Social Services Board - Regular Meeting

O'clock. We will go ahead and call this meeting to order. We welcome everyone that's here. Before we get to the agenda, one of the first orders of business, this is our July meeting. And with it being the July meeting, we need to elect a chairman or chairperson. What is the will of the board?

What are the rules?

It's gotta be one of us.

I'm making But I guess that that leads to

my question.

I would say

what is the current chair situation, and are you allowed to serve back to back terms?

You can serve as many as long as somebody's.

So are you open for nominations?

We are nominate you? We have a nomination on the floor. Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Yeah.

Would there be any other nominations? All in favor,

aye.

Unless you have an alias. No.

I will serve then. Thank you. Second order of business, we need to elect a vice chair. The floor is open. Currently, miss Georgia is serving as our vice chair. But what happens on that if we reelect miss Georgia vice chair and he gets replaced within the coming year, we're gonna have to replace miss Georgia then because her appointment is with the state. What is the will of the

I what?

Did you decide not to go to any more meeting or you replaced? Are there any more nominations? Nominations are closed. All in favor, aye. Aye. We have our vice vice chair and our chair. We have agenda before us. Jay, is that echo? Is that because we've got miss director Hunt on the thing? I'm just or is it just me hearing myself echo?

Hearing it. I don't hear it.

Nobody hears it, but let's see. I got reverb in my head right now. Oh, my

goodness. Wow.

Do you hear an echo?

I still hear it in my head. I

may wanna rescind my

mister chairman, I advise anything further, you

save me.

We we have agenda excuse me. We have the agenda that has been sent out and it's before us right now. What is the will of the board? Any discussion about the agenda?

We adopt the agenda.

Is there a second? Second. Any discussion?

You didn't hear me say

it twice? I seconded my All

in favor, aye. Aye. Passes. Next is the adoption of the minutes. They have previously been sent out. Also we

have a

they've been sent out. Yeah. But they've been sent out. I don't think we have a copy before us, but we do have the agenda. Hope everyone's had a chance to. Excuse me. The minutes. Hope everyone's had a chance to look at them. I call for a motion. I make a motion that the minutes be received. Second. Any discussion about the minutes? All in favor of accepting the minutes as written, aye. Opposed, same

sign. Do we

have any public comments? No public comments. We have a wave from Jay. We have the personnel report. Director Hunt is joining us from Aruba over vacation, so we don't wanna hold her up too long. Director Hunt, can you

hear I sure can. And thank you so much. I think this is a wonderful opportunity to allow Tiffany John if you will just kind of look at the do this little spotlight. So I'll write ahead, Tiffany.

Direct your attention to the personnel report. And we do not have any new employees today. She was talking about the security team that we have at the office now. They're not here. So have any questions?

We have a whole new security team or how many people? What?

Yes. We have two security officers that are at the office.

Alan Harden. Bruce. Alan Harden and

Bruce. Oh. So they bought the property. They come in, check-in. If they have any issue for anybody. We're also able we have some kids at the DSS house that they have trouble out of. They're willing to come and sit with us. Yeah. One at a time. They switch off. Was No. It's not too. I'm sorry. They switch off every week.

Okay.

Yeah. I'll throw this in from my knowledge of it. They are retired from the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office. They are not working at DSS as Rutherford County Sheriff's Office employees. They are hired through Apex Security Company. If I'm not mistaken, they are armed security also, which means they have went through proper training to be armed security, not working for a law enforcement agency.

Correct.

And so

So there's one work at night, one work during

Ma'am, they work 08:30 to five. And then if we need them after hours, they are absolutely

oh, okay. So they work part time.

They each one works. One week, one will work three days, the other one will work two days. The next week, the one that worked two days. Last week will work three days this week, vice versa.

Then they're on call.

Yeah. Anytime he said anytime we need them, after hours on the weekend, they are available.

And the thing about it is they will flex the time rather than, you know because, of course, we have a budget. So if we happen to meet them after hours, they will flex the time for us. So they have been absolutely phenomenal thus far. And I don't know, Susan, if you want to tell them just a little bit about how it has made the employees feel just to have that security on-site?

Yes. In the past, we've had some situations where we have called for law enforcement. It took them a little while to get there because it's circumstances. But when they should started making their rounds, the employees was saying they feel so much more comfortable with them being there if they were needed really quick.

I've heard that's so too, more I guess.

I love the fact that they're retired officers, you know, knowing that they have a history of law enforcement would be capable.

Director Hunt, this may be a question that mister Williams would have to answer or you make an answer. Do they with them working for Apex Security, do they have the powers of arrest?

They do not have the powers of arrest. We just appreciate the fact that they now have a not a phone.

Radio.

It's not a phone. But Radio. It says, they have It will be radio. I'm sorry. They have a radio radio gives them direct access to the sheriff's department. So if anything happens, they radio really quickly, and then they will have an officer hear. But but they can detain, but they cannot arrest.

They have handcuffs.

Yeah. So they they basically, what that is, they are just forceful security guards. So if well, I mean, you've got the police that has to call the police, but they can't saying they would if something happened like it, they would have to go to court to testify as the witness as to whatever happened like it, but that what makes the difference right there. That makes sense?

Mhmm.

Yeah.

And mister Harden has both of them are twenty plus year veterans of law enforcement

Mhmm.

And still work part time for the sheriff's office. Director Hunt, we're now actually looking at the personnel report.

Okay. Alright. And Tiffany, you go right ahead.

Not the only question, but the main question I have I love the way on this report that you show us the prior period on the hours. Is there a way to do something that gives us context around vacant positions that we have, like,

a month to month comparison?

Thank you.

It it helps to see.

