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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuman Services Board - Minutes - 8/27/2020BAYFIELD COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES BOARD MEETING EOC August 27, 2020 1 Board Members Present: Jim Crandall, Larry Fickbohm, Susan Rosa, Jeremy Oswald, Lona Schmidt, Marty Milanowski, Kent Seldal, Stephanie Defoe Haskins, David Zepczyk, Board Members Absent: Others Present: Elizabeth Skulan, Jeanine Spuhler, Cheryl Hanson, Carrie Linder, Nikki Revak, Heather Gilbertson, Gretchen Morris, Thomas Croteau Call to Order and Introductions Crandall called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. Discussion and Possible Action - Review of the July 23, 2020, Meeting Minutes Motion by Milanowski, seconded by Schmidt to approve the July 23, 2020 minutes as presented. Motion passed. Opportunity for Public Comment (Limited to 3 minutes per person) none Program Presentation – Indian Child Welfare, Gretchen Morris, Director, Indian Child Welfare, Red Cliff Tribe – Morris described Indian Child Welfare (ICW) services. She spoke of ways the tribe and county collaborate as well as the Tribe’s customary adoption procedures. The Tribe and County have invested time in developing good working relationships between ICW and Bayfield County Child Protective Services. This is essential in meeting the common goal of making decisions that are in the best interest of the child. The County and Tribe partner when forensic interviews of tribal children are conducted for child protective service investigations. The County performs the interview. The Tribe participates as a member of the monitoring team. The Tribe contributes knowledge regarding the child, the family, cultural insight, and/or any other information that might facilitate a productive interview with the child. ICW services are provided to tribal members. They can also be provided to parents that are non- members or for individuals that qualify for tribal enrollment but are not an enrolled member. Red Cliff ICW provides services to Red Cliff tribal children throughout the U.S., not just those located on the reservation or in Bayfield County. Monthly Section Reports and COVID19 Updates Support Services –Nikki Revak • The furniture ordered for Comprehensive Community Services (CCS) offices arrived and the employees are in their new offices. • Revak has been working on Wisconsin Medicaid Cost Report (WIMCR) and the budget as well as responding to issues while Skulan was on vacation. • Thanks to all managers for submitting data and responding to questions for the 2021 budget. Mark had numerous questions after the initial budget was keyed in. Due to an increase in health BAYFIELD COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES BOARD MEETING EOC August 27, 2020 2 insurance premiums after the budget was submitted, Revak rekeyed health insurance data to reflect the correct premiums and rebalance the budget due to the changes. Economic Support – Jeanine Spuhler • Participated in the entrance interview for the annual Northern Income Maintenance Consortium (NIMC) Management Evaluation Review (MER) for FoodShare in accordance with state and federal regulations. Bayfield County was one of three of the twelve counties in the consortium to be reviewed in 2020. NIMC had the lowest error rate in the state for the 2018-2019 federal fiscal year. • This year the state automated and issued early applications for WHEAP for clients with fixed incomes. Nineteen applications were generated in Bayfield County. • Spuhler reported that staff are grateful for the opportunity to telecommute and there is a strong interest in telecommuting in the Economic Support Section. New laptops were purchased, and staff will have grab and go equipment soon. Staff were disappointed that the number of individuals who can telecommute from each section is limited and telecommuting is limited to one month at a time. Most ES staff will be on a rotating schedule to work from home. • There have been many calls for childcare due to school starting. • Clients are reapplying for FoodShare due to changes in work hours or new jobs. • Year to date 2020 benefits for FoodShare issued in Bayfield County is $1.1 million compared to $800,000 benefits issued this same time last year. This is primarily due to loss of employment and additional emergency FoodShare benefits. Benefits increased to the maximum amount per household size, rather than the amount that would have been issued relative to the household income. Maximum benefits were issued to all households from March through August 2020. • Emergency Foodshare will also be issued in September under the same COVID19 state policy. Aging & Disability Services – Carrie Linder • Participated in an annual review for the Birth to Three Program. Developed a County Performance Plan for the coming year. • Partnered with Red Cliff to facilitate the delivery of produce boxes to Home Delivered Meal participants from the Red Cliff Food Distribution Program. Participated in picking up and storing the food for delivery. • Changes to the Children’s Long-Term Support (CLTS) program were made public at a recent