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K:\Agendas and Minutes\DHS Board\Minutes\2026 DHS Board Minutes\2026-08-04\DHS Board Minutes 8-4-26 - DRAFT 1 BAYFIELD COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES BOARD MEETING County Board Room and Virtual Tuesday, August 4, 2026, at 4 p.m. Committee Members Present: Jim Crandall, Teri Hanson, Jeff Holte, Donna Lundin, Marty Milanowski, Amy Nigbor*, Sue Rosa, Jamie Tucker Members Not Present: Jeremy Oswald (excused) Others Present: Tom Croteau, Stephanie Eder, Jo Beth Gonzalez*, Christopher O’Dell, Jeanine Spuhler, Brynna Watters-Moffitt*, Hayley Weyers *denotes virtual attendance Call to order: Crandall called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. Welcome and Introductions: Introductions were made. Open Floor for Public Comment: Crandall opened the floor for public comment Discussion and Possible Action: Review and Approval for the June 25, 2026, Meeting Minutes Monthly Section Report: Support Services-Stephanie Eder:  Eder announced that Support Staff had completed the 2025 Annual Report.  Eder and Croteau completed the 2027 budget.  The yearly audit and exit review has been completed. Eder, Heather Gilbertson and Sarah Traaholt met with the auditor from Baker Tilly on August 4. There were no findings yet. Eder commended Gilbertson on her first audit since becoming the DHS bookkeeper, stating that she did a great job.  Support Staff are working to reorganize the vault and remove old files. It is a big project that will probably continue through the end of the year.  Ann Ehler is still working on the electronic health records system and is progressing well. She will be working with the company that supports it to learn more about the system. Draft minutes are subject to change before approval at the next DHS Board meeting. Motion by Milanowski, seconded by Holte, to approve the June 25, 2026, meeting minutes. All in favor. Motion passed. K:\Agendas and Minutes\DHS Board\Minutes\2026 DHS Board Minutes\2026-08-04\DHS Board Minutes 8-4-26 - DRAFT 2 Aging and Disability Services-Brynna Watters-Moffitt:  Watters-Moffitt stated that A&D staff is busy covering for one another while employees are out on vacations or at trainings.  Alex Erickson has been out doing annual placement reviews.  APS has slowed down and are not dealing with as many complex situations currently.  Watters-Moffitt met with representatives from CORE to see what their plans are for the future and what we can do to support one another’s efforts.  Congregate meal sites and the home delivered meal program are steady. Watters- Moffitt stated that four of the home delivered meal routes have 30 consumers on each route, which is the highest they have ever had. Madi Mackin sent out 124 contribution letters.  The ADRC is working with UW-Extension on the Living Well Newsletter.  Rosa asked if the slowing in APS means that those cases are being resolved. Watters- Moffitt answered that they are at differing levels of being resolved but are still being monitored.  Crandall asked if CORE, which is Bayfield-centered, and CARE, which is Cable-centered, could connect to reach more people. Watters-Moffitt replied that CORE is currently regrouping to figure out what they want to do and how to do it well.  Crandall asked if the Barnes meal site will be opening back up soon? Watters-Moffitt stated that they had to close to get the roof redone, but they should be open now. Economic Support Services-Jeanine Spuhler:  Spuhler announced that the State is sending out letters to let people know that their income assistance may be affected by work requirements. She added that in the NIMC, these letters will be going to just over 7,500 people.  She announced that Isabel Ford is going through the Interim Assistance training.  The first meeting with the State for Energy Assistance is on Thursday, August 6 in preparation for the upcoming winter months.  Spuhler stated that the state is trying to make sure that no one loses their coverage and has filed a lawsuit against the Federal government. She added that people have been calling with concerns about the loss of coverage and the ES staff have been handling these calls.  Eder asked how the hours are tracked, especially the volunteer hours, when it comes to the work requirement. Spuhler answered that they must get a written statement.  Tucker asked if there were specific organizations for which they must volunteer for their hours to count. Spuhler stated any volunteer work counts, whether it be for a business, institution or your neighbor.  