January 20, 2023 Minutes

Human Services Advisory Commission - Meeting Minutes

Meeting: April 21, 2023

In Attendance: Human Services Advisory Commission Members: Elizabeth Barber, Stacey Casteel, Stephanie Foos, Stephanie Gausch, Stanley Graffis, Jodi Hartmann, Scott K. James, Enita Kearns-Hout, Tammy Phillips, Lisa Taylor, Tom Teixeira, and Melanie Woolman

Absent: Human Services Advisory Commission Members: Adam Turk

In Attendance: Weld County Department of Human Services Representatives: Jamie Ulrich, Julie Witkowski, Karin Crandall, Lesley Cobb, Windy Luna

Recording Secretary: Lesley Cobb

Welcome

The meeting was called to order at 8:16 a.m.

Presentation

Doug Hainley, Kelly Kruse, and Julie Rudley from the Department of Human Services, Child Welfare Division, presented the County’s new Therapeutic Foster Care (TFC) program. Kelly explained that the TFC Program allows for placement of youth who need higher level of care within the community, allowing them to maintain connections with parents, family members, school, and community support. This program is available 24/7 and is a short term (6 month) structured foster care program where youth six (6) to eighteen (18) years of age can be placed. Julie Rudley voiced that she would like to celebrate what Child Welfare has done as Weld is the first county in the state to have a TFC program. Jamie informed everyone that Weld was one of two counties to get a grant for this program and that we are the only one with the program up and running, which has been a lot of work.

Introductions

(Twelve (12) board members and five (5) Human Services staff where present)

Department Updates

Strategic Plan Update

Jamie Ulrich updated members on the department’s strategic plan. The department is in the middle of a three-year plan and are continuing with the initiatives that were started. The department is really trying to keep the Strategic Plan in the forefront of what we do. They are hiring a Strategic Plan Coordinator whose goal will be to keep it relevant, top of mind and to make sure that everyone within the department has a focus on the initiatives. This includes community members because we want everyone to be invested in the Strategic Plan here in Weld County as it impacts all of the work that is done in the community as well. Housing Stability Program

Annual Achievement Summary

Jamie Ulrich announced that the department is almost finished with their 2022.

Annual Achievement Summary.

The Annual Achievement Summary will be sent to members soon and will be presented at the next HSAC meeting.

Single Entry Point and the Case Management Agency Request for Proposal

Jamie Ulrich explained that within the department we house the Single Entry Point, which provides case management services for clients who are eligible for long-term care Medicaid. Case management services include assessing needs and determining what providers we can match clients with in order for them to stay in their home and get those services coming to them. A few years ago, the Federal government moved to conflict free case management, and you can no longer be a service provider and provide case management both at the same time. Now they need to make separate entities that do case management and separate entities that provide actual services. The State of Colorado had been preparing for this and a lot of discussion has taken place regarding who in certain communities are going to become what is called the Case Management Agency. It was determined that our Single Entry Point here at the department would be a good option to apply to this RFP to become the region’s Case Management Agency. Jamie assured the members that our partner agency, Envision, is not going anywhere, they are still going to provide the services, but the department is going to be applying for the RFP in hopes of becoming the Case Management Agency. If we do become the Case Management Agency, we will take control of the children’s waiver programs that Envision is currently managing. We will likely see a large increase in our staff, funding, and all of the things that come along with that. The RFP is due by February 28th, and the State will make their decision by June. Case Management Agencies will start transitioning into their new role as early as November, we will likely be a little later in the transition and take our time. This will be a significant change for our community, for those who we serve through with waiver program.

Program Year 2021 Employment Services of Weld County Monitoring Report

Jamie Ulrich informed members that the department had a monitoring. The results were that the Regional Services Unit identified no compliance issues, the Financial Monitoring Unit identified one compliance issue and one condition, and the State Equal Opportunity Officer identified no compliance issues or action items that would affect any of our programs funded by WIOA. This was specifically for our WIOA program and funded services. o High achievements and promising practices noted for the 2021 WIOA program year include our Aims College Post Academy program that addresses the lack of people going into public safety jobs. We were able to partner with Aims and provide funding to assist students with their Post Academy tuition, needed supplies and uniforms so that they could become certified police officers. This was a great collaboration effort between the department and Aims Community College, As funding allows we certainly want to continue these efforts. As a result of this program, we had fourteen (14) police academy students that were assisted, all of them received job offers which ranged from $60,000.00 to $70,000.00 per year to start. Jamie reiterated that this was a very highly successful collaboration. In addition, the department also partnered with the University of Northern Colorado Nursing Program to address the shortage of skilled nursing. More specifically, this was for the students participating in the unpaid nursing internship program (clinicals). We had thirty students who participated in this program. Each of their assignments were at a different facility. These students had to prove that they were doing the internship and in return we were able to give them an educational grant basically paying them for their internship. o Jamie noted that we had one high risk area noted from the monitoring which was in relation to the funds administered by the US Department of Treasury. We have rectified this issue. This was in regards to the Innovational Grants Local Program in admin. o Jamie expressed that the monitoring was a huge success. There is a huge report that she has if anyone would like to read it.

