Letters – Spread kindness
Just a year ago, this was the week we were transitioning to our shutdown. Federal, state, and local emergency orders were issued and our agency responded. We received multiple directives and decisions were made for the safety of our clients, volunteers, and staff.
Similar to everyone, we went through ongoing transition and bumps as our services and workplace transitioned and became remote.
There were countless discussions and questions about different scenarios, and the answers were ever changing.
In hindsight it has been a gift to see the true abilities, grace and kindness of our clients, staff, volunteers, community partners, and community supporters.
CAC (Child Advocacy Center) services remained essential, in person forensic interviews continued (adapting with ever changing safety guidelines) and critical advocacy for children and nonoffending caregiver(s) continued. A ‘favorite’ memory of mine was calculating (I do not love math) the number who could safely be in our building at various capacities.
CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) services looked different. CASA Volunteers visited their appointed children and youth through technology, phone, and outside visits/porch drop offs. Court hearings, our regular meetings and training opportunities were by Zoom. A ‘favorite’ memory with all the Zooming, can you hear me now and/or can you see me.
NONE of our services on behalf of Clinton County children and youth would have remained in place if not for the commitment and heart of our circle. YOUR support is included in our circle.
The support we have received has been priceless; the kind and uplifting words of support have mattered. We have been told countless times thank you for doing what you do, you are appreciated, this too shall pass, and it is what it is (personally said by me more times than I can count).
As it feels like we are beginning to turn a page, I am hopeful the lessons of kindness carry on for everyone. We all can do it and we all need it. Our children and youth need to see us being kind as we work together and watch out for their safety.
As we all reflect and think back on this chapter, I am hopeful you and yours have and can keep the good memories even through the hard journey.
Thank You and Stay Well!
Kelly L. Schafer, Executive Director
The Voice for Clinton County’s Children
Social Security Update
Statement about Service from Andrew Saul, Commissioner of Social Security
“I want to update you about how things are going at the Social Security Administration.
About a year ago, I took the unprecedented step to close our offices to the public. I did this to keep our employees and you—the public we serve—safe. As we enter year two of the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccines and other precautionary measures give us cause for hope. For now, we will continue our current safety measures as described in our COVID-19 Workplace Safety Plan. This plan is iterative, and we will update it as we receive additional government-wide guidance and information from public health experts in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Like many businesses and organizations, the pandemic has forced us to adapt. I want to thank our employees for their willingness to embrace innovative ways of working while we continue to deliver our mission. As we examine our work in a new light, we are asking which lessons learned could improve service beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.
We understand that the public wants to engage with us on some matters in person, and our local offices are integral to our communities. We also know that not everyone can conveniently come to us in person and that when you do visit, you want the process to be efficient. For example, we may need evidence from you, but we do not need to interview you in person. We are currently testing drop box and express appointment options for the public to bring in documentation.
Often, you only need to know your Social Security number and do not need a physical Social Security card. However, if you do need to replace your card, we are testing video appointments if you need a new Social Security card but do not need to change any of the information in our records. Although ideas like these began as solutions during COVID-19, we are considering how they could improve service in the future.
Some of these concepts also allow us to consider how we might continue to use telework, something that most organizations and companies have depended on during the COVID-19 pandemic, to drive longer-term operational efficiencies like reducing space. We could use those savings to provide you more online service options and hire more people to serve you more quickly as well as to retain outstanding employees. We will continue to engage our managers, employees, and unions on ways we could use telework to improve customer service and other issues.
We often note that Social Security touches the lives of nearly every American. Be assured that as we continue to evolve, we are committed to serving everyone including our most vulnerable populations who often require in person assistance. We are working with the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, claimant advocates, and other organizations to ensure our services are accessible to people with low income, limited English proficiency, mental illness, or facing homelessness. We recently added online tools and information pages to our website including:
– Online resources for People Helping Others access our services;
– Online Outreach Materials for Partner Groups; and
– Updated information for Faith-Based and Community Groups including a new toolkit.
