NOTES ON CFAC MEETING – AUGUST 14, 2006.

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

Ø      Nancy Baker, Mona Cornwell & Jim Pitts of NAMI-WC  had presented information to a Rotary Club in Buncombe County regarding mental health reform and their experiences with family members’ illnesses.

Ø      Leslie reported on Thermal Belt Area Support Group in Polk County – reported that members had known one another for years, but none had realized the other members had a family member with SPMI.

Ø      Nancy Baker reported on trying to get site large enough for legislative breakfast and still butting heads with ARC.  Understands that State if investigating Rutherford County Workshop.

Ø      Bill Cook reported that they are progressing with establishment of Mountain Council on Alcohol on Drug Dependence – private non-profit agency.  Have been in contact with National Council.  Bob Lindsey will be here on Oct 17^th for Outer Banks Conference.  The Meet the Candidates Forum in Mitchell County at Mayland Community College set for Sept. 25.

Ø      Ann Doucette sitting in for Arthur who is sick in case we have any questions.  If we need help around legislative breakfast – says she has staff.

WECOME AND ROLL CALL

¨     Welcome to Kelly Boone, Madison County new member

¨     Members Present:  Nancy Baker, Kelly Boone, Bill Cook, Donna Tatnall, Janet Price-Ferrell, Mona Cornwell, Leslie Huntley,

¨     Members Absent:  Howard Graves, excused; Rosemary Weaver, excused

¨     Guests:  Ann Doucette, Western Highlands Network Staff; Bob Huntley

APPROVAL OF AGENDA

¨     Approval of agenda – Motion by Janet Price-Ferrell, second by ?? Agenda approved as presented.

LME UPDATE

¨     Ann Doucette had no information about what is going on at LME Board Meeting.  Bill Cook had not received Board Agenda.

¨     Leslie asked Ann Doucette about how Consumer and Provider Network is organized.

¨     Due to 30% cut, now have 57 employees.  Bottom Line regarding cutbacks – WHN doing that which is mandated and does not have resources to do a lot more. 

o       No longer have an area office as a discrete group.  Everybody has moved downstairs with the exception of the business office.  Arthur, Rhonda and Beverly and Lou Stein are now downstairs.

o       Business office and claims processing have been cut considerably

o       Services management has merged with access:  Access & Services Management Department – access did not lose that many folks

o       Community & Consumer Relations Dept dissolved – merged with Provider Network group: now Provider & Consumer Relations Dept.

§         Believes it is working nicely despite loss of staff – 2 on provider side and 4 or 5 on consumer relations side.’

§         Having to continue to do more with less, but finding that being together physically has been helpful in doing investigations, following up on monitoring, responding to complaints – more of a connection.

§         Some of consumer folks doing some of provider monitoring activity and old provider people are working on getting more involved on the consumer end. 

§         Who does what? 

·        Lynn Trotter still liaison for human rights committee and still takes care of incident reports, appeals and grievances – a # have gone to the State regarding cutting back of Medicaid services.  Also takes complaints and issues and concerns from consumers.

·        Rose Stouder – Community Collaborative for Rutherford, Polk, Henderson & Transylvania Counties, JCPC meetings in lower counties (mandated meetings)

·        Jen Branham does same in BMMY.

·        Complaints – get in touch with Stouder for southern counties and Branham for northern counties.

·        Changes – losing Sam Sutker has lost community link to substance abuse community.  Dave Capps was provider and he retired in Feb and his position is frozen.  Doucette has doubled up in role as Director of Unit and liaison with SA community.

·        Guardianship – Karen Lohr – has huge case load – approximately 60 cases – getting more and more referrals.

·        Provider Side:  Cathy Samford who is DD provider specialist; Sonia Eldridge is child mental health specialist; Don Reuss is adult mental health specialist and becoming a substance abuse specialist.  Doing a lot of cross-training.  Does have support staff.

¨     Comments & questions from CFAC Members

o       Bill Cook commented that 3 years ago he served on JCPC committee and they prioritized problems – by doing so it enabled them to put a student assistance program into the local schools with a NV person who was working on SA certification.

o       Janet Price-Ferrell inquired as to whether the collaboratives are doing anything since there are no flex funds?  Doucette said they are still charge with reviewing the needs of the community – looking at what the priority issues/needs are and providing screening group if a child needs to go into a specialty state.

o       Nancy Baker requested information about incidents in respite facilities – two tragic incidents – adult DD – two isolated situations: young man burned in shower; young woman burned in tub and developed septic infection and died.

Discussion ensued about licensing of respite providers – no licensing requirements unless provider does 240 hours of respite.

·        WHN has been investigating as have other agencies:  Idea – registry of respite providers.  WHN asking that when providers screen respite providers for elements of health and safety that have to be in place before you can use that home as a respite provider.

·        Respite providers required to train in CPR and First Aid, but that is apparently quite enough – a lively discussion ensued about how home hot water is hot enough to scald and just how much training does it take to know not to have the water too hot.

·        Janet Price-Ferrell suggested that if facility is not licensed, family should be told.

·        Have a group working on what health and safety requirements WHN will require for an unlicensed respite home.  Had sent out a self-check list to unlicensed respite and alternative living homes.

