07-07-2008 - Laserfiche WebLink

Commission Minutes-July 7,2008 3374 Ms. Regimbal was part of the initial conversations regarding creation of an Attendant Care program in Cass County. She said North Dakota began fully participating in the Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Act in 1990 to allow the use of the least restrictive and appropriate settings for juveniles taken into custody. Currently, there are eleven Attendant Care sites throughout North Dakota with six of the sites administered by the county and five administered by private providers. LSS provides services to the Fargo, Grand Forks and Minot locations. She said federal funds are provided to the State Division of Juvenile Services and administered by NDACo. The funds have remained relatively flat over the last 18 years; however, placements continue to be quite high with around 400 juveniles run through the program last year. Out of the 400, 18 were considered protective custody cases and do not meet the federal guidelines of the funding source; therefore, the NDACo needs to tighten the budget and provided notice to Social Services around seven months ago. She said LSS wants to continue to run the program at the county site, but would need an agreement with Social Services including some mechanism of payment to cover costs for youth brought to Attendant Care that do not meet the guidelines for reimbursement. Mr. Ammerman said the service provided by LSS is important for juveniles in protective custody. He said $4,000 to $4,500 may be available in the 2008 budget to help cover the costs. I nitial discussion included a $15 per hour rate or approximately $14,000 per year. Mr. Wagner said this issue is problematic since the change is effective immediately with no revenue source identified. Mrs. Johnson spoke with NDACo staff regarding the county possibly charging a nominal rent. They said a rent budget does not really exist and this is a program the county is to provide; however, an outside agency (LSS) has agreed to manage the program as long as they are reimbursed for basic costs. Mrs. Johnson said Cass County Social Services has an agreement in place with the Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch to house juveniles in shelter care. Mr. Ammerman said Attendant Care is intended as a short-term arrangement. He said a safe home, such as the Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch, is a licensed foster care facility and is eligible to receive foster care funds. He said discussions will need to be held with law enforcement officials regarding how to make direct placement of children into a safe home prior to being brought to Attendant Care. Mr. Wagner said today is the first time the board has reviewed this item. He suggested a more in-depth conversation be held regarding the costs and amount of space used for the program. Mrs. Johnson suggested the item be tabled until the next meeting in order to obtain a blueprint of the location; identify the number of square feet involved; estimate the internal costs to operate the site; and contact Grand Forks, Ward and Burleigh Counties regarding their Attendant Care programs. MOTION, passed Mr. Bennett moved and Mr. Vanyo seconded to table the item until the next meeting. Discussion: Mr. Bennett said the key is to ensure the youth are being served appropriately. Motion carried.