B030210
NeNN Hanover County
Board of Social Ser-Vices
Meeting Minutes
March 2, 2010
Multi Purpose Room A
9:00a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
The Ncv,- Hanover County Board of Social Services met in open session on Tucsda\.
March 2. 2010 at 9:00 in Multi Purpose Room A of the New Hanover County
Department of Social Services.
ATTENDING: John Craig. Chairman: Bill Caster. T\clyn Brant and I atrick Riley
ALSO ATTENDING: I.aVaughn Nesmith. Secretary to the Board: Stephanie Monteath.
Administrative Support Specialist
The Chairman called the mcetin(-, to order at 9:00 a.m, Mr. Caster 111m ed for approv al of
the auenda. The motion «as passed unanimously .
Mr. Caster led the invocation. Mr. Riley led the pledge of allegiance.
CONSENT AGENDA
Mr. Riley moved for approval of the consent a(Tenda. The motion vvas passed
unanimously.
INFORMATION AGENDA
Promotions
Christine McNamee vas promoted to A"~ "Istant Director of, Lconomic Scrv ices. Renee
Hall and Mare Beth Rubright vycrc promoted to Social \Vork Superv isors.
County Service Awards
Deborah Allen vyas reco-nized for 5 Years of SerVice to the County.
State Service Awards
Wanda Marino. Kim Evans. Cheryl Mote, Sheila Merritt. Arena Eyerctt. Marlene Dance.
Celeste Chadwick and Cora Waddell were recognized for 20 years of service to the State
of North Carolina.
SSDI
Mr. Nesmith pointed out numbers of interest in the Significant Service Delivery
Indicators and discussed the impact of the continued economic downturn. 1 Ie noted tllat
the foster care workers hayc donc an excellent job at findinu, relati~e placements for
children in foster Care. Mr. Nesmith lorcc~lsted Child C arc Subsick \\oUld Illalntaln a
Page 2 of 7
Nvaiting list for all of 2010. Mr. Nesmith talked about the expense of -I-tlc XIX Mcdicaid
Transportation for out of county medical appointments. Although Clients are asked to try
to schedule appointments on the days the WAVE van runs out of county some specialists
are not able to schedule appointments on those days.
Mr. Rilev asked how often DSS checks to ensure the people recei%im-, Day Care Subside
are actually qualified to receive assistance. Ms. lleslin explained a monthly rcvievv is
conducted to ensure people reedy ins-, Day Care Subside Continue to hC clil-'11lc. AS v~CIL
people on the vvaiting list for Day Care Subside are re\~ic\yed c\ cr~ 6 months I61'
eh°Iblht\ .
Count- Budget Expenditures
Mr. Caster asked about the MAPP class. Mr. Nesmith and Ms. Julie Steinbeck explained
that it is a class conducted by DSS \\h1Ch trains people to become licensed foster parents.
Director's Executive Report
There were 110 questions Or comments.
STRATEGIC ACTION AGENDA
Proposed Budget for FY 2010/2011
Mr. Nesmith rev ievved the agency mission statement and discussed 1-'I-M\tII III pro,-,ram".
I Ie noted staff is fatignicd dtic to the increase in clients and the decrease in staff. The
current focus of DSS is to minimize the impact of -ro«°th and evaluate pro(Iram needs.
«hlch sometimes 111cans reclasslfv Ins- Or mo%lng staff. Mr. Nesmith has asked the board
to support a request to end furlough. restore leave accruals and reinstate much needed
positions.
Mr. Caster noted that mandated prop-rams arc federally or state funded at ]cast partially
noting DSS should only do what they arc funded to do. Mr. Nesmith explained each area
of need would be detailed further during„ the presentation.
In beginning discussions about the budget, Ms. Christine McNamee expressed her
concern that final numbers of ftundi110 have not yet been received from the State.
Mr. Nesmith commented on the impact DSS programs hay e on the cconolm of the
county. N1111101-is of dollars Sao to urocerv stores. child care centers and licalth care
providers because Of the services prov ided by our a()CIIQ
Ms. Angelina Bernard talked about the LBR process rc-arding ConlmL111 ty Outreach.
LBR promotes C0 111 111 1-111 1tV education and Nve are addressln- that goal tII1 (-III I1111r1 VIII
«eb access for applications and program irnlormation, continuing our monthly
government television series. sponsoring the annual fatherhood conlerencc. and the rapid
response team which goes into the Community after big(, la~~offs to explain how to fill out
applications and access services DSS offers.
Pa<ae 3 of 7
Ms Bernard identified Sonic of the many partnerships that DS')' cultiv atcs to inlproye Our
scrv ices to County residents including-, Willni11uton Access for 'fecns. Access III C~lpc
Dear I Icalth Net 'I ileston Clinic. Eniploynlcnt Security Commission. I'hoenix
Employment :Ministries, Methodist I Lome for Children and ADR. Throu('h these
partnerships. DSS is able to more fully provide services to the community el'flciently and
effectively while creatively adapting to new Federal, State and local legislation. changing
demographics and service demands.