We I don't know believe that there

Is that ones that will fill these vacant positions that are listed?

Because it yeah. I said it seems like he had more vacant positions.

Going back to security personnel, if they have to deal with something, are they reporting that to y'all?

We get a daily log.

Can we add that to this?

Have a great idea.

That's what I'm Their

their personnel, I'd put it on there where they're under security. How many contacts? How much stuff are are they having to do anything? You know, it's good if they say zero and all they had to do was walk around. But if they're having to deal with stuff Right. That would let us know as a board kind of what y'all are having to deal with over there. You could whether it's a domestic, it was they were having to go over to the lighthouse.

Would you

Just So I didn't know if you want.

Right. Work.

Whatever is easiest for y'all that we would know this is what the security guys, Apex security folks, had to deal with on DSS property. No. I'm not gonna tell you where to

put it.

Just yeah. Whatever is easiest for y'all. Okay.

We'll talk about the best. Yeah.

Anything

else on the personnel report from the board?

Director

Hunt, we're going over to the DSF staff turnover report.

Okay. Thank And Kayla, do you want to discuss the turnover report? No. If there are any questions?

Did you say it went up?

It did. So our turnover rate last year for total exits, so with the at the agency, Here, it was seven. And then total turnover total position. They can't. So even It was 40% last year, and

According to that, it's 13 for the sheet that we've got.

Just so the board knows, I have also requested turnover rates from other departments across the state just so you guys can have some type of way to just compare our county, other counties similar to our five, close to us, and also across the state. So they're going to send that to me as soon as possible, and then I'll make sure that you guys know. I should probably have it by the next board meeting. That will just give you some type of comparison.

It will be interesting to see for those of us in the region impacted by HALIEN how our numbers compare to the rest of the state,

not just as a county,

but as a region.

Correct. But I think we all know that DSS just in general, especially child welfare, has a turnover rate, especially in child protective services. But it it'll be good for us to just see what where other people are.

Transfer units. That means internal transfers? Were the number elevens to resign not a good fit, or is that exit interviews done to find out what could be done better?

I guess the common practice to exit interview on anybody. Correct?

It is. And that's done through the

Yeah. I don't say that's done at the end. Do

we get feedback? I'm sorry. Go ahead.

Would you say the ones that are not a good fit? I think we were going through a period of time where we just needed a body. And

you might have had

some questions in your mind, but you needed that body. Right?

Yeah. That's what

I'm thinking. Yeah.

Do we get feedback from human resources as to why folks just they they're not working at DSS anymore besides money?

I haven't got any.

We do. We get we get get we get it's a report when it comes to the human resources department. We also get that information as well. And we also spreadsheet as to the reason why people have less or what their feedback is just so that we can try to do better.

You all have

We don't have a spreadsheet. I'm sorry. We don't have a spreadsheet from for January to June, but we do have one from last year.

I hadn't counted, but it looks like not a good fit.

It's 22. What? Number six.

I was looking. I have 11. Transferred.

1111. Well, I don't count that.

That's good.

Yeah. 11 is 13. That was eleven thirteen. Yeah. I mean, 13 elevens, and that was 22 sixes. Well Sixes were the transfer.

That's not a that's not a bad thing to me.

Usually, it's a good thing. Yeah. Usually, it's a promotion.

But the ones to check out to me was 11. It just kinda,

I think we'll be in line with a lot of the other counties.

Look forward to that comparison report.

Be curious to see how many of the 11 were resigned versus I'm resigning before you fire me. Because there are none out here that say that they're trying

to get As soon as I get that information

It's not a good

you know, they feel like that they have to agree.

Yeah. Like, how many

are Thank you, ma'am.

Other social service agencies or as counties. If they're if we're losing them to other social service

What's that anymore? I

think it would correct. I think that's a great idea. It may be hard to find sometimes people don't tell us that they're going. We just find out that they went to another county.

Let me see.

I definitely But

other employment, David, it's not that many. Other employment doesn't list that many.

Right. No. That's that's that's I think about three, four years ago, we knew the same age five. And we have lost could do that. A large percentage to Because they like to say

it's not a fit to

not say I'm going somewhere else.

But it'll be counted twice.

We we will look for that data. Yeah. Like, you'll kind of I mean, is it if the reason is because it wasn't a good fit?

I understand what you're saying. Right? But what I'm saying is if

you're going to find out who went to other places, I wonder how many of the elevens wound up going to the different because it wasn't a good fit here.

But they did it in the same time frame, that one and that 11. The same time frame.

What the discussion is about that two of the members are having were asking the question whether your number one and your number 11, is that separate data, or could they be counted double? You know, it's kinda brought up is it possible that somebody left for other employment, but they resigned because they're saying it's not a good fit, but they're going to a different agency somewhere.

That's what I saying. Like, within the eleventh, there probably are people who were actually ones who took other employment because it's not a good fit and figuring out among those, like, where they went if it wasn't a

good still count it twice if you do

a good

fit. Could be.

On here, it's counted once. I'm just saying Okay. Within that, though.

Looked at all

of the

data, but she's probably close to

Right.

That's what I mean.

But the chances for them leaving for their job are probably accurate, but they don't say. Right.

Which is what I meant, that within those elevens, the majority of those are probably like most people aren't leaving because they've suddenly won the lottery. They're going to work somewhere else for the most part and how many of those if they're away and I you can't tell people you have to tell

us where you're going. Well, they're leaving for some reason because I

don't see any

I don't see any tens on here.

Right. That's what I was and that's why was saying how many of them quit before they thought I'm going to get fired because I'm not ready for the job.

Then in Medicaid and food stamps, you said that's very difficult

work, tedious work. That would be your number fives, which there's 12.