teleconference. Some changes are related to COVID19, others are associated with changes to the administration of the program that will implement statewide in 2021. • Two special allocations through the federal CARES Act were used to provide Grab and Go Meals early in the year. Those funds have been expended. However, due to the declaration of a Federal Emergency, DHS can now use the Congregate Meal allocation to provide Grab and Go and home delivered meals. Family Services Manager, Cheryl Hanson • CLTS Case Manager Kristin Opperman will be transitioning a case to Family Services Social Worker Mary Anich. • Family Service staff is assisting Barb Flynn in Criminal Justice with a case in the diversion program. The goal is to assist a pregnant woman enter treatment. The client was on an ankle monitor, cut the monitor off, and is currently in jail. • Methamphetamine (meth) continues to be the biggest issue with Family Services clients. • The Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse (AODA) Social Worker position is still vacant. • Hanson met with new chief investigator Brent Bratley to discuss a case. BAYFIELD COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES BOARD MEETING EOC August 27, 2020 3 • Hanson transitioned supervision of the CCS program to Tom Croteau, new CCS Manager. Comprehensive Community Services (CCS), Tom Croteau • Introduction were made. • CCS has two new employees, Croteau, CCS Supervisor and Natalie Fellows, CCS Service Facilitator. • Croteau also works as a Mental Health Professional. • Majeres is now a part-time employee. • Croteau’s focus is currently learning the CCS program and its rules, regulations and requirements. CCS is one of the most complex programs in DHS. • Croteau reported there are currently 22 participants and last week CCS received the first two new intakes since COVID19 started. • One staff was issued additional training in cyber security as a disciplinary measure. • The CCS program will be recertified before the end of 2020. An internal quality review process has begun to prepare for the recertification process. • Headwaters, Inc. of Ashland issued a 30-day notice of discontinuation of service for the CCS service array. • A second caregiver misconduct report was submitted due to a disclosure and complaint filed by another CCS participant. This is the second complaint filed in Bayfield CCS on the same contracted caregiver. The Department of Justice is continuing to investigate. Monthly Reports Monthly reports reviewed and placed on file. A. Financial B. Training (travel is restricted, no training report) Discussion and Possible Action –Draft DHS 2021 Budget The 2021 DHS draft budget was included in the board packet for review, modification, and approval. The budget includes an additional $78,000 for the senior nutrition program. Of the $78,000, $45,000 is a one-time request to pay for additional Home Delivered and Grab and Go meals due to the pandemic; $33,000 is a request for ongoing funds to pay for the wages and fringe benefits of staff who drive the home delivered meals routes in order to sustain the current routes. The Board reviewed the draft 2021 DHS budget. There was discussion about the $78,000 increase for the senior nutrition program. Options of requesting additional county levy, processing a request to access the DHS risk reserve, or a combination of the two were considered. CCS Vendor 30 Day Notice – A copy of the notice was included in the meeting materials. Headwaters, Inc. provided Ashland and Bayfield County CCS programs with a 30-day notice of discontinuation of CCS services. Headwaters, an affiliate of Catholic Charities, has decided they are no longer interested in contracting to provide community-based services to the CCS programs. Motion by Milanowski, second by Fickbohm, to approve the 2021 DHS Budget as presented and petition for an increase in county levy of $78,000 for the senior nutrition program. Motion passed. BAYFIELD COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES BOARD MEETING EOC August 27, 2020 4 COVID19 Department Update COVID19 continues to affect the lives of staff as well as the individuals and families served by DHS. Staff with school aged children are concerned about the repercussions of sending, or not sending, their children to school. A worksheet was reviewed that illustrated how the most recent policy provided by Human Resourceswill be implemented by DHS. Should the workforce reporting to work at the Courthouse be negatively affected by the virus, there will be staff from each section telecommuting each day. Those staff will be called upon to report to the courthouse is needed. DHS Advisory Committee Openings – Family Services Advisory Committee Appointment of Kylie Rose Vadnais to the Family Services Advisory Committee – Cheryl Hanson Motion by Crandall second by Seldal, to approve the appointment of Kylie Rose Vadnais to the Family Services Advisory Committee. Motion passed. Other (Informational Items) A. Foodshare applicant thank you note Future Meetings A. September 24, 2020 B. October 22, 2020 C. December 1, 2020 – November/December 2020 Meeting Adjournment at 5:45 p.m. Submitted by Heather Gilbertson, Clerk II