HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuman Services Board - Minutes - 12/3/2024BAYFIELD COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES BOARD MEETING
EOC & Virtual
December 3, 2024
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Board Members Present: James Crandall, Marty Milanowski, Mary Dougherty left at 5:09, Lona
Schmidt, Teri Hanson, Sue Rosa, Madelaine Rekemeyer
Board Members Absent: Stephanie Defoe-Haskins
Others Present: Elizabeth Skulan, Stephanie Eder, Mary Anich, Jo Beth Gonzalez, Jeanine
Spuhler, Carrie Linder, Heather Gilbertson, Tom Croteau
Call to Order and Introductions
Crandall called the meeting to order at 3:54 p.m. Jo Beth Gonzales was welcomed as the new Family
Services Manager. Family Services Manager Mary Anich, who is retiring on January 6, 2025, was thanked
for her service. Teri Hanson was welcomed as a new Citizen Member.
Notice of Board Member Resignation – Patrick Irvine, Citizen Member from City of Bayfield
Discussion and Possible Action – October 24, 2024, meeting minutes.
Motion by Milanowski, seconded by Schmidt to approve the October 24, 2024, meeting minutes.
Motion passed.
Opportunity for Public Comment (Limit 3 minutes please)-None
Program Presentation – Presentation of the 2025-2027 Aging Plan -Carrie Linder
• Linder explained the federal government has defined the required areas of focus for the three-
year aging plan. These are Supportive Services, Nutrition Program, Evidence Based Health
Promotion, and Caregiver Support.
• The State of Wisconsin Aging Network adds values that must also be addressed in the goals.
These are Person Centeredness, Equity, and Advocacy.
• Goal 1: Provide advocacy training and education opportunity for older adults, caregivers, and
community members by creating an advocacy web page, providing advocacy training and
hosting meeting sessions with local and state legislators. To accomplish this, Linder indicated
local and state legislators will be invited to coffee chats; there will be training and listening
sessions at the local level to teach individuals how to advocate for themselves; and a website will
be created to include legislative information pertinent to advocacy and aging in Bayfield County.
• Goal 2: Create a coalition of non-governmental individuals dedicated to combating social
isolation and loneliness among older adults through awareness materials, social media and
community gathering. Educational materials and resource lists will be developed to raise public
awareness. Community gatherings will be held around the county. The Cable Repair Café, which is
currently active, will be used as a model for other communities.
• Goal 3: Due to a growing older population, outdated policies and procedures, and finite
funding, we will implement the GWAAR Person-Centered Meal Prioritization Process over the
DRAFT:
Subject to change at
the next BCDHS Board
meeting
BAYFIELD COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES BOARD MEETING
EOC & Virtual
December 3, 2024
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next three years. A plan will be developed to optimize the delivery of meals. Policies and
procedures that are already in place will be reviewed and revised.
• Goal 4: Explore different ways to provide congregate meals to participants in underserved
areas of Bayfield County. The plan includes providing pop up, nontraditional meal sites in
underserved areas of the county where there are no vendors to provide a meal regularly.
• Goal 5: Evidence Based Programs - Focus on maintaining and enhancing current programs by
streamlining procedures and providing focused outreach strategies.
• Linder also provided the following:
o CORE, a non-profit entity in the City of Bayfield, has expressed interest in having a
congregate meal in their area.
o Caregiver supports- Increase caregivers’ ability to advocate on their own behalf. Offer
caregivers additional options for self-care. Explore voucher programs.
o Create a Caregiver specific resource guide.
Monthly Section Reports
Behavioral Health and Community Programs – Tom Croteau
• Molly Randa has been with the team since late September. Molly finished her trainings and has
been assigned a caseload. Randa is fitting in well with the rest of the team.
• Alan Spaude-Filipczak began his employment as the new part-time Mental Health Professional. His
first day was November 18, 2024.
• Comprehensive Community Services (CCS) is preparing for biannual re-certification. The state has
not yet determined a date when the re-certification process will begin.
• Participant numbers have not significantly changed. Although there have been several new intakes,
there have also been participants who have transitioned out of the program.
• CCS is a recovery-based program. When services are no longer needed, participants may transition
out of the program quickly. This can be a big change for the participant. Service Facilitators work
with the participant throughout their time in the program to prepare them for this change.
• Behavioral Health Case Manager Hailey BeBeau submitted her resignation. She will be leaving at the
end of December.
• Croteau is happy that the county is looking at different benefit package options. He believes that the
proposed PTO policy is a positive change. Croteau is hopeful the policy will be adopted and will
attract new quality applicants.
• The Behavioral Health Unit at Tamarack Health in Ashland is not accepting new admissions as of
mid-December. They will close to complete a construction project. Emergency Detentions will be
admitted to other institutions, which increases the cost of service.
• Croteau reported he filed an application for a grant with the Department of Justice. The grant was
awarded and will be used to help pay AVEL for their virtual mental health crisis response in 2025
• Law enforcement officers will be trained by AVEL in January and the service will be implemented
once the training is completed.
BAYFIELD COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES BOARD MEETING
EOC & Virtual
December 3, 2024
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Economic Support – Jeanine Spuhler
• Enrollment is now open for Health Care through the Federally Facilitated Marketplace. All
applications received by the consortium are reviewed to determine if the client is eligible for
Medicaid.
• Energy Assistance applications have increased, and several furnace issues have been reported. The
program requires round the clock response for energy crises.
