Human Services Committee

hsbminutesoct2014.pdf (31 KB)

MINUTES

SAUK COUNTY BOARD OF HUMAN SERVICES

Meeting:                                            October 6, 2014, 5:00 p.m., County Board Gallery, West Square Building, Baraboo, WI

Members Present:                            Scott Alexander, James Bowers, Andrea Lombard, Beverly Vertein, Julie Fleming, Peter Vedro, Thomas Kriegl (5:15), John Miller

Members Excused:                          Joan Fordham

Members Absent:                             None

Others Present:                                 Orth, Brattset, Jennifer Hahn, Lori Dee, David Zeller, Cindy Jones, Ted Hall, Dave Considine, Scott VonAsten

Chair, Scott Alexander called the meeting to order and certified compliance with the Open Meeting Law.

Motion by Andrea Lombard, seconded by Peter Vedro to adopt agenda.  Motion Carried.

Motion by John Miller, seconded by James Bowers to approve minutes of the previous Human Services Board meeting held on September 8, 2014.  Motion Carried.

Public Comment

None.

Communication

None.

Bill Orth commented Joan Fordham had corrections to the minutes and he passed around copies.

Business Items:

Ted Hall Heroin Presentation:  Ted Hall is a psychiatric pharmacist with the Ho-Chunk Nation.  He handed out brochures “Break Free to a New Life” and presented information on the Vivitrol (naltrexone) program which for the first time is available to the public.  The cost of using Vivitrol is approximately $1,000 per month compared to another treatment with Suboxone which costs $300-$900 per month.  Insurance plans can cover the cost of the medication.  Medicaid covers 100% of the cost.  Medication is one tool in the treatment of addiction.  Individuals participating in the program not only use the medication but need to be involved in AODA services for at least a year.  Coordinated care using wraparound services and working with other providers makes this program successful.  Referral sources include St. Vincent de Paul, the community, and the jail.  A challenge is there are not many doctors in the area who prescribe Vivitrol.

Participants range in age from 22 to 36.  There are seven in the program, one male and six females, with five more being considered.  None have missed an injection.  The medication brings people down to a stable state.  If an individual relapses, the medication blocks the drugs’ effects.  Side effects include upset stomach or soreness at the injection site.  There is no need to titrate the medication up when starting or down when going off; it can be stopped abruptly.  Surveys are conducted to track cravings and quality of life and will continue to be tracked after treatment has concluded.

Review and Approve Monthly Vouchers:  Jennifer Hahn distributed and reviewed the Monthly Voucher Report.

Motion by Andrea Lombard, seconded by James Bowers to approve monthly vouchers in the amount of $1,075,741.67.  Motion carried.

Accounts Receivable Report: The Accounts Receivable report for August 2014 was reviewed by Jennifer Hahn.

Approval for Collection Requests:

Motion by Andrea Lombard, seconded by Beverly Vertein to approve sending 48 accounts to Credit Management Control for $24,731.24.  Motion carried.

Monthly Reports:

Jennifer Hahn distributed and discussed the August 2014 Volatile line report.

CARE Project Update:  Dan mentioned that Ted Hall is a member of the CARE group.  Comprehensive Community Services (CCS) provides case management for six cases in Sauk County.  The Medicaid revenue reimbursement is 100% and going quite well.  There are some self-referrals but mainly focusing on referrals from the jail.  Individuals can get their first injection in the jail and we were able to get a waiver from the State to allow the individuals to apply and receive Medicaid before leaving the jail.

St. Vincent de Paul is looking into purchasing/renting property for a sober house in the Sauk City area to provide housing for four to six individuals in recovery.  It would not be a licensed facility.  This would be a landlord/tenant relationship, it would not be staffed, and the tenants would be working and paying rent.  If a tenant violates the rules, they can get evicted.  There is a home in Milwaukee this would be modeled after where the stay would be for a year and the home would be gender specific, either all females or all males, no co-ed; they have had very few negative experiences.  It is promising this can be replicated in other communities.

2015 Budget:  Employee health insurance came in at an 8% decrease which resulted in lowering the tax levy request by $20,551.  No other adjustments will be made at this time as a result.  The levy summary has been revised to reflect this.

2015 New Position Requests: The Economic Support Assistant Supervisor and Child Protective Services social worker have been approved by the committees.

Central Wisconsin Community Action Coalition Homelessness Programs: Bill inquired if Community Action could start their homeless program early this year due to the low temperatures we’ve been experiencing.  They are able to do this but will be at a cost of $40,000 to $60,000.  Bill requested approval due to under spending this year. Motion by Tom Kriegel, seconded by James Bowers to approve starting the homeless program early with the cost not to exceed $60,000.  Motion carried.

Department Updates:

Wisconsin Counties Association Conference Report:  Scott Alexander and Andrea Lombard spoke about the conference and relayed they felt the speaker was very good.  Tom Kriegel handed out information on the sessions he attended and discussed his feedback.

Residential Services for Individuals with Challenging Behaviors:  Bill gave background for adults with severe mental illness and community living options.  This population includes elderly with dementia, developmentally disabled.  They can be managed quite well in their home or facility.  Adult family homes being the least restrictive are usually owners and take in less difficult people; they are staffed with at least two people for each shift.  Community Based Residential Facilities (CBRF’s) have 4 to 15 beds.  Nursing homes are the next level; most can’t take disruptive residents.  The most restrictive are institutions.

Criminal Justice Coordinating Council Update: There was a day-long formation session held with Tom Weber.  The following are goals/objectives/priorities being looked at by subcommittees:

Problem solving courts
Increasing mental health programming in jail
System mapping
Better data collection
Court appearance reminder system (similar to a doctor’s office calling to remind patients of their appointments)

They will meet again on October 16, 2014.

Public Comment

Dave Considine introduced himself as a candidate for the 81st Assembly seat.

The next meeting of the Sauk County Human Services Board will be November 10, 2014, at 5:00 p.m. in Room 213.  Motion by James Bowers, seconded by Peter Vedro to adjourn.  Motion Carried.