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MINUTES <br /> ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF SOCIAL SERVICES <br /> August 16,2021 <br /> disruption for DSS clients. Tamara Dempsey-Tanner asked how many DSS clients are involved. <br /> Ms. Coston responded that there are several hundred but fewer who are at high-risk. Ms. <br /> Dempsey-Tanner also asked about the funds from Cardinal and the potential impact for this quicker <br /> transition. Ms. Coston responded that staff are working on that issue and that there is a potential to <br /> lose some of those funds. <br /> 3. American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Programs <br /> Nancy Coston gave the Board an overview about the recovery funds and programs that are <br /> available in North Carolina. One of the big funding sources is HOPE which will pay rental costs for <br /> eligible families. Staff shared information on the HOPE Program with the Board. <br /> There is a water program also coming to North Carolina called LIWOP. As soon as the State <br /> submits their plan and implements the rules, the program will help pay past-due water bills. This <br /> program will likely roll out between October and December. The first priority group will be people <br /> whose water has been turned off or are at high-risk. The second group is people who are low- <br /> income but have managed to continue to pay. <br /> There is still a Low-Income Energy Assistance Program and the checks will be bigger than last <br /> year. The Crisis Intervention Program maximum amounts have increased from $600 to $1,000 this <br /> year. There will also be additional funds loaded for Work First families. The United States <br /> Department of Agriculture (USDA) also updated the Thrifty Food Plan which relates to the amount <br /> of benefits available for families on Food and Nutrition Services. The average increase is around <br /> $38 per person and is not related to the pandemic. <br /> Oscar Fleming asked whether there was a way to track who received the different benefits. Ms. <br /> Coston responded that we will be able to track internally some of the programs, but things like <br /> HOPE will not be tracked at the County level. <br /> 4. Medicaid Audit <br /> Lindsey Shewmaker updated the Board on the Medicaid Audit. For the month of June there were <br /> four errors, all for the same issue of approving Family Planning Medicaid prior to the disposal of <br /> Adult Medicaid applications. <br /> 5. Virtual Meetings <br /> DSS Board Meetings will continue to be virtual for now. <br /> 6. Board Member Update <br /> Tamara Dempsey-Tanner shared the scores for DSS Board applicants and the Board discussed <br /> how to set up interviews. <br /> 7. Director's Report <br /> The Government Alliance for Racial Equity is doing some community presentations. The DSS <br /> Board is invited to attend. <br /> 2 <br />