ALRIGHT. MAKE SURE IF YOU TALK, TURN YOUR MICROPHONES ON SO EVERYBODY CAN HEAR THEM. SO 
          [00:00:05]
WE'LL CALL THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE TO ORDER. MIKE, DO WE NEED TO TAKE 
          [a. 2025-1258 –  DFCS RE:     APPROVAL OF A GRANT AGREEMENT BETWEEN ONEIDA COUNTY, THROUGH ITS DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY AND COMMUNITY SERVICES, AND NEW YORK STATE, THROUGH ITS OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES  ]
ATTENDANCE, SIR? ALRIGHT. WE'RE GOOD. SO WE'LL GO ON TO THE FIRST DOCKET. AND MY FIRST DOCKET. ACCORDING TO MY NOTES, HERE IS DOCKET 20251258 APPROVAL FOR A GRANT AGREEMENT BETWEEN ONEIDA COUNTY THROUGH ITS DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY AND COMMUNITY SERVICES IN NEW YORK STATE, THROUGH ITS OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES. AND I THINK WE GOT MIKE, DO YOU WANT TO COME UP AND GIVE US THE A LITTLE BIT OF THE INFORMATION ON THIS, MIKE. SO THIS IS FOR A GRANT FROM THE NEW YORK STATE OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES FOR THE CHILD ADVOCACY CENTER. $66,000. PORTIONS OF THE GRANT WILL BE USED TO PAY FOR SOME OF THE RENT. SOME EQUIPMENT IN THE RECEPTION AREA AND SOME COMPUTER EQUIPMENT, AND FOR TRAINING FOR THE STAFF THAT ARE LOCATED AT THE CENTER. OKAY, GREAT. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMITTEE ABOUT THIS DOCKET? THE ONLY QUESTION I HAVE, MIKE, IS THERE ANY WAY YOU COULD HAVE PUT $0.66 IN THERE TOO? BECAUSE THEN IT WOULD REALLY GET RIGHT TO THE PENNY. ANYWAYS, I LIKE THAT NUMBER. I WORKED OUT THAT WAY. WELL, HEARING NO QUESTIONS OR NO OBJECTIONS, WE'LL PUT THIS DOCKET TO A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. THANKS, MIKE. THANK 
          [b. 2025-1359 – HEALTH RE: APPROVAL OF A TEMPLATE FOR EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAM SERVICES BETWEEN ONEIDA COUNTY, THROUGH ITS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, AND VARIOUS PROVIDERS AND TRANSFER OF $70,000.00 TO A 2900 2970.495-293 – OTHER EXPENSE SERVICES (HEALTH)  ]
YOU. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. NEXT UP IS 2025139. APPROVAL OF THE TEMPLATE FOR EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAM SERVICES BETWEEN THE COUNTY TO ITS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND VARIOUS PROVIDERS, AND TRANSFER OF $70,000. TO 2902970.94293 OTHER EXPENSES, HEALTH SERVICE. AND I THINK DOCTOR GILMORE IS GOING TO GIVE US THE INFORMATION ON THIS. YES, DOCTOR. GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M GOING TO TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO GIVE YOU SOME BACKGROUND ON THIS, BECAUSE IT'S AN IT INVOLVES BASICALLY WITH THE SERVICES PROVIDED FOR EARLY INTERVENTION. THE BEEN LIKE THIS NOW FOR ABOUT 13 YEARS. AND ACTUALLY, MYSELF AND OTHERS IN THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT WERE AROUND BACK THEN, BUT WE WERE IN DIFFERENT CAPACITIES. SO REALLY ANYBODY THAT WAS INVOLVED WITH THE PROGRAM IN A LOT OF DETAIL BACK 13 YEARS AGO IS RETIRED AND MOVED ON. SO, SO BASICALLY WITH THE MONEY, THE PROVIDERS ARE PAID BY THE STATE, BUT THE MONIES COME FROM THE COUNTY ARE PUT IN ESCROW WITH THE STATE TO, TO PAY FOR THE PROVIDERS AND REIMBURSEMENTS RATES BY THE STATE. THEY VARY BY COUNTY A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF PROVIDERS, GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION, RURALNESS, ETC. THERE'S SEVERAL STEPS IN THE AI PROGRAM TO PROVIDE SERVICES. FIRST, THERE'S A REFERRAL. NEXT, THERE'S AN AI OFFICIAL WHO'S A COUNTY EMPLOYEE ASSIGNED TO MONITOR THE CASE AND FOLLOW IT THROUGHOUT ITS ITS COURSE. THEN THEY HAVE A MEETING WITH THE FAMILY, PROVIDE THEM INFORMATION ON THE PROGRAM, BRING THEM UP TO SPEED. THERE'S AN INITIAL EVALUATION WHICH IS DONE BY ONE OF THE PROVIDERS ENGAGED BY THE STATE. AFTER THAT, IF THE PROCESS CONTINUES, THERE'S AN INDIVIDUALIZED FAMILY SERVICE PLAN CREATED AND THERE'S ONGOING SERVICE COORDINATION. AND THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT IF THERE'S MULTIPLE THERAPIES BEING PROVIDED, WHICH COULD BE SPEECH, PHYSICAL THERAPY, OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY AND OTHERS HEARING, ETC. 
