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Price County Health & Human Services Board Meeting Minutes Date: February 11, 2026 Time: 9:00 a.m. Place: Courthouse County Board Room 101; 126 Cherry St; Phillips, WI 54555 Call to Order: Meeting called to order at 9:00 a.m. by Bob Kopisch, Committee Vice Chairperson. Roll Call: Members Present: Joe Baratka, Sally Huml, Robert Kopisch, Nicole Kulwicki, Suzanne Ocker, Patricia Stephan, Gerald Swenson, Dennis Wartgow Members Excused: Paula Houdek, Nicole Kulwicki Also Present: Krisan Bastil, Health and Human Services Accounting Assistant; Kayla Borgen, Children and Youth Division Manager; Dawn Griesel, Aging and Disability Division Manager; Keri Hammond, Health and Human Services Fiscal Administration Division Manager; Beth Moore, Economic Support ; Tiffany Palecek, Public Health Division Manager / Health Officer; Chana Rymarkiewicz, Behavioral Health Division Manager; Sarah Reese-Socha, Health and Human Services Director Items For Discussion and Possible Action 1. Public Comment and Communications: None 2. New Employee Introductions: Introduced Beth Moore as the Lead Economic Support Specialist, and Deanna Hertlein as an Economic Support Specialist. 3. Vouchers – Krisan Bastil: Discussion, questions and answers on voucher items. Motion Baratka/Wartgow to approve the vouchers in the amounts of $389,886.80 for November and December 2025; and $16,578.06 for January 2026. Motion carried. 4. Minutes from November 5, 2025, Meeting: Motion Wartgow/Swensen to approve the November 5, 2025, m eeting minutes as presented. Motion carried. 5. Children & Youth – Kayla Borgen (It was requested that the Vice Chair move this report to be first on the meeting agenda, although it was originally listed as item seven on the agenda.) a. Quarterly Report: The Children and Youth Quarterly Report for Quarter Four, 2025, was presented and is on file. Reports included three graphs entitled: Price County Placement Statistics In and Out of the County; Price County’s 2025 Quarter Four Placement Types and Costs; and Price County’s Annual Placement Costs. 6. Economic Support – Beth Moore (It was requested that the Vice Chair move this report to be second on the meeting agenda, although it was originally listed as item nine on the agenda.) a. Quarterly Report: Three Quarter Four 2025 Reports for Economic Support were presented and they are on file. The reports include Northern Income Maintenance Consortium (NIMC), 2025 Overpayment and Fraud Referrals; Price County 2025 Yearly Totals versus NIMC 2025 Yearly Total s, reporting on monies spent including FoodShare, Elderly, Badgercare, ChildCare, and other benefits provided; and Price County 2025 Fourth Quarter Monthly Estimate versus NIMC 2025 Fourth Quarter Monthly Estimate. It was reported the NIMC error rate, which includes Price County, is at 3.5%, which is well under the 6% and lower requirement, and the NIMC is doing a fantastic job at the top three in the state regarding error rate. Error rate affects funding. 7. Public Health Unit – Tiffany Palecek (Originally item five on the agenda) a. Quarterly Report : The Public Health Unit Activity Report, Fourth Quarter 2025, was presented and is on file. It covered updates on Communicable Disease, Maternal Child Health and Family Health, Environmental H ealth, Preparedness and Community Needs Assessment and Plan. Further updates were presented from the Health and Wellness Coalition, Substance Use and Mental Health Coalition, PFS and Agency Updates, and Immunizations and Vaccine Usage Report. and a Respiratory Illness Update for the year - to-date. b. Respiratory Illness Update: The Respiratory Illness Update was presented year-to-date, and it is on file. The Northern Region respiratory illness rate is at “High Activity/Decreasing,” whereas The Statewide respiratory illness rate is at “Moderate Activity/Decreasing.” 8. Aging & Disability / Senior Services Unit – Kris Mabie, Dawn Griesel (Originally item six on the agenda) a. Aging & Disability / APS Quarterly Report – Dawn Griesel: The Aging and Disability Unit Quarter Four Report, 2025, was presented and is on file. It covered updates on the Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC), including ADRC Specialists, Memory Café/Support Groups, and Disability Benefit Specialist; and the Adult Protective Services (APS) update. b. ADRC Governing Board Update : Presented the ADRC Governing Board update to include three main takeaways: the potential changes to the disability benefit specialist presented by the State are no longer going into effect; discussion held on reporting changes for Medicaid reimbursement; and discussion on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and different Counties’ use of AI. c. NAC Update – Kris Mabie: No update at this time. It will be covered at a future meeting. d. NAC Council Member Appointment Recommendations – Kris Mabie: No update at this time. It will be covered at a future meeting. e. COA Update – Kris Mabie: No update at this time. It will be covered at a future meeting. f. Senior Services Quarterly Report – Kris Mabie: No update at this time. It will be covered at a future meeting. 9. Behavioral Health Unit – Chana Rymarkiewicz (Originally item eight on the agenda) a. Quarterly Report: The Behavioral Health Unit Fourth Quarter Report was presented and is on file. Reports include Behavioral Health Unit Reporting, Crisis Calls totals for all of 2025; Behavioral Health Programs numbers of individuals utilizing the following programs Intensive Supervision Program (ISP), Comprehensive Community Services (CCS), Community Support Program (CSP) and Coordinated Services Team (CST); and Children’s Service Programs Currently Enrolled for 2025 for Children’s Waiver (CLTS) and Birth to Three. The Chil dren’s Service Programs are not allowed to have a wait list and climbed from 50 cases in January, 2025, to 60 cases in December, 2025. 10. Fiscal and Administrative Unit – Keri Hammond (Originally item 10 on the agenda) a. High-Cost Placements Reports : Presented the High-Cost Placement Reports for Children and Youth and AODA for adults, a nine-year expense comparison, and the reports are on file. Discussion on budgeting for 2026 similar to 2025 amounts. Verbally presented a cost report for Medicaid and related programs for which the County receives reimbursement. 11. Director Report – Sarah Reese-Socha a. Agency Updates: The Health and Human Services A gency expressed gratitude for the Presidents Day holiday. The Children’s waiver (CLTS) from Behavioral Health is up to 60 cases and there is currently one caseworker . The average is about 25 cases per worker, and Administration and Health and the Human Services Director are working to bring forward another position to cover the caseload. There is no waiting list allowed for the child’s waiver. The CLTS program is funded by reimbursements. b. Personnel Updates : An organizational chart of the Price County Health and Human Services Department was presented and is on file. 12. Next meeting: March 11, 2026 13. Adjourn: Meeting adjourned at 10:11 a.m. by Bob Kopisch, Committee Vice Chair. Respectfully Submitted by Meredith Hueckman, County Clerk