Joy Bivens Shares Insights on Franklin County's Innovative 'One Door' Human Services

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:00:14

Good day, Franklin County. I'm a little excited. Do you hear it in my voice? I'm here to talk with speaking of passion, I'm here to talk to one of the most passionate public servants that I know, and that's deputy county administrator Joy Bivens. She is the leader of the county's health and human services agencies. She is our passion champion. She is our fighter for the smallest folks in the room at every time always every day. She is fighting for those that are marginalized and those that are underserved, and she wanna make sure that we have no one in this county that goes unserved. And and that leads me to, our main topic for the day, and that's the Franklin County one door.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:01:15

It is a true no wrong door concept. It didn't open overnight. There was a lot of work, a lot of blood, sweat, and tears that went into it. But there were some, philosophies that, were unwavering. And that was that we were gonna do it better than it had ever been done before as far as serving every resident every day. And we were gonna do it in a innovative and a respective respective fashion, for our residents, with a a lens of of equity on everything that we do. So DCA Bivens, after that introduction, I want us to first talk about, health and human services, the structure, you as a leader, how you've, brought together individual agencies that had been siloed in the past and didn't understand how they all fit together as a part of team Franklin County. Me, myself, as a county administrator, I've joked that I I think that you all have evolved to the point where I think you all speak a language that I don't even know what you're talking about, and I can be in the same room.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:02:36

So before we get into the one door, talk about HHS and and how that's evolved, since, our reorganization and its creation.

Joy Bivens [: 00:02:46

Absolutely. As you know, I started my journey with the county back with the county because I was a case manager back years years years ago. And then I came back in 2015 and was the CEO, and then following that, I became the director of job and family services. And so over oh, at that time, I oversaw one agency. And so then, as my work continued, I was able to be blessed with the opportunity to be promoted, thank you, to become, a deputy county administrator of Health and Human Services in 2020. And so during the time when, that opportunity was tasked with me, one of the things that was, negotiated at the table was, hey, we need to figure out how do we break down the silos in our human service agencies. So my role, I oversee job and family services, office on aging, justice policy and programs, child support, office on aging, and the animal shelter. One door now, as well as what's included in that, is the, is the mobile units.

Joy Bivens [: 00:03:49

And so when you think about the history of when these agencies were created, for instance, job for instance, Office on Aging is about 30 years old. Job and Family Services has gone through several reiterations of names. People used to know it as the welfare department and, you know, all the things. And within these agencies, they operated from a transactional perspective within their own silo. What does that mean? That means if I needed something, particularly food stamps or food assistance, I go to job and family services. If I need my grandmother to get a ramp, then I drive downtown and go into office on aging and I get my my grandmother a ramp. There was no particularly organized structure and communication among the agencies even though we're servicing the same population.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:04:33

Mhmm.

Joy Bivens [: 00:04:34

And so the structure of the HHH agencies has changed where we have broken down the silos. We have more interconnectivity. We are now housed in the same, areas, particularly on our mobile units and in our one door, which is located at 373 Downtown South High Street. And, it's just a wonderful opportunity to see because again, you know, if I need Medicaid 9 times of 10, I may have a child support issue. And the data supports, if you are interfacing with 1 agency, 32% of the time or 42% of the time, you're gonna need more than another agency because you were you're you're needing other services as well. So it just made sense for us all to live in the same house, us all to break down that silos because, as you know, silos perpetuate racism and silos perpetuate isolation, and folks don't really get what they need.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:05:30

Yes. And, dignity is lost by having to walk through so many doors

Joy Bivens [: 00:05:36

Absolutely.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:05:36

To get assistance as well. Absolutely. We need to normalize the process upon which residents receive, human services. That has been, a area where we need to improve, not only just in Franklin County, but the nation at large.

Joy Bivens [: 00:05:58

Absolutely.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:06:00

Those that have access and resources, their interactions and their experiences to receive goods and services are much more, efficient Absolutely. And provide much more dignity than those historically that have been have nots.

