Cowlitz County Community Network
Board
Meeting
Cowlitz County Administration Building Annex 2nd Floor Conference Room
March 18, 2020,
11:30 – 12:50PM
Present:
Board members Michael O’Neill, Kay Gunter, Louise Brown and Sharon Weinhold,
Coordinator.
Excused:
Tiffany Ames, Olivia Aumiller, Laurie Severson
Unexcused:
None
Quorum:
Yes
Welcome and
Introductions: Michael welcomed those present and thanked them for
their participation. Seating allowed for social distancing.
Board
Membership: Pastor Megan Filer and Zaheen Khan submitted letters
announcing their resignation from the Board.
-Pastor Filer, pastor at Bethany Lutheran
Church, attended several Board meetings in 2017 before becoming a Network Board
member in January 2018. At the time, she was new to the community, saw the significant
needs of children and families in this area and was interested in finding ways
to fill them. In her resignation letter, she stated that “I have been so
thankful for my experience these last 2 1/2 years serving with everyone, and
would like to still stay involved as a Community Charter member.” Pastor Filer added
a useful faith community perspective to the Network’s planning and work and her
time on the Board is greatly appreciated.
-Zaheen, Financial Education Coordinator at
Fibre Federal Credit Union, became a Network Board member in July 2019. He also
was new to the area and expressed interest in contributing to the community by
providing financial literacy training for young people and adults. While his tenure
on the Board was short, we did partner together on several financial literacy trainings
and will continue to do so in the future. He cited time constraints as the
reason for leaving the Board.
February
19, 2020 Minutes: The Board meeting minutes were sent to the Board
members for their review prior to the Board meeting. Of the six action items
listed, five were completed. One action item, the item to transfer $2,270 to
Youth and Family Link for the next Parent Support Group 10-week cycle to begin in
May or later, depending on the status of the Covid-19 pandemic, has not taken
place.
Motion to approve the February 19, Network Board
meeting minutes as presented:
Kay; second: Louise. The
vote was unanimous and the motion carried.
Grant
Status Report:
Current Grants Status:
-Financial Literacy Training ($10,000). This funding for
Financial Literacy Training is available for one year through June 30, 2020,
and will be used to train at-risk youth and families who live in poverty or have
very low incomes, are homeless or at risk of homelessness, or are financially
vulnerable. Amount expended through February 29, 2020, $5,910; amount
reimbursed, $5,144.
-Behavioral Health Grant Help for At-Risk Youth with Behavioral
Issues in Child Care ($22,900). This funding for Behavioral Health training
is available for two years through June 30, 2021. The funding will be used to
help children with behavioral challenges in child care by providing training for
childcare providers and family members who work with and/or have children with
behavioral challenges. Amount expended through February 29, 2020, $7,233;
amount reimbursed, $6,400.
–Community Foundation for SW Washington ($25,000). The Network
received $25,000 from the CFSWWA in late December 2019. The funding is
available through December 31, 2020. This funding will be used to support and
help the growing number of children with behavior challenges, including those
with extreme behavior and mental health challenges, and enhance the work of the
Community Charter members in gaining more resources in our community for these
children and their families. Amount expended through February 29, 2020, $1,332.
-The Network received
$1,000 from the Longview Junior Service League in March 2020. The funds will be
used to provide training for childcare providers and parents who work with
children with behavior challenges.
Approval of
Expenditures:
The Itemized Voucher
amounting to $3013.98 was presented to the Network Board for review and
approval. The bills presented were:
Invoice 109-2019 Cowlitz
County Purchasing Svc, Phone, January 2020 $
13.98
Invoice 2020 3T Cowlitz
County Treasurer, January Payroll/Processing $3,000.00
Payroll for the period February
1, 2020 through February 29, 2020 was $2,507.56, which includes the cost of the
payroll and associated employer costs. Payroll processing charges were $54.66.
As of February 29, 2020, the balance in the checking account used for payroll
and payroll processing was $1,811. All other Network funds are held with the
Cowlitz County Treasurer’s Office.
Motion to approve the voucher as presented: Louise;
second: Kay. The vote was unanimous and the motion carried.
Financial
Literacy Training:
-Grant Details. The Financial Literacy Grant
funding is for training at-risk youth and families who are financially
vulnerable. The training topics are geared to the audience and may include Bank
on It, Setting Financial Goals, Borrowing Basics, Saving for Cars/College/Housing
and more depending on the participants.
-The Network completed a four part series of Financial
Literacy trainings for after school program participants at Barnes Elementary
School on February 26. The trainings were on January 22, February 5, February 12
and February 26. Feedback from the participants, the Barnes Site Coordinator
and the After School Program Director has been excellent. A similar series of
Financial Literacy trainings for after school program participants at Catlin
Elementary School was conducted on March 4 and 11. There is an opportunity for
similar trainings at Wallace Elementary Schools.
