Committee Hearing, April 25, 2007

But we can tell you, we could put millions and millions of dollars toward a given department. We have a very strong form of government under the City Charter and you know that we can appropriate all that we want, but if the Mayor doesn't want to spend that money, there's nothing we can do about it, unless people like you come in and start to create some furor because of the position that you're being put into.

I'm willing to be furious.

Good.

Last year, 160 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 between the time that we testified and the time that the budget was finally filled, we got several thousand petitions signed and sent them not only to you, but we sent them to the Mayor as well. And I want to really thank Council, because you did respond to us. We sent you a letter. We sent you the petitions. We testified. And you really came through. So thanks a million.

You're welcome.

And we hope that you will try again. (Applause.)

You're welcome. Pauline.

Madam Chairman, Councilmembers, it both breaks my heart and infuriates my sensibilities that there may be someone out there who will die of cancer because having no symptoms and being unable to get medical attention 161 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 at our health centers because of time constraints on his or her job, as well as time constraints on the health centers, they never get to the health centers provided by the City. If indeed my brother Bill had been one of those people, he would not have had a chance to see his next birthday. His doctor at Health Center 3 was sharp enough and caring enough to suspect cancer and push for tests when he complained of minor problems. Without her quick attention to details, I doubt that my brother would reach the age of 57. With her guidance and support, he's looking at a positive prognosis. But what about the thousands who don't have a doctor like Bill? Please help us save more lives.

Thank you.

Hello. Thank you for listening to us. We were here last year, and I know we presented a really 162 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 valid argument for hiring the clerical staff, the nurses, the pharmacists, the additional pharm techs. We are really concerned, because when we met with the Health Department maybe back in December or January, they described to us the procedures in terms of personnel and hiring and testing, and everybody kind of looked like, What are they talking about, because it was like really outrageous of the procedures. So apparently that is actually what delayed the hiring of these people. What we would like to, however, know specifically is how many of them have been hired. I don't have an accurate count. I don't have an accurate count. We don't have an accurate count of how much money of that additional $1.6 million has been spent, how many positions in each of those individual areas have been hired. The argument that we presented last year and the thousands of signatures 163 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 that we had to justify the need for the additional staff and funding obviously was reasonable, but it appears that there's some sort of bureaucratic personnel process that really needs to be looked into. Okay? And then, secondly, I think -- well, that's the foremost thing. And if you guys could begin to really pull that apart, because it almost feels like it was just stated but yet it never -- if it didn't happen, then it just kind of says that it was like some sort of a lip service. And, of course, we know that that's not what you feel, because we know that both the Mayor and Council last year approved of that additional budget. So we're asking that -- it is not our fault that whatever the City's hiring process are convoluted. We are asking that you don't allow the health centers and the residents -- at Health Center 9, we have 12,000 patients on file. And with the combination of all of 164 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 our health centers, we have thousands of patients on file. We're asking that we're not to be victims of some City convoluted process of hiring. So that's our main focus. (Applause.)

And we have some other areas of concern. I would say that in terms of health education and prevention for children, we actually had a number of young people call in to try to get appointments to get birth control pills, to deal with medical problems. They never got through. Okay? Therefore, they never got the care that they needed. I mean, as an adult, you know how to work through the system, but as children or teenagers or college students, they don't know. And we are asking that you guys take a look and look at allocating additional funds for services to young people, who really need it. 165 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 (Applause.)

Secondly, all of the services, whether it's behavioral health or substance abuse services, they're being held with adults, like in the same building. So if I was a child and I was walking into a mental health center, I would say, Oh, is this the way I'm going to grow up to be? I think that they need to be separated. They need to have separate entrances. (Applause.)

Those children never need to see adults who are on drugs and with mental health problems mixed with their population. So we are asking for your consideration of that. One of the other important things is public health -- and a lot of this was done last year. Public health was found on sanitation, and we are so deeply concerned that a lot of our neighborhoods are filthy. (Applause.) 166 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116

We have trash from stores, most of them potato chip bags, pretzel bags, sodas, whatever. We are asking that City Council, in efforts to improve our image of our city, work in conjunction with, I guess, the Neighborhood Transformation Initiative, the School District and those vendors to put trash baskets or whatever along those corridors so that children learn the proper behavior. Because if we ignore it, we're going to end up with a really filthy, dirty city. I mean, I personally have seen shrimp and chicken and stuff in the parking lot of supermarkets. I mean, that stuff creates rats. So we're asking that we undertake an initiative similar to what they had back in the, whatever, '50s or '60s, "don't be a litter bug." Our children really, really need that, and the adults too need it also. And then, finally, our last concern is this loosie cigarette 167 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 business. (Applause.)

What's going on is, you have a lot of merchants -- and it's become well known that you can go to any store, buy a cigarette, a loose one, for 50 cents. First of all, it's very nasty, because if somebody is opening it up and taking it from the top and giving it to you in your hand for you to smoke it, that's not sanitary. The law set back at the time, I think it was, like '96 or 7 or something like that with the tobacco where we could have smaller packages of cigarettes as opposed to 20, we could have five or ten, we would like you to revisit that, because obviously people don't necessarily want 20 cigarettes. They want one or they want five, but they don't want 20. So we're asking that from a public health, sanitary perspective that you begin to control that. There are a lot of young people 168 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 going into these stores, buying loose cigarettes, which is illegal. And there's a major underground market. In other words, where a pack of cigarettes normally runs you for $5, by the time they spend times -- that's $10. 8 They're making double the amount, and the 9 City and the state, nobody is getting 10 taxes off of any of that, because it's an 11 underground market, and we're asking you 12 guys to look into it. 13 So those are basically our 14 issues. We have a written statement that 15 we'd like to present to all 16 Councilmembers. And, again, the main 17 thing is full funding. 18 Thank you. 19

Thank you. 20 Thank you very much, President Verna.

Thank you. Ms. Rosenthal --

One last thing that I would like to say is, we would like to express our appreciation to the 169 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 Chair of your Health Committee, Councilwoman Tasco. We went to her after we spoke last year, and she gave us some ideas on what to do, and they worked. So we want to thank you very, very much. (Applause.)

Ms. Rosenthal --

Now all we have to do is get them to spend it.

Ms. Rosenthal?

Yes. I'm sorry.

When the Health Commissioner was in to testify, she indicated that there was a very high turnover in the Health Department, and Mr. McPherson recalls that she said that there were approximately 101 vacancies. Now, where would you say most of those vacancies are? You said they took care of the 170 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 pharmaceutical, the clerical. Where could these vacancies --

I think that they're, yeah, nurses. I think that a number of -- many people are getting ready to retire. I can't -- I'm only giving you my impression. I have not been able to check this out. And I would say that it may be that these vacancies are from assistants, nursing assistants. Sometimes they do get better position offers elsewhere, but by the same token, many people do like to stay with the City because it has other advantages to them. So I think that we can ask and find out. I mean, I have not been able to, but Council certainly should be able to get an accurate list of that.

Well, I want you to know that we're all very concerned about this issue.

Thank you.

And we will do everything we can. 171 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 Yes, sir.

I would like to --

If you would like to testify, pull the chair over and use the microphone, please.

Thank you very much. I would just like to add on what my colleagues are talking about. Apart from the convoluted --

I'm sorry. Does the stenographer have your name?

Yes.

I'm sorry. My name is Warrakah, Kusema from Strawberry Mansion Health Center. I'm Chairman there for the Board. I'm just adding on what Sue was just speaking about and what my other colleagues were saying.

Yes. That's fine.

Apart from the convoluted hiring practice, which is so 172 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 tedious and very difficult to get workers to work, another thing is that there's a strong competition with the private industry whereby our nurses and other personnel are being sucked out of our system. So we would like to ask the City Council to really consider actually raising kind of the compensation for these workers to make it a little bit comparable. It doesn't have to be exactly the same. However, to make it more comparable so that we don't have to lose a lot of workers from that. And also I'd like to add, maybe you need to also increase funding to, say, our Community College to make sure that we get more people trained in the healthcare industry so that we can have a better pool. It is all connected. There's so many things, but then we can't cover everything, but then we just let you know that we'd like you to really look into our health centers and really help them 173 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 and really increase our level of service. And, of course, it's a function of how much you really give us really. The more money you give us, the better service we'll have. We have great doctors, great nurses now, but we need to give them more support from the City.

Thank you very much.

That convoluted hiring system, sometimes that just might be an excuse.

Thank you. I'm sorry, Ms. Rosenthal. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Tasco.

I just want to thank you all for your diligence and staying on top of the whole issue of the health centers and for your advocacy. We certainly need that partnership. We appreciate your hard work.