Joy Bivens [: 00:06:25

Absolutely. If you don't mind, I'm gonna share a story. When we went through the process of the poverty blueprint plan, and this is where the idea really originated from. You know, the community said, why do I have to keep walking through multiple doors and re basically, re reliving my trauma? And so one day, I sat behind the desk at, job and family services, and, I was sitting there with the with the administrative support staff, and a lady walked in, and she handed the clerk a obituary. The clerk was looking down trying to, you know, look at the name and but I was standing on the side of her and I intercepted the obituary and I looked at it and I thought it was a young man, African American young boy, probably about 14, 15 years old, maybe even 16. And I remember seeing it, and I said, is this your son? And she collapsed on the desk and just started wailing. And so I rushed around to, you know, just to kinda hold her and comfort her. And she said, yes.

Joy Bivens [: 00:07:29

I need to take him off of my case. And so I said, well, you know, let me get you together. And she said, well, my mother is in the car with me. She's about 80, and I gotta get her some things too. And also, I just lost my job because as I was grieving my son, my company, needed me back, and I was not able to go back. And in that moment, I thought, first of all, for all the things that she needed to go into multiple agencies, whether it's aging services, whether it's child support services, whether it's, you know, again, food assistance, whether it's, you know, whatever, why will we have that resident walk through multiple doors, relive that trauma of a loss of a child due to a crime? We have to do better.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:08:16

Yeah. We

Joy Bivens [: 00:08:17

received a phone call in the summertime. There was a father living in a car with his children, and he was working at a fat fast food restaurant. And folks called us and said, hey. You know, this is happening. You got you need to do something about it. And so when, I for somehow, I I got involved and intercepted it. And, you know, immediately, because we're mandated reporters, we have to contact children services, and we did that. What was happening was a gentleman was working in a fast food restaurant, and he was bringing his children in while he was working his shifts, and then they would sleep in the car at night.

Joy Bivens [: 00:08:52

We were able in that situation to temporary put that, single father in a, a a temporary housing situation in a hotel, and then he was able to, acquire an apartment, once he was able to save his checks and and and those types of things. But those are the type of situations where you can't make a quick decision based on someone's surface circumstance. Mhmm. Right? It is easy for us to say separate or I'm in jail based on what we see, but that's not my lived experience to under to to to operate that way. I reached into my colleague over at children's services. We were able to make the right decision for this family. This demands children are doing so well in school right now. He is so happy.

Joy Bivens [: 00:09:39

He sent us pictures of his apartment, and they are thriving. That's right. Yes. Right. Yeah.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:09:46

And it it you know, poverty has been proven to be tastic enough

Joy Bivens [: 00:09:52

Mhmm.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:09:52

To, to an individual.

Joy Bivens [: 00:09:54

Oh, yeah.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:09:56

There's data that show the 3rd leading cause of death in the United States is poverty in in in all of the trauma that surrounds it.

Joy Bivens [: 00:10:07

Yeah.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:10:07

It impacts every your physical state, your mental well-being, and and more people, should realize that poverty is more than an economic state. Mhmm. It becomes a mental state.

Joy Bivens [: 00:10:29

It is.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:10:31

And poverty is different than a temporary financial hardship.

Joy Bivens [: 00:10:37

It is.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:10:38

Because those that have resources and support around them can overcome a temporary economic hardship. Mhmm. But poverty is debilitating Very much. Almost to one's muscles, to one mind. Mhmm. And it is a, it is a financial and a physical, state that you're in.

