Mental Health Board

708 GENEVA COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH BOARD April 9, 2013 The Geneva Community Mental Health Board met at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 9, 2013, in the Geneva City Hall Chambers, 109 James Street, Geneva, Illinois 60134. Present: Chairman John Ford; Members Davidson-Bell, Johnson, Goldstein, Absent: Schoedel. Also present: Exec. Dir. Barbara Jeffers with the Kane County Department of Public Health; and Recording Secretary Celeste Weilandt. 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 four (4) voting members. 2. INTRODUCTION OF GUESTS Chairman Ford introduced Barbara Jeffers and her husband, Sean. 3. AMENDMENTS TO THE AGENDA - None. 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 4-0. 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES * Regular Meeting Minutes of March 12, 2013 - Approved by Omnibus Agenda. 6. PRESENTATION Barbara Jeffers, Exec. Dir. Kane County Department of Health - Dir. Barb Jeffers, executive director for the Kane County Public Health Department, introduced herself and presented a PowerPoint discussing the mental health statistics of the central part of the county. She reminded the committee that her presentation was from the perspective of public health and that her office partners with a number of different agencies to provide needed services using surveillance systems to collect data. Instead of an I-Plan, Dir. Jeffers explained that the health department uses a Community Health Improvement Plan. Asked if there were definitions for mental illness, substance abuse, and developmental disability under state legislation, Mr. Jeffers referenced Section 405 ILCS 5/1-106 for the definition of developmental disability, followed by Section 405 ILCS 5/1-129 for the definition of mental illness. While there was a state definition for substance abuse, she did not have it at this time. Concluding her presentation, Ms. Jeffers offered some recommendations for this board to consider: 1) develop collaboration with health care providers to administer mental health screenings; 2) educate parents as well as educators about mood disorders; 3) create a directory of local support groups on the City’s web page for not only mental health, but also substance abuse and respite care (also create an application for smart phones); 4) create a high school support group that provides a safe environment for students to share their feelings/concerns; and 5) educate the community on the dangers of prescription drug addictions, a growing phenomenon right now. Dir. Jeffers explained that within the community, she sees adults with opiate addictions, high school children having undiagnosed mental health disorders, and parents with developmentally disabled children having no respite. These three areas, Jeffers recommended addressing in the board’s funding support. Asked if the board should split Red Ribbon Week among other groups, Jeffers suggested the board research programs that work and fund those in which the evidence exists and to make it part of the application process. She also recommended that the board ask for a final report of the outcome of the funding source to determinate if the board wants to continue funding those same efforts or not. Johnson stated she strongly supported evidence-based funding, after citing a specific case that occurred in Kendall County. 7. NEW BUSINESS Review Ideas for Preliminary Strategic Plan - Chairman Ford recalled Ms. Phyllis Russell’s presentation from last month and the material she left for the chairman to read. From his reading, Ford stated it became clear to him that the board needs to learn more, needs to become more formal about its plans, and needs to be specific about where the communities’ needs are. Referencing the strategic plan he drafted, Ford asked members for their input, explaining it was a work in progress and would eventually become a more formal document. Dialog followed on the timeline for the board’s application, determining first where the board’s help was needed before speaking to Phyllis Russell for her assistance, and then asking the agencies (on the funding application) where they saw gaps in the community. Ford said he would follow up with Schoedel regarding on-line application (place on May 708 Geneva Community Mental Health Board - 2- April 9, 2013 agenda). Other suggestions included having the agencies get together at a specific location to collaborate and share ideas/resources. Ford then recommended selecting a group of 4 to 6 agencies who would have a natural working relationship with each other. He asked that member Johnson review the funding sheet of agencies, identify the larger agencies who could provide the most benefit, and return next month for the board to discuss how those agencies could get together. Members raised dialog on what services other community agencies funded and where the overlap occurred. Chairman Ford said he would follow up with Ald. Brown and others on this topic. Members agreed that the initial outline provided by Chairman Ford was very useful and would be useful for not only the board but the agencies also. 8. OTHER BUSINESS Members reached a consensus to continue membership with ACMHAI. *A. Approve Payment to Recording Secretary for Services - Approved by Omnibus Agenda. 9. PUBLIC COMMENTS AND MAIL - None. 10. ADJOURNMENT The board adjourned at 8:00 p.m. on motion by Goldstein, seconded by Davidson-Bell, Motion carried unanimously by voice vote of 4-0. Recording Secretary, Celeste K. Weilandt