Social Services

Board of Commissioners Meeting
October 25, 2006


Archived Minutes

Meeting was held at the Madison Public Library

BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT:    

Leonard Bradley, Dot Dobbins, Gwen Harris, Linda Mattson, and Barbara Toms

BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT:

Glenn Carter and Jose Gonzalez

Legal Advisor Kathryn Evans

Chair Lady Mattson called the meeting to order.

Motion:   Approval of September 27th meeting minutes
Made by:  Commissioner Dot Dobbins  
Seconded:  Commissioner Barbara Toms

Passed unanimously

Executive Director’s Report: Gerri Robinson

  • Mrs. Robinson noted the following:
    • Recognized Patricia Wingfield and Tarver Smith for 35 years of Metro service.
    • United Way and defining the shared goals and expected outcomes. (documentation attached) and MSS contract information (documentation attached)
  • Mrs. Robinson will provide Commissioner Toms with additional information regarding the needs assessment with United Way and how the documentation will be accessed.
  • We are currently negotiating the contract extension with Family and Children Services for our Relative Care Giver program.
  • The Pilot Project is still available.  However, the Nutrition program will be maintained internally and the Homemaker program will continue to be maintained by Mid Cumberland until June 30, 2010.
Finance Report – Pam McEwen
  • The FY2007 expenditure forecast is under budget.  We have added a new section entitled “Expenditures By Type – Budget vs. Actual”, which details our overages/under.  
    • 4 % Reserve Funds balance of  $167,692.63
    • Special Donations Fund balance of $27,586.02
Adult and Family Update – Demitria Norman
  • Adult and Family Support is fully staffed with the acceptation of the Nutrition Site Coordinator
Planning and Coordination Update – Dinah Gregory
  • Planning and Coordination has reorganized there reports in a very condensed version to focus on the various high lights of things that have been done in each of the various areas of the department.  
    Personnel Updates – Renee Pratt
  • Human Resources
    • We currently have 3 vacant positions
      • 1 Nutrition Services Coordinator
      • 1 Network Administrator
      • 1 Quality Assurance Reviewer
  • Council on Accreditation (COA) report will be provided to the board at the November meeting.  Information regarding this report will be sent out prior to the November meeting.

Research Updates – Edwina Chappell

  • Homemaker program completed a customer survey to determine whether customers are pleased with services they are receiving.  The homemaker program did receive good reports from their customers.
  • Data was collected from three different consumers regarding the summer camp, intake workers, providers and the parents themselves.  We will have feedback from each of these consumers very soon.
  • We will also have 1st quarter data from customer surveys representing clients who walk into MSS for services.

    Systems Update– David Nimmo
  • All the data conversion information has been gathered and ready to go the Egov committee for review.
  • We have various active projects currently going on within MSS such as: upgrading accounting system, upgrading Nutritional Sales Supplement tracking system, upgrading training information system and upgrading database for COA needs.

Customer Satisfaction Survey-Dr. Don Bruce from UT Knoxville

  • Overview of Customer Satisfaction Surveys with Adult Homemaker Program and Nutrition Program.
  • The survey found no major differences between MSS and MCHRA.  However, the differences are not totally based on people but the actual programs.  
  • The result of these surveys do not support major policy changes, however, it was determined that more research is needed to determine whether full privatization would be worthwhile.

Old Business – Commissioner Mattson

  • In the September Board of Commissioners meeting, it was voted to postpone Gerri Robinson’s performance review until all information had been gathered.   Maximus has been asked to revisit to help us determine where we are in the relationship to the audit findings and recommendations around the new business model.
  • As part of the work plan, Maximus has been asked to actually go back into the community and do an assessment to get an independent idea as to on how we are doing, Gerri will also be interviewed along with Commissioners.
  • Status is that the work plan is still in legal and hopefully will be completed during the month of November.

New Business – Commissioner Mattson

HR Policies Review

Motion: Motion moved that we approve the HR policies as approved previously subject to any amendments that anyone has.
Made by:  Commissioner Leonard Bradley  
Seconded:  Commissioner Dot Dobbins

Question:    The question was asked if copies of the revisions were available and since the changes were not highlighted in the policies it was suggested an email be sent out highlighting the changes prior to the November meeting.   

After the question, Commissioner Bradley then withdrew the previous motion.

Personnel Committee – Employee Survey

  • Commissioner Harris began by thanking the board for there support and participation at the MSS Board Retreat that was held last month.
  • The Center for Non-Profit Management (CNM) is assisting the board with recommending a consultant to facilitate organizational changes for MSS.

Motion: Motion was made that we accept the proposal and the signing of a contract agreement with Brad Gray, consultant with the CNM. 
Motion 
Amended:  Motion has been amended that we move forward to have contract approved through Metro Purchasing and the MSS Board of Commissioners will come back and address the time schedule once approved by Purchasing.  Also, the board is not authorizing the dates that are currently provided in the contract.  The board would like to move quickly and have phase one completed within a 90 day time frame if possible.
Made by:  Commissioner Gwen Harris  
Seconded:  Commissioner Leonard Bradley
Passed unanimously  

Question:   If the contract is signed are we bound to the dates given in the contract?    It was stated that we will not be bound to the dates given in the contracts since the contract will have to go through our Metro Purchasing office first.  It was also suggested we get available dates from board prior to changing the contract to insure availability of board members.

Program/Services Presentation Calendar

  • Over the next several meetings we will have the following presentations from staff in this order:
    • Homemaker - October
    • Nutrition - November
    • Homeless - December

Homemaker Program Presentation – Patricia Wingfield

    • Ms. Wingfield described the Metro Social Services Homemaker program and what services it provides to the community of Davidson county
      • Referrals are received from various people and agencies throughout Davidson County.
      • Clients are selected according to their place on the waiting list and then the homemaker will make an appointment and discuss the needs of the client.
      • After the needs are determined a service plan is developed for the client.  The client will also sign off on the plan agreeing to the needs provided in the service plan.
      • After which, an appointment is set up for the social worker to go to the home and met the client to set up dates and times for services to begin.

Motion:   Move to adjourn
Made by:  Commissioner Gwen Harris  
Seconded:  Commissioner Barbara Toms
Passed unanimously