Washington County outlines corrective action for children’s long‑term support as wait list holds steady

Washington County Health & Human Services staff reported to the committee April 23 that they submitted a corrective action plan to the state Department of Health Services (DHS) and will meet DHS on May 8 to seek final approval.

Julie (staff member, Washington County Health & Human Services) said the county contracted with an external provider, Sirona Recovery, to add case management capacity. She told the committee the contractor has hired one case manager who started earlier in April, the county filled its own vacancy on March 10, and offers have been accepted for additional case managers with May start dates. Julie said that when all planned staff are in place the county anticipates 14 full‑time equivalent positions and plans caseloads of about 35 children per FTE.

Julie said that since the committee met in January the county has enrolled 21 children but the overall wait list decreased by only five. “We can’t seem to find the the right number, because as we enrolled kids, they seem to come on to our wait list faster than or just as fast as as we’re enrolling,” she said. She added the county documented those trends in its corrective action plan and in a memo sent to DHS and will raise the enrollment/wait‑list discrepancy at the May 8 meeting.

The corrective action plan was submitted within the timeline DHS requested, Julie said. She told the committee she will return in July with second‑quarter enrollment data so the committee can assess whether the plan is meeting state expectations and county targets.

Committee members asked whether the county would press DHS for caveats if the trend continues and whether Washington County is an outlier compared with other counties. Julie said she prepared a paper trail documenting the county’s efforts and that she will raise the questions with DHS at the May 8 meeting. She also said anecdotal factors staff cited include increased community awareness of the service and families moving into Washington County for school or service availability.

The committee did not take a formal vote on policy changes during the session. Julie identified potential financial implications for the department if outcomes agreed with DHS are not met and emphasized the need for ongoing monitoring.

The committee asked for a July report after the county completes its second‑quarter enrollment review.

Washington County Health & Human Services will bring enrollment and corrective‑action status back to the committee in July for further review; the department will raise staffing and caseload projections with the budget office if additional positions are required.