC will receive ongoing additional funds related to the workload associated with new requirement for the FoodShare Employment and Training (FSET) Program and Able-bodied Adults without Dependents (ABAWDs). The new funds will allow the consortium to add three ongoing IM workers. An open application process will be implemented for PPACA workers within the consortium. This will allow three PPACA workers to gain fulltime employment. Bayfield County PPACA workers are being encouraged to apply. One individual has been found eligible for SSI that has been on the Interim Assistance Program since before 2005. Bayfield County will receive a lump sum for a portion the interim assistance funds that were distributed to this individual. BAYFIELD COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES BOARD MEETING Bayfield County EOC February 26, 2015 4 Monthly Reports Jeanine Spuhler’s training was cancelled. The Community Support Program (CSP) wait list should be reduced when CSP consumers transition to the Comprehensive Community Service Program. The monthly reports were reviewed and placed on file. Proposed Changes to the 161 Agreement Skulan reviewed changes made to the agreement after a joint meeting with Red Cliff. Skulan then reviewed comments submitted regarding the new draft agreement by DHS Board Member Bussey. Motion by Crandall, second by Strand, to approve the contract with three changes. Motion carried unanimously. Comprehensive Community Service Program – Status Report Three questions were posed when Provisional Certification was awarded to the Bayfield County CCS program. Skulan reviewed the letter to Bradley Jar in response to those three questions. Skulan noted that the certification process was cumbersome and a barrier to serving participants. The State appointed a new technical advisor for the program to Bayfield and Ashland Counties and the process was improved and expedited. We are now waiting for a response from the State. Three adults and one youth are currently enrolled in CCS. CCS staff is beginning to market and provide outreach to the community. They are contacting providers and are accepting new referrals to the program. The Red Cliff Tribe is currently applying for certification for a tribal CCS program. However, in the meantime, eligible tribal members can enroll in the Ashland Bayfield County Regional CCS program. The CCS vendor, New Horizon’s North, has incurred program costs that DHS must pay. Costs for Bayfield County total $53,000 for 2014. DHS hopes to recoup the costs during the first annual program reconciliation. However, the State has not yet confirmed that this is allowable. There was some discussion regarding the potential for unspent levy funds from 2014. The DHS Board agreed to the suggestion of requesting a carryover of unspent 2014 county funds in the event that all of the 2014 CCS costs cannot be recouped from the State through the annual reconciliation process. Comprehensive Community Services Coordination Committee Tribal Council Representative Appointment Approval – Jenelle Elza Skulan reported that Jenelle Elza was appointed to represent the Tribal Council on the CCS Coordination Committee. Motion by Schmidt, second by Seldal, to formally approve the Tribe’s appointment of Jenelle Elza to the CCS Coordination Committee. Motion passed unanimously. BAYFIELD COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES BOARD MEETING Bayfield County EOC February 26, 2015 5 2015 – 2017 State Biennial Budget – Wisconsin Counties Association Summary of Governor’s Proposal Skulan reported that there are some Human Services initiatives that are very concerning in the Governor’s proposed budget. During Superior Days, a team met with DHS staff but DHS was not willing to discuss the budget because Secretary Rhoades had not yet provided testimony regarding the budget to the Joint Finance Committee. Skulan reviewed areas of concern. Other (Informational Items) A. CCCW Memo B. Dane County ADRC Letter C. State of Wisconsin Birth to 3 letter D. CCCW 2014 Annual Report E. Agenda - Human Services Day at the Capital Future Meetings A. March 26, 2015 B. April 23, 2015 C. May 28, 2015 Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 5:08 p.m. Submitted by Nikki Revak, Financial Manager