Orange County NC Website
1 <br /> ORD-2013-028 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: September 5, 2013 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. 5-o <br /> SUBJECT: FY 2013-14 Budget Amendment#1-B —Acceptance of Grant Funds for a <br /> Caregiver Support Program and Creation of a Time-Limited, Part-Time (0.80 <br /> FTE) Social Worker I Position within the General Fund <br /> DEPARTMENT: Aging PUBLIC HEARING: (YIN) No <br /> ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> None Janice Tyler, (919) 245-4255 <br /> PURPOSE: To accept NC Division of Aging and Adult Services (NCD-AAS) grant funds; to <br /> utilize those funds and Master Aging Plan funds to establish a time-limited, part-time bi-lingual <br /> Social Worker I position to work with Mandarin-speaking older adults;- and approve 'Budget <br /> Amendment#1-B. <br /> BAC-KGROUND: Asian-Americans and-immigrants have become the largest minority-group in <br /> the Chapel Hill/Carrboro metropolitan area. As such, the Department on Aging has experienced <br /> a significant growth in the number of Mandarin Chinese-speaking persons seeking services and <br /> attending senior center activities. During the fiscal year ending June 30, 2013, more than 20% <br /> of the Senior Lunch Program participants identified themselves as Asian. Most speak little or no <br /> English. <br /> In September 2012 to address this communication gap, the Department on Aging designated <br /> Master Aging Plan funds, donated by the Carol Woods Retirement Community, to hire a <br /> temporary, part-time bi-lingual employee to interact with the Chinese-speaking Senior Center <br /> participants. <br /> In March 2013, the Department on Aging was awarded a two-year, $25,000 per year, grant by <br /> the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services — NC Division of Aging and Adult <br /> Services (NCDAAS) to develop a Chinese-language Family Caregiver-to-Caregiver Peer <br /> Support program in Orange County. Over the two-year period, the grant will provide funding for <br /> a .part-time social worker ($20,302 per year) to recruit and train at least 15 Asian-American <br /> volunteers to work with older Mandarin-speaking adults and their families to help them access <br /> needed public and community resources. The Social Worker will provide clinical supervision to <br /> volunteers and provide direct services as needed. <br />