Joy Bivens [: 00:11:01

Absolutely. Absolutely. And it, you know, it impacts everything, like you said, our your your mental health, your physical health, you know, the way you're able to function from day to day. Right? Being able to access things is just it be it becomes overwhelming. And so what we see is, you know, there was, fortunate there was a, there's been situations where people have, you know, committed, you know, crimes of poverty, desperation, you know, putting gas in the car and driving off because I if I don't have I don't have enough money and I know I have to get to work and I have no money and I only have you know, there was a situation we heard about person had 30¢ in the bank. But they had to get the work or they were gonna lose their job. And stealing is wrong, but at the same time, for that to be your last resort to think about how to get to work, that lets you know how poverty has consumed a person's logic.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:11:53

And and I think, one of the things you bring to this leadership position is a strong sense of awareness mixed in with empathy for those that are in this situation. Yeah. One of the things that, I watch you do early in your tenure when you were the director of job and family services was you would put an empty chair in the room, and the whole time you're you're you're preaching empathy. You're preaching let's not be transactional. You're preaching that we need to do this with a sense of passion. You tell you had your staff looking at that that cheer and said, this person is here. They might not be you don't see them physically, but they're here. And I need that to to be, in your mind each and every time you have interactions with people.

Joy Bivens [: 00:12:49

Right. Well, we are making decisions, for folks who are not in the boardroom or in the conference room or in the meeting with us regarding policies and procedures that impacts the community's life, the MP chair always has to be at the center because we will make decisions based on convenience. Right? We'll make decisions on, okay, I can I can shortcut this process because I can be more efficient with my work or I can get done faster? Not thinking that one decision could be the decision on how somebody has access to food, housing, or clothing. Right? And so you always have to remember the why you are here and the why we are here. Unfortunately, it's because of poverty, but also it's not just numbers when we see percentages of homelessness or, you know, food insecurity. There are families attached to those numbers. There are children attached to those numbers.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:13:48

Right. Right.

Joy Bivens [: 00:13:49

So keeping that chair empty and always keeping that at the forefront, it allows us to make better decisions and having them included in the decisions that we're making so they can help us solve some of the issues that they're facing.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:14:02

I know you understand the importance of data and facts in creating, a better public policy, when it comes to, lifting individuals out of poverty. But I've ventured to guess. You won't be bringing very many recommendations to me anytime soon for AI or artificial intelligence to make people decisions when it comes to those that walk through the door. This one stop will you? And tell me why.

Joy Bivens [: 00:14:31

Absolutely not. I have to go off of the real human, you know, real human situations I have been challenged with. I've spoken to grandmothers whose, their sons have been killed, and they've been left taking caring for children. And they don't need you know, maybe they do for efficiencies, but for me, it has been the holding of the hand, the wiping of the tear, them looking someone in the eyes and me demonstrating that I genuinely do care, our staff really cares, that really impacts a person's mental health and encouraging them that it's gonna be okay. It's gonna get better. We're gonna get you what you need. I need you to stay encouraged. That goes a part in the that that plays a part in the service delivery.

Joy Bivens [: 00:15:16

Mhmm. And AI can't do that. It can be efficient.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:15:21

Yeah. Probably another episode where I'm a have a guest to challenge us. One of my AI advocates sitting between us, and I think they may challenge us that AI can AI can revolutionize everything.

Joy Bivens [: 00:15:32

We do. Yeah. Yeah. Set on a national panel.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:15:34

You have a sense of care. We're gonna do we're gonna do a we're gonna do a talk at the county. We're gonna have a a AI advocate. I I, you know, I you know, when we talk about decisions about, injured worker and whether they are, provided workers' compensation benefits or a individual, that has, been in, you know, a car accident and to determine the extent of compensation that may be due to them putting that into the hands of AI. And I think we need to be careful for AI to make or AI to make, determinations for 1 to have food benefits or housing vouchers or

Joy Bivens [: 00:16:18

Absolutely.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:16:19

Or to you know?

