Nevada County Mental Health Board Minutes
Date:
Time:
Place
February 3, 2012
10:00 p.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Behavioral Health Conference Room – Crown Point Circle
STANDING ORDERS
1.
Call to Order – The meeting was called to order, self-introductions were made and a sign in
sheet was passed around.
2.
Minutes from January 6, 2012.
Michele Violett has not yet amended the December 2nd minutes to reflect all the changes.
Decision was made to approve the December minutes after the changes are reviewed by the
Mental Health Board.
Dan Baldwin attended the January Mental Health Board Meeting and was not listed. There
is a correction to the minutes under attendance to add Dan Baldwin under members present.
Tor Eckert made a motion to approve the January 6th minutes as amended. All Mental
Health Board members present were in favor, no one opposed.
3.
Announcements.
Diane Chayra is our new Mental Health Board member. Diane is a physical therapist who
works at Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital.
Michele Violett announced the Mental Health First Aid April 26th & 27th class is full, but
there is still room is the June 13th & 20th class.
Supervisor Lamphier asked if it is appropriate to support Hospitality House in their efforts to
obtain a Community Development Block Grant. The Behavioral Health Department
provides financial support to Hospitality House with MHSA funds through prevention and
early intervention and with PATH Grant funds. Michael Heggarty feels it is appropriate for
the Mental Health Board to provide Hospitality House with a letter of support. Hospitality
House will be added to next month’s agenda.
Michael Heggarty announced he has been invited to speak at the NAMI National
Convention in Seattle in June to discuss Laura’s Law along with member of the Treatment
Advocacy Center.
4.
Our Voices Matter – Storytelling – Iden Rogers & Scottie Hart.
The goal of our voices matter is to reduce stigma around mental illness by sharing individual
stores. The Storytellers are meeting monthly and attendance has been good.
A Turning Point participant with schizophrenia shared her story of how her illness is
managed with the help of a community agency (Turning Point). Turning Point staff worked
to develop a relationship with her and took care of her service dogs while she was
hospitalized. Turning Point spoke to her landlord to ensure she would have a home to return
to and alerted her payee to ensure her bills were paid while she was gone. She is very
thankful to have the support of a very special group of people.
5.
Public Comment.
Scottie Hart asked if anyone would like to make a public comment. Deb Abbey commented
that at the January meeting she attended, she was not aware that SPIRIT Peer Empowerment
Center had a proposal. It was not on the agenda. Deb Abbey also commented that she has
been told to speak at Mental Health Board Meetings only during public comment. She
wonders why representatives of SPIRIT can speak throughout the meetings as they are not
Mental Health Board members. Deb Abbey commented that she was turned away from one
of the programs here and has been trying to get back in for 3 ½ years. She is bringing these
issues to the attention of the Mental Health Board as it is important for all consumers to be
heard. She would like more transparency.
OLD BUSINESS
1.
Mental Health Board Report to the Board of Supervisors - Scottie Hart & Tor Eckert.
Handout.
Joan Rogers-Toensing, Scottie Hart and Tor Eckert met with Michael Heggarty to discuss
the Mental Health Board’s Report to the Board of supervisors. Included in today’s handouts
is a rough draft of the report. There are some program topics in the report that need
additional information such as EMQ, Victor, Sources of Strength. Tor Eckert asked Mental
Health Board Members for their help in completing the report by writing a paragraph.
Helen Williamson agreed to write a paragraph for Sources of Strength, Victor and/or EMQ.
Scottie Hart commented that in completing the Mental Health Board’s accomplishments it
would be helpful to have goals/vision/mission statement for 2012. Scottie Hart suggested
we may need a separate meeting as there is not enough time in the regular meeting.
There was discussion when to schedule the meeting. Mental Health Board members
suggested it be a separate meeting sometime before the March Mental Health Board
Meeting. Michele Violett will ask Janie McKenzie to set it up. There will also be a special
meeting to discuss the MHSA proposal process.
2.
