Thursday, November 4, 2010

CMT Core Group Meeting - November 4

Community Management Team Core Group Meeting
November 4, 2010

Michelle-Child Care Resources
Service centralization has continued in Child Care Resource offices statewide, and service contracts have been awarded statewide. Missoula obtained the statewide contract for Distance Learning, but Great Falls received both of the other contracts, one for the Referral Program and one for the Legally Unregistered Provider Program. Great Falls CCR will end up hiring about 6 more staff, Missoula may end up losing some staff. Child Care Resources is working with other statewide Child Care organizations to migrate services and figure out how the centralized services will be delivered when the service transition is complete in January. CCR will be closed on for three days from November 17-21, the day they are scheduled to move to their new location in the Whitman Building downtown on Pine and Higgins at 105 East Pine. They will reopen on November 22. They will be renting the basement space in that building. There has been a huge increase recently in the legally unregistered child care providers, as people who are out of work are increasingly taking care of family or friends children rather than those children being in a registered child care establishment. A Development Director has been hired to help CCR diversify funds. There will be a Child Care Resources Fundraiser, the Connoisseur Classic, at the Loyola Center on Friday, November 12th.

Maggie-Human Resource Council
Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) has started for the year, and HRC has hired an additional 5 seasonal employees for that program. LIEAP already has 1/3 of the applications that they had for the full season last year, so the program is starting out very busy. The WIA Youth program budget came out, and only had a 5% decrease, which was a smaller decrease than expected. Although budgets have not been cut as severely, the reporting expectations are much higher, with different requirements for the county, state, and federal levels of funding. The ARRA Weatherization program is probably going to wrap up by the end of December due to the funding being used. The Rapid Re-Housing project is wrapping up also. The Sapphire Clinic is busy, they are seeing an average of 200 people each month. HRC is in the process of hiring a Manager for the Sapphire Clinic.

Monique-Lifelong Learning Center
The LLC has been struggling to fill two positions, both are part-time positions. One is for a Secretary and the other is for a Para-Educator. More information is available from the Lifelong Learning Center or the Job Service. LLC is hiring a new Language Arts Instructor, that process should be complete in the near future. Monique is on two committees looking at education and responsibilities. One is the PK20 committee, and Monique is on the Responsibilities Subcommittee. The other is the 21st Century Workforce Initiative. The new parking lot at the LLC has been completed, and the available parking has doubled, with lighting for safety.

Wolf-Missoula Job Service
Wolf has checked in with some possible presenters on Compassion Fatigue, and CMT training possibilities were discussed. Wolf hopes to have additional information about cost by our next meeting. Monique suggested using something like this training as a reward for staff, incorporating some other positive incentives with the training. We could try to have this training in the first part of February. At Job Service, the NEG OJT Grant is off to a slow start. It is difficult to find employers, employees, and jobs that all fit the criteria of the grant. Wolf reported on some of the community economic development efforts and the committees he participates in locally. The Job Service is in the process of trying to convert three temporary positions to permanent positions.

Next Meeting
The next CMT Core Group Meeting is scheduled for December 2 at 9:00 am at Job Service.

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Full CMT Meeting Minutes - September 23

Community Management Team Full Group Meeting
September 23, 2010

Welcome and Introductions

Nina Cramer – Missoula Forum for Children and Youth
Nina spoke about the Family Connections event coming up on October 19, 2010 from 4:00 to 7:30 pm in the Home Arts Building at the fairgrounds. Forty-five agencies from around the state have been invited to participate. Donations are needed for door prizes. Please visit their website www.MissoulaForum.org for more information. Saundra will email the announcement out to all CMT members who may wish to participate. If you have staff that may be interested in learning more about other community organizations, this would be a great event to have them attend. Tables will be set up, providing the opportunity for staff to interact with, and learn about, many different organizations. Donations are needed for door prizes.