You terminated them. Yeah. They just didn't cut their probation period. Right. But

have you had some in that situation that just frustrated and couldn't?

But most of them chose to.

Yeah. That's what that's what I'm saying. Yeah.

Because when you look at this, your highest turnover is in CPS and, looks like, adult services. Then the next one is IMFWFF.

WorkFirst and program Those two in WorkFirst and program integrity, it's a very small unit. There's only three individuals. Well, the one that is listed for date, June 22, that's was the supervisor, and she retired. So the one that was in the other one that was dated June 2, she was a lead worker for that unit, and she was promoted to supervisor. So that's why hers is showing six

Mhmm.

On on date, June 2. So she was hired June 2 to train with the supervisor on June 22 who was leaving June 20 was her last day, last work day. So that's why that percentage is so high. When the supervisor retired, the lead worker was promoted. So out of three people, that's two thirds percent.

And that's almost the same thing for adult services. They are a very small unit. It's only seven seven of them right now. And the supervisor retired, and the worker got promoted. So it's they're a small unit, so that and

it that's what that's why. Not

that no. But I do have a little bit of data with that. The family and children's Medicaid and adult Medicaid could possibly increase or need to increase based on the numbers that

budget and items went

through that.

Yes. When I first started there fifteen years ago, the enrollment for that program was around 300 to 400. Right. And we have less than 70 households.

Why do you think they did?

Was that when they had the WorkFirst grant? Yes. And they are, yeah.

Infosysms put them.

Right. I think a lot of it is the amount that is being given for your work hours hasn't increased the whole time I've been there. You still if you're getting an allotment for one person such as a parent for a child, it's still a $180 per Two people, so if you're receiving for yourself and a child as a two person household, the $2.32. No. It and that's been the same for the fifteen years that I've been there, and I don't know prior to that.

Working twenty to fifty five hours a week. Two parents closer to 55. Most people he's not gonna I think that's a lot. It just really needs be reevaluated at a federal level or state level and program. Most of the the households in that program are payee where a non parent, such as grandmother and taking care of some children, and they're getting paid, and they don't have a work component.

Think maybe two cases out of 68 is has a work where the other cases are paying.

Any further discussion on the

We really studied that. We probably have some now. Type of plan or a plan.

Onboarding now. Know, that planners that go out and train. I think so. But with CPS' turnover rate

We had a

we did have

a at that time.

For one reason.

Well At the time, it was it was going next door.

Yeah.

Because they were making way more money.

Yeah.

We've actually

got some

employees that went to him and came back because of the work. We also have I think I told you about this last we had an employee resign because they were going they and they called me and said, I've made a mistake, then I come back to work.

Glad. We

all

make mistakes. So

We will continue on. We will recognize miss Pam missus Pam Price for budget discussion.

K. Everyone have your financial report in front of you. See the period ending June 3025. This y'all only have two

pages, and this is not all of it. But Here, you can have that. Maybe that's two pages too. Yeah. And we're we can't even look at this because it's it's I mean, this one has a lot of pages. Yeah. I know that.

Mean, you can look at report, but you can't look at these notes because these notes

are just not yeah. Yeah.

It didn't show up everything for some page. Kim, he knows how to handle that report. Kayla, this it's new for me and Kayla too. So

If if I can pause for a minute. Yeah. Miss Kim is not here because she is dealing with she's taking care of family. This is why she's not couple months. But we don't won't throw this off on miss Kaley. No. No. No. We won't throw this off on miss Kaley. Thank you for filling in.

Yeah. Kim set this up when she started doing I'm hearing

that miss

Kim's husband is getting better, so hopefully, she'll be back with us soon. Husband.

Yes. Wasn't at the last

here happening.

She's first priority. She's taking care of family. What DSS does, care of folks.

Okay. So this is for the period ending June 30, our final financial report for the year. We should be at a 100% items. So on page two, we see the contribution from general fund for administrative expenses is at 85.6 percent, which is 14.4 under budget. That's for the administrative side.

And your program side on page four is a 100.93, which is nine three point nine three up budget. And then on your very last page, page 10, total budget for the year is 89.92 o 8% under budget. I will remind you that we would be over budget if it wasn't for the budget amendment that we received. We did get a good bit of money put in state and for. So and good thing our administrative expenses were under budget, so we have those where at 14 under budget for administrative side, which is the side we pretty much roll.

So that under budget. On page five, all the lines that are, over budget for the year are highlighted. We'll move money around from one budget or one line that's over or under budget, excuse me, to the ones that are over and cover the expense. If you look down almost to the bottom of the page, professional services, child care, admin shows we're over budget of $8,500. We actually did receive another $32,005.25 in there.

So we are not, over budget in that line, so that's a good thing. And since we don't have our notes, and I cannot remember from last month if there was any more lines over that page that were has not been over here. I don't think so. Think all those lines are pretty much have been over all year long. On page six, the same thing. We pretty much have those those lines were over pretty much all year long. But I think for maintenance expense in Building C, we did go over a little bit over that, and that's our Rutherford building where

we that count that building is owned by the county. There's they did have to have a new HVAC here, so that's why we're a

little over budget in that line. Page seven, same ones were over on this. During the year, you can look at state foster care. They're at a 100.26%. So the budget amendment that we did covered everything that we needed, just a bit over dollars over in state foster care. Drug screenings were over budget in those.

Required drug screening that we have to do.

Adoption assistance on page eight over, and that is a good thing. We're over an adoption assistance based on how we adopted actually did. I don't know. Tell that, but we received 92,000. 192,000 in adoption funds based on adoptions that we That's for adoption promotion. That money both adoption. So that they give us based on sibling groups and ages and that data. So we 're 92,000. I think that's the most since I've

But you don't give families funds for adoption. Do you? Do what now? You don't give the family? No. Not Okay.