Review of Minutes

Minutes from October 28, 2022 were reviewed and approved. Motion to approve minutes was presented. Approved unanimously.

2023 Membership

Vacancies

Julie Witkowski reported that there are two vacancies on the commission. They are posted on the Weld County website on the Boards and Commissions’ page. The two vacancies specifically are for a certified medical practitioner and someone from the private sector. Possible options for the certified medical practitioner would be someone from the Nurse Family Partnership program but she is open to any recommendation if anyone knows anyone that may be interested. As for the private sector, some ideas are for an attorney, a mental health professional, or an accountant that would be helpful as a board member. We do have to be careful that these individuals do not do contracting work for the Department, per the bylaws. Julie would love to hear any recommendations for these vacancies.

Orientation

Karin Crandall did a quick review of the orientation.

• Duties and Responsibilities – Attending board meetings, providing input/recommendations, review of the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) as this board is a requirement of that grant, help with recommendations of the budget, how we are looking at the needs of the community. One of the other responsibilities is looking at the Core contracts and reviewing those within a subcommittee. There are over 40 different things that need to come through this board to meet the requirements of the CSBG.

• Volunteer hours – Volunteer hours of the board are reported in the annual CSBG report. Karin asked that the board track their board specific volunteer hours, including the board meetings, throughout the year on the Volunteer Hours Tracking Sheet that was been provided. She stated that we need all of the board member’s tracking sheets for 2022. Those can be submitted to her.
• Confidentiality Statement and Conflict of Interest Policy – Each board member is required to sign one of these each year. The Confidentiality Statement refers to information that is obtained while here for board meetings. The Conflict-of-Interest policy should be reviewed by members. If any conflicts are identified, these should be noted in the disclosure section of this form. Board members received the form in their packet to review, complete and sign. Completed forms should be submitted to Karin.
• Membership structure – The department is required to have a tripartite board that consists of three equal parts. One-third is made up of elected officials or designees, one-third is representatives of the low-income client sector or agencies representing the low-income, and one-third from the private sector. Within those parts there are preferred members that are accountants, attorneys, medical and mental health providers. These types of specific memberships help when reviewing Core contracts. The board meets quarterly and is required, by the bylaws and the Department of Local Affairs, to meet at least four (4) times per year. To have a quorum there needs to be 50% plus one (1) of current members.

Karin reminded members to please complete and sign the 2022 Volunteer Hours tracking sheet and the Confidentiality Statement and Conflict of Interest Policy form and turn these into her after the meeting.

Emergency Rental Assistance Program Update

Karin Crandall reported that the way the program used to be run has come to an end. The department had temporary staff that were brought on for about eighteen months and all of their contracts ended on December 30, 2022. They were able to complete all of the rental assistance applications that the County had received. The department currently still has 1.6 million dollars; we applied for and received a reallocation of 1.5 million in November. The department is now working to get a new program up and running. About half of that money will be set aside for administration and staff wages and the other half will be used for rental assistance. Unlike the prior program, this program will provide case management services that help with employment, connecting clients to other resources and developing a long-term plan. This program should be up and running and providing case management by March 1st. As of now, the department is funding this program for the next two years but are hopeful that it will be a successful program, and that we can find additional funding to keep it going. The department spent a little over 17 million dollars in the last two years in rental assistance and staff wages, but most of that was rental assistance.

Housing Updates

Jody Hartmann shared the plans for their new project located right across from the Rodarte Center. She shared that they were approved for a re-zone to Mixed Use-High Intensity by City Council which will enable them to develop this property as a campus. That will include housing and social enterprise that will have employment opportunities for residents living on campus. The first phase will be 58 units of permanent supportive housing for the homeless and the second phase will be 90 units of affordable housing. Jody indicated that in about a week and a half they will be submitting an application to the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHAFA) for tax credit financing on this project. This is a very competitive process and there are about 30 projects that have submitted letters of intent for this round. Only about 12 of them will get it, so there is about a 50% chance of being funded this round. Jody is optimistic about the funding as there is a lot of community support for this project and the fact that Greeley/Weld County has not been able to develop a full permanent supportive housing facility in the past. Jody stated that they will find out about the funding in May, and if awarded, construction could start the spring of 2024 with the goal of having people living in the facility by the summer of 2025.