Holte asked if ES helps provide ideas for these hours. Spuhler stated they do based on the discussions they have with the consumers.  Rosa asked how many people are required to do this. Spuhler answered there are 524 in Bayfield County and over 7,500 in the entire NIMC. Behavioral Health and Community Program - Jo Beth Gonzalez:  Gonzalez, who attended virtually due to attending the Wisconsin Substance Abuse Summit, provided the following updates:  Behavioral Health & Community Programs Update: This week, like many others, moved quickly as the Behavioral Health team balanced daily operations while preparing K:\Agendas and Minutes\DHS Board\Minutes\2026 DHS Board Minutes\2026-08-04\DHS Board Minutes 8-4-26 - DRAFT 3 for month-end deadlines. It continues to be great to see the strong communication and collaboration both within our team and with community partners as we work together to support participants.  CCS Program Satisfaction Survey: CCS staff are completing annual participant consent forms for the CCS Program Satisfaction Survey. Surveys will be distributed next month, with results submitted to the state by the end of September. This annual process is a required quality improvement measure for the Medicaid-funded Comprehensive Community Services (CCS) program.  Strengthening Collaboration: Behavioral Health, ADRC, and Adult Protective Services continue working to strengthen collaboration and reduce information silos through regular meetings and shared staffing opportunities. I am also partnering with Brynna Watters-Moffitt, Aging and Disability Services Manager, to join routine staffing with Inclusa when appropriate, helping our teams better understand one another's roles while improving coordination for the participants we serve.  Additional Funding Awarded: Great news this week—we learned that Bayfield County was awarded supplemental Mental Health and Substance Use Block Grant funding. While a few administrative steps remain before the award is finalized, we anticipate receiving the funding soon. The funding includes a short spending window, with opportunities for eligible retroactive reimbursement.  Substance Use Summit: Several Behavioral Health staff, including myself, will attend the Wisconsin Substance Use Summit next week in Green Bay. The conference focuses on prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery through evidence-informed practices, collaboration, and networking with professionals from across the state.  International Overdose Awareness Day – August 31: Planning continues for Bayfield County's International Overdose Awareness Day event on August 31 at noon on the courthouse lawn. This effort is part of the larger Voices for Recovery collaboration with Ashland County, Bad River Tribe, Red Cliff Tribe, Tamarack, and other community partners. Featured speakers include Mike Kelly (North Star Peer Support), Brittany Kuka (Auxilia Initiative), Behavioral Health Workers Jamie Allen and Ness Pierce, and Heather Atherton (Washburn EMS). The Veterans Office and Public Health will also have resource tables available. Banners, flyers, and additional community outreach will begin rolling out over the next week, and the courthouse rotunda will be lit in recognition of the event.  Crandall asked if the Impaired Driver Program (IDP)(part of the training Gonzalez was attending) is an evidence-based program. Gonzalez stated it that it was. Part of the program is gathering information to determine the level of treatment needed. It is standardized based on the information provided about the person’s substance abuse.  Crandall asked if they had mentioned the effectiveness of the IDP. Gonzalez stated that approximately 50% of first-time offenders do not re-offend. Family Services-Hayley Weyers:  Weyers announced that with the hiring Marne Belanger Family Services and DHS are fully staffed.  Weyers provided the following updates:  It’s been a big week already in the child welfare programs. This weekend marked an important overnight visit for a CPS involved family and one for a Youth Justice involved family. These were both successful! And an important step in working toward reunification. K:\Agendas and Minutes\DHS Board\Minutes\2026 DHS Board Minutes\2026-08-04\DHS Board Minutes 8-4-26 - DRAFT 4  Access and On-call staff this weekend also responded and took action to ensure safety for a high stakes and rapidly changing situation for a family. Staff did great work partnering with local law enforcement agencies.  Ivy Ray and Ness Pierce both became certified in the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths, or CANS, assessment tool. It’s a standardized way of capturing a youth’s level of need and has applications across child welfare programs.  