Human Services Presentation March 2005

Presented by: Suzanne Alexander, CCAO Policy Analyst David Dhume, Madison County Commissioner and Chair of CCAO Health & Human Services Committee Jack Graf, Fulton County Commissioner and Chair of the Area 7 WIB Consortium of Commissioners

Human Services & Commissioners

Identify the role county commissioners play in human services

Identify funding responsibilities

Gain familiarity with programs and acronyms

Benefit from experience of your peers

Budget overview (as time permits)

State Supervised/County Administered System

What does this mean?

– State is supposed to provide fiscal oversight, monitoring, technical assistance, negotiate with the feds, and operate necessary computer tracking and reporting systems

– Counties are to deliver the face-to-face services, provide the state with accurate reporting information, and provide feedback about how these programs are working for the citizens of Ohio

Welfare Reform

Goal: Helping families achieve or maintain self-sufficiency

Federal Program is called Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

Ohio’s welfare reform program is called Ohio Works First (OWF) – Focus moved from cash assistance to

Prevention, Retention & Contingency Programs (PRC). Counties have some flexibility to determine PRC Plans.

Welfare Reform Continued

Funding Streams

– TANF Block Grant (currently in the process of federal reauthorization)

– Title XX Social Services Block Grant

– County Share of Public Assistance (ORC 5101.16) calculated by adding up:

25% of the county’s Disability Assistance expenditures and administration

10% of Food Stamp and Medicaid Administration

TANF Maintenance of Effort

Children Services

County Commissioners have ultimate responsibility for protecting children from abuse & neglect

Structural Options

– Separate Children Services Board (32)

– CDJFS (56)

– Any private or Governmental Entity

Children Services Continued

Funding Sources

– County funds comprise over 50%

About half of Ohio’s counties have levies to fund this obligation

– Federal Funds finance over 40%

Title IV-E

Some TANF for supportive services

Title XX also used

– State Funds

About 7% (Ohio Ranks 49th out of 50 states)

Adult Protective Services

Counties are also responsible for protecting adults over age 60 from abuse and neglect

– Used to get some state GRF for this function, but now counties use mostly Title XX dollars, thus putting these services in competition with other Title XX allowable populations

Child Support

County Commissioners are responsible for designating and overseeing a Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA) to perform duties such as: – Establish paternity – Enforce support orders – Locating absent parents

Structural Options – CDJFS (59 counties) – Separate agency (21) – County Prosecuting Attorney (5) – Court of Common Pleas (3)

Child Support Continued

Funding Sources

– Federal IV-D pays 66%

– Ohio’s Share

State GRF

Administrative Fees

Federal Incentive Dollars

County GRF Contribution (OPTIONAL)

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

County Commissioners are responsible for implementing the federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA)

Commissioners appoint the business-driven board and provide a workforce development agency to deliver services

Funding Sources – Federal WIA Funds

– TANF dollars when applicable

Supportive Services

Your CDJFS performs a host of supportive services that represent millions of dollars a year in spending that you are liable for, such as:

– Child Care Eligibility Determination

– Food Stamp Eligibility

– Medicaid Eligibility

Veterans Services

Each county must have a Veterans Services Commission (VSC)

According to ORC 5901.11 and a court case called Lynch v. Gallia Co. Bd. Of Co. Commr’s, county commissioners must fund the VSC for all lawful requests up to five-tenths of a mill.

VSC’s are also entitled to up to $500 for Memorial Day expenses (ORC 307.66)

MR/DD

County commissioners are the taxing authority and shared appointing authority for the county MR/DD Board

Funding Liability – Definitely maybe off the hook if you place

a levy on the ballot. ORC 5126.05, ORC 5705.19(L) and Jackson

Co. Bd. Of MR/DD v. Jackson Co. Bd. Of Comm’rs

Alcohol, Drug Addiction & Mental Health

County Commissioners have shared appointing authority

County Commissioners are the taxing authority for levies (unless your county is part of a joint county ADAMHS Board)

ODMH v. Clermont Co. ADAMHS Board – no funding liability for commissioners. NOTE: Statutory language serving as the basis of this case was changed in 1996. No court challenge has occurred since then.

Medically Handicapped Children Program

Counties are required to pay for the state’s medically handicapped children program up to one-tenth of a mill according to ORC 3701.24

Tuberculosis

County commissioners are payor of last resort for TB treatment & detention costs under ORC 339.19 and 339.89

Counties can pass a TB levy up to .65 mill

There are about 300 cases of active, highly contagious TB in Ohio every year.

Senior Citizen Services

County Commissioners have the option of putting on a levy for senior citizen services or facilities under ORC 5705.71

At last CCAO survey, 56 counties have Senior Citizen Levies

Organizational Structure – Most counties choose to appoint and organize a board or council to

oversee the senior services levy. Some boards are organized as non-profits and some are not. A few counties have set up a county agency to administer the levy services.

– These boards usually hire someone to help them assess need and determine what services should be provided. The hired employee then contracts with providers to actually deliver the services.

County Homes & Hospitals

These are completely optional services that county commissioners can offer.

Concluding Remarks

Please feel free to contact your CCAO Human Services Policy Analyst, Suzanne Alexander, at (614) 220-7982 or SAlexander@ccao.org