Jon Heymann went into Tuesday’s Jacksonville Children’s Commission board meeting adamant about a recommendation to start anew.
Healthy Families, part of the statewide model supporting high-risk families, wasn’t working in Duval County.
Although the nonprofit charged with running the local effort was doing well in several areas, the biggest need — the number of families being helped — wasn’t being met.
“The results are disappointing,” said Heymann, the commission’s CEO. “We were expecting better results than we got.”
Healthy Families provides voluntary home visits to prevent issues such as child abuse and neglect in Jacksonville’s highest risk neighborhoods, according to its local website.
The program is administered in 53 counties, including 25 ZIP codes in Duval County.
Since July 1, The Bridge of Northeast Florida has been the sole provider of local services. Its $1.4 million contract calls for 597 families to be served, according to the most recent quarterly report.
To date, though, just over 50 percent of that goal has been reached — and fewer families have been served since the nonprofit began as the sole operator.
The capacity from October to December hovered at the 50 percent level. The minimum is 75 percent.
The concern has been great enough that state Healthy Family executives were at the board meeting Tuesday, calling the number of families served a “serious red flag.”
Heymann and his staff recommended the contract be put out to bid when it expires June 30.
Shariffa Spicer, CEO of The Bridge, stood in defense of the work her nonprofit has accomplished while acknowledging the number of families served has been disappointing.
But there are valid reasons behind it, she said.
Staffing issues have led the way. A full staff means 30 people dedicated toward the statewide initiative. When The Bridge took over the program, it had to fill 13 positions. After qualified candidates were interviewed or trained, they would often leave, said Spicer.
Whether it was for higher-paying jobs or their hearts just weren’t into the work, they left. The typical salary for the position is in the low- to mid-$20,000 range, said Spicer, which isn’t often isn’t enough to attract or retain dedicated social workers.
If employees do stick with it, though, they are only able to handle 15 cases at a time for the first nine months, Spicer said. After that period, it can be bumped up to 25 or so cases.
Outside of those numbers, Spicer and staff said the good work of The Bridge is evidenced by reaching 12 of 16 quality assurance points for the program.
However, Heymann said, despite the passion and other results, “you’re just not reaching enough families.”
The board wrestled for more than an hour with whether to issue a new request for proposal.
“If we put it off, we’re part of the problem,” said board member LeAnna Cumber, who noted the decrease in families served since July 1.
Instead of issuing the request right away, The Bridge will have the opportunity to show progress over the final months of its contract.
What progress is wasn’t defined, though. Heymann said in an interview afterward that would be determined in meetings next week.
Spicer in an interview said being properly staffed — vacancies are on track to be filled — and those members making visits with supervisors should be part of the progress.
With that, enrollment in the program will improve.
Heymann still believes the contract should be rebid. The levels of those served have been “unacceptable” and finding a new provider takes a couple of months, he said.
He does understand the board’s direction of providing a little more time, though.
“They’re certainly passionate,” Heymann said of the board. “I believe they want them to succeed.”
Despite the contract being on the precipice, Spicer said allowing The Bridge to work through the contract and issues is the right decision.
And she’s confident with the staff in place, the number of families served will increase.
Otherwise, as the discussion showed Tuesday, it will be back to square one with a new provider to serve some of Jacksonville’s most at-risk families.
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