Hafa Adai,
Governor Eddie Baza Calvo gave a weekly briefing to reporters this morning regarding the administration’s efforts to fight poverty. The three main updates from this week’s report are the increase in number of families receiving public assistance, the GFD/ GMH services for the sick and the improvements made by students in the Head Start Program.
Also included are important notes on affordable housing initiatives that are underway for Lada Estates and Sagan Linahyan.
You can watch the full briefing he gave at 5:30 p.m. today on PBS Channel 12. We are grateful to PBS for recording the briefing and broadcasting it for the benefit of those who are unable to attend these briefings and are interested in knowing what’s going on in the government.
The Fight Against Poverty, Helping the Poor
A Weekly Report
By Governor Eddie Baza Calvo
April 10, 2012
THREE HIGHLIGHTS:
1. Increase in individuals under SNAP (250) and Medicaid (331) over the previous week.
2. Number of GFD emergency response calls; increased number of patients utilizing hospital services over the previous week.
3. 50%-70% of Head Start students are now testing at age expectation levels when 70%-90% were testing below expectation during the fall.
This week’s updates include information regarding the following:
- DPHSS Public assistance numbers
- DOE Head Start
- DYA client service improvements
- AHRD employment program updates
- DMHSA # of clients helped, placed back into housing
- GHURA’s community partnerships
- DLM helping people on the road to home ownership
Welfare & Social Services:
1. Department of Public Health and Social Services
a. Division of Public Welfare
Numbers as of April 6, 2012:
As of March 30 As of April 6 Increase
| Total SNAP Benefits Issued |
$65,397,112 |
$65,645,846 |
$248,734 |
| Total No. of families under SNAP |
14,199 |
14,288 |
89 |
| Total No. of individuals under SNAP |
43,190 |
43,440 |
250 |
| Total No. of families on Medicaid |
9,576 |
unavailable |
|
| Total No. of individuals on Medicaid |
29,328 |
29,659 |
331 |
| Total Disbursements for Medicaid and MIP |
$28,440,980 |
$31,615,726 |
$3,174,746 |
*Note: all information provided reflects totals from FY 2012
CPS Referrals: 12
b. $1.5 M in public assistance transactions took place between March 31 — April 04
c. $248,734 – over-the-counter SNAP benefits
d. $2,569 – cash assistance direct payments
e. 180 Quest Cards issued; 65 new, 115 replacements
2. Division of Senior Citizens
a. $37,943 received from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) grant to continue activities provided by Guam Medicare Assistance Program
– provides convenient, accessible services
3. Bureau of Community Health Services, Guam Office of Minority Health
a. Conference Held:
“Practical Applications of Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services on Guam”
Part of a continuum of ongoing trainings to help ensure client compliance to avoid any jeopardy of federal funds. This CLAS training brings consumers and service providers together to discuss and implement solutions that will help eliminate health disparities on Guam and throughout the region. This is especially beneficial to the under-served and under-represented communities.
This is culturally and linguistically administered. Recently, residents of the Gil Baza Subdivision attended a CLAS training on April 3, 2012. This created a bridge of knowledge to help address the health and social services needs of these residents.
Children in need:
1. Head Start Program
*** Progress reports show that 50% — 75% of Head Start students are now testing at age expectation since the fall assessment where 70%-90% were below expectation.
