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HomeMy WebLinkAboutBG MINUTES for 2-3-2021 FRANKLIN COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COMMISSIONER’S Human Services Administrator’s Office David S. Keller, Chairman Human Services Building John T. Flannery 425 Franklin Farm Lane Robert Ziobrowski Chambersburg, PA 17202 www.franklincountypa.gov Hearing Impaired Number: (717) 264-8474 Human Services Administrator Telephone: (717) 261-3893 Stacie M. Horvath FAX: (717) 261-0999 smhorvath@franklincountypa.g ov Franklin County Human Services Block Grant Meeting Minutes Date: February 3, 2021 Time: 1:00 – 3:00 P.M. ~Virtual~ Attendance: Voting Members Staff Staff Staff Public Erin Grant Stacie Horvath Stacy Rowe Glenda Helman Mental Health Human Services Human Services Director Rev. James Fox Advocate Specialist Administrator Fiscal Manager Grants Management Lori Young Stacey Brookens Stacy Yurko Erin Grant MH/IDD/EI MH/IDD/EI Information & Proxy for Michael Straley Drug & Alcohol Administrator Referral/211/ Advocate Specialist Training Coord. Sherri Sullivan John Thierwechter Julia Dovey Doug Amsley Employment/Training/Education County Fulton County Children & Youth Community Advocate Assist. Administrator Human Services Administrator Ann Spottswood Bonnie Speaks Erin Nye Teresa Beckner Health Planning Aging/Fiscal MH/IDD/EI Fiscal Director Community Advocate Deputy Thomas Reardon Justin Slep Missy Reisinger Christy Unger Housing/Homelessness Community Veterans Affair TMCA Drug & Alcohol Advocate Director Executive Director Administrator Douglas Wilburne Shawn Haines Christy Briggs Cori Seilhamer Criminal Justice Aging Department MH/IDD/EI HSA Fiscal Community Advocate Director Sharyn Overcash Payton Mummert Human Services Ombudsman/ Administrative Volunteer Coordinator Assistant Acronyms: C&Y = Children & Youth HCP = Healthy Communities Partnership D&A = Drug & Alcohol HS = Human Services DHS = Department of Human Services HSBG = Human Services Block Grant EI – Early Intervention HSDF = Human Services Development Fund ESG = Emergency Solutions Grant HUD = Housing and Urban Development FY = Fiscal Year I&R = Information & Referral MH/IDD/EI = Mental Health/Intellectual & SCCAP = South Central Community Action Developmental Disabilities/Early Intervention TMCA = Tuscarora Managed Care Alliance Meeting Documents Sent Out: 1. Human Services Block Grant Meeting Agenda 2. Minutes from the last Block Grant Meeting (9/10/2020) 3. Human Services Block Grant Fiscal Report 4. Human Services Block Grant Funding Requests Thank you and Appreciation to 2 (two) Current Members with Expiring Terms, Ann Spottswood and Amy Hicks. There are also 2 (two) Members who will be stepping down, Michelle Sedgwick and Carey Freeman. Forever Grateful for ALL the Help and Expertise. Ann Spottswood’s seat on the Board was under Community Representatives as the Health and Wellness Community Advocate. Amy Hick’s seat on the Board was also under the Community Representative as the Employment/Training/Education Community Advocate. Michelle Sedgwick’s seat on the board was under Person’s with Lived Experience as the Early Intervention/Family Advocate Specialist. Carey Freeman’s seat was also under Person’s with Lived Experience as the Intellectual Developmental Disabilities Advocate Specialist. I. Welcome and Introductions Stacie Horvath welcomed everyone to the meeting. Everyone introduced themselves. Michael Straley, who represents persons with Lived Experience as the Drug and Alcohol Advocate Specialist, was not able to attend today’s meeting. He gave his proxy vote to Erin Grant letting her know how he wanted to vote. This is approved and written in the HSBG by-laws. Erin Grant fills the Mental Health with Lived Experience role. II. Approval of September 10, 2020 Meeting Minutes ● Erin Grant approved the motion ● Thomas Reardon seconded the motion ● All approved III. Fiscal Review with Reports Update (Stacy Rowe) ● Re-allocate FY 19-20 Funding o Stacy Rowe reviewed the list of retained earnings projects with the FY 19-20 carry-over funding. The State allows the Block Grant to carry-over up to five (5)% of the State funding. The unspent Federal funding is returned to the State at the completion of the fiscal year. o All funding must be fully expended by June 30, 2021. o The State tentatively accepted the Retained Revenue plan December 21, 2020. ● Discuss Mini Grants for FY 20-21 Funds (Stacy Rowe) o We received the 20-21 allocations, which includes FY 19-20 retained earnings in the amount of $227,433. The unspent funds which are eligible for carry-over is $327,855. The balance of $816,252 also includes the Mental Health Forensic Funding. We are projecting to have $488,397. This funding is not flexible within the Block Grant. It is the direct allocation to Mental Health and is set aside for a specific purpose. Mental Health needs to submit a plan to the State as to how they are using this funding which they are using for a Forensic SCR/Co-Responder Program. This is year number 2 (two) of the funding. The funding will continue for those specific projects. o As a summary for FY 20-21, the Block Grant allows us to retain up to five (5) % of State funding. This total is $280,146. Currently, we are projected to be over the allowable by $47,709. o When evaluating the projects using the FY 19-20 Retained Revenue, the funding of $30,000 that was set aside for Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities Respite Program, due to the pandemic and social distancing, the project is not able to move forward this fiscal year. The funding needs to be re-allocated. A vote will be needed from the Committee to re- allocate the $30,000 to Drug and Alcohol for Case Management services. Currently, the Drug and Alcohol Program is projected to be under funded for these services. This additional $30,000 will help offset those expenditures in the department allowing to help approximately 84 (eighty- four) individuals with Case Management or Level of Care Assessments. o A vote will be needed to re-allocate a portion of the FY 20-21 available funding to areas where needed in the current fiscal year. o We will propose to the committee to move forward with mini-grants up to $100,000 in FY 20-21. 