Fall Training
Fall CMT cross-training options were discussed. We try to have a cross-training about every six months, targeted at helping staff at our respective agencies learn more about other agencies in Missoula, and provide an opportunity to network at these events. A bus tour of agencies was discussed. The general feeling was that it would be difficult to plan, and difficult for staff to attend a full day or even half day event. An easier approach was suggested: each participating agency would set aside one day to host a “tour day.” Thursdays were put forth as a good day for these tours, with 15 or so people from each agency visiting the host organization. Jodie from the Lifelong Learning Center said she could handle the registration for this. Another popular option for a cross training event was centered on the subjects of self-care and compassion fatigue. Possible presenters were discussed. The discussion involved the stress being felt in the service arena by workers of whom much is expected in the way of services, but who are being given less and less in terms of resources. Everyone is doing more with less, and expectations are higher to do more, which results in staff feeling “squeezed from both ends.” A compassion fatigue and self-care training could be timely moving in to the winter months.

Agency Updates
Saundra – Missoula Job Service

Saundra talked about the JSEC/SHRM Disability workshop scheduled for October 13th. Anyone interested in attending can contact Deb Gass at the Job Service. The workshop is in partnership with the 2010 Montana Association for Rehabilitation Conference. Saundra brought up the question of the feasibility of a fall Job Fair. The new On-the-Job Training (OJT) program at Job Service was discussed, with the need of referrals mentioned. The Job Service is partnering with the Missoula Public Library for the Job Search Skills Workshops and Job Search Etiquette classes.

Jodie – Lifelong Learning Center
Jodie announced that fall classes at the LLC were full and there is a need for teachers for the winter quarter. Adult Basic Education classes got funding again this year at the same level as last year. Even Start was funded again this year. This is a program which provides child care while the parents are in class. The program will accept infants this year.

Melissa – YWCA
Melissa stated that their emergency and transitional housing are all full at this time.

Bonnie – WORD
Bonnie shared information about the Futures Program being cited by the National Organization for Women (NOW) for age discrimination. They had different age levels for participants in the program, based on their gender. The program needed to lower the age cap of participants to 21 years for both men and women. They have served 64 families and there has been a drop in funding.

Shannon – Vocational Rehabilitation
Shannon talked about the new intake procedures. Please call for information about the group intake sessions. New participants who are interested in Vocational Rehabilitation are required to attend an initial meeting of 20 to 30 people. It can take up to 4 weeks to get your initial appointment with a VR counselor. They are soon to be fully staffed. Shannon provided additional information about the 2010 Montana Association for Rehabilitation Conference which will be emailed out to the full CMT.

Jim, Maggie – Human Resource Council
Jim provided information about the Low Income Energy Assistance Program. Applications will be mailed out after October 1 to people who have previously been enrolled in LIAP. They also talked about the fall/winter Youth Employment and Work Readiness workshops. Their Sapphire Clinic in the Bitterroot is recruiting for a nurse.

Nina – Missoula Forum for Children and Youth
Nina provided additional information about upcoming trainings presented by the Forum. More information can be found online at http://www.missoulaforum.org/. Community events can be added to the calendar on the Forum website.

Meeting adjourned

Friday, September 10, 2010

Next Meetings

The next full CMT meeting will be on Thursday, September 23rd from 3-5 pm at Mountain West Bank next to Costco.

The next Core Group CMT meeting will be on Thursday, October 7th at 9:00 am at the Job Service.

Core Group Meeting Minutes-September 2

CMT Core Group Meeting Minutes
September 2, 2010

Deverie-Job Corps Update
Marie Garrison has taken over admissions for Job Corps in Missoula. Deverie will focus more on placement, and will continue to manage placement and admissions for Job Corps in Ravalli County. Job Corps is starting to focus more on the soft skills of their participants, and now begin the admissions process with an interview session focusing on soft skills. The participants will fill out a job application and be evaluated on their interview skills. This will happen before they begin the program. Job Corps has an 80% placement rate after graduation. Job Corps will also begin piloting Industry Sector Centers, where centers focus more on specific industries and there is less duplication between centers. For example, Kicking Horse may focus more on Mechanics and Health Professions. They are going to cut their culinary and carpentry programs.

