Children's Services Act Meeting Minutes

City of Suffolk Children’s Services Act Community Policy and Management Team Meeting Minutes September 20, 2023 9:00 am Social Services Building, Third Floor Training Room A Members Present: Mary Bess- Parent Representative Jenny Hodge – Tidewater Youth Services Commission Kimberly Jennings – 5th District Court Services Unit (Chair) Jessica Joyner (for Towanda Shirley) – Suffolk Public Schools Marli Laudun – Suffolk Health Dept. Rachel Lewis – CSA Coordinator Charles Meek (for Wendy Warfel) Finance, City of Suffolk Brandy Miller (for Saniyyah Manigault-Westbrook) – Suffolk Dept. of Social Services Nicole Porter – City of Suffolk Vonda Warren-Lilly – WTCSB Members absent: Sheridan Meriwether – The UP Center (Vice Chair) Guests Present: Roxanne Flamer – CSA Office Assistant 1. CPMT Chair Kimberly Jennings calls the meeting to order at 9:11 a.m. Introduction of members to welcome City of Suffolk Administrative Analyst Nicole Porter. 2. Motion made by Marli Laudun to approve the August 16, 2023 minutes as written, seconded by Charles Meek. All are in favor and the motion passed. 3. Rachel Lewis reviewed the Financial Report as of September 20, 2023. All FY 2023 expenditures have been paid. No additional funding requested. CSA reports a total of $258,383.20 paid as of September 2023. There is a total of $715,083.48 encumbrances for FY 2024. Motion made by Marli Laudun to accept Financial Report as written, seconded by Jenny Hodge. 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. Charles Meek 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. Brandy Miller 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. Jenny Hodge enters the motion to approve all cases presented and appropriately discussed. Jessica Joyner seconded the motion. All are in favor and the motion passed. Total amount approved $95,996.90. 7. Old Business A. ARPA Mental Health Grant/Community Violence Initiative Update– Rachel Lewis gave an update. Committee members met on August 30, 2023 to provide updates per the list of action items. An initial meeting with local barbers was held on August 28, 2023 at Suffolk Parks and Recreation Center 6th Street. Karolyn Taylor with the Confess Project and Tony Jones with VA Organizing suggested going out into the community to talk with local barbers and stylists in person to inform them about the available training and how they can be a great resource for the residents of Suffolk. The group adopted the acronym SAAV – Suffolk Alliance Against Violence. That name will be used going forward. The next meeting is set for September 27, 2023 @ 2pm here at Suffolk DSS. B. QIP as developed for State Audit – CPMT established a procedure to monitor foster care cases funded by CSA pending IVE eligibility determination and to monitor CSA financial reports to ensure adjusting entries and/or refunds are recorded accurately and timely. C. F/U: Rate Setting for Private Day School – The revised State budget for FY 2024 was adopted by the General Assembly on September 6, 2023 has removed the requirement that the Office of Children’s Services implement statewide rate setting for private day special education. D. Items from Members – No items presented 8. New Business A. Family Satisfaction Survey and Vendor Surveys FY 2023 - Rachel Lewis shared a PowerPoint presentation on data collected in reference to services received through CSA funding. The team will continue to address ways on how to get more feedback from families, vendors and case managers. B. Discussion re: proposed group home in Suffolk by TYSC – Jenny Hodge discussed the proposed group home in the City of Suffolk by Tidewater Youth Services Commission (TYSC). Other details will need to be discuss such as funding resources, the need and solution, type of facility, etc. Ms. Hodge will keep the team updated.  C. Updates from the VACSB May Conference – The conference was held in May 2023 at the Norfolk Marriott. Topic of discussion was the Family First Prevention Services Act that aims to keep children safe, strengthen families and reduce the need for foster care whenever it is safe to do so. Family First supports the overarching mission that kids should grow up in a safe, stable and secure family that supports their long-term well-being. Rachel shared a dashboard that DBHDS is using to track progress on the governor’s goals for Right Help/Right Now mental health services. D. Items from the Members – Rachel Lewis informed the team that Sheridan Meriwether was no longer employed with the Up Center but would remain on CPMT through her new place of employment Blakey Weaver Counseling Center, Inc. Vonda Warren-Lilly invited everyone to join WTCSB on September 27, 2023, for the Suffolk Opioid Abatement Authority Town Hall meeting at City Council Chambers 6-8 p.m. for a 2-hour discussion to address available funds and the ongoing epidemic. Rachel Lewis and Nicole Porter discussed plans the City of Suffolk have to purchase and renovate a hotel located on Pruden Blvd. into a homeless shelter program. 9. Adjourn – CPMT adjourned the meeting at 11:50ap.m. Motion to adjourn made by Jenny Hodge, seconded by Brandy Miller. All are in favor and the motion passed. Recorded by Roxanne Flamer, CSA Office Assistant.