community services division: response to covid-19 · cs administration (csa) csa service delivery...

Community Services Division:

Response to COVID-19

Community Services Director Team

04.14.20

Community Services COOP Planning

Issues and Risks Going Forward

• Evolving operations as pandemic risks change

• Infrastructure to support remote work and social distancing

• Continued need for administrative flexibility

• Rapidly changing policy, regulatory, and financial landscape

Issues and Risks, cont.

• Increased demand for public

assistance

• Increased housing insecurity

• Stability of community

partners

Community Services COOP Planning

Department Reports

CS Administration (CSA)

CSA Service Delivery Priority:Ensure community services staff &

contracted providers have what they need to continue providing essential services to our

community members.

Service Delivery Changes & Key Issues:

1) Contract Management & Vendor Support2) Operational Logistics3) Employee Health & Well-being

CS Administration (CSA)

Service Delivery Changes & Key Issues:CONTRACT MANAGEMENT & VENDOR SUPPORT

1) Communication

2) Vendor Support & Issue Resolution

3) Contract Process Changes

CS Administration (CSA)

Service Delivery Changes & Key Issues:OPERATIONAL LOGISTICS

1) Technology & Equipment

2) Building Safety & Access

3) Client Information & Referral

82 7888

5264

144154

141159

116

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Number of Calls Daily

Pre COVID Post COVID

CS Administration (CSA)

Community Services Main Phone Call Volume

CS Administration (CSA)

Service Delivery Changes & Key Issues:EMPLOYEE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING

1) Supervisor Training

2) Staff Resources & Information

3) Staff Safety

Community Corrections

• Juvenile

– Juvenile Service Center (JSC)

– Youth in placement and detention alternatives

– High Risk Clients

• Adult

– Intensive Supervised Release (ISR)

– High Risk Supervision

– Court Services

Community Corrections

Juvenile Services Center (JSC)

OPERATIONAL

PREPAREDNESS

PREVENTION

MANAGEMENT

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

1-Mar 15-Mar 26-Mar 1-Apr

1616 16

77 7

23

JSC Population

Dakota Out of County

Community Corrections

Community Corrections

Juvenile and Adult Sections

• Modifications to existing service delivery

• Suspension of non-essential programs

• Coordination with Courts, County Attorney, and Jail

Community Corrections

Key Issues:

• Housing

• Prison releases

• Connectivity of and to clients

• Lack of normal response for violations

Employment & Economic Assistance

Service Delivery Priorities

• Collect, scan and index incoming mail into OnBase (the electronic document management

system)

• Continue to get payments to families in Child Support and respond to needs and changing

situations for families

• Be responsive to people calling in for all areas including employment

• New applications in Public Assistance

158 135 144185

245 272320 336

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

March Week 3 March Week 4 April Week 1 April Week 2

Weekly Applications include SNAP, Cash, and Emergency Assistance (and some healthcare) 2019 & 2020

2019 2020

Employment & Economic AssistanceChanges to Service Delivery

• Delivering services remotely whenever possible with the help of waivers

• Child support court hearings, with very few exceptions are on hold

• Drop off and pick up area at NSC

• 90% of staff are working from home, including answering general number

Employment & Economic Assistance

Key Issues

• Maintaining staff on-site in the

mailroom

• Volume increases in all programs

• Changes in child support may be

difficult for non-custodial parents

- Cost of living increases

- Stimulus checks are likely to

be intercepted

• Over 32,000 unemployment

insurance claims

1,339 980

34,044

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

40,000

January February March 16 -April 10th

Dakota County Unemployment

applications

Public Health: Service Delivery Priorities

• Department Operations Center (DOC) for COVID-19

– Monitoring the situation

– Providing essential services for isolation / quarantine

– Communicating accurate information to key audiences

– 9 Public Health staff are serving in the EOC

• 11 staff volunteered for donation sites

• COOP

– Over 80% of staff regularly teleworking

• Ensuring grant deliverables are met for continued funding

Public Health: Service Delivery Priorities

• Disease Prevention & Control (DPC)

– 8 active tuberculosis (TB) cases (using Vidyo)

– 3 worksite/community site TB contact investigations

• Family Health

– Intake continues for: home visiting, asthma, hearing, birth defects, lead, Follow Along

– 22 public health nurses (PHNs) assigned to the DOC

– Engaging clients by phone or video

– Started billing for telehealth 4/2

Public Health: Changes to Service Delivery

WIC Program

Public Health: Key Issues

• Rotating DOC roles

• Long term planning for mass testing and/or vaccination

• Technology needs to support telework

• Planning to continue critical functions in case staff

become ill

• Child Protection/Adult

Protection

• 24/7 Crisis Response

• Services for most vulnerable

• Sheltering people who are

homeless

Social Services: Service Delivery Priorities

Image from Matrix Housing Services

• Stable call volume, different issues

• Delivering most services remotely

• In-person visits when critical

• Congregate settings (e.g.: detox, etc.)