Wolf-Job Service
This was the first week of school for many past Smurfit employees. Thanks to the LLC and the COT for all the work they did to prepare participants for their schooling. Wolf will talk with Diana to better streamline the process for participants getting the books and tools they need for their programs and courses. There is a new OJT (On the Job Training) grant that will be distributed throughout the state by population. This grant starts in early October and ends on June 30th. If you know employers who are interested in training new employees, have them contact the Job Service. The OJT Grant targets dislocated workers, workers who have been laid off from their previous jobs. The Job Service is seeing a downturn in mass layoffs, but many job seekers are long-term unemployed. Job Service has started up some new workshops, one on Basic Job Search Skills and one on Online Applications and Email accounts. Call Job Service for more information. The UI (Unemployment) Phone call workshop on Wednesdays is still busy. It is still taking many people weeks to get their UI benefits. The Disability Navigator grant has been moved to DPHHS and extended through June 2011. The Department of Labor is applying for a grant that would continue to fund the Navigators and make the Job Service part of the Ticket to Work Program.

Monique and Jodie-Lifelong Learning Center

The LLC only got four applicants for their recent job opening. There seem to be some issues with the new online application for MCPS. Testing certificates are required for many MCPS openings, and when those are not attached the application can be flagged as incomplete. Monique is on several committees right now, examining education in Montana. ABE (Adult Basic Education) funding actually increased this year, which was surprising. They were expecting a decrease in funds. The LLC is changing their ABE schedule; they will not offer classes on Thursday afternoons. They are also moving to a managed enrollment system for ABE, regulating the number of people who will attend classes at certain times. The managed enrollment will likely increase demand on ABE. The Even Start program has also had some changes. The program starts in October, and the LLC has opened up evenings three nights each week from October to March. The new partnership between LLC and Home Resource is working out great. There is a tool library at Home Resource and people can rent time in the Home Resource wood shop. Scholarships are available for classes at Home Resource through LLC. In September the LLC starts putting together their winter schedule, and they are always on the lookout for good instructors. If you meet people with interesting work history and skills please tell them about the opportunity to teach at LLC. The LLC will double their parking lot in October, and install lights in the new parking lot.

Michelle-Child Care Resources
Child Care Resources is going through many transitions. Right now statewide they are streamlining and centralizing services. They are currently waiting on grants and budgets. They will be moving to 105 East Pine off Pine and Higgins, to a first floor space. They are interviewing candidates for a new Development Director position.

Jim and Maggie-Human Resource Council
Many of the youth that work with the HRC through their youth programs have difficulties with employment and enrolling in programs, because after two requests for a social security card, drivers license, or birth certificate the requests are held up for a long time. This is due to Homeland Security. A small summer youth program at HRC just finished up. The program did not allow for any supportive services, so many youth could not be served by the program. The summer lunch program in Mineral County was very successful. In October the LIEAP (Low Income Energy Assistance Program) will be starting up. The Rapid ReHousing program will wrap up in October, and will not be renewed. HRC found that many landlords were carrying renters for up to three months when they fell behind on rent due to job loss.

Diana-College of Technology
The COT just wrapped up their largest orientation ever, over 500 students attended. Enrollment is up 40% at the COT this fall. They are adding classes, but having trouble recruiting and retaining instructors, as the main campus offers better pay and many instructors leave the COT for the main campus. Veterans Upward Bound has started, and there is a new Personal Finance program for Veterans. The COT will be starting a Veterans Upward Bound program in Hamilton this fall.

Future Planning
The group discussed the possibility of a resource fair in the late fall or early winter. We also discussed cross training, and the possibility of some stress reduction and compassion fatigue cross training. We will hold a full CMT meeting on the 22nd or 23rd of this month at Mountain West Bank. Saundra will check availability and send out an announcement.