I mean, this

fees or anything like that? That is

It's something that they have to go outside of the school to deal with.

But now this adoption assistance on here is funds for the family. Okay. If they have adopted, they and the child has then they can get adoption assistance. Same rate

as what foster care same rates, standard rates. So that's what this adoption

this goes directly to the client, the parent. And we pay or the county of that. Page nine, your disaster emergency rental assistance shows that it was a 102.56% spending. We did receive additional funds in those emergency rental that has not reflected in really didn't go over budget. Unclaimed bodies, we did. That's above that. I had on here how many

I didn't print out. I wanna say seventeen hours.

$7.50 a body?

We did receive some funds back from other counties. Half

at that And

what we did with the half of body now.

Well, some of there was a couple that was only 450 and that's based on other counties' rate that, you know, they charged us. Some other counties don't charge us much. So we had to pay a couple that were other counties. We had to reimburse other counties. We did receive some back from

You may have any questions?

I've got

one. I know we wanna keep Stay good working relationship with the sheriff's office with the deputy salary or that line item for the deputy. Is that 100% of the deputy salary?

Yes. That's for one.

Are we getting our money's worth? I know that they are serving papers. We've got security on staff now. The sheriff's office can't tell us they're not gonna serve paperwork because that is one of the statutory duties of the sheriff's office. Is that something we're gonna look at? We we wanna keep that working relationship with the sheriff's office, but now that we've got security Monday through Friday, the deputy mainly works Monday through Friday.

That's a d question. You there?

I mean, I I've gotta ask that from a board standpoint.

Uh-huh. Well, I mean

I I am includes too. I am here, and I'm hearing you. And the answer to that is no. Probably will not get our money for it. Now I can tell you that they have out where the Apex is gonna have someone there try 100 of the time.

If they need to rest or something like that or if they need the sheriff's department, they're gonna call Kaylee first. But I would have to tell them that absolute hell because before we had Apex, we called Kaylee. I mean, we would have to wait until she shows up and wherever she's coming from. But, no, they're not the no. I have to say no.

Now there's probably that we are going to document as we go along this fiscal year so that when we go back to the table with our contract, we will have some data to go with it. And if and I want to know if the board has the feedback or even even the the people at at the the table. I mean, it's an EMV. You know, sometimes we do need them with town family team meeting. Susan here, there, we had to call before we were not able to get people, and that is why we chose to get security so that everybody felt comfortable.

We were literally using our military workers as our security. And we get it that sometimes they're out serving papers, but I have to tell you that that's a great question, and get someone up and see if he's gonna come back.

So for children's services, I would have to say that, you know, when we go out in the field, you know, we will call and ask her to go, and she'll show up wherever we are going to and assist. But I will say that there are times that, you know, we would need something in the lobby, and, of course, she would have to come too. It's not like she's stationed at the office. So wherever she's at, she would have to get to. So if it's a situation going on, unlike the other day, we had an unruly youth that was at the office that was being dropped off, and I was able to pick up the phone and call Bruce, and he came right over in a matter of seconds.

So we've had those situations along the way, and she will say when we call her, if we're going out on the case, she'll say, well, I can't how fast do you need me? You know? And then it'll be like, well, you just need to call communications. You know, another officer's gonna and that has happened before. If she's not close by, we'll call somebody else to come. And then when she gets there, they'll leave.

I mean, just I mean, from standpoint of a board member, we have to make sure that we are getting our money's worth. So that may be a a talk that has to happen with the sheriff's office. I don't mind sitting in there from being there before being a part. But like I say, it's part of part of officers' responsibility is when you call, they they show up. And so, like I say, if we're paying this amount of money for a deputy service and now all that deputy that we're paying for is serving process, that's part of their job anyway, serving process. So, Director Hunt, I hope that is something that we document, look at, because this question will come back up again.

Yes, sir. Absolutely. We the first thing that we're doing is APEC is keeping a log of everything that they're doing, and and that is the status rate. And then all of the supervisors and all of the managers, they know that if they happen to do anything security wise, we were happy to or that's taking all of that to be documented so we could have some good data at at the time it's time to do a a new contract.

So what I hear you saying, Leon, is that the professional services that we're paying for for the deputy, now all that deputy would be doing is serving papers.

Mhmm.

And that's part of their job whether they work for social services or not. Mhmm. So we don't really need that.

We we want the relationship.

Right. Right. The sheriff's office,

one of his statutory duties is to serve civil process. This deputy would serve civil process. Now Right. The Apex officers are not authorized Right. To serve process. Right. But anybody that's a sheriff's deputy with that gets that paperwork in their hand can come by and serve process.

You don't have to pay them extra to do that.

But, I mean, if if we want to do part of her salary in doing that, I I like that aspect, but we're paying $63,000 for a deputy and the sheriff's office has a civil division, let's just make sure that we're getting our money's worth.

Well, is there a law showing what else that deputy does?

Law enforcement stuff. I'm

not being flip. I'm just like

No. No.

I'm Just the same way that we would be documenting what security does, is there something that shows, like, how long's where else Just she's being pulled and what she's

whatever whatever it is is law enforcement related. You know, we've got a deputy that the social services is paying for that won't even keep her office in the building that says her office is in her car because it's mobile. And so when I get tired of sitting there, put it in driving, I go away. If you was paying for one for your office, do you want them roaming around or do you want them there?

That's why

I'm asking what Yeah. Yes. Other I have to say other law enforcement stuff.

So security is really doing what she used to.

Right. Except serving except serving civil. Right. Do

do you have along with that contract, do you have, like, an MOA that goes along with that?

