Charlottesville                                                               Christine Gough, Chair
                                                                                    Kathryn Gallanosa, Vice Chair

      Social Services                                                              Board Members:
                                                                                   Lisa Brown

       Advisory Board                                                              Amanda Key
                                                                                   Rebekah Menning
                                                                                   Cathee Johnson Phillips
                                                                                   Ivy Porpotage
    City of Charlottesville, City Hall Annex, P.O. Box 911,                        Nikuyah Walker
                  Charlottesville, VA 22902                                        Judith Zeitler



                                                               MINUTES

                                              Charlottesville Department of Social Services
                                                             Advisory Board

                                                              March 26, 2018

Board Members Present: Christine Gough, Rebekah Menning, Ivy Porpotage, Nikuyah Walker, Judy Zeitler
Board Members Absent: Lisa Brown, Kathryn Gallanosa, Amanda Key, Cathee Johnson Phillips
Staff Members Present: Diane Kuknyo, Laura Morris

The meeting was called to order at 12:17 p.m.

Introductions:
The board welcomed new member, Rebekah Menning.

Public Comment:
None

Approval of Meeting Minutes:
The February minutes were approved as submitted

Members’ Report:
None

Chair’s Report:
May Meeting Date: Ms. Gough proposed changing the May meeting date as it falls on Memorial Day. Ms.
Morris will e-mail board members to see if Tuesday, May 29th will work as an alternative.

Annual Report: Ms. Gough shared that the annual report subcommittee has begun work on the 2018 report and
asked board members if there were any specific topics they would like to highlight.
Ms. Kuknyo shared that previous years’ reports have focused on:
Benefit caseloads and the number of citizens being served by benefit programs in 2015
Adult Services and the Virginia Initiative for Employment not Welfare (VIEW) program in 2016
The Children & Families Practice Model (Child Protective Services, Foster Care Prevention, Foster Care, &
Adoption) in 2017.

Ms. Kuknyo suggested adding the department work plan to the report and noting how it fits into the city’s strategic
plan.

All agreed that they would like to include recruitment and retention as a challenge and how it affects service
delivery in benefit programs and family services.
      Charlottesville                                                  Christine Gough, Chair
                                                                       Kathryn Gallanosa, Vice Chair

      Social Services                                                 Board Members:
                                                                      Lisa Brown

       Advisory Board                                                 Amanda Key
                                                                      Rebekah Menning
                                                                      Cathee Johnson Phillips
                                                                      Ivy Porpotage
    City of Charlottesville, City Hall Annex, P.O. Box 911,           Nikuyah Walker
                  Charlottesville, VA 22902                           Judith Zeitler

Director’s Report:
Legislative Updates: Ms. Kuknyo provided an update to several items in the general assembly:
    Funding for alternative transportation in mental health crises did not get funded.
    A statewide interagency workgroup to work on a trauma informed network did not get funded.
    Kinship care assistance was funded.
    A proposal to reduce suspension to expulsion limits in schools passed. The proposal reduces the number
       of days for suspension to 45 unless there are extreme situations. The proposal would also limit
       suspensions for preschool to 3rd grade to three days.
    Extending fingerprinting/background checks to two years for child care centers passed.
    Mental health awareness training will be required for all high school students and teachers. This request
       was brought by three students from Albemarle High School.
    A special house committee to study school safety in Virginia is being formed.
    Expanded Medicaid moved closer to being approved. Local departments of social services are waiting
       to learn what federal/state funding will be provided for additional staff.

State-wide Budget Office Visit: The state budget office has reached out to several local departments of social
services to learn about their budget processes and how changes during the year affect them. Charlottesville was
selected for a visit this summer.


The next board meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 23, 2018 in the City Hall Basement Conference
Room.

The meeting was adjourned at 1:10 p.m.

Recorded by:
Laura Morris