Next Meeting
The next full CMT meeting will be on September 23rd from 3-5 pm at Mountain West Bank next to Costco. The next Core Group CMT meeting will be on October 7th at 9:00 am at the Job Service.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

CMT Core Group Meeting-August 5

CMT Core Group Meeting
August 5, 2010

Upcoming Seminars
Wolf highlighted two upcoming seminars. The Governor’s Forum on Adult Credentialing in Kalispell on August 12th and the MAR Conference in Missoula in October. The Job Service Employer’s Council will plan a seminar in conjunction with the MAR Conference in October. The seminar will focus on managing employees with disabilities.

UM COT Update
The COT is expanding their carpentry and welding programs. They will add 20 students to each program, enrolling them for the fall semester. The program will enroll people on a first come, first served basis. There will be a separate orientation for the students in these programs, coming up next week.

Job Service Update
Smurfit-Stone workers are progressing though their training plans. Many are gearing up to start at the COT this fall.

Next Meeting
The next CMT Core group meeting will be on Thursday, September 2nd at 9:00 am at Job Service. We will discuss a fall cross training at that meeting.

Monday, July 19, 2010

CMT Meeting Minutes, July 1

Missoula CMT Core Group Meeting
Thursday, July 1, 2010

Updates
Maggie, Human Resource Council

DPHHS has released some money for a Youth Summer Program, which is currently being operated. The money must be spent by September 1, 2010. The program is very restrictive, serving only 16-18 year olds. The School Lunch program is up and going, and the Housing and Weatherization programs will end on September 30th.

Janet, Vocational Rehabilitation
There are 4 new staff members in the Kalispell VR office. The Missoula staff is stable, they have one new counselor. The addition in staff prompted a remodel of the office work areas. They will have an opening in the future for a part time office support staff member. They are hoping to use some ARRA money to add services including many infrastructure improvements. They will be getting video conferencing capabilities and a service called ubiduo.

Wolf, Missoula Job Service
Smurfit workers are starting to move to prep for college classes at the UM. They have been working with their case managers on training plans. The UM system calls for mandatory computer training, and many students are building on previous classes at LLC and entry classes at UM to get the computer skills they need. The UI Bill has stalled in Congress, we are not sure when or if it will be approved. This has affected many of our customers. A timber grant has been approved for the region, they are still working out details of eligibility and distribution of funds to local areas. There is an OJT NEG (On the Job Training National Emergency Grant) in process. Staffing looks stable at this time.

Monique, Lifelong Learning Center
Fall Schedule will go to press mid-August. Online registration has been running for a year, it is working very well. The LLC has started a new accounting system, in addition to hiring a new employee. There are a few spots left in the summer Transition to College Program. If you know someone who wants to attend, make sure they sign up soon. Monique outlined some of the challenges facing the operation of Adult Basic Education. She discussed funding and services, and the current models for enrollment statewide. Monique is on a Funding Formula Task Force, looking at distribution formulas for funding statewide. The LLC has set up a computer area with some extra pods for ABE customers and students who need computers for homework. An intern currently monitors the computer area.

Discussion
The CMT Core Group discussed the Full Group meetings, every 6 months. It was decided that they seem to meet the needs of the organizations at this frequency, so we will keep it that way. If we are in need of meeting space, there is room at First Interstate Bank Downtown and the new Missoula Federal Credit Union building on Brooks.

Brainstorm
The group brainstormed the possibility of a bus/tour training in the late fall or early winter. We could do tours on site based on groups/location/size. This would allow staff the opportunity to get out and experience the areas and services to which we most commonly refer people. We will look at dates and see what would work, and see if Mountain Line could donate a bus for transportation.

Experience Works
Russ Johnson has replaced Gary Gilbert as the manager of Experience Works. Russ previously worked for REO in Missoula, and participated in the CMT.

