Health & Human Services Board — Minutes

Minutes of the October 1, 2026 Meeting of the Sawyer County Health and Human Services Committee of the Sawyer County Board of Supervisors Board Room, Sawyer County Voting Committee Members Present: Others Present: Kay Wilson Liz Klein Carrie Mann- Virtual Chuck Van Etten Mike Markgren Alicia Carlson- Virtual Ida Kinsley Julia Lyons Season Westphal- Virtual Jim Miller Rebecca Erickson Shawna White- Virtual Jeff Hoehne Julie McCallum Amy Thompson Lorraine Gouge- Excused Joe Bodo Vacant Caitlan Myren Pam Mueller Cole Myren Dr. Sabrina Dunlap Call to Order – Chair Wilson called the meeting to order at 5:01 pm. Certification of Compliance with the open meeting law was confirmed. Roll Call was taken; a quorum was met. Meeting Agenda – Set Public Comments – None Minutes from the previous meeting dated: September 3, 2026 Motion to approve amended minutes made by: Mr. Hoehne Second by: Mr. Van Etten Motion carried without negative vote. Outside Committee Reports- LCO Liaison— No report Senior Resource Center— Ms. Klein reported that SRC received the 100 Who Care Award for $12,200 , sold 62 chicken dinners at the chicken cookout, is hosting a brat tent at Cranberry Fest on Oct 3 and staff is planning the annual Christmas cookie sale. Administration— An updated HHS Acronym/Terms glossary has been included as a standing agenda item. Ms. Lyons reviewed changes to the Org Chart and discussed staffing turnover. An update on the department’s Strategic Plan will be given at the next meeting. Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC)— The Adult Long Term Care (ALTC) report was provided. Ch. 55 Presentation- Rebecca Erickson gave a detailed presentation on Ch. 55 placement. It is projected that 1 in 5 adults will suffer dementia in Sawyer County by 2030. There is a lack of resources, providers, facilities, memory care units, and mental health aging units in the region. Behavioral Health— A Youth Resource Guide and Sawyer County Assistance Guide were presented. Joe Bodo spoke about the increasing number of severe emergency detention cases involving aging, substance abuse and mental health disorders both within Sawyer County and state-wide. Mobile Crisis & Ch. 51 Presentation- Ms. Myren gave a detailed presentation on Ch. 51 holds and placements and explained that Ch. 51 is for treatable mental health issues and Ch. 55 is for degenerative brain disorders (ie Alzheimer’s, dementia). Violent mental health crises are increasing; timely Mobile Crisis intervention has been successful in reducing the number that require involuntary placements. Mental Health Expense reports were provided. Children, Youth & Family Services— CPS/YJ Report— Ms. Westphal gave a presentation on Children’s Protective Services and Youth Justice programs for truancy and diversion aimed at reducing youth entry into the criminal justice system. The report included a breakdown of cases by race, showing Native Americans making up the greatest number of participants. Ms. Thompson walked through a foster care case study showing the various steps and levels of involvement by county CPS staff over a three-year case. Children’s Supportive Services- There are 24 enrolled and 1 referral in Birth to 3, and CLTS has 66 enrolled with 1 pending enrollments. Economic Support— There was no written report for September. Ms. White presented a flyer for the Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program (WHEAP) which has had a large number of applicants already. Public Health-- Ms. McCallum reviewed a written report for September; measles cases are increasing in Wisconsin, none reported in Sawyer County. Pertussis has been reported in Sawyer County. Clean Sweep served 495 vehicles and collected 90 pounds of meds and 123.2 pounds of medical sharps as part of the Harm Reduction plan for the community. Approximately 20-22 pounds of the medicines were controlled substances, which were handed over to law enforcement for destruction. Walk for Tomorrow Suicide Awareness Walk had 130 participants in Hayward and 48 in Winter. The Sawyer County Healthier Together annual stakeholder meeting is scheduled for Oct. 27 at LCO University from 8am -11am and participation is encouraged. Fiscal— Ms. Lyons reviewed the HHS fiscal reports. Board Appointed Committee Updates— None Correspondence, Reports from Conferences and Meetings— None Future Agenda Items— Bylaws, Sawyer-specific Consortium data report Meeting Date/Time – The next meeting of the Health and Human Services Board will be Thursday, October 29, 2026, at 5:00pm in the Board Room. Meeting adjourned at 6:49pm Minutes recorded by Liz Klein, County Clerk