Children's Services Act Meeting Minutes

City of Suffolk Children’s Services Act Community Policy and Management Team Meeting Minutes August 16, 2023 9:00 am Social Services Building, Third Floor Training Room A Members Present: Mary Bess- Parent Representative 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) Vonda Warren-Lilly – WTCSB Jessica Joyner (for Towanda Shirley) - Suffolk Public Schools Charles Meek (for Wendy Warfel) Finance, City of Suffolk Members absent: Jenny Hodge – Tidewater Youth Services Commission Guests Present: Roxanne Flamer – CSA Office Assistant Exum Lee, III – Suffolk Dept. of Social Services 1. CPMT Chair Kimberly Jennings calls the meeting to order at 9:16 a.m. Introduction of members to welcome Suffolk DSS Administrative Services Manager Exum Lee, III. 2. Motion made by Marli Laudun to approve the July 19, 2023 minutes as written, seconded by Saniyyah Manigault-Westbrook. All are in favor and the motion passed. 3. Rachel Lewis reviewed the Financial Report as of August 16, 2023. CSA closed out FY 2023 expenditures and came in under the allocated amount requested from the State. Cost of Private Day continues to increase. For FY 2024 the State increased funding from $2, 194,672. to $2,748,453. CSA reports a total of $840,298.93 encumbrances for FY 2024. Motion made by Saniyyah Manigault-Westbrook to accept Financial Report as written, seconded by Sheridan Meriwether. 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. Saniyyah Manigault- Westbrook motions to enter closed session. Marli Laudun 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. Charles Meek enters the motion to approve all cases presented and appropriately discussed. Marli Laudun seconded the motion. All are in favor and the motion passed. Total amount approved $76,584.90. 7. Old Business A. ARPA Mental Health Grant/Community Violence Initiative Update– Rachel Lewis gave an update. Committee members met on July 26, 2023 to provide updates per the list of action items. Three teens from Lakeland High School currently working with Suffolk Parks and Recreation Summer Youth Program shared their thoughts on the uptick in gun violence. Karolyn Taylor with the Confess Project was present to talk more about the program that will train barbers and stylists to become mental health advocates. Rev. Wilkins shared about his $18,000 project to take 150 Suffolk Public Schools football players to a Washington NFL game and to purchase shirts, jackets and charter bus transportation. The next meeting is set for August 30, 2023 @ 2pm here at Suffolk DSS. B. F/U: Request for Funds to Support Parent Representative at State Conference – Western Tidewater Community Services Board will provide the funding for FAPT Parent Representative to attend State Conference. C. Items from Members – Rachel Lewis informed the team that Randan Gaitan is no longer working for the City of Suffolk and that she has asked for a replacement for CPMT. Saniyyah Manigault-Westbrook will email DSS Director in reference to the vacancy. 8. New Business A. Suffolk CPMT State Audit Response – Rachel Lewis discussed the follow-up to the State Audit response. The only remaining observation was that CSA funded expenditures for a client that was eligible for IV-E (clothing reimbursement). Mrs. Lewis mentioned setting up a tickler that would keep track of IV-E eligible. She will email the team with a QIP (Qualify Improvement Plan) that has recommendations on how to monitor the issue of reimbursing CSA when IV-E eligible. B. Implementation of Rate Setting for Private Day – Rachel Lewis provided an update. As of today’s date, the General Assembly still has not passed a full budget to amend the 2022 Special Session I Appropriation Act, Chapter 2 during the 2023 session. There is a 2% cap in place. Each locality would have to negotiate with vendors. If any expense exceeds the 2%, it would have to come from local funding and not state. Mrs. Lewis reached out to CSA vendors and only one vendor would not consider staying within the 2% cap. Jessica Joyner voiced her concern about losing that vendor because they  do such a great job with the students. Exum Lee, III suggested that City of Suffolk’s funding cover the expense above the 2% setting a cap of $15,000 for school year 2023/2024. Kimberly Jennings enters the motion to ask the City of Suffolk to cover up to $15,000 for the 2023/2024 school year above the 2% cap for Private Day School Placements. Jessica Joyner seconded the motion. All are in favor and the motion passed. C. Discussion re: proposed group home in Suffolk by TYSC – Kimberly Jennings briefed the team on a proposed group home in the City of Suffolk by Tidewater Youth Services Commission. The need was based on DSS placements. Discussion tabled until next month meeting to see if more information is available in reference to the planning stage. D. Items from the Members – Rachel Lewis offered members CSA brochures to take and distribute to help with the awareness of CSA services. Vonda Warren-Lilly shared information pertaining to the same day access at Western Tidewater Community Services Board (WTCSB). The agency was tasked with putting a Town Hall meeting together to hear from the community on opioids and mental health. Looking at the month of September for the meeting. Will send a flyer and ask that everyone share the information. Saniyyah Manigault-Westbrook – Updated members on the Opioid Abatement Funds. A contractor out of Colorado has been hired to do needs assessment. Submit contact information to Mrs. Manigault-Westbrook for individuals you feel that need to attend the upcoming meeting with the contractor. 9. Adjourn – CPMT adjourned the meeting at 12:09 p.m. Motion to adjourn made by Saniyyah Manigault-Westbrook, seconded by Charles Meek. All are in favor and the motion passed. Recorded by Roxanne Flamer, CSA Office Assistant.