          AND THEN THERE'S SIX MONTH REVIEWS. SO THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND THERE. AND PRIOR TO THE STATE HAVING THE CONTRACTORS AND PAYING THEM, THEY WERE THE COUNTIES DID THAT. 
          BUT THAT CHANGED AGAIN QUITE A WHILE AGO. SO THERE'S BEEN AN ISSUE THAT I'M SURE EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM IS AWARE OF IS THAT CHILDREN AREN'T ABLE TO GET PROVIDERS. AND WE'VE BEEN LOOKING INTO THIS FOR SEVERAL MONTHS, ACTUALLY BETTER THAN A YEAR. AND A LOT OF THIS WAS IMPACTED BY COVID. BUT BUT BASICALLY EVERY COUNTY IS DIFFERENT. I'VE SPOKEN WITH COLLEAGUES FROM OTHER COUNTIES ABOUT THIS AND THEY'VE HAD TROUBLE GETTING PROVIDERS. THAT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE THE CASE HERE. THE GAP HERE SEEMS TO BE THE ONGOING SERVICE COORDINATION, AND IT'S BECAUSE OUR PROVIDERS CAN'T FIND PEOPLE TO DO THE ONGOING SERVICE COORDINATION BECAUSE THE RATES ARE TOO LOW. THE RATES ARE SET BY THE STATE AND PAID BY THE STATE. NOW, THE STAFF WORKING FOR THE COUNTY ARE TAKING ON THAT ROLE AS BEST THEY CAN, BUT 
          [00:05:01]
THEY'RE OVERWHELMED, SO TO SPEAK. SO BASICALLY THE PROVIDERS, BECAUSE THEY CAN'T FIND ONGOING SERVICE COORDINATION, HAVE PAUSED MANY PROGRAMS. SO THERE'S A LOT OF KIDS BEING REFERRED AND ACTUALLY THE INITIAL EVALUATION. BUT THEN IT KIND OF STOPS AND THE DATA SHOWS THAT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU LOOK AT OUR ANNUAL REPORT, THE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE WAITING HAVE GONE UP, BUT THE ONES GOING THROUGH WITH THERAPIES HAVE GONE DOWN, PARTICULARLY THIS LAST YEAR. SO I SPOKE WITH ALL OF OUR PROVIDERS. BASICALLY THERE'S 15 OR 17. I BELIEVE SOME HAVE LEFT BECAUSE THEY CAN'T DO IT BECAUSE THE RATES AREN'T HIGH ENOUGH AND OTHERS ABSORB THE COSTS THROUGH OTHER WAYS. BUT THEY AGREE THAT THE ONGOING SERVICE COORDINATION IS THE PROBLEM. ONE COUNTY I SPOKE WITH, TOMPKINS COUNTY, HAD THE ISSUE WITH PROVIDERS, AND WHAT THEY DID IS THEY INCREASED THE RATES ABOVE THE STATE RATE. SO THEY PAID IN ADDITION TO WHAT THE STATE PAID THE CONTRACTORS. 
          SO WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING HERE IS TO WITH THE ONGOING SERVICE COORDINATION, IT SEEMS TO BE OUR BOTTLENECK IS TO INCREASE THE RATE FROM ROUGHLY $15 PER HOUR, A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN THAT $15 PER BILLABLE UNIT, NOT NECESSARILY PER HOUR. IT'S LESS THAN AN HOUR TO $20 PER BILLABLE UNIT, IN HOPES THAT THAT WOULD MAKE IT MORE ATTRACTIVE FOR PEOPLE TO FILL THAT ROLE. THE THIS IS A CONTRACT TEMPLATE THAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU THAT WOULD BE USED FOR ALL THE PROVIDERS AND ONE'S COMING ON IN THE FUTURE. AND WE PROPOSED DOING THIS RETROACTIVELY TO JANUARY 1ST OF THIS YEAR TO HELP GIVE THEM A LITTLE BOOST. THE COST? IT'S $70,000 THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DIVERT FROM UNUSED TRANSPORTATION FUNDS THAT WE ANTICIPATED WE'D BE USING, BUT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE WE'LL BE USING TO SEE IF THIS WORKS. IT'S NOT GOING TO FIX ALL OF THE ISSUES, BUT IT WILL HELP US ALLEVIATE THE BACKLOG AND HOPEFULLY PROVIDE SERVICES TO MORE CHILDREN. WHAT COULD HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE? THERE COULD BECOME A BACKLOG IN THE THERAPY FOR THERAPY PROVIDERS. AND WE'LL WORK WITH THAT THEN. BUT EVENTUALLY THE STATE IS GOING TO HAVE TO RAISE ITS RATES. SO BASICALLY WE'RE SUPPLEMENTING WE'RE PROPOSING TO SUPPLEMENT WHAT TYPEKIT COUNTIES DID RIGHT WHERE SUPPLEMENTING THEY WERE THEY WERE DOING THEY WERE THEY WERE DOING THE SERVICE. WE'RE GOING TO DO IT. YEAH. INSTEAD OF $15 A BILLABLE UNIT, IT'S $20. 