Joy Bivens [: 00:16:20

I I don't think we're ever gonna get away from the need of human interaction. And although we can, you know, self engineer computers to, you know, be empathetic, it's just not the same. And although, you know, AI can play a tremendous role in, you know, lifting some of the business processes and burdens of work in the capacity of work that we that we see every day. But a computer can't hug someone. Can't a computer cannot encourage someone to make them feel generally that a human cares about them.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:16:58

You know, what makes the one door different than the so called one stops of the past?

Joy Bivens [: 00:17:05

What makes it different is particularly for Franklin County. 1st, we've never done it before. Now we're piloting it in the government complex downtown. And so every month, you know, there was about a 163,000 residents that come downtown, whether they're coming to get a marriage license or coming to play a parking ticket or going to see a judge or whatever the reason. It is the first time in the history under the board of commissioners that all of our human service agencies are sitting, working side by side with each other in addition to some of our community partners. And so we are looking at data on what is the best partners to be in that in the one door. But then also, you can walk in needing one thing, but we ask the right questions to make sure that you get all the things, even the things that you are not thinking about.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:17:59

How do you think experiencing, the pandemic has better informed us, in the health and human services space, and how it would inform us, to be able to do a better job, as far as implementation of the one door concept.

Joy Bivens [: 00:18:20

I think it awakened us to, some of the previous conversation that we were having. We have had we have 100 and thousands of folks, walking through one door for one thing. So if you look at job and family services, there's about over 400,000 residents that receive Medicaid. So whether I receive it over the computer or if I walk in the door, I'm going into that door only thinking about my Medicaid because that's I know that's where I can get it. I never think of it from the perspective of, well, I never think of it from the perspective of, you know, how can I also get some of my other needs met? And what I think the pandemic did was it opened our eyes to being more efficient and being able to streamline and to align our services so that residents can get all the things all in one place and not creating the burden of, you know, again, having people relive their trauma, retell their trauma. And I think that was I think it it it allowed us and awakened us to be a little bit more sensitive to the needs of our residents and not just doing business the status quo. Because I think for many years, we've done it just because that's the only that's the way we've always done it. Mhmm.

Joy Bivens [: 00:19:33

Just like people work from home. People work from home, and we're like, oh, we can still get work done at home. But because we've or we can get or we can, you know, we can get work done at home, but we've only worked in buildings because that's the way we've always done it. And there was a better way to do it.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:19:53

Housing and and and and homelessness, has been managed fairly effectively in Franklin County. But we know that, there are weaknesses that have been identified in our system

Joy Bivens [: 00:20:18

Absolutely.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:20:18

That we got it correct. How, will the one door help us better connect the dots?

Joy Bivens [: 00:20:30

So in working with our community partners, we that are we're gonna be placed in the one door, we are able to identify early if you're going to be present yourself to be homeless based on the assessment that we created. You know, a lot of the homelessness or eviction issues that we're seeing, particularly from the agencies that I oversee, many times people have more money than they have money and are not able to pay their rent. And if we know that and you're coming through the one door, we may ask you the question, well, it looks like you're only making this amount of money. Would you like a better paying job? Let's put you in a training to position you so that you are not always having to, make decisions for rent versus a light. It it allows us to be more proactive in that way. Mhmm.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:21:24

Let's go back to, the Rise Together poverty blueprint, and let's walk through the planks that, it was built on. We talk about health, we talk about youth, we talk about housing, we talk about education. Mhmm. The Franklin County one door, how will it be built to respond to an individual that may be, multi, challenge, have multiple symptoms, so to speak, because we want there to truly be no wrong door, and we don't wanna be siloed.

Joy Bivens [: 00:22:19

Absolutely.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:22:21

Real time rewind, less than 24 hours ago, we were talking about when you walk into the one door, we don't want you to have to be labeled by having multiple doors once you walk through the front door.

Joy Bivens [: 00:22:38

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:22:41

Kinda talk about, in a perfect world, how you envision that working.

