Senate Children and Youth and House Aging, Children and Youth, Legislative and Military Affairs

Thank you for being here today The chair sees a quorum. And with that we'll get started. That's. Our first item is item be. Consideration to approve the August twenty third. minutes do I have a motion. I have a motion I have a second. And all those in favor say aye hi in imposed and they are approved. I don't see. This presentation own services provided to are deaf or Kansans by the Arkansas association of the deaf Mr shelf. Pearl. Our vice president is going to give us a A shorts bill. And with that Sir you're recognized. Hello good evening or good afternoon. I would like to thank representative fight for coordinating this allowing this presentation to happen. My name is Jeff prevail. And I represent. on behalf of the Arkansas association of the deaf and the deaf community for the state of Arkansas in general. There's a famous quote by the Dalai Lama. That says our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can help them. At least don't hurt them. I have plenty of stories that I would be able to share with you today but if I shared all of those stories that would be as long as reading a novel I bored of the rings. I would like to share one true story with you today. I am one of four people who are deaf that had been trying to help a man who was also death. He had very severe mental illness. And of course. Helping included the DHS def mental health program administrator she was involved in helping him as well. He continues to remain homeless. And he is one of the statistics. Where the state was not able could not provide the services to meet his needs. The homeless shelters were not able to help them. Because they did not have funding. To be able to provide interpreter services and communication access for this deaf gentleman. Yeah I'm with the death mental health counselors in the state you were not able to help him either the mental health facilities because they did not have professional staff who are fluent in sign language. They also did not have the services that were designed to accommodate the needs of a deaf person seeking mental health care. Because of that he could not get the help that he needed. And he's still out there now. He's homeless. We really don't know where he is now. In the state failed him. He became a statistic. There are other stories. There are for example there's a deaf woman who was the mother of two deaf children. She reached out to me last year and I ask for help in regards to the Americans with disabilities act. The department of children and family services refused to provide an interpreter for her. To allow her again to be able to communicate with the staff mother. She went for meeting after meeting and there were no interpreters even after she had requested an interpreter several times via email. At that point she was labeled as an unfit mother. Because there was no communication. Even though she had gotten in touch with me and asked me to interpret the email for her so she would be able to understand what the email said because of her limited fluency in English. This state did not. Our car did not comply with eighty eight title to that applies the local and state governments. And again. This state failed this deaf mother. I'm here today. To let you know that we need the services of our own. To be provided to the deaf and hard of hearing community. And that would be a death services center. This would be led to directed to lead by and the Ford F. B.. This service would be able to be provided for me one deaf person to another deaf person instead of having a hearing person going to a deaf person often times we experience communication breakdowns when in that situation. We cannot allow another deaf person to suffer. Or to become another statistic. We only want to be able to provide those services by partnering with local and state agencies. To provide resources and tools. To help with these members of the community. State wide. Blake has already disseminated information. About what it would take to run and establish a deaf services center. We are looking at two different paths of getting the funding. One is that we are going to ask the governor. From the surplus funds in the quote unquote rainy day money for one point five million dollars as a one time allocation to set up the death services center. If the governor decides to give us that allocation fantastic. We would also like to ask the state. For an annual budget to support the death services center. And we're with asking for three hundred and fifty thousand to five hundred thousand dollars annually. That's what it would take to operate this center with four staff to be able to provide the services. Approximately one month ago the national association of the deaf. Recently recognised of the State of Arkansas as number one state out of the entire fifty states in the union. For providing accessible information in regards to the corona virus pandemic. And updates. Now we have the opportunity. To keep this positive image. And to sustain that and to provide the services to meet the needs of our deaf and hard of hearing communities statewide. I'd like to thank you for your time and giving me the opportunity to speak. Thank you Sir. Members do we have any questions of the German. In the chair recognized. Representative Springer. Good afternoon thank you Mr chair up I've heard in the presentation that there would be a presentation to the governor to request moneys from the excess has that request been made to date. We recently had a town hall meeting this past Sunday. J. E. R. from the governor's office liaison came and of this past Sunday and attended a town hall meeting and listened to the concerns of the community expressed about this issue and so he is aware of the situation and the plan to communicate with the governor's office and the governor we also have a meeting this afternoon at two PM with one. To Discuss as well. And our hope to pass that information and that request over to the governor. Follows the chair go ahead ma'am are you aware whether or not there's a deadline to do so to make that submission of probably ten is of the essence. For the the current governor. I was told that he was supposed to make some kind of decision about any type of funding before his term expired. I'm trying to have a meeting with the governor But his travel schedule. Sometimes gets in the way and so that's why we have approached J. and approaching Jordan of course you know I am always is as always representative fine. Thank you Mr. Do we have a DHS representation here today. Thank you would you mind coming down. The commission. And if you would please a announce yourself. Good afternoon I'm Mr Martin I'm the director of children and family services. You know I I have a question is with all the vast resources that we have for. For DHS. Do we not have the ability to cover the issue that this Mr