Ms. McNamee and Mr. Nesmith reiterated the request to reinstate the Sixteen f'roren
positions, eliminate furf0ug11, use technology and increase contracting to proyidc support
staffing. DSS has significantly felt the increase of service demands as. III addition to the
16 tl-0ZCI1 pOS1t1011S, the 1101-1rs lost through ha'10ug11 equate t0 the loss of 10 additional
staff people
ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT
MS. McNamec reviewed the Vision to exceed expectations Of our COmlllulllty by
providin-1 support Services. stablc and appropriate f'undinO levels. maximization Of
revenues and tcchnolog\ that increase cf7icicncy and better prow ide tOr uur clients needs.
Ms. McNamee explained in FY 03109, 1 1 1.95')/o of all available state and federal dollars
were utilized to reimburse the county for all allovyable costs. The tar-et for FN09%10 is
100% or greater.
Ms. Bernard talked about the target of getting clients seen by a vyorker within 30 minutes
of registering. She explained that in order to meet the benchmark of 30`o rcnovations arc
being done to the lobby.
Mr. Caster asked vvhy the tul-nov el- rate had increased SO much in the v e<U MeaSlII-Cd. A1,.
Stephanie Monteath explained the increase is due to the Early Retirement Incentive
program the county offered. As well. there are no longer Information Tcchnoloov
positions at DSS as they were mm cd into the fold of the County IT department.
Erec/ing, positions has dclaycd our -,oal of lillin~~ yacancics in less than 40 day S.
FOOD AND NI IRI IION
The vision for Food and Nutrition Services is to Supplement the 1o0d purclhasiMn povycr
of low-income families by promptly. courteously and accurately providing food and
nutrition benefits and educating and/or connecting them to other available resources.
Ms. Marv John Brantlev talked about the extraordinary rovvth in the Food and Nutrition
Services pro~oram which is much higher than slhc had projected the prcyiouS year.
Cw-rently, each casevyorker has a caseload of 710 clients. Mr. Nesmith noted that
caseloads above 450 have much hmaher error rates. On-going monthly cases are at 9.871
for 2009 as opposed to 7,791 in 2003 and steadily increasing.
MI-'DICAID
The \ 1S1on for Vcdlcald and I Icalth Choice is to assist Cltulble to\\ Income Mcli\ IdUals.
families and children in obtaininL) access to medical Services by cluiCkIv and accuratCly
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determining their eligibility for Medicaid/Health Choice and providing information to
citizens to help them obtain medical coverage.
Ms. I Ieslin discussed hove the Medicaid caseloads for her staff arc 70) pcr casevv orkc .
Mail-in applications are increasing as well as walk-in applications. On-umno caseloads
in Family and Children's Medicaid have increased from 9. 02~ in 2008 to 11?16 in 2009.
New applications have increased from 1 ).688 in 07!08 to 14.64; in 08'09. Adult
Medicaid caseloads hay e increased to 1792 per month in 2009 I'viii 1 562 per month in
2008. vyhile on-~oing cases hays dropped bV a little over 100 due to adults c~pirin~~ due
to health and age. Aoain, innovation to vvorl: smarter not harder is the ~_,oal for these
Units.
CHILD CARE SUBSIDY
The vision for Child Care Subsidy is to ensure safe. quality. accessible and affordable
child care for children in Ncy I [anover County, suppor11110 the independence of families
by enabling responsible adults to secure and maintain emploV'inent and meet the basic
needs of their children.
.GIs. I Ieslin shared the situation looks dire. AS moneN continues to be cut. so vy111 families
be cut from the Child Care Suhsidv program.
CI-III.D StfITORT I:NF01R( :'\11:N"l
']"lie vision for Child Support EnforCCnelit IS to ensllrC that non-Custodial parents
acknowledge and accept responsibility for the care and well being of their children
through the payment of child support payments on a reuular and consistent basis.
Ms. Alyssa Harrell discussed Child Support and paternity testinu for children that were
born out of wedlock. Currently. Child Support collection is at a 67.87`% where the state
average is only 64%. Collections for arrears were very good at 56% here the state
average v' as only 54%. Child Support is outsourced to Young Williams and DSS feels
secure in continuing this contract.
PREVENTION SERVICES
Mr. Nesmith explained the Prevention Social Work program vyas cut as it was a non-
mandated program. Unfortunately. bV' cuttlm-) this program. morC families end Lip In
crisis mth bills or in a child protective SCI-v ice case aS DSS is no lonuer able to Front lead
SCI'yiceS to pl'CVent the fam11V Irom endln4? Up In crisis.
WORK FIRST
The vision for Work First is to promote economic self-sufficiency and well-being for
Work First recipients and other- at risk individuals and families through the provision of
family-centered, strength based. solution focused services.
The challenge for Work First is there are fewer jobs to place people in so people are
staving in the program lonoer. As well. the folks involved in the Work HIM pi cram
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have a lot of issues with mental health Or stability due to myriad factors such as domestic
violence, lack of a hioh school diploma or substance abuse. 1 he Work First progrLlm is
contlllLling to partner V1'lth Phoenix F.lllplov'ment M1111strles and the 1'.Illplm meat Sectlllt\
Commission to lind placement for Work First clients.