-The Network presented two sessions of Financial
Literacy training for Columbia Wellness clients on February 26. Ten people
participated in the morning Budgeting session; eleven people participated in
the evening Credit session. All participants received handouts for both topics.
Feedback was excellent. There were questions/comments and all said they learned
something new that they could use.
-Participated in the Capital Asset Building
Coalition meeting on March 10.
-Due to actions taken in relation to the Covid-19
pandemic, the following activities the Network hosts or participates in have
been postponed: Catlin Elementary School trainings on March 18 and 25; Wallace
Elementary School after school program training series in April; Financial
Reality Fairs for high school students on March 26 and 31, and April 2; Money
Smart Week Activity at the Children’s Community Museum in April; and two
trainings for Columbia Wellness Clients on April 22. These activities will be
rescheduled when appropriate.
ACTION: Reschedule Financial
Literacy training activities postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic when
appropriate and continue to explore other opportunities for Financial Literacy
training. (Sharon)
-To continue Financial Literacy work during the
pandemic, the Network will:
- email
budgeting and credit information to organizations with clients who could
benefit from them, and
- invite
people who receive behavior health best practices to request budgeting and
credit information if they are interested.
ACTION: Email budgeting and
credit information to organizations with clients who could benefit from them;
invite people who receive behavior health best practices to request budgeting
and credit information if they are interested. (Sharon)
Behavioral Health Grant:
-Grant
Details. The Behavioral Health Grant funding provides technical assistance and
training for child care providers who serve children with behavioral issues,
and offers training and resources for family members who have children with
behavioral challenges.
-Presented
Conscious Discipline training for Kalama School District parents and guardians
on March 3.
-Met with
the Family Promise staff on February 24 and March 4 to discuss trauma informed care
and Conscious Discipline training for staff and clients.
-Met with
the manager of Lilac Place in Woodland on March 11 to discuss Conscious
Discipline training in Woodland in June.
-Prepared
and sent three behavioral health best practice emails on February 24, March 10
and 17.
-Due to actions taken in relation to the Covid-19
pandemic, the following activities the Network hosts or participates in have
been postponed: Conscious Discipline training for Foster Parents on March 16;
training for Kalama School District staff on April 14; and training for Family
Promise staff and parents in April. Also postponed are events the Network is a
partner or participates in: Together We Can on March 26 and the Celebration of
Children Week activities event scheduled for April. These activities will be
rescheduled when appropriate.
ACTION: Reschedule Behavioral
Health activities postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic when appropriate and
continue to explore opportunities for Conscious Discipline/NEAR training. (Sharon)
-To continue Behavioral Health work during the
pandemic, the Network will:
- increase
the number of behavioral health best practice emails to once a week, and
- invite
those who receive behavioral health best practice emails to share them with a
friend or others who could benefit.
ACTION: Increase the number of
behavioral health best practice emails to once a week; invite those who receive
behavioral health best practice emails to share them with a friend or others
who could benefit. (Sharon)
Community Charter Activities.
-Twenty community organizations that work closely with
children and families have “signed” the Cowlitz Community Charter 2020 Annual
Agenda and Objectives.
-After discussion, it was determined that the Network would
proceed with organizing and information gathering for a report to spread
community awareness of the current support needs for children and families, and
the effects that ripple outward across the system due to gaps in services. Michael
volunteered to provide an outline of the report so information gathering can
begin.
ACTION: Provide an outline of the report to
spread community awareness of the current support needs for children and
families, and the effects that ripple outward across the system due to gaps in
services. (Michael)
Network
Coordinator Job Description: It was discussed and agreed that Sharon
and Louise would work together to prepare a Network Coordinator Job Description
using the previously provided list of job duties performed by the Coordinator.
ACTION: Prepare a Network
Coordinator Job Description. (Sharon and Louise)
Upcoming Events: Meetings
and activities throughout the community have been postponed or cancelled due to
the Covid-19 virus.
ACTION
SUMMARY:
ACTION: Reschedule Financial
Literacy training activities postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic when
appropriate and continue to explore other opportunities for Financial Literacy
training. (Sharon)
ACTION: Email budgeting and
credit information to organizations with clients who could benefit from them;
invite people who receive behavior health best practices to request budgeting
and credit information if they are interested. (Sharon)
ACTION: Reschedule Behavioral
Health activities postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic when appropriate and
continue to explore opportunities for Conscious Discipline/NEAR training. (Sharon)
ACTION: Increase the number of
behavioral health best practice emails to once a week; invite those who receive
behavioral health best practice emails to share them with a friend or others
who could benefit. (Sharon)
ACTION: Provide an outline of the report to
spread community awareness of the current support needs for children and
families, and the effects that ripple outward across the system due to gaps in
services. (Michael)
ACTION: Prepare a Network
Coordinator Job Description. (Sharon and Louise)
Next Meeting: April 15, 2020