1. Vote Needed for Re-allocation of the FY 19-20 Retained Revenue of $30,000 to Drug and Alcohol VOTE ⮚ Douglas Wilburne motioned to approve ⮚ Thomas Reardon seconded the motion ⮚ All Voters agreed to approve 2. Vote Needed for the Re-allocation of FY 20-21 Funding. Request: Drug and Alcohol $10,237 for a Certified Recovery Specialist (CRS) Training Scholarship Program. This program is for Franklin County Residents, who are in recovery and want to work in the field to assist others with Substance Use Disorders (SUD). The requirement is residency but do not ask the individual to sign a release that they would promise to work in the community. The individuals are trained by the Pennsylvania Certification Board. The trainings are ten (10) week programs. Funding will allow fourteen (14) Franklin County residents to receive scholarships to cover eighty (80) % of the cost. Working with Penn State Mont Alto to sponsor these trainings. VOTE ⮚ Doug Wilburne motioned to approve ⮚ Ann Spottswood seconded the motion ⮚ All Voters agreed to approve There are Two (2) Requests for the Homeless Assistance Program ▪ $15,000 for the Shelter Program. The $15,000 will provide for an additional 326 nights of shelter for approximately twenty (20) individuals. SCCAP believes they will receive additional funding beginning April 1, 2021. These funds will cover the gap in funding to be unable to provide full services. The $15,000 for Shelter will get them to the point where the funding on April 1, 2021 will become available. ▪ $40,000 for the Rental Assistance Program. This is estimated to provide additional assistance for thirty-eight (38) individuals. This will allow SCCAP to provide full rental assistance services through April 1, 2021 when it’s anticipated they will receive additional grant funding. At the current time being under an eviction moratorium, evictions are not able to occur due to non- payment of rent. Landlord’s normal procedure, which is a Notice to Quit, to be able to access certain programs, is not valid. At this time, there are only two (2) programs of which are able to provide that assistance not requiring that court order eviction. They just need the Notice to Quit. The Homeless Assistance Program’s criteria is less stringent than the current Federal funding which makes it so they can work with the families while under a moratorium. The shelters are at maximum capacity, which normally would be eighteen (18) beds, under COVID they are not permitted to fill eighteen (18) beds. They need to maintain social distancing. This is limiting the amount of available beds in the shelters which means they are not able to accommodate additional individuals. The individuals in the shelter are having a hard time finding and securing housing. Which means the beds in the shelter are being occupied longer. The funding will help to cover the ability for them to bring in new individuals and work with them. The Federal funding is called the Emergency Solutions Grant. VOTE ⮚ Thomas Reardon motioned to approve ⮚ Erin Grant seconded the motion ⮚ All Voters agree to approve 1. Vote needed to award up to $100,000 in Mini-Grants for Qualified Projects Under the Human Services Block Grant Funding Request Policy and Procedure - First would be to look at the areas within the seven (7) categoricals within the Block Grant which has already been addressed with what was just voted on. - Housing Assistance Program – This is a Core Block Grant Program - Drug and Alcohol – This is a Core Block Grant Program - Second is to look outside of the Core Service Programs to see if there is a need in programs that can be funded through the Human Services Development Fund (HSDF). Examples would be: Aging, which is being funded for Personal Care. Children & Youth has a few areas that can fund as well. Currently there hasn’t been any requests or have a need for any of these areas. - Third is to send out a funding notice which would be open to any providers within the community for projects that would fit into the Core seven (7) Block Grant categorical areas. Examples would be: Mental Health, Drug & Alcohol, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Housing Assistance program and things that could potentially fall under the Human Services Development Fund (HSDF). - “How to apply for a Mini-Grant” is included in the Policy and Procedures, Human Services Block Grant Funding Requests. - A few things that the Committee would need to vote on: a. Is this a route that we would want to go? Should we go down this path? b. We would need to determine what the maximum would be per allocation. c. A special committee would need to be established that when the proposals come in the committee would review and evaluate all of the proposals. A summary would be brought to the overall committee for a final vote on all of the mini-grants. VOTE ⮚ Thomas Reardon motioned to approve ⮚ Ann Spottswood seconded the motion ⮚ All Voters agreed to approve - There will be two (2) separate Committees organized: (1) The Fiscal Year 20-21 Human Services Block Grant Mini Grants Planning Committee. This committee will set up the parameters of the meeting. (2) The Fiscal Year 20-21 Human Services Block Grant Review Committee. This committee will review and put forward the grants to the Voting Members. Two separate emails will be sent out to the entire Block Grant Committee asking those who are interested to serve on the two (2) Committee’s. IV. Human Services Program(s) Review ● Stacey Brookens (Mental Health/Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities/Early Intervention Administrator) o All staff are back in the office two (2) to three (3) days per week. o Larry Reed is the new Administrative Officer. o This is contract season. Everybody has been working on contracts. o The Forensic Specialized Community Residents is on Ragged Edge Road, Chambersburg. This is an eight (8) bed facility. They have received their license from the State. There are five (5) individuals who have been approved and accepted. o The Mobile Psychiatric Nurse has agreed to contract another fiscal year. o For the Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities Program, the Community Day Programs are still closed due to COVID. When the programs open back up, they will be on a day plan to transition. They will start with a few days per week and work up to full weeks. o For the Mental Health Program, they still have the Certified Clinical Trauma Training for employees. If interested, contact Cori Seilhamer. o For the Housing Assistance Program, they are working with families who are in need of rental or utilities assistance. So far, they have helped approximately nineteen (19) families with rental assistance. o There is still a lot of Telehealth provided. o Family Based Mental Health Services has resumed back to more face to face visits. o As far as Crisis, MH/IDD/EI is working with the Delegates and Crisis workers. There were modifications put in place at the beginning of the Pandemic. The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) are encouraging more Mobile Services. Erin Nye, Deputy Administrator for Mental Health/Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities/Early Intervention (MH/IDD/EI) and Tuscarora Managed Care Alliance worked with Keystone Rural Health Center and TrueNorth Wellness Services to vamp up their Mobile Crisis numbers. Flyers were sent out to the public to make them aware that these providers for Crisis Services do provide Mobile Services. These Mobile Services are requested by Law Enforcement, schools, or a local agency, etc. o The Co-responders and Cori Seilhamer, Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Coordinator, are hosting a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Course in April, 2021. They are also offering refresher courses for those who have graduated from CIT. This is a six (6) hour course on how being trauma informed can help with Criminal Justice response. o Virtual Family Learning Center =Jen Hawbecker, the Early Intervention Program Specialist has been working with several individuals to try to get the Virtual Family Learning Center set up. It will be open to the public to go in person once the COVID-19 restrictions are lifted. Their goal was to have a thousand (1000) individuals. By the end of January they had almost Five-hundred (500) families who had reached out and contacted them for support services. ● Christy Unger (Drug and Alcohol Administrator) o The last few months, the Level of Care Assessment referrals from the Courts have decreased. o In the last two (2) weeks there has been an increase in calls with individuals wanting Detox beds. o Increased utilization of Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT). The Federal Government has required that any organization receiving Federal funds through the Department of Drug and Alcohol Program (DDAP) and through the Drug and Alcohol Department is required to help individuals access any Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) at any Level of Care. Providers are not permitted to turn away potential clients who are interested in any type of Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT). There has been a large increase in Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) expenditure and the clients who are wanting this. o They have a new Case Manager. Her name is Kayla Deshong. o A new position has been approved for the department. They will be hiring a Deputy Administrator. o There are several new partnerships the department is working to develop. One is with Shippensburg University in helping to work with their students. They have an Opiate Education Grant. Working with them to provide Naloxone for students. They also have spent time developing a partnership with Wellspan and PhilHaven with Dr. Crawford and working with additional services through Wellspan. o The department is working with the Jail to make Naloxone available to inmates upon discharge when they request it. This population is very high risk for overdose. o The department continues to use Telehealth. There has been a very good response from their clients. o All staff are back in the office working two (2) to three (3) days per week. The office is staffed every day. o The overdose deaths in 2020 had slightly increased compared to 2019. They did see a lot more reversals of overdoses. There were more administrations of Naloxone and more lives saved using that. o Stacie Horvath commented that in the Governor's Address