HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuman Services Board - Minutes - 9/26/2024BAYFIELD COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES BOARD MEETING
EOC & Virtual
September 26, 2024
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Board Members Present: James Crandall, Lona Schmidt, Marty Milanowski, Mary Dougherty,
Madeline Rekemeyer
Board Members Absent: Sue Rosa, Patrick Irvine, Stephanie Defoe-Haskins
Others Present: Elizabeth Skulan, Stephanie Eder, Tom Croteau, Kimberly Lawton, Steve
Budnick, Northern Income Maintenance Consortium (NIMC) Administrator
Call to Order and Introductions
Crandall called the meeting to order at 4:03 p.m. Introductions were made.
Opportunity for Public Comment (Limit 3 minutes please)-None
Discussion and Possible Action – Review the August 15, 2024, meeting minutes.
Motion by Milanowski, seconded by Schmidt to approve the August 15, 2024, meeting minutes.
Motion passed.
Program Presentation – Steve Budnick, Northern Income Maintenance Consortium (NIMC)
Administrator- Overview of Consortium Operations and Outcomes of the “Unwinding” of the Public
Health Emergency Policies
• The NIMC provides essential services and opportunities to clients. Programs offered through the
NIMC are Food Share, Medicaid, Child Care Assistance, Benefit Recovery/ Fraud, Call Center,
Community Liaisons.
• The NIMC is the largest geographic region of the state.
• NIMC includes 12 counties: Ashland, Bayfield, Florence, Forest, Iron, Lincoln, Price, Rusk, Sawyer,
Taylor, Vilas and Wood Counties.
• The call center is open 35 hours a week.
• Local county offices are open to the public 35 to 40 hours a week for in person appointments.
• Having a consortium helps to reduce administrative costs for each county.
• Currently the NIMC caseload is higher than pre-pandemic. Calls average around 10 minutes.
• Except for required lobby services, employees can perform their work remotely.
• Team meetings are held virtually to improve efficiency and reach more individuals.
• Current initiatives for the NIMC: maintain the best call center of the state; provide the best
customer service to clients; consistent processing; provide additional training and development
including cross training all staff to work with the Elderly, Blind and Disabled (EBD) population due
to our growing number of seniors in the region.
FINAL:
Approved at the
10/24/24 BCDHS Board
meeting
BAYFIELD COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES BOARD MEETING
EOC & Virtual
September 26, 2024
K:\Agendas and Minutes\DHS Board\Minutes\2024 DHS Board Minutes\2024-09-26_BCDHS_Board_meeting_minutes -FINAL.docx 2
Monthly Reports
Monthly Financial and Training reports were reviewed and retained.
Discussion and Possible Action – Proposal to Recommend Teri Hanson as Citizen Member from the Cable
Area to the Human Services Board.
Motion by, Milanowski seconded by Schmidt, to recommend the appointment of Teri Hanson as
Citizen Member from the Cable Area to the Human Services board to the full County Board. Motion
passed.
Discussion and Possible Action –Proposed Transportation Coordination Committee Appointments
Motion by, Milanowski seconded by Dougherty, to appoint Shari Nutt, Alice Evenson, Carla Becker,
Perry Campbell and Jake Benson to the Transportation Coordination Committee (TCC) Motion passed.
Discussion and Possible Action –Proposed Family Services/Behavioral Health Advisory Committee
appointment.
Motion by, Milanowski seconded by Dougherty, to appoint Lona Schmidt to the Family
Services/Behavioral Health Advisory Committee. Motion passed.
Human Services Department Updates – Elizabeth Skulan, District Attorney Kimberly Lawton
• Lawton said regularly meetings are going well, particularly with the challenging cases DHS child
protective services and youth justice staff are dealing with.
• Skulan said one candidate has been interviewed for the Family Services Section Manager position.
Lawton was able to meet the candidate.
• DHS will contract for organizational effectiveness and continuous quality improvement when the
new section manager is hired and working.
• A resource file was created for new and current Family Services staff.
• The new Family Services staff member will shadow child protective services staff in Oneida County
for three days in November. One day they will shadow an Access worker, on day will be focused on
initial investigation. The last will be shadowing a staff person who is providing ongoing case
management.
• New staff will continue to get training shadowing Bayfield County employees as well.
2025 Proposed Meeting Dates
• January 23, 2025
• February 27, 2025
• March 27, 2025
BAYFIELD COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES BOARD MEETING
EOC & Virtual
September 26, 2024
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2025 Proposed Meeting Dates Continued
• April 24, 2025
• May 22, 2025
• June 26, 2025, and public hearing on proposed 2026 DHS Budget (County Board Room)
• August 12, 2025 (July/August meeting due to County 2026 Budget Deadline)
• September 25, 2025
• October 23, 2025
• December 2, 2025, (November/December meeting, begins with a potluck at 3:30)
Other (Informational Items)
• Email from District Attorney Kimberly Lawton regarding Behavioral Health and Community Programs
Section Manager Tom Croteau
Future Meetings
• October 24, 2024
• November/December Meeting, Tuesday, December 3, 2024, will begin with a holiday potluck at 3:45
with the meeting immediately following.
• January 23, 2025
Crandall adjourned the meeting at 4:51 p.m.
Submitted by Heather Gilbertson, Clerk III