Jan 17, 2024 Executive Committee

OKAY WITH ME.

'CAUSE I,

[00:00:01]

SO , I'M SURE.

[1. Meeting called to Order The AACOG Executive Committee is meeting in accordance with Chapter 551 of the Texas Government Code (Open Meetings Act). As such, the Executive Committee reserves the right to retire into executive session concerning any of the items listed on this Agenda whenever it is considered necessary and legally justified under the Texas Open Meetings Act.]

AND ALTHOUGH SHE IS NOT HERE, TODAY IS MY MOM'S BIRTHDAY.

SHE TURNS 85, BUT IF SHE WALKED IN HERE, YOU WOULD THINK SHE WAS 65.

SHE HAS MORE ENERGY THAN ME.

SHE CALLS ME LAZY.

SO NEXT TIME YOU SEE HER, TELL HER THAT I DO WORK WELL AS WE ARE CALLING THE MEETING TO ORDER.

AT THIS TIME, I TRUST EVERYONE HAD A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR'S TO EVERYONE.

HOPE IT'S A BLESSED, HEALTHY, AND PROSPEROUS 2024 FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES.

MANY BLESSINGS AND PEACE TO YOU ALL.

WELL, WITH THAT, I AM GOING TO NOW ASK SUSIE TO DO THE ROLL CALL.

GOOD, MARY HERE, JUDGE KELLY.

HERE.

COMMISSIONER FLORES MARKMAN.

COMMISSIONER FLO.

MAYOR DE HERE, JUDGE RICHARD EVANS IS A COUNSEL.

NOR GARCIA DEAN RODRIGUEZ HERE FOR HER.

MR. HOW JUDGE? MAYOR DEREK SCH.

HERE, JUDGE.

UH, COMMISSIONER MARTIN FOR JUDGE WHITTEN.

WE HAVE A FORUM.

UH, THANK YOU SUSIE.

THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE AT THIS TIME, WE WILL MOVE TO ITEM FOUR,

[ Consent Agenda]

IS THERE A MOTION? MOVE SECOND.

A MOTION AND A SECOND.

WHO MADE THE MOTION? I'M SORRY.

AND THE SECOND.

ALRIGHT.

THANK, THANK JUDGE TILL, AND, UH, ANY DISCUSSION WITH THAT, WE'LL BEGIN THE VOTE.

ALL IN FAVOR WITH AYE.

AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? SAME SIGN.

THANK YOU.

AND THE MOTION CARRIES.

THE CONSENT AGENDA IS CARRIED FORWARD.

AND THAT WILL TAKE US TO, UM,

[5. Discussion and appropriate action on the recommendation regarding the Year End 2023 financial report. - Julio Elizondo A. Dashboard B. Balance Sheet C. Revenue and Expenditures D. Administrative Budgets E. Quarterly Investment Report]

AND MR. ELIZONDO WILL TAKE, TAKE IT FROM HERE.

THANK YOU, SIR.

GOOD MORNING, MRS. CHAIRMAN.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

MY NAME IS HULU ELIZONDO.

I AM YOUR CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER.

LET ME ADJUST THIS MIC REAL QUICK IF I CAN.

THERE WE GO.

UH, TODAY I'LL BE PRESENTING TO YOU ALL THE YEAR END 2023 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.

I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU ALL SOME INFORMATION.

UH, THESE FIGURES ARE NOT FINAL.

UH, YOU WILL RECEIVE YOUR, THE FINAL FIGURES FOR DEC FOR 2023, UH, WHEN THE AUDIT IS RELEASED OR WHEN THE AUDIT IS PRESENTED TO YOU ALL, UM, LATER THIS YEAR.

UH, WE ARE MISSING SOME YEAR END ADJUSTMENTS FROM THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.

AT THIS MOMENT.

UH, WE'RE STILL WORKING ON OUR GSS B 96 IMPLEMENTATION, WHICH I MENTIONED TO YOU ALL IN THE DECEMBER BOARD MEETINGS, WHICH, WHICH HAS TO DO WITH SUBSCRIPTION BASED INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AGREEMENTS, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS SPIT US.

WE ARE, UH, ALSO WAITING ON, UM, THERE ARE, IF YOU ALL KNOW THE NATURE OF OUR BUSINESS AND GOVERNMENT, THERE ARE SOME INVOICES, UH, SPECIFICALLY VENDORS THAT WE DEAL WITH IN OUR AGING PROGRAMS THAT, UH, TRICKLE IN LATER ONCE A YEAR CLOSES.

SO MORE, UH, AT TOWARDS THE END OF JANUARY AND FEBRUARY.

WE DO RECEIVE, UH, INVOICES STILL FOR 2023.

SO AGAIN, THIS IS JUST A SNAPSHOT OF WHERE WE ARE TODAY.

UH, WE ARE SITTING AT A VERY HEALTHY FINANCIAL, UH, POSITION TO END 2023.

UH, MUCH OF THE TROUBLES THAT I MENTIONED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, EARLIER THIS YEAR WITH REGARDS TO ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLES AND CUSTOMERS LIKE TEXT ON AND, AND VIA HAVE BEEN RESOLVED.

I'M VERY PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, AT THIS MOMENT, UH, AND I'LL COVER THE ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE IN A FEW SLIDES, BUT, UH, WE HAVE HAD, OUR ACCOUNTANT HAS HAD MUCH SUCCESS IN CLEANING UP A LOT OF THAT PROGRAM.

SO A LOT OF THOSE OVER 90 AGED RECEIVABLES HAVE BEEN CLEANED UP.

UH, WE WILL COVER OUR FINANCIAL DASHBOARD, OUR BALANCE SHEETS, SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS, BOTH UNRESTRICTED AND RESTRICTED.

WE'LL GO OVER OUR CASH AND INVESTMENTS ACCOUNTS, RECEIVABLES, STATEMENTS OF REVENUES, EXPENDITURES AS, AS WELL AS OUR ADMINISTRATIVE BUDGETS.

AND HERE WE HAVE A BIRD'S EYE VIEW OF OUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.

UH, WE HAVE OUR FINANCIAL, UM, THE FINANCIAL DASHBOARD BROKEN UP IN, INTO DIFFERENT METRICS.

UH, THE TWO THAT I TYPICALLY POINT OUT ARE THE AGED ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE DOWN AT THE BOTTOM RIGHT AND THE PERCENTAGE EARNED AND SPENT.

UH, AS YOU CAN SEE, WE ARE AT $7.7 MILLION AT THE END OF DECEMBER WITH 11% OF, UH, THOSE RECEIVABLES IN OVER 90.

THAT'S A MUCH BETTER POSITION THAN WHERE WE WERE EARLIER IN THE YEAR.

WE'RE TINKERING UP IN THE NUMBER OF LIKE 20%.

UH, AGAIN, MUCH OF THAT WITH VIA HAS BEEN RESOLVED.

I THINK THE ONLY MONTHS OUTSTANDING CURRENTLY ARE DECEMBER AND JANUARY OF THIS YEAR, OR DECEMBER OF LAST YEAR, AND JANUARY OF THIS YEAR.

IT'S A GREAT POSITION TO BE IN.

UH, AT THE END OF DECEMBER, WE DID, UH, HIT ABOUT 99% OF OUR BUDGET.

WE DID HAVE SOME PROGRAMS THAT DID, UH, PRETTY, PRETTY WELL AND OVER HIT THEIR OR OVER ACHIEVED AND JUST KIND OF HIT THEIR, HIT THEIR TARGETS AND WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND.

AND THEN WE HAD SOME PROGRAMS THAT FELL SHORT, AND I'LL COVER THOSE IN JUST A MINUTE.

