HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuman Services Board - Minutes - 12/4/2018BAYFIELD COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES BOARD MEETING
EOC
December 4, 2018
Board Members Present: Larry Fickbohm, Kent Seldal, Jim Crandall, Jeremy Oswald, Lona
Schmidt, Susan Rosa, Tom Gordon, Aimee Kaufmann
Board Members Excused: George Newago
Others Present: Elizabeth Skulan, Nikki Revak, Carrie Linder, Jeanine Spuhler,
Cheryl Hanson, Sarah Traaholt
Call to Order and Introductions
Crandall called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m.
Introductions were made. Welcomed new citizen member Aimee Kaufmann.
Public comment - None
Discussion and Possible Action – Review of the October 25, 2018 Meeting Minutes
Rosa noted two corrections to the October minutes, to make motions reflect the resolutions
being passed. Motion by Gordon to accept the minutes with those two amendments, seconded
by Schmidt. Motion passed unanimously.
Program Presentation – MyACCESS mobile application – Jeanine Spuhler
Spuhler presented information on the MyACCESS mobile application now available in the app
store by searching MyACCESS Wisconsin. It is designed to assist clients with BadgerCare, Child
Care, FoodShare, Medicaid and W-2 meet requirements within timelines. To use the app, an
individual must be enrolled in one of the programs listed. The app provides automated
reminders and has the capacity for documents to be uploaded and submitted electronically.
Monthly Section Reports
Support Services – Nikki Revak
Three new safety windows were installed in the reception areas of Human Services last
Thursday. Reception staff are appreciative and pleased with the sound barrier, security, and
cold air reduction.
New case management rate approved for Children’s Long-Term Services on December 4, 2018.
Worked on the request for proposal (RFP) for the Aging and Disability Resource Center of the
North Coordinator contract.
Phone conference(s) with Sawyer County and Iron County fiscal staff regarding their Aging and
Disability of the North (ADRC-N) monthly claims. Bayfield County is the fiscal agent for the five
county consortia.
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Revak is working on training and evaluations for Support Services staff.
Aging & Disability Services (A&D) – Carrie Linder
Sheila Mack has been extremely busy with open enrollment for Medicare and Medicare
supplements. Open enrollment ends December 7th.
Staff conducted memory screens throughout the county in November. Attendance was lower
this year than previous years.
Resignation accepted from Erin Clark, Home Delivered Meals Driver. Kelly Kiggins, a substitute
van driver, accepted the position and will begin delivering meals on Monday, December 10,
2018.
Tom Moran has been hired on as a Substitute/Occasional Driver for Aging and Disability and
Family Services.
One employee is out on emergency leave.
Currently working updating vendor rates to issue new contracts for 2019. Staff working with
families to create new Individual Services Plans (ISP) for the new year need the rates to include
on the plans.
There has been an increase in the number of elderly adults with dementia and there is a more
drastic increase projected through 2030 due to Bayfield County’s demographics. Currently,
there is a lack of resources for individuals with dementia, particularly for short-term crisis
stabilization and residential care for those with dementia and behavioral issues. A group
interested in addressing this gap has been meeting, the group includes state legislators Senator
Janet Bewley and Representative Beth Meyers.
DHS received a generous donation from the Realtors Association of Northwestern Wisconsin.
The funds will be used to supplement shelf-stable food boxes with fresh foods. These food
boxes will be provided to elderly receiving home delivered meals prior to the arrival of winter,
so they may have extra staples in their pantries. We are grateful for the donation.
Family Services (FS) – Cheryl Hanson
Laura Westerlund accepted the Family Specialist position. Laura’s first day is December 10,
2018. The Family Specialist assists families who must make changes to provide a safe and
supportive environment for their children.
Susan Miller has transitioned from the Family Specialist position to a Social Work position as
the Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse (AODA) Coordinator. Soon to be Social Worker Kelly
Fitzgerald started with Family Services on October 22, 2018 as Mental Health (MH) Coordinator.
Family Services is now fully staffed.
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Hanson is working on training and evaluations for Family Services staff.
Hanson reported that a Bayfield County family asked to adopt a family in need for Christmas.
Family Services helped identify an interested and needy family and facilitated the process. No
names were exchanged.
Hanson reported that she will attend Superior Days in February 2019 with Skulan. Hanson will
present an agency issues on the need for additional funding statewide for Child Protective
Services.