Thank you very 174 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 much. (Applause.) MR. McPHERSON: Our next witness is Dell Burkey, Dr. Dell Burkey. (No response.) MR. McPHERSON: Cynthia Kishinchand. (No response.) MR. McPHERSON: Letty Thall.

Good evening and thank you for staying here.

Thank you.

I'm Letty Thall, the Public Policy Director for the Maternity Care Coalition. We appreciate this opportunity to provide information to you since we work across several City departments to meet basic health and human service needs for our youngest citizens and vulnerable families. We have a community-based approach of the MOMobile that addresses the health and low-income needs of women 175 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 and children, but one of our greatest strengths is our ability to respond to external factors that affect pregnant and newly parenting women and to develop programs and advocacy activities that help this population, which is why we're here today to thank you, because you all have played a major role in three of the emerging programs that I want to identify today. And we'll come back next year to ask for money, but today it's the Riverside MOMobile, is one program. We were able to initiate MOMobile services to women in Philadelphia's Riverside Correctional Facility beginning in November of '06. With the support of the Commissioner and Warden, we launched this project, which was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Local Funders Initiative project, which means we have to match what they give us dollar for dollar. As of mid April, we provided services to 33 women both in and out of Riverside. Once they're released, 176 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 we continue to help them with their transitions to their communities, and we provide that support. The average length of stay for women incarcerated is three months, and about women are pregnant at any one 8 time, out of an average population of 9 800. When the population increases, 10 there may be 40 women pregnant at any one 11 time. And if they deliver while they're 12 incarcerated, they're taken to the 13 nearest hospital, which had been Jeanes 14 and Einstein and will now all be 15 Einstein. 16 We have found a dearth of 17 after-care or transition services for 18 anyone leaving prison. And our very 19 small program has demonstrated the need, 20 as have other speakers here today, so that if we can demonstrate that we're successful, we are going to need public funds and will be back to you. The other program that you've been so supportive of is the Cribs for 177 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 Kids program, and we've had an opportunity to work with the City, Acting Commissioner Evans and Health Commissioner Paris, actually, I think it was yesterday to announce a new media campaign, because what we have found is for safe sleep, not only do people have cribs, but family members must learn to use the crib any time and any place that the baby is sleeping or napping. And we've providing cribs to about 1,500 families who are eligible so far this year, which included 268 to families with DHS involvement. The City supplies about two-thirds of these funds, and we appreciate it, and we raise the other third from concerned citizens, groups like Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church, Rotary Club and other charities. And the last project, which we so much appreciate, was our Childbirth at a Crossroads, which your unanimous support in a resolution last month for recommendations has been sent to the 178 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 Governor, as well as the Legislature. And we're all, I think, way too familiar we're no longer childbirth at a crossroads, we are in a crisis. And while it is primarily the leadership that needs to come from the Commonwealth, I really want to highlight a very positive situation here in the City, and that's our City health centers. They are often the only option for prenatal care in our city, and we are most fortunate that all residents, regardless of their status, will be seen. Yet, as we've heard and as we know, prenatal care in health centers as health centers are a shrinking resource. City health centers must be funded and staffed to meet the increasing demand for prenatal care.

An initial appointment for prenatal care -- this is improvement -- should be given within two weeks, and while we're down to about three weeks now for an initial appointment for prenatal care, we need to 179 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 ensure that in all parts of the City that access is there. On the horizon in the future, we will be looking at those teens who are not in school. PCCY has published an excellent policy brief, and we hope to be giving you more details about that next year. So thank you very much.

Thank you. Are there any questions or comments from members of the Committee? (No response.)

Thank you again for your patience.

Thank you.

Our next witness? MR. McPHERSON: Jasper Jones. (No response.)

Is Jasper Jones here? (No response.) 180 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 MR. McPHERSON: The next panel are representatives from the Philadelphia Unemployment Project. (Applause.)

Good evening. Please identify yourself for the record and proceed with your testimony.

Madam President, good evening.

Please identify yourself for the record and proceed with your testimony.

My name is Andre Butler. I am a patient of Health Center No. 10. I am also a member of the Philadelphia Unemployment Project. I am the Chair of the Board of Directors of that organization, as well as a member of our Healthcare Committee and a member of the statewide Healthcare Coalition. And to my right is?

Deneen Frye. I'm a Community Board member at Health Center 181 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 10.

Welcome.

I'm glad to be here today. I do have one question for Madam President. My last time I was here was the first day that Councilwoman Krajewski had returned to active duty, and I just wondered, how is she and is she recovering well?

Yes, she is. I will tell her you were asking for her.

Please do. Thank you so kindly. Thank you so much.

She's doing very well.

Thank you. I am pleased to testify today about an issue that's very passionate to me -- or, first of all, let me ask the members of the Philadelphia Unemployment Project who are here, as well as those that are interested in the care of the 182 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 health centers, to please stand, please. Thank you. We have an issue that is very important, which is the health of the City health centers, and I'm pleased to speak today on the birthday of Supreme Court Justice William Brennan. I don't know how old he is, but I know he's a Supreme Court Justice, and we're here for justice. We're here for justice for the unemployed and for the uninsured people of this city. I'll let you go first. I'll let my witness speak first.

As I stated before, my name is Deneen Frye. I'm a Community Board member of Health Center No. 10. I am also a former patient of Health Center No. 10. When I first became a patient of the health center, I was only working part time and I was ineligible for medical assistance, so I received free 183 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 healthcare at No. 10, which included assistance with my diabetes and a severe infection. Unfortunately, the only times I could come to the health center to see the doctor, get lab work or fill my prescriptions would be to come during my work hours. When you only work part time and you have absolutely no other choice but to see the doctor during the day, the only time you are employed, you lose work, which means you lose pay. You should also consider children who require visits at the health center, and they must lose valuable school time to come to the clinic. Not everyone who uses the services of each health center is unemployed or elderly. Just like you, they require healthcare, and they also require healthcare to be available when they are out of work or out of school. What happens when you have to take a child or yourself to the doctor? 184 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 Do you take time off of work or do you schedule the appointment to coincide when everyone is out of school and work? Taking time from work is a luxury we can ill afford, and when you work part time, you do not have the same days off as a full-time person. Usually you have no 9 time accorded to you to take time off. Does it make sense to provide free healthcare and then create a hardship at someone's employ? People are written up for missing work, and forget if they had just began a job and are on the 90-day probationary period. They have to go to the health center during working hours. Guaranteed that individual will lose their job. Consider also the importance of getting insurance for clients at the health centers. There are benefit counselors there that do this very thing. And we also want to make sure that we keep these insured here at the health centers. In order to do this, you not 185 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 only have to provide excellent healthcare, but you have to make sure the care is available at times when doctors outside the health centers have evening and Saturday hours. If an insured client can change doctors through their insurance and relocate to a regular doctor's office versus the health center, more than likely you will lose the insured client, who will find a doctor with more convenient hours than the health center.

Thank you.

Thank you.

That leads perfectly into the rest of what our main platform is. There are approximately 130,000 uninsured, un-health insured citizens in the City of Philadelphia, approximately 130,000. The majority of all of these are serviced by the City health centers. I am one of them. And I was about five years myself even going to 186 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 a health center, because I heard all the horror stories. I heard all the bad enigma about the health centers, the employees are belligerent, they treat you derogatory, there's long waits. I heard all of those different issues. And I have about two or three -- I won't say life-threatening issues, but major health issues that kept me from going. I had no 11 insurance, so I just said, Well, I'll try to make it. But eventually I decided to go, at the insistence of some of my peers. So I got up one cold morning at about 5 o'clock to go to Health Center 10, waited for three buses, stood outside in line from about 7 o'clock until I actually got in. And I, for the most part, am pleased to report that my own personal experience at Health Center 10 is a good one. The doctors there treat me all right. The nurses treat me fine. My prescriptions sometimes are not ready when they say, but I can maneuver around those kinds of things. And since Health 187 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 Center is about the first or second busiest health center in the City, I think that it does a fairly decent, adequate job to me personally to try to take care of its patients. And I'm glad that we have a health center, because I couldn't -- I have no health insurance and I cannot afford any prescriptions. So the health center is a valid resource in the community and it's valid -- I'm glad that it's there, because it's made my life a thousand percent easier. But now we have to help the health centers. The health centers need to be improved and not to be reduced, but to be helped. Whenever people want to improve something, they do more, they don't do less. And so we're asking City Council not to enact Mayor Street's proposed two and a half percent budget cut for the health centers. Because everything is needed there. com, who basically says that the health centers make a profit. He says, and I quote, "Speaking of resources, Gottlieb told me something that rarely comes up in the long-running debate about staffing the health centers. They make money. com. So with the money that the health centers actually make, we don't believe that asking the health centers to improve themselves by hiring more workers, reinstating the budget cut that Mayor Street proposed is that major of a thing. Now, you referenced -- you 189 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 talked about where the hirings probably could actually be. As this body knows, there was a law passed -- I believe it was early '90s -- which dealt with the health centers. And the part I'm referencing is Section 6-703. org. org. phila, P-H-I-L-A-U-P as in Paul, dot org, which states -- and you can see it on the website. As has been previously stated, the average wait for an appointment is between three to six months to get an appointment. And it's in clear violation of the law which this 190 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 Council passed. And so we would ask City Council -- I understand there was a Solicitor's veto some years later that said they weren't going to really enforce it, but we would implore City Council to use its legislative body rights of checks and balances to be sure that appointments are no longer than days, which would mean hiring more people. So the health people are the ones to really know better where the need to hire, because they would know what they need to bring themselves into compliance with the law. They're the ones to know, and they should be the ones to be asked, What do you need to make these people have not appointments no 20 longer than two weeks, and let them be the ones to tell us.