he is strongly pursuing the approval and legalization of adult use of Cannabis for recreational purposes to go above and beyond Marijuana. Christy Unger said they just received an email from the statewide membership organization. This was mentioned but there were no details. The Drug and Alcohol Department was required a year ago to have all of their providers sign a document that would not provide or support Medical Marijuana for Substance Use Disorder or Mental Health reasons. ● Shawn Haines (Director of the Area Agency on Aging) o There will be a new Fiscal Officer I starting February 18, 2021. o They have been fully functional, minimal operational modification. One of the things they are looking at is lifting some of the modifications. o They have been working through challenges with regard to vaccine information. Trying to make sure they have the most accurate updated information. o There are two (2) new community members that had joined their Advisory Council back in January. There will be three (3) community members starting in March. o They revamped on focus in terms of their Advisory Council to emphasize a lot more Community Outreach and Awareness in particular. ● Missy Reisinger (Tuscarora Managed Care Alliance (TMCA) Executive Director) o The Data Warehouse: ▪ Staff member Jessica Brangaccio has resigned. She decided not to return back to work after the birth of her child. They are holding that position open. ▪ Thomas Hippenstiel is continuing with the Data Warehouse. ▪ In the next week or two (2) they will be conducting a year-end review with County Administration. ▪ They added an additional staff position to support informatics by adding a Data Analyst position. ▪ The Data Warehouse is doing very well. o Tuscarora Managed Care Alliance (TMCA) is more of an insurance program and more of a policy program. They do not see individuals in person. Working remotely has been going very well. o Tuscarora Managed Care Alliance (TMCA) works with all of the Behavioral Health Medicaid population. Since the Pandemic started due to the Federal Emergency Declaration a waiver of Medicaid redeterminations had occurred and individuals are retaining their Medicaid. In addition, individuals were displaced due to loss of jobs and illness from the pandemic. Since March, there has been an increase. On an average, every month the Medicaid population is increased by 492.5 individuals. As of January, the Medicaid membership was 34,641 individuals. Most of the increases that are occurring are Temporary Assistance for Needy Families-Child category. The other one is in the HealthChoices Expansion Category. These are individuals that are slightly above the poverty line however do not necessarily make a living wage. These are increasing every month. Tuscarora Managed Care Alliance (TMCA) is doing well with keeping their providers, on the Medicaid side which is most of the County’s providers also, financially stable. They meet with the providers, individually, once a month as long as they are receiving the Alternative Payment Arrangement instituted during the pandemic. ● Glenda Helman (Director Grants Management) o At the last meeting they were submitting a grant for Body Worn Cameras for Franklin County. That would involve four (4) of the Police Departments, Drug Task Force and the Jail. The Police Departments included are Chambersburg, Greencastle, Waynesboro and Washington Township. They received word from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, at their March Commissioners Meeting we will be recommended for funding. If funded, the start date for the grant will be April 1, 2021. o A Request for Proposals (RFP) was put out for the second round of the Emergency Solutions Cares Grant. This is due on February 25, 2021. Glenda put it on the website, Facebook and Stacy Yurko sent out with her newsletter. There is over $400,000 that has not been spent yet from the first round due to the CDC Moratorium and the guidelines not matching up. There has not been anyone requested to apply for this funding. o Glenda Helman has been without additional staff in her department. At this time, she is a staff of one (1). Glenda Helman has been without a Grant CJAB Coordinator since mid- July 2020. There is a second round of interviews set to take place this month. ● Payton Mummert (Ombudsman/Volunteer Coordinator) o The nursing homes and assisted living facilities are in the process of being vaccinated or have been vaccinated and waiting on their second dose. Some of them should be complete with vaccinations by March, 2021. ● Douglas Wilburne (Voting Member) o So far, there has not been any changes for 2021. o One of the programs they are starting is making referrals for sending individuals better testing the community base setting positive for Drugs or Alcohol. They will be required to make a referral for individuals to participate in a Peer Support group. In addition, there will be a Drug and Alcohol evaluation. Working with the Courts to eliminate some of the Supervision fees. o Staff/COVID impact: Officers working in the office are rotating shifts. There is a shift that is working out in the Community and a shift that works from home. ● Ann Spottswood (Voting Member) o Wellspan.org website is a COVID related resource if anyone is interested. The website is kept up to date daily. o Ann Spottswood gave “many thanks” to Stacie Horvath and the individuals of the Block Grant Committee who are committed to helping the individuals of Franklin County. V. Community Comments or Discussion None VI. Next Scheduled Meeting: To be Determined