As we contemplate the future, we are delivering now. To help improve deteriorating service, we have added over 6,000 frontline employees to help you. We decreased the average wait to talk to our 800 Number agents by one-third and reduced the agent busy rate by over 50 percent in the last two years, and our 800 Number agents handled 1.6 million more calls than they did a year ago.
During the pandemic, we shifted service to the telephone where local office employees answered 13 million more calls last year than they did in fiscal (FY) 2019. They answered your calls in under 3 minutes on average compared to an average wait of nearly 24 minutes in FY 2019.
For individuals who were denied benefits and requested an appeal, we quickly shifted to holding hearings by telephone at the start of the pandemic and then added online video hearings. During the pandemic, we have continued to reduce the number of people waiting for a hearing to 376,000 at the end of February 2021, the lowest level in nearly 20 years. We reduced the average wait for a hearing by over 9 months in the last two years. If you are still waiting for a hearing, please consider scheduling by telephone or video. You can find out more information about telephone hearings here and video hearings here.
The pandemic has significantly disrupted parts of our disability process, particularly at the state Disability Determination Services (DDS) that make disability determinations for us. We have provided the DDSs with additional hiring and overtime to help address a significant increase in pending initial disability cases. The DDSs have been able to reduce the number of people waiting for a decision on initial disability claims by about 100,000 cases since the height of the pending cases in August 2020. In order to make initial disability decisions as quickly as possible, and to reduce the burden on the medical community still stressed from the pandemic, we have focused our limited resources on completing initial requests for disability benefits and have reduced the number of continuing disability reviews we are conducting.
We have made some notable improvements to our online services:
– Our redesigned Retirement Benefits Portal helps you prepare and apply for retirement benefits, with clearer, simplified information.
– We improved our registration process for our online my Social Security account – more than one million people will register for an account this month.
– Our Message Center allows people with a my Social Security account to access notices online instead of by mail.
– We implemented an online payment option for people to repay debts to Social Security.
– We expanded our online Social Security card replacement service to almost all states. If you need to replace your card, you can request a replacement through your my Social Security account if you:
Are a U.S. citizen age 18 years or older with a U.S. mailing address;
Are not requesting a name change or any other change to your card; and
Have a driver’s license or a state-issued identification card from one of 45 participating states or the District of Columbia. If your state does not yet participate in this service, check back soon. More states are added regularly.
The entire team at Social Security is working hard to serve you. We thank you for your patience during the COVID-19 pandemic and we look forward to welcoming you back in our offices when it is safe to do so. We also look forward to continuing to improve all of our service channels to provide you with convenient options to do business with us.”
Remember When – 2013 St. Johns Relay For Life a Huge success
Pictured are Bruce and Norma Fitzpatrick, 2012 winners of the Team Excellence award by the American Cancer Society.
The Relay For Life committee formally recognizes Bruce and Norma Fitzpatrick for their outstanding achievement and winning the Team Excellence award in 2012 for their dedication and hard work. The Fitzpatricks have raised $500,00 in the years they have been participating.
Maralyn’s Pet Corner – Can an Indoor Cat Be a Part-Time Outdoor Cat?
courtesy of Katie Grzyb, DVM
An indoor cat generally has a simpler life than its free-range feline counterpart.
It’s no secret that the mean streets—or even fields—hold many dangers for an outdoor cat on its own. An indoor cat doesn’t face the increasing number of cars, toxins, parasites and instances of animal cruelty that a roaming outdoor cat does. That’s why feline experts usually urge owners to keep their cats indoors. But that’s not always easy.
“There are some cats that have lived outside. When they’re forced to stay indoors, they may start to eliminate outside the box due to anxiety, become irritable or overgroom themselves,” says Dr. Laura Emge Mosoriak, DVM, owner of Kingstowne Cat Clinic, Alexandria, Virginia. “I don’t advocate cats going outside, but sometimes you have to make a choice—allow [him] outside supervised for a while to get the mental stimulation they crave, knowing and owning the dangers—or keep them inside and try your best to keep them stimulated enough to be content indoors.”
The Perks of Being an Indoor Cat
The more comfortable life of an indoor cat significantly increases his lifespan. An indoor cat may live 15-17 years, while the life expectancy for outdoor cats is only 2-5 years, according to researchers at University of California-Davis.
