Cambria commissioners receive update on human services

Aug. 16--VINTONDALE -- Cambria County's human services departments are working to assist in community collaboration efforts, navigate through challenges and get the most out of its limited resources.

Tracy Selak, administrator of the county's behavioral health, intellectual disabilities and early intervention programs, provided an update to the Cambria County Commissioners during a regular meeting Thursday at the Ghost Town Trail entrance in Vintondale.

Selak said her department is continuing to track and monitor an increase of calls for county residents at risk of homelessness without general cash assistance, which the state discontinued effective Aug. 1. Many calls to the county's human services departments have been from residents who can't cover the entire cost of subsidized rent or those with food stamps that aren't providing enough to sustain them or their families, Selak said.

Some of the challenges in human services has been adjusting to a reduction of about 20% of revenues five to six years ago, 10% of which has since been restored.

"We have not seen a significant increase in any of our revenue streams," Selak said, which makes it difficult for her department to contract with providers who want to give their staff regular salary increases, even if just for adjustments for the cost of living.

Selak said her department has created savings through staff attrition in anticipation of changes to funding after the 2020 U.S. Census. Funding for direct services is determined by the population data gathered in the Census.

Using the state's human services block grant program has allowed Cambria County's department to share funding across program lines to meet unmet needs and unanticipated emergency needs, according to Selak's update.

The added flexibility of the 2018-2019 grant has also allowed collaboration with other agencies, such as funding residential needs, supportive services and day programs for two county residents with intellectual disabilities last year.

The cost of $332,420 that came from participation in the block grant was split between the county's Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disabilities departments.

Behavioral Health funds which were also transferred as part of the grant, $50,000, went to the Human Services Development Fund to support the operation of the Cambria County Child Advocacy Center.

"That continues to be a great resource in our community," Selak said.

The commissioners also voted on several contracts at Thursday's meeting, including an agreement for

$29,682 with William Penn Printing of Pittsburgh for election supplies.

County Solicitor Bill Barbin said this contract includes the purchase of privacy screens and tables needed for the county's new voting system, as well as 70,000 paper ballots for the fall election.

The county's new voting system will be used for the first time in the November general election, using a paper ballot system that follows a

2018 statewide directive for counties to switch to auditable, voter-verifiable systems. State law requires counties to purchase 110% of paper ballots for its registered voters, Barbin said.

Jocelyn Brumbaugh is a reporter for the Tribune-Democrat. Follow her on Twitter @JBrumbaughTD.

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