The County Line
By Warren Strandell Polk County Commissioner, Dist. 2
Some of the numbers presented at last month’s Polk County Social Service Board meeting triggered a memory.
What brought things back to mind — along with the fact my old next-door neighbor, Beth Greenwood was a big part of the flashback — follows:
It was more than 25 years ago when the Polk County Board decided that something had to change. The cost of “out of home placements” had gone through the roof and the prediction was that it would keep right on going.
Some background: Troubled and or abused juveniles are placed in out of home placement facilities when their behavior gets them into serious trouble or when their homes are determined to be unsafe and/or lacking appropriate parenting.
The cost for out of placements had grown to $2.4 million in 1997. And some were suggesting that a $3 million figure was looming. The costs had been on the rise from $1.2 million in 1993, to $1.3 million in 1994, and to $1.6 million in 1996.
With most of the cost of out of home placements coming directly from Polk County tax dollars, it was a major budget concern. The direction from commissioners to Social Services administration and lead supervisors was that something had to be done to get these costs under control.
Brainstorm sessions
Before he left the agency in 1997, then Social Services Director Bill Kurpius-Brock involved people from the other agencies that also have a role in dealing with and determining out of home placements in addressing the issue. That group included the County Attorney’s Office, Court Administration, Tri-County Community Corrections, Public Health, Sheriff’s Office, Northwestern Mental Health (now Alluma), public defenders, County Coordinator, and school administrators.
From those sessions came recommendations to provide assessments, referrals, screenings, interventions, and other practices… along with the hiring of people needed to perform them. After receiving initial support from the County
Board, that support was soon reconsidered and dropped because of cost.
Then in February 2000 with Kent Johnson as the social services director and his administrative assistant Bill Green making the pitch, another plan was presented. This one asked for the authority to hire five “family-based service providers” (FBSPs) who would work directly with the problem kids and with their parents regarding home situations.
These providers wouldn’t have to be educated and experienced social workers… just good people who had a strong interest in helping kids grow into productive citizens.
That’s where old neighbor Beth Greenwood comes into the picture. She was one of the five original FBSPs and proved to be one of the best. After recently retiring, she has now come back on a limited basis to help train new FBSPs.
Uphill battle
When going before the County Board with a proposal to hire five more county employees without any guarantee that there would be a return on that investment, approval chances aren’t very good. Commissioners are by nature tightwads. Their constituents — county taxpayers — demand it and commissioners who have any hope of being re-elected have that message engrained in the minds.
In his presentation, Green, who was one of those people who could sell stink to a skunk, rolled out the new program. He not only claimed that it would work, he guaranteed that it would. He even offered his job if it didn’t. Green made the point that in addition to cost reductions the program would also go a long way toward getting kids (and their parents) on a better path.
It was a leap of faith when the County Board voted 5-0 to allow the hiring of five FBSPs Approval came with one condition… that there would be a review of results after six months and that without any sign of improvement the whole plan would be trashed.
Passed the test
With the five FBSPs quickly selected, trained, and on the job, out of home placement costs for 2000 already were decreased to $1.6 million. And that was accomplished with the plan in place for only about the last six months of that year.
By 2001, after a full year of the program, the cost was down to $1.06 million… and it stayed at or just over the $1 million mark until inflation started affecting everything a few years ago.
The 2023 out of home placement expense total was $1.37 million… higher but that’s still a $1 million less than the $2.4 total in 1997.
The annual cost has actually been below $1 million twice ($961,739 in 2007 and $989,841 in 2010)… never more than the $1,573,559 in 2020.
Among the conclusions that can be drawn from the accounting above is that county government works best when there is a team approach in which staff can suggest ways to do things better and those in the governing body have the courage to believe in them… to take that leap of faith.
Thoughts for the day:
Looking 50 is great if you’re 60. — Joan Rivers
I’ve learned that money doesn’t buy class. — Andy Rooney
Disclaimer: Thoughts expressed in this column are those of the author and are not necessarily a reflection of the opinions of the other members of the Polk County Board.