OUR BALANCE SHEETS AT THE END OF DECEMBER, CURRENTLY SITTING AT $48 MILLION

[00:05:01]

IT'S UP ABOUT 3 MILLION FROM, UH, THE YEAR BEFORE.

UH, THE MAJORITY OF THAT IS JUST KIND OF FIXED ASSETS THAT WE'VE COLLECTED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR OR ADDED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

AND WE'RE CURRENTLY SITTING AT $1.7 MILLION IN REVENUE OVER EXPENDITURES.

OUR FUND BALANCE, UH, HERE WE HAVE A SUMMARIZED VIEW OF BOTH UNRESTRICTED AND RESTRICTED BROKEN DOWN BY PROGRAM.

UH, THIS WILL BE, THERE WILL BE A YEAREND ADJUSTMENT FOR THIS AS WELL.

SOME OF THESE DEFICITS THAT YOU SEE IN SOME OF THESE PROGRAMS ON THE RESTRICTED SIDE WILL GO AWAY WITH A YEAR-END JOURNAL ENTRY THAT WE DO.

UH, IT'S, IT'S TO KIND OF CLEAN UP WITH WHAT HAS HAPPENED AT THE END OF THE GRANT YEAR.

SO SOME OF THAT UNRESTRICTED WILL COME AND SWEEP OVER AND, AND, AND, AND, UH, ERASE THOSE DEFICITS FOR THE RESTRICTED BUDGET YEAR.

CASH AND INVESTMENTS CURRENTLY SITTING AT $10 MILLION.

AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED, THAT'S A GREAT POSITION WHERE WE WERE, I MEAN, A MUCH BETTER POSITION THAN WHERE WE WERE A YEAR AGO, UP ABOUT ALMOST FIVE, $5 MILLION.

UH, THE MAJORITY OF THAT IS SITTING IN OUR INVESTMENT POOLS.

WE HAVE, UH, THE INVESTMENT POOLS, BOTH LONE STAR AND TEXTBOOK HAVE BEEN, AS YOU'LL SEE IN THE NEXT SLIDE, HAVE BEEN OFFERING VERY GREAT RATES.

UH, SO FOR THE YEAR, UH, WE'VE EARNED ABOUT 90,000.

YOU CAN SEE ALMOST A HUNDRED THOUSAND OF INTEREST EARNED FOR THE YEAR.

UH, VERY GOOD POSITION THERE IN THAT INTEREST EARN COLUMN.

UH, BUT THIS INVESTMENT SUMMARY KIND OF BREAKS UP HOW OUR, UH, CASH INVESTMENTS AND, AND JUST CDS BOTH WITH, UH, SHIRTS, BANK AND TRUST, UH, ARE LISTED.

UM, YOU CAN SEE HERE THAT, UH, WE DO HAVE A COUPLE CDS THAT STILL ARE A 2.45%.

THOSE CDS WILL, WILL BE COMING UP TO MATURE HERE IN THE NEXT YEAR.

UH, AND THEN WE'LL JUST ALSO GO OUT WITH BACKWARD SHARES BANK AND TRUST, UH, TO SEE IF THEY CAN OFFER A MORE COMPETITIVE RATE WITH THAT.

ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE.

AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, UH, GREAT, GREAT, UH, UH, NUMBER TO BE AT 7.7 IN THE YEAR.

UH, A LOT OF THESE, UH, CUSTOMERS ARE AT CURRENT.

THE TEXT OUT HERE THAT SAYS OVER 90, UH, THAT WAS BECAUSE OF SOME VANS THAT HAD, WE WERE WAITING ON FOR THEM TO ARRIVE, THEY FINALLY ARRIVED.

UH, SO WE'RE ABOUT TO BILL THAT OUT HERE PRETTY SOON.

UH, BUT THE MAJORITY OF THIS IS JUST, UH, BUSINESS AS USUAL STATEMENTS OF REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES.

CURRENTLY SITTING AT A YEAR TO DATE FIGURE OF, UH, $1.7 MILLION.

AND I WILL GO INTO DETAIL ON THESE PROGRAMS A LITTLE MORE.

UH, FOR BOTH AG ALAMO AND BEAR AGING, UH, THEIR YEAR TO DATE EXPENDITURES, THEY OVERSHOT THEIR BUDGET IN ALAMO IS $1.1 MILLION.

UH, THE BIGGEST REASON HERE, OR THE BIGGEST REASON FOR THE VARIANCE WAS DUE TO AGENCY MATCH.

UM, WE ARE, THERE IS A REQUIREMENT WITH HHS THAT WE ARE REQUIRED TO, UM, TO BUDGET FOR A MATCH.

UH, THIS IS WHAT WE REFER TO AS FUNNY MONEY.

IT'S NOT TANGIBLE DOLLARS.

UM, THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT ACTUAL PROGRAM DOLLARS.

SO IT'S NOT THAT WE OVERSPENT PROGRAM DOLLARS, WE DID NOT.

IT'S JUST WE OVER MA THERE WAS AN OVERMATCH.

UM, SO PROGRAM JUST RECEIVED GUIDANCE FROM HHS ON HOW TO, HOW TO BUDGET FOR THIS GOING FORWARD.

AND SO FOR 2024, WE SHOULD HAVE A MORE, UH, BETTER ESTIMATION, UH, IN OUR BUDGETS.

PULL YOU REAL QUICK ON THAT, JUST SO YOU UNDERSTAND.

GO AHEAD.

FOLLOW ME THROUGH THIS A COUPLE TIMES.

MM-HMM.

, HE CALLS IT FUNNY MONEY BECAUSE IT'S JUST A RECOGNITION OF THE MATCH THAT MAY BE HOURS THAT WE SPEND, AND THEY VALUE THOSE HOURS THAT ARE, UH, EXPENDED IN SERVICE OF THE GRANT.

AND SO IF YOU TAKE AWAY THAT MILLION DOLLARS OF OVERSPENDING, WE'RE REALLY WITHIN 3% CORRECT OF ACTUALLY HITTING OUR BUDGET.

YEP.

YEAH.

SO WE'RE WITHIN 3%, WE'RE WELL WITHIN THE NORMAL GUIDANCE.

AND SO WE'RE GOING TO TRY, AS HE SAID, WE'RE GONNA TRY TO, UM, IN THE FUTURE, RECOGNIZE THIS IN A DIFFERENT WAY, MAYBE JUST AS A FOOTNOTE OR SEPARATE THAT MONEY MM-HMM.

FROM THE ACTUAL REAL DOLLARS THAT ARE BEING EXPENDED VERSUS THE, AS I GUESS SAY JULIO'S TERM IS FUNNY MONEY.

THAT'S CORRECT.

YES.

THANK YOU, SIR.

THANK YOU.

THERE YOU GO.

AND AGAIN, SAME.

UM, CAN, CAN YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE? YEP.

UH, THE, THE SAME STORY FOR BARRY AGING, THEY'RE $1.3 MILLION OVER BUDGET.

AGAIN, SAME EXACT THING.

UH, IT'S BECAUSE OF THAT, UH, WHAT WE CALL FUNNY MONEY IN ART.

UH, THEY FELL BELOW THEIR BUDGET ON THE EXPENDITURE SITE, 704,000.

UH, THAT HAD TO DO WITH SOME BUSES THAT DID NOT COME IN AT THE END OF THE YEAR AS EXPECTED, THERE WAS ABOUT FOUR OF 'EM THAT WERE NOT RECEIVED OUT OF THE SEVEN.

UH, AND SO THOSE ARE NOT BUDGETED IN FY 24.

SO WE WILL NEED A BUDGET MOD.