Joy Bivens [: 00:22:45

And so in a perfect world, when you walk through the one door, of course, you'll have all of your human service agents under the board of commissioners in addition to some of our community partners like Columbus Impact that works with not only, utilities, but they've had housing dollars, supportive dollars as well. In addition to the Columbus Urban League, we'll be involved working with our youth population in assisting them with some of the things that they may need. But in a perfect world, when you do that assessment, it identifies what needs you may have and then before you leave, we are going to connect you right there, provide you with the resource right there and not give you a 1 eight hundred number or a 233 number and send you somewhere else. We're going to, as much as possible, try to provide all those supportive services in place. When you think about the aging, particularly for our kinship, as you know, we have a lot of grandparents taking care of young folks.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:23:38

Yes. We do.

Joy Bivens [: 00:23:39

Right? Y'all grandparents that were not they did not plan on taking care of these younger folks. Right? And there are things that they need that they don't even know who to call first. Imagine being a grandparent coming downtown and, you know, obtaining custody of your grandchild, and then you're thinking, what's next? I don't have a bed. I don't even make enough to feed this child this grandchild. And then there may be a custody issue where I can I can get some children's service dollars as well? And someone directing you to the one door as a grandparent saying, before you leave, stop at the one door. You do the assessment. Let us know what you need, and we make sure before you leave, we provide you with all the supportive services that you are that you are eligible for. And as a grandparent, you feel less overwhelmed.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:24:30

Mhmm. Mhmm. Next, let's talk about how another important, component of our health and human services strategy, the family stabilization unit. Let's talk about how the family stabilization unit will work in in in concert with 1, though, and how they will complement each other.

Joy Bivens [: 00:24:52

So as you know, the family stabilization unit was created back in 2020. It was a for us to test policy, from the from the the the results of the poverty blueprint plan. And, in the poverty blueprint plan, it was identified by the people because we call the Franklin County poverty blueprint plan the people's plan. The people told us that racism was an issue as it relates to poverty. And so we were looking at a system that we can test a collective impact model, system where we can make some, you know, move the needle a little bit, And when we looked at the juvenile court, you know, that was a system where a lot of African American young men were interfacing at high rates, so they were gracious enough to partner with us And what we do with the family stabilization unit, when a young person comes downtown before a judge or a magistrate, where they throw a rock in a window, whether they stole a car, whether they, you know, cussed out grandma or didn't go to school in Erewitt, They go before the the judge or the magistrate, and then the family stabilization unit staff wraps around the entire family, not just the young person. What does that mean? That means if there was a grandmother in the house, uncle in the basement, we call everyone together. We will and we ask them what are your collective goals? How do we assist you either moving up the economic mobility ladder or changing the environment in in in providing supportive services, so we can create a a more nurturing environment for this young person. And we walk life with you for an entire year, and so it's not just a transaction, unit.

Joy Bivens [: 00:26:38

It's a transformative unit. So when you come downstairs to the one door, if you were referred by the court, the juvenile court will provide you with all the support of services through the agencies, but you will be assigned to a family stabilization unit specialist to do all the things I just talked about. They're gonna assess the entire family. If you say you can't pay your rent, if your lights are about to get turned off, if you do if you don't even have beds, how do we assist you in, you know, addressing some of your barriers so that you can start thriving and creating a better environment for that young person? Because, you know, the environment plays a tremendous role in the success of a young person. Right.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:27:15

Right. Right.

Joy Bivens [: 00:27:15

Right? And if I'm couch surfing or if I don't have a place to live or, you know, all those things and I don't have food in my refrigerator, I'm acting out in school. Since then I don't wanna go to school, so you see a lot of young folks true it. Right? Or I'm just acting out, and how do we provide those mental health supportive services for the family and the young person. And you will see that in the Wonder as well because we'll be partnering with Adam H and some of our, mental health, supportive partners.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:27:41

It that's why, personnel and human capital is so important

Joy Bivens [: 00:27:50

Gary.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:27:52

In our work. And that's why as county administrator, I'm always in recruitment mode. I'm I try to be out in the community as much as I can, encouraging people and then say that that Franklin County is a great place to work. Mhmm. Franklin County is a place where you can have a positive impact on the lives of the residents. Mhmm. And you may have never envisioned yourself as a public servant, but you can be a public servant.

