Officials review draft H&HS analysis

Wahkiakum County commissioners and administrators of the Health and Human Services Department reviewed a draft analysis of the department on Tuesday.

Commissioners have charged Interim Director Sherri McDonald with making the analysis and recommendations for program or staffing changes.

McDonald presented the draft plan to the board to see if it is what they've hoped to have and if there were areas she should analyze before presenting the final plan at the end of June, when her contract expires.

The report, she added, should be helpful to her successor in running the department and to staff in improving their working arrangements.

Among her recommendations, in unprioritized order, were:

1. The county should hire a full-time employee to fill the director's position. "It is further recommended that the individual develop a work plan that will fulfill other recommendations in this paper, as directed and overseen by the Board of Health/County Commissioners."

Commissioners asked McDonald if she would continue her interim work while they searched for a full-time director. McDonald said she had another consulting contract scheduled, but she would be available to help with the recruiting of a director.

2. McDonald recommended slight changes in the chain of command so that department managers could have reduced supervision responsibilities and that would also eliminate potential personnel disputes between team leaders and employees who are union members.

3. A. The county create a temporary position specifically for food service event inspections, and that the county also create an additional case manager position for the mental health program, using available funding.

3. B. McDonald recommended the county survey salaries and wages for staff and jobs in surrounding counties and try to pay similar scale to attract the best employees possible.

4. The county should consider consolidating Health and Human Services staff in one location to improve communication and program coordination.

5. The county consider a. providing mental health and chemical dependency treatment through contract with a private agency, b. that the county continue to employ professional staff to deliver public health services, c. that the county continue to contract with Clark County for health officer service, and d. that the county consider ending a contract with Cowlitz County for a part-time employee in charge of Public Health Emergency Preparedness.

6. McDonald recommended that the department bring its health codes up to date and that all fees be examined and be based on actual cost for service.

7. McDonald recommended that the county create separate funds for Mental Health and County Transit; the programs are now co-mingled.

8. County commissioners should increase their advocacy for public health and human service programs at the state level and at the federal level.

9. The county should explore a partnership with the Cowlitz Family Health Center to provide a health home to include primary care, mental health and chemical dependency treatment.

After discussing the report with Commissioners Lisa Marsyla, Blair Brady and Dan Cothren and Interim Deputy Director Chris Weiler and Human Services Manager Chris Holmes, McDonald said she would explore some of their suggestions and fine tune the report.

The county does need to review and update the department's programs, she said.

"Even if the Health Care Reform Act goes down, the system is still changing," she said. "As for public health, I think the people in this county really want the services to come from here."`