But there's a clear law here, and we're imploring City Council to use its might as the legislative branch of this City to be sure that that is 191 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 enacted. It also would help keep supplies there as far as prescriptions are concerned and other things that the people -- that the patients would need. All of that is in the code that this Council passed. And we would like to ask and to help you if you need any of the public's help in asking you all to be sure that this law is mandated, it is complied with and that it is completed to the fullness of the letter of the law. This city has a duty. We have a duty to ensure the uninsured people of this city. Hospitals are closing right and left. They're merging and they're closing. Where are the uninsured people going to go? They have nowhere else to go but the health centers. And this is -- and for the City to have a health center system like it speaks volumes of this city. So let's improve it. Let's not take from it. Let's improve it and try to find -- hopefully you'll have more satisfied health center customers such as 192 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 myself and everyone won't be complaining about long waits, low prescriptions, bad service, but the people will be satisfied with this care that they are actually receiving. And in my closing let me say that in order to reach this issue, we've been campaigning for this for about eight months now, the Unemployment Project as well as others, and we do not come to this body or make our protest or our news conferences to pay to play, but we are coming to play to win. And we're going to stand for the uninsured workers of this city and we're going to fight for them, and we ask this Council to do likewise. Thank you.

Thank you very much. (Applause.)

Thank you. Are there any questions or 193 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 comments from members of the Committee? (No response.)

Again, I thank you very much. MR. McPHERSON: Our next witness is Samuel Dowling. (No response.) MR. McPHERSON: Samuel Dowling? (No response.) MR. McPHERSON: Mike Walsh? (No response.) MR. McPHERSON: Representatives from the Family Leadership Institute?

Good evening. Please identify yourself for the record.

Good evening, Madam President. My name is Roslyn Campbell. I am an FLI, Family Leadership Institute, representative for the Department of Human Services. I also belong to the Northeast EPIC Stakeholders and I'm an FLI liaison with DHS. I would be remiss not to 194 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 mention our backbone and our supporters, and that would be the Director of DHS, Ellen Walker; a community-based prevention service director, Jay Henry; our facilitator and instructor, Dr. Rogers. And we also have FLI, Family Leadership Institute, representatives on Levels 1, 2 and 3, who now some of them are coordinators for the City of Philadelphia. I am pleased to have the opportunity today to testify on behalf of Equal Partners in Change Stakeholders, known as EPIC, and its training arm, Family Leadership Institute, under the Division of Community-Based Prevention Services of DHS. EPIC has been in existence for the last nine years and FLI for the past eight years. I have been with EPIC and FLI for six years. EPIC Stakeholders are residents who live and/or work in their own communities and neighborhoods to address children and family issues such as 195 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 truancy, school performance and general lack of concrete resources. EPIC members from diverse backgrounds are part of a formal and informal network of supports for families. The Family Leadership Institute trains and provides EPIC members over a two-year period to serve as a conduit and liaison to DHS, the School District and other needed resources. Through FLI, community participants get actively involved in community prevention services, support families and children through the provision of resources and develop community-driven projects that impact on the quality of life in their neighborhoods. Participation in EPIC and FLI has afforded opportunities to expand my leadership and community organizing skills so I can help the most vulnerable in my neighborhood. While I have been active in the Northeast and the Frankford section of Philadelphia for the past 30 196 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 years, because of my involvement with EPIC and FLI, I am involved with Frankford Family Support Services as its Advisory Board President and I serve as the eyes and ears and voice to the DHS for families. Additionally, I am past President of the Lloyd C. Wilson, Jr. Memorial Post 224, its President for seven years, a member 25, the American Legion Auxiliary and our veterans. I bring these resources from the EPIC and FLI for community use. The EPIC Stakeholders group has allowed me to meet with grassroots community leaders from around the City to discuss, plan and implement changes for our children and their families right in their own communities. The Family Leadership Program has provided me training and education about the needs, causes and recommended activities and resources to address these community needs. In FLI, we were taught about agencies that would enhance the quality 197 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 of life for everyone concerned. As soon as someone hears DHS, they automatically assume the worst. We are the foot soldiers who are the lenses to our communities. Because Community-Based Prevention Services has provided me and my fellow community cohorts, EPIC and FLI, the opportunity, families received unfettered messages about how to access needed services without being scared of the system. While we use to think of DHS as the "baby takers," I now have a change of heart. DHS, the Department of Human Services, with its positive prevention programs for our at-risk children and families should change its slogan to "DHS, Don't Hate the System," because the system works, the prevention system. There are a lot of good people working here at DHS and the Prevention Division who are dedicated to facilitate positive images, resources and outcomes for our troubled families and youth.

Please know 198 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 that EPIC and FLI gives blooming community leaders opportunities to increase their self-assurance, self-esteem, possibly new employment, community information, setting goals, complete goal accomplishments and make new friendships. I stand here today to say, you need our embodiment as we need the multi-faceted services of DHS, Community-Based Prevention Services and all of their programs. To Madam President and Council, thank you for this opportunity to come before you and give you my testimony on behalf of our EPIC and FLI programs. We need you to make effective policies, and you need us at the table to inform you about what really works. Before I turn the testimony over to Mr. Donald Terry, the red folder that you have before you, there is an introductory manual on our Family Leadership Institute program, as well as 199 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 the Equal Partners in Change, EPIC, Stakeholders and also Community-Based Service Prevention programs and agencies that are available to the public for free. Thank you.

Good evening. My name is Donald Terry, FLI Level 2, EPIC Stakeholders. The Need for Volunteer Community Leaders. We, the Partners in Change Community Stakeholders, are volunteers that live and work in the neighborhoods. We are actively involved in the well-being of our communities. We are the eyes and ears of the communities. Our EPIC groups are made up of different aspects of the community. We are block captains, town watch and concerned neighbors. We are parents, school staff and family court. We are police, the political leaders, the community activists, the store owners, the mental 200 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 and physical health providers. We are anyone in the community that has an investment in the quality of our lives in our city. We know things as stakeholders about the community that outsiders will never get to know. We can go into the neighborhood and find out things that DHS, the police or case managers would never be able to know. We know what children are eating or going to school. We know what parents are on drugs or who have mental health issues. We know who needs special needs and services, because we are the eyes and ears. EPIC leaders are unique because they are the community residents who voice the real concerns in their communities. But not only that, they develop strategic actions for solutions to address the problems encountered by families. Some of us receive specialized leadership training through the Family Leadership Institute. They are nominated for training by participating in EPIC 201 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 groups. The Family Leadership Institute is a training program sponsored by Community-Based Prevention Services, DHS. Count on us to bring hope and resources to the families that need access to them or who may be afraid of the formal system. Prior to me becoming involved with the EPIC groups and the Family Leadership Institute, all I knew was that DHS was in the business of taking people's kids, but now as a part of EPIC, I know DHS is here to protect children and has community-based preventive services and resources to prevent children from coming into the system. I would have never known about the Division of Community-Based Prevention Services had it not been for EPIC Stakeholders. As a stakeholder, we meet monthly to discuss concerns and issues from the residents and their communities. We develop plans that help combat truancy and reduce violence in schools and 202 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 communities. Some of the stakeholders go on and become parent truant officers, youth workers, community organizers, mentors, case managers and leaders of their own community-based organizations. Where would we be today without this new underground railroad called EPIC, Equal Partners in Change? As community stakeholders, we are making an impact in the communities by bringing hope and intervention to the human race on a daily basis. Because of community-based initiatives like EPIC and the training resource of the Family Leadership Institute, children and families are safer, happier and more successful. Count on us, City Council, to help us help you improve our communities. Thank you. I would like to turn this over to Ms. Christine Riddick.

