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Jamie Ulrich typically starts her working morning around 7 a.m. with a fresh cup of coffee and lengthy to-do list; however, during state legislative sessions, things look a bit different.
Ulrich is the Director of the Weld County Department of Human Services (DHS). She oversees one of the biggest departments within the county — from day to day operations to community engagement. DHS provides many impactful programs and essential services to residents. Services range from child support, Area Agency on Aging, employment services, family resource, assistance payments and child welfare. Ulrich and her team play a critical role in proposing and overseeing legislation at the state level.
“We strive to support bills that will have a positive impact on the residents and promote the best interest of the programs and services we provide,” Ulrich said.
To make sure Weld County residents have a voice in the state’s decision making process, Ulrich and a team of subject matter experts in DHS start by monitoring legislative bills pertaining to the very programs DHS and Ulrich manage for the residents of Weld County.
Eighty-two human services bills were presented in this year’s legislative session, all of which were observed by Ulrich. It’s a vital process that repeats itself every year and can’t be done alone. Bills proposed can alter the amount of state funding to the county, program requirements, criteria, and other major factors. While DHS is committed to providing the best services to Weld County residents, many of those can be positively or negatively impacted by legislation passed at the state level.
“We are watching them as they are introduced. We then decide what level of engagement we [DHS] need to have. If it’s something we feel strongly about, we will attend stakeholder meetings, create new verbiage that better suites the bill and sometimes I will even go down and testify,” Ulrich explained.
Ulrich works alongside the Weld County Board of Commissioners, specifically the Commissioner Coordinator for DHS, on what bills need support, the introduction of new bills, and recognizing what bills would have a positive or negative impact on county residents.
DHS is also able to introduce bills with commissioner and county support. During the legislative session, weekly meetings with county commissioners are scheduled so bills can be reviewed and discussion about a bill's potential impact on county residents can be had.
One bill that did pass this year — a win for DHS — was Senate Bill 21-118, known as “Alternative Response for Mistreatment of At-Risk Adults.” This bill creates an alternate response pilot program that can be utilized when human services departments in Colorado receive a report related to an adult at-risk of mistreatment or self-neglect. The report must identify the risk as a lower risk. An at-risk adult is someone of age 18 and older who is unable to care for their health, safety, and welfare or lacks the ability to make or understand controlled decisions. The bill allows department staff to intervene with lower risk adults and provide services needed without having to open a full investigation under current Adult Protective Service rules.
Senate Bill 21-118 was presented by Larimer County, however, with the support and input of Weld County Adult Protective Services Supervisor Jill Colavolpe, who attended several stakeholder meetings, the bill ultimately passed. This type of collaborative effort is not uncommon as most counties try to join forces and work together. Ulrich meets regularly with other directors and supervisors from different counties all over the state to work on bills and review legislative pieces. She even meets with State representatives and other key figures, as well as other community resource groups.
“Proposed bills don’t just have the potential to effect Weld County, they will impact all of Colorado. Working collaboratively across the state is essential to making decisions in the best interest of all residents while advocating for the needs and overall values of Weld County,” Ulrich stated.
Ulrich and DHS were able to introduce their own bill this year — Senate Bill 21-014 known as “Allocation Formula Colorado Child Care Program,” but the bill ultimately was not passed. This bill would have implemented changes in distribution methods of funds to each county in order to promote equality, for the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP) and also would have allowed each county department to set its own eligibility levels for CCCAP instead of the state, in turn making it more valuable for those who utilize the program in each specific county.
“SB 21-014 would have allowed the Child Care Allocation Committee flexibility in how they determine county allocations. We had a significant amount of support from several counties, who are struggling to meet the childcare needs in their communities. It is unfortunate that this bill did not pass out of Senate Appropriations, but we might get a chance next year,” Ulrich said.
The 2021 Colorado legislative session concluded on June 8, but Ulrich won’t spend too much time reflecting on the past. Instead, her focus shifts back to providing residents services and supporting her staff the best way she can.
Ulrich, along with DHS, is Weld County’s boots on the ground when it comes to understanding how certain bills operate, especially how those directed toward human service issues will affect the resources that residents can utilize, and what additional resources could potentially be offered.
Next legislative session, Ulrich will approach it the same way she always does: With an early morning cup of joe, teamwork, a sharp eye for what matters to Weld County residents and the continued drive to make a positive difference.
By Kristen Sigg, Weld County Communications Specialist
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