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HomeMy WebLinkAboutB071107 New Hanover County Board of Social Services Minutes July 11, 2007 The New Hanover County Board of Social Services met in open session on Wednesday, July 11, 2007 at 9:00 in the Multipurpose Room A of the New Hanover County Department of Social Services. ATTENDING: Frankie Roberts; Bill Caster; John Craig; Wayne Morris; Ann Pitts; Minerva Glidden ALSO ATTENDING: LaVaughn Nesmith, Secretary to the Board; Stephanie Monteath, Assistant to the Director The Chairman called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. Mr. Craig moved to approve agenda as presented. The motion was seconded by Mr. Caster and passed unanimously. Mr. Caster delivered the invocation and Mr. Morris led the Pledge of Allegiance. Mr. Caster moved to approve the minutes from June 13, 2007. The motion was seconded by Mr. Craig and passed unanimously. • Mr. Nesmith presented a service plaque to Frankie Roberts. Mr. Roberts gave a farewell statement and the meeting was adjourned by consensus. Stephanie Monteath, Notary Public administered the oath of office to Ms. Minerva Glidden. Ms. Glidden was appointed by the North Carolina State Social Services Commission to replace outgoing board member Frankie Roberts whose term expired July 2007. Mr. Caster called the meeting to order at 9:08 a.m. Mr. Craig motioned to elect Mrs. Pitts the new Chairman of the Board. The motion was seconded by Mr. Morris and passed unanimously. Mr. Craig motioned to keep Mr. Caster as Vice-Chairman of the Board. The motion was seconded by Mrs. Pitts and passed unanimously. The Board Meeting schedule was proposed and established. Mr. Craig moved that the board meet the second Tuesday of each month. The motion was seconded by Mr. Morris and passed unanimously. CONSENT AGENDA There were no further items for consent on the agenda. INFORMATION AGENDA • New Hires Stephanie Monteath recognized Neely Poelling as a new Social Worker in Children's Services. Edna Pollock was recognized as a new Administrative Support Technician in the Food Stamp pod. Item 2 Page 1 Page 2of3 ® SSDI Sam Lane explained the "zero children served" in Smart Start as due to other funding sources being used in May 2007. Ann Barkley explained what constitutes Adult Day Care. County Budget Expenditures Carol Thiel reviewed county budget expenditures and explained color coding. Mr. Nesmith noted the Child Care Subsidy fiscal year ends in May. Child Care Subsidy expenses run higher in the summer as school is out. Adopted Budget FY07-08 It was noted DSS was granted 4 new social work positions but no Attorney. Mr. Nesmith reviewed the Market and Merit process. Attapersons Board reviewed attapersons. STRATEGIC/ACTION AGENDA ® IV-E Waiver Update Mr. Nesmith apologized for being absent for the June Board Meeting as he attended a meeting concerning IV-E Waiver paybacks. The county is being tasked with paying back IV-E Waiver money used back from December 2006. Kari Sanders reviewed the goals and successes of the IV-E Waiver project. Methodist Home for Children provided Family Preservation Services enabling 90% of children to remain at home as opposed to being transferred to Foster Care; Family Reunification Services enabling 69% of children to be reunified with their birth family. Foster Parent Support was provided by Methodist Home to decrease the number of placements while in custody. Assisted Guardianship provided an alternative to adoption for older foster children in need of permanence. Ms. Sanders also shared successes of the ADR Center and Legal Contract Attorneys. Custody numbers have dramatically lowered as a result of participating in the IV-E Waiver Project. Carol Thiel discussed the original time line of the IV-E Waiver project. Thirty-eight counties participated in the pilot which encouraged flexibility of IV-E funds but required cost neutrality. New Hanover County remained cost neutral but as the State, as a whole, was not cost neutral, was required to find alternate funding sources for IV-E Waiver expenditures from December 31, 2006 through the end of May. NHCDSS was contractually obligated to give any vendors 30 day notice for termination of contract. ® The State is willing to pay for Assisted Guardianship fro the months of July and August and will discuss with counties the possibility of continued funding. The Family Preservation and Reunification services through Methodist Home will continue by cancelling a current contract with Methodist Home for residential care and using that Item, P Page 3 of 3 funding for in-home services. TANF funding will be used to continue services through the ADR center. NHCDSS is also looking into funding for Legal Assistance Contracts. Next Meeting Objectives Food Stamp Guidelines Board Self Evaluation Board Self Evaluations were completed. Additional Items Mr. Caster requested the board enter closed session as provided in G.S. 154A-98 to consider information that is confidential pursuant to G.S. 108A-80 and/or G.S. 154A-98. The motion was seconded by Mr. Craig and passed unanimously. The Board entered closed session at 9:58 a.m. The Board returned to open session at 10:14 a.m. At the request of Mr. Caster Ms. Glidden talked about her background and her service to the public. Ms. Glidden helped start the Rape Crisis Center in Wilmington; worked for ® League of Women Voters; is a trained nurse; is Latina by birth and Spanish is her first language. Ms. Glidden worked in Missouri as a registered lobbyist. She is a Quaker and sits on the National Friends Board. As well, Ms. Glidden serves as Chair of Voces Latina and works Wednesdays at the Tileston Clinic as a nurse interpreter. There being no further business the Board by consensus adjourned at 10:17 a.m. Respectfull submitted, LaVaughn Nesmith Secretary to the Board Ann Pitts Chairman ~C.~ Date approved: Item 2 Page 3