Officials detail CSBG funds and Adult Protective Services caseloads

Wellness/Enforcement Services Manager Betsy Holena told the Gunnison/Hinsdale Board of Human Services that the Colorado Service Block Grant (CSBG) provided $53,000 to support 95 households and 172 individuals across Gunnison and Hinsdale counties in the current three‑year grant cycle. She said staff screen applicants for the largest needs and critical events and connect qualified households to appropriate programs; the department is preparing the next grant application and a three‑year audit scheduled for June 25.

Holena also provided an update on Adult Protective Services, saying the unit operates with a two‑person staff and that there were 79 referrals and 22 open cases at the time of the meeting, and that 95% of cases had not been reopened in the same year. Commissioner Elizabeth Smith said she had recently seen a presentation on housing challenges for the aging population and told the board there is “insufficient data” on that need locally, a point she pressed as staff plan services and budgets. The board did not take formal action on either item at the meeting.