Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 2001-2005Minutes recorded — not yet approved EVANSTON MENTAL HEALTH BOARD MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 2001 Members Present: Louis Rowitz, Jane Grover, Carol Sittler, Vickie Kalish, Ellen Reynolds, Susan Stroh, Tom Tharayil, Susan Canter Presiding: Lonnie Wiebe Staff: Harvey. Saver, Josephine ParriIli, and Joan Barott Community Representatives: Sandra Stumme, Karen Wertymer (Metropolitan Family Services) Lonnie Wiebe, Chair, called the meeting to order at 7:35 p.m. I. INTRODUCTIONS AND COMMUNITY COMMENTS Chair Wiebe welcomed the guests and asked that they introduce themselves. II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES DECEMBER 14, 2000 Chair Wiebe indicated that, hearing no corrections, the December 14, 2000 minutes were accepted as presented. III. BOARD DEVELOPMENT: JOHN CARPER ONBOARD GOVERNANCE AND DISCUSSION The MHB viewed the second half of the videotape "John Carver on Board Governance. " After the showing, Mr. Rowitz led a discussion about some of the issues that were presented in the video. Mr. Rowitz pointed out that the Carver model on governance makes a distinction between volunteers and trustees. A board member is a "trustee", and should see themselves as having a responsibility and representing the community. A trustee has the responsibility to make policies and decisions from the vantage point as to what is best for the community. "Volunteers" are not policy makers. They are more service -based, rather than policy -based, and they are not expected to represent the community. Their focus is to help with the delivery of a program's services. The means are in the control of the staff, and the way in which things get done is a staff responsibility. The board or trustee has to be concerned with ends, where the organization wants to go in the community. Mr. Rowitz said that Carver argues that the January 11, 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page t 7 r 1 Minutes recorded -- not yet approved board should not micro -manage the staff. They should set the parameters for performance up -front. Mr. Rowitz commented that the MHB's role in Evanston is a complicated one. The original 708-board legislation at the state level intended for 708 boards to be boards as Carver described them. The changes that the City of Evanston earlier created in its boards and commissions turned the MHB into a subcommittee of the Human Service Committee. The MHB does not have the authority or independence that was intended in the original mental health legislation. As a result, the MHB cannot do much without the Human Service Committee approving it. The MHB does set the guidelines for how money is allocated to programs, but these are just recommendations. The MHB is somewhat Iimited by this. Mr. Rowitz commented that if the HSC does not like a decision that the MHB or another City board makes, they can over turn it. The Board does have responsibility for monitoring and accountability with the agencies. The MHB developed Iiaison relationships for this purpose. However, contrary to Carver's recommendations, individuals on the board develop one-to-one relationships with each agency and then the MHB does not speak with one voice. Mr. Rowitz pointed out that the MHB seems to be effectively using committees or subcommittees. In many boards, subcommittees oversee programs rather than serving that board. 'The MHB creates committees to provide a service to the Board, and not to provide a staff or City department oversight activity. Examples of this are the Substance Abuse Task Force, and the Allocation Committee. The latter committee created recommendations for program funding allocations, but the Board used those recommendations to develop decisions. In response to Ms. Wiebe, Mr. Saver discussed a board development newsletter. In discussion, there was a consensus that it would be a valuable tool for Board members. Mr. Saver said he would look into obtaining a subscription for the MHB. s Ms. Reynolds said that it was difficult for the MHB to speak with one voice when the Board does not have the absolute authority to decide anything. his. Wiebe said that the MHB could follow up on Carver's ideas and forge linkages with the community in different ways. One voice for the Board will be extremely important in that case. Ms. Grover said that the Board's contacts with the community reflect trends, developments, and the concerns of the community. They find their way to the agenda. Linkages also come out in the reporting provided by the agency. Ms. Wiebe pointed out that, from Carver's comments, the MHB can talk with and work with other boards for developing community - linkages. Mr. Rowitz said one example of this was the work the MHB did with the Community Health Advisory Board with the Substance Abuse Round Table. Ms. Wiebe said that this was what the Housing Policy Committee is trying to do with the Housing Commission in developing the round table on housing needs for the MHB's populations. (Ms. Stroh joined the meting at 8:45 p.m.) January 11, 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 2 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Ms. Reynolds said the MHB gets much of its information largely from the agencies. She said that there is a need to get more information directly from the community about needs. Ms. Canter said she thought that the MHB could begin to make changes by taking little bits of Carver's model at a time. She added that she thought the MHB could select