BUT THE VARIANCE EXPLANATION FOR THIS YEAR IS, IS THOSE PROGRAM BUSES THAT DID NOT COME IN ON IDD, UH, MUCH AS I'VE MENTIONED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, UH, THEY DID FINISH THE YEAR WITH THE $384,000 DEFICIT.

UH, THIS WAS A DIRECT RESULT OF THOSE RETENTION BONUSES THAT WERE PAID OUT TO STAFF, AS WELL AS THAT SHORTAGE IN MEDICAID REVENUES, UH, THAT THEY DID NOT EARN THIS YEAR, UH, PROGRAM DID HAVE A LA A GOOD LAST TWO OR THREE MONTHS OF TO END THE YEAR.

UH, AND THEY DID CHIP AWAY AT THAT DEFICIT.

[00:10:01]

CAN I ADD TO THAT AS WELL? THAT'S ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT, AND UH, SORRY, JACOB.

THANK YOU.

UH, I WILL, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL DEFER TO JACOB AS FAR AS THE ACTUAL ISSUES THAT HE'S FACING.

BUT THE BIGGEST PART OF THAT IS WE HAVE A DEFICIT OF WHAT SEVEN EMPLOYEES IS CURRENTLY, JACOB AND THE SERVICE COORDINATORS.

AND IF WE HAD, WE CANNOT JUST RETAIN THE EMPLOYEES.

WE HAVE A LARGE ATTRITION BECAUSE OF THEIR CASELOADS.

AND SO WE'RE CONSTANTLY HIRING AND REACQUIRING EMPLOYEES, RETRAINING THEM.

AND WE CURRENTLY HAVE A DEFICIT OF SEVEN EMPLOYEES.

IF WE HAD THOSE POSITIONS FILLED, WE'D BE IN THE BLACK.

BUT, UH, THE PAY IS SUCH THAT THEY MAKE, IS IT $18 AN HOUR? UH, $20 AND 30 CENTS, $20 AND OKAY, $20 AND 30 CENTS AN HOUR.

AND THEY MANAGE A VERY HEAVY CASELOAD.

THEY, THEY GET TRAINED UP, THEY GET HIRED BY THE PRIVATE SECTOR FOR MORE MONEY AND THEY'RE OUT THE DOOR.

BUT IF WE HAD THOSE SEVEN POSITIONS FILLED, WE'D BE IN THE BLACK.

SO WE'RE GONNA BE MEETING AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT SOME WAYS TO EITHER, UH, AS, UH, MAYOR DENNIS WAS SAYING, THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX TO TRY TO EITHER, UH, RETAIN THESE EMPLOYEES AND SLOW THE ATTRITION OR TRY TO, UM, INCREASE RECRUITMENT EFFORTS.

SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO TO TRY TO TURN THAT CYCLE AROUND.

AND I DON'T KNOW, JACOB TELLS ME, AND I WAS JUST TALKING WITH JUDGE KELLY EARLIER, HE'S TELLING ME THIS IS A PROBLEM ACROSS THE WHOLE STATE.

EVERYBODY'S SUFFERING.

AND SO I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'RE GONNA FIND AN ANSWER, BUT WE'RE GONNA TRY.

EXCUSE ME.

THANK YOU.

THESE, UH, EMPLOYEES WORKING, UH, IN DIFFERENT SEC SECTORS OF THE REGION, OR THEY'RE SERVICE COORDINATORS FOR THE, FOR THE REGION AND THEY HAVE, UH, BUT THEY'RE ALL DOING THE, THEY'RE SERVICE COORDINATORS.

THEY ALL DO THE SAME JOB, THESE SEVEN POSITIONS I'M TALKING ABOUT, WHICH IS TO GO OUT IN THE FIELD AND MEET WITH THE IDD CLIENTS.

ARE THEY BASED HERE OR ARE THEY BASED IN SECTORS? THEY'RE HERE, THEY'RE BASED HERE.

SAN ANTONIO.

YEAH.

UM, DO YOU, I REALLY WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE DEEPER THAN, YOU KNOW, DEEPER DIVE INTO THAT.

SO I'LL LET YOU FINISH YOUR PRESENTATION OF COURSE, BUT I DO WANNA DEFINITELY GO BACK TO THIS PAGE.

OKAY.

PERFECT.

OKAY.

AND TO CONTINUE ON PUBLIC SAFETY, WE'RE WE CURRENTLY FELL AT THE END OF THE YEAR.

THEY FELL, UH, 500, 3000 BELOW BUDGET ON THE EXPENDITURE SIDE.

UM, THOSE, THERE WAS A GRANT TARGET PLANNING GRANT THAT, UH, WAS BUDGETED FOR THIS YEAR THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY EXPENSES FOR ANY EXPENDITURES FOR.

UH, THEY DID INCLUDE THAT IN FY 24 BUDGET.

SO THE VARIANCE EXPLANATION IS THIS, THIS YEAR'S, THEY JUST DID NOT HIT THAT TARGET THIS YEAR.

YES, SIR.

WE WANNA GO BACK TO THAT WHEN, WHEN WE YES, MA'AM.

START OUR QUESTIONS.

OF COURSE.

THANK YOU.

UH, AND THEN ON, UH, WEATHERIZATION, UH, CURRENTLY OR AT THE END OF DECEMBER, FELL SHORT, ABOUT 650,000 ON THE EXPENDITURE SIDE.

UH, THIS WAS BOTH DUE TO LIHEAP AND DOE, UH, PROGRAM DID FALL SHORT IN BOTH THOSE GRANTS AND IN THE LIHEAP GRANT, THOSE FUNDS WILL BE CARRIED FORWARD TO FY 24.

THAT CONTRACT WAS EX EXTENDED TO MARCH OF 24.

A PROGRAM DOES NOT SEE AN ISSUE WITH RE WITH EXPENDING THOSE FUNDS, THOUGH.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST, OUR ADMINISTRATIVE BUDGETS, WE FELL SHORT 11%.

AGAIN, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE AREAS WHERE WE TRY TO STAY BELOW THE BUDGET BECAUSE OF THE, THE, THE NATURE THAT WE, WE CALCULATE THE INDIRECT RATE ON.

SO WE DID, UM, DURING OUR BUDGET PRESENTATION BACK IN OCTOBER AND DECEMBER, MENTION THAT WE WERE GONNA FALL A BIT SHORT ON THE ADMINISTRATIVE SIDE NEXT YEAR.

SO THIS CARRY FORWARD WHAT WILL ACTUALLY HELP US IN THAT EFFORT.

AND THAT, UH, CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.

UH, AGAIN, I'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY.

ANY QUESTIONS? I KNOW YOU WANTED TO GO BACK TO IDD AND, AND PUBLIC SAFETY OR, YES, YES.

UH, AND THE IDD WELL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR REPORT AS, AND I APPRECIATE THE MEETING THAT I HAVE WITH YOU ON THE PHONE, IN THE CAR WITH YOUR WIFE SICK .

I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

BUT THE NUMBERS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO ME.

YES, MA'AM.

AND TO ALL OF US.

SO THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE IDD AND WHAT WE'RE DOING AND HOW WE'RE GOING TO ADDRESS IT.

APPARENTLY WHAT WE'VE DONE IS NOT WORKING, SO WE'VE GOTTA COME UP WITH SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

AND SO I'M NOT SURE, UH, WHO WANTS TO TALK TO ME ABOUT THAT, BUT I THINK THAT WE'VE GOTTA HAVE SOME COME COVER THAT DISCUSSION.

UH, WHAT ABOUT, UH, MR. HASLAUER WANTS TO TALK ABOUT THE, UH, POLICE.

IS IT THE POLICE RAMP, THE GUN RANGE RAMP? THE GUN RANGE RAMP? IS THAT WELL, YEAH,

[00:15:10]

AND CLIFF, YOU SAID IT EARLIER, YOU KNOW, WE TRAIN THEM AND THEY'RE OUT THE DOOR AND THE COMPANIES THAT ARE MOVING IN, UH, PAY MORE.

