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CASS HUMAN SERVICE ZONE BOARD MEETING <br />February 5, 2024 <br />MINUTES <br />Wi th quorum present, Chair Bollinger called the meeting to order at 12:57 p.m. <br />Present: <br />Absent: <br />Presenter: <br />Commissioner Jim Kapita n, Jul ie Haugen (via Tea ms); Carey Fry (via Teams); Dan <br />Madler; Senator Kyle Davison; Jen Sahr; Gail Bollinger <br />Rick Steen; Brian Hagen; <br />Gail Bollinger, Zone Director; Samantha Duitsman, HR and Operations <br />Administrator; Carissa Cowley, Family Service Department Manager; Tammy <br />Ressler, Family Service Case Management Supervisor; Brad Hassler, Family Services <br />Case Management Supervisor <br />I. Approval of Minutes <br />Mr. Davison made a motion to approve the January 2, 2024 Meeting minutes. Mr. Madler <br />seconded . Motion carried. <br />II. New Member Introduction <br />Jennifer 'Jen' Sahr provided her background in education and involvement with the Fargo <br />community. She is the newest member of the Cass Human Service Zone Advisory Board. <br />Ill. Future Meeting Discussion <br />Chair Bollinger opened up discussion to adjust meeting dates for April 1, 2024 and <br />September 3, 2024, which are Mondays after a three-day holiday weekend. <br />Mr. Kapitan made a motion to change the April 1, 2024 meeting to April 8, 2024 and <br />September 3, 2024 meeting to September 9, 2024. Mr. Madler seconded. Motion carried. <br />The schedule invites will be updated to reflect the new dates. <br />IV. Program Spotlight -Carissa Cowley, Family Services Manager <br />Carissa Cowley provided an overview of Family Services, touching on the process of when <br />a report comes in and is assigned to Child Protective Services (CPS) for investigation and <br />explaining situations when Case Management gets involved after a CPS investigation has <br />been completed. <br />The department has experienced many barriers since the approval of the Families First Act <br />in 2020, primarily the loss of facilities that can assist with children that are not able to <br />remain in the family home and where a higher level of care is needed to keep a child safe. <br />Some communities have opened certified shelters for situations like this, but there are <br />limitations for these types of shelters, such as behaviors and lengths of stays. Fargo does <br />not have a certified shelter; however, Minot, Dickinson, and Grand Forks do currently <br />operate certified shelters. Cass Human Service Zone has utilized these shelters in the past <br />for youth within their custody. These facilities are different from a juvenile detention center <br />and the two cannot be housed together. <br />Challenges faced in opening a certified shelter in the Fargo area include funding, space, <br />and staffing. Currently, Cass Human Service Zone team members have been putting in