Joy Bivens [: 00:28:23

Absolutely.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:28:24

And regardless of what your skill set is, I think that it's a good possibility we will find a place for

Joy Bivens [: 00:28:32

you. Absolutely.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:28:33

And if we're really successful Mhmm. We'll help you find your superpower. And when we find you find your superpower, then you really will be able to go to comic book levels of success, as a Franklin County employee. And when you talk about the the young people, mostly, we have a lot of young people that work in our FSU unit. We welcome people of all ages. We've been recruiting young, young adults that really wanna make a difference, and it takes bravery. I think a lot of times, public service, the the level of dedication Yeah. Sometimes risk

Joy Bivens [: 00:29:22

Oh, yeah.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:29:22

That they put in. When you go into a house where there's so many negative stereotypes attached with particularly in the child welfare space

Joy Bivens [: 00:29:32

Oh, yeah.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:29:33

And our FSU employees approach the family much like social workers

Joy Bivens [: 00:29:40

Yeah.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:29:42

Of a of a prior time because they're trying to help the whole family.

Joy Bivens [: 00:29:45

Mhmm.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:29:45

What triggered me when you said even the uncle in the basement Yeah. The basement may be dark, and our employee is gonna go down there

Joy Bivens [: 00:29:55

Yes.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:29:55

And try to see what the issues are Yeah. That has kept uncle in the basement

Joy Bivens [: 00:30:02

Right.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:30:02

And try to talk to it. And that could be dangerous.

Joy Bivens [: 00:30:05

It sure can.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:30:05

Because there's people in the family that don't never go mess with the uncle in the basement and somehow knows. They let uncle comes up when he want to, and nobody leaves them alone. And then here go Franklin County with a FSU unit, and we gonna go in here and you we wanna talk to everybody. Mhmm. It takes courage for that.

Joy Bivens [: 00:30:23

Absolutely.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:30:24

And it takes leaders like yourself that want to help the whole family.

Joy Bivens [: 00:30:31

Absolutely.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:30:31

Because it's the easiest thing to do is to walk away from what's hard.

Joy Bivens [: 00:30:36

Mhmm.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:30:36

The easiest thing to do is walk away from the student that don't wanna listen Mhmm. That may be acting out, that teachers could just tune them out. It's the easiest thing to do That's true. And pass them along versus putting in that work it takes to put that child in a in a atmosphere. 20 years ago, I don't know if we talked about sensory rooms. We just suspended the kid from school, and and and they were gone. Mhmm. And we didn't know what happened to him, then they come back.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:31:11

Mhmm. Then they get in another fight because the same problems. All they're acting out, they're back to the principal, and it's just it was cyclical.

Joy Bivens [: 00:31:17

Yeah.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:31:18

But now we got some brave people that wanna be make a difference, and I think, we have a number of them here in, in Franklin County. I've been fortunate enough to to highlight some of the work that's being done on top with this talk of the county podcast. Mhmm. Because if you wanna do the hard work, you can change a person's life. Mhmm. But it takes a it takes the hard work a lot of time. And you gotta and you, you don't have to do this DCA business because you you you have your own life experiences that could cause you to say, I already know enough about that life

Joy Bivens [: 00:31:57

Right.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:31:58

To be able to be a expert that I could tell everybody what's best.

Joy Bivens [: 00:32:01

Right.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:32:02

But I know you, you went on a COTA bus ride and tour, and you walked from the bus stop to the bus to to to sort of bring it back fresh.

Joy Bivens [: 00:32:13

Yeah.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:32:14

Because now you blessed to be the first lady of the city of Whitehall.