We do. We have a our contract kind of serves as the MOA. Okay.

And our

understanding is that it came down to you know, I did talk with I did talk with the sheriff about it, and it was just it came down to we need security at the office. She said she would get there if she needed to, that she didn't wanna log in twice. She said I logged in with with the sheriff's department, but she didn't wanna log in with us. It became more of a relationship and try to figure out how to get money to keep us safe so we would not have to continue to use our male social workers as our security. And sold the front desk staff.

I I cannot tell you how many times that we've got some data. I've been called about just not feeling safe.

Yeah. It sounds

like

Anyway, I

mean, that's it other than just, yeah, just the security and serving the people pay Fire to do. I mean, she it

it the head states you

I mean, based on the fiscal manual, they are supposed to be 100% in our agency. I mean, unless she's on the road, have a desk there, same as, you know, anybody else we claim. If we're gonna claim overhead for them, they're supposed to be there.

Yeah. Because that's what it sounds like to me.

Be there and they're supposed to be there and she's not there. And she said that her office was in her car, and it it it was it was a little battle. So much to the point where she got disrespectful towards me just in a in a conversation, and and and my conversation was not mean. None of that. So that's She's supposed to be.

That's why when we sit Let's up let's

just get this pretty let's let's document.

Yeah. Like, next year when you sit down at budget time, you know, we've got this 63,000. Mhmm. And it I think that if we're gonna continue to pay that, then there's gonna have to

be some

specific direction given to that person, and it sounds to me like it'd be you and the sheriff that will be agreeing on a specific direction. It's gonna be the same thing said to her. Y'all need to be parallel, and and there needs to be some change there if we will continue to do that salary.

But, David, I don't really think

they need to wait till next budget time.

One Yes. That they're gonna try to

do. Mhmm.

That I made that

effort. Yes.

I want you to

know that I made that effort.

Georgia brought up you

Tim can tell you Kayla can tell you that I made that effort. Am I right, Kayla?

Yeah. Yeah.

We can do that. Georgia made a good point. Probably not even waiting till the next budget year. I'm I'm here in the next three months, sit down with the sheriff and have a a very candid conversation about what our expectations are, not just you, but as a board. And if we're gonna continue to have funds for that, that they're gonna have to be accountable and they're gonna have to be here doing what you're supposed to do because it's clearly that's not going on right now.

That is correct.

Yeah. Well, in in the survey

Thank you.

So so I'll break it back side. In the serving of silver papers, you can't do it from the office unless it is a subpoena that you can do it over the phone. So there are there would be times that she would have to be away from the office, but it shouldn't be all day. So if it's not Right. Periodically. Like I say, let's just make sure we're we're spending money for security with that that makes the staff happy, but let's make sure with this extra 68,000 that we've already been spending, let's make sure we're I think the word is fiduciary responsibility.

Yes. Yes.

Let's make sure we're doing right things right. And like I say, if you remember, I started the conversation out. We want the relationship. But the relationship's gonna be there regardless because they have to serve civil process. They have to do that. But what her main priority from, I guess, what DSS is paying for, her first priority is to serve DSS civil process. So whatever we can do on that and That's true. And however you can get back with us on that, would you do that, director Hunt, please?

Yes. That is correct. I will have some let's say, about about a second to

a meeting. That will give that will give

us time to go ahead and document one thing and I'll have some meetings, bring back what we decide at the meeting. Does that work for you?

Yes, ma'am. And because I still work for the sheriff's office in that aspect, If there's anything I can do, if you need me to talk to the sheriff, to captain Ellis, anybody, I'm more than willing to sit down with them also.

Thank you. Yes, I want everyone to know that it was the relationship when the other officer was there. I don't like this. He had an officer there. He was there when he wasn't to the sheriff's department to her hall. And, yeah, it it it still was not alleviated.

Director Hunt, if it was soft

This is what was said.

If it was softened to blow any, when you have these conversations, let them know these questions are now coming from your board. You you and and if you wanna name me specifically, I have no issue with that.

Correct. Okay. Thank you.

Well, if it if you're paying for a contract and you have to get a second contract to cover the services in the first contract

That's the problem. Right?

Or or the nails Yeah.

Just kinda put the wrong

Instead of paying the full price, you pay

For the portion of what you're getting? Yes.

Right. Right.

You're getting it?

That is

Problems not solved.

That was on the on

the list. That But

she's really not getting anything.

Keeping the log. What's happening while that person is not there, that is by the other the Apex keeping the law course to see what they're doing during the day and what they're being called to like to unrule a child that was there. You know, that was when, you know, we AAPED canceled that.

Is it standard practice for the DSS?

In the office? Just this one, but any Sometimes you need a police officer.

You can ask.

Thank you. I appreciate the board's support on this so very much.

Yes, ma'am.

I had

a question, Dee. It's Suzanne. Do you know, like, do other DSS and other counties pay their sheriff's office to serve papers?

No. It's it's really a sheriff's department However however, when you want security, that is by John Carroll said, hey. Let's just have security. And so that person also they decided that this person would also do the child support subpoena and also provide security. So that's how But lot if this agency has security on-site,

you can go to several agencies. When

pay for the sheriff's department, which makes which makes total sense. And then you can have both. You'll have one office at the back, and then you'll also have security.

Yeah. I'm not questioning the need for security. I was just trying to get the full picture

all that.

It it is yeah. That that's of the department. Yeah.

And if you have that person in the building, you can draw down salary for that person, draws down overhead, and you can get 50% reimbursement for this salary. So that's another thing too. So you've got that person there that

Good neighborly thing to do. And have a good relationship. Right. Right.

