Travis County Commissioners Court
March 8, 2005
Item 7
7. Consider and take appropriate action to approve proposed policy revisions to chapter 71 - emergency assistance program policies and procedures for implementation of the best single source project. Ms. Flemming?
>> yes, sir. Judge and Commissioners, I'm sherri flemming executive manager for health and human services. As the court is aware, the community is currently experimenting with a new service delivery model in the area of basic needs. This court generously funded that project in the fiscal year '05 budget. We also made a commitment to the court during the budget process that the department would also make an attempt to evaluate this new service delivery model within the emergency assistance programs, in health and human services. So staff are here today to -- to -- to have before you some policy changes that are short-lived, that we require only during the pilot process. So, therefore, these changes, these 18 changes that we have kind of enumerated in the part of your backup are only necessary at this point in time for us to be able to conduct the pilot project, so we are now proposing a permanent change to policy, but -- we are not proposing a permanent change to policy, but just permission to make these changes as a part of this pilot. Also as a part of the pilot, we will be self funding, reallocating moneys from within our budget to -- to conduct this pilot in accordance with the service delivery model proposed by the basis needs coalition of central Texas.
>> the question that was being asked this morning which was a good one, how do we make sure that people know that this is interim or are we making changes or are we just going by a different set of rules during the meantime and I'm just wondering how is best to handle this, do we just call this chapter 72 interim policies and procedures and put an expiration date on it or what? What's the suggestion.
>> one of our suggestions, is this going to -- are these changes intended to apply to everything during this time period or will there be some things still going under the old rules?
>> yes, our primary business will continue to be conducted under the existing chapter 72.
>> these rules expire September 30th of 2005.
>> right.
>> we have to take further action one way or the other.
>> exactly.
>> > how do you determine who these rules apply to, who the other rules apply to?
>> we would actually self refer from -- from our existing program into this pilot project which we have created in our data tracking system, a separate fund of money that is tied to this pilot project. So if a client is referred into our pilot program, then they would be tracked under the funds that we designated for this program and then these rules would kick in. If we are serving them under our existing chapter 72, we would continue under the rules that we all now know as our emergency assistance policies. A person would come in, for example, request services, they would be determined that they were appropriate to -- to be a part of this pilot project, so therefore the rules of the pilot project would then apply to how we assist them.
>> do we need like a chapter 72 a or some kind of subset of this that says basically this still is in existence, but there is a way to designate that there are separate rules, codified by the Commissioners court, or do we just need some of an almost like a memorandum of understanding that codifies these rules -- we have got to --
>> chapter 72 a. And put pilot between assistance and program. Emergency assistance pilot program, policies and procedures.
>> well, that was more my thought was to do just a subsection that will just be for this pilot. When the pilot is over--
>> will that get it done.
>> you can go ahead and approve this so they can go ahead and start today subject to the paperwork coming back next week. That would be my motion.
>> all right. That's the motion. Seconded by Commissioner Gomez. How do we ensure that the clients that we are trying to help are not in fact harmed by the self referral, as you call it, into this pilot program?
>> the program, the clients that we -- that a case worker might determine would make -- would be a good candidate for this program would be -- would be familiarized with the program in -- the rules of the program, the requirements and it would be -- their right to say yes we want to participate or no we don't want to participate.
>> so the client calls me and said, judge, I just don't want to be in that pilot program, I can say, well, it's your choice?
>> absolutely, sir. Absolutely. We would --
>> police velasquez, remember that.
>> we would describe the differences in being helped in our normal track if I can use that term or in this pilot program that exists for a finite period of time.
>> okay.
>> questions?
>> understand that so they don't say -- say that later they changed the rules on me. We need to make sure -- or changing tracks because we need to be able to measure success or.
>> right.
>> reasons for improvement.
>> yeah.
>> absolutely. And quite frajly that's the reason for some of the -- quite frankly that's the reason for some of the tweaks we have done to the pilot so we can be really specific about which services they would be able to participate in and which funds of money would be accessed, we wanted our program to look as much like what's going on in the community as possible.
>> do you have a form for them to sign that says i've been told, I understand and I'm agreeable to -- agreeing for participate.
>> we need to get that.
>> informed consent because it will be a case management model. It will be important that the client understands what case management means and they'll sign-off on the rule changes as well as the case management issues that they will be dealing with.
>> judge, Commissioners, this is christie moffett, the manager at the palm square site --
>> ms. Moffett says she never gets down here. I told her she doesn't know how blessed she's been.
>> here's mike manor our manager at our post road site. Welcome to all of you, all in favor --
>> let me ask a couple of questions. Isn't this the program that before stephen left we were talking about that there were a whole lot of folks that were really needing this emergency assistance? Help? And that part of the issue that we had was that the $700 that we just didn't have the money to take on all of the needs that were out there?
>> that's correct.
>> so we're going from a 17 -- from a 700 to a 1500, so that -- that gobbles up a lot more money. How long is the pilot program?
>> it will be from the time --
>> is it 90 --
>> in the time the court approves it until September 30th.
