QUESTION
How does the Department of Social Services (DSS) ensure contract reimbursement rates keep pace with service provision costs?
0:45:58
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58 sec
The Department of Social Services (DSS) employs various methods to ensure city contract reimbursement rates align with service provision costs, including staff employment and retention.
- DSS examines contracts individually and negotiates with providers on cost-related needs, particularly where increases are observed.
- Providers are given flexibility within the Department of Homeless Services (DHS) budgets to adjust staffing salary levels, aiding in the recruitment and retention of staff.
- There are ongoing discussions with the New York City Office of Management and Budget (OMB) about systemic changes needed to address broader issues.
Adrienne E. Adams
0:45:58
What is DSS doing to ensure that city contract reimbursement rates are keeping pace with the cost of providing services and employing and retaining skilled staff.
Molly Wasow Park
0:46:08
There are several things that we have done.
0:46:12
We we look on an individual contract by contract basis we are happy to work with providers on needs related to costs that they are seeing, places where we have seen cost increases relative to our model budget or things like insurance and we know that's an ongoing issue.
0:46:30
We work through that on a case by case basis.
0:46:33
Recently within the DHS budgets, we gave providers some flexibility to realign some of their staffing salary levels so that they could retain recruit and retain staff that are And then there are always ongoing conversations about place with LMB about places where we think we need more systemic change.
Adrienne E. Adams
0:46:55
Okay.
0:46:55
Thank you.