Good evening, everyone. I'm actually an EPIC 203 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 coordinator for the Southwest area and I'm actually reading this testimony for another EPIC coordinator -- there are ten throughout the City -- Charlene Samuels. But I do agree with everything that's been said so far regarding the EPIC Stakeholders. Because of Community-Based Prevention Services of the Department of Human Services, community members of EPIC have expanded their involvement in their communities through support to children, youth, families and the systems that interact with them. Through involvement, the EPIC Stakeholder members have changed their perspectives about the role of Department Human of Human Service and have recognized that DHS wants to strengthen families and help families become cohesive and well-rounded through prevention programs targeting vulnerable families that love their children but need support. 204 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 Through their involvement, our EPIC Stakeholder members realize that DHS via Community-Based Prevention Services provide many free resources that keep families stabilized and engaged in family support, parent education classes, neighborhood beautification, community festivals, job readiness and so much more. And more that does not require parents to get labeled as a bad parent of the system. The EPIC Stakeholders are more informed residents, which will better equip them to be advocates in their neighborhood as it relates to the school, education, community and economic development and political awareness. The EPIC Stakeholders are enlightened, empowered and connected to the process of creating change in our community by helping people get acquainted, facilitating a sense of team work, unity and establishing purpose. The EPIC Stakeholders serve as 205 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 the government's beacon light to help guide you in your decision affecting all of us. We want you to know, City Councilmembers, that we welcome the opportunity to inform you and engage with you as decisions are made about our neighborhoods. We are Equal Partners in Change, and you are our partners. Thank you. (Applause.)

Thank you all, and certainly we know, Chris, all that you do over the years, some 30 years, to help youngsters throughout the City and of your commitment. All of you are great. We see Ms. Iken, and we appreciate you.

Excuse me. There's another part to this, the last part, because we're looking at outcomes, and the way we want to look at outcome is, we do the project, it goes to the community and we get the community involved and the 206 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 children involved especially, and we want to share with you what we feel our outcomes are from the programs that we have been dealing with.

Thank you, Ms. Ford.

Many of the members --

Excuse me. Identify yourself for the record.

Oh, I'm sorry. My name is Liz Ford and I am an FLI 2 and part of this project. And plus, I can. Many of the members of the EPIC Stakeholders have been community and school activists for years. I am such an activist. But after receiving training through the Family Leadership Institute, people like me have been more afforded broader community-based connections for us and our neighbors. Because of DHS's Community-Based Prevention, EPIC and FLI resources, communities are empowered to be their own change agents. When the 207 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 community becomes involved with the EPIC process, systems or systematic process develops and outcomes revealed. For instance, many community people became involved in the neighborhood, and that was important because they weren't doing it until we started going out and trying to get people together. The City has made a ready-made network of neighborhood advocates to deliver messages and diffuse myths and untruths. The City also has a ready pool of volunteers for the curfew centers and trained persons to become parent truant officers. Youth are engaged by their elders to become junior stakeholders as a tool to help them to bond with their community and participate in productive activities. Indeed, these youth are given an opportunity to use their own voice and youth-friendly tools to suggest and make change. Neighborhood beautification 208 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 projects are undertaken with youth as primary agents of change to remove blight. This effort is noted as the "Where Kids Rule Panel" programmed by West Philadelphia Epic Stakeholders that simultaneously provided youth participants with planning and entrepreneurship skills. EPIC and FLI participants are invited to sit at service tables to connect families and truant children directly to informal resources right in their own neighborhood. Finally, each year, more than 40 community-driven projects are created by FLI participants that often develops into ongoing programs for children, youth and their families. Since its inception, FLI members have children -- I'm sorry; have developed annual projects such as the asthma awareness and intervention workshops with resources; community job fairs and job readiness programs that directly connected participants with 209 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 employment; truancy prevention and intervention programs providing incentives for school youth; health fairs; male mentoring; programs connecting absentee fathers with their children; back to school nights and safe nights created and expanded; disaster preparations program focusing on schools and home readiness; voter registration; and citywide political forums. We are your ears to our neighborhood and your constituents. We are your voice for reason for those who are often not heard. We are the forefront of systematic change in our communities. Without us, nothing can be sustained. And without Community-Based Prevention Services of DHS, we cannot effectively apply our advocacy for our most vulnerable citizens, our children. Finally, again, we encourage you to support DHS, particularly as it relates to the Community-Based Prevention programs. We need them to help you and 210 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 our neighbors and our neighborhood. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Ford. (Applause.)

Are there any questions? (No response.)

Thank you all very much. We appreciate your fine works. MR. McPHERSON: Our next witness is Ann Cohen.

Good evening. Thank you for your patience.

Good evening and thank you for being here. I did bring copies of my testimony for all the distinguished members of Council. And, Councilwoman Blackwell, thank you very much. Good evening. My name is Ann Cohen. I am President of AFSCME Local 1637 and District Council 33. Local 1637 represents civilian 211 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 employees of the Police and Fire Departments, the Department of Public Property, the District Attorney's Office, the Philadelphia Parking Authority and the Capital Program Office. We come here today to comment on the proposed FY2008 budget. While this body must balance a multitude of needs and desires of its operating departments and the citizens it is elected to serve, it is without question that we are today confronted with a crisis of violence. It is imperative that the City muster its resources to address the violence that has already claimed 127 lives. As City Council proceeds with its budget deliberations, we ask that you look at a long-range plan that can save taxpayers' money while best utilizing uniform officers to fight crime. As we have done for close to 30 years, we ask you once again to join with us in demanding that the City Administration 212 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 take civilization and civilian staffing of the Police Department seriously. Almost years ago, the Police 5 Department assigned clerk typists for the 6 first time to work as CORAs, civilian 7 operation room assistants, in each police 8 district across the City. These 9 employees are responsible for preparing a 10 variety of reports and processing 11 critical paperwork related to daily 12 police activities. Each and every time a 13 CORA is not in a police district, he or 14 she is replaced by a uniform officer. 15 At the peak of this successful 16 civilization program, there were over 130 17 CORAs in various districts. Today there 18 are just 63. The Department lists 39 19 authorized vacancies. Let's do the math 20 using the City's own authorized level. When those 39 positions remain vacant, 10,179 shifts inside operations rooms are covered by uniform officers. That's 85,752 hours of officers not on patrol. I ask you to tell me how this makes our 213 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 streets safer. Besides the impact on the ability of the City to effectively deploy its uniform forces, the understaffing costs the City a ton of money. Clerk typists are paid between $25,040 and $29,458. Uniform officers' base salary starts at $39,568 and reaches $51,388, which does not include uniform officer stress pay. That means that officers are paid between $14,000 and $25,000 a year more to answer the phone, complete paperwork and maintain computer records. If the City filled only the current CORA vacancies, it would spend over $700,000 less in salaries for operations rooms functions. If the operations rooms were completely civilianized, the savings would be even greater. Clerical positions are not the only ones that are ripe for civilization. The Department's Detention Unit is another example of how the civilization efforts of the '90s need to expand. At 214 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 that time, the Department replaced uniform officers with correction officers. The effort has proved successful, and the Department has realized significant savings for 7 years. But it is time to move ahead. 8 The Police Detention Unit is 9 staffed with correction officers who make 10 $15,000 a year less than police officers. 11 However, this unit, unlike the City's 12 prisons, remains supervised by uniform 13 police officers. If the City were to 14 replace uniform corporals and sergeants 15 with correctional sergeants, it would result in dramatic cost savings. Currently, a correctional sergeant's pay ranges from $36,803 to $40,441. In comparison, a police sergeant's pay ranges from $56,148 to $58,582. Unfortunately, it's not just a failure to civilianize that costs the Department in staffing and dollars.

It's the decrease in the number of authorized civilian positions and the City's failure 215 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 and refusal to fill even authorized positions that further exacerbates the problems. Each year, the Department has seen its civilian positions cut. In 2004, before layoffs, the authorized civilian positions were 974. Today there are 884. Another number that could stun us all is the number 127, the homicides that have racked the City so far this year. With this horrific situation, how can the Department make a sane choice about staffing? Should they cut a crime scene investigator or a forensic chemist? Should they replace a corrections officer or a CORA? Hire a 9-1-1 dispatcher or a firearms examiner? At a time when we must devote every available penny to fighting crime, we cannot afford the luxury of uniform officers performing lower-paid civilian jobs. We cannot afford to assign uniform officers to the Department's computer unit to shuttle computers around the City 216 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 and staff the computer help desk. We shouldn't find it acceptable to have uniform officers mopping floors because the City fails to fill custodian positions. It is past time to replace the dozens of uniform police supervisors in the police radio room with qualified civilians. We appreciate the opportunity to testify before you today. The issues that we raise tonight will not go away when a new budget is finalized. We hope that City Council will take the lead in researching and investigating the real cost savings that can be achieved by a comprehensive civilization program. We would welcome the opportunity to be part of such a process. Thank you very much. )

Thank you. Thank you very much. It's so nice seeing you again.

