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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuman Services Board - Minutes - 12/7/2021BAYFIELD COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES BOARD MEETING EOC December 7, 2021 1 Board Members Present: Marty Milanowski, David Zepczyk, Larry Fickbohm, Lona Schmidt by phone, Jim Crandall, Jeremy Oswald, Mark Ludeking, Susan Rosa Board Members Not Present: Stephanie Defoe Haskins Others Present: Elizabeth Skulan, Stephanie Eder, Tom Croteau, Jeanine Spuhler, Mary Anich, Carrie Linder, Heather Gilbertson, Call to Order and Introductions Crandall called the meeting to order at 4:01 p.m. Opportunity for Public Comment No Public Comment Discussion and Possible Action – Review of the October 28, 2021, meeting minutes Motion by Milanowski, second by Fickbohm to approve the October 28, 2021, meeting minutes as presented. Motion passed. Program Presentation – Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP), Economic Support Services Manager Jeanine Spuhler • LIHWAP is a new program to assist low-income households with water and wastewater bills. It is administered by Energy Services Incorporated (ESI), who contracts with the state of Wisconsin. • LIHWAP funds are available to homeowners served by energy providers who participate in the public benefits program. • Customers must be eligible for the Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program (WIHEAP) to be eligible for LIHWAP benefits. Customers must have a need for water assistance. ESI will request a water bill documenting the crisis. Payments are issued directly to the water provider. • LIHWAP funds are also available to identify and repair underlying issues that cause high water bills. A contractor will come into the household to identify leaks, drips, and/or any other problems that contribute to unnecessary water use. • Spuhler has reached out to the City of Washburn informing them of the LIHWAP program. FINAL Approved at 03/24/2022 BCDHS meeting BAYFIELD COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES BOARD MEETING EOC December 7, 2021 2 Monthly Section Reports Comprehensive Community Services (CCS) – Tom Croteau • Intern Madison Atterbury started on October 6, 2021. Madison is learning about the community and how CCS connects and provides services to participants. • Currently there are seven referrals and one discharge. • CCS currently has 26 participants and there are six active intakes. The program is stable and continues to grow. • Referrals are primarily being made by other sections in DHS. Aging & Disability Services – Carrie Linder • 27 Adult Protection Services cases • Five Case Management clients • Hayley Weyers currently is working with 37 clients in Children’s Long Term Care Services (CLTS). • 25 ADRC clients • Jamie Mackin has 68 active cases and five cases in the works for disability determinations. • Marianne Johnson completed 144 Medicare plans during open enrollment which closed on December 7, 2021. • 120 Home Delivered Meal participants. • There has been a reduction in the number of Grab and Go meals distributed due to the onset of colder weather. This program will end as of December 23, 2021. • The Barnes congregate meal site is currently open. DHS plans to open additional congregate sites in early 2022. Family Services – Mary Anich • Referrals have declined slightly. • Social Worker Melissa Huempfner who is the primary Child Protection Services worker will be on leave for three months beginning in January. All staff have taken on additional responsibilities to help carry the caseload. • Youth Justice Case Manager Traci Olson started on November 15, 2021. • Behavioral Health Case Manager August Gordon started on December 6, 2021. • Social Worker Lindsey Friedrich who works in Behavioral Health submitted her resignation. Lindsey’s last day will be December 21, 2021. • Anich is working on annual performance evaluations. • Anich will complete her Supervisor Curriculum Training in December. Support Services – Stephanie Eder • Human Service Receptionist Heather Doubek submitted her resignation. Heather’s last day will be December 10, 2021. • Support Staff Team has two vacancies. • Eder is currently working with the Human Resource Director on one of the vacancies. BAYFIELD COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES BOARD MEETING EOC December 7, 2021 3 • The Support Staff Team has met twice to create a task list and assign job duties to ensure all duties are assigned and to designate which staff will provide backup to each task. • Nina Bucher, Kathy Wolfram-Moran, and Eder completed a live Excel training. • Eder has completed annual performance evaluations. • Eder expressed her gratitude to Michele Reiswig. Reiswig covered reception for one lunch hour so support staff could have a working lunch. Economic Support – Jeanine Spuhler • Living Independently through Financial Empowerment (LIFE) is a new program funded by the American Rescue Program Act (ARPA). Eligible survivors of domestic violence will receive temporary financial assistance totaling $3,500 over a three-month period. This program is managed through the local W2 agency. A referral through a domestic violence shelter is required to be eligible for the program. • Emergency Foodshare benefits will be issued for December. Clients will receive the maximum amount allocated for the number of household members without regard to income. • The State is developing a plan for when the health emergency ends. The date for ending the health emergency has been pushed