Next Meeting
The next Core Group meeting is scheduled for Thursday, September 9th, at 9:00 am at Job Service.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

CMT Meeting Minutes, June 3

Missoula CMT Core Group Meeting
Thursday, June 3, 2010

CMT Recertification Review
Reviewed goals and continuous improvement plan for the CMT recertification, which is due at the end of June. Goals were agreed upon, and recertification materials will be submitted as soon as possible. We are due for a cross training event this fall. Monique suggested that for our next cross training we look at doing a bus tour of service providers in Missoula, with opportunities for networking while on the bus.

Updates
Maggie Driscoll, Human Resource Council

DPHHS is releasing some ARRA money for a small summer youth employment program. Through this program HRC will be able to serve about 40 youth in 3 counties, ages 16-18. For this program, school status does not matter. The Sapphire Clinic is up and running. The Rapid ReHousing program will continue through September 30th.

Michelle Parks, Child Care Resources
There are lots of vacancies right now for child care providers, in addition to provider numbers decreasing. There is a new rating system coming up that will cause only certain providers to be selected for review. This has caused some concern for many child care providers, as the providers who are reviewed have the opportunity for some coaching and mentoring that will not be available to the others. There is some damage control right now due to a local news story related to child care providers. The state is continuing to look at reduced staff and centralized services.

Diana Reetz-Stacy, College of Technology
Diana provided information about Elevate America. The COT is investigating becoming a Certiport for testing for the Elevate America vouchers. There is some extra space in computer labs over the summer.

Monique Fortman, Lifelong Learning Center
The LLC is planning for next fall and next fiscal year. During the summer classes will be four days per week with morning hours. The LLC will see another 10% decrease in Adult Basic Education funds for next year. If funds continue to decrease, they will have to look at a decrease in instructional hours. Many of the Smurfit employees who were laid off are moving on to the College of Technology. The LLC is currently advertising for a Secretary position, and have just hired a bookkeeper. They are still looking for good instructors with new topics for Fall and Spring classes.

Saundra Long, Missoula Job Service
A National Emergency Grant (NEG) was approved for Western Montana. In the near future we will have information about how this will impact our region. It is targeted for people who have been affected by the decline in the timber industry. A UI extension was not approved before Congress went on a break, so some people may see their benefits end before Congress can address another extension. Job orders have increased. Many Elevate America vouchers have been requested through jobs.mt.gov. We are slated to lose 3 temporary staff at the end of June.

Next Meeting
The next CMT Core Group meeting is scheduled for Thursday, July 1 at 9:00 am at the Job Service.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Meeting Minutes-March 18 Full CMT Meeting

Full CMT Meeting

Mountain West Bank
March 18, 2010

Call to Order

Bylaw Review and Approval
Changes to the Missoula CMT bylaws were highlighted. The full CMT voted to approve the new bylaws.

Case Management Roundtable Discussion
Information was provided about the case management roundtables that the CMT facilitated in the past. The primary purpose of the roundtables was to meet with partner agencies to discuss potential referrals, and a secondary benefit was networking and information. It was suggested that if we restart these meetings they be held every other month. It was decided that the CMT Core Group will continue to discuss and plan starting the roundtables again. The consensus from the CMT is that it would be helpful.

Agency Updates
Sundee Carr-Missoula Correctional Services (Missoula Pre-Release Center)
Residents are experiencing an uptick in finding jobs. They are waiting to see what budget cuts will be handed down by the Governor. Right now the program is a 6 month program, allowing more offenders to come through the program. It is challenging for residents to meet all the criteria for graduating from the program in 6 months, because they must have a job and save at least $1,200.00 before graduating. This is challenging in a tight economy where there is heavy competition for each job.

Maggie Driscoll-Human Resource Council
The Youth Employment Program this summer was very successful. The HRC saw an increase in the youth participating; the enrollment was more than double what it was three years ago. The Ravalli Sapphire Health Clinic is now open.