Nice to see you, 217 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 too. It's a regular date that we have.

Yes. Let me ask you a question, if I may. With the civilians that you're referring to, are they all clerical positions?

No. We represent crime scene investigators, firearms examiners, fingerprint identification technicians, 9-1-1 dispatchers, corrections officers, and a very large body of clerk typists.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you. MR. McPHERSON: Our next witnesses are Betty Izenman and Ray Jones, and after that will be Rhonda Rhone and Margaret Zukoski.

Good evening.

Good evening. 218 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116

Please identify yourself for the record and proceed with your testimony.

My name is Betty-Ann Izenman. I'm the Program Director at the Pennsylvania Prison Society, and I'm accompanied over on my right by Charles Flemming, one of our case managers. Thank you very much for providing us with the opportunity to provide public comment on the City's Operating Budget, and I do have copies of my testimony, as well as two copies -- unfortunately, I didn't have any more -- of a publication that we'd like the Councilmembers to have the opportunity to review as well. I am here today and happy to be here representing the Pennsylvania Prison Society. And our Executive Director, Bill DiMascio, apologizes that he was unable to be here tonight. Since its founding by Dr. Benjamin Rush, I know that many of 219 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 the Councilmembers are familiar with the Pennsylvania Prison Society and knows that it has continually worked to promote a humane, just and rational approach to criminal justice. We offer a variety of programs intended to assist prisoners and their families during periods of confinement and reintegration into the community. We have helped many former offenders and inmates with criminal convictions who are seeking employment after release. Since 1995, we have worked directly with more than 5,500 people, those who are incarcerated, those who are not and have corresponded and shared resource information with many more. The only thing we ask is for a criminal record and the willingness to work. We are aware of the interest, concern and leadership that many members of the Council have shown with regard to criminal justice issues. But the reason 220 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 we're here tonight is specifically to bring to your attention a small successful gem of a program that is due to end if the members of Council do not take action. The JOBS Project of the Philadelphia Prison System has been providing employment readiness, coaching, job placement assistance, case management and employment retention services to over 200 men and women per year who are released or about to be released from the Philadelphia Prison System. This unique program begins with job readiness workshops, which are unusual in the sense that they are held inside the prison. It is the only program, to our knowledge, that begins inside the prison and continues outside the prison. The Pennsylvania Prison Society -- the reason I'm sitting here with Ray Jones from Impact Services is that we have been reentry partners with Impact Services, with the vocation 221 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 training providers and social workers of the Prison System. It has been a collaboration. We prepare clients by helping them remove the barriers they face, things that I know Council is familiar with, the lack of identification, clothing, transportation, childcare and others, so that they are more prepared to enter the job market and become successfully employed. The reason I'm here tonight, however, is to tell you that the JOBS Project has been remarkably successful. Its impact either in dollar or human terms is impressive. It helps 200 people annually -- I should say we from Impact Services and the Prison Society, 200 people annually. It saves the City almost $3 million a year. And the way we calculate -- and in human terms, it's 120 people who do not return to prison. That is about 120 unused beds in the vastly overcrowded Philadelphia Prison System and $3 million that I know that 222 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 Councilmembers have another way to spend. Another way to look at it, every single day the usual average rate of incarceration in the Philadelphia Prison System costs the City -- and this is by the numbers that the City Prison Commissioner has provided -- $11,700 per day. A JOBS participant, including the cost of the program, which is minimal, costs the City $3,630 per day. Every single day that a prison inmate participates in the JOBS Project, he or she is saving the City $8,000.

Despite its success and despite the support of the Prison Commissioner, the JOBS Project will shut its doors at the end of June. We've been in existence for three and a half years. The original funding for the project came from the settlement of Jackson v. Hendrick, the long-running prison overcrowding case. That money is depleted. It's gone as of the end of June. Despite its modest cost, which 223 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 is about $300,000, approximately $150,000 for each of the reentry partners, and its striking success, the program is not included in the budget that you are considering. We've attached copies of various letters of support for the project under a different name when we were talking about it as a different entity. We are here today asking for your help. We urge the Council to look at the proven results of this little tiny gem of a program that works and allocate $300,000 within any part of the City budget that you feel is appropriate. We do know that the Prison Commissioner testified here about a month ago that a million point three dollars has been allocated to some efforts with -- the Mayor's efforts with regard to reentry. We urge the Council to look for that little bit of money somewhere within the City budget to keep the JOBS Project going. It saves the City ten times the 224 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 amount of money that it costs. I'm happy to answer any questions you might have. Thank you for your --

Thank you very much. Are there any questions of this witness? The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell.

Thank you, Madam President. We wanted to thank them for the work that they do. There's so many. I suppose many offices get as many ex-offenders and people trying to reenter the system as we do, and certainly we want to thank you for the work that you do and we certainly agree with you.

Thank you, Councilwoman. (Applause.)

Our next witness? 225 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116

Good evening, Councilwoman.

Good evening.

Thank you for this opportunity. Ray Jones. I'm Director of Ex-Offender Services at Impact Services. I will be very brief. I just want to reiterate what Betty-Ann has already mentioned, that the JOBS Project probably is the most successful program that the Prison has ever conducted. It is the only program that has significantly reduced the amount of recidivism. The normal rate, whether you're considering just rearrests or reimprisonment, is somewhere between 58 and 78 percent of those inmates who were formerly in the prison going back to prison. The recidivism rate for the JOBS Project over the three and a half years of the program has been 18 percent, a significant drop and one that needs to be 226 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 recognized, because as Betty-Ann mentioned with the numbers that she mentioned, that is a tremendous dollar savings to the City in terms of those people who are now being productive citizens. We're not even including what that means in terms of tax monies being brought back to the City in terms of gainful employment. The other major issue that I wanted to mention was that research has shown over the past ten years that the most effective way to work with a prisoner population or an ex-prisoner population is to begin that service prior to release. And this program, as Betty-Ann mentioned, is the only program in the City that does that. We start working with prisoners anywhere from three to six months prior to their release dates, giving them an opportunity to really get a feel for what's going to happen to them once they walk out the door and, more importantly, establish a 227 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 relationship with the Prison Society and with Impact so that they know that there will be case managers there willing to work with them and able to work with them and continue the services that they have received behind the walls. This program has been well worth the money that has been invested by the Jackson v. Hendricks committee and really needs to be looked at strongly by City Council as one that needs to be continued. Thank you for this opportunity. Are there any questions?

Just for the record, can you tell us what your job program consists of? What type of training do you give?

The job program begins, as we mentioned, behind the walls and starts with job readiness skills, which include resume writing, application skills, life skills, money management skills, all of the things that an 228 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 ex-offender would need once he walks out the door. Once they come out, they then receive job placement services, as well as identification, help with establishing identification, and that actually begins prior to the release date, so that when they walk into an agency, they can have their identification waiting for them and job placement and job retention skills once they do come out.

We are also partnered with the Philadelphia Prison System and their vocational training so that people are getting specific training while they're incarcerated that we're then working with them to use when they get out.

Thank you. I just thought that should be put on the record. Thank you.

Thank you.

Good evening. 229 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116

Good evening, Council. My name is Charles H. Flemming, Jr. I'm the case manager at the JOBS Project ever since its inception in around October, November, December of '03. I'm the trench man. I'm the one that goes in to talk to the young fellows and the women over at the cannery and at RCF at the time they were there, as well as ASD. I find and have found out that the average individual before incarceration has a low trust factor. Everything is negative, to the police officer, the judge. Everybody they have come in contact with is negative. With the JOBS Project we have allowed them to realize that there's somebody who cares. There's a face and a name that goes with the individual. So the average individual when he fills out an application, they see that line, Have you ever committed a crime, of course they put down -- they're told to be honest. 230 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 They put down everything, from the time they did it, to who they did it to and when they did it. We, as the case manager and life skills educator, show them what to put in that line, as well as how to interact in an interview, what to say and what not to say and still tell the truth, as well as some motivational things that they've never had before. So this is basically what we've done or what I do, and we have -- the success of the whole thing is to set a rapport with the individual so they know that there's somebody when they hit the streets where they don't have to look around and wonder what to do. There's somebody there waiting for them to help them out.