BUT I, I TOLD JUDGE SAKAI THAT THIS IS AN AREA THAT'S VERY SERIOUS, THAT WE'VE GOT TO BE ABLE TO TRY TO RAISE THE PAY OF THESE CALL TAKERS TO BE ABLE TO, AND DISPATCHERS IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE.

UH, THE STATES GOT THE SA DPS HAS THE SAME PROBLEM, AND IT WAS JUST FORTUITOUS THAT THEY CAME TO US AND SAID, WE NEED SOME HELP.

WHAT CAN YOU HELP US WITH? AND I SAID, WELL, I'M NOT SURE WE CAN DO ANYTHING AT THIS POINT.

BUT WE WE'RE WORKING ON SOME DIFFERENT, UH, AREAS THAT THAT MIGHT HELP.

BUT THE BIGGEST AREA THAT COULD HELP, UH, AND DIANE AND I TALKED ABOUT IT A LONG TIME AGO, WAS HAVING CLASSES AND REALLY PROMOTING, GETTING THESE CALL TAKERS IN.

BECAUSE EVERY SMALL AGENCY, UH, WHETHER IT'S ACOG, WHETHER IT'S BARE METRO, WHETHER IT'S A STATE OR WHATEVER, EVERYBODY'S LOOKING FOR THESE INDIVIDUALS.

SO ANYWAY, THANK YOU MAYOR, FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK.

MOST OF THE CALL TAKE PART-TIME EMPLOYEES? NO, THEY'RE FULL.

THEY'RE FULL-TIME.

FULL-TIME.

OKAY.

THEY'RE FULL-TIME.

I THINK THAT'S A VERY GOOD POINT, AND WE PROBABLY NEED TO TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT FURTHER TO SEE HOW WE MAY BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN SUCH, YOU KNOW, PROGRAM.

WELL, I'VE TALKED, I'VE TALKED TO THE SHERIFF, UM, I'VE TALKED TO, UM, THE CITY PEOPLE AND, UM, UM, THEY'RE, THE STATE PEOPLE ARE, ARE PRETTY DESPERATE TO FIND PEOPLE, PARTICULARLY UP IN THE AUSTIN AREA.

AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE HAVING, THEY'RE HIRING PEOPLE THAT ARE DRIVING 60, 70 MILES A DAY JUST TO BE ABLE TO GO IN AND COVER SHIFTS.

AND THEY'RE TALKING MORE NOW ABOUT REMOTE, WHAT COULD WE DO REMOTE? COULD WE HAVE SOME PEOPLE IN OUR BUILDING IN ORDER, UH, TO TAKE CARE OF WHAT THEY NEED TO ON THEIR RADIO SIDE, THEIR DISPATCH SIDE AND THEIR, AND THEIR CALL TAKING PARKS AND WILDLIFE'S, ONE OF 'EM, DPS IS ANOTHER, THE REGIONAL COMMANDER, UH, WHO COMMANDS EVERYTHING FROM WACO ALL THE WAY TO THE BORDER, UH, WAS WITH US, UH, ALONG WITH SUSAN PARILLO A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.

AND, UM, THAT WAS, THAT, IT WAS A PRETTY HEAVY DISCUSSION OF WHERE THAT NEEDS TO GO.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

AND I THINK THAT'S A GREAT SEGUE.

YES, MR. GLEAN, WHAT ABOUT ADRIAN? ADRIAN AND THE WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS? CAN WE INVOLVE THEM IN THE HELPING THE SOLUTION? I, I, I, I THINK ALL, ALL THINGS SHOULD BE ON THE TABLE, AND THAT WOULD, IS PERHAPS SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD TALK ABOUT.

BUT I THINK THAT'S A PERFECT SEGUE INTO WHAT I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT IS THAT WE'VE GOTTA WORK LOOKS A LOT DIFFERENT THAN IT DID FIVE YEARS AGO EVEN.

SO MAYBE REMOTE IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN THINK ABOUT.

AND I'M THINKING ABOUT MAYBE THOSE, UH, SENIORS THAT HAVE RETIRED EARLY.

I'M SAYING 62, 65, BUT MAYBE THEY'RE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO DO.

MAYBE THAT'S A, YOU KNOW, A POPULATION THAT WE COULD MAYBE REACH OUT TO A LITTLE BIT MORE.

I'M NOT, I'M NOT AN EMPLOYMENT PERSON BY ANY MEANS, BUT I'M TRYING TO THINK HOW DO WE REACH THOSE PEOPLE THAT WE NEED TO FILL THESE KIND OF EASY POSITIONS AND, UH, BUT HOW DO WE FIND THEM AND LET THEM KNOW THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR THEM? SO ANYWAY, UH, JACOB, YOU WANNA COME TALK TO US ABOUT, AND I'M SORRY, WHEN I HEAR DEFICIT MY OR I SEE A MINUS, MY BRAIN IS LIKE, WHY? AND THAT'S WHAT I'M NEEDING YOU TO HELP ME WITH HERE.

SO I THINK THERE'S A, A COUPLE OF IMPORTANT THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND.

ONE IS, UH, THAT THE, THE DEFICIT IN THE BUDGET REALLY WAS A PLANNED NEGATIVE THIS TIME.

UH, WELL I GUESS JUNE LAST YEAR WHEN THE BOARD APPROVED US TAKING, UH, THE INITIATIVE TO DO THE, UM, INCENTIVE PAYMENTS TO HELP TRY AND RETAIN STAFF, RIGHT? UH, WE KNEW THAT WAS GOING TO COME OUT OF FUND BALANCE WHEN WE ASKED PERMISSION FROM THE BOARD IN ORDER TO, TO TAKE THAT STEP AND PAY THOSE, THOSE BONUSES AND THOSE RETENTION PAYMENTS.

UM, WHAT WAS THE TOTAL OF THAT AND WHAT WAS THE, THE AMOUNT THAT WAS TAKEN FROM THE FUND BALANCE TO MEET THAT OBLIGATION? DO YOU RE I DON'T KNOW THAT NUMBER OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.

WE

[00:20:01]

'CAUSE I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THAT IS.

MM-HMM MM-HMM.

GET IT CORRECT UPFRONT AND THEN 1500 YEAR, CORRECT.

$2,500 PER EMPLOYEE.

BUT THEN YOU ALSO HAD TO ADD, HELP THE ACCOUNT.

YOU HAVE YOUR RELEASE, YOU, YOU HAVE YOUR RELEASE IN YOUR FRIDGE, YOUR BENEFITS, AND THEN THE INDIRECT STILL GETS CALCULATED ON THAT AS WELL.

SO IT'S NOT ONLY THE PER, IT'S NOT ONLY THE SALARY, IT'S, IT'S GOT ALSO, YOU KNOW, YOU GOTTA FIGURE IN THOSE ADDITIONAL CALCULATIONS MM-HMM.

THAT GET CALCULATED ON TOP OF IT AS WELL.

THE TOTAL PAYOUT WAS OVER THE COURSE OF TWO YEARS, BOTH 2022 AND 2023.

SO I CAN GET YOU THOSE FIGURE.

EXACTLY.

UH, I WOULD REALLY LIKE THAT.

MM-HMM.

, THANK YOU.

UH, AND WE DID SEE THAT, THAT THAT DID HELP, UM, MAINTAIN SOME OF THE CURRENT WORKFORCE.

RIGHT.

I THINK THE IMPORTANT, ANOTHER IMPORTANT THING IS THAT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT, UH, THE SITUATION ACROSS THE STATE.

