MINUTES

DHS RESTRUCTURING TASK FORCE

October 21, 1996 - First Meeting of Two

MEMBERS PRESENT

Senator Johnie Hammond, Temporary Co-chairperson
Representative Hubert Houser, Temporary Co-chairperson
Senator Nancy Boettger
Senator Michael Connolly
Senator Elaine Szymoniak
Senator Maggie Tinsman
Representative Dan Boddicker
Representative Danny Carroll
Representative Ed Fallon
Mr. Dennis Killion
Ms. Arlene Dayhoff

MEETING IN BRIEF

Minutes prepared by Richard Nelson, Legal Counsel
Organizational staffing by Patty Funaro, Senior Legal Counsel

Procedural Business.
Opening Remarks.
Federal Welfare Reform Legislation Summary.
Council on Human Investment Overview.
Decategorization Program Summaries.
Task Force Discussion.
Next Meeting Date.
Written Materials Filed with the Legislative Service Bureau.

COMMITTEE BUSINESS

1. Procedural Business.

Call to Order. Temporary Co-chairperson Houser called the meeting to order at 10:10 a.m., in Room 116 of the Statehouse in Des Moines, Iowa. All members were present with the exception of Representative William Brand.

Election of Co-chairpersons and Adoption of Rules. Senator Tinsman moved that the two Temporary Co-chairpersons be made permanent Co-chairpersons. Senator Boettger seconded the motion and the motion was unanimously approved. Upon motion, the proposed rules were unanimously adopted.

Adjournment. The meeting adjourned at 3:35 p.m.

2. Opening Remarks.

Several members made preliminary remarks regarding the scope and purpose of the Task Force.

Co-chairperson Hammond stated that the purpose of the Task Force is not to eliminate the Department of Human Services, but to make service delivery more user-friendly and to reduce the bureaucratic red tape which DHS clients currently experience.
Co-chairperson Houser cited limited resources as an impetus for rethinking the role and functions of the Department, with the goal of increasing the personal responsibility of each family and individual client. He identified increased community control and provision of local flexibility and discretion, in light of federal law changes, as two major issues facing the Task Force.
Senator Szymoniak indicated that the Department faces different and more difficult problems than in the past, that a lack of resources persists, and that outmoded rules and tools are still being applied to circumstances which vary greatly from those for which the rules and tools were originally developed.
Senator Tinsman noted that the Task Force presents an opportunity to examine the positive aspects of the Department, as well as the areas in need of improvement, and that she envisions the Department developing guidelines, providing assistance, and providing for evaluation as the provision of human services devolves to the local level.
Representative Fallon stated that the overriding perception of his constituents regarding the Department is one of an impersonal department mired in red tape.
Ms. Dayhoff noted her support of decategorization programs and the use of decategorization programs in facilitating the devolution process.
Mr. Killion noted that requirements of the federal government do not facilitate reaching the goal of a more "user friendly" department and that a mechanism must be developed to offset this.

3. Federal Welfare Reform Legislation.

Mr. Doug Howard, Department of Human Services, provided an update and overview of recently enacted federal welfare reform legislation. Mr. Howard provided and summarized four documents.
One document describes the welfare reform implementation team and the various subgroups of the welfare advisory group developed by the Department to assist in the implementation of the federal Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996. Mr. Howard discussed the goals of the various subgroups assembled under the umbrella Welfare Reform Implementation Team.
The second document, provided by Mr. Larry Sigel, Legislative Fiscal Bureau, summarizes the federal Act and its budgetary impact.
The third document addresses timing, fiscal impact, and major policy issues concerning federal welfare reform. Mr. Howard noted that effective date provisions of the Act range from immediate to several years and that the flexibility provided to states in implementing client service and staff effectiveness simplification efforts also varies greatly.
The fourth document addresses Iowa Welfare Reform efforts.
Mr. Howard provided updates on progress in several areas, particularly with regard to service delivery. Ideas for facilitating the client service process include integrating caseworkers and combining functions, enhances utilization of technology, and outstationing income maintenance workers.
In response to an inquiry regarding DHS-related contacts at the federal level, Mr. Howard subsequently delivered a list of contacts, grouped according to agency or program.