Thank you very much. Any questions or comments of these witnesses? (No response.)

231 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 Again, I thank you for your patience. Thank you for coming in to testify. (Applause.)

Thank you.

Our next witness? MR. McPHERSON: The next two witnesses are Rhonda Rhone and Margaret Zukoski.

Are they here? Good evening. Please identify yourself for the record and proceed with your testimony.

Good evening. My name is Margaret Zukoski and I'm joined by Rhonda Rhone. Good evening, Madam President and members of City Council. Rhonda Rhone and myself are here tonight to represent the members of the Pennsylvania Council of Children, Youth and Family Services. The Pennsylvania Council is a 232 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 statewide membership organization representing over 130 family- and child-serving agencies across the Commonwealth. Our agencies provide direct services to abused, neglected, dependent, delinquent and at-risk children and youth. Collectively, our membership employs over 20,000 Pennsylvanians, and 4,500 of these employees live and work in Philadelphia. Pennsylvania Council serves its membership by advocating for policies, practices and resources aimed to protect and serve our City's most vulnerable children and youth. Over 60 of our agencies contract with the Philadelphia Department of Human Services to deliver services. These services range from the provision of prevention services with the goal of diverting families from the more formal child welfare and juvenile justice system to formal court-ordered and publicly mandated services such as foster care and secure juvenile detention 233 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 centers. Today, April 25th, private agencies that contract with the Philadelphia Department of Human Services are delivering direct services to approximately 7,000 Philadelphia children living in their homes through the provision of comprehensive family-based services and family preservation; 4,500 Philadelphia children living in substitute care settings, including foster and kinship homes, treatment and medical foster homes, group homes and supervised independent living settings; 1,000 Philadelphia children placed in institutional settings, including residential treatment facilities; 1,800 adjudicated youth living in residential and community-based programs; 6,000 Philadelphia parents and caregivers through parenting education programs; and thousands of children and families receiving services through the Community-Based Prevention Services that 234 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 you just heard about, services such as the Adolescent Violence Reduction Partnership, truancy prevention, counseling and education programs, and after-school programs such as beacon schools. Today, I am offering comments on both the Philadelphia Department of Human Services' current reform efforts and its Fiscal Year 2008 Operating Budget of $677 million. Pennsylvania Council wholeheartedly supports the Department's aggressive reform efforts aimed at ensuring child safety and well-being. However, providers have serious concerns about the Fiscal Year 2008 budget and its inadequate funding for purchased services delivered through contracts with private agencies. The Department's $677 million budget represents an $85 million increase over its Fiscal Year 2007 estimated obligation of $592 million. DHS leadership has indicated to providers that the 2008 budget includes a 235 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 two percent cost of living adjustment for purchased services. This two percent increase is not sufficient to bridge the ever-widening gap between the actual costs providers incur in delivering services and the reimbursement rates. Together, the Department of Human Services and its private provider network who are its partners and agents form the service delivery arm of the City's child welfare and juvenile justice systems. We share the same mission and goals, to protect and serve children. As DHS advances its plan to reform and reshape the current system, private providers must be ready to respond and implement new policies and procedures. DHS not only sets the agenda for the Department of Human Services, it sets the course for the private provider network.

Just as DHS has a duty to ensure that its contractors are delivering effective services, providers 236 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 have a duty to ensure that DHS's policies, practices and resources are sufficient to address the needs of children and their families. In his recent testimony to City Council, acting DHS Commissioner Arthur Evans described the numerous efforts that DHS is undertaking. It's known as the Children's Safety Net Action Plan. DHS has proceeded with a sense of urgency in implementing reviews aimed at improving child safety in their homes and restoring public confidence in the Department. I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank Dr. Evans for his thoughtful, clear and targeted leadership. Recently, DHS completed 6,600 face-to-face safety visits with children receiving family-based services. Private providers have participated and supported these visits. We've also participated and supported in quality service reviews conducted by the Department of Public 237 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 Welfare and DHS. Moreover, private providers have supported efforts of the Mayor's Child Review Panel participating in meetings with the panel members and interviews. Hundreds of private agencies' staff have participated in focus groups. Providers have also implemented their own efforts to review the quality of services provided by their agencies to ensure that the tragedies that came to light this fall for children receiving services under DHS are not replicated. At a recent meeting -- in fact, it was last week -- between the Pennsylvania Council leadership in Philadelphia and Dr. Evans, providers advised Dr. Evans about the serious issues confronting the provider community. These are not new concerns. However, in the past year, they have grown significantly. The provider network, on which DHS depends to deliver services, is struggling. We are in 238 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 crisis. While the cost of doing business, including skyrocketing liability and general insurance costs, utilities and travel costs, have skyrocketed, DHS's contracted rates have not kept pace. For two consecutive fiscal years, '05 and '06, DHS did not give providers a rate increase, even though the state appropriated a two percent cost of doing business COLA in its '05 and '06 appropriation. In the current fiscal year, 2007, DHS did give a two percent raise increase for some but not all services. Even with this increase, the gap between the actual and reimbursed costs is not bridged. One year with a two percent increase does not compensate for two years without a cost of living adjustment and escalating costs in doing business. During the last three years, the Department of Labor's Consumer Price Index indicates that this region has experienced an almost ten percent 239 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 increase in the cost of goods and services. In the past years, providers have attempted to fill this gap with private dollars. A study conducted by the Pennsylvania Council revealed that upwards of $30 million of private dollars are raised annually to fill the gap in providing publicly mandated services. These dollars are also dwindling and they no longer can fill the gap. What does this mean to the provision of services for Philadelphia's children and youth? Staff turnover in our agencies is at epidemic levels. While we might institute reform efforts, implement best practice models, without an experienced and qualified staff to deliver the services, we are not going to resolve the issues facing the Department of Human Services. As noted earlier, DHS's 2008 Operating Budget includes once again a two percent cost of living adjustment for purchased services. This represents 240 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 approximately $10 million of the total $677 million budget request. Again, while this increase is appreciated, DHS has also informed providers that not all services will be able to receive the COLA.

There is a question whether the foster care administrative rate, which has not been adjusted for over four years, will receive an increase. I'd like to bring to Council's attention that foster parents, on whom we rely to provide daily care for 5,000 children in Philadelphia, over a four-year period, their subsidy has increased two percent. 23 per day. 63 a day. Just a 40 cent per day increase for caring for a foster child. At the same time that we have not received appropriate increases, both DHS and the Department of Public Welfare have implemented many unfunded mandates which have required additional provider 241 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 staff and administrative time. Providers have requested to DHS that they reconsider how it will designate funding to ensure that the providers on which it relies are reimbursed for the actual costs of services. Pennsylvania Council members are supporting DHS's budget with members of the General Assembly. We are meeting with our legislators on a daily basis to support the DPW's child welfare budget. We're also meeting with legislators to ensure that there's an inclusion of a three percent COLA in the state budget instead of a two percent COLA. With these additional dollars, this will support DHS's ability to provide more reasonable rate increases for providers. As you work to make budget numbers balance against many competing and compelling interests, providers need your support to ensure that mandated services for abused and neglected Philadelphia children are adequately 242 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 funded to ensure that they receive the quality services they are entitled to. Thank you very much.

Thank you. Are there any questions? (No response.) (Applause.)

Thank you. You've been extremely patient. Thank you. Our next witness? MR. McPHERSON: Salah Saunders and Heidi Roland.

Are they here? MR. McPHERSON: Yes.

Good afternoon, Councilmembers.

Good afternoon.

For the record, my name is Salah Saunders. I'm the President of the Student Government 243 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 Association at Community College of Philadelphia. I just wanted to just speak on behalf of the College this evening. Community College has prepared me to be a productive role model for all youth. All that I have accomplished I credit towards the College. It was CCP where I've gained the know-how to start and operate my own business. Two years ago I decided to utilize the tools I had gained from a marketing class at the College to promote parties. In two and a half months, my partners and I earned a little over $41,000 just by promoting parties. With that capital, I started a business called Urban Empowerment, which is a limited liability company. Urban Empowerment, what they do, it's a property management company that buys properties, rent them out and then rehab them, rent them out to low-income families. 244 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 I said all that to say that it's institutions like CCP that are invaluable. People say that you shouldn't put a price tag on education, but not everyone has the money for universities like University of Pennsylvania or Drexel University. Community College of Philadelphia makes a first-rate education affordable. Thank you.

Thank you.

Hi. Good evening.

Please identify yourself for the record.