EMERGENCY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
Ms. Celeste Chadwick explained that Emergency Assistance applications for bills remain
high at 2,025 in the first 6 months of FY09/10. Emergency Assistance is only given 11'
money is available. As well, Fmcruencv Assistance workers try to link clients with
donation programs such as Good Friends. Faith Community and Share the Warmth. NN ill]
the extremely cold weather this winter, it is expected that more applications will be
conlim, in to DSS.
CIIILDRLN'S Sl:RVICFS
The v ision for Children's SCl-v ices is for Cacti child ill New I 1a110\ CF (`ounty to IChicyc a
permanent sense of belonging to a family that (,I\ es security, (-ood health. adequate
nlltl'ltlOll, a safe ellvlronnlellt. a dllallty education and hope for the future.
Ms. Julie Steinbeck talked about the success of Family Find. Several challenges Ms.
Steinbeck notes are: families vyorklm, toward reunification have issues which are often
not rectified quickly, people are not si0nin~(y up to be foster families due to difficult
economic times, and some families are no 10111ger fostering-, kids as they hay e adoptcd the
children they were fostering. Ms. Steinbeck talked about the Links program %vhich
connects teenagers between ages 16-18 coming out of foster care with available ;crviccs
in an effort to keep them from engagin<g, in risky behavior such as substance abuse.
teenage pregnancy or homelessness. Links also helps older teenagers find support
(financial or other) to ()o to colle'-'e and Lind successful emplOVII1Cnt in the community .
ADULT SERVICES
The vision for :adult Scrv ices is simply that New I lanov Cr County Cldcrly and disabled
citizens will live safely and independently.
Ms. Susan Sprenger discussed the target to decrease repeat maltreatment of a,ed and
disabled adults. Unfortunately this year the number of people maltreated has increased.
When Ms. Sprengler looked into what happened, the folks that had been maltreated had
decided to check out of a safe monitored facility and move back home where they wcrc
neglected or abused again. Ms. Sprenoer explained that Adult Services staff works very
hard to encourage aged and disabled adults to make safe choices for themselves. On a
good note, Adult Davcare funds vyere increased and this helps families by provicling a
safe place for an adult with special needs to ()o dtu-inuu, the day while the family works.
Ms. Sprenger explained that many nursing, facilities have had to close due to a decrease in
Medicaid income. As well it proves problematic for folks who have too much income to
be ell u'lble lol- Medlcald but not enou(-)h to afford to It\ c 111 a care 1Ltclllt\ . Mariv of thc."C
folks are not aued but have cxtraordinar\ mental health issucs and need assistance.
Pa<L,e 6 of 7
Ms. Leslie Smiley explained that out ofthe 192,235 people who live in New I Ianoyer
County, 25,395 of those folks are over 65 (13.2%). This number does not include the
number of people eligible for care!assistance due to mental ilhiess or dcvclopmcntal
disabilities.
CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES
Ms. Karl Sanders tallied about stratc(-)ICS used to help families ins otvcd in a child
protectiv c scryicC cases such as linl:i111-1 1-amilies to palcntinl-' classes OF substance ~lbu,c
counselin~1,. N/Is. Sanders noted the loss of the Prevcntion [_Init directly impacts the
amount of cases that turn into Child Protective Services cases. Caseloads for treatment
social workers (workino on prcvcIltion shills) are novy extremely high and v%ell aboN c
state standards.
Ms. Sanders notes that since July 2009 DSS has assumed custody of 124 children
(21.26% of the children involved in a confirmed CPS case). As vyell. mental health
continues to play a role in CPS. Eyeri when children are taken away from ail unstable
mother, those mothers continue to have more children. Luckily. DSS has been really
successful in placing children mth Family members. In response to a question- lacy
enforcement is involved in all physical and sexual abuse cases. A lavy enforcement
officer with a social vyorker \yill conduct interview for abused children at the same time
to reduce the amount oftimes the child must relive the trauma.
BUDGFT St.'PPORI VO I::
The board unanimously Noted to support the budget bN stating" aye.
Additional Items
Ms. Bernard asked for the Board's permission to purge and destroy outdated Food and
Nutrition case files. Mr. Caster moved to destroy the files. The motion vyas passed
unanimously by the board.
Renovations will begin March 29`1'. 2010 and predicted to be finished sometime in May
2010. The multipurpose rooms III become the vyaitino room temporarily .
Nett Meeting 1 Objectives
In-Home Aid Annual Reyicvy
Fork First Success Committee
Board Self Lvaluation
The Board completed self evaluations.
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As there were no hlrther ltcllls to &scUss as provided In G.S. 1 54i\-98 to coil,
information that is confidential pursuant to G.S. 108A-80 and or G.S. 1544-98. the hoard
hv' consensus adJourned at 1 1:29 a.m.
Respectfully suhnlitted.
LaVau(dhn Nesmith.
Secretarv to the Board
John L. Crai~~.
Chairman
Date apprm ed: ,
LN: SCIII