I KNOW I'VE SPOKEN TO THE, THE BOARD BEFORE, UM, AND LET Y'ALL KNOW ABOUT, UH, THE IDD FUNDING MECHANISMS AND HOW THEY REALLY HAVE NOT CHANGED IN OVER A DECADE.

UM, SO THE, THE TARGETED CASE MANAGEMENT RATE THAT WE BILL THOSE SERVICE COORDINATION ACTIVITIES FOR UNDER MEDICAID HAS NOT CHANGED SINCE PRIOR TO 2010.

UM, ALSO THE, THE BASE AMOUNT OF THE PERFORMANCE CONTRACT THAT WE, FROM HHSC IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THOSE LOCAL IDD AUTHORITY FUNCTIONS HAS NOT CHANGED IN THAT TIME PERIOD.

UH, WE'VE GOTTEN SMALL AMOUNTS OF ADDITIONAL DOLLARS FOR SPECIALIZED FUNCTIONS.

RIGHT.

BUT THE BASE AMOUNT TO DO WHAT WE DO, UH, HAS NOT CHANGED IN THAT TIMEFRAME.

UM, DURING THIS PAST SESSION, UH, THE, UH, TEXAS COUNCIL FOR COMMUNITY CENTERS AND OTHER IDD ASSOCIATIONS WERE SUCCESSFUL IN LOBBYING THE LEGISLATURE, UH, IN REGARDS TO DIRECT SERVICE PROFESSIONAL WAGES.

SO WE SAW, UH, THE WAGES FOR DIRECT SERVICE PROFESSIONALS GOING FROM, UM, UH, $8 AN HOUR UP TO, UH, $10, AND I BELIEVE IT'S 60 CENTS AN HOUR, WHICH IS STILL ABYSMALLY LOW, RIGHT? FOR THOSE FRONTLINE PROFESSIONALS THAT ARE, UH, WORKING DIRECTLY WITH THE INDIVIDUALS AND WORKING WITH THEM IN THEIR HOMES AND IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.

UM, SO THERE'S STILL A GREAT NEED TO WORK WITH THE LEGISLATURE TO INCREASE PAY FOR DIRECT SERVICE PROFESSIONALS, BUT THERE'S ALSO A SIGNIFICANT NEED TO HELP THE LEGISLATURE UNDERSTAND THAT THE SYSTEM ITSELF FOR IDD CARE IS UNDER STRAINED BECAUSE IT HAD, THE FUNDING HAS NOT BEEN CHANGED IN OVER A DECADE.

OKAY, JACOB, SO PLEASE HELP ME AND UNDERSTAND, I'M TRYING TO LEARN, SO I GUESS MAYBE THIS IS A CLIFF QUESTION.

DO WE HAVE A TEAM THAT GOES TO AUSTIN THAT, UH, DURING THE LEGISLATIVE YEAR TO HELP US GET OUR MESSAGE OUT THERE? IS THERE, DO WE HAVE SUCH A, WELL, TARC IS DOING IT, BUT I THINK JACOB, I MEAN, LIKE HE SAID, THE TEXAS, UH, COMMUNITY CENTER, TEXAS COUNCIL FOR COMMUNITY CENTERS, UH, IS THE STATE ASSOCIATION FOR THE IDD.

SO THEY'RE OUR VOICE AND MENTAL HEALTH AUTHORITY.

SO THEY'RE OUR VOICE IN AUSTIN.

AND WE ARE, UH, WE'RE NOT TECH, WE'RE A COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS, NOT A COMMUNITY CENTER.

SO WE'RE ASSOCIATE MEMBERS OF TEXAS COUNCIL, BUT THEY ARE OUR VOICE IN AUSTIN ON THE IDD FRONT.

YES, MA'AM.

I LIKE TO TALK TO THEM, UH, DURING THIS OFF SESSION MM-HMM.

TO KIND OF SEE WHAT THEIR PLANS ARE AND HEAR WHAT, YOU KNOW, HOW, WHAT THEIR THOUGHTS ARE MOVING FORWARD AND WHAT THEIR PLAN IS WHEN SESSION DOES BEGIN.

SO AT SOME POINT, IF WE COULD ARRANGE THAT, I'D LIKE THAT, PLEASE.

ABSOLUTELY.

I'D BE HAPPY TO SET THAT UP AND, AND ARRANGE THAT CONVERSATION.

I CAN ALSO PROVIDE YOU WITH, UH, AN INFORMATIONAL, UM, WEBINAR, A RECORDING OF A WEBINAR THAT TEXAS COUNCIL DID BACK IN NOVEMBER, UM, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, UH, TO HELP KIND OF LAY OUT THE LANDSCAPE AND DESCRIBE THE, THE HISTORY OF IDD SERVICES AND KIND OF WHERE, HOW WE GOT TO OUR CURRENT SITUATION.

UH, BECAUSE IDD REALLY IS A SYSTEM IN CRISIS RIGHT NOW.

JUST THE, THE EXTREME AMOUNT OF UNDERFUNDING, UH, REALLY HAS THE SYSTEM AT A POINT OF PERIL.

THANK YOU.

AND, AND I MIGHT ADD, UM, I'M, I SERVE ON THE HILL COUNTRY MHDD BOARD, AND, UH, WE'VE GOT 19 COUNTIES.

UH, THE LEGISLATURE WAS VERY GENEROUS, PROBABLY BECAUSE OF UVALDE WITH SOME OF THE, UH, INCREASES THAT WE GOT, BUT NOT ON I-D-D-I-D-D IS THE FORGOTTEN CHILD ALWAYS.

UH, AND THIS PROBLEM THAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT, WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN STRUGGLING THROUGH THIS PROBLEM FOR THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS ALSO.

SO WHAT YOU'RE HEARING FROM HIM, I'M HEARING BACK WHEN I GO TO MY BOARD MEETINGS, UH, BUT WE DEALT WITH IT LAST YEAR.

WE BIT

[00:25:01]

WE, WE WERE TRYING TO, UH, ADDRESS THE WHOLE, WHOLE BODY RELIEF HERE AND BY, AND, AND WE DO HAVE TO INCLUDE THE ROLL-UPS, JUST LIKE, LIKE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT JULIO.

AND IT, IT TURNED US AROUND.

UH, WE ACTUALLY ARE ABLE TO KEEP OUR ID IDD STAFF NOW.

AND ANOTHER THING THAT, UH, UH, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THESE VACANCIES, THE WAY IDD WORKS IS THEY GET PAID FOR FACE-TO-FACE MEETINGS AND THEN TELEPHONE MEETINGS.

AND THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S A WHOLE SCHEDULE OF HOW THESE PAYMENTS ARE MADE.

UH, AND IT'S A LITTLE BIT LIKE HAVING AN EMPLOYEE THAT'S WORKING, UH, KIND OF ON CONTINGENCY IF, IF THEY DON'T WORK, IF WE DON'T HAVE THE PEOPLE TO, TO MAKE THESE CALLS, WHETHER IT'S IN PERSON OR ON THE PHONE OR HOWEVER, WE DON'T GET PAID.

AND SO WE HAVE A, A, A, A DWINDLING REVENUE STREAM THAT WE COULD HAVE IF WE COULD GET PEOPLE TO STAY IN THOSE POSITIONS, BUT WE'RE NOT PAYING THEM ENOUGH.

AND ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WE HAD, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS, IS WHAT, WHAT YOU'RE EXPERIENCING, BUT BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY RURAL COUNTIES IN THE, IN THE 19, WE HAVE A PROBLEM WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

UH, PEOPLE CANNOT AFFORD TO MOVE TO WHERE I LIVE IN KIRK COUNTY.

YOU JUST CAN'T AFFORD IT.

