STILL HERE AT NAVAJO COUNCIL HEALTH, EDUCATION AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE.
NAVAJO NATION DIVISION OF SOCIAL SERVICES LEGISLATIVE ANALYST THOMAS CODY
The Navajo Nation Division of Social Services Department of Self Reliance is asking for a work session on issues regarding social services, such as burial assistance, financial assistance, wood assistance, and also asking the Health, Education and Human Services Committee for verbal complaints or any complaints regarding Navajo Department of Self Reliance. We have complaints from other Council committees and individuals. I just received complaint from Pinon. Navajo Nation Division of Social Services Director Sharon Begay-McCabe wants to keep General Assistance policies and for us to develop solutions to complaints which would involve an amended plan of operation. The program manager will be working with Virgil Pablo. She will return on April 18. Like I informed HEHS Committee members Walter Phelps and Dwight Witherspoon, the Committee approved policies for social assistance. And meeting at Twin Arrows Casino was a “little bit heated” and we don’t want that to happen again. We still want to do work session on April 18, Friday.
HEHS COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSON JONATHAN HALE
There are complaints about individuals having to drive to Window Rock to pick up wood and then drive home again and home could be Tuba City.
HEHS COMMITTEE MEMBER DELEGATE DWIGHT WITHERSPOON
I also gave more written complaints to Code and April 18 is not good for me because I have meeting with Dine’ College. And it’s difficult to have separate work session. i wud work better if part of regular HEHS meeting, in the afternoon. Naabik’iyati Committee is scheduled for April 18 so cud split that day for work session.
HEHS CHAIRPERSON HALE
It wud better to have work session on Wednesday afternoon.
HEHS COMMITTEE MEMBER DELEGATE WALTER PHELPS
i’m on travel for next two weeks and then there’s the regular council session. This suggestion, Council sometimes finishes work early so suggest April 25, Friday. So suggest April 30.
CODY
when we met at Twin Arrows in March, there were directives and we are currently using old burial assistance policies, financial assistance programs and moving forward. But still getting complaints and one of these that I just received was signed by 10 people. Begay-McCabe is bringing in Self Reliance Program Manager and other managers. But the complaints also question the policies that the Council created.
HEHS COMMITTEE MEMBER DELEGATE JOSHUA BUTLER
April 30 doesn’t work for me but in the meantime, the Committee cud have Cody and other staff work on new plan of operation.
HEHS COMMITTEE MEMBER WITHERSPOON
wat about April 18 afternoon?
HALE
So am I hearing that Begay-McCabe, Cody and other staff will have recommendation to present to Committee? Cody nods his head. Okay, we’ll meet the afternoon of April 18, after our Committee meeting.
HEHS COMMITTEE MEMBER PHELPS
I have no objections to April 18, but do in the morning since there is Naabik’iyati Committee meeting on April 17.
CODY
We’ll give u plan A which is going with what exists now.
Plan B: new plan of operation
HALE
please put pros and cons of Plan A and B.
And so the work session with the Navajo Division of Social Services regarding its Department of Self Reliance will be April 9, 1-3 pm, which is after the Health, Education and Human Services Committee meeting in Window Rock, Ariz.
COMMITTEE ADJOURNS AT 2:49 PM