a. Funding application submitted March 30 for $2,537,864
b. Comprehensive services provided to 534 low income, high risk children and families
c. Registration has started for the program at the Northern Regional Public Health Center
d. Application available online
e. Intranet being developed for staff to access SOP’s and forms
f. Led screening continues at the Northern Regional Public Health Center for Head Start students
2. Governor’s Early Learning Council & First Lady Calvo’s RigÃ¥lu Foundation:
a. Governor’s Early Learning Council Summit: April 12, 2012 at Westin Resort Guam
b. Planning sessions start today
c. Rigålu Foundation instrumental in brining Early Childhood Development expert Elliot Regenstein to Guam for summit
3. Department of Youth Affairs
a. Faith-based services to remanded youth; Pentecostal Church Ministries now providing mentoring and spiritual guidance
b. 13 AmeriCorps volunteers will begin tutoring and mentoring for youth offenders
c. 25 youth participated in the Afterschool Care Easter Volunteer Stipend Program
Jobs:
1. AHRD
a. Shifted work hours of employees to allow for greater access to case managers after school hours
b. 2 graduates from Asmuyao completed secondary education and are entering into certification programs, participating in job skill development programs for better employment
placement chances
c. 9 clients received intensive accounting training
i. Total incoming clients: 203
ii. WorkKeys Assessment Training: 5
iii. Learning Lab Clients: 24
Affordable Housing:
1. GHURA
a. Multifamily Housing Service Coordinator Program for Guma¢ TrankilidÃ¥t:
$197,000 grant (3 years) awarded to support tenants with services for elderly persons to secure the skills to successfully age-in-place
b. Resident Opportunity and Self-Sufficiency Program
– $156,000 awarded to support public housing elderly tenants by assisting through community resources to develop an array of services to secure the skills to successfully age in place
c. Kurason Ysengong: family and youth community service providers working to improve neighborhoods for residents of the Kaiser, Dededo area
d. Para Todu Systems of Care: CPD (Commnity Planning and Development) is GHURA’s authorized representative in the Systems of Care Expansion Planning Team headed by DMHSA and
is designing the first comprehensive system of care program for disabled children and youth from birth through childhood
2. Department of Land Management
a. Survey Authorizations: 8
b. Utility Authorizations: 5
c. Leases signed: 6
3. Guam Housing Corporation
a. Lada Estates: Maeda Pacific and Micronesia Community Development Corporation scheduling a clearing ceremony for beginning of May
i. Contractor to conduct utility infrastructure assessments with approval of DPW
b. Sagan Linahyan: GHURA has issued IFB for home 10 renovation
i. Pre-bid conference scheduled for April 24, 2012; final bid submission: May 17, 2012
c. 203 individuals interviewed since October, 2011 for the GHC 6% Loan Program and the CAHAT program (down payment assistance loan program)
d. 7 loans totalling $971,439 approved:
· 4 purchases for new homes
· 2 construction loans
· 1 refinancing loan
Health Services:
1. Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse
a. 3 homeless consumers cared for by DMHSA renewed their HFVP’s and were given housing again
b. Clients serviced:
Service No. of Clients Discharged New Admittances
| Step Down Home Clients | 1 | ||
| Therapeutic Group Home Clients | 6 | ||
| Children’s Inpatient Unit | 3 | 1* | |
| Adult Inpatient Services I | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| Adult Inpatient Services II | 8 | 1* |
* indicates change from previous week
2. Guam Memorial Hospital (as of March 29 — April 4)
a. Babies delivered: 41
b. Emergency Room Encounters: 543
c. Pediatric ER Encounters: 191
d. Surgeries: 70
3. GFD: emergency personnel responded to the following:
a. 159 Medical/ Sick alarms
b. 41 injured alarms
c. 12 expectant mother alarms
d. 11 auto accident alarms
e. 6 CPR alarms
f. 17 grass fire alarms
Drug rehabilitation:
1. Police: Officers arrest 1 individual for drug possession
2. Mental Health: New Beginnings drug rehab program received 12 new people and successfully discharged 5, adding to the 12 discharged in the previous week
Criminal Rehabilitation:
1. AHRD
a. 6 adult males in outreach offender programs referred to Guam Trades Academy for construction training
Justice and Crime Prevention
1. Police arrests:
a. 1 Assault arrest
b. 5 DUI arrests
c. 7 Family violence arrests
d. 3 Burglary arrests
e. 1 Illegal fishing arrest
f. 5 rioting arrests
g. 1 forgery arrest
h. 1 harassment arrest
i. 1 criminal sexual conduct arrest
Helping People in Need:
1. Community Affairs, Office of the Governor:
a. Assisted a homeless gentleman find shelter at Guma San Jose
b. Worked with __ constituents with various issues
2. Customer Service Hotline
a. 6 phone calls received, 4 resolved