UH, AND SO WE CAN'T PAY WHEN YOU'RE PAYING PEOPLE $20 AN HOUR, WHICH IT SOUNDS LIKE A DECENT WAGE IF YOU WORK AT MCDONALD'S OR, UH, BUT, BUT THE, THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY THEIR HOUSING.

MM-HMM.

.

AND SO, AS I SAID, AND I'M, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM.

I KNOW THAT WHAT WE DID WAS WE JUST BIT THE BULLET AND PAID THE MONEY.

AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT WE'VE BECOME AN INDUSTRY LEADER, UH, AS A RESULT OF THAT IN OUR AREA, UH, BEING ABLE TO RETAIN OUR FOLKS.

SO, UM, AND I, I KNOW YOU CAN'T, YOU, YOU WOULDN'T SAY THIS, JACOB, BUT I'M SAYING WE, WE MIGHT, MIGHT NEED TO JUST HAVE TO FIND THE MONEY IN THE BUDGET.

I DON'T KNOW.

I'M SURE THAT'S THE THING.

I'VE BEEN THROUGH IT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE MUCH WE NEED, THE LEGISLATURE WAS VERY GENEROUS, UM, TO MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS. RIGHT.

AND SO SOME COMMUNITY CENTERS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO TAKE THAT STEP AND GIVEN ACROSS THE BOARD PAY RAISE, UM, BECAUSE THEY'RE ABLE TO PULL FROM THEIR, UH, THEIR MENTAL HEALTH REVENUES IN ORDER TO HELP COVER THAT COST.

RIGHT.

BUT I, I DON'T KNOW IF EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS IT, THE MENTAL HEALTH SIDE IS DIFFERENT FROM THE DISABILITY, THE DEVELOPMENT DISABILITY SIDE, AND THAT SIDE HAS A VERY FLAWED AND ARCHAIC COMPENSATION SYSTEM THAT HASN'T BEEN CHANGED.

MENTAL HEALTH WE'RE A LOT, WE'RE CLOSER TO BEING CONTEMPORARY.

EXACTLY.

I'M VERY, I'M VERY GLAD WE'RE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION BECAUSE AS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF COMMUNAL REAL COMMUNITY SERVICES, I VERY MUCH UNDERSTAND ALL OF THESE CONVERSATIONS AND THE, THE PLIGHT THAT WE ALL HAVE IN THIS DEAL.

THE, THE WORK CENTERS ARE SOMETHING THAT ARE SUFFERING DESPERATELY WHERE, WHERE IDD FOLKS CAN GO AND, AND, AND WORK.

AND THOSE, THEY, I MEAN, IT, IF, IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN AROUND THESE SERVICES VERY LONG, IT'S, IT'S REALLY SAD HOW, UNLESS YOU ARE, UNLESS YOU ARE THE PARENT OR SOMEBODY THAT'S AFFECTED ON THE BOARD, OR SOMEBODY THAT'S DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY IDD, IT IS VERY, VERY DIFFICULT TO GET THE MESSAGE ACROSS TO WHERE PEOPLE WILL LISTEN TO.

SO, SO MAYOR DENNIS, OF THE, THE TIMING OF YOU BRINGING ALL THIS UP IS VERY, VERY APPROPRIATE BECAUSE IT'S, UH, IT'S VERY SAD TO WATCH, YOU KNOW, 10, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN EMPLOYEES FOR A $10 AN HOUR JOB IN RURAL TEXAS JUST DOESN'T WORK IT, YOU KNOW, AND, AND IN THE CITY, I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S NOTHING OUT THERE THAT, THAT CAN MAKE US BE ABLE TO FILL THESE POSITIONS UNTIL WE GET THE WAGES UP.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS ANOTHER THING.

AND ABSOLUTE FOCUS BY THE RIGHT PEOPLE ON IDD, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT A SEXY TOPIC.

IT'S NOT, IT DOESN'T GRAB HEADLINES.

MM-HMM.

.

AND SO THAT'S, UM, THAT'S THE THING.

IT'S VERY SAD.

AND SO I'M GLAD YOU'RE, I'M GLAD YOU'RE BRINGING IT UP.

WELL, I THINK IT'S INCUMBENT UPON FOR THIS GROUP THAT THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS THING.

I'M LEARNING SO MUCH JUST IN THE LAST COUPLE WEEKS ABOUT IT.

SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR REMARKS, UH, MARCUS.

YEAH.

UM, I USED TO WORK FOR A, WHERE'S THIS? MY, YEAH.

GUYS, WE WANNA HEAR WHAT YOU ALL HAVE TO SAY.

YEAH.

I USED, I USED TO WORK FOR AN ORGANIZATION THAT USED TO PROVIDE CASE MANAGEMENT, SUPPORT SERVICES FOR PUBLIC HOUSING RESIDENTS.

RIGHT? AND SO I USED TO HAVE A TEAM OF CASE MANAGERS.

AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ALWAYS WOULD HAVE TO DEAL WITH IS CASELOAD MANAGEMENT TOO.

BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES THE INDIVIDUALS WOULD GET BURNED OUT BECAUSE THE CASELOAD IS SO IMPRESSIVE, IS SO STACKED SO HIGH.

IT'S LIKE YOU NEVER CATCH UP.

[00:30:01]

MM-HMM.

.

AND WHAT WE ENCOUNTERED, THIS WAS ABOUT SIX OR SEVEN YEARS AGO, WAS THE ISSUE WAS THAT WE WOULD GET PEOPLE TRAINED UP TO BE OPTIMAL CASE MANAGERS, BUT THEN THEY WOULD BE RECRUITED BY OTHER ENTITIES, AND THE SALARIES WOULD GO UP, AND THEN THE CASELOAD WOULD, WOULD DIMINISH.

AND SO THEY HAD A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE, AND SO THEY WOULD LEAVE.

AND SO THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT YOU WOULD USE TO TRAIN THEM UP, YOU'RE STILL BURNING THROUGH THAT MONEY.

AND THEN THEY WOULD LEAVE.

SO IF YOU WOULD GIVE THEM A HIGHER PAY, YOU COULD SAVE THEM MONEY ON TRAINING BECAUSE YOU WOULD HAVE THAT CONSTANT TURNOVER IN CASE MANAGERS, AND YOU WOULD HAVE A BETTER TRAINED STAFF AS WELL.

SO I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY, ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS IS, IS SALARY AND CASELOAD MANAGEMENT.

BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T HAVE THAT, YOU'RE, YOU'RE GONNA CONTINUOUSLY BE IN THIS NEVER ENDING CYCLE OF, OF ROTATION AND NEW PEOPLE.

AND ALSO WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH, WITH IDD, THAT RELATIONSHIP COMES INTO PLAY TOO, BECAUSE YOU KNOW YOUR CLIENT AS YOU DEVELOP THAT RELATIONSHIP.

SO AS YOU HAVE, AS YOU HAVE MORE NEW CASE MANAGERS COME ON BOARD, IT'S ABOUT LEARNING THAT FAMILY IS ABOUT LEARNING THAT INDIVIDUAL SITUATION.

AND SOMETIMES YOU'RE STILL PLAYING CATCH UP.

AND SO IT'S JUST A, AN ONGOING CYCLE OF, OF NEVER MEETING THE END GOAL, WHICH IS THE SERVICE OF THAT INDIVIDUAL.

SO I THINK SALARY IS A BIG KEY CASELOAD MANAGEMENT AND QUALITY OF OF LIFE THAT WORKS IN THAT BALANCE PIECE AS WELL.

SO I JUST WANT TO ADD THAT, JACOB, WHAT IS THE AVERAGE CASELOAD FOR THE CASE FOR THE MANAGERS, OR AVERAGE CASELOAD RIGHT NOW IS 45 IS WHAT? 45? IS THAT A LOT? OR A LITTLE, OR THAT'S A LOT.