Tom Teixeira reported that last night over 1,200 families slept under a roof that the Greeley-Weld Housing Authority either owns, manages, or pays the rent on. The largest program is the Housing Choice Voucher program where clients pay 30% of their monthly adjusted income toward their rent to make up the difference. For that program they spend about $700,000.00 per month in rent. Recently they did a purge of their waiting list, there was close to 1,400 families on the waiting list, that number is going to drop to the 700-range due to people not telling them where they live, and they have no way of contacting them. Greeley-Weld Housing is looking at receiving, in general across the country, more funding for vouchers. That may take some time to filter down and to know when and how to apply. There are some special programs, but these are very competitive. Coming online later this year Copper Flats, 224 unit at the mall, that is a tax credit property for people who are making less than 60% of median income. They will have one, two, and three, bedroom apartments. There will also be Immaculata Plaza, which is right next to his office. They are going to have 30 units that will be set aside for people who are making less that 30% median income. They will be providing vouchers for that property. Both of these should be up and running by the end of the year, but Copper Flats may be early as some of the building will be completed. Enita clarified that Immaculata Plaza will be run by Catholic Charities. This will be an extension of the older adult program that they have by adding the additional 30 units plus remodeling the whole facility. Tom also informed members that they have heard that the apartments by Adeo warm water pool are possibly going to be renovated and they have told most of their people that they should be looking for another place to go. There are about eleven (11) vouchers there and most of the people are in wheelchairs. The timeline is to have everyone out by the end of June, but July is the target.

Contract Services Update

Lesley Cobb provided an update regarding contracted services. During the fourth quarter of 2022, Contract Management completed 138 items. Child Welfare continues to be the division with the highest number of items that the contract team processes. Lesley highlighted some of the major projects that were completed within that quarter. Lesley also presented the 2022 end of year chart that reflected a total of 814 competed items for the calendar year. Items that are currently in process with the contract team include two Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Area Agency on Aging, the response for Case Management Agency services RFP, the Children, Youth, and Family Services Grant application, and the Core and Contract Services RFP proposal

Division Audits/Evaluations/Reports

Julie Witkowski reported the department voluntarily had a kinship/adoption audit at the end of 2022. At the adoption assistance audit in 2021, it was recognized that there were some unclear expectations outlined for staff who do IV-E determinations for our kids who are being placed in foster care or when they are being adopted. Julie explained that IV-E is federal funding that the State can draw down to reimburse the costs that are paid out to foster parents, certified kinship parents, and adoptive parents. It is very important that IV-E is determined correctly and timely. In the past year, the IV-E staff have been working with the State to clarify these expectations. Julie reported that the department had 40 kinship/adoptions that occurred between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022, that the State could review. The State pulled seven (7) cases to look at, all of them were found to have IV-E determined correctly. Once Julie receives a report, she will forward that on to members for their review.

Community Updates

• Stacey Casteel
  
  • Stacey shared that she officially announced her candidacy for the 2023 school board election for this November.
• Elizabeth Barber
  
  • Elizabeth shared that for the Weld County School District 6, Greeley Dream Team, spring is a busy semester with students due to the scholarship season. There are some really good scholarship opportunities out there and they are doing some upcoming mock interviews with students. The scholarship interviews for the Dream Team are next week and she is excited for that. They will have 31 students that will be interviewed.
• Stephanie Gausch
  
  • Stephanie shared that they are seeing more people come to the Weld Food Bank. They are continuing to step up their programs, spend more money, and purchase more food. There is a lot more food being purchased since food donations are still down by about 70%. They anticipate that this will continue especially with the drop in food stamps.Stephanie reported that they are seeing a lot of homeless folks coming in which has been new, so they are revamping their travel bag. They are continuing to serve outside, not because of COVID, but because of the sheer volume of people that are coming in and the fact that they would not be able to serve the 200 folks between 8:00 am and 11:35 am that have come in. Jodi Hartman stated that she thinks what is happening at the Weld Food Bank is our baseline for the whole community.
• Melanie Woolman
  
