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Q&A
Council Member Lee discusses APS funding, staffing, and inter-agency coordination
1:27:32
ยท
3 min
Council Member Linda Lee inquires about Adult Protective Services (APS) funding, staffing challenges, and coordination with other agencies. John Rojas from HRA provides updates on hiring progress, inter-agency collaboration, and strategies to address potential funding cuts.
- APS has made significant progress in hiring, reaching an 84% hiring rate with more caseworkers in the pipeline.
- There are ongoing efforts to coordinate services and leverage existing resources across multiple agencies to serve clients more effectively.
- The department is strategizing to prioritize services in the event of funding cuts, while maintaining coordination within DSS, HRA, DHS, and sister agencies.
Linda Lee
1:27:32
Yeah.
1:27:33
Sorry.
1:27:33
So you're talking about the CDBG money, the federal block grant?
John Rojas
1:27:36
It's social services block grant.
Linda Lee
1:27:38
Social services block grant.
1:27:39
Okay.
1:27:40
Because that's a lot of fun funding that includes the pass through all of the money that is coming to your agency, correct?
John Rojas
1:27:47
It definitely funds APS and other services, not solely APS, it funds other services as So
Linda Lee
1:27:54
and forgive me for being late and if you guys went over this already, sorry about this, but so because obviously you guys are facing a lot of challenges because you have the potential funding cuts plus a lot of the challenges in terms of the state law which correct me if I'm wrong but the biggest issue is that you're seeing an increase in need however due to staffing shortages, the state laws it's really preventing you guys from enrolling the seniors into APS that need services or no?
John Rojas
1:28:24
So we did go through that a bit.
1:28:27
Luckily we've made great strides, we're hiring, we are at an 84% hiring rate for APS.
1:28:33
We have our vacancies for case workers, we already have 19 in the pipeline for the 60 odd staff, case manager staff that we have vacant and then we're working with DCAS have already they have already started civil service pools for case workers, we've already hired went to two pools, are intending one next week to pick up more staff.
1:28:53
So we're making really great strides on caseworker hires, which is the bulk of our staff and And
Linda Lee
1:28:59
just so obviously given the potential challenges, what is the coordination or is there potential coordination happening between other agencies through different programs whether it's through DFTA or even a lot of the adult programs, adult day and then I know a lot of the nonprofits are really awesome like BronxWorks, TSIONY, JASA.
1:29:21
So is there a way to maybe pull resources together or are those conversations happening where potentially if there is sort of a lack and a cut?
John Rojas
1:29:31
Most definitely.
1:29:33
Through the leadership of our commissioner we talked this we talk about this quite extensively.
1:29:37
How do we coordinate services?
1:29:38
How do we leverage existing services?
1:29:41
And again, as I stated to council member Hudson, we we DSS had a basically a round table on this topic, try to strategize how to best prioritize and strategize in the event of cuts.
1:29:55
Since it's ever changing, know, one cut is proposed, there's a lawsuit, it's a little challenging but we are strategizing and coordinating and that coordination is within DSS, HRA, DSS, DHS, as well as with our sister agencies.
1:30:11
Because we serve the same clients at the end of aging ourselves, you know, our clients go through across the spectrum H and H, DOHMH, so that that coordination is ongoing.
Linda Lee
1:30:21
Because I know that one of the things I always talk about in my own hearings at DOHMH, because being on the nonprofit side before I'm like silos or what I think because you know as an individual person that needs multiple services, it doesn't mean that it stops at one agency and then has to restart with another.
1:30:37
So I'm glad to hear that you guys are having a
John Rojas
1:30:39
Prior to DSS, I had the privilege and honor for over twelve years working at the Department of Health.
1:30:46
So it's a you know, the health perspective for me is very important, and particularly for this population that we serve, so we take that very seriously.