| | | | | | | | Board Action Request
18-0303
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| | | | | | | | Item Description:
Agmt A188937 with the MN Dept of Human Services accepting a grant to provide Telephone Multilingual Referral Line Services to Clients with Limited English Proficiency, 07/01/18-06/30/20, $196,000 (recv); continue the 1.0 FTE grant position |
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| | | | | | | | Resolution:
BE IT RESOLVED,
that Agreement A188937 with the Minnesota Department of Human Services for grant funding for provision of Telephone Multilingual Referral Line Services to clients with Limited English Proficiency in Minnesota for the period July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2020, in the receivable amount of $196,000, be approved; that the 1.0 FTE grant employee be continued; that the Chair of the Board be authorized to sign the Agreement on behalf of the county; and that the Controller be authorized to accept and disburse funds as directed; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that sponsorship and acceptance of grant funding for this program by the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners does not imply a continued funding commitment by Hennepin County for this program when grant funds are no longer available.
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| | | | | | | | Background:
The services of the telephone multilingual referral line for individuals of Limited English Proficiency (LEP) began in June 2007 in Agreement A07831 with the Minnesota Department of Human Services. Services continued through grant agreement A130833, most recently amended in BAR 18-0180 which allowed services to be extended for six months through December 31, 2018 with an appropriation of $49,500.
On June 6, 2018, new funds were awarded in response to a proposal the County submitted to the Minnesota Department of Human Services. A total of $196,000 is included in the new Agreement A188937 to commence on July 1, 2018 and run through June 30, 2020.
The Hennepin County Human Services and Public Health Department’s Office of Multicultural Services (OMS) will provide telephone multilingual referral line services in fifteen (15) languages to clients accessing information or receiving services through DHS in all 87 Minnesota counties. These services are provided by bilingual/bicultural staff who use their language and knowledge of different cultures to respond to the language needs of clients.
Grant funds will be used to support staffing costs. The existing 1.0 FTE grant funded position will continue to serve as a point person to respond to inquiries, complete reports, maintain databases and respond to any community or agency concerns. DHS will continue to provide toll free telephone numbers for use by the LEP populations and OMS provides telephone equipment to support toll free assistance and voice mail.
Twenty-four hour access to the interpreters is available from live staff and voice mail, and approximately 7,000 households are served by the Language Referral Lines annually. Hennepin County provides regular reports to DHS regarding language line usage.
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