Unpacking the annual Wayne Job & Family Services report

In government transparency is the key to ensuring the effective allocation of resources, decision-making accountability and the delivery of quality services to the citizens.

For Director Richard Owens and his Wayne County Department of Job & Family Services team, nothing is more transparent than the agency’s annual report.

Medicaid is the most extensive program JFS administers. The complexities of the Medicaid system can be overwhelming, leaving many individuals and families struggling to navigate the eligibility requirements, benefits and provider networks. In Wayne County, JFS is vital in administering Medicaid and providing support to vulnerable populations.

“Besides traditional Medicaid, there is transitional, long-term care, SLMB and QMB,” Owens said. “Each has different requirements, which the eligibility team navigates to ensure the client has access to medical care.”

At its core Medicaid is designed to provide access to necessary healthcare services including doctor visits, hospital stays and prescription medications to populations who may not have the financial means to afford these services.

The program is administered by each state with the federal government providing funding and oversight. This dynamic creates a web of policies, regulations and stakeholders working together to ensure Medicaid beneficiaries receive the care they need.

In 2023 JFS determined eligibility for 22,536 Medicaid individuals, nearly 20% of Wayne County residents. According to Owens, many of the recipients are children. The department also provided nearly $172,500 in gas vouchers to 400 Medicaid-eligible people for nonemergency medical transportation.

JFS also processed 8,229 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program applications including renewals. This federally funded program provides eligible recipients a monthly allotment of financial assistance to purchase food and groceries. The benefits are loaded onto electronic benefits transfer cards that can be used at participating retailers.

In addition to food, medical and cash, Wayne County JFS administered contracts totaling $834,046.55 in Title XX, a social services block grant including the following:

—Drug and alcohol abuse counseling and domestic violence shelter: $232,686.53.

—Adult daycare for the elderly and transport for dialysis and chemotherapy: $95,205.56.

—Vulnerable youth total: $473,162.46.

—Home-based senior care: $492.

—Medical case management and insurance navigator: $32,500.

Title XX also funded 216 investigations of elder abuse.

The departments fund through Title IV-A, also a block grant, provided for the following:

—Childcare for 636 children of 380 families, 21 childcare centers and five in-home childcare providers at a cost of nearly $1,950,000.

—Car repair assistance at approximately $200,000.

—Rent and mortgage assistance of nearly $26,500.

JFS assists those seeking employment with the help they need to attain the skills required for in-demand careers including resume and interviewing guidance. In 2023 the OhioMeansJobs center at JFS helped 681 job seekers including 29 veterans. Via a partnership with Goodwill Industries, OMJ served 730 individuals through the Able Bodied Adults Without Dependents program, 65 through the Ohio Works First program and 259 through the Comprehensive Case Management Program.

Download a copy of the annual report at www.waynecountydjfs.com/agency-info.

Dan Starcher is the public communications coordinator for Wayne County.