those issues that the group felt were most important, IV. AGENCY ACCOUNTABILITY Quarterly Narrative Reports Ms. Wiebe said that the Allocation Process Subcommittee would deal with the comments and remarks about the Quarterly Narrative Reports from the last meeting. Ms. Sittler said she hoped that the Board could revise the form. She said that she thought many of the reports were redundant from one quarter to the next. Agency Liaison Reports Evanston Community Defender. Ms. Grover reported that the Director of the agency apologized for the lateness of submitting their report. She said that there were some unforeseen issues that arose. Copies of the report were distributed at the beginning of the meeting. She pointed out, from her discussion with Bob Roy, that the agency assisted 63 clients. Approximately 50 of these adolescents needed social work services. The agency is experiencing seasonal fluctuation and demands on their social work services. Connections for the Homeless. Ms. Grover said that she has been trying to meet with the Director, but without success. Trilogy. Ms. Wiebe brought to the MHB's attention the letter written by a participant in the agency's camping trip. She said she thought it was a very moving letter expressing the client's appreciation. The program he discussed is what the MHB funds. Dimensions. Ms. Canter reported that she met with Kate Mahoney and Carolyn Ellis. They were very excited about the progress in the program. Their numbers have been increasing. However, some clients do not stay long because they are transients. They do not want to have more than ten or twelve clients at one time. A good sign is that their attendance has been 100°/a, even during the periods of extreme, inclement weather. The program will be publishing new outreach and educational materials in the near future. They are planning another community training on MISA in April of May. Ms. Canter said Dimensions staff asked if MHB members knew of any training that applies to dual diagnosis. Family Focus. Ms. Kalish reported that she attended the agency's Advisory Board meeting. The ADA study will be finalized by the end of January. They tiv7I1 meet with the rest of the building's tenants to decide what work needs to be done, and what they can afford. The agency has received funds through a legislative grant from State Representative Ronen, but that money is earmarked specifically for January 11, 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 3 Minutes recorded — not yet approved remodeling two bathrooms. Family Focus is going to conduct a teen summit with kids about what they drop out of school. Ms. Kalish reported that Delores Holmes said that the feedback from the MHB's Iast meeting was very helpful. Family Focus is working with a getup at Northwestern University to develop a small program for pet therapy. Ms. Kalish added that Connections for the Homeless has moved their administrative offices into the Family Focus building Human Services Committee. Ms. Canter reported that at the Human Services Committee meeting scheduled for January 16, 2001 two major issues will be considered: panhandling, and a referendum for funds for parks and recreational facilities. New Agency Liaison Assignments Ms. Wiebe reported that the MHB annually reassigns Liaison assignments at the January MHB meeting. She indicated that those members who have been with their agency for less than a year will have the option of staying with their agency. New assignments were made after Ms. Wiebe polled the Board. Mr. Saver said he would send out the list of assignments and Board contact information to the agencies at the beginning of the week. V. REVIEW AGENCY COMMENTS ABOUT QUARTERLY NARRARIVE REPORT FORM Chair Wiebe said the comments at the December meeting reflected some concern that the Board was not paying attention to the Agency Quarterly Narrative Reports. She suggested that each Board member pay particular attention to the reports from their own liaison agencies. She also said that Board members should track and be aware of whether the information in those reports fits with other information that the MHB has been receiving about each of their agencies. V1. REVIEW CONTRACT POLICY GUIDELINES FOR FY2001-02 PURCHASE OF SERVICE AGREEMENTS Mr. Saver explained that the MHB Procedures require the Board to review the Contract Policy Guidelines every year. The Board needs to either amend them or adopt them for use with the Purchase of Service Agreements for the coming year. Ms. Grover asked whether the members of the MHB are agents of the City of Evanston, as it is identified in the Guidelines. Mr. Saver said that the specific section relates to agencies' liability insurance. The language was provided and required by the City Council for all City contracts. He said that the MHB had always assumed they were included in the provision, but he would check the point with the City Attorney. Ms. Grover submitted a number of recommendations that she asked to have considered before the Board adopts the Guidelines. Mr. Saver said he would review them and bring any revisions to the February January 11, 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 4 MInutes recorded — not yet approved meeting. Ms. V iebe pointed out that now is the time to contact the MHB stator the agency with which people are the Liaison to discuss questions and concerns about their performance outcome measures. Mr. Saver said that draft language was soon being sent to the agencies for consideration for their contracts. VII. COMAIMEE REPORTS