So there's a it it's an entire benefit to the entire county to have that

If it works.

Right at our office.

The way it's supposed to.

Get we can draw down half the salary. It just makes total sense.

Right. Right. Just gotta have the right person wanting to, you know, work as a team with

you.

Right.

Right. You know, He just showed up, and he was there.

Hard hard discussion. We wanna keep that relationship going, but I can tell you this. Law law enforcement can't say I'm not coming. They may say it's gonna take a minute,

but they

can't they can't say that I'm not coming. They may not like it. That's the truth.

Well, but and you were right about the fiduciary responsibility. If there's duplication of effort, that needs to be addressed.

Well, and and it goes back. Like I say, even if Apex has a situation on campus that they have to get on the radio to call for an officer, the closest responding officer is showing up, especially if though knowing that those are retired sheriff's office officers. You're gonna have somebody show up if it's an an arrest situation. The closest one is showing up. Thank y'all for everything.

That is correct. Because we have actually, we haven't reached out, to the one that we are paying for, and we've had other officers show up first.

Yes.

The last time that economic services called because we had client show up that were in the notes to not be on threatened. We called for them. Our officer didn't call back. They would officer that was close. That officer didn't get there for

And and since we have that documented, don't we?

Yes, ma'am. By then, the the we were just leaving this client in lobby, and I made a decision to go ahead and have that client to be seen, then in and out quickly just to get them out of our building faster than we could. And I had several people interact or intervene.

That never happened.

Happen, but

That never happens again, call back to the communications center again. A lot of times, what's gonna delay that response is what you tell communications. Could have been just, I gotta defend them on that, law enforcement, and also. But when you say stuff like, hey. We have somebody trespassing that's not supposed to be in the building. I need somebody.

Well

Because if that happens like that, there's

And is there a a prioritization ranked because it went through a nonemergency line versus you calling 911? Yes. Like, that would yeah.

Yeah. If you call, hey. I just wanna talk to miss Susan Epley. As soon as miss Epley gets available, you're gonna call me back. But, hey. I we need an officer over here. It's kinda in the wording. You know?

I agree. I agree. But

You were trying to deescalate.

And The

point that I was making, our officer called back for Showed up thirty minutes after that.

Not a priority, but we're paying $68,000. Let's make it a part. Okay. We're gonna keep going. Service report, director Hunt.

Alright. Give me you can go right ahead.

Remain. So you have the Rutherford County DSS report of services in front of you. If you would like to take a look at that and

Medicaid transportation in June went up big time.

No. But it's way down from last

That's last year, but this year Oh, okay. It's almost seventeenth time.

I told you I got an echo, miss George. Oh, we doing good on Medicaid transportation. Yeah. Getting in the right year. Why?

That's because Medicaid recipients went into

next year. Here in Dole. They went

in What? Meant she got my

glasses off.

They went where?

Your glasses.

I take them down.

I can't

see. I get it. That the June 2024 was when Medicaid recipients Medicaid transportation was being paid for through direct bill, whereas now the managed care company that the recipients have to be enrolled through is paying that bill. They have to schedule the ride and pay the bill.

They schedule their own ride and

they pay their bill. The managed care company does.

Oh, the managed care company does.

That's part of that new legislation. Does that help y'all?

Yes. With not having to make the schedule, call transit, and it also helps with an employee availability to be doing more job functions.

Yeah. That one took us a little longer in

the discussion.

Yes.

Transit does very well.

With the with the cuts in the federal government, they're gonna how bad is that gonna Are

you talking about transportation in general or Medicaid?

Isn't that Medicaid what's taking the biggest hit right now?

It it is taking a big hit. The there's gonna be there's gonna be some work components added to it. There is

I have a

bunch of topic.

Oh, that's in yours? Wait. You wanna hold on. You wanna hold on to it. Anything else on the service report? Good, miss Porter.

I'm good.

Alright. We'll go on to program updates. Miss Dye?

So I don't have a lot. We are just trucking along with the PATH NC. The PATH readiness is coming for the new system that the state is moving towards to where we'll be able to go in and see whatever whatever county is doing. So that's gonna be really good so far here from other agencies. Really, really, really good. Especially for the intake piece and just being able to go in and then, you know, accountability for workers. You can't move to the next step if you ain't got your doctor taken. So that's a good thing for that. So if you're looking for any of us, we're somewhere in the train. So but we're still trying to keep it going.

So it's been a it's a lot going up and through the August. So we go live on August 11. So we'll have people from the state coming in and over our shoulders and assisting us in that process. Right now, it's just the intake and assessment. Then they'll they'll get to the other pieces later on down the road. So we'll be between two systems, the PATH NC

and the What?

PATH NC. So excited about that. We wanna give big props to the adoption unit, which Pam was talking about. Drew down that money. They done 22 adoptions. That means families found permanency. And then they done five private adoptions. So really excited. That was just last year. So they worked really, really hard. Excited about that. So other than that, adult services is doing well and just keep it going.

Mister Dodd, if I'm not mistaken, this new training, isn't this where the oversight is coming with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services where they'll be able to log in and look at complete files and don't have to ask anybody about it.

Great. I can if I need something from McDowell, I can just go straight into the system and get what I need without McDowell having to email it to It's it's gonna be beautiful once all 100 counties get in. It's gonna be a process, but so far, from what I've heard, it is great.

A long time.

Yeah. It will. And were just lurking in there. They know when you were in that mess and you shouldn't be. They got

a way

of knowing. That's what I was thinking. No, ma'am. They made it very clear on one of the trainings that we took. So but they are it's gonna be great. It's gonna be great. So, you know, you'll be able to tell if another county. Because sometimes we get double. Somebody might leave running from our county. We got an open case, and then they might run over here. They might not know until they get to work, and then they find out, oh, it's open in Rutherford County. Well, the system will stop it now. It'll let you automatically know, hey. Rutherford got this open. So in our like, right now, Henderson is already in PATH NC.

