Social Services

Board of Commissioners Meeting
 August 23, 2006


Archived Minutes

 

BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT:    

Leonard Bradley, Dot Dobbins, Jose Gonzalez, Gwen Harris, Linda Mattson and Barbara Toms
BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT:

Glenn Carter
Legal Advisor: Kathryn Evans

Chair Lady Mattson called the meeting to order.

Motion:           Approval of July 26 meeting minutes
Made by:        Commissioner Leonard Bradley                            
Seconded:       Commissioner Jose Gonzalez

Passed unanimously                            

Executive Director’s Report: Gerri Robinson

  • Ms. Robinson reminded the board of the Social Services Emergency and Disaster Planning Roundtable scheduled for August 29th.

           

Finance Report – Pam McEwen

  • Fiscal year 07 budget is located inside your packets and all programs are operating within budget.   

                                                                                             

    • 4 % Reserve Funds balance of  $169,291.63
    • Special Donations Fund balance of $27,842.64

 Adult and Family Update – Demitria Norman

 

  • Increase in the Homemaker program with a total of 70 on the waiting list.
  • Homeless program is experiencing a major increase in walk-ins.  The increase could be due to trends, provider community MDHA downsizing and the Federal Government no longer funding case management services for the homeless.

Planning and Coordination Update – Dinah Gregory                   

 

  • Preparing Procedures Manual which will help to identify Planning and Coordination areas of service
  • General priorities are listed for the Adult and Senior, Children and Youth and Immigrants Services.  They are as follows:

 

    • Adult/Seniors
      • Services for Relative Caregivers, focusing on Informal and Child-Only
      • Transportation Alternatives for aging and mobility-challenged residents
      • Health/Wellness services for low-income and home-bound adults/seniors
      • Health Long-Term Care and Residential Options for adults/senior
    • Children/Youth
      • Foster Youth – Emancipating/Aging Out of Foster Care System
      • Homeless Youth
      • Quality Child Care for Low Income Families
      • Organizational Mapping for Children/Youth  Service Resources
    • Immigrants
      • Immigrants Community/organizational familiarity and awareness of immigrant needs, including cross-cultural communication
      • Need for Language Acquisition and Accommodation
      • Improved Access to Social Services and Benefits for Low-Income Immigrants
      • Enhancing Immigrants’ Access to Health Care

 

Personnel Updates – Renee Pratt

  • Human Resources
    • We currently have 6 vacancies
      • 1 Quality Assurance Reviewer
      • 2 Social Worker III
      • 1 Homemaker
      • 2 part time Nutrition Site Coordinators

 

  • Geier Nontraditional Student Scholarship update:
    • We have 5 employees register at TSU for the BSW program

                                                                                                                       
Research Updates – Edwina Chappell

  • MSS employee survey for 2006 is currently in progress and being operated by University of Tennessee’s Center for Business and Economic Research.
  • Employee received letters of encouragement to complete the survey from Gerri Robinson, Executive Director of Metro Social Services and also from Chair Lady Mattson and the entire Metro Social Services Board of Commissioners.
  • Deadline for completing employee survey is August 31, 2006

 

Systems Update– David Nimmo
                                                                                  

  • Working with ITS case management system
  • Working on Results Matter and preparing for Metro Wide Review which is scheduled for September.
  • Prioritized all the current employee projects to assist in completion of each project.

Old Business – Commissioner Mattson
                                                  

  • Preliminary Findings Pilot Project-Homemaker (UT) – Edwina Chappell
    • The information is reflecting the independent audit that was conducted in 2004 by MAXIMUS.  MAXIMUS recommended that the MSS Adult Homemaker services program be contracted out.
    • The purpose of the study was to evaluate a pilot outsourcing project of the Homemaker program.

 

New Business – Commissioner Mattson

  • Board-Staff Communication Policy – Dot Dobbins

 

Motion:           Accept the recommendation of adopting the Metro Social Services Board-Staff Communication Policy
Made by:        Commissioner Dot Dobbins                                  
Seconded:       Commissioner Gwen Harris

Comments /Questions:

  • Mark Naccarato representative with SEIU questioned the policy and asked that the board reject the policy in its entirety.

Motion:           Call in question
Made by:        Commissioner Leonard Bradley                                   
Seconded:       Commissioner Gwen Harris     
Passed unanimously              

Motion:           Accept the recommendation of adopting the Metro Social Services Board-Staff Communication Policy
Passed unanimously

  • Retreat Planning
    • Metro Social Services Board Retreat is scheduled for September 29th and 30th and will be held in Farmers Market Board Room.
    • September 29th will begin at 7:30 with breakfast and the day will end at 3:45p.m. 
    • We will be using two of our local resources for communication exercises.
    • September 30th will be used to review the Departments FY 06/07 work plan.

 

Motion:           Move to adjourn
Made by:        Commissioner Gwen Harris                                  
Seconded:       Commissioner Leonard Bradley

Passed unanimously