• Spuhler is in the process of completing performance evaluations for Economic Support staff.
• Five Economic Support Specialist were successfully reclassed from Economic Support Specialist I to
Economic Support Specialist II beginning January 1, 2025.
Family Services – Mary Anich / Jo Beth Gonzalez
• Jo Beth Gonzalez started her employment on November 18, 2024. Gonzalez is working alongside
Anich until Anich’s retirement on January 3, 2025.
• Anich reported that as of December 6, 2024, Family Services will not have any case managers. Five
Limited Term Employees (LTEs) have been hired to help provide mandated services until full-time
staff are in place.
• One case was transferred to Iron County.
• Family Specialist Keldi Merton’s first day of work was December 3, 2024. Merton previously worked
part-time in the tourism office.
• Alanna Pahos from Washburn County was hired to provide after -hours supervision one week a
month, so that Gonzalez does not have to be on-call 24/7/365.
• DHS anticipates additional applicants will be scheduled for interviews this week and next.
Support Services – Stephanie Eder
• Christopher O’Dell will be joining the Support Staff team on December 9, 2024. He is transferring to
DHS from Zoning.
• Support Staff are currently being trained to use nine new or upgraded software programs.
• There will be a dual entry accounting system using both WISSIS and New World for a time in 2025.
This will ensure the systems balance before a full transition to New World is complete.
• Eder has completed two of five performance evaluations. Evaluations are due in December.
• An additional Support Staff Clerk III will be hired in January. This position will be required to
complete 100% time reporting and is anticipated to be funded by the CLTS and CCS programs (80%),
and county funding (20%).
Aging & Disability Services – Carrie Linder
• Linder was thankful that Administration changed the proposed PTO policy in response to feedback
from employees.
• Linder stated she has not started employee evaluations yet.
• Three of the software programs that Eder discussed in her report are used by staff in the Aging and
Disability Services Section.
o WRAPS is new system that captures Adult Protection Services (APS) data.
o The DOT grant will use the new Transit Management System.
BAYFIELD COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES BOARD MEETING
EOC & Virtual
December 3, 2024
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o Peer Place replaced SAMS for reporting GWAAR data. Linder reported this transition has
been particularly difficult for staff.
o The Vaccination Grant provided nine clinics throughout the county in October and
administered 589 vaccinations.
o The Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) provided information and outreach during
the vaccination clinics. During the clinics ADRC staff distributed information to 325 older
adults.
o The Health Department, through the Vaccination Grant, will now begin providing
vaccinations to Home Delivered Meal participants. Homebound residents who are in need
and interested in getting the vaccines will get them in their home.
Monthly Reports
Monthly Financial and Training reports were reviewed and retained.
Approval of the 2025-2027 Aging Plan
Motion by, Milanowski, seconded by Rosa, to approve the 2025-2025 Aging Plan. Motion passed.
Summary and Approval of the 2025 Department of Transportation 82.21 (DOT) Application.
Linder presented the 2025 application and reviewed the 2025 projects and budget for approval.
Motion by Milanowski, seconded by Schmidt, to approve the 2025 Department of Transportation
(DOT) Application.
Human Services Department Updates – Elizabeth Skulan, District Attorney Kimberly Lawton
• Lawton reported the DA and DHS staff are working on improving relationships. To help facilitate this,
meetings will be scheduled with Gonzalez to introduce her to court representatives including Judge
Anderson, the Guardians ad Litem, and perhaps Public Defenders.
• Lawton reported she and Judge Anderson are both interested in participating in the Organizational
Effectiveness process that will be scheduled with Family Services staff in the future. .
• Lawton indicated that she was pleased the Criminal Justice is performing drug testing for DHS
clients. Lawton believes Criminal Justice has good protocols in place for this service. She suggested
this might be an ongoing arrangement rather than temporary as new staff are hired and trained.
• Lawton explained that a Guardian ad Litem is a lawyer appointed by the judge who determines what
is in the best interest of the child and Adverse Counsel represents the wishes of the child.
• Skulan indicated good communication between the departments will also help improve the
relationship.
Pursuant to Wisconsin Statutes §19.85(1)(c) the department of Human Services entertained a
motion to move into Executive Session; considering employment, promotion, compensation, or
performance evaluation data of any public employee over which the governmental body has
jurisdiction or exercises responsibility at 5:11 p.m.
BAYFIELD COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES BOARD MEETING
EOC & Virtual
December 3, 2024
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Motion by Malinowski, seconded by Schmidt, to enter in closed session allow DHS Director Elizabeth
Skulan and Financial Manager Stephanie Eder to remain. The vote was unanimous, and the motion
carried.
Pursuant to Wisconsin Statutes §19.85(1)(c) the department of Human Services entertained a
motion to move out of Executive Session and back into open session at 5:15 p.m.
Motion by Malinowski, seconded by Hanson, to exit the closed session. The vote was unanimous, and
the motion carried.
No action was taken.
Other (Informational Items)
• Email from Carrie Linder, November 4, 2024, to Cornucopia Volunteer Meal Site Managers Donna
and Susan for the public presentation given at the nutrition staff training held in Hayward, October
30, 2024.
• The County’s Comprehensive Plan update for Human Services was distributed for the committee’s
review. The update was forwarded to the County Administrator who will compile all Department
updated to present to the County Board.
Future Meetings
• January 23, 2025
• February 27, 2025
• March 27, 2025
Crandall adjourned the meeting at 5:20 p.m.
Submitted by Heather Gilbertson, Clerk III