>> so in other words you could, I mean, -- I mean change number of times household may receive financial assistance from one time per year to more than two times per year, I mean, that's, I mean, that's kind of like more than two it's like two or as many times as you can come in and tell us that you need it, I mean, it just seems to me, I mean, y'all are the professionals do this. When you read it and when you know that there's so many people that need emergency assistance dollars and you are going from 700 to 1500, you are immediately going to gobble up whatever allotted amount there is at that particular point in time. Then if you've got people that know you know know what the one time is out the window, you can go in there more than twice. So that's --
>> part of the screening and identification of clients for this program is that the case worker has to determine that the increased level of assistance, coupled with the three months of case manager is going to move this family from our emergency assistance roles, so we've had situations where we've had elderly people who maybe their roommate is in the hospital. So because that person is not able to be in the home and contribute to the livelihood for a -- for a finite period of time, that person is faced with not being able to meet their rent. That's just a real slim example. So -- so part of the determination of eligibility is will this increased assistance and this case management remove you from emergency -- from needing emergency assistance? And we have been able to with the -- with the agencies in the community identify folks who in fact meet that. You know, are able to demonstrate that need. That -- that being able to help them with a little bit more money over a little bit longer period of time, made the difference in them having to continue to seek assistance or to have this -- this finite part of assistance over a three month period, then move on to -- to continue to be able to make their bills and meet their basic needs and --
>> sherri, I don't doubt that. But if you gave them 2,000, then would it help them even more. I'm just saying when you depend pleat, there's a -- deplete, there's a pot of money somewhere for this emergency assistance program.
>> yes.
>> and if there's not any feeling on the court that, okay, five months into the upcoming year, you are going to come in, you say you know what, we are out of the emergency assistance money. And we need another $3 million, I mean, that's the thing that -- where we'll find ourselves -- not that $700 go very far. But hey you are the professionals running this. If you are telling me this the thing that the you want to do I don't doubt that $1,500 gets somebody kick started on their way a lot better than $700, but there is a depletion of that pot of money that goes --
>> but you are setting aside this part of the --
>> we are setting aside $45,000.
>> and you are assuming, you want to test the value of case management.
>> yes.
>> that means that you will keep records.
>> absolutely.
>> we won't -- we will know I guess by September 3rd if you are still in case management what have you, but it really will take 12 to 18 to 24 months to really figure out whether these benefiting clients in fact became self sufficient as a result of this.
>> absolutely.
>> but I hear you talking to us in early September and saying either the pilot program is still questionable or it's not as good as we thought, or it's better than we thought and you will -- based on that conclusion and the supporting data, you will decide whether to ask for additional funding or not.
>> that's correct. We feel confident in reallocating these funds from the program, Commissioners. Based on our experience from last budget year, we actually finished this program in the black last year. First time in a couple of years. And so we feel pretty confident that redirecting that fund, those funds will not have an adverse effect on our budget. I can't predict what the economy is going to do in the next six months, but at this moment in time we feel confident based on our use data, thus far in this fiscal year, plus our performance in last fiscal year, that we are not going to adversely affect this fund by diverting these dollars.
>> you are also testing some other things besides case management and the dollar amount. One thing you are not waiting until somebody's utility bills are delinquent. You are not waiting until somebody's rent or mortgage is delinquent. So you are piling on late fees, which only compound the problem that's already out there. As you pointed out in here, sometimes the definition of an economic crisis being limited to 30 days, it ought to be 60 days because quite frankly many of these families can figure out how to make it work for the first 30 days and then they wind up not being eligible for anything when the 30 days are up. But the economic crisis is just as real as it was 30 days before.
>> absolutely. So we made -- I see us coming back to you on two tracts. We will be back to you on the tract that says you know some of the changes that we proposed to you for this pilot makes sense for our programs in general. And then we'll say you know here's what we think is the next phase of our participation in this service delivery change that the community has undertaken.
>> you will have sporting data for it supporting data for it.
>> I will absolutely.
>> okay. Figure further? All in favor? That passes by unanimous vote. By the way the rationale here, I'm glad that you provided those, I think they do a good job of explaining exactly what you all have in mind.
>> these are the staff that we thank for that.
>> thank you.
>> by putting it in writing, too, when you come back, we will know whether you are csdz tent with the up front rationale or not.
>> [indiscernible] chapter 72 a based on the directions we just gave.
>> what? We can just sign that if it's approved, 72 a with the pilot put in the caption, that will do it.
>> I'm done with it.
>> authorize the judge to sign that.
>> that is part of my motion.
>> doesn't have to come back to court. There will be an order that amends the policy.
>> does the whole court normally sign the order.
>> I think so. You can go ahead and approve now, authorize signing of that order.
>> yeah, two changes.
>> right.
>> got it.
>> thank you all very much.
>> thank you.
>> thanks for your patience.
>> job well done ms. Newcomer. [laughter]
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Last Modified:
Wednesday, March 9, 2005 11:02 AM