·        Reviewing unlicensed alternative living homes to make certain they also meet health and safety standards.

o       Question from Price-Ferrell about new cap slots.  Answer – do not know.

CFAC MEETINGS IN OUTLYING COUNTIES

¨     Transylvania lightly attended, but good questions.  Wanted to know what CFAC is and does.

¨     Next planned meeting to go to Yancey County – initially planned September, but that does not look likely –

o       Suggested Mitchell and Yancey combined – is there somewhere on the border so that they will both comes.  Suggestion made to go to Senior Citizen Center in Yancey County or in Ledger in Mitchell County.

o       Due to scheduling problems committee felt that visit should be in November – November 15^th.   Further traveling will be done next spring.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE FROM LARRY THOMPSON

¨     Handed out HB 2077 regarding CFAC’s. 

¨     LOC’S will meet first Wed of month – Larry trying to find out what they will be working on. 

¨     100M$ - Discussion regarding how monies to be allocated.

o       Crisis plan must be regional – an 8 county plan – separate from what is going on in Asheville (16 bed) being led by Buncombe.  Other counties talking to Buncombe about use.  State has to know how Asheville facility will relate to the plan.

o       Ann D commented that State to hire a consultant, but she does not know when.  Task force has been discussing the plan based on old plans.

o       Bill Cook reported that ELT could not even define what consultant should look like.

o       Larry’s meeting with Martin Nesbitt not until August 15^th.

¨     Leg will be back in session end of Jan.

¨     Huntley complained about lack of services in smaller county and # of groups meeting – only meetings and nothing happening.  Advisory Board needs to be linked to Van Haeck group. 

¨     Things well-organized in Buncombe, but crisis plan will require 8 county set of recommendations.

¨     Ann Doucette – what do we need in Polk County?  Answer:  We have no housing, no psychiatrists, no PSR.

¨     Kelley Boone made same complaints about Madison County.  Told about a man in Madison who needed drug assistance and ended up in jail and no one knows where to turn – feels like system failed him.  Ann Doucette told her to call her for help.

STATE CFAC REPORT

¨     Bill Cook asked if local CFAC’s can only submit information to State CFAC’s – was that the intention.

¨     Bill Cook asked why State CFAC has been dissolved and appointment system changed.  Bill reviewed the drastic appointment changes.    Larry responded that there was some statewide dissatisfaction with State CFAC. 

¨     No meeting until new State CFAC – called it a non-State CFAC meeting.

LOCAL CFAC REPORT

¨     New Statute

o       Western Highlands CFAC in compliance for most part already

o       Need to meet some diversity requirements

o       No longer have to have members approved by WHN Board

o       Janet asked to look at by-laws and relational agreement

o       New requirements take effect November 1, 2006

¨     Training

o       Kelly Boone asked from CFAC training and knowledge about where to go

o       Nancy Baker announced, with concurrence from Donna Tatnall, regarding training.

CIT REPORT

¨     Mona Cornwell reported that CIT project moving along

o       Core group to meet later in September – expect to expand group after initial meeting – looks at how it currently looks in the community

o       Second meeting will bring in Sam Cochran and Dr. DuPont

o       Mona has been corresponding with them weekly and they are following events in Asheville and she explained the entire process to the group.

o       CIT is more than about changing hearts than about training.

¨     Question asked about outlying counties – will they be invited to hear Cochran and DuPont?

o       Answer – possibly.

¨     CFAC had a lively discussion about needs in various counties.

o       Mona encouraged us to write letters to editors – a loud cry will make a difference.

¨     Challenge is that Community Colleges have definite borders.  Another lively discussion ensued about differences in community and how to put together a system that would work across the WHN.

MEET THE CANDIDATES BREAKFASTS

¨     Discussion of dates – Mitchell County will go to end of September.  Hendersonville date will have to be in October.  NAMI-FS – will assist.

¨     Need to find someone to head up Buncombe County.  Need to get dates set.- may need to call on WHN staff.  Need to e-mail Ann about what we need.  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

¨     Asked Kelley Boone to compile list of advocacy movers and shakers in Madison County.

¨     Committee asked if they see any value in the Meet the Candidates Breakfasts

COMMITTEE REPORTS

¨     Executive Committee Report – basically working on breakfasts

¨     Membership Committee

o       We are down to ½ strength; going to actively recruit members again –

o       Will be taking time at Meet the Candidates Breakfasts. 

o       We are charged to try to meet some diversity guidelines

¨     Treasurer’s Report

o       Discovered that business office has not budgeted according to CFAC guidelines

o       Hope to have straightened out by next time.

o       Basically we have not budget – reimbursements that should have come out of last year’s budget and other non-CFAC items have been charged to CFAC

o       Budget has been cut by 50% +/-

THANKS TO LARRY THOMPSON ABOUT OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO ROTARY CLUB – Nancy Baker & Mona Cornwell

REPORT FROM WAKE COUNTY ON REFORM – DO WE WANT TO BACK UP THAT REPORT?  NEXT MEETING.

Motion to adjourn by Bill Cook, Seconded by______________________?