forward to March 31, 2022. • Elder Benefits Specialist Marianne Johnson has referred many of her clients to Economic Support for the Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program (WHEAP). • WHEAP applicants have declined 11% compared to the same time last year; 400 applications are in progress or have been approved for the 2021-2022 heating season. • Economic Support Specialist Aaron Kalmon completed the enhanced new worker training required by the state. • Economic Support Specialist Audra Blanch will be on leave for three months beginning December 9, 2021. Spuhler will assume her local workload. The consortium will complete regional tasks. • Bayfield County is recruiting for a new Economic Support Services position. New funding is available to support the position. There have been very few applicants. Monthly Reports Monthly Financial and Training reports were reviewed and placed on file. Discussion and Possible Action – Reappointment of Jim Crandall to the Aging and Disability Resource Center of the North Governing Board. Crandall completed his term in June 2021. Crandall is currently the acting chair on this five- county board and is interested in serving for another three-year term. The ADRC governing board met last month and recommended Crandall for re-appointment. Motion by Milanowski, second by Ludeking to re-appoint Crandall to the Aging and Disability Resource Center of the North Governing Board. Motion passed. BAYFIELD COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES BOARD MEETING EOC December 7, 2021 4 Discussion and Possible Action – Review and approval of 2022 Department of Transportation 85.21 Application. The 2022 application was reviewed by the Aging and Disability Advisory Committee. The plan is now before the Board for final approval. No changes have been made to the application since the draft application was reviewed by the Board. Motion by Milanowski, second by Oswald to approve the 2022 Department of Transportation 85.21 application. Motion passed. Discussion and Possible Action – Consideration, potential approval, or denial to award vendor contracts in response to the Request for Proposals in the elderly nutrition programs. Proposals for Home Delivered Meals and Congregate Meals from Red Cliff Elderly, Lakewood’s, Chartwell’s, Helen Hyde, Time Out Restaurant, and Bayfield County Food Service were reviewed and discussed. Proposals were reviewed and discussed by the Nutrition Advisory Council. The Council recommended the following awards: • Lakewood’s: Cable home delivered meals • Chartwells: home delivered meals for several routes and Barnes bulk congregate meals • Helen Hyde: Iron River congregate meals • Time Out Restaurant: Washburn congregate meals on Wednesdays • Red Cliff: Bayfield home delivered meals • Bayfield County Food Service: Washburn congregate meals on Fridays at St. Louis school; bulk congregate meals Port Wing and Cornucopia; and Washburn home delivered meals Additional staff will be needed to attend some of the congregate meal sites. Money has been identified in the budget to support the staff. DHS is currently recruiting for two new home delivered meal route drivers. Vehicles have been ordered and new equipment is in the process of being procured. The two largest routes will be split into two separate routes as soon as the new drivers have been hired and trained, hopefully in January 2022. Motion by Oswald, second by Milanowski to award vendor contracts in the elderly nutrition programs as recommended by the Nutrition Advisory Committee. Motion passed. Discussion and Possible Action – Consideration and potential approval for proposal of sites and frequency of meals in Congregate Meal Program. BAYFIELD COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES BOARD MEETING EOC December 7, 2021 5 Proposals were reviewed and discussed by the Nutrition Advisory Council and recommended as follows: • Cornucopia: to be held twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursday at the Bell Town Hall • Port Wing: to be held twice a week on Mondays and Wednesdays at the Town Hall • Washburn: to be held twice a week on Wednesdays and Fridays, Wednesdays at the Time Out Restaurant and Fridays at the St. Louis School • Iron River: no change, once per month on the second Thursday of the month • Barnes: no change, Monday through Friday • Due to a lack of vendors, no congregate meal site is recommended in the Benoit, Mason, Grand View area at this time. Linder reported the openings of additional congregate meal sites will be staggered. Congregate meal site openings will begin in January 2022. Motion by Fickbohm, second by Milanowski to approve sites and frequency of meals in the Senior Congregate Meal Program as recommended. Motion passed. CLOSED SESSION Discussion and Possible Action – The Committee may enter in and out of closed session pursuant to Wisconsin Statues §19.85(1)(c) to approve meeting minutes from October 28, 2021, Executive Session. Roll call votes please. Motion by Oswald, second by Fickbohm to enter the Executive Session. Roll call vote taken. Motion passed. Motion by Milanowski, second by Fickbohm to close the Executive Session and resume the open meeting. Roll call vote taken. Motion passed. Other (Informational Items) A. Thank you (2), DHS Consumers, B. E-mail to team from new Economic Support Worker Aaron Kalmon Future Meetings A. January 27, 2022 B. February 24, 2022 C. March 24, 2022 Motion or Chair’s Statement to Adjourn Crandall Adjourned the meeting at 4:48 p.m. Submitted by Heather Gilbertson, Clerk II