Supervisors discuss future of Community Services

     Will Jones County have to hire a new, full-time Community Services director?

   That was one of the options laid out during the Jan. 2 Jones County Supervisors meeting, when the board met with current director, Lucia Herman.

   In December, Community Services’ administrative assistant resigned due to ongoing health issues. This position started out at 20 hours a week. In March 2023, the position was made full-time, 50/50, dedicating half the position to the MHDS region.

   Herman said being down an employee forced her word extra hours to cover the office.

   “Things are very behind,” Herman told the board. “We’ve been over this last year when we added hours to her position, with MHDS funding half and the county funding half.”

   For Herman’s position, she spends 95 percent of day working for the region and 5 percent for Jones County Community Services. There are also two social workers who work full time for the region.

   Herman said Community Services operates as the human social services department for the county, and staff are needed to meet clients’ needs. And right now, she said there is a waiting list for clients.

   “To be honest, I just quit taking a wait list. I’m turning people away; not even adding them.”

   Community Services offers a wide range of services, as well as others that are spelled out or required by Iowa Code Section 252.25. For the most part, Community Services offers General Assistance (GA) to county residents (rent and utility assistance).

   Years ago, Community Services also offered VA (Veterans Affairs) assistance. That’s when Susan Yario was hired to offset the workload.

   “We kept substance abuse services and GA (rent/utilities) and the county social work,” recalled Herman. “But we had full-time staff.”

   As Herman and her staff continue to cover Community Services needs, their time is being compensated by the MHDS region.

   About eight years ago, when the regions were formed, some counties broke off their social services, keeping them separate from the region.

   “Within our region, we’re down to two of our nine counties that are still trying to do what we’re doing (splitting region and Community Service duties). But it’s really not realistic,” noted Herman. “All of these offices have staff to assist them. It’s not just a director.”

   In speaking with region CEO, Mae Hingtgen, Herman said the region would gladly take her full-time, which would leave the county to hire its own Community Services director.

   “The reality has hit that it’s time for the county to go back paying for its Community Service office,” Herman said.

   Aside from that, Herman also wants to start advertising for an administrative assistant right away. As she prepares her region and county budgets, she said she needs to know how many staff to budget for.

   “Twenty hours now does not cover it. I don’t want to hire a 20-hour person and have to redo this (budget) down the road.”

   Herman suggested starting at 25 to 30 hours.

   Aside from GA, Community Services also offers crisis services for homeless folks, and serves as a resource to refer and connect people to the correct services they need.

   Herman told the board if they didn’t want her going to the region full-time, she could remain full-time with the county, but would have to give the region at least a 30-day notice.

   She’s also willing to dedicate more of her time toward the county and only work 20 percent for the region, but nothing less.

   “Office hours would have to greatly be diminished in serving Jones County constituents. But that’s just a reality,” said Herman.

   The board didn’t feel they were in a position to make any decisions immediately.

   Supervisor John Schlarmann asked Herman why Hingtgen didn’t share any of this with the board during her county visit on Dec. 5. Herman said it wasn’t an issue until her assistant resigned mid-December.

   “We’re talking about cutting services in the county. If this is one that has to go away, it goes away,” said Supervisor Jeff Swisher. “We’re in that situation now. We’ve all been told that we’re going to have to make some serious choices. I’m not for adding more expenses to the budget. That’s where I stand.”

   “I think it’d be a detriment to cut this position,” added Herman. “I could think of a lot of other places within the county to cut versus people’s social/human health. But then, that’s my opinion.”

   “Are we required by law to provide these services?” asked Supervisor Ned Rohwedder.

   Herman said it’s by Iowa Code, yes.

   Rohwedder was against losing a Community Services director.

   Swisher asked County Auditor Whitney Hein to look into whether other counties’ auditors’ offices handle Community Service claims along with other county claims.

   “I bet there are other counties taking this on with the people who we have doing claims now. I’d like to know that and then this position could be eliminated or reduced,” suggested Swisher.

   “You’ll need someone to do the substance abuse claims and the GA side,” Herman said.