Children's Services Act Meeting Minutes

City of Suffolk Children’s Services Act Community Policy and Management Team Meeting Minutes July 19, 2023 9:00 am Social Services Building, Third Floor Training Room A Members Present: Kimberly Jennings – 5th District Court Services Unit (Chair) Marli Laudun – Suffolk Health Dept. Rachel Lewis – CSA Coordinator Saniyyah Manigault-Westbrook – Suffolk Dept. of Social Services Sheridan Meriwether – The UP Center (Vice Chair) Jessica Joyner for Towanda Shirley - Suffolk Public Schools Charles Meek – Assistant Director of Finance, City of Suffolk for Wendy Warfel Chiquita Merrill - WTCSB for Vonda Warren-Lilly Members absent: Mary Bess- Parent Representative Randah Gaitan – Administrative Analyst, City of Suffolk Jenny Hodge – Tidewater Youth Services Commission Guests Present: Antoinette Copeland – CSA Utilization Management Specialist Roxanne Flamer – CSA Office Assistant 1. CPMT Chair Kimberly Jennings calls the meeting to order at 9:05 a.m. Introduction of members to welcome CSA Utilization Management Specialist Antoinette Copeland. 2. Motion made by Saniyyah Manigault-Westbrook to approve the June 21, 2023 minutes as written, seconded by Jessica Joyner. All are in favor and the motion passed. 3. Rachel Lewis reviewed the Financial Report as of July 19, 2023. A second request for supplemental funding will not be submitted. CSA is currently closing out FY 2023 expenditures. For FY 2024 the City of Suffolk increased funding from $2,400,000. to $2,575,000. CPMT members will need to make a decision on how much funding will be needed for Non-Mandated. Motion made by Marli Laudun to accept Financial Report as written, seconded by Jessica Joyner. All are in favor and the motion passed. Motion made by Charles Meek to appropriate the same amount of funding as FY 2023 for Non-mandated $225,000. seconded by Saniyyah Manigault-Westbrook. All are in favor and the motion passed. 4. CLOSED SESSION - Kimberly Jennings entertains a motion to convene a Closed Meeting for the purpose of discussing cases before the Family Assessment and Planning Team in accordance with the provisions in subsection A of ş 2.2-3711 of the Code of Virginia as amended in 2001 and 2005 respectively. Only applicable exceptions as provided in section ş 2.2-3707 or subsection A of Section ş 2.2-3711 are to be discussed. Marli Laudun motions to enter closed session. Sheridan Meriwether seconds motion to enter into closed session. All are in favor and the motion passed. 5. RETURN TO OPEN SESSION – Kimberly Jennings entertains a motion to move out of Closed Meeting. Marli Laudun motions to enter open session. Sheridan Meriwether seconds the motion. All are in favor and the motion passed. Kimberly Jennings initiated a roll call certifying that to the best of each member’s knowledge only the following matters were discussed during the closed session: 1) public business matters lawfully exempted from statutory open meeting requirements and 2) public business matters identified in the motion to convene the closed meeting. All Affirmed. 6. Saniyyah Manigault-Westbrook enters the motion to approve all cases presented and appropriately discussed. Sheridan Meriwether seconded the motion. All in in favor and the motion passed. Total amounts approved FY 2023 $4,256.00 FY 2024 $71,054.40. 7. Old Business A. ARPA Mental Health Grant/Community Violence Initiative Update– Committee members met on June 21, 2023 to provide updates per the list of action items. Zoom presentation by Dr. Mobley – DBHDS (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) and Karolyn Taylor with the Confess Project. The program trains barbers and stylists to become mental health advocates. Committee members would like to bring the program to Suffolk. Joan Turner Outreach Coordinator for the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office shared information about the teen forensics camp held here at DSS June 19-23, 2023. She also talked about a grant the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office have received in the amount of $300,000 for Operation Ceasefire. The next committee meeting will be on July 26, 2023 at 2 p.m. Suffolk DSS. B. Items from Members – There were no items presented 8. New Business A. Request for Funds to Support Parent Representative at State Conference – Rachel Lewis asked CPMT members if anyone knew of any available funds for FAPT Parent Representative to attend conference. Chiquita Merrill will see if funds are available through WTCSB and follow-up with Mrs. Lewis. The State conference will be held in Roanoke, VA October 16-18, 2023. Suffolk DSS will provide funding for four (4) CSA staff members to attend. B. OCS Memo –Increase in Foster Care Rates Rescinded – Rachel Lewis provided an update to Foster Care rates being rescinded. “The General Assembly did not pass a full budget to amend the 2022 Special Session I Appropriation Act, Chapter 2 during  the 2023 session.” As a result, foster family home and adoption subsidy rate increases included in the Governor’s budget were not approved. C. Follow up Discussion from OCS Training – Strategic Planning & CQI – Rachel Lewis disseminated a copy of the “Why is this Important” chart for discussion. The training took place on June 21, 2023. She also addressed Benchmarks/Objectives and Action Steps for FY 2023. Mrs. Lewis would like to update the CSA website and brochures. Jessica Joyner would like to focus on #3 & #5 of the Benchmarks/Objectives – 3) Ensure equitable and equal access to all levels of services to all youth based on community demographics 4) Achieve 75% successful discharges from services per provider for CSA funded services (This would include stepdown to lower level of care or permanency, i.e. return home). Ms. Joyner will be meeting with Mrs. Lewis to assist with further refining these objectives and collecting data needed for further discussion. D. Items from the Members – Rachel Lewis shared information on The State of Mental Health in America. Everyone will get a copy of the PowerPoint. Mrs. Lewis will share data on surveys sent out to CSA vendors, case managers and families at next month’s meeting. 9. Adjourn – CPMT adjourned the meeting at 10:49 a.m. Motion to adjourn made by Charles Meek, seconded by Saniyyah Manigault-Westbrook. All are in favor and the motion passed. Recorded by Roxanne Flamer, CSA Office Assistant.