CoRR Proposal Committee – Scottie Hart & Helen Williamson
The Co-occurring Disorders Program at Community Recovery Resources has capacity to
service 20 youth and 10 adults. Currently there are seven youth enrolled. Eight adults have
been identified to be enrolled, but the funding for adults is more complicated. The COD
Program is moving slower than expected.
3.
Program Review Committee – Scottie Hart and Dan Baldwin.
The report on Turning Point will be ready soon. It will be presented at a future Mental
Health Board Meeting.
REPORTS
1.
Behavioral Health Director’s Report – Michael Heggarty. Handouts.
The Behavioral Health budget for 2012/13 is in the process of being finalized. The mid-year
review for July through December 2011 has been completed and Behavioral Health expects
to complete fiscal year 2011/12 in the black.
The Nevada County Fiscal Report has been presented to the Board of Supervisors. Refer to
the Fiscal Report Handout from today’s meeting. The County projects a deficit of 3.6
million for fiscal year 2012/13. The County plans to close the gap with $900,000 in new
revenue, and 1.3 million in reserve funds. In addition the County hopes to realize savings in
upcoming labor negotiations. If these savings are not realized the County will freeze step
increases and raise employee contributions for retirement and health insurance benefits for
County staff with no MOU in place. The County prefers not to close the budget gap with
labor force reductions.
The State estimates a 9 billion dollar budget deficit for 2012/13. The Governor plans to
close the gap with reductions, new taxes and a temporary increase in sales tax. The tax
proposals will be on the ballot in November 2012. If the ballot initiative fails there will be
trigger cuts. On page three of the California Mental Health Directors Association
(CMHDA) handout is the proposed structure for the new realignment for 2012/13. All items
listed will be realigned. Counties will be given a lump sum and will have the flexibility to
move funds around. The concern is the amount of funds will be smaller and that the
responsibility is transferred to the Counties without enough funds to provide the services.
Another concern is that Drug Medi-Cal and Children’s Medi-Cal growth will now be
capped. In the past Drug Medi-Cal and Children’s Medi-Cal were not capped. For more
detailed information on the new realignment refer to the Handout from California State
Association of Counties (CSAC).
The Department of Mental Health and the Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs will
be eliminated with responsibility transferred to the Department of Health Care Services
(DHCS). Healthy Families Managed Care rates are being reduced. Health Families
beneficiaries will be transferred to Medi-Cal. This will increase the Children’s Medi-Cal
population. The concern is the new cap for growth in Children’s Medi-Cal. In-Home
Support Services (IHSS) funding will be cut by 1.4 billion. There will be 20% across the
board reduction. CalWorks will also be cut by 1 billion.
Behavioral Health staff changes. Two new Administrative Service Officers (ASO) have
been hired, but not yet assigned to Behavioral Health. The ASOs are being trained in Public
Health, Behavioral Health and Social Services. At some point in the future, one will be
assigned to Behavioral Health. This will be a replacement for Martin Polt. Annette
LeFrancois is out on leave and it is impacting us a lot. Dr. Lin has been offered a full time
position in San Joaquin County. We are trying to subcontract with San Joaquin County in
order to continue having Dr. Lin provide 2 days per week of psychiatry coverage. Dr.
Nguyen is leaving the Truckee area. We will be without psychiatric coverage in Truckee.
Electronic Health Record implementation is going well. Staff is being training this week in
assessments, treatment plans and progress notes. The billing portion of Anasazi is complete
and is up and running.
Over the last year Behavioral Health has treated 1,600 clients. This is an increase over prior
years when 1,000 to 1,100 clients have received treatment.
There is an increase in MHSA funds for fiscal year 2012/13.
2.
MHSA Report – Michele Violett. Handouts.
Michele Violett relayed information from Kim Honeywell about a Sources of Strength
participant who helped an individual who was suicidal.
The annual MHSA Progress report is due for fiscal year 2010/11 and needs to include any
changes to our plan for 2012/13. Michele Violett is busy gathering information from all of
the service providers to include in the report. Future MHSA Annual Progress Reports will
be streamlined and more consumer friendly.
