2015-05-01 Mental Health Board Minutes

Nevada County Mental Health Board Minutes

Date: May 1, 2015 Time: 9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Place Behavioral Health Department – 500 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 April 3, 2015. There is a correction under #6 Mental Health Board Goals: Change the third sentence to: Number 1 is being completed and the final report will be given at the June Mental Health Board Meeting. The minutes were approved with the correction.

3. Announcements. Amanda Wilcox is now officially a member of the Mental Health Board.

Maureen Gerecke announced FREED is starting a support group for people with mental health challenges and those needing emotional support. The Group will meet on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays from 12 noon – 1:30 p.m. at FREED. A flyer with additional information was handed out. There is also a youth in transition group that has just started. Maureen Gerecke will bring more information about this group next month. FREED held a recent youth training that focused on employment, education and supports.

Linda Villegas attended a recent 8 week training that was recently held for Domestic Violence and Sex Assault (DVSAC) Advocates. The training was very good and was attended by other local community agencies.

4. Public Comment. Members of the public may address the board on items not appearing on the agenda. Please understand that no action shall be taken on items not appearing on the agenda. The Chair may limit an individual to three minutes. Printed on the back of the agenda is Mental Health Board Protocol (Non-Board Member Participation).

Helen Williamson asked if anyone had public comment on any items not appearing on the agenda. There were no comments.

5. Mental Health Board Training – Janice Deardorff. Handout. Janice Deardorff attended a California Institute for Behavioral Health Solutions (CIBHS) Mental Health Board Training held in San Pedro on April 17th.

1 Janice met several people from other Counties and discovered that on most of the items covered in the training, Nevada County is doing very well. Her handout includes several things she learned at the training that our Mental Health Board should be aware of. Janice reported during the public comment part of the Mental Health Board Meeting if a single person is addressing several items in the agenda, they cannot exceed 30 minutes total. The Mental Health Board cannot have any members that are funded by Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) funds. The Mental Health Board should include drug addiction members. The Website should be easy to access. Representatives from contract agencies should attend and present information about their programs at Mental Health Board Meetings throughout the year. The Mental Health Board has the right to review and make recommendations on applicants for the appointment of a local mental health director. Mental Health Board members requested to be notified when they can participate in the selection process for the new mental health director.

CIBHS encouraged Mental Health Board members to meet individually or in small groups with Nevada County Board of Supervisor members so that the Board of Supervisor members can get to know Mental Health Board members and their concerns.

We should also consider providing transportation for Mental Health Board members who do not have any other way to get to the meeting.

Janice shared some information she learned about the Brown Act: Meetings must be held in Nevada County and open to the public, Introductions and the sign in sheet are not mandatory. Mental Health Board Meetings must be posted 72 hours in advance.

There were several questions from Mental Health Board members on whether some of these are requirements based on law. Annette LeFrancois will check with CIBHS.

6. Access to Services – Helen Williamson. Handout. The Access Committee started in 2013/14 to review the access/intake process at Behavioral Health. Most of the Committee’s work has been completed. There are a few remaining tasks. The final report will be given at the June Mental Health Board Meeting. The Committee has interviewed ten different community stakeholders, adult Behavioral Health access team staff and children’s Behavioral Health access team staff. The Access Committee will share the interview results and give their recommendations at the June Mental Health Board Meeting.

7. Mental Health Nominations and Election of Mental Health Board Vice Chair. Dan Miller nominated Helen Williamson as Vice Chair. The nomination was seconded by Janice Deardorff. All members present were in favor.

8. Change the date of the July Mental Health Board Meeting - Annette LeFrancois. Friday, July 3rd, the County is closed due to the Fourth of July Holiday. A decision was made to cancel the July Mental Health Board Meeting.

9. Planning for Truckee Mental Health Board Meeting – Annette LeFrancois.

2 The June 5, 2015 Mental Health Board Meeting will be in Truckee at the Joseph Center in the Truckee Donner Room. There was discussion about inviting other community partners to the meeting or visiting other agencies in Truckee after lunch.

10. Peer Counselors – Barbara Lindsay-Burns. Barbara Lindsay-Burns reported on SPIRIT Peer Empowerment Center’s third quarter results. Duplicated visit of 1,155 and 259 non-duplicated visits are down from the first two quarters. The Emergency Department Program served 242 people for the third quarter and is seeing an increase in referrals. SPIRIT is looking to increase volunteers; they have been impacted by budget cuts this year. They need people for the reception desk, peer counselors (training & internship). SPIRIT is starting a new group on Saturdays called: Women Empowering Women. There will be a suggested donation to attend, but no one will be turned away if they cannot afford to pay.

SPIRIT is focusing in on their mission. Laundry and showers are available to members who are and willing to engage and participate in program activities. SPIRIT receives referrals for individuals who are homeless and not able to go to Utah’s Place if they have pets and/or a drug or alcohol problem. Mental Health Board members mentioned a resource: Nevada County Pets of the Homeless that provides services for pets. There is a severe need for day time activities, shower and laundry facilities for the homeless population. Individuals staying at Utah’s Place must leave at 7:30 a.m. and cannot return until 4:00 p.m. Benches at several local businesses have been removed and there is no place for the homeless to sit down and rest. SPIRIT would like to get together with Sierra Roots, Hospitality House and Divine Sparks to work on this issue. The Mental Health Board would like to be informed about any updates on this issue.