Housing Policy Committee Report. Ms. Wiebe reported that the Committee continued its planning activities. She stated that the Committee is planning a roundtable meeting about the community housing needs for the MHB's target populations. The meeting will include community providers, consumers, and other interested community members. Ms. Wiebe reported that the Housing Commission agreed to cooperate with the Board in putting on the event. Roberta Schur, the City's Housing Planner, will meet with the Housing Policy Committee meeting in January. Ms. Wiebe said that Tom Tharayil agreed to help plan and facilitate the round table discussion. Planning for Legislative Forum. Ms. Grover reported that Committee is trying to arrange a legislative forum with all four of the State Legislators from the Evanston area. The Mental Health Association of the North Shore is also involved in the planning. She commented that she was encountering some difficulties in arranging a date. Mr. Saver reported that he spoke with a representative from the League of Women's Voters and they are interested in co -sponsoring the event. VIII. UPDATES Proposed FY2001 2002 City Budget. Mr. Saver reported that the City Council began its deliberations on the proposed FY2001-2002 City Budget this past Saturday. He provided a calendar of the scheduled budget meetings and hearings. DL STAFF REPORT Social Norms Marketing. Mr. Saver reported that members of the ESAPC's Social Norms Marketing Committee met with the ETHS School Prevention Team in December. He said he thought there was a great degree of interest and support for doing a social norms marketing campaign at ETHS. Currently, Student Assistance Services is taking a lead role at ETHS in arranging for the initiative. The ESAPC Social Norms Marketing Committee will be having ongoing meetings to organize the program; identify a survey tool to be used; and to develop a resource development plan. He said the next meeting of the ESAPC Committee would be January 16. Ms. Canter said the article in the packet about "Environmental Approaches to Prevention" provided a good description of social norms marketing. January 11, 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting MInutes Page 5 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Task Force on Homelessness. Mr. Saver reported that HUD announced that they were funding both proposals that were submitted in Evanston's Continuum of Care. Connections for the Homeless will be receiving S340,000 for three years for renewal funding for Entry Point. Interfaith Housing will be receiving S629,937 for a Supportive Housing Program. They are purchasing and rehabbing a building on Dempster, and will provide a set aside of several apartments for individuals who are homeless. Reel Time. Mr. Saver distributed flyers marketing flyers for the ESAPC presentation with Reel Time on April 11 at the Library. The Planning Committee is organizing a panel discussion that will follow the video presentation of Carved from the Heart. Workshop on Outcome Measures. Mr. Saver reported that Ms. Parrilli is organizing a satellite teleconference for Outcome Measurement H. This is scheduled for May 2001. This is a follow-up to the conference that was put on by PBS and the United Way of America last year. He added that locally the MHB, City PIanning Department and Evanston United Way are discussing sponsoring the teleconference again. All of the groups' funded agencies will be invited Meeting With Ms. Mr. Saver said that Ms. Parrilli will be setting up visits with Albany Care and Greenwood Care for a time when the weather is a little more mild. In conjunction with the visits, staff is also trying to arrange a short presentation by the agencies in the local Psychosocial Rehabilitation Cluster -- Trilogy, NTSW, and St. Francis -- about the psychosocial rehabilitation services that they provide to the residents of those facilities. Mr. Saver said it would bean opportunity to hear about how three MHB-funded agencies are collaborating in providing services. Mr. Saver said that he had been informed that Evanston Northwestern Healthcare has reconvened a Geriatric Task Force. Included with this they will be hiring a psychiatrist with a geriatric specialty. He added that, at the Aging Well Planning meeting last Tuesday, a representative from the Family Institute announced that agency has also formed a new task force that will be focusing on community services for seniors. Some of the services will be available on an outreach basis. He said he would provide more details as he received them. Meeting adjourned at 9:45. Respectfully submitted, Joan M. Barott January 11, 2001 Mental health Board Meeting Minutes Page 6 Minutes recorded — not yet approved EVANSTON MENTAL HEALTH BOARD ,MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 08, 2001 Members Present: Jane Grover, Lonnie Wiebe, Carol Sittler, Vickie Kalish, Ellen Reynolds, Tom Tharayil, and Susan Canter Presiding: Lonnie Wiebe Staff: Harvey Saver, Josephine Parrilli, Joan Barott Community Representatives: Karen Wertymer (Metropolitan Family Serviccs); Jessica Eisenberg, Will Pollock (Medill School of Journalism) Ms. Wiebe called the meeting to order at 7:35 p.m. L INTRODUCTIONS AND COMMUNITY COMMENTS Ms. Wiebe welcomed the guests and asked that they introduce themselves. II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES JANUARY 11, 2001 Ms. Wiebe stated the January 11, 2001 minutes were approved with minor corrections. III. BOARD EDUCATION ON HOUSING ISSUES Ms. Wiebe said that one