The Health and Human Services Policy Committee started an ongoing
discussion on developing the 2017 HHS Platform updates and
priorities at its November 29 meeting in Palm Springs. The policy
committee’s work is complicated by the change in federal
administration and the uncertain future of health care funding.
But first, the Committee heard from Scarlet Hughes, the new
Executive Director of the California Association of Public
Guardians, Public Administrators, and Public Conservators, who
induced the Committee to the critical services Public Guardians
provide. CSAC and the Public Guardians have worked closely
together in the last few years and we look forward to continuing
to work with them on funding and other issues.
Ventura County Director of Human Services Barry Zimmerman also
presented Ventura County’s first-in-the-nation effort to
integrate multiple data systems to provide medical and
educational information for those who care for foster youth – the
Foster Health Link. This program can be replicated in other
counties and we have posted Director Zimmerman’s slides on our
website for reference.
The Committee also reviewed proposed changes to the County Policy
Platform’s Health Services, Human Services, and Realignment
chapters. Due to recent changes at the federal level, staff
announced plans to incorporate another round of edits
regarding heath care and transparency in the event of the death
of a foster child, as well as efforts to seek additional
feedback. The Committee will reconvene in January to discuss
proposed changes.
Tom Joseph from Waterman & Associates provided the Committee with
an update on the uncertainty and potential fiscal issues counties
face with the potential repeal of the Affordable Care Act. Given
this uncertainty, staff recommended that the Committee reconvene
in January to also further discuss the 2017 HHS priorities when
more detail is available.
Additional details on the proposed January meeting, as well as
the second round of edits for the platform and priorities, will
be made available as soon as possible.