Perot's talking about that situation which is really sad that senator Wallace I apologize that I did not hear his entire presentation but I did when Children and Family Services was mentioned I did start listening in to hear about the case involving a mom and thank you I am not familiar with that case and I hope to get with him after this committee hearing to get this specific case but DCFS does have a contract for interpreter Steve is in service interpreter services with communications class and that contract is statewide and we do message to our staff and train them on the importance of impact providing interpreter services to hearing impaired and to individuals of other languages so I'm not sure what happened on that case I definitely need to look into it and figure out what happened the situation the mission and and the first situation was before you came in he talked about an individual who built that had those mental issues combined with is in a big bility to Speaker here in in just could not find an interpreter or anywhere. And as a result he's that person's just kind of lost in the system. So I can't answer the question did here part of that I apologize I did hear part of that because I was listening on the Q. placement I'm those services would be handled by both Medicaid and by the Division of aging and adult behavioral health services so I wouldn't feel comfortable answering for them but we can definitely have them follow at J. hill or mark way follow up with the committee to give you have a specific answer about services interpreter services for Medicaid services I would like to specifically I would like. Our next committee meeting per your correct address that these two specific issues yes. Now I'm on this specific case issue I cannot come back to the Committee and tell you more specifics on the case because of confidentiality but I can report back to you that we have identified the case we have identified the county and make sure that they're aware of getting into how to get interpreter services for the clients because the seller system broke down. I'd like to look looking more for sure okay in the chair recognizes representative very. To number. Thank you Mr so a drug Martin are there federal dollars or that are earmarked specifically for services for the deaf in the state. I'll answer for children and family services because I cannot answer that for the Medicaid side of the house and we do not receive specific dollars for and for hearing for children who are hearing impaired but we can use for eight dollars that we received to provide services and I have to confirm but I think we do put a portion of federal dollars into the interpreter contract but I have to confirm that forty okay thank you thank you thank you Mr. In members are there any other questions. In Mr Perot you're recognized Sir. Thank you for again for the opportunity. And like I said I am one of four people who are on a desk mental health committee that is working with. You know with them but the mental health coordinator for the deaf I and. She is no longer working for that agency she left the agency because communication access they were not able to provide that to meet her needs for her to have effective communication with her superiors and so she continuously ran into walls and obstacles with DHS where she was working and so we would like to see about having some type of training for those who are working in mental health settings and again like I said. This state failed to comply with the Americans with disabilities act title to for her to do her job effectively. And so as a result she resigned for other reasons as well she laughed she's got fed up because she felt like she was getting no support from her superiors. Thank you Sir. Members are there any other questions. If not sure thank you for coming here today you've you've opened my eyes to some things and we're gonna get some answers. And like you I really appreciate that history with that we're going to move on to the next item. Members Adam D.. I will apply the DHS. It is a review of the rule. And with that. Them you're recognized. Thanks again I guess maybe for the record I Mr Martin I'm the director of children and family services and I'm here to present our emergency rule on provisional support payments and the emergency rule was reviewed by a LC and went into effect on August first twenty twenty two the emergency rule allow the division to pay a support payment to our provisional foster parents provisional foster parents or foster parents that are relatives or what we call fictive kin or persons who have a strong emotional strong connection to it to a child he's come into foster care as you may know we have been working diligently over the last almost seven years to increase children as their first placement with their safe and appropriate relatives or fictive kin and we now have about forty percent of our children who their first placement is with the provisional foster home they are initially vetted at the time of removal buyer resource staff and then they have up to six months to become a fully licensed foster homes if they choose to do so and but prior to this emergency rule they did not receive a board payment until they were fully open and licensed and we were not able to begin to pay them a Board payment because our current laws actually prohibit us from paying provisional foster parents a board payment we suspect the feel pretty strongly that that laws in place because we do not receive federal fines for provisional foster payments that the law was put in place to ensure that we were not ordered to pay Board payments that we cannot afford so in an effort to better support their relatives with almost six hundred or almost seven hundred children on a monthly basis placed with provisional relative or fictive kin we asked to pay a support payment which this role allows it's about half of what a board payment is and received funding from the legislature and the governor. The office to begin that provisional Board payment you'll see on the second page of the proposed rule or I'm sorry the third page. that there is a significant increase from one point six million dollar impacted three point seven million dollar impact and the next fiscal year because we have put in our legislative package that we would come to you all in asked that the law be changed so that we could pay a board payment to our provisional relative and fictive kin at the time that the children are placed in their home that would only go for six months so that they would still be encouraged to come become fully opened and license we at the division last year took on how do we shorten but also make sure that all safety protocols are in place so that relatives can be open to more quickly so the team worked with stakeholders and others to put together a shorter relative training and then they'll have ongoing training once they're open and also to streamline the