Kelly Deniger-Missoula WORC Program, SNAP, FSET, STEP
The STEP program has been very successful, 43 people are employed due to the program, many in jobs that pay over $20.00 per hour. The WORC Program is experiencing very high caseloads, and one interesting trend is an increase in large families. Kelly also provided an update for OPA. OPA in Missoula is taking more applications than any other office in the state. There are many people who were self-employed who do not have UI benefits, and OPA is also seeing an increase in homelessness.

Naomi Thornton, Bonnie Buckingham-WORD
Naomi reported that WORD is seeing an increase in people pursuing their educational goals. Approximately 70% of the young parents they assist have dropped out of school. Many are going beyond their GED and pursuing post secondary education. WORD has been doing field trips to employers. Naomi stated that they have counted over 500 homeless children in schools this year, a 25% increase over last year. Bonnie reported that they have opened a local living center in Florence, and have started support groups for grandparents raising children. WORD will not be continuing the Family Resource Center program. Each individual school will choose to support the program and continue it independently, and each school will be different.

Wolf Ametsbichler-Missoula Job Service
The Job Service is serving many of the Smurfit-Stone workers who are eligible for a retraining program called Trade Adjustment Act. Western Montana is applying for a National Emergency Grant to serve the people affected by the changes in the timber industry. The grant will be submitted this week. The Job Service has partnered with the Lifelong Learning Center to serve many of the people who have been laid off. Right now with all the extensions to UI some people will be collecting benefits for 73 weeks. One frustration that many people pursuing retraining are dealing with is knowing what to train for, because it is hard to predict what type of work will be available in two years.

Jodie Rasmussen-Lifelong Learning Center
Spring schedules are now available. The LLC is helping many laid off workers move towards further education, many at the College of Technology. Their building is packed and classes are very busy. This quarter they are offering a Supervision and Management Certification in addition to their usual certification programs. Adult Basic Education (ABE) is very busy, but is experiencing reductions in the budget. They have more students and less money for ABE.

Tamara Kindred-Missoula Housing Authority
Please keep in mind that the Winter Shelter Committee is still meeting, so if you hear of people who need rent or security deposit help please refer them to Tamara. Right now MHA has over 2,000 households on their waiting list, which means that the wait time could be over three years. On a positive note, MHA received additional Section 8 funding which allowed them to lease up to 700 vouchers.

Marge Doyle-Missoula County Public Library
The library is offering free computer classes to teach fundamental computer skills. The class dates and times are listed online at their website: http://missoulapubliclibrary.org/events/Computoclass.htm. They also have a new self-paced keyboarding and 10-key program for patrons. The library is now an official passport application facility. Computer labs at the library are available for test preparation classes, and the library offers many test preparation resources on their website. The use of the library has increased across the board; they currently circulate close to 65,000 items each month.

Pat-AWARE Inc.
AWARE employs over 1000 full-time and part-time workers in Montana. They have two grant-funded benefit planners who can assist anyone with reviewing their Social Security benefits.

LDS Employment Services
LDS employment services are available to anyone, free of charge. They hold career workshops and classes on subjects including cover letters and resumes. They also provide a self-employment workshop and maintain a website for job postings. Their phone number is 728-3137.

Jenece Jacobs-Sharkey-Opportunity Resources
ORI has been affected by the closure of Smurfit-Stone. They lost a $400,000 contract for the production of backing of paper rolls in railroad cars. They have a cleaning crew employed at Out to Lunch, and a business improvement crew downtown. They recently reorganized their corporation. They have a new program offering support to disabled registered sex offenders.

Diana Reetz-Stacy-Missoula College of Technology
For the first time, students will be able to use Pell Grant money for summer semester courses at the COT. The summer programs are filling up fast. On April 7 they will hold an Early Advising Night. The COT Ed2Go program was recently certified for OPI renewal units.