  • Melanie shared that the big thing for United Way Weld County is the universal preschool. United Way is the contracted entity to help the State implement Universal Preschool in Weld County. It has gone okay. Universal Preschool falls under childcare and not school in the State of Colorado. That is why United Way is helping to facilitate this. Childcare providers have been registering and signing their agreements for a few months now. Childcare providers can sign up any time. United Way wanted to get as many interested childcare providers registered in the portal, where all the matching happens, by January 17th when the date that the portal opened for families. They had over 1,200 children registered the first day, which is a little over 1/4 of the eligible children here in Weld County that can access the program. The State was projecting a 50% enrollment in this first year. Children who are eligible are those who are not yet five (5) years of age and those who are in their year before kindergarten. If a child turns five (5) on or before October 1st they are not eligible, however, there are children who are not eligible for Universal Preschool or for kindergarten because of the district cutoff dates. For those cases the State is allowing those children, who fall in the age gap period, to access the Universal Preschool program. The State is not allowing, at this point, those kids whose parents are choosing to hold their children back. In addition, children who are threes (3) years old, who have some sort of qualifying factor, may be eligible for this program. Four (4) year olds are eligible for about 15 hours per week but may access more hours if they have certain qualifying factors and the same is true for three (3) year olds. The portal does an amazing job in helping parents determine that eligibility. Melanie indicted that is has been tough getting the word out to eligible parents due to staffing, they currently have nine (9) open positions within the Early Childhood team, which is nearly the entire department. They are looking to get a Parent Navigator who will be able to go out to all of the communities to spread the word about the program. She indicated that they do have a deficit of over 10,000 childcare slots in Weld County, that is not only just preschool slots but all the slots. She feels that the State is not giving them the resourcing they need to help recruit more childcare providers or incentivize childcare providers to do any of this work. United Way is working through all of this, and it is a challenge, but she is really happy with the numbers that have already signed up. Lisa Taylor commented that she totally understands the staffing concerns and wanted to make a quick plug to see if anyone on Melanie’s end would have the capacity to have a conversation with the Little Learner Coordinator at IRCNOCO . She felt that IRCNOCO  staff could help parents walk through the portal, as she suspects that there are numerous children that would qualify. Lisa didn’t want that population to get left behind as English language learners and children who would really benefit from the Universal Preschool program. Melanie indicated that they could absolutely do that and that. They have a train-the-trainer program that United Way is working on for agencies like IRCNOCO . She also informed members that the matching process between children and childcare providers does not actually start until February 15th, so there is some time. The matching process is on a lottery and is not on a first come, first serve. Lastly, they have hired two Vice Presidents. The Vice President of Community Impact will be Ernest Cienfuegos-Baca from Jobs of Hope and the Vice President of Philanthropy will be Travis Hitt from the Boys and Girls Club.
• Enita Kearns-Hout
  
  • Enita reported on evictions and possible homelessness. Since January 1st, Catholic Charities has had 70 requests for rental assistance and 85 requests for utilities. They are trying to process those as fast as they can, but it is a heavy load. Enita indicated that they just hired a second person that will help speed that process up. Also, they continue to have overflow families and reminded everyone that if there are overflow families to contact Catholic Charities. They are working with Greeley Family House trying to find a solution but, in the meantime, families are staying at their shelter, sometimes a few days, sometimes a few weeks, and some a couple of times over a month. They stay in their community rooms at night, and are provided showers, food, clothing, diapers, and whatever they need. Catholic Charities is trying their best to fill that gap when there are not enough spaces for families.
• Lisa Taylor
  
  • Lisa asked members to keep a look out for the next cycle of funding opening up with The Weld Trust. Their initiatives are related to housing and food insecurities, and she encourages everyone to apply for funding. Lisa also added that The Weld Trust is rolling out a new portal system with the Bright Futures stipend program that is ran through Weld County. It is designed as a workforce but is often referred to as a scholarship program. They are excited about some possible upcoming changes and the new portal system that will hopefully be more user friendly for all of the districts and students that they service.
• Stanley Graffis
  
  • Stanley shared that the VFW 2121, which is Greeley/Garden City, will be hosting the State VFW convention in June. There will likely be 300 to 400 people coming in for that four (4) day period. It will take place at the Greeley post and Garden City. He also reported that at the end of January they recognized six (6) middle school students who won in the middle school scholarship program and recognized three (3) high school students that were in the program. They also invited first responders who were recognized.

The meeting adjourned at 10:07 a.m.