process for a by which we opened them and worked with the child welfare licensing board because we are licensed by the child welfare licensing board to do so but just to be clear this is a rule that allows us to change our policies to pay a support payment the first support payment did go out last week six hundred and sixty children were paid or the the children weren't pay but their care givers are paid so payment for six hundred and sixty three six hundred and sixty children who are in care who are placed with provisional and relatives and just to understand the impact of this you know many times relatives take children in the middle of the night they may or may not be equipped to take on a sibling group of two three four five six sometimes we've had at ten nine that have gone with their relatives instead of this support payment is essential to get them on going monthly support the Division does continue to assess their needs and if they need having made such as groceries gas other things we can pay for that in addition to the support payment but we are hoping to work with you on the next legislative session and to be able. To change the law begin to pay them a full board payment in July twenty twenty three. Okay. In the chair recognizes my culture representative five thank you Mr chairman I was with the family yesterday you had taken a sibling group like you said in the middle of the night because there my logical family was no longer able to care for them do you just and tragic situations and they tell me that this will make all the difference for them they they have they're not of impoverished family and yet to suddenly have three more children to fade to close to take to school they want them to be able to be in and dance and piano and all the other things that will enrich their lives so thank you so much for this change I think it's going to have a positive benefit for the children in our state thank you represent fight. In the chair recognizes senator Bledsoe. And I think I just pushed you off there. There you go. Thank you Mister chair I just wondered how much is support payment. Yes ma'am it is I believe it's two hundred and forty dollars is that per child yes per child all right and then how much is a full vote board K. so board payments I want to get in front of me so I tell you exactly correctly board payments ranged from and we have a range for infants arranged range for three to five and so the average and then the older kids get a little bit more it's not a huge range but the average board payment is for ten all right thank you so much. In the chair represents of recognizes Senator Hammer. Thank you Mr good afternoon refresh my memory or maybe she well going to Justin catch it it isn't pro rated if they don't keep them the entire month or how is that taking care of yes that's correct that one second is we're going back so bored payments are pro rated traditional board payments are pro rated based on how long the kid is keyed in into the home we went back and forth I just wanna make sure that's correct that's where we landed on the support payments is there pro rated based on the actual keying date in the Chrysostom and is it reimbursed or paid in the rears no no so bored payments run on the fifteenth and all right so the September payment that was paid on the fifteenth was for the month of August okay because what I wanna make sure there's no call back to where families get money. And then that they would that they would give money and then maybe after the fact it was determined that they didn't keep the kids as long so they would have to pay money back that's not that that does happen sometimes that does happen because they're keyed in appropriately but what we've done is including our relatives is that we we created what we call portal for for foster parents so the foster parents have there it's like a bank account basically they log into their portal account and now they can see because it's a direct feed from crest they can see when the kids are keyed into their system I mean I'm sorry keyed into their home so foster parents have actually been helping make sure that the king is correct so that we don't have to recruit recruit as often on board payments but I in all honesty it does happen if the kids are not keen correctly then we do recruit this funds from the foster parents that happen very often ACT I can't tell you exactly how much but I can read a report tell you but I know it does not happen a lot and in fact it probably happens more that they weren't keyed in and then we have to pay more in the next board payment to make up for the fact that they weren't keen timely and the and as far as like if it's two months later that has there's no there's no closing of the door if it happened maybe a couple months later they could still go back to be paid retroactive once they prove that that's right okay thank you thank you they Mr and I misspoke on the board and so for five to birth to five is for tenements six to eleven is four forty am nine twelve to fourteen is for seventy a month and five to seventeen is five hundred a month I just wanna make sure I was giving that information. Members are there any other questions. Seeing none without objection this rule has been reviewed. Thank you. Four members were now to other business and I'm when I asked Joel berry Sir if you would and I know I'm kind Springs on you would you talk about our upcoming event at at the at the. Ken Robinson I will say four Roberson Kent Robinson. Thank you Mr chairman in the to request of your co chair representative fight has been actively engaged with the military department out there for number years we have our October committee meeting in Blake's gonna get out some more information on it pretty soon and the goal is understanding of the National Guard use of challenge program which is a tremendous asset to the state and I think you'll be very impressed what they're trying to do out there for our use that risk and then there will have a. The normal meeting where plans are if it's nice weather we're gonna will work out a. Helicopter ride and black Clark so I would encourage the the ways to not wear dresses they don't work real well and helicopters or heels just dress comfortably we'll do some walking at the use challenge area and so just dress comfortably and I think you and enjoy yourself and be a very informative briefing from the adjutant general his staff out at camp Robinson so Mr Gillam as be getting you directions on how to get into camp Robinson the access we have all that taken care of we're will meet and anything else ministration plea but I think you'll have a a wonderful time visiting camp problems thank you Mr. Members of that will be a really good time and be very Informative for all those and I can tell you is in helicopter pilot the policy we have no objections to the ways of the wanna wear dresses. With that or there any other questions. Then we are adjourned.