I attended the Motivational Interviewing Summit with Ivy, where the Department of Children and Families is preparing a roll out of Motivational Interviewing being a foundational best practice for CPS and Youth Justice. Motivational Interviewing, or MI, has had a few decades as evidence-based practice in other areas for supporting people to navigate change, and there’s a lot of potential in adding it to engage families connected to child welfare programs too. Pilot programs for a few counties will begin in 2027.  Foster families now have access to monthly Caregiver Connections, like a support and networking group, held monthly on the last Monday, 6-7 pm – there was good turnout already! Also coming up, at the school open houses, Brittany Anderson will be tabling to hopefully meet some new, soon-to-be foster families.  Birth to 3 is exploring an enhanced collaboration with the Red Cliff Early Childhood Center, where Birth to 3 professionals will be onsite at the Childhood Center at least monthly to observe, team, and help with early identification. The Childhood Center is also exploring more ways to draw in families from their home visit program, and to add an assessment tool that would round out the current ones used between Birth to 3 and the Childhood Center.  Children’s Long-Term Support (or CLTS) is drumming along as a team of four now and beginning to field information about the upcoming Wavier renewal. Every 5 years, CLTS applies for a renewal from the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS). This is also when major changes in the program are applied by the state and begin January 1st, 2027.  Holte asked what an example of a change to the budget might be. Weyers responded that dropping services or adding new services based on rate of use or feedback from counties.  Crandall asked if regarding the waiver program, does that mean asking for something that is not specifically listed that needs to be approved, and are they typically granted. Weyers confirmed, adding that they are usually approved, but they can sometimes be amended before being granted.  Croteau announced that August 4 was Weyers’ five-year work anniversary.  Monthly Reports: Financial: The board reviewed the financial reports and budgets. Training: The board reviewed overnight training. Discussion and Possible Action: Review and Approval of the proposed 2027 DHS Budget  Eder presented the 2027 budget to the board. K:\Agendas and Minutes\DHS Board\Minutes\2026 DHS Board Minutes\2026-08-04\DHS Board Minutes 8-4-26 - DRAFT 5  Rosa commended the DHS staff for their hard work in putting it together. Discussion and Possible Action: Approval of the 2025 DHS Annual Report  Croteau and Eder presented the 2025 DHS Annual Report to the board.  Holte commended the DHS staff for their hard work on it.  The board members presented their questions to the department managers and there were discussions about changes that should be made. Discussion and Possible Action: Consider Proposed Committee Recommendation to Appoint Beverly Lindell and Beverly Patterson to Family Services Behavioral Health Advisory Committee.  Weyers discussed these appointments with the board. Discussion and Possible Action: Consider Proposed Committee Recommendation to Appoint Holly Tourdot to the regional Comprehensive Community Services Coordination Committee.  Croteau discussed the appointment with the board. Other (Information Items):  International Overdose Awareness Day – August 31 o Gonzalez discussed this further with the Board and encouraged all to attend. 2026 Meeting Dates:  September 24, 2026  October 22, 2026  December 1, 2026 (November/December meeting, potluck at 3:30 p.m., meeting at 4:00 p.m.) Adjournment: Crandall adjourned the meeting at 5:27 p.m. Minutes respectfully submitted by Christopher O’Dell Milwanowski made a motion to approve the proposed 2027 DHS Budget and send it to the full County Board. Tucker seconded the motion. All in favor. Motion passed. Milwanowski made a motion to approve the 2025 DHS Annual Report with changes. Holte seconded the motion. All in favor. Motion passed. Rosa made a motion to approve the appointments of Beverly Lindell and Beverly Patterson to the Family Services Behavioral Health Advisory Committee. Hanson seconded. All in favor. Motion passed. Rosa made a motion to approve the appointment of Holly Tourdot to the regional Comprehensive Community Services Coordination Committee. Milanowski seconded. All in favor. Motion passed. K:\Agendas and Minutes\DHS Board\Minutes\2026 DHS Board Minutes\2026-08-04\DHS Board Minutes 8-4-26 - DRAFT 6