Human Services Board - 7/12/2021

Sauk County Human Services Board Minutes July 12, 2021 (115 KB)

SAUK COUNTY BOARD OF HUMAN SERVICES

Meeting:    Monday, July 12, 2021, 4 p.m., Virtual Meeting; County Board Room 326A, West Square Building, Baraboo, WI

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this meeting was conducted in person, virtually, or by phone.

Chair, Patricia Rego called the meeting to order and certified compliance with the Open Meeting Law at 4:06 p.m.

Roll Call.  PRESENT:  Patricia Rego, Joel Chrisler, Delmar Scanlon, James Bowers, Eric Scheunemann, Cliff Thompson; Via Zoom: Michelle Bushweiler, Valerie McAuliffe, Kristin White Eagle  ABSENT:   None

Others Present: Dan Brattset, Stephanie Box, Nicole Rachuj, Brent Miller, Jessica Mijal, Jessica Baldauf

Patricia Rego requested to make a change on the agenda and move agenda Business Item e. Discussion and Possible Action for the Appointment of Jessica Mijal as the Human Services Director for Sauk County Department of Human Services after the approval of minutes of the previous meeting.  Motion by James Bowers, seconded by Joel Chrisler, to adopt agenda with noted change.  Motion carried.

Motion by, Cliff Thompson, seconded by Delmar Scanlon, to approve the minutes for the previous Human Services Board meeting held on June 14, 2021.  Motion carried.

Business Item:

e.  Discussion and Possible Action for the Appointment of Jessica Mijal as the Human Services Director for Sauk County Department of Human Services: Brent Miller, Sauk County Administrator, announced his recommendation for Jessica Mijal to be the new Human Services Director.  Motion by Joel Chrisler, seconded by  Delmar Scanlon, to approve the appointment of Jessica Mijal as the Human Services Director for Sauk County Department of Human Services and move forward to the County Board.  Motion carried.  

Public Comment:    None.

Communications/Director’s Report:

a.  Board Materials: Distributed electronically.  Dan Brattset discussed a meeting with Lutheran Social Services to discuss becoming an Intensive Outpatient Program provider to enhance drug treatment court as well as our services.  Budget work continues.

Business Items:

a.  Discussion and Action to Approve Monthly Vouchers:  Distributed electronically.  Stephanie Box reviewed the Monthly Voucher Report.  Motion by James Bowers, seconded by Cliff Thompson, to approve monthly vouchers in the amount of $1,916,669.68.  Motion carried.

b.  Accounts Receivable Report: Distributed electronically.  Stephanie Box reviewed the Accounts Receivable Report for May 2021.

c.  Discussion and Action to Approve Collection Requests:  Motion by Michelle Bushweiler, seconded by Joel Chrisler, to approve sending 15 accounts to Credit Management Control for $6,686.60.  Motion carried.

 d.  Monthly Reports: Distributed electronically.  Stephanie Box discussed the May 2021 Volatile Line report.

Department Updates:

a.  Presentation: Jessica Mijal, Mental Health and Recovery Services Manager; Jessica Baldauf, Crisis Supervisor – Crisis and Mental Health Services Update: Jessica Mijal gave an overview of the unit services for outpatient mental health and substance use, Adult Protective Services, Medication Assistance Treatment (MAT), and Crisis services.  After a few retirements and during the pandemic hiring freeze, services through the unit are now fully staffed.  She discussed an increase in service requests, the need for a wait list for services, and the process including referral to community providers.  An update on the mix of in-person and remote services was discussed.

Crisis services:  Jessica Baldauf gave an overview of the 24-hour Crisis services that are provided during business and after hours; which are broken down to 5 different shifts per day.  During COVID-19 crisis calls were responded via phone.  Starting August 1, 2021, these will revert back to in-person.  

4:24 p.m. Valerie McAuliffe joined via Zoom.

Jessica Baldauf discussed the challenges in finding beds across the state.  She announced the excitement of a new mental health hospital that opened today in Madison, Miramont Behavioral Health.  They will start with adults and only voluntary services.  Eventually they will open to involuntary services, will have a children’s and a detox unit.  They are equipped with 70+ beds that will be a mix of these services.

Outpatient services:  There is a waiting period which is a mixture of personal requests and those from crisis calls.

Voluntary admissions:  This service has grown, likely due to the increase of mental health and substance use needs entering the emergency department.  Staff recently had discussions with the local hospitals to decrease the contact with crisis for facilitating voluntary hospitalizations when a higher need of crisis is not needed.  This is giving opportunities to empower and educate local emergency departments to complete better assessments and safety planning with consumers who may not need the higher level of services.  Dan discussed more in-depth the extent of processes when a crisis occurs.

The quarterly stakeholder meeting will take place this week.  It is an opportunity for hospital staff, jail worker, law enforcement, schools, and daytime crisis workers and Winnebago to go over cases that went well, those that did not, and to work together to improve the processes.

Two new MAT program Peer Support Specialists have been hired.

Resources utilized by the crisis unit:  An in-home diversion program is housed and run by Lutheran Social Services.  Their services are an after-hours crisis program for youth who are in a crisis, but go home with a safety plan.  They are also utilized for support to youth who are coming out of hospitals.

Transportation has been in high need.  Recently Ruby Transport out of Endeavor has been utilized.  Jessica is currently working with Guardian Transport out of Wisconsin Dells to contract services.

Jessica gave updates on the MyStrength app purchased which is available to community residents.  She invited the board to share the information of services for the app, but asked the information not be posted on social media because the services are for Sauk County residents only.

b.  Service Status: COVID-19:  Dan relayed service status.  The clinic is busier and more staff are providing in-person services.  Management will continue to discuss what the “new normal” will be.

Next Meeting:  The next meeting of the Sauk County Human Services Board will be, Monday, August 9, 2021, at 4 p.m. in the County Board Room.  Possible new meeting dates/times will be discussed at that time.

Public Comment:  None.

Motion by Delmar Scanlon, seconded by James Bowers, to adjourn at 4:57 p.m.  Motion carried.