1 DCF HHS Advisory Committee Meeting. August 22, 2013, 9:03 a.m. DoubleTree by Hilton Tampa Airport - Westshore 4500 West Cypress Street Tampa, FL 33607 ROUGHLY EDITED REALTIME TRANSCRIPT This transcript was created in realtime by a Certified CART provider for the purpose of communication access. It is not a certified legal transcript and may not be entirely verbatim. It is intended for use only as notes of the proceedings. HRI CART Communication Access Realtime Translation 813.404.2488 (cell/text) www.HRICART.com (First attachment to CART Transcript, page 35; second attachment, page 38) P R O C E E D I N G S CINDY SIMON: Can everybody please find your seats. Everybody, can we please find our seats. I think we need more chairs back there, so we'll wait while we do that. Okay. It's good to see everybody here. We're going to start the meeting in a second. Lira has some letters -- I'm sorry. Good morning, everybody, we're going to start the meeting in a second. Committee members, Lira has some letters she's going to be giving out to everybody for their information for later in the meeting. So I'm going to give a second for Lira to give it out, and then we'll begin. JUDY MARTIN: Cindy, can you speak again? CINDY SIMON: Okay. Am I coming through, Judy? They are passing these letters out. Are we done? Okay. Good morning, everybody. I'd like to call the meeting to order. Today is August 22, 2013. And this the quarterly meeting of the DCFHHS Advisory Committee for the Deaf and . Before I begin with the roll call, I'd like to remind everybody to -- when you introduce yourselves or whenever you speak, please say your name. Our CART provider is really good, but she doesn't necessarily know all of us. Also, please turn your cellphones off, as very often they can interfere with the system. Okay. First -- are we on the phone? I'm very excited to say that out of the two open positions, today we have Martha Knowles here, and I want to start with her. We all received a small biography about you, which is very impressive. And we'd like to give you a chance to introduce yourself to us and let us get to know you a little bit better. Martha. MARTHA KNOWLES: Hello. I'm Martha Knowles and I was born hearing. As you know, English is my first language. My work history. I met people all over the world because I help people through immigration. I'm more of a background person. Personally, when I know what I'm talking about, I like to speak up, but I like to sit back and listen initially. Anything else you need me to say? This is my first experience here, so I'm a little awkward and not sure what I'm doing here right now. CINDY SIMON: That's okay. And welcome! We're very excited to have you. And so we're going to call the roll for everyone else and have them introduce themselves and tell a little about themselves so that you get to know them as well. Okay. Marc Dubin was not going to be here today. He said he was going to try to join us by phone, but I guess he's not on the phone. Okay. Robert Fifer. 2 ROBERT FIFER: Hi, I'm Bob Fifer. I'm an audiologist at the University of Miami School of Medicine. My home away from home is in the Department in Pediatrics at the Mailman Center for Child Development. And I wear a number of different hats. I'm working with ACHA and Medicaid and EQHealth, and also on the national front with the American Medical Association with procedure codes and diagnosis codes. CINDY SIMON: Thank you. Kim Gaut. KIM GAUT: After that, this is going to be short and sweet. My name is Kim Gaut. I'm the director of the Deaf Service Center in Charlotte County. CINDY SIMON: Okay. Susan Herring unfortunately could not be with us due to the passing of her father-in-law. I know she's sorry to miss this meeting but some things just come first. I'm sure we all extend our condolences to Susan and her husband, Richard. Rick Kottler. RICK KOTTLER: Good morning. This is Rick Kottler. I'm the executive director of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services and for about, what, three hours more, I'll be the assistant chair of this auspices committee. CINDY SIMON: Okay. Thank you. And I guess that gives me the same three hours, huh? Lois Maroney. LOIS MARONEY: I'm from this area, I've lived in Sarasota. And I'm a licensed mental health counselor, past president of the Association of Late Deafened Adults. I was on there for 13 years as president. Right now I have a private practice in