Human Services committee approves Kellogg learning‑parent funds, juvenile transport vehicles, Spectrum rate increase and violence‑prevention grant

The Wayne County Human Services Committee voted to approve a package of contracts, grants and budget adjustments covering parent support, juvenile detention operations, residential per‑diem rates and a community violence prevention grant.

Kellogg Foundation amendment: Myra Teta, development officer in HHVS, said the committee was asked to revise Resolution No. 2024‑547 to move Kellogg Foundation grant dollars into a sustainability fund to support the Learning Parent Partnership, part of the county’s Well Wayne initiative. Teta said the grant — originally approved and signed Aug. 1, 2024 — will support 100 student parents age 26 or younger who meet income eligibility (200% of the federal poverty level) and provide $500 monthly cash payments to participating students. “The students are coming from community colleges,” Teta said; Aja Harris Martin, chief program officer for HHVS, confirmed students will be drawn from Wayne County Community College, Schoolcraft and Henry Ford Community College. Aja Harris Martin said the contract is still being finalized and the resolution before the committee only changes the business unit and fund numbers for accounting; programmatic details and reporting will be provided through the pending contract and program manager.

Juvenile transport vehicles: Mac McGee, division director for the juvenile detention facility (JDF), requested county approval to purchase two transport vans and one SUV for the JDF. He said the existing vehicles are 12–15 years old and the purchase is expected to keep the fleet in service for another decade. McGee said the total cost is $152,139 and the vehicles will be county‑marked; “they will have [the] seal or whatever of the Wayne County on it,” a county official said during Q&A. The committee approved the cooperative agreement to buy the vehicles.

Spectrum per‑diem amendment and bed capacity: Melissa Fernandez, director of Juvenile and Youth Services, asked the committee to approve Amendment 4 to the Spectrum Juvenile Justice Services contract to raise the per‑diem for secure residential placement to align with the state. Fernandez said the per‑diem will increase from $638 to $910 and include a $101 incentive fee the state uses to encourage providers to accept difficult placements. Fernandez said Spectrum currently has 51 Wayne County youth placed at its facility. She told commissioners the JDF census was 71 youth on the day of the meeting and that 30 youth were waiting for secure placement. Fernandez said the state is moving the Shawano facility to Macomb County and adding 20 beds there by August (Shawano will operate at 60 beds after the change); she said Spectrum has 166 beds total and was operating at 104. Commissioners and staff discussed competition for beds statewide, clinician staffing shortages at providers and ongoing county advocacy in Lansing for additional capacity.

Assured Family Services extension and Capstone Academy: Fernandez also requested a three‑month extension (Amendment 11) to a professional services contract with Assured Family Services to maintain assessment and testing services while the county and Third Circuit Court finalize a new contract arrangement. The committee approved that short extension. The committee also approved Amendment 4 to a classroom‑use license and service provider agreement with Capstone Academy Charter School to continue education services at the juvenile detention facility through 2026 while the county prepares an RFP for future education providers.

Community violence prevention grant: The committee accepted a Michigan State Police award for the Violence Prevention Intervention Program (listed on the addenda). Fernandez said the two‑year award is $394,465 and will fund a justice‑impacted juvenile diversion program in collaboration with the People's Action Community Violence Intervention group and University of Michigan firearm injury‑prevention researchers. Representatives from People's Action described their operations in a roughly four‑square‑mile target area (8 Mile to Curtis, Hubbell to Berg Road), said their caseload is about 65 people with 53% assessed as high risk, and described wraparound services, outreach and local credentialing. “We have over a caseload of 65 right now. Roughly, 53 percent of them are high risk,” Niguez Vu, president of People's Action, said. Jackie Robinson, People’s Action, said their program blends outreach, workforce connections and therapeutic services and that long‑term participants have shown low levels of re‑offending to date.

Committee action and vote: Commissioner Killeen moved to receive and file items 1–3 and to approve items 4–9; Commissioner Anderson seconded. The motion carried with all commissioners present voting aye.

The committee asked HHVS to provide final contract details, evaluation metrics (including work with the Kellogg Foundation on evaluation), and periodic reports on placement needs and program outcomes for the Learning Parent Partnership and the violence‑prevention program.