OKAY.

THAT'S A, IT'S A VERY HIGH CASELOAD HEAVY.

THAT'S A HEAVY CASELOAD.

IT KEEPS, UH, FOLKS, IT'S DOABLE, BUT IT KEEPS THEM VERY BUSY THE ENTIRE MONTH.

JACOB, WHY DON'T YOU TELL THEM JUST WHAT YOU TOLD ME ABOUT WHAT THEIR CASELOAD IS LIKE.

IN OTHER WORDS, THE A VISITS, THE B VISITS, THE SPECIALIZED SURE.

THE INDIVIDUALIZED NOTES, SO THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT A DAILY WORKLOAD FOR ONE OF OUR, OUR, UH, SERVICE COORDINATORS IS LIKE.

I FIND IT OVERWHELMING, TO BE HONEST.

AND DAD, HOW MANY CASES DO THEY SEE A WEEK? YEAH.

SO, UM, AS THE SERVICE COORDINATORS GOING OUT TO, TO DO THEIR WORK, UH, WITH A CASELOAD OF, UH, 45 INDIVIDUALS, UM, TYPICALLY THEY'RE LOOKING AT DOING, UH, WELL, LET ME TAKE A STEP BACK, OTHERWISE THIS ISN'T GONNA MAKE SENSE.

SO THE, THE TARGETED CASE MANAGEMENT RATE METHODOLOGY IS BROKEN UP INTO, UH, WHAT THE STATE CALLS A TYPE A CONTACT AND A TYPE B CONTACT.

THAT TYPE A CONTACT IS A COMPREHENSIVE VISIT, UH, AND IS, UH, WHAT DRIVES THE MAJORITY OF THE RATE.

THE TYPE B CONTACT IS CONSIDERED LIKE A COLLATERAL CONTACT.

IT'S AN ADDITIONAL PHONE CALL CONVERSATION WITH THE PERSON, SOMEONE ELSE, UH, SURROUNDING THE PERSON'S CASE INVOLVED IN THEIR CARE THAT'S PROVIDING ADDITIONAL INFORMATION SUPPORT, COORDINATING THEIR, THEIR SERVICES.

UM, SO IN ORDER TO DRAW DOWN THE FULL RATE FOR TARGETED CASE MANAGEMENT FOR THE MONTH, UH, WE HAVE TO HAVE ONE TYPE A CONTACT AND THREE TYPE B CONTACTS.

THE SAME PERSON FOR THE SAME PERSON, NOT NECESSARILY WITH THAT SAME PERSON, BUT FOR THE PERSON'S CASE.

WOW.

OKAY.

SO ONE, ONE FACE-TO-FACE, COMPREHENSIVE VISIT WITH THE PERSON IN THE MONTH.

AND THEN THREE FOLLOW UP COLLATERAL PHONE CALLS.

THEY COULD BE FACE-TO-FACE VISITS MEETINGS INVOLVING THE PERSON, THE SERVICE ARRANGES SERVICES TIMES 45 PEOPLE.

YES.

TIMES 45 PEOPLE.

45.

AND, AND SO YOU'RE, YOU'RE LOOKING AT ME PROBABLY THINKING THAT DOESN'T SOUND TOO BAD.

RIGHT? UM, AND, AND THAT IN AND OF ITSELF IS NOT TOO BAD.

YOU KNOW, THE NUMBER OF CONTACTS IS NOT TOO SIGNIFICANT.

IT'S THE AMOUNT OF ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION THAT GOES ALONG WITH THAT.

UM, FOR EVERY FUNCTION, THERE ARE PROBABLY THREE OR FOUR OR FIVE DIFFERENT STATE FORMS. UM, THE DIRECT SERVICE NOTES, PARTICULARLY IN OUR, OUR PASAR, OUR PRE-ADMISSION SCREENING AND RESIDENT REVIEW PROGRAM, WHERE WE'RE WORKING IN THE NURSING FACILITIES, UM, THOSE NOTES THAT DOCUMENT, UH, THE CONTACT ARE ALL NARRATIVE BASED AT STATE REQUIREMENT.

RIGHT? I'D MUCH PREFER TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, CHECK BOXES AND RADIAL BUTTONS INDICATING HOW THAT, THAT, WHEN IT'S MUCH EASIER TO PULL DATA THAT WAY.

BUT AT STATE REQUIREMENT, THEY'RE ALL NARRATIVE BASED.

THOSE NOTES ON THOSE PASAR CONTACTS CAN BE, UH, EIGHT PAGES LONG FOR A SINGLE VISIT.

RIGHT.

UM,

[00:35:01]

SO THAT'S THE, THE CARE PLAN FOR THE INDIVIDUAL.

THAT'S A NARRATIVE BASED DOCUMENT THAT'S, UH, SUPPOSED TO GUIDE THEIR SERVICES FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR.

THAT CAPTURES, UH, WHAT THE PERSON LIKES, WHAT THEIR GOALS ARE, UM, WHAT THEY WANT TO DO WITH THEIR LIFE, WHAT THE RISKS ARE INVOLVED WITH THE PERSON, OR WHAT THEIR SPECIAL SUPPORT NEEDS MIGHT BE.

UH, IT ALSO IDENTIFIES THEN THE SERVICES THAT ARE GONNA HELP THEM ACHIEVE THOSE GOALS OR HELP PROTECT THEM FROM THE RISKS IN THEIR LIVES, UH, AS WELL AS IDENTIFYING THE FREQUENCY AND DURATION OF THOSE SERVICES.

UM, AND ALL OF THAT IS, UH, A NARRATIVE BASED FUNCTION, AGAIN, AT, AT REQUIREMENT OF THE STATE.

UM, WITH THAT COMES, UH, AN AUTHORIZATION DOCUMENT THAT'S CALLED AN INDIVIDUAL PLAN OF CARE, OR AN IPC THAT HAS ALL THE MATH AND THE NUMBERS, RIGHT? FOR THE, THE SERVICE THAT'S VALUED AT X AMOUNT, SO MANY UNITS, IT'S GONNA COST A TOTAL OF, YOU KNOW, X, Y, Z FOR THE PERSON FOR THE YEAR.

UM, AND THEN THE, THE SERVICE COORDINATOR, UH, AS THE STATE HAS ITS SET UP, IS RESPONSIBLE FOR DOING DATA ENTRY OF THAT INTO THE STATE SYSTEM.

UM, NOW WE, UH, AS A LARGE CENTER, AS A LARGE IDD AUTHORITY, UH, HAVE, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF THAT HELP WITH THE, THAT DATA ENTRY COMPONENT SO THAT THE SERVICE COORDINATORS ARE ABLE TO SPEND MORE OF THEIR TIME DIRECTLY FACE-TO-FACE WITH THE, THE INDIVIDUALS.

UM, BUT IT IS, UH, COMPLEX.

THERE ARE LOTS OF RULES AND, AND PAGES AND PAGES OF POLICY MANUALS INVOLVED THAT THEY HAVE TO, THE SERVICE COORDINATORS HAVE TO LEARN.

AND IT'S JUST VERY DOCUMENTATION INTENSIVE.

IT IS A, A FAST-PACED, NARRATIVE HEAVY, UH, JOB.

SO YOU WOULD DO THIS FOR $20 AND 30 CENTS, JUST ASKING I DID AT ONE TIME.

YEAH.

IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A TOUGH JOB.

I'M GONNA SAY A PART OF THE OTHER PART OF THIS IS THEY'RE AUDITED.

SO FOR INSTANCE, JUST WHAT JACOB SAID, EVERYTHING HAS TO BE AN INDIVIDUAL INDIVIDUALIZED SERVICE NOTE.