Thank you. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen of the City Council and guests. I thank you for this time to speak and share my thoughts on this important issue, this issue of education. My name is Heidi Roland. I am a West Philadelphia resident, where I live with my four-year-old son. I am a full-time employee and a part-time 245 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 student at Community College of Philadelphia, where I'm in my third year of attendance. It was ten years after high school graduation and with some nervousness and apprehension that I enrolled in CCP. I had many questions about this decision, where would I find the time, who would care for my son, where would I find the money. My experience at Community College has changed my life. It has given me confidence, motivation and purpose. It has given me courage, tools and skills not only to better navigate my life but to create new opportunities for myself. Community College of Philadelphia has empowered me with the knowledge and strength of education. I am so grateful for the opportunities I've had here at Community College of Philadelphia. My 3.8 GPA and my membership in the Phi Beta Kappa International Society reflect the 246 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 seriousness and importance I take in my education. I am the gracious recipient of the Catherine J. Ingerbretson Scholarship. This scholarship has played a vital role in my education at Community College, allowing me the financial resources to continue my education. I am faced with the same pressing issues that so many others in our community face, financial struggles, single parenthood, healthcare decisions, housing and transportation. At one time it felt overwhelming to me, all these problems it seemed and no solutions. Since becoming a student at Community College, my whole outlook has changed. Insecurity has become determination. Helplessness has transformed to confidence. I realize that it is my education that has molded me into a woman who can combat these problems. It is education that allows us to move forward. It is education that 247 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 allows us to in turn educate others, our peers, our children. I recognize that as Councilpersons for the City of Philadelphia you are faced with difficult decisions every day. You work to overcome challenges and build a strong, healthy community. I understand that within all the complex problems that face us today, there lies no easy solution. I also recognize the difficulties of financial delegation. There are many pressing issues that are vying for financial support of the City. I am here today to emphasize again the importance of education, to emphasize the importance of opportunities that are available to our city residents at the Community College of Philadelphia. There is truly no other place that nurtures and educates the people of our city, which meets each individual where they are and supports them as they grow. The Community College of Philadelphia is 248 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 the vital link for our city's future. I ask you to support it fully.

Thank you very much.

Thank you. (Applause.)

Thank you. Our next witness? MR. McPHERSON: Our next witness was Cynthia Figueroa. She has submitted testimony because she had to leave. Our next witnesses are --

I'm sorry. That testimony will be given to the stenographer for it to be transcribed. MR. McPHERSON: It has been, yes. Our next two are LeeRoy Jordan and Kate Houston. Mr. Jordan had to leave. He submitted testimony. Is Kate Houston here? (No response.) 249 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 MR. McPHERSON: The next two, and they have submitted testimony because they had to leave, was Gloria Guard and Maria Panaritis, the same for Laura Weinbaum. And their testimony again will be given to the stenographer. Our next witness is Nicole Whitaker. Is Nicole Whitaker here? (No response.) MR. McPHERSON: The next witness has already left testimony, Bia Vieira. Our next witness is Nurit Shein. (No response.) MR. McPHERSON: Kate Sachs?

Good evening and welcome.

Good evening. Thank you for this opportunity. My name is Kate Sachs and I am a social worker here in Philadelphia working with deaf and hard-of-hearing children, adults and their families. I work at the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf. I am also a resident of Philadelphia and a 250 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 strong supporter of the ongoing Injury Prevention program through the Department of Public Health, which provides smoke detectors and likewise handles their installation and maintenance to the residents of Philadelphia. Recently, however, it has come to my attention that this program provides only smoke alarms which alert people of danger via sound, making the devices completely inaccessible for most deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals and residents of Philadelphia. This program is currently not reaching a very large and also at-risk population, the deaf population, that is not only in need of equal services and protection but legally entitled by the Americans with Disabilities Act. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, approximately nine percent of the U.S. population is either deaf or hard of hearing, which translates to nearly 251 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 136,000 residents of Philadelphia who have some form of hearing loss. These are the families I work with on a daily basis, families struggling to keep their children safe, providing a nurturing environment and making the life they live more accessible so they can then grow up to be contributing members to our society. Many of the families I encounter are simply unable to afford such devices and, thus, are placed at risk every day for tragedy. One such tragedy occurred to one of our students a few years back, actually. A deaf teenager enrolled in our school was working in the evening babysitting to earn additional money. A fire broke out in the home and the student of ours, unable to hear the smoke alarm blaring in the background, was not able to protect the young girl she was watching or herself. She died that day simply because the safety equipment installed in 252 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 the home was not able to warn her of the danger. Our deaf and hard-of-hearing students and families need help from a wonderful program like the Injury Prevention program, a program that recognizes the unique needs of the deaf community and is able to provide safe and accessible equipment. Thus, I am asking in the name of every deaf and hard-of-hearing resident in Philadelphia for you to consider including funds in your budget to be able to provide alternate smoke detectors for homes with deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals, especially homes with children and senior citizens, who are at increased risk due to their vulnerability and unique health needs. These smoke alarms are available through many companies, such as Harris Communication and other specialty dealers, either with strobe lights and/or a vibrating pad which would alert a deaf 253 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 individual through visual and tactile means. I would be happy to personally work with you to provide more information regarding the price of such devices, where they could be purchased, how to get the word out to the deaf community about their availability. I thank you personally for your time and consideration of this crucial issue on behalf of myself, all of my students, families and colleagues.

Excuse me. Kate, have you had conversation with the Fire Commissioner on this issue, and what was his response?

I have. My name is Denise Tucker. I am a grandmother of a hard of hearing, a deaf granddaughter. I have a cousin who is deaf and parents who are losing their hearing. I initially was at the block captains rally and talked with Councilwoman Blackwell, and her and her assistant assisted me, but her assistant, 254 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 Martin, also told me that they had to talk to the Fire Department about these particular smoke detectors. So someone in your office, Rae-Maria, she was wonderful. She's wonderful.

She is. Thank you.

She helped me to contact the Fire Commissioner, Lloyd Ayers. I talked to Chief Williams and his office. He told me that the smoke detectors that were distributed to the City were donated by various companies and there was nothing in the budget for the smoke detectors that we needed for our deaf community. I was wondering why we, the deaf community, cannot have the same services as all other citizens in the City. The parents of our deaf children pay taxes the same as the deaf adults and are entitled to the same services. And it would be very traumatic to lose 255 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 anybody in a fire because of not having the proper fire alarm.

But the fire alarm system that we presently have the Fire Department distributes are not paid by the City. They're donated, and the Fire Department is kind enough to go in, more often than not, to install them. But I understand what you're saying, and we will certainly be very happy to look into it. We will talk to the Fire Department, and I'm sure that Councilwoman Blackwell would be happy to join me in doing that.

Thank you. Thank you so much. INTERPRETER: Good evening. I'm sorry. Hello. My name is Susie. I work at Pennsylvania School for the Deaf as a teacher, and as you can see, I'm also deaf. And I grew up in the deaf community, and my mother and father are deaf. I have deaf relatives. And I want 256 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 to tell you the importance of a fire alarm, because something happened and I was involved with an event that it was really sad. They did not have a visual system. So it was really, really important that the deaf people have a visual system, and having that visual system would save their lives.

Thank you. Excuse me. Do you have any indication as to how much each of the systems would cost?

I actually have some information to provide you. I have a brochure from one organization that would provide such equipment. There's a range, as with anything, depending on whether it's hard-wired, whether it's battery operated, that sort of thing, but it ranges from $100 up to $250, depending on which system the individual would need.

Well, 257 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 perhaps there's some kind soul out there in the City who would donate, as they do with the fire alarms. But we'll be more than happy to look into it. Thank you very much. (Applause.)

Thank you.

Our next witness? MR. McPHERSON: Ayeisha Bay.

Good evening.

Good evening, President Verna. Good evening, Jannie Blackwell. How you doing? I'm here today because I live in the West Philadelphia area. I was a relocatee due to the eminent domain in 2004. That's when I moved into the house. They had me -- they came out to my home, told me I was being displaced, things like that. They gave me this relocation assistance, this place home on 258 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 information. They assisted me in relocating and finding a new home. When I moved into the home, about eight months later I noticed -- about six months later I had noticed things happening with the house. I went back to them and I contacted them. About six months later I was moved out. The house had structure damage. In this thing here it says that the house was supposed to be structurally sound before I moved in. I was moved into a hotel. I have seven children now. At the time --

Excuse me. Was this a rehabbed home?