So and it's just happened for us. We had a family where we opened on two kids because the dad was here. We had a situation, but the mom lived in Hendersonville. And so her the case is open in Hendersonville, but they couldn't open on the two kids because we had a case open here. So we had to close here and let them take control of the case. So it's gonna be super neat. It's gonna get documentation to record. It's gonna make sure it's gonna be because you cannot go to the next step. If you got you start a documentation, you ain't finish it, it won't let you go to the next box. Can't close it out. You can't so really excited. A lot of learning, but we'll be okay.

Board, if I'm not mistaken, this information has been forwarded to each of y'all.

All and everything. So excited about that. But a lot of training will be at ICC, Cleveland County. I got one worker right now, Hickory. I got some going to Cherokee next week. Gotta go. Everybody gotta go. So so excited about that.

Any other questions or comments for miss Dodd?

I just want to mention that, unfortunately and all the the directors complained about it, but for the state, they were only offering training in the month of July. So that's gonna send a lot of our workers away from their duties in the month of July. So we're gonna have to do some extra contracting with people just to make sure that we are meeting our obligations for the policies and procedures and that sense of faith, that we have our eyes on the children. So I I wanted you guys to to know that. And I think I've sent the board, at at least the chair, what we were doing to try to make sure that we are we are ensuring the safety and well-being of our children in this month.

And I have forwarded that information to each board.

Got we got to go. Okay. Thank you so much.

I want to mandate.

Yep. But

we're to recognize miss They

they are quick to mandate, but they don't always bring down any extra money to build with those mandates, which I don't appreciate. But, you know, we're still gonna do what we need to do.

Ms. Epley, Economic Services?

He was asking about Medicaid, how the bill was going to affect Medicaid. There is some work components in the new bill that the children, if they have a child under age 14, they would not be considered able-bodied so they're would be exempt. But any any households that didn't have children 14, to be eligible for Medicaid, they would have to work eighty hours a month or pay at least eighty hours a month. The I paid what? Do what?

You said or pay. If they're they have a minimum of eighty hours a month times minimum wage, which is $580 gross income, they would be eligible to receive. And this is for all of the adults.

Do you have stats on the percentage of adults from Rutherford County who

get Medicaid who actually do? No.

The age for six month eligibility determinations, right now adults are recertified every year. They're changing that to every six months. We would have additional recertifications every year. So for the adults, you you touch them one time. Now you're only touching them two times a year.

So I've got the numbers there. If it's just the Medicaid expansion population, it would be an extra 5,166 recertification per month per year that we would have to do. And if it's all adults, which there is some misunderstanding of why the bill was written. If it's gonna be all adults or just expanded Medicaid adults. If it's all adults, it could be possibly another thirteen thousand hours.

Workforce have at every And what does one recertification equal in staff hours? About well, it depends. For family insurance Medicaid, you're looking at about one hour. If you're looking at adult medic adult Medicaid long term care, you could be looking at a week. It's very, very fast amount of time that it takes.

Also, there is some straight through processing that happens at the state level if there's no indicators on the case file. When it's time for recertification, there's not been any changes, it would just go ahead and recertify itself. I don't know how that would fall into this new bill either if that because they did say in the bill some topics on called streamlined, and that was part of the was the straight through processing that the state does automatically. We don't know how that's gonna affect us. There is so many that was written.

There's Medicaid in the bill that on the call to the commissioners, it said the bill is gonna have to be reviewed by the CMS, Center for Medicaid and Medical Services, before the state's thing really affects us. But they did say it's a possibility that we would need more workers even though for Medicaid because of work, the additional patient and everything that was And then I wonder if they

if they'll do a cost comparison of is it really gonna wind up saving anything because you're gonna need more people to just administer to that smaller number of people.

Correct. That's the fraud and abuse part every six months for adults because trying to not to give people Medicaid when they really aren't eligible. And then the reality is, like, the

bulk of fraud comes from provider fraud, not Exactly. Individuals. Exactly.

So for the month, I thought I just wrote these numbers just for for you to be able to just get a grasp of what Medicaid pays out. Just for Rutherford County, from January, Medicaid paid out thirty six six hundred services for just Rutherford County. 36. So for, the SNAP program, the administrative costs did get enacted in that bill where right now, they pay us for federal government reimburses through the state 50% of the time that workers working cases. That's now going to go down to 25%.

So counties will beat that. They changed the work requirement to be from ages 18 to four to now age 18 to 64, so it added 10 to the able-bodied adults. And, also, the dependent age, if a dependent in a home used to be 18, now that age is 14. They implemented the error rate issue to where right now federal government reimburses the state, the state reimburses the county a 100% of the allotment that is given. They have issued a in that bill an error rate repayment.

So if the state's error rate is less than 6%, then the state would not have to pay any part of the allotment cost. If the state's error rate is between six and up to 8%, then the states would have to pay 5% of the allotment. If the error rate is 8% to 10%, states has 10%, paying over 10%, then the states have 15% of the. Now I don't know where that's gonna fall. Is the state gonna have the counties pay for a part of that?

Is the county gonna be responsible for reimbursing any part of that right now? Depending on your individual error rate as a county? Yes. Yeah. Okay.

So Have child labor laws changed at all so 15 year olds can Not as this. Right. So just for comparison, last the month of May, Rutherford County issued 2,000 $2,098,309 in physician services benefits. So if our county had to come up with 10% of that, it could be 200,000 that the have to reimburse date or whereas now the federal government I did bring some error rate. Fiscal year October 23, September 24, our error rate was 9.52%.