St. Petersburg. Thank you. CINDY SIMON: Thank you, Lois. Judy Martin. JUDY MARTIN: Hi, I'm Judy Martin from Jacksonville, and I'm a member of the Florida Coordinating Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. And I am also representing the Hearing Loss Association of Florida. I'm retired, too. CINDY SIMON: That's what keeps you young, Judy. Terri Schisler. TERRI SCHISLER: Hi, I'm Terri Schisler. I'm a recent past present of the Florida Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf. I also sit on the Florida Coordinating Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. And I'm from Pensacola. CINDY SIMON: And she's Vice-Chair of the Coordinating Council. Shana Williams unfortunately could not be with us here either. I'm Cindy Simon. I'm also an audiologist from South Florida. I also sit on the Coordinating Council and the Florida Academy of Audiology, the Tinnitus Practitioner Association, and my latest baby is working with misophonia and I sit on the ME board for the Misophonia Association. I'm said to say, I thought that Christine Ellis would be rejoining us on this committee. And since her appointment, she has received a job in another state and once more has to move out of town. So we will be addressing the search for another member in a little while. In the meantime -- let me get all my names -- Jeff McLemore. JEFF McLEMORE: Good morning. My name is Jeff McLemore. I'm with the Board of the Department of Children and Families. I'm a Human Resource administrator, and I've been serving on this project since October of 1992. Been with the Department for a little over 20 years. CINDY SIMON: Thank you, Jeff. Lira Latimer. LIRA LATIMER: Good morning, everyone. I'm Lira M. Latimer, assisting the Advisory Committee. Thank you. CINDY SIMON: Well, that was short. Before we go to our audience, I'd like to introduce our service providers without whom these meetings could not be conducted. So Gayl could not be with us today; however, Kathy Bentley, who has sat in for Gayl before and does a great job, is joining us today for CART. Peter Pinera from Coda Sound is providing our audio. And as usual, he was early, had everything set up, and makes my life really easy when connecting. Our interpreters from Accessible Communication for the Deaf are Safina Allibhai, Rose Coleman, 3 Brenda Prudom and Chris Prudhom, Barbara Ledford, and Kristin Tompkins. And I want to check. Is there anybody on the phone? LIRA LATIMER: No one yet. CINDY SIMON: Okay. And it looks like we have a number of guests here today. So can we have the guests introduce themselves, please. DR. KAREN GOLDBERG: Good morning. Are you able to hear me? Is this on? I have a very loud voice. I'm Dr. Karen Goldberg. Hi, my name is Dr. Karen Goldberg. I'm a board certified child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist at University of South Florida. I specialize in treating deaf/hard-of-hearing individuals. I'm the Chair of the Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing Committee for the American Academy of Child and Adolescence Psychiatry. I'm, myself, having learned sign language later in my life, I still cannot sign and talk at the same time. But just happy to be here. This is the first time I've joined this meeting in the audience and just very eager to get involved with DCF and working with the kids in this community and throughout Central Florida. So thank you for having it here. CINDY SIMON: Thank you. VICKY FALES: Good morning, I'm Vicky Fales, the president of the Florida Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf from Dunedin. CINDY SIMON: Thank you. ALEX DeMONLIA: Good morning. My name is Alex DeMolina. I'm a parent of a three-year-old daughter who was born with profound hearing loss, and she has actually received two bilateral cochlear implants funded by Medicaid. JULIE CHURCH: Good morning. I'm Julie Church. I'm the director of the Family Center on Deafness in Pinellas County, have been involved in the Deaf committee here in Tampa Bay for 20 years. SHANNON SIMON: Good morning. I'm Shannon Simon. Sorry, I did not have a speech planned. I work along with Julie Church at the Family Center on Deafness, I started in January. I'm a case manager for children. JENNIFER BOGGESS: Good morning. My name is Jennifer Boggess and I'm a case manager and a Youth & Families Support Specialist for Family Center on Deafness and I work with the Deaf community here in Florida for 15 years now.