Deverie Kelley-Job Corps
The Anaconda Job Corps Center has a new director. All the Job Corps centers are currently full with a 2-3 month wait. Many Job Corps students are going on to advanced training because of the economy.

Brooke-Vocational Rehabilitation
There is a new state director for VR, Jim Marks. Vocational Rehabilitation has been separated into a new division called Disability Transitions. The Missoula office has hired a new counselor, and they are experiencing very high caseloads. They continue to hold their weekly intake meetings, shortening the length of time for applications for VR services.

Training Needs
Suggestions for upcoming training were brainstormed. Sundee suggested self care topics for front line workers, including how to deal with traumatic situations and how to refresh after stressful experiences at work.

Meeting Adjourned

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Full CMT Meeting/Social/Update-March 18

The Missoula CMT will be holding a social and CMT update for our full CMT on Thursday, March 18th from 3-5 pm at the Mountain West Bank at 3301 Great Northern Way, next to Costco.

We will use this meeting to hear updates from each of our CMT agencies, and to find out about anything new affecting our CMT agencies in the past 6 months. Please bring any handouts that may be helpful, and be ready to take about 5 minutes to fill us in on what is happening in your neck of the woods.

Current agenda items include:
Welcome
Bylaw Review
Case Management Roundtable Discussion (See minutes from March 4 CMT Meeting)
Agency Updates

March CMT Meeting-Core Group

Missoula Community Management Team
Core Group Meeting
March 4, 2010

Bylaw Review
The Missoula CMT bylaws have been updated to reflect the way the CMT is currently functioning. Please review the bylaws, and provide feedback to Saundra. The bylaws will be voted on at our next full meeting.

Case Management Roundtable
Wolf asked about the feasibility of starting case management roundtables, to promote networking between the line staff at our CMT agencies. In the past, the CMT has facilitated case management roundtables. Issues arose with confidentiality and attendance, so those roundtables ended. The roundtables were useful for problem solving and tapping in to additional services for clients. Monique mentioned that they could provide the space for the networking. We will add this item to the agenda for the full CMT meeting.

Updates
Jodie brought up the workers who have experienced recent layoffs, many are defining where they want to go next in their career journey. Diana pointed out that the COT is working hard to put together career nights, highlighting different careers and featuring instructors, students, employers, and information about what personality types succeed in that career. There will be an early advising night at the COT on April 7, after that it will be up to people to work one on one with a career adviser to determine the best career path for them. The COT is encouraging folks to register as early as possible, as summer and fall classes are filling up fast.

Discussion continued about what programs will be needed this summer. Wolf and Monique discussed partnering with PEP Talk and will meet together to discuss how to best use the program without duplicating efforts.

The COT is working on a heavy equipment program this summer. Next week they will be working on drafts and dates. They are also working on a welding program. One class would last 7 weeks to learn, upgrade skills and certify in welding. Another class would be a one week refresher course for people with welding experience to provide an opportunity to obtain specific certifications. Spring enrollment is up at the Bitterroot center.

Monique is working on a list of computer skills required for success in online training. She will use that to determine prerequisite knowledge for online classes. Diana recommended that if training for online classes is provided, it be provided in person, not online. Diana, Wolf, and Jodie will work out a time to discuss transition to college and some of the programs that could be in demand this summer.

Wolf reported on the success of the Community Resource Fair in February. Approximately 70 vendors attended, and many members of the public.

The Lifelong Learning Center is looking at reorganizing under a statewide regional model. Monique stated that a regional model could work well for the LLC. Enrollment at the LLC was up 63% before spring quarter. Monique is asking for budget modifications. The spring schedule will be out this week, with online registration available.

Jim reported on the status of Health and Human Service programs, struggling statewide to provide services without cutting eligibility. The Sapphire Clinic is up and running. Jim reported on the things they learned while getting the clinic ready to open. Jim also reported on the struggles that patients have had with obtaining verifications from Unemployment. There are no dental services at the clinic, but medical services are provided with a $10 copay.

