Franklin County officials review $6 million human services block grant plan; submission due Aug. 11

Stacy Horvath, a member of Franklin County’s Human Services Division, told commissioners July 30 that the county’s proposed Human Services Block Grant plan for fiscal 2025–26 totals a little over $6 million and is scheduled for formal board action next week so the county can submit the plan to the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services by Aug. 11.

"It is an 85 plus page document, and it takes an army of folks to put it together," Horvath said, describing the plan as the product of program staff, grants and fiscal personnel and a public review process that included a July 24 meeting and a second public meeting on July 30.

The plan, Horvath said, would serve an estimated 8,456 individuals and carries an estimated county match of 2.7% on state expenditures, calculated at $153,006.90. She told the board the allowable carryover that could be repurposed for local programming for the current fiscal year is about $129,000 (the amount could change as invoicing completes).

The presentation repeatedly cited Act 80, enacted in 2012, as the statutory basis for the block-grant pilot that gives participating counties more flexibility to retain and repurpose unspent funds. "That allows the flexibility to deliver those services and then other services also that fit into categoricals that would be voted upon by the committee members," Horvath said.

Melody (last name not specified), a member of the Human Services team, summarized program highlights the grant has supported since 2012, saying roughly $1.9 million has been repurposed locally under the block-grant model. "We've been able to provide housing support, additional mental health services, to be able to support our drug and alcohol program with additional treatment services," she said.

Staff described specific services that use block-grant or related funds: aging services that provided more than 101,000 congregate and home-delivered meals in 2024 (about 11% were home-delivered), distribution of thousands of senior farmer-market vouchers, a pilot "Second Saturdays" senior program in Greencastle and a new "coffee and caregivers" support group. Human Services staff also noted mental-health and intellectual-developmental-disability highlights, including a vendor transition for a community residence on McKinley Street and six new community living waivers received in 2024 that will keep service dollars in Franklin County unless clients move away.

Stacy Horvath and Melody emphasized the block grant committee’s structure: 12 voting members, six people with lived experience and six representing community expertise, with the committee chair serving as a tiebreaker when needed. Mellie (fiscal counterpart) confirmed the plan template and supporting materials will be submitted with required exhibits and meeting minutes.

Commissioners asked for clarification about the scale and timing of funding; one commissioner noted that while $129,000 may seem small relative to the total budget, it can meaningfully extend local programs because county shares of many programs are a small percentage of state expenditures. Horvath agreed and urged the board to approve the plan at next week’s meeting so staff can meet the Department of Human Services’ Aug. 11 filing deadline.

No formal vote on the HSBG plan was taken July 30; staff requested a board vote next week to permit submission of the plan and supporting exhibits.

The Human Services Division will post the final packet and supporting exhibits after board action and will proceed with the Aug. 11 electronic submission to the Department of Human Services.