Community Services and Supports (CSS).
There is no new action on the SPIRIT Peer Empowerment Center Proposal. A revised
proposal has been received from the Alliance for Wellbeing and has been given to Michael
Heggarty for review.
There was discussion to add Catherine Lane to the March Mental Health Board agenda.
Housing. Handout.
CalHFA approved the remodel plans for the new house we purchased. Michele Violett has
been working on the application procedures. Meetings have been set up with Turning Point,
Behavioral Health, and Nevada County Housing Development Corporation (NCHDC) to
discuss who will be in charge of house meetings and who will coordinate people moving in
and out of the house. Training has been set up for the Service Coordinators to assist clients
in the application process for the MHSA Housing Program. Applicants must meet the
criteria for homelessness and be full service partnership eligible. Also must be 50% of the
area median income and have no other resources. Nevada County Housing Development
Corporation must approve the applicant. NCHDC will be looking at the applicant’s ability
to pay rent etc.
Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI).
The Latino Outreach contract will be increased. They presented their program at the
December Mental Health Board Meeting.
Workforce Education and Training (WET).
California State University Chico has received 63 applications for the Masters in Social
Work Program. Of the 63 applicants, 45 applicants are from the superior region. There
were some applicants from Nevada County. The Superior Region Mental Health Wet
Partnership is working to create request for proposals to create a career pathway between
community colleges, high school students and community based organizations.
Health Innovation Challenge Grant – Michael Heggarty. Handout.
The handout is a one page summary of the grant (5.6 million). The grant is very
competitive. Behavioral Health has been working with Miner’s Clinic, Common Goals,
Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital, CoRR, and Sierra Family Medical Clinic. The goal is
create an integrated health system using health navigators and youth peer mentors to support
people with very high needs in order to improve services, reduce costs, and improve
outcomes. The grant would include funding for training and seed money for a respite care
program. Also funding for technology to better share information among community
providers. We expect to provide services to 360 people if we are successful in obtaining the
grant. Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital provided some data for the grant. In 2011; the
hospital treated 1,479 people inpatient that had a mental health diagnosis. The cost of the
inpatient care for these people was 86 million.
The cost for treating 3,000 people with a mental health diagnosis in the Emergency Room
was 9.8 million. People with mental illness are at much higher risk for chronic physical
health problems. We will be notified in March if we are successful in obtaining the grant.
3.
Peer Counselors – Joan Buffington.
SPIRIT Peer Empowerment Center is in the process of hiring three new
staff members. One of the positions will be for a media person. The SPIRIT Peer
Empowerment Center’s CSS proposal was submitted a month ago. Part one of the proposal
is for SPIRIT to provide support for people who come to the Emergency Room in crisis who
are being evaluated for 5150. Part two is for SPIRIT to provide follow-up support. SPIRIT
has received suggestions for clarification of their proposal. Any additional suggestions or
input should be submitted to SPIRIT within a week so that the proposal can be revised.
Michael Heggarty commented that SPIRIT’s proposal fits several funding sources: MHSA
CSS funds, The 6 million dollar grant for Integrated Health Care, Rural Health Grant
$150,000.
4.
Truckee – Iden Rogers.
Iden Rogers suggests that we add an agenda item on how to publicize the need for a Mental
Health Board member from the Truckee area. Michael Heggarty suggests that we ask Glen
Harelson (Truckee Program Manager) to help us.
ATTENDANCE:
Members Present:
Iden Rogers, Supervisor Lamphier, Diane Chayra
Scottie Hart, Helen Williamson, Tor Eckert, Dan Baldwin.
Excused Absent:
Joan Rogers-Toensing, Rich Stone.
BH Staff:
Michele Violett, Guy Kerr, Michael Heggarty.
Visitors:
Joan Buffington, Deb Abbey, Rachel Kennedy, Jennifer Dunphy,
Carol Grant.
Minutes by Annette LeFrancois