Social Services: Changes to Service Delivery

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1,000

Jan - Feb March - Current

Child Protection Reports

2019 2020

Social Services: Key Issues

• Technology to support telework

• Community and nonprofit infrastructure

• Balancing public safety and program mandates

• Inconsistent policy guidance

• Responding to community needs

Veterans Services

Service Delivery Priorities

• Dakota County Veterans

- Dependents and their families

- Surviving Spouses

o Family members of deployed service members

• Most vulnerable veterans

Intentional outreach is being conducted by staff to identify and serve these clients.

Veterans Services

Changes to Service Delivery

• Serving Dakota County veterans and their families through phone calls, emails, and mailings

- Changes to VA and MDVA policies which allow electronic signatures

- Utilizing Intent to File to preserve effective date of claim for clients

• Beyond the Yellow Ribbon networks

• Veteran Service Organizations

Veterans Services

Key Issues

• Backlog will be created by utilizing Intent to File

• Veterans COVID-19 Grants

$1,000COVID-19

Disaster Relief Grant

$3,000 COVID-19

Special Needs Grant

State Soldiers Assistance

Program (SSAP) Special Needs

Grant

Communications Plan

Connecting with Dakota County residents during a global pandemic

Community Services departments currently:

• Calls, texts, video contact with vulnerable and at-risk clients

• Working with and through other trusted organizations (VSOs, etc.)

• Telephone-only option for EEA applications (no computer needed)

• Partnership with CDA to provide health information to residents

• Engaging contracted service providers

Getting The Word Out and Staying in Touch

• Most have Smart Phones, internet access.

• Those that don’t have internet—have TV,

newspapers, newsletters, bulletins, word of mouth.

• Promote through existing partners: those orgs.

serving older adults (DARTS, Neighbors Inc.,

Hastings Family Service)…and faith networks,

YMCAs, Community/ Senior Centers.

• Message: remind about COVID 19 best practices;

County Hotline, Senior Linkage Line, food shelf,

delivery options, check-in calls…

Reaching Older Adults during COVID 19

Situation:

• We are all experiencing unprecedented times with the COVID-19 pandemic. Our lives — personal and professional — are changing at a rapid pace.

• Resulting from Minnesota’s stay-at-home order, many residents —specifically elderly — cannot attend senior centers, places of worship or day programs that provide our seniors with resources and information.

• Many Dakota County residents do not have access to a computer or online resources.

Recommendation:

• The Communications team will produce and execute tactics to inform residents about programs and services including the Dakota County Public Health hotline offered during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Our Current Situation and Recommendation

Our existing tactics

• Social media channels — Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn

and Next Door

• Dakota County website — dedicated COVID-19

resource page, community and business resources,

and communication materials

• Printed communications — posters at park and

libraries

• COVID-19 public health hotline

• Working closely with CDA

• City websites include links to Dakota County

Tactic Audience Message/Content

PSA Radio PSA, local public access

stations

We’re here to support you — provide public

health hotline, website, encouragement

Small poster Places of worship, food shelves,

libraries — locations still receiving

foot traffic

We’re here to support you — provide public

health hotline, website, encouragement

Small poster or

postcard

Organizations offer services for

seniors — YMCA, senior centers,

Meals on Wheels

We’re here to support you — provide public

health hotline, website, encouragement

Postcard or flyer Libraries — insert in bag at

curbside service

We’re here to support you — provide public

health hotline, website, encouragement

Postcard or flyer CDA — postcard included in ‘door

hanger’ distribution

We’re here to support you — provide public

health hotline, website, encouragement

Other Communication Tactics

Direct Mail

Tactic Audience Message/Content

Postcard All Dakota County residents We’re here to support you — provide public

health hotline, website, encouragement

Postcard Dakota County residents, 65

and older

We’re here to support you — provide public

health hotline, website, encouragement

Questions?