Shera Banbury mentioned a program in Boulder Colorado call Chinook. It gives people a place to go during the day that is peer run.

REPORTS

1. Behavioral Health Director’s Report – Rebecca Slade. Handout. There are two managed care plans for Medi-Cal in Nevada County: Anthem Blue Cross and California Health and Wellness. Behavioral Health has been meeting both organizations to determine how to decide who is mild to moderate and who is severely mentally ill. Anthem Blue Cross and California Health and Wellness will be providing services to individuals with mild to moderate mental illness and Behavioral Health will provide services to those with severe mental illness. Included in today’s handouts are a child and adult screening form to determine what is mild and moderate and what is severe and high risk. Behavioral Health will be keeping children involved with child welfare, probation and special education. The severity of the symptoms, not the diagnosis will determine mild to moderate or severe. There is a need for a navigator to follow up and assist individuals who are referred to one of the managed care plans get into treatment. Behavioral Health does not have funding for this position in their budget. Nancy Callahan is looking into grants that could help us with funding.

3 Rebecca Slade offered Mental Health Board members a financing 101 tutorial. Rebecca Slade asked Mental Health Board members if they would like training on mental health funding. The Mental Health Board would like to have this training. Suzanne Doyle will put together a PowerPoint to be scheduled for a future Mental Health Board Meeting.

Behavioral Health is meeting with Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital on a monthly basis to discuss the crisis stabilization unit. Mental Health Board members are invited to attend. Becky Slade collected contact information from those wanting to attend.

The Respite Center opening has been changed to June 1st. Turning Point is hiring and training staff. Behavioral Health and Turning Point have worked out the data that needs to be collected and reported.

Behavioral Health is working on a county wide system to collect data on the children we are serving. What is the severity of symptoms when starting treatment and then at three month intervals.

Behavioral Health is hosting training on trafficked children on June 11th at the Madelyn Helling Library Community Room. A flyer was handed out with more information.

Behavioral Health participated in intensive eighteen month training for six therapists to work with children who sexually harm other children. Statistics show that fifty percent of children are being sexually molested by other children. Behavioral Health has been working with law enforcement to get referrals for this program. Linda Villegas suggested the Fire Department may also be a resource for referrals as many of these kids also start fires.

2. Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) Report – Michele Violett. Handouts. Michele Violett is starting to work on the Annual Progress Report for fiscal year 2013/14 and is gathering data from contractors. Michele Violett is also starting to work on the MHSA Annual Plan update.

Community Services and Supports (CSS) There are budget cuts to CSS programs for fiscal year 2015/16.

Innovation There have been four Innovation community planning meetings. Michele Violett has been communicating with the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission (MHSOAC). MHSOAC recommended that the crisis plan and respite plan be joined together as one plan and address it as the crisis continuum. Rebecca Slade has agreed to have Nancy Callahan write crisis continuum plan. At this time, Behavioral Health does not yet know who the crisis contractor will be. The crisis Request for Proposal (RFP) has been released and closes on May 14th. The RFP has been sent to nine contractors throughout the State who provide crisis services.

Workforce Education and Training (WET)

4 Mental Health First Aid Training is being offered on May 8th. There is still room available in the training.

Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI) EMQ was able hire a therapist to provide short term therapy in the Truckee schools. The Moving Beyond Depression Program has hired staff and contract issues have been resolved. The Moving Beyond Depression Program contract goes to the Board of Supervisors on May 12th and the program will start on June 1st.

Michele Violett gave an update on the new PEI Regulations. The PEI regulations have gone before the Administrative Law Office with feedback that the interpretations and writing of regulations from the MHSOAC are not concurrent with the MHSA Act. This changed much of the regulation language from shall to may. Michele Violett handed out a spreadsheet list of current PEI Programs. Last year Behavioral Health was given direction to determine what category PEI Programs fit into (Prevention or Early Intervention). Since the Administrative Law Office decision, Behavioral Health must now have at least one Early Intervention Program, one Prevention Program, one Access and Linkage Program, one Stigma and Discrimination Program and we may have a Suicide Prevention Program. Depending on what category a contract fits in there are new outcome and reporting requirements. All PEI Programs must also meet the strategies as defined in section 3735. Michele Violett is recommending that contracts only fall into one of the categories to simplify reporting requirements. The new requirements will change how our MHSA Plan looks in future years. Nancy Callahan will be helping Behavioral Health to make these changes in our plan.

Michele gave an update on the Anasazi System. Behavioral Health is working on having a patient portal that would give clients electronic access to their records. There currently is no time frame on when this will be available.

3. Communication – Future Mental Health Board Agenda Items. Email future agenda items to Nancy Ramsey at [email protected] or Annette LeFrancois at [email protected] .

ATTENDANCE:

Members Present: Iden Rogers, Helen Williamson, Janice Deardorff, Linda Villegas, Alison Schwedner, Dan Miller.

Excused Absent Nancy Ramsey, Amanda Wilcox.

BH Staff: Rebecca Slade, Michele Violett, Annette LeFrancois.

Visitors: Laura Parker-Preston, Shera Banbury, Maureen Gerecke, Barbara Lindsay-Burns

Minutes by Annette LeFrancois 5