| Item Title: | Community Services Department/ Senior Nutrition Program/ HHS HDM FY2021 Waiver Request | | Submitted By: | Irene G. Valenzuela, Executive Director, Community Services Department (915) 775-2708 | | Subject: | Approve and authorize the County Judge to sign a Texas Health and Human Services (HHS) Form 2027 Home-Delivered Meals FY 2021 Waiver Request for the County Nutrition Program, a unit of the Community Services Department, for the use of alternate delivery methods to include warm/chilled/frozen meals for program participants in the home delivered meal program. The Waiver is effective on October 1, 2021, and expires September 30, 2023. (Contract No. 2021-0576) | | Background: | The County's home delivered meal program serves individuals, County-wide, covering a large geographic service area. The number of frail senior adults (60 yrs and older) and persons with disabilities (18 yrs and older) that qualify for a home delivered meal increased during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. Throughout the years, as the home delivered program has grown, the County has had to change its home delivery system to ensure the delivery of a larger number of meals within the daily mandated serving window of three hours, 10:30 am – 1:30 pm.
Our contracted food vendor delivers a warm meal for same day consumption along with a chilled and frozen meal for eating on the following days. A distribution system that allows for the delivery of a meal for same day consumption along with frozen meals for consumption on the following days, allows for cost effective service. This makes the program financially manageable and allows for continued program growth while meeting the needs of this targeted population.
Health and Human Services (formerly DADS) and Area Agency on Aging (AAA) are the major home delivered meal program funders. The County must adhere to the rules published in the Texas Administrative Code to receive meal reimbursements. These rules require that the County submit a waiver request when proposing alternate delivery schedules. Submitting a waiver request is an annual requirement but this one being presented is good for two concurrent fiscal years. | | Fiscal Impact: | None | | Recommendation: | Approve and authorize the County Judge to sign a Texas Health and Human Services (HHS) Form 2027 Home-Delivered Meals FY 2021 Waiver Request for the County Nutrition Program, a unit of the Community Services Department, for the use of alternate delivery methods to include warm/chilled/frozen meals for program participants in the next fiscal year. The Waiver is effective on October 1, 2021, and expires September 30, 2023. (Contract No. 2021-0576) | | Prior Action: | Commissioners Court, September 14, 2020, Item No. 4-i, Contract No. 2020-0707
Commissioners Court, February 25, 2019, Item No. 3-F, Contract No. 2019-0097 | | Strategic Plan: | .. | | Strategic Plan Information: | |
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