HomeMy WebLinkAboutHelath & Human Services Board 10-22-981
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ST. CROIX COUNTY
NOTICE OF COMMITTEE MEETING
TO: Thomas Dorsey, Chairman
St. Croix County Board
FROM: Robert Stephens
(John Borup 246-8223)
COMMITTEE TITLE: St. Croix County Health and Human Services
Board
DATE: 10/22/98
TIME: 6:30 p.m.
LOCATION: St. Croix County Health and Human Services Complex, New
Richmond
CALL TO CrIDER
ROLL CALL
ADOPTION OF AGENDA
DATE OF XT MEETING: 11/10/98
ACTION ON PREVIOUS MINUTES: 10/13/9$
ANNOUNC NTS
APPOTNTME TS:
grINISgE BUSINESS:
1. Cable TV Installation for Nursing Home
2. W-2 ofit/Community Reinvestment Funds
3. Foste f Care Recruitment, Retention and Training
NEW BUSYfamily
SS:
1. Appeprocess for Substantiated Child Abuse/Neglect Findings
2. Persnel Issues
3. Healand Human Services Program Reports
a.rsing Home
b. and Children's
POSSIBLE
DATE:
COPIES
& CORRESPONDENCE
A ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING:
(Agenda not necessarily presented in this order)
BY: John M. Borup
COUNTY BOARD OFFICE
COUNTY CLERK
NEWS MEDIA/NOTICE
ST. CROIX COUNTY HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES BOARD
October 22, 1998
The St. Croix County Health and Human Services Board met on October 22, 1998, at the St. Croix
County Health and Human Services/Health Center complex.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Robert Stephens, Chair
Leon Berenschot
Chris Bethke
Jack Dowd
Einar Home
Fern Johnson
Allen Limberg
Mary Louise Olson
George Sinclear
MEMBERS ABSENT: None
STAFF PRESENT: John Borup, Health and Human Services Director
Carolyn Krieger, Nursing Home Administrator
Fred Johnson, Family & Children's Supervisor
Kathy Dunlap, Family & Children's Supervisor
Judy Aronson, Secretary
OTHERS PRESENT: Mark Ball, Frontier Communications
Chair Stephens, called the meeting to order at 6:30 P.M. noting the meeting was properly and legally
publicized.
NEXT MEETING: The next Health and Human Services Board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday,
November 10, 1998 at 8:00 A.M. at the St. Croix County Health and Human Services/Health Center
complex. Home will review vouchers at 7:30 a.m.
AGENDA: MOTION: A motion was introduced by Berenschot, seconded by Bethke, and
unanimously adopted: That the agenda be approved as circulated and dropping W-2
Profit/Community Reinvestment Funds under unfinished business.
MINUTES: MOTION: A motion was introduced by Berenschot, seconded by Johnson, and
unanimously adopted: That the minutes of the 10/13/98 Health and Human Services Board meeting
be approved as circulated.
Cable TV Installation for Nursing Home: Stephens introduced Mark Ball, Frontier Communications.
Ball stated they can use the cable that is installed in the building now, the antenna signal in the
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building is very good. The picture quality in the rooms is very good. But at the present time, only a
few channels are being received. Ball distributed a copy of the lay out of the nursing home rooms and
also a card showing the cost per month and the channels for the basic package. With the cable
system, the basic package has channels 2 through 45, so the way it is set up now it cannot support it.
They will have to split the signal and each time they split it the reception drops off. At the end of the
line no signal would be left. Ball stated if we use the existing cable, the antenna is obsolete.
Ball stated he is the technical side of the cable, the choice of how we decide to bill is up to us.
Frontier could bill the resident directly or the nursing home could bill the resident.
Ball stated he would stand behind the quote they gave us back in May of 1997 in the amount of
$7,116.00. If we want him to install new cable the amount would be $9,100.00 guaranteed.
MOTION: A motion was introduced by Sinclear, secondedthe amountof $9 100 OOy Dowd, at the guaranteed� and Human
Services Board approves the installation of cable in
Stephens asked if there was further discussion. Horne stated we had decided to listen to the
presentation, but we did not agree to make a decision at this meeting. We still need to have the
consultants from Hudson do a presentation.
MOTION: A motion was introduced by Horne, seconded by Olson, That the Health and Human
Services Board amend the previous motion and delay making a decision for one month and bring in
Audio Visual Planners from Hudson. With a show of hands, 5 yes, motion passed.
Stephens thanked Ball for coming.
Krieger stated that everyone would be entitled to the senior fee. Home stated we need more input as
who should be doing the billing. Krieger stated the Audio Visual Planners, Consultants will not come
to the meeting without being paid a fee. Horne asked for the contact name and phone number of
Audio Visual Planners.
