HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - ASSET Meeting Minutes 05/05/21Minutes
ASSET Joint Funders Meeting
May 5, 2021 @ 4:00 p.m.
Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, this was an electronic meeting.
PRESENT: Amber Corrieri, Latifah Faisal, Matt Franco, Tim Gartin, MaryBeth Golemo, Linda
Hagedorn, John Haila, Becky Harker, Julie Haverly, Lisa Heddens, Rachel Junck, Joel Hochstein,
David Inyang, Linda Murken, Andrea Rich, Jenny Schill, Kim Stephens, and Ashley Thompson.
STAFF: Jean Kresse, Deb Schildroth, Sandra King and Anneke Mundel
Welcome and Introductions Ashley Thompson, ASSET Board chair, called the meeting to order at
4:03 p.m. Introductions were made.
Approval of May 13, 2021 Minutes
Murken moved for approval of May 13, 2021 minutes with no changes, seconded by Golemo;
Motion was carried unanimously.
Individual Funder Priorities – Deb Schildroth stated that these were shared mainly as information
and a resource for funders to refer to.
OLD BUSINESS
Shared Joint Funders Priorities – Deb stated that shared priorities came out of the discussion that
started 2 years ago as a result of limited funders. More data is being provided on program
outcomes through the ClearImpact Scorecard. At last year’s meeting we were waiting to see
results of the 2020 Community Needs Assessment. It was determined that priorities among
funders under education include public education, advocacy & awareness, and youth programs.
Overlapping priorities in financial stability include childcare, food, and rent/utilizes. In the area of
health, priorities that overlap include medical, mental, substance abuse, crisis, dental and
wellbeing. All were discussed and although they do overlap it was decided we would like to see
the results of the needs assessment and we were also at the beginning of the pandemic so any
action at this time was tabled.
NEW BUSINESS
Community Needs Assessment Presentation – Slides on the 2020 Community Needs Assessment
were presented. Story County Quality of Life Alliance (SCQLA) is charged with conducting a
community-wide needs every five years. The top six needs were identified (in order of
importance): Mental Health, Food Security, Housing, Child Care, Suicide Prevention, and Income.
Nancy Franz assisted in determining the focus for the 2020 Community Needs Assessment. The
focus will be: What are the most important health and human service needs of the people of Story
County and why?
Information was gathered in 4 Waves: (1) Data Collection – document & existing human service
partners; (2) Survey – 567 responded; (3) Focus groups – Zearing and Nevada (Maxwell was
cancelled due to COVID-19); (4) Delphi expert panel (13 health & human services representatives).
Comments from the Chats:
If you were able to disaggregate the data by sexual/gender minority status, the suicide
prevention statistics are significantly higher for those populations based on national data. Joel
Hochstein
…did disaggregation on age, and geographic – need to start looking at by race and ethnicity;
gender and minority – may not be local data but there may be data on a national level… we need
to make sure we are addressing the needs to those that need it the most per community needs
assessment.
Jean, I am very concerned with the percentage of Story County kids considering suicide. Do you
have baseline data for comparison for Iowa and nationally? Thank you. Tim Gartin
www.uwstory.org/health is one place to obtain suicide data for youth in Story County compared
to the state
Percentage-wise, Story County has a higher suicide rate than statewide. The data at the United
Way website comes from IDPH and goes back to 2000.
Are ISU students included in this income inequality? If so does that significantly contribute to the
larger inequality? Mayor Haila
Anneke shared that the comparison of the UNI Study – pandemic…etc. disaggregated by race and
poverty.
The drop in the food insecurity rate has a lot to do with a change in methodology. I am happy to
share details from Feeding America researchers with anyone interested. The new food insecurity
methodology (Feeding America) removes most undergraduate students, FYI. That is partly why
the number dropped dramatically. Anneke Mundel
We must acknowledge the relationship between mental health and the other needs. People with
mental health issues are more likely to be food insecure, difficulties with employment and hence
housing and income insecurities. Suicide is also obviously an issue under mental health issues.
Linda Hagedorn
…five years is too long to review community data/needs – concerned with mental health
If we are able to disaggregate the community needs assessment data in different ways and then
use the data collected by our agency partners to look at those same areas, we can work to
identify gaps in service and work to address those gaps to get services to those that the data says
we need to get to, but aren't currently reaching. That is one way that we could use the data to
help advance our work. Joel Hochstein
Ashley – we have health care workers coming out of the pandemic, with a lot of mental –
PTSD…starting to see that now –
Workforce health care crisis – mental health and disabilities…have programs closing because they
can’t hire people because of low wages. Amber Corrieri
Psychiatrists are hard to recruit…again because of low reimbursement rate. Lisa Heddens
Good examples statewide for showcasing the issues. Ashley – blue print from other communities
and counties that we can learn from.
Becky noted that we need to have the conversation with individuals impacted in all areas. We
need to be mindful and include them in the conversation.
Other Comments/Updates:
The City of Ames is hosting a mental health forum on May 20 at City Auditorium. There will be a
panel of professionals and representatives discussing what we can do to assist individuals and
families. The City will also be covering the cost for individuals to attend the Mental Health First
Aid.
David Inyang reported that there needs to be more education on Mental Health because is it so
stigmatized. How do we get people to talk about the needs? We need to ensure that we are
reaching the people most in needs…direct them to resources.
Linda Murken mentioned that a few years ago there was community wide conversation and
referred to an Inclusive Community help at APL. This is really the time to rally the community
around this issue – timing is right, have the data and the passion from individuals. Building
community awareness – beyond Ames by engaging mayors from rural communities.
Tim Gartin asked about not funding the VCSC and if there is a pathway forward. Kresse stated
that United Way looked at the duplication and costs. Most agencies are doing their own
recruitment and there are more volunteer platforms – GivePulse, SignUp Genius and others that
are available. This past year, understanding the pressing basic needs due to the pandemic helped
the UW board make the decision to cut funding. Schildroth stated that in the VCSC Strategic Plan
from 2 years ago one of the items they were going to work on was to diversify their funding
sources – no progress was made to this end.
Adjourn: Meeting ended at 5:24 p.m.