Joy Bivens [: 00:32:17

Oh my god.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:32:19

So you you know, your life is different when you walk in rooms.

Joy Bivens [: 00:32:22

Yeah. But, you know, you don't lose so if you've ever been in poverty, it's always a thought away, and that is one of the debilitating things you talked about earlier. Like, you always have to think, like, you are always a thought away, and this is not it's not us and them. It's all of us. Right? It's a very complex situation. When you talk about FSU, we have some seasoned seasoned people in FSU as well. But we've we've had, you know, our specialists go to homes. They went in a home to see the family.

Joy Bivens [: 00:32:50

They walked out. 15 minutes later, the house was shut up or they got to the house or the young person had been killed already because, you know, these are young folks that are all walks of life. Again, truant to car stealing, to gangs, all the things. But you have folks that are committed to saving our community. Right? And, you know, I I have gotten on the bus because I wanna see what it's like we're making decisions on people, keeping the empty chair open. So, yeah, I have a car, but let me see what it's like to jump on the bus with a stroller and and and simulate 5 grocery bags. Right? Understanding there was a mile for me to get to the next thing that I have to get to because the bus only drops me off in certain places. And then when I walk into this human service agency, how am I being treated? I just got on a bus.

Joy Bivens [: 00:33:41

I have a stroller. I got 5, grocery bags because I can't you know, there's nowhere for me to put them. And then if I walk into an agency, I wanna make sure that I'm being treated with dignity. I'm going into the homeless camps in the dead of winter to to meet with those folks just to kinda see what are we not doing? How are we not reaching you? And if I don't I have to be authentic to me, but I also have to be authentic to the core values in which you all and the and the commissioners have laid out and making sure that when we talk about human centric, it is making sure that the community is involved in us in us developing, you know, solutions to some of our complex issues. So I I try to engrain myself in the community, in the process, not letting it allow me to get so far ahead of me that I make a decision that I'm because I never wanna make a decision I'm gonna harm somebody.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:34:31

Right.

Joy Bivens [: 00:34:32

And harming somebody could be you hire the wrong person and they talk crazy to someone or harming a person, you change the policy that you didn't consider that impact impacts 5,000 people adversely.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:34:42

Right. But if they talk crazy, does someone in word get to you?

Joy Bivens [: 00:34:45

Don't talk crazy.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:34:46

Even though you even though you're a deputy county administrator, some people get the rude awakening of, oh, she would come talk to little me. And then they'd be like, oh, she on her way. Yeah. We told her. You told who. And then they find out who who who got it. So but that leads me to, you are, passionate as I said at the opening of this podcast, but you also are a disciplinarian, and you demand accountability. You had that side to you as well.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:35:24

So it comes up, you know, you bet you you you like you like you like that, parent that, you know, would hug up their kid. But if they got in trouble at school Mhmm. And find out she coming, they know it is not gonna be a pretty sight. The principal gonna be the least of their worries till you get there.

Joy Bivens [: 00:35:43

Exactly. Because everything's all you're gonna say act right when I see you. Yes.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:35:48

So but with that being said, though, to your credit, here as a Franklin County, public administrator, I would say you are one of our second chance champions.

Joy Bivens [: 00:36:02

Oh, absolutely.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:36:03

Because although you demand accountability with a little you're a disciplinarian with some of that sprinkled in, you have also come to leadership and said, give he or she a chance, I believe that they've learned from their past

Joy Bivens [: 00:36:22

Mhmm.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:36:22

And that they are going to be successful. Absolutely. And I've seen it happen.

Joy Bivens [: 00:36:30

Yeah. Yeah. Everyone, we make mistakes. Right? And if you're gonna hold me accountable to a mistake I made 10 years ago, 15 years ago, 20 years ago, then you've put me into eternal purgatory. That ain't right. Right? If I particularly for I'm thinking about 2nd chance citizens. And many folks, you know, I made a mistake. I wanna move on with my life.