Michelle reported on the possible regional reorganization of Child Care Resources, and how services could be centralized in the future. They are waiting for their budget, and have been offered a contract to remain in their current location.

Our next meetings:
The full CMT will meet on Thursday, March 18th, from 3-5 pm at Mountain West Bank.
The CMT Core Group will meet again on Thursday, April 1st, at the Missoula Job Service at 9:00 am.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Full CMT Meeting/Social/Update-March 18

The Missoula CMT will be holding a social and CMT update for our full CMT on Thursday, March 18th from 3-5 pm at the Mountain West Bank at 3301 Great Northern Way, next to Costco.

We will use this meeting to hear updates from each of our CMT agencies, and to find out about anything new affecting our CMT agencies in the past 6 months. Please bring any handouts that may be helpful, and be ready to take about 5 minutes to fill us in on what is happening in your neck of the woods.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

CMT Meeting Minutes, January 7 2010

Missoula CMT Core Group Meeting
January 7, 2009


CMT Full Group Meeting/Social
The CMT had planned to have a full group meeting on Thursday, February 18th from 3-5 at Mountain West Bank. It was decided after discussion that the full group meeting will be moved back from February to March. The meeting has been rescheduled for March 18th from 3-5 at Mountain West Bank on Great Northern, and the room has been reserved. We will also plan on inviting a few agencies that have been unrepresented in the CMT, including Mental Health and Aging Services. Saundra will send email announcements. For the meeting in March, HRC, Job Service, VR, and CCR volunteered to provide refreshments. If possible, one person will purchase and others will reimburse.

February Resource Fair
Job Service is organizing a resource fair for February 16th at the Doubletree hotel. Originally this resource fair was for Smurfit employees, but it may be expanded to the public as a whole. The hours have not been determined. Our discussion about the November cross training academy prompted a discussion about the next CMT training, which was scheduled for May. Jim pointed out that there is a huge need in our community right now for our service provider agencies to have staff who are familiar with resources available to those who are out of work or who have been laid off. We discussed the possibility of piggy-backing off this event and having an hour at the beginning of the event before it opened to the public, to have staff walk though and get information and training on the providers and opportunities to plug their clients into. Registration would not be needed, and the format would be open for people to get the information they need most to serve their clients. Saundra will check with the Job Service to see if this is a possibility, and to get more information.

November Cross Training Academy Review
The cross-training academy in November 2009 was a success. Mo reported that the feedback was positive, people like the format and the information. There was discussion about possible options for combining the training to keep the energy level up.

Bylaws
Saundra is working on a CMT bylaw update. The update will be done so the CMT could vote on the new bylaws at the full meeting in March. A draft will be sent out to the Core Group in advance for their review.

Other News and Updates
The Lifelong Learning Center will be reinstating their Parent Expo. Monique will email Saundra the information for distribution to the full CMT.

A survey will be distributed to Smurfit employees to provide the agencies serving the laid-off employees with more information. The Lifelong Learning Center and COT hope to use that to help tailor the training they will make available. The Lifelong Learning Center is holding Adult Basic Education classes in Frenchtown.

Next week the Lifelong Learning Center will begin workshops for the folks laid off from Smurfit. At the workshop they will take a TABE test and go over the results, as well as complete an enrollment for programs at the Job Service. After that, they can sign up for a 20 hour “Where to Go From Here” workshop. It will include a distance learning component, an education prep component, and information about MCIS (Montana Career Information System). After that, there will be a revised transition to college program available. The “Where to Go…” workshop and the transition to college program are available to anyone.

The University and College of Technology are meeting this week to discuss the University response to the current layoffs in our community. They are looking at job statistics to determine what makes sense for education programs and where there will be jobs. They are also pursuing two different grants to assist the community. The COT will be holding two open houses in February.

Next Meeting
February 4th, 9:00 am, Missoula Job Service