Foster Care Recruitment Retention and Training: Johnson stated foster care homes are operated by a
person required to be licensed under 48.62 Stats, that provides care and maintenance for no more
than four children unless all the children are siblings. The term foster care includes licensed homes
for: longer -term foster care, respite care (weekends usually), shelter care (emergency needs). The
number of licensed foster care homes in St. Croix County currently is 26 homes. In 1994St. Croix
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County had 58 licensed foster care homes. Since 1994 our list of foster parents has been reduced by
more than 50 % .
Johnson stated we are critically low in available foster care resources for our youth in St. Croix
County and listed below are the various alternatives that have been tried but have not increased
resources.
We have increased publicity, presentations and worker time directed at expanding foster parent
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recruitment within the past two years and saw no increase in resources.
• We sent two staff to specialized foster parent recruitment training and saw no significant increase.
• We have increased the amount of payment that foster parents receive over the past two years and
have not seen an increase in the number of resources.
The shortage of homes is clear and this has significant implications for the Department and the
children we serve. We are at a point where we are unable to meet the placement needs of difficult and
emergency cases within the boundaries of our county.
The Department is recommending that we contract with a private agency to assist in the areas of
recruitment, licensing study, support and training of foster parents. Some of the highlights of the RFP
(Request For Proposal) for this project would include the following:
• Require performance criteria
• Allow for an out clause
• Maintain control of homes (review any type of contract with Corp Counsel)
• We supervise - We hold the license
Stephens stated we have to be a salesman, get an advertisement together and tell what you pay for
foster home placements. Stephens stated he would rather spend the $70,000 in advertising and finding
foster homes than using it for a consultant. Stephens stated he has confidence in us and knows we are
capable of writing an ad. If we are not paying enough we will have to pay more, we may be forced
into Vendor homes. Home stated he does not intend to spend the $70,000 for a consultant to come in
and try to impress him. We need a contract based on performance. Johnson stated we need about
twenty more homes. We lost four or five homes that went to the private sector. Borup stated they
were looking for more monies and in some cases serving children from other counties/states.
Stephens questioned if there will be a penalty clause in the contract. Johnson was asked to obtain a
copy of Sauk County's foster care contract. Borup was asked to bring a copy of our foster care
contract to the next meeting. Borup emphasized that performance contracting will give us control and
let us set the outcome.
Horne stated it is easier to start programs than to stop programs.
Sinclear expressed his concern related to spending money only on advertising. Sinclear left the
meeting at 7:55 p.m.
Stephens stated we need to know what Sauk County did and why it worked.
Bethke left the meeting at 7:58 p.m.
Horne asked if there is anyone who is suffering because of no foster care and Dunlap stated yes,
there are children who are suffering. Dunlap stated with twenty more foster care homes we should
be 99% okay.
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The question is why don't we have resources in our home community. Olson stated that development
of additional foster care resources is a specialty service. Training and educational background of
social worker staff doesn't include marketing. Discussion followed related to available staff time to
process appropriate foster care applications.
Stephens asked that this be kept on the agenda. Borup will invite the Sauk County Director to be
available at the following meeting to discuss contract and service so the Board can make a final
decision concerning contracting.
Health and Human Services ProgramT:
Nursing Home: Krieger reported the nursing home census is at 104 today.
Family and Children's: Dunlap reported on two new unfunded State mandates. wI Act 292 gave the
juvenile court jurisdiction over an unborn child whose expectant mother "habitually lacks self-
control" over alcohol or other drugs to the extent that her unborn child's health is endangered. This
lack of self-control must be exhibited to a severe degree to the extent that when the child is born it
will be seriously affected or endangered unless the expectant mother receives prompt and adequate
treatment. An adult expectant mother may be held in physical custody. Charges for this shall be
charged upon the county.
Borup stated we are obliged to have an appeal process in place for any person against whom there has
been a substantiated finding of abuse or neglect. Dunlap stated we are mandated to set up the
mechanism for this and are working with Corp Counsel on our process. Horne stated this is almost
like a Board of Adjustments - but who's on the Board. Dunlap stated that the State has said the
county is to determine who will handle the appeal process but it must comply with Chapter 68. If
they want an appeal, they get an appeal. If they don't agree with the appeal, they go to the next step.
Stephens asked if there were any other issues to bring before the Board.
MOTION: A motion was introduced by Horne, seconded by Dowd, and unanimously adopted: That
the Health and Human Services Board meeting be adjourned.
Time: 8:28 p.m.
Chairman:
Attest:
Secretary
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