Dr. Jeff Levy, DVM, CVA, owner of House Call Vet NYC, also discourages owners from keeping cats outdoors. He adds that the extreme climates of the outdoors can be very hard on a cat.
If you do plan on taking your cat outside, it is best to do so in a controlled environment or with precautions put in place to ensure they cannot escape or run away. “Cats may have nine lives, but they aren’t indestructible,” says Dr. Levy. “Certain pet owners in New York walk their cats on leashes [with a cat harness, not a collar]. They train them to do that and can make sure they stay safe. That takes training, but it’s important. And the cats seem to enjoy it.”
Should Indoor Cats Have Outdoor Time?
One reason cats generally enjoy the outdoors is that it takes them back to their natural roots. “It’s important for owners to remember that cats are nocturnal, and in the wild, they’d be hunting all night and sleeping all day. Sometimes an indoor cat gets bored and may get anxious being cooped up inside all of the time if it isn’t given enough stimulation,” says Dr. Mosoriak. “Keeping your indoor cat stimulated is important to [his] mental health. Outdoor cats get that natural stimulation they need.”
Of course, an indoor cat (or a restrained outdoor cat) will not be doing much hunting, but you can simulate that activity with a variety of cat toys, like the Pet Fit For Life feather wand cat toy or the Cat Dancer wand cat toy. Providing indoor cats with cat scratchers and cat trees is also a great idea. Adding levels with cat trees or a cat window perch gives cats a higher point to view their territory and their own place to explore, climb, knead and take cat naps on.
Although Christine Capaldo, DVM, The PETA Foundation, Norfolk, Virginia, noted that “PETA’s position is unequivocal: All cats should be indoor cats,” she agreed that supervised outdoor activity can be healthy if done the correct way. “Like dogs, cats should be allowed outdoors for walks on leashes that are attached to harnesses, not to collars,” she said. “Let the cat get used to the harness for short periods indoors, and then pick a safe outdoor area to explore.”
For pet parents who do want to provide their indoor cats with some outdoor time, there are harnesses specifically made for cats, like the Red Dingo cat harness and leash. They are designed to fit cats and prevent them from wriggling loose, but they do require training to get your cat comfortable and willing to walk.
Talk With Your Veterinarian Before Letting Indoor Cats Have Outdoor Time
“If a cat spends any amount of time outdoors, no matter how limited or infrequent, the cat owner should mention it to their veterinarian so they can adequately discuss health risks to ensure the cat is properly protected from diseases, parasites and more,” says Nora Grant, DVM, veterinary services manager, Ceva Animal Health, Red Oaks, Texas. “I encourage cat owners to be as frank as possible about how the pet spends its time. By asking these questions, a veterinarian simply wants to understand what a cat may encounter to ensure the cat’s health and well-being.”
That’s true whether you allow your cat to roam free, walk on a leash or even use a catio.
Dr. Mosoriak and Dr. Levy have a host of favorite products that take care of fleas on cats and other parasites. Favorites for flea and tick prevention include Advantage Multi flea treatment, Revolution (also protects against heartworm and ear mites) and Seresto flea and tick collars for cats. For helping your indoor cat feel at home, or for help transitioning your outdoor cat into an indoor cat, they recommend trying cat calming products, such as the Comfort Zone with Feliway cat diffuser and Solliquin supplements for cats.
And, of course, cats should be spayed, neutered and microchipped.
“Annual exams, vaccinations, deworming, spaying and neutering are always important,” says Dr. Mosoriak. “Administering monthly internal and external parasite control is especially important for outdoor cats.”
Dr. Mosoriak recalls one new cat owner who allowed her cat outside and didn’t realize that fleas infested her cat until she brought her cat to the clinic for an exam. Fleas on cats, including the one Dr. Mosoriak treated, can severely irritate the skin and cause itchiness. As your cat continues to scratch and itch, it can lead to more serious skin infections. And once fleas infest your home, the eggs get into couches, rugs, etc., making it not only difficult to remove them but also expensive.
“Cats that go outside do face greater risks,” she says. “That’s why it’s important for owners to be especially attuned to their health.”