The year before that, the year before that, four nine. And for fiscal year of October 24 through February, our error rate is seven point. So

What's considered an

error? If we paid them too much, if we didn't pay them enough, if it could also be a whereas that that you see auditor can contact anybody in our and they have to cooperate. So maybe the household didn't report income when they have. They they did not get the right allotment. Those can be held against us, so there's nothing we can about the client.

It would still be part error rate. If they were totally benefits, caseworker error, household just didn't tell us something from the very beginning that they should have told us about, Everything. Everything. Part of the area. And it's all based on you see checks that the on the AJJ pulls the record, and the state auditor reviews the case.

Any for finding errors?

I do not. Based on this, I wouldn't think that would be And, also, I don't know if you've heard it or not, but when the

If it defaults back to the county, it could be in the states Why I'm asking that.

Yes. And you can see on these these reports, Rutherford County is at 100% accuracy rate right, but all the other counties. But that can't say that the QC might not pick a case for us, and it'd be wrong. We're not perfect. They are state funded that goes off of the federal They they review a case as the federal legislator states that a case should be.

There has been in the past errors found that would be considered a state error because we were doing it, But those are very few environmental. Even Yes. I mean, we're talking that's a month. $200,000 a month. And if we go over 10%, which during the presentation that I was listening to to the county commissioner association, secretary say his name, Yes.

Yes. He said that they had reworked the last year. We were over 10. That is published by the DHA. Yes.

They'll be revising. And that would mean we would be paying 15% if you were using allotment for 15%, then one month would be $314,700 just because you jumped over that. During that call to the county commission, they even said that Josh Stein has threatened or made it that there is an option for the state

to that would really hurt. Well,

the new guidelines and things that you've heard on Medicaid, you think that's gonna reduce the roles?

What we've heard is about 10%. But when you reduce the roles, that increases the amount of people that make application. They get denied because they're over income. Yeah. They didn't provide what they were supposed to.

They're under new ABOD rules. They get a job just enough to cover what they're required to buy the ABOD rules, table-bodied rules. They come back in and buy now. It does create a lot more intake application workers. The more you people you deny, then the higher your application.

A lot of change.

I just want to add that normally if once they cut the Medicaid at a certain point, we will see the numbers go down, which is something that we will have to watch and be concerned with regarding the number of of workers. Yes. In the beginning, yes, they may apply again and again. And and, Suzanne, I just wanted to tell you that you asked how many Medicaid recipients, beneficiaries are working. You can predict that just a little bit by Medicaid expansion numbers.

Because all the Medicaid expansion numbers between we don't think it's eight the eighteen and sixty four, a lot of those working people, they work part time, and they couldn't really afford it. So a lot of those, you kind of sort of predicted and we have over 5,000 beneficiaries that were on Medicaid expansion. So you can kind of predict it that way just a little bit.

Yes. Director Hunt wanted me to discuss the management evaluation that we went through in economic services, which only looks at food nutrition services energy program. We just went through a management evaluation. We if you have one siding in an area, then you have to go into a program improvement plan, and the program improvement plan was k? For our county.

There was nothing that we were cited for based on an incorrect case. It was just the actual processing would be sort of some of best practice supposed to be doing. And that program improvement plan will be part of it is training, reviewing trends, training if the trend They will check us again once you don't have errors in that argument for that. But nothing to do none of it was to do with

I have a question and

I thought it was a

you question when looking at this report of services under Crisis Intervention Program. Can you explain that, what that is again? I'm sorry. I know you've explained it before, looking at the jump from May to June from '30 three to one twenty seven. That

is where they have a crisis. They can't either. Okay. Heating or cooling. It did jump from May to June, but you'll see that there wasn't as many approved as there was taken. In May, the heat Got additional Outside the temperatures.

Oh, I was thinking you got additional funds. I'm still on FEMA, not

Yeah. Oh, you're still on the disaster. Yeah. That's not listed as part of

that. Yeah.

The it wasn't as hot outside, so it really wasn't a for you to have before. And then in June, it started to

Waves and yeah. I thought

that's what that program was, but I couldn't remember, so I didn't want to assume that I

remember correctly. Mhmm. The prices and the lab is only related to

heating. Okay.

So in June, we probably bought additional, paid more power tools because that's how they heat and cool. And we probably did get because we do get money for that periodically. We we had just received the funding from this fiscal year, which was supposed to start on July 1. We just got that done. Start again.

Thank you. Rutherford County does have a problem right now in the portal being able to pick Rutherford County to be able to purchase air conditioning, stuff like that. We can pay Duke power, things like that to get them some heat or cooling. But when we try to pick our own as as a vendor, you'll be able to go to Lowe's to pick up the air conditioner. There's a problem with that.

The contract

is We're working on it. That's all I have. Any questions?

Director Hunt, director's report.

Hi, everyone. On the director's report, just want to mention that we're very excited that Christy Nicodem with the school of social work did the training and making sure that we had access to it. So that has been sent so that our newest board members can get the training. And if you have any questions about that, let me know. She said that if you have any questions, she is available by email. So I just want to ask Suzanne, I don't think Sydney is there, did you have any questions for our mentor at UNC School of Government?

No. I did watch the

training, So thank you. I appreciated that.

Okay. Did you still

want those PowerPoint?

Wonderful. Wonderful. Because it's starting now. She's

Our chairman reminded me that I actually did have a question. I had emailed him back and asked if I could have the slides just to go back and read some of them again. So is that something that I can be sent?

Yes. It is. As a matter of fact, I actually asked the same question. Okay. Because she did tell us early on