Hanson and Family Services staff attended a meeting with the State’s Permanency Specialist.
The first tribal customary adoption took place with the Red Cliff Tribe. This type of adoptions
allows a child the permanency of an adopted home without severing the ties with the biological
family or the tribal community. Customary adoptions are only available to tribal children
through Tribal Courts.
Marne Gorman-Belanger and Hanson met with clergy from several counties. They talked to
them about foster care and how the faith community can support foster families.
Economic Support Services (ES) – Jeanine Spuhler
The Northern Income Maintenance Call Center (NIMC) has been extremely busy. Many people
are trying to complete their public assistance benefit renewals before the first of the next
month. It is also currently open enrollment for the Federal Market place. Applicants that may
qualify for State benefits are transferred to NIMC which also increases workload this time of
year.
There are currently three new workers in Economic Support. Two started in March and one
began in August. New worker training is almost complete for the individual hired in August.
Interviews were held on Tuesday, November 20, 2018 for one Limited-term Economic Support
Specialist. The position is funded through December 31, 2021. We are hopeful that reference
checks and an employment offer will be made soon.
Met with the Northern IM Consortium Regional Manager on Wednesday to discuss
workload and consortium staffing.
Spuhler is working on performance evaluations for Economic Support staff.
Monthly Reports
Monthly reports reviewed and placed on file.
Discussion and Possible Action – Three Year Aging Plan, Carrie Linder
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Linder provided a summary of the proposed aging plan developed through the public hearing
process and reviewed and recommended by the Aging and Disability Services Advisory
Committee.
Motion by Gordon, second by Schmidt, to approve the Three-Year Aging Plan as presented.
Motion approve unanimously.
Discussion and Possible Action – Department of Transportation (DOT) Annual Application,
Carrie Linder
Linder provided a summary of the projects including the DOT application for 2019. The
application was presented at a public hearing and was reviewed and recommended by the
Aging and Disabilities Advisory Committee.
Motion by Fickbohm, second by Rosa, to approve Department of Transportation (DOT) Annual
Application. Motion approved unanimously.
Linder reported that BART Director Pat Doust has asked DHS to contribute $15,000 towards the
purchase of an electric bus to replace the current Blue Goose used in the City of Washburn. If
an electric bus was purchased, Doust would also ask Bayfield County to fund and house a
charging station to fuel the bus. Oswald, who is on the BART Board asked if Linder had spoken
to Doust recently, as Oswald is unsure if BART is still planning to pursue the purchase of electric
buses.
Linder also reported that she has been working with a group to plan a Transportation Summit
that will be held in April.
Aging and Disability Resource Center of the North (ADRC-N) Coordinator – Resignation and
Recruitment Search for a new Contractor
ADRC-N Coordinator, Barb Peterson, tendered her sixty-day notice on November 1, 2018. Barb
plans to retire the first of the year and her last day will be December 31, 2018. A Request for
Proposal (RFP) was issued mid-November in all five counties. The due date for responses is
December 5, 2018. Regional Dementia Care Specialist (DCS), Misty Mogensen, has also
submitted resignation and will be done at the end of the year. Recruitment for a new regional
DCS will be delayed until a new ADRC-N Coordinator is in place and can participate in
recruitment for the position.
Comprehensive Community Services (CCS) Program Update
Skulan presented a status update for the CCS program. Douglas County has not yet received
approval for CCS expansion in 2019. Douglas County can only implement the 1st of the year, if
they are not certified in December they will need to wait until January 2020 to implement the
program.
Ashland and Bayfield County staff met on December 4, 2018 to discuss a
request from New Horizons for more funding in 2019, so they might retain up to 5% of
the funds they receive over actual cost. Since both counties use the same provider
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and received the same request, Ashland and Bayfield Counties met to respond together to the
request.
Previous Years’ Budget and Spending Data – Submitted for the Opioid Lawsuit
Counties included in the opioid lawsuit were asked to provide information on budgets and
spending data from years when the costs began to increase due to prescription opioid abuse. A
copy of information provided to Corporation Counsel in November was reviewed.
Other (Informational Items)
A. E-mail from Regional ES New Worker Trainer Steve Budnik regarding Audra
Austin
B. Other
Future Meetings
A. January 24, 2019
B. February 28, 2019
C. March 28, 2019
Adjournment at 6:05 p.m.
Submitted by Sarah Traaholt, Clerk III