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


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

1) Communication

2) Vendor Support & Issue Resolution

3) Contract Process Changes


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


Community Services Main Phone Call Volume


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


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



Juvenile and Adult Sections

• Modifications to existing service delivery

• Suspension of non-essential programs

• Coordination with Courts, County Attorney, and Jail


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



Small poster or

postcard

Organizations offer services for

seniors — YMCA, senior centers,

Meals on Wheels



Postcard or flyer Libraries — insert in bag at

curbside service



Postcard or flyer CDA — postcard included in ‘door

hanger’ distribution



Other Communication Tactics

Direct Mail

Tactic Audience Message/Content

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


Postcard Dakota County residents, 65

and older



Questions?

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