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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-08-2026 Meeting Minutes HSACPerson County Human Services Advisory Committee April 8, 2026 Call to Order: A scheduled meeting for the Human Services Advisory Committee was held in the PATS conference room, located at 303 S Morgan St, Roxboro NC on April 8, 2026. The meeting was called to order by Sandy Parker at 4:00 pm. In Attendance: Members: Sandy Parker, Treco Lea-Jeffers, Tabatha Philpott, Jayne Bremer Non-Members: Brian Hart, Ashley Stone, Kristy Perry, Veronica Harris Members Absent: Wesley Brown, Teresa Burch, Kenneth Perry Approval of Minutes: Approval of Minutes from March 11, 2026: Treco made a motion to approve, seconded by Jayne. Unanimously approved. Items for Discussion: HSAC members were introduced to PATS Director Mitch Fleig. Mr. Hart explained the purpose of rotating locations for initial meetings so that members are able to familiarize themselves with other human service related departments. Per committee member request, Mr. Hart explained the functionality of the committee and discussed engagement with county departments. Mr. Hart explained that any client concerns or identified deficiencies that may exist within departments must be brought to him or Mrs. Stone. Jayne shared that she would like to know more about other programs within social services. Mr. Hart explained that other divisions within DSS will present at future meetings. Mr. Hart also shared that since commissioners also serve as the Consolidated Human Services Board they receive monthly reports prepared by staff at DSS. I. Old Business a. Update Meeting Schedule & Location Mr. Hart shared that the next HSAC meeting on May 13 will be held at Person Industries. Mr. Hart will check with Animal Services to see if they have availability for hosting the June meeting. A discussion was held about whether or not to meet in the month of July due to the July 4 th holiday and planned vacations. There was also discussion about whether or not to meet in the month of December. Mr. Hart explained that if members wished to adapt the meeting schedule there would need to be a vote to approve the recommended schedule change. Jayne made a motion to not meet in July or December of 2026, the motion was seconded by Treco. Unanimously approved. Mr. Hart explained that he would share the recommended schedule change with the County Manager and the Board of Commissioners. Page 2 Treco asked about renewing elected officers in March, as officer election time is not covered in the by-laws. Most committees elect by calendar year. Members agreed that this can be discussed at the next meeting. II. New Business a. Veteran’s Services Updates Veronica “Vikki” Harris introduced herself as the Veteran’s Service Officer. Ms. Harris explained that she helps Veterans and their dependents get benefits. She processes state forms and assists with property tax exemptions and tags for vehicles. She shared that she has over 13 years of experience. She reported that there were over 180 claims in the month of March. Veteran’s Services takes walk-in clients. Office hours are Monday through Friday at the Senior Center. There are a lot of individuals with PTSD who need assistance. Ms. Harris shared that Veteran’s Services has a wall of honor with photos of most Person County veterans. b. Social Services Updates Mr. Hart explained that he, Mrs. Perry, and Mrs. Stone gave a presentation at the Commissioner’s meeting on March 16. The presentation provided updates that DSS has implemented since CCR’s evaluation and assessment. Mrs. Stone informed the committee about DSS community engagement and accountability. DSS staff serve on various boards and committees and attend various community events. Mrs. Stone shared information about MDT meetings and Huddle Up with Human Services events. Mrs. Perry discussed internal environment, training, and process improvement updates. DSS staff also serve on internal committees, such as Employee Engagement (known as Power Pact) and Community Engagement. Power Pact works to boost morale within the agency. Community Engagement committee is looking at different ways to be present and more accessible in the community. Mrs. Perry shared that the lobby at DSS has been updated and decorated with seasonal décor. The DSS management team has started a book club. Future trainings will be focused on soft skills and teamwork. DSS employs 114 people or more. Agency staff meetings were held in February and staff expressed wanting to increase communication within the agency. DSS has started an agency newsletter as a way to increase communication. Mrs. Perry shared that there are two staff development specialists who provide onboarding/training for new Medicaid workers. Staff also promote E-pass at community events. A big change in child welfare has been the implementation of Path NC, which also came with policy changes. There has been an increase in response time. Most cases are requiring a 24-hour or immediate time frame for initiation. Mrs. Stone informed members that April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. Substantiation data was shared for 2025 and 2024. Mrs. Stone shared that Partnership for Children will have the “children on the hill” placed at Roxboro Fire Station 2 next week. The wooden cutout children represent the number of children who have been abused in Person County in 2025. Mr. Hart shared personnel updates. There is a budget request to have another social worker position approved due to implementation of Path NC and increased response time. Mr. Hart shared that Joy Sumpter has been selected as the new Child Welfare Program Manager. This was an internal hire and she has 20 plus years of experience. Kristy shared that Joy’s previous social worker position has been advertised and closes Friday. Mr. Hart shared that Adonica Hampton has been selected as the new Person County DSS Director. Ms. Hampton has previous experience as a director in other North Carolina counties. She is currently a senior section chief in Mecklenburg County. She starts with Person County on May 4th. Jayne inquired about the next DSS agency staff meeting and was informed one has not been scheduled at this time; however, supervisors are meeting with their units on a monthly basis. Mr. Hart shared that there would likely be another agency staff meeting in June or July. Page 3 Tabatha suggested each new employee meet one on one with someone from each division within the department. Mrs. Perry explained that DSS has an orientation packet for each new employee and they meet with the supervisor of each program. Tabatha also suggested for DSS to make a presentation at a Health Department staff meeting and vice versa. Sandy inquired if the CCR report is public information. Mr. Hart shared that it is public and he can email it to the committee. c. HSAC member contact information A sign-in sheet was passed around for members to provide their phone number and email address. Adjournment: Treco made a motion to adjourn, seconded by Tabatha. Meeting adjourned at 5:20 pm. Next Meeting: May 13, 2026 at 4pm at Person Industries