No. It was just -- it was a row home. It looked like it was newly rehabbed and things like that. But they assisted me. They assisted me in everything, because I didn't know what was going on. So they assisted me with everything that was done. After about a year, not even 259 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 ten months of living in the house, I was out of the house already, because it was structure damage. The City of Philadelphia hired an engineer to do an engineer's report on the property. Can I pass these photos around? These are the photos of the new house. Those are the photos of the new house. They moved me into a hotel. I have seven children. I had six children at the time. Me and five children lived in the hotel for seven weeks. Then I was moved into an apartment, which was too small. I was pregnant at the time. They moved me into an apartment for six months while they said they fixed the house, right? I moved back into the house on February the 14th of 2006, on Valentine's Day. That was my Valentine gift, back into my house. It wasn't even two months later PHA started building the Lucien Blackwell Homes right next to my house, right attached to the house that I purchased. The Lucien Blackwell Homes 260 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 was starting to be built. The City had put in a walkway on the side of my house, and PHA came out and said they had to remove it. They were building the new Lucien Blackwell Homes. So I said, Okay. I didn't know. I thought they was connected together, because the Redevelopment Authority had just did all this work on the house and now here comes the Pennsylvania Housing Authority telling me that they digging the work up that was just done. So I didn't know what was going on. After they did all the digging out, when it started raining, as you see on the photos, water started coming into the house. I'm back with the same stuff all over again. I started contacting the Redevelopment Authority. I went to PHA. I contacted Jonathan Mayran. I gave everybody a copy of the original engineer's report that was done. I have spoken with everybody involved with this, risk claims 261 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 management. I have spoken to Fidelity Claims Services, which is, I guess, someone that represents PHA. They have been out to my house. I've been in touch with Zurich, the insurance company for Keating Builders, who's building the Lucien Blackwell Homes. They have been out to my house. Michael Johns. I mean, everybody -- Michael Johns has been out to my house, the General Manager from PHA. Dan Quimby has been out to my house. When they were doing the work out front, they had the ground dug out. I had sewage backing up into my house, me and my kids. This has been going on since last year. I swear, ever since they relocated me, I have not been settled yet, and it's been three years. Three years I haven't been settled since they relocated me. Okay? (Witness in tears.)

I moved back into the house. Now they got water coming into 262 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 the walls, sewage backing up into the house. I got a paper from the Water Company. They came out. They fixed it. PHA came out to my house. They cleaned it up. Three, four months later here comes the problem again. So now they looking into it and saying that I got some type of sewage problem. I have so many problems with this house. Then PHA -- Keating Builders hired another engineer's report. I have that here. This was just recently done. It says that the damage was already there after the original engineer's report was done. The original engineer's report was done. They said they did the work. Another engineer's report was done after the work was done, and that report is still stating that this has ongoing problem, that this is not a problem that's going to go away just like that. It says in this report that, The incident of water intrusion is related to the water tightness of the wall and was 263 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 consistent with redirect and roof drainage onto the splash block and/or age-related degradation of the drainage inlet and/or subgrade drainage pipe and/or damage to the drainage inlet and/or subgrade drainage pipe during demolition and construction of the 871 backyard concrete. None of that has nothing to do with my physical hands. Every day -- they built the new house and I told them that the water was coming. They still kept building the houses. Still kept building them. And the way they built them was not in the original plans, because I was at all the meetings. I saw the original plans. They changed everything. They put three houses there instead of two. They put driveways next to all the homeowners that have regular backyards. And I'm the last house. I'm the house that it's connected to. I got driveways in the back of my yard now. Cars is zooming up into the driveway. My 264 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 kids can't play in front because of all the crime that's going on. I live in West Philly where all the killings is going on there. They can't play out front. I got five sons. I don't want them to be murdered on the street. They can't play in the back because the cars is zooming up. I feel like I've been a target. I feel like a target. I don't know what to do. I went to Jannie's office. I've been calling them since January 29th. She helped me. I've been speaking with Marty, Anjali. I know everybody name in that office. She had someone come out. PHA, they came out, but nobody is taking responsibility. PHA got me an engineer's report. It's really basically saying that the damage was already there, so it's on the Redevelopment Authority. The Redevelopment Authority hasn't said anything to me yet. I don't know what to do. Every day I wake up looking in the basement, 265 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 looking outside. The new houses was broken into a month before they started moving the people in. The guy put his things on my porch and he went around and broke into the houses. He came out. I chased him for six blocks. Six blocks I chased that man. He's arrested right now. He stripped all the pipes and everything out. You know why? Because the way they built it is not safe. It's on a little street. You can walk right up and they can go right into my house and into the back of them houses. Nobody can't see nothing. They didn't put no 16 lights out there. They only put lights on the houses. So if those people decide not to cut their light on, it's completely dark back there. I cannot sleep. Every time I hear a noise, I'm afraid, looking out the window. I don't know if that man is coming back, because I went to court for that man. I got a stay away order right now for that man. I don't know if that 266 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 man is going to come back and get me. It's the second time that my house been -- people walking into my house, breaking into the houses.

I've only been living there for three years, and I've been completely insane since this incident. When I purchased the house on 47th Street, it was with hard-earned money that I saved up for a long time to buy that house. And they come and tell me I have to move. I can't move back there, but when they built the new houses, that I was going to have first preference in purchasing the new house. I just seen six of the houses right where I used to live sold already. Nobody called me and said nothing. The whole --

I'm sorry. What was your old address?

My old address was 820 North 27th Street. Do you know that that's still in my name? And my new house, when I look it up on the BRT, you 267 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 know what it says? "Sell deferred for further review." It's been like that since 2004. Something is wrong, and I've been the effect of all the wrongness, me and my kids. I bought the house. I have all those children. I wanted the house to be around for my kids when they get older and older. They moved me into a house with all these damages. What am I supposed to do? It's been going on for three years? If something don't do something now, I'm going to be stuck with a house with structure damage. We live on Mill Creek. So I don't know what's going on. I think the house is -- you see that picture of the basement wall. It's bulging out. I don't know if that thing is going to come down.

I'm sorry. Is this a PHA property?

No, ma'am. When I learned that Ms. Bay had an issue -- in fact, it was here in 268 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 Council one day -- we got involved and found out that she did -- she worked with RDA. She saw this house on the street. She really, really wanted the house she lived in. Obviously she didn't know there were problems, because they were fixing it up. It was new, new carpet. It looked like a new house. It's in the Blackwell Homes area, but it has nothing to do with PHA. We did mostly recently ask them to go out and clean it up. She was complaining about her basement, and after rain, she gets water. So they did us a favor and they cleaned everything out. But the deed is hers, however, and so technically they didn't have to do it. But there is an administrative hearing -- an administrative meeting with the head of RDA and their folks on May 2nd. Folks were out. They couldn't meet before then. I've heard her cries and asked them to try to do something. I mean, she's made some settlements. Keating was 269 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 the owner. They settled with her on her porch. So there's been some money passed back and forth, I understand, from looking over her records and talking to her, but she's very, very frustrated about the property. I mean, she saw this. She wanted the street. She really wanted this property, and then, as she said, after she got in for a while, then she started having problems with the property. But there is an administrative hearing. They did clean it all up. I've tried to keep them on it to keep her somewhat satisfied that she doesn't have water or sewage in the basement. They've done that for us. And then after May the 2nd, we will know. We've asked them to try to work something else out. You don't want to say what that is until it happens, but there is a hearing with the head of RDA and their administrative staff on May 2nd, and we're happy to get back to you and Council to report back so 270 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116 the record will indicate what the resolve is on this issue. But we wouldn't leave Ms. Bay out there hanging. We're trying to work with you. She's frustrated, and then when she heard May 2nd, it's not until next week, it sounds like far away.

It sounds forever.

Yes. But they are working with us. We've talked with everybody, too, and I know she's unhappy and we're really trying hard to work with her.

I have a very similar case so I know what you're talking about.

Yes. So we're going to work with you, Ms. Bay. We're going to continue to try to work with you. I'm sorry you're frustrated, sorry these things happened, but we won't leave you out there hanging. 271 4/25/07 - WHOLE - BILL 070116

Okay. Do we have anyone else that would like to testify? (No response.)

That will then conclude our public meeting, and this Committee will stand in recess until Thursday, May 3rd at 9:30 a.m. Thank you all very much. (Committee of the Whole adjourned at 7:20 p.m.) - - - 272 CERTIFICATE I HEREBY CERTIFY that the proceedings, evidence and objections are contained fully and accurately in the stenographic notes taken by me upon the foregoing matter on April 25, 2007, and that this is a true and correct transcript of same. ______________________________ MICHELE L. MURPHY RPR-Notary Public (The foregoing certification of this transcript does not apply to any reproduction of the same by any means, unless under the direct control and/or supervision of the certifying reporter.)