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HomeMy WebLinkAbout8-18-2025MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF SOCIAL SERVICES August 18 , 2025 1 THE ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF SOCIAL SERVICES MET ON MONDAY: August 18, at the Orange County Department of Social Services at 113 Mayo Street, Hillsborough, NC 27278. BOARD OF SOCIAL SERVICES MEMBERS PRESENT : Oscar Fleming, Jane Garrett, and Ann Wilkerson GUEST: None BOARD OF SOCIAL SERVICES MEMBER S ABSENT : Earl McKee and Chris Barnes STAFF PRESENT: Lindsey Shewmaker, Social Services Director; Crystal M. Wiese, Assistant Director; Sharron Hinton, Assistant Director; Rebekah Rapoza, Fiscal Operations Manager; and Lakecia Robbins, Program Manager I. Call to Order and Introductions DSS Chair, Oscar Fleming, called the meeting to order at 4:04 pm. II. Board Comments None. III. Public Comments None. IV. Agenda Changes None. V. Action Items On a motion by Jane Garrett, the Board approved the meeting minutes from July 21, 2025. Ann Wilkerson seconded the motion. The motion was carried without dissent. VI. Items for Discussion and/or Decision 1. Guardianship Overview and Discussion Kim Fisher, Adult Services Supervisor, provided an overview of the guardianship program. This is a mandated service under Chapter 35A and occurs when authority is given over decision making of an individual who has been determined incompetent. Criteria for guardianship to be given over an adult is that they lack capacity to manage their affairs due to a mental health diagnosis, senility, and/or intellectual disability. Per statute, family and friends are the first option to be guardian, followed by corporations, and lastly is Social Services. There are three types of guardianship: person (medical, dental, etc.), estate (finances), and general (manages person and estate). Guardianship is an invasive procedure where lots of personal information is gathered and then discussed in open court to make a decision. Guardianship can be short -term, long-term, or interim (e.g. a medical emergency), and may also be limited in what rights are taken away. On an annual basis, we are required to submit a report to the clerk of court and answer whether guardianship is still needed or if rights can be restored (some or all) and if DSS is still the right entity. MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF SOCIAL SERVICES August 18 , 2025 2 In Orange County , we approach guardianship as a partnership with the individual by advocating for their rights and wants and maintaining their living situation in their community. In 2024, Rethinking Guardianship concept came about and focused on how to make guardianship a last resort option, so people’s rights aren’t taken away. We encourage people to explore power of attorney , healthcare proxy, and advanced directives (medical and psychiatric) while they are of sound mind, so that these are already in place if the need ever arises. Currently, we have 45 clients under guardianship of person with an attorney managing their estates. Their housing arrangements range from living at home in a family setting to adult care homes and nursing homes. We have even had some clients choose homelessness. Their ages range from 30s to 80s with some being under guardianship for 30+ years. 2. Chantal Recovery Update Sharron Hinton, Assistant Director, provided an update on DSS efforts for Chantal recovery operations. Upon leaving the emergency shelter, hygiene and snack bags were given to all households along w ith $50 in gift cards. Additionally, we assisted Town of Chapel Hill housing residents staying at the Fairfield Inn with $50 in Target gift cards. We are currently paying for 20 hotels rooms for individuals adversely affected by the flood, down from 26 rooms at peak. The rooms are paid for by funding the Town of Chapel Hill gave to the us, up to a maximum of $100k. Around July 22, Alliance took over hoteling expenses for four households they are working with. It costs approximately $2,000 per night for the 20 hotel rooms, with around $73,000 spent to date. Thirteen clients have Housing Choice Vouchers, and we have identified housing for these individuals and anticipate they will be out of the hotel by August 22, which is when we estimate funding from the Town will run out. Although Housing has been able to identify housing, the timing for move-in has been an issue. Only two individuals want to return to Camelot and it’s because they are homeowners there, but they still meet the income criteria for hotel assistance. For those who want to relocate, Nova Apartments has been identified. They have apartments available and have approved m ost individuals, but there have been delays with inspections due to staffing shortages on their side. Last week , the County Manager gave permission to extend the hotels to August 29 for Housing Choice Vouchers. The other seven without vouchers have been working with DSS staff to try to identify housing. Finding housing is one piece of the puzzle, the other is setting them up with furnishings because they lost everything. We are working with community organizations and Friends of DSS to assist with this. Friends of DSS has also offered to provide financial assistance to extend hotel stays if needed. Meals on Wheels, Triangle Transit, Alliance, Freedom House, UNC Health, Animal Services, and Hillside Church have all been great partners. Several impacted individuals had been in need of health care that they hadn’t received previously – a couple were since diagnosed with skin cancer. 3. START Grant Update Crystal M. Wiese, Assistant Director, provided an overview and update on the Sobriety Treatment and Recovery Teams (START) program. It is a model implemented within child welfare that consists of a child welfare worker, peer support/family mentor, and service coordinator (clinical position that does assessments). We had been approached to apply a couple years ago and went back and forth for a while because the State wanted us to support two teams, but they have since come back and said we could do it with one team. We were awarded funding back in December, but the contract wasn’t in place until early April, and grant funding ends September 30, 2025. The State just received notification last week that the Federal government had approved an update to their plan to allow for this program to continue with the use of IV -E funding. Buncombe has fully implemented and has been a certified site for several years, everyone else is new and in the MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF SOCIAL SERVICES August 18 , 2025 3 implementation phase. We have identified our child welfare social worker and supervisor and have successfully recruited our service coordinator who started last week. Freedom House has agreed to contract with us to hire the family mentor who will be based here at DSS. Caseload is capped at 10 families with the eligibility criteria of substance use being the primary factor and at least one child aged 5 or younger. If at any time a child comes into custody, the family will continue in the program with a strong emphasis on reunification. We are working to get the contract settled with Freedom House, and once that is done, we move to the technical assistance and training phase with Child and Family Futures. This isn’t a quick process, but we are progressing. 4. Quarterly Data Dashboard Lindsey Shewmaker, DSS Director, reported on the quarterly data dashboard. There has been a slight decline in FNS cases and slight increase in Medicaid cases. We expect significant decreases next year as work requirements go into effect. Work First cases have stayed steady and so have CPS reports. Child Care subsidy cases were a little lower but ticked up some towards the end of the year. Foster care numbers dipped around Christmas but has since gone up. APS reports are a little lower which was surprising, but marginal difference. 5. Director’s Report Lindsey Shewmaker spoke with Commissioner McKee; he should be attending next month. We have received most of our allocation for the Crisis Intervention Program, but not all. Currently, we are still unsure what is happening with Low Income Energy Assistance Program , but that program doesn’t begin until December. The State is putting together a work group on HR -1 “Big Beautiful Bill” to work through some of the details and Lindsey has been asked to be on the workgroup. There hasn’t been much to do yet, but now that there is some direction, the workgroup is getting started back up. Recently, the State sent a letter about Medicaid rebase cut. There was a $300M gap and provider rates are being cut at minimum 3%, but the General Assembly can still take action and make changes. More information will be provided at next meeting. We are moving staff offices around at Hillsborough Commons. The move to Southern last month was about providing services to clients while also freeing up a few offices in Hillsborough. For Commons, we are trying to get staff together with their units who had been scattered around the building. Affected staff were told last week and moves will begin the first week of September. The goals with this move is to move as few staff as possible, move client facing staff closer to front of building, and keep units t ogether. VII. Announcements None. Jane Garrett moved to adjourn the meeting at 5:20 pm. Oscar Fleming seconded the motion. The motion was carried without dissent. Submitted by: Lindsey Shewmaker, DSS Director Jane Garrett, Chair