IF NOT, THEY GET PENALIZED OR WE GET PENALIZED.

WE HAVE A FINDING.

AND SO THEY CANNOT SIMPLY CUT AND PASTE THAT THEY MET WITH THE CLIENT.

THE CLIENT WAS IN GREAT SHAPE.

THEY CAN'T USE A MACRO, EVEN FOR THE MOST SIMPLEST THING, IT HAS TO BE AN INDIVIDUALIZED SERVICE NOTE.

AND FROM A LEGAL STANDPOINT, WHICH I FIND TOTALLY AMAZING, AND I'VE GOTTEN INTO BATTLES WITH, UH, DEPARTMENT OF, UH, PROTECTIVE AND FAMILY SERVICES IN, IN, IN MY CAPACITY AS GENERAL COUNSEL.

IF THERE IS A CLIENT THAT EVER HAS SOME ALLEGATION OF NEGLIGENT CARE OR, OR IMPROPER CARE, SOMETIMES THE AGENCY WILL NAME OUR POOR SERVICE COORDINATOR AS A CULPABLE PARTY.

AND THEN THEY FIND THEMSELVES DEFENDING THEMSELVES IN AN ACTION BEING ACCUSED OF NEGLIGENT, NEGLIGENT CARE OF THIS INDIVIDUAL.

AND SO, UH, I'VE HAD ONE SERVICE COORDINATOR TO HAD TO TAKE MONEY OUT OF HER POCKET TO, TO HIRE HER OWN LAWYER TO DEFEND AGAINST AN ALLEGATION OF NEGLIGENT CONDUCT.

ALL SHE DID WAS GO AND VISIT THE CLIENT.

SHE'S NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PATIENT CARE.

AND IN MY TIME HERE, WE'VE HAD AT LEAST TWO OR THREE OF THESE PEOPLE, UH, THESE SERVICE COORDINATORS THAT HAVE BEEN ACCUSED OF POTENTIAL CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE.

AND SO I CAN SAY, I JUST FIND THE WHOLE THING OVERWHELMING.

UH, WHAT I HAVE TOLD, UH, I THINK MAYOR DENNIS, WE TALKED, BUT WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO, AND I, AND I'M LEARNING SO MUCH MORE ABOUT THIS AS I GET INTO THIS NEW ROLE, IS I'VE TOLD OUR STAFF I WANT TO MEET WITH JACOB, JULIO, DEIDRE, MYSELF, AND GET TOGETHER AND JUST BRAINSTORM FOR IDEAS, MUCH LIKE WHAT YOU'RE DOING, TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO MAYBE INCREASE EFFICIENCIES IN OUR SYSTEM.

MARCUS HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD WITH THE CASELOAD.

IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO TO ATTRACT PEOPLE DIFFERENTLY, IF THERE'S SOMETHING WE CAN DO TO REDEPLOY OUR RESOURCES THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE.

BECAUSE IN TALKING TO JACOB, AND, AND OF COURSE YOU'RE ALL SAYING THE SAME THING, FROM WHAT I CAN HEAR FROM JUDGE KELLY AND JUDGE TEAL, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST A CONUNDRUM.

YOU'RE BOUND BY THE RULES.

YOU'RE BOUND BY THE BUDGET THEY GIVE YOU.

YOU'RE BOUND BY THE PAY RATES.

I MEAN, THERE'S VERY LITTLE FLEXIBILITY IN TRYING TO DO SOMETHING.

JACOB TELL, UM, BECAUSE I'M, UH, JUDGE KELLY AND I WERE TALKING EARLIER THIS MORNING ABOUT THE IDEA OF, HE SAID, RAISING WAGES, BUT WE GET $3 MILLION A YEAR TO DO OUR, UH, THAT'S THE, THE AMOUNT IN OUR PERFORMANCE CONTRACT.

CORRECT.

TO DO OUR BASE LOCAL AUTHORITY FUNCTIONS.

AND WE HAVE HOW MANY SERVICE COORDINATORS? A HUNDRED.

AND, UH, WE CURRENTLY HAVE CAR QUIZ, UH, CLOSE TO 150, I WANNA SAY 140 SERVICE

[00:40:01]

AND SO WE HAVE THREE A 40, I DIDN'T HEAR 140 MM-HMM.

, THANK YOU.

140 SERVICE COORDINATORS.

THANK YOU.

AND WE HAVE A $3 MILLION BUDGET.

I MEAN, THERE'S JUST NOT A LOT OF WIGGLE ROOM.

AND SO WE'VE GOT TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX AS FAR AS WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO HELP MUCH ON PAY, BUT MAYBE THERE'S SOMETHING WE CAN DO TO REDEPLOY THAT CASELOAD.

SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO TO YES.

QUALITY OF LIFE.

MM-HMM.

.

AND SO WE'RE GONNA SIT DOWN AND TALK ABOUT THAT AND JUST, AND JUST SEE WHAT WE CAN DO.

AND I'VE ASKED JACOB, AND HE'S ALREADY, HE, HE'S ANSWERED MY QUESTIONS.

UNFORTUNATELY.

I WANTED TO KNOW IF WE HAVE SERVICE COORDINATORS THAT AREN'T PERFORMING, OR DO WE HAVE MID-LEVEL MANAGERS THAT AREN'T WATCHING TO MAKE SURE.

AND AND JACOB ASSURES ME THAT OUR PEOPLE ARE WORKING PRETTY DAMNED HARD.

IT'S JUST MM-HMM.

, IF WE HAD THESE SEVEN PEOPLE, WE WOULD BE IN THE BLACK, BY THE WAY, IF WE HAD THE SEVEN PEOPLE.

AND, AND I DO WANT TO, TO UPDATE THAT.

WE BE MEETING OUR NUMBERS, UPDATE THAT FIGURE.

WE HAVE SIX INDIVIDUALS THAT, UH, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO START, UM, THIS COMING OR I GUESS THIS LAST MONDAY.

UM, SO, BUT REMEMBER, IF, IF THEY STAY YEAH.

AND WE DON'T HAVE MORE RESIGNATIONS.

EXACTLY.

THAT'S THE PROBLEM.

THEN WE'D BE VERY CLOSE TO BEING FULLY STAFFED IF WE CAN STOP.

AND, AND ANOTHER THING THAT JACOB IS TELLS ME THAT FROM HIS EXPERIENCE, IF WE CAN, AND YOU CORRECT ME IF I SAY SOMETHING WRONG, SURE.

IF, IF WE CAN GET THEM TO STAY FOR A YEAR, THERE'S A GOOD CHANCE THEY'LL STAY LONGER.

MM-HMM.

.

BUT WE'VE GOTTA GET 'EM THROUGH THAT YEAR AND STOP THE POACHING FROM THE OTHER NONPROFITS AND THE OTHER PRIVATE SECTOR PEOPLE.

IF WE CAN GET 'EM TO STAY THAT YEAR, WE'RE GOOD.

SO I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT QUALITY OF LIFE ASPECT OF IT TO STOP THAT RETEN UH, THAT ATTRITION AND TRY TO RETAIN THESE PEOPLE.

'CAUSE WE'RE NOT GONNA, WE DON'T SEE A LOT OF WIGGLE ROOM ON THE, ON THE DOLLAR SIDE, BUT MAYBE WE CAN MAKE THE JOB JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE BEARABLE TO KEEP 'EM LONGER.

RIGHT.

AND THAT'S BACK TO HOW DIFFERENT WORK LOOKS.

IT'S NOT JUST THE MONEY.

US MAYOR DEION, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA OH, AND THEN I SEE YOU TOO, DEIDRA, BUT WE'LL TALK TO YES, MAYOR.