Mental Health Board

708 GENEVA COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH BOARD March 12, 2013 The Geneva Community Mental Health Board met at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 12, 2013, in the Geneva City Hall Chambers, 109 James Street, Geneva, Illinois 60134. Present: Chairman John Ford; Members Davidson-Bell, Johnson, Goldstein, Schoedel. Also present: Recording Secretary Celeste Weilandt and Executive Dir. Phyllis Russell with Association of Community Mental Health Authorities of Illinois. 1. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL Chairman Ford called the Mental Health Board meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. and noted whom was present. A quorum was present with five (5) voting members. 2. INTRODUCTION OF GUESTS Chairman Ford introduced Ms. Phyllis Russell, executive director for the Association of Community Mental Health Authorities of Illinois (ACMHAI). 3. AMENDMENTS TO THE AGENDA - None. The chairman asked for a moment of silence in memory of Alderman Ralph Dantino. 4. OMNIBUS AGENDA ( OMNIBUS VOTE ) All items listed with an asterisk ( * ) are considered to be routine by the Mental Health Board and will be enacted by one motion. There will be no separate discussion on these items unless a board member or citizen so requests, in which event the item will be removed from the Omnibus (Consent) Agenda and considered in its normal sequence on the Regular Agenda. Goldstein moved to approve the Omnibus Agenda, seconded by Davidson- Bell. Motion carried by voice vote of 5-0. 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES *A. Regular Meeting Minutes of February 12, 2013 - Approved by Omnibus Agenda. 6. PRESENTATION A. Phyllis Russell, Exec. Dir. for ACMHAI - Ms. Russell distributed information about ACMHAI and spoke about her professional background. She emphasized the importance of this board and its connection to the community, especially during this economic time. Ms. Russell referenced her handouts and touched upon various topics including the challenge and public fear of gun violence, its connection with mental illness, and the need for early screening of mental illness. Asked if Ms. Russell felt the Department of Mental Health (DMH) was still functioning in Illinois, seeing that many of its services were being taken over by the Department of Human Services, Ms. Russell discussed the possible merging of the DMH and DASA, given that DMH general revenue funding had decreased 31%. Challenges of the program followed. Ms. Russell discussed the transition of the State’s Medicaid expansion proposal and shared that this board will have to review its mix of funding and figure out whether it has been funding services for the very low income adult population whom do not receive Medicaid and those whom do not have insurance. She explained that the definitions will come out this year and will drive the definitions of what will be covered under Medicaid and what has to be covered by the “exchange” private insurance. Ms. Russell also stated that ACMHAI expects that the void in housing will increase and will be the focus of many 708 boards. Asked if this board should advocate for a Kane County 377 board as a part of that concern, Ms. Russell explained that this board has to first identify the service gaps in the community, followed by setting priorities (in a written plan), and executing them, as per the board’s charge under statute. Members shared ideas on how data could be collected and how services could be evaluated in order to determine whether support for a 377 board was necessary. Ms. Russell emphasized that all types of housing, not just DD housing, would probably fall through the gap, since not enough money existed in the communities without additional resources. Another area she was concerned with which received no funding was prevention and early intervention. She pointed out that accountability had be tracked early in the process if the board was going to move in that direction. Member Johnson asked Ms. Russell if her association interfaced with the National Association of Mental Illness or any of its programs. Johnson discussed that her department used to work with parents, teachers and students to look at areas of depression in a school setting, which resulted in a large cost savings to the 708 Geneva Community Mental Health Board - 2- March 12, 2013 community. Ms. Russell stated she supported such an idea, citing a bill entitled the “Mental Health First Aid”, which was a similar concept. Per Goldstein’s question about Ms. Russell’s commitment to assisting this board in strategic planning, Ms. Russell stated she was ready to assist the board. However, she pointed out that the board should consider “mapping” its agencies, schools, hospitals, private practioners, etc., to see exactly what services were or were not being met in the community. Chairman Ford asked Ms. Russell if she saw other existing 708 boards being the center of calling together focus groups in areas that needed them, wherein Ms. Russell stated she did see that. Addressing the three definitions of Mental Health under this board’s charge, Ms. Russell pointed out that the board had the right, under statute, to write its own definitions and adjust them accordingly. Dialog then moved toward the discussion of a “charter”, wherein Ms. Russell offered to find out more information about the term. Chairman Ford suggested the idea of the board creating its own document and using its own definitions and voting on them. Asked if it would be helpful to use the County’s Needs Assessment Plan (I-Plan) as a starting point, Ms. Russell agreed it would be helpful and suggested the board seek out information from those agencies that may have already done such research, which would eventually build a picture for this board of where the community’s needs were and where the board was placing its funding. Ms. Russell cautioned the board, however, that in the future there will be a push for the integration of behavioral heath and primary care and that behavioral health agencies will be required to develop the capacity to share real time information on clients, which transition would be difficult for some agencies. She explained that almost all of Medicaid will be moving into managed care plans with the goal of the ACA Plan to sustain a private insurance model under managed care. Johnson suggested contacting the Northern Illinois Public Health Consortium in response to Russell’s comments, which Ms. Russell also felt was beneficial. Chairman Ford asked whether it made sense for this board to separate its capital funds from its operating funds for its agencies, given the paperwork involved, wherein Ms. Russell believed the board may probably want, at this time, to have the agencies fill out a Request for Proposal detailing what real capital funding the agency needed. Lastly, the chairman summarized that part of this board’s obligation was to understand any new powers it had not used, since the sources of funding appeared to be shifting and dwindling, and to become a catalyst among various local organizations and bring them together to collaborate. Ms. Russell agreed and offered her assistance. Asked how other 708 boards operated, Ms. Russell could not refer the chairman to any specific model, as each 708 board was different. 7. OTHER BUSINESS *A. Approve Payment to Recording Secretary for Services - Approved by Omnibus Agenda. 8. PUBLIC COMMENTS AND MAIL - None Goldstein provided highlights from her attendance at the Water’s Edge meeting in South Elgin regarding the DD housing. She stated the project had no public support. Chairman Ford commented about tonight’s discussion and asked members their thoughts on future agenda items. Suggestions included obtaining the county’s Needs Assessment Plan or inviting someone to discuss it; obtaining information from Jerry Murphy regarding the needs assessment of southern Kane County, inviting county, law enforcement, school reps, and hospital reps to speak to the board about what they are seeing and how their issues are being addressed. Chairman Ford suggested lining up two to three speakers to speak to the board and tailor them to the board’s needs. He would contact and follow up with Mr. Murphy. 9. ADJOURNMENT The board adjourned at 8:23 p.m. on motion by Davidson-Bell, seconded by Johnson. Motion carried unanimously. Recording Secretary, Celeste K. Weilandt