          YEAH. SO WE'RE SUPPLEMENTING THE OTHER FIVE. YES, YES. HAS THAT WORKED IN THE OTHER COUNTIES? WELL THEY SAID IT'S IMPROVING, BUT IT WAS TOO EARLY TO TELL. WHEN I SPOKE WITH THEM ABOUT IT A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, THEY WERE INTO IT FOR ABOUT SIX MONTHS. THEY SAID IT WAS HELPING. SO. SO IS THERE A WAY TO SURVEY? I'M SORRY. YOU WANT TO GO? YOU GO. YEAH. WHAT ARE THE ADVOCACY EFFORTS OF TO THE STATE ON INCREASING THE ADVOCACY EFFORTS THROUGHOUT THE STATE? YEAH. EVERY COUNTY KIND OF HANDLES IT A DIFFERENT WAY. AND EVERYBODY AGREES THAT IT'S THE LOWER RATES BEING PAID. THAT'S THE PRIMARY ISSUE. BUT IT'S INTERESTING, MIKE, WITH THROUGHOUT THE STATE, SOME COUNTIES ARE SAYING THEY DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM, BUT THERE ARE SMALLER COUNTIES WITH LESS SERVICES BEING PROVIDED. AND THEY KIND OF THEY I CAN'T SAY THEY LIKE IT, BUT THEY'RE NOT TOO CONCERNED. AND OTHERS NOT REALLY A UNIFIED, COORDINATED, NO EFFORT AT ALL. IT'S NOT POSSIBLE BECAUSE EVERY COUNTY IS STRUCTURED A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT IN THE WAYS THEY ADDRESS IT. WITH THE POPULATION SERVED, SOME ARE MORE RURAL THAN OTHERS, SO IT'S TAKEN SOME TIME TO GET A HANDLE ON EXACTLY WHAT THE ISSUE WAS HERE IN ONEIDA COUNTY. I MEAN, I WOULD SUPPORT THIS, BUT I ALMOST FEEL LIKE IT SHOULD ALSO COME WITH, YOU KNOW, A LETTER FROM THE LEGISLATURE TO THE STATE SAYING, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THIS GAP THAT NEEDS TO BE FULFILLED BY THE STATE. WE'RE DOING THE STATE'S WORK HERE. WELL, I YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL TO, TO DO IT, ACTUALLY. VERY GREAT. ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? SO HAVE YOU. IS THERE A WAY OF TESTING THE WATERS? HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO TALK TO YOU? SAID THERE WAS 15 TO 17 PROVIDERS. DO. IS THERE A WAY OF KNOWING IF YOU'VE TALKED TO THEM IF YOU. 
          WELL, I'VE SPOKEN WITH EVERY ONE OF THEM. A WAGE RATE, THEY'D BE HAPPY OR SOME WOULD COME BACK ONLINE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. YES. THEY SAID IT WOULD DEFINITELY HELP. AND SOME THAT HAVE LIKE PAUSED THEIR PROGRAMS. THEY SAID THEY'D HOPE TO BE ABLE TO GET THEM UP AND RUNNING AGAIN, BUT IT WOULDN'T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT. YOU KNOW, WE'D HAVE TO EVALUATE OVER TIME. I'D SAY IN SIX MONTHS WE'LL I'LL BE LOOKING AT IT PRETTY MUCH WEEKLY, BUT IN SIX MONTHS I'D BE ABLE TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT BETTER PICTURE. OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMITTEE? OKAY. SEEING NONE, WE'LL TAKE THIS DOCKET TO VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE. OPPOSE. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DOCTOR. THANK YOU. HAVE A GREAT NIGHT. I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANY OTHER DOCKETS, SO WE'LL MAKE A MOTION.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.