Bonners Ferry H&W office closing soon

BONNERS FERRY — The local office of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare will close its doors on Thursday.

It is one of nine offices slated for closure around the state this month.

Efforts are being made to see that county residents won’t have to travel to Sandpoint for services.

Last week IDHW and local officials met in the county commissioner’s office, including Rob Braniff, Region 1’s chief of social work for children and family services, Tam Judy, supervisor for behavioral health and Jacqueline Jenkins of the self reliance program.

In addition to county commissioners and representatives from several county organizations, Sen. Shawn Keough, R-Sandpoint, and Rep. George Eskridge, R-Dover, also attended.

Braniff said a caseworker out of the Ponderay office will telecommute to Boundary County and work with families in their homes related to family community services and child protection work.

In crisis situations, Braniff said, the community will see little change, as caseworkers and law enforcement work together, with about 24 foster homes located within the county.

Also slated for closure are offices in Bellevue, Rupert, Soda Springs, Emmett, McCall, American Falls, Orofino and Jerome.

Sixty-six of the 81 employees at the closing offices will be transferred to remaining offices shortly after the closure dates. Twenty-one positions in the field offices are being eliminated as part of the office closures and an additional 105 positions are being eliminated at Health and Welfare offices statewide. May 18 is the last day of work for those laid off.

Health & Welfare officials said closing nine of the state’s 29 field offices and eliminating 126 positions statewide will save $7 million. The reductions must be finalized in May in order to be in place when the fiscal year begins July 1.