4. Council on Human Investment.

Mr. Marv Weidner, Department of Management, discussed the activities of the Council on Human Investment. Mr. Weidner indicated that the Council was formed to develop a human service agenda for the state through establishment of goals and benchmarks. He noted that benchmarks have been developed through public opinion polls designed to elicit responses from Iowans in identifying public policy priorities. The five public policy areas initially identified are strong families, economic development, work force development, healthy Iowans, and strong communities. Two additional areas, (1) accountable government and (2) environment and justice will be added in the next two years. Based upon information collected through the public opinion polls, results-oriented program performance measures have been developed for use in implementation of a "Budgeting For Results" process which ties the state government agency budgeting process to demonstrated success in achieving identified results.
Mr. Weidner also discussed the status of the Innovation Zone Program which was created through legislation enacted in the 1996 Session of the General Assembly. The Innovation Zone Program is intended to facilitate community collaboration in planning for children and family services, and to increase flexibility in application of state regulation and funding opportunities. To date, a program coordinator has been hired and board appointments are being finalized. Application requests will be distributed to communities beginning in mid-November, with the objective of designating three innovation zones by March 1, 1997, to be operational by July 1, 1997.

5. Decategorization Programs.

Representatives of decategorization programs from four DHS clusters including Jasper, Linn, Scott, and Pottawattamie counties provided summaries of their programs and described the variety of funding sources utilized and services provided. The decategorization of child welfare funding is the result of a 1987 legislative initiative designed to recognize the potential of local communities in developing services which are more appropriate in meeting the needs of the communities' own residents.
Decategorization provisions are codified in section 232.188, Iowa Code. According to the statute, the program is intended to replace a service system based upon many categories of programs and funding sources. The purpose of the program is to redirect funding to services which are more preventive, family-centered, and community-based and reduce reliance upon institutional, out-of-home, and outside of community services. A local program requires the involvement of the county department of human services, juvenile court system, and board of supervisors. If more than one county agrees to participate, all components in each county must be part of the agreement. The program provisions for pooled funding, governance, budgeting structure, board structure, dispute resolution, and budgeting are all spelled out in an agreement. In addition, annual plans are submitted to DHS.

6. Task Force Discussion.

The Task Force members voiced alternative approaches to addressing restructuring including:

Reviewing specific issues or areas of concern including the mental health system, legal settlement, child support and child welfare.
Receiving input from other states, notably Nebraska, regarding their restructuring efforts.
Establishing work groups to gather input through the use of public hearings held throughout the state regarding the role, structure, and function of DHS and then developing a work plan.
Reviewing DHS on a service-by-service, function-by-function basis and determining if the current process of delivery of services is the most effective and efficient.
Scheduling presentations by representatives of the various DHS divisions to explain the function of the particular division and to develop a vision for the future.
Using a problems-based approach by identifying problems in the structure of and delivery of services by DHS.
Making additional inquiry into concerns expressed by listening post respondents (individuals who expressed concerns during Appropriations Subcommittee meetings).

The Task Force did not reach a consensus regarding the approach to be used in developing a work plan for the Task Force.

7. Next Meeting Date.

The next meeting of the Task Force is scheduled for Monday, November 25, 1996.

8. Written Materials Filed With the Legislative Service Bureau.

a. User-friendly Ideas for DHS, submitted by Co-chairperson Hammond.

b. Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 -- Work Group Structure, Federal Welfare Reform -- Timing, Fiscal Impact, and Policy Issues, Iowa's Welfare Reform, List of Contacts, submitted by Mr. Doug Howard, DHS.

c. Federal Welfare Reform Summary, submitted by Mr. Larry Sigel, Legislative Fiscal Bureau.

d. Council On Human Investment Briefing, submitted by Mr. Marv Weidner.

e. Outcome Measure Evaluation for Safe Children, submitted by Mr. Marc Baty and Mr. John Brandt of Linn County.

f. The Pottawattamie County Decategorization Project, submitted by Mr. Tom Bouska and Mr. Ron Diimig.

g. Jasper/Marion -- Warren/Madison Decategorization Projects and Programs, submitted by Mr. Jerry Sawin and Ms. Jackie Sparks.

h. Vision documents, submitted by DHS.

OTHER INFORMATION FOR THIS COMMITTEE:

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