CALL TO ORDER
Commissioner Chair Rohde called the meeting to order and welcomed guests at 4:30 pm in the Gresham Room at the Ashland Public Library located at 410 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland OR 97520.

 

Commissioners Present:	Council Liaison
Gina DuQuenne	Jackie Bachman (absent)
Rich Rohde
Erin Crowley	SOU Liaison
Tom Gunderson	None
Sue Crader
Heidi Parker	Staff Present:
Linda Reppond	Linda Reid, Housing Specialist
Erica Franks

Guest Connie Saldana facilitated the SS Grant Priority discussion.
 
INTRODUCTION AND REVIEW OF QUESTIONNAIRE RESPONSES
Rohde and Reid went over the results of the questionnaire results, how the commissioners came up with the questions and how the questionnaire was administered.  See PowerPoint presentation attached as Exhibit A.  Twelve audience members were in attendance and offered some comments regarding social service grant priorities and service gaps within the Ashland Community and the outcomes of the survey. 

• There is a need for immediate help housing.
• Age gap for respondents both young and old.
• Home bound seniors are underrepresented.
• Things that haven’t been identified: short term shelter (not motels) and facilitating transitions.
• Information and navigation services-how do people know where to go/find people who are knowledgeable.
• Need Resource Navigators.
• Need Low-Income housing.
• Difficult to quantify the effects of isolation-need navigators.
• Need mental health workers.
• Collaboration is key.
• Need a bedroom sharing program for seniors.
• Mental health issues continue to be a service gap, services for families with members experiencing mental illness, and a lack of services for people experiencing mental illness.
• Cognitive decline in all categories-all people are eligible for Medicaid how do we get the CCO’s to send a therapist here-from options one morning a week.
• Housing is the top priority.
• We talk a lot about what things costs, but what does it save? Return on Investment-have a focus on prevention. 

MINUTES
Tom Gunderson/Sue Crader, m/s to accept the minutes as presented.
 
DEBRIEF OF THE SOCIAL SERVICE GRANT CONVERSATION
Connie Saldana facilitated the SS Grant Priority discussion.  Commissioners heard a need for resource navigators to serve multiple agencies.  A priority issue for many of the attendees was the isolation of seniors.  Crader would have like to have heard grantees discuss more about what they could not do for their clients/populations.  What are the unmet needs?
 
UPCOMING EVENTS AND MEETINGS
Housing and Human Services Commission Retreat will be held at 3:30-6:30 PM; December 19, 2018, at the Ashland Hills Inn and Suites.
 
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 6:30 p.m.
Respectfully submitted by Linda Reid