Joy Bivens [: 00:36:54

How do I you know, I'm trying to get a new opportunity. If we say no based on what is on the paper or say no based on a mistake that you made, we're not helping you. Right? We're hurting you, and then we're throwing you back into the mistakes the the universe of mistakes that you can, you know, continue to make. So we always have to be very compassionate and empathetic and looking at the situations of not one person is their worst mistake they've ever made because we all make them.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:37:25

If you were selling, the one door to a a board of investors, what would you tell them to get them to, be more likely to invest in the one door?

Joy Bivens [: 00:37:40

So if I were looking at a board of, directors of private investors, what I would say to them is I will make a business case. Their corporations and businesses are made up of people who have very complex lives. They have caregivers. They have mothers. They have fathers, single fathers. They have parents with children with, behavioral health issues and mental health issues. You want to invest in this one door model because what it does is it allows that resident that is working in your corporation to come in and get all the things that they need, and it gives them back the gift of time. It allows them to have those supportive services, and so that when they walk into your building to do the job that you have hired them to do, they are more focused, their mental health is better, and they are more alert for it in showing up for you every day.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:38:38

K.

Joy Bivens [: 00:38:38

And so it will increase it will increase productivity.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:38:42

Okay. So as we wrap up here, I usually go offline and ask a couple questions to give our podcast listeners insight

Joy Bivens [: 00:38:53

Mhmm.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:38:54

To the person.

Joy Bivens [: 00:38:56

Uh-oh. And

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:38:56

it's easy questions. Easy questions. Easy questions. Nothing nothing nothing nothing to put you out there.

Joy Bivens [: 00:39:04

Okay.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:39:06

Beach or mountains?

Joy Bivens [: 00:39:08

Oh, definitely beach.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:39:12

Wine or bourbon?

Joy Bivens [: 00:39:14

Wine. It depends on what date the season.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:39:18

The season.

Joy Bivens [: 00:39:18

Wine the serve summer, bourbon in the winter. Yes.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:39:22

In moderation, of course. But it depends on the season.

Joy Bivens [: 00:39:26

Sick of hot toddy.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:39:26

So yes. It depends on the season.

Joy Bivens [: 00:39:28

Yes. Yes.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:39:29

Okay. Tacos or chicken wings?

Joy Bivens [: 00:39:35

You can't pick between tacos and chicken wings. I like a good fried chick I like a good fried wing, though. Yes. Wings.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:39:43

Okay. And my and my my final wrap up, this is a this is a softball, a layup, or whatever analogy you wanna use. If there was one word that would summarize the personality of DCA Joy Bivens, what would that one word be?

Joy Bivens [: 00:40:04

Oh my goodness. I would say compassionate.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:40:10

Yep. She she scored the bucket. She scored the bucket. I thought

Joy Bivens [: 00:40:14

you asked her about rap songs. It's like

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:40:16

a rap song. I wasn't gonna say your favorite book. Yeah. Oh, what's up? I I I did. I usually would ask, so what's your top five songs on your, on your digital music, device of choice, but I did do that. That's for another episode. You're such a dynamic individual that we will have another talk of the county folks with DCA Joy Bivens for and then we're gonna go into a lot of other spicy subjects. We're gonna talk about, her favorite sorority on Earth in such things.

Joy Bivens [: 00:40:47

There's only one, isn't there?

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:40:50

And what sorority would that be?

Joy Bivens [: 00:40:52

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:40:55

Okay. You all heard it first. You all heard it first.

Joy Bivens [: 00:40:59

J 15 is coming.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:41:00

With a fact I I was about to say, you know, with a founder's day coming.

Joy Bivens [: 00:41:03

I'm sorry, j 13. J 13 is coming. J 13 is coming.

Kenneth Wilson [: 00:41:07

It's coming. It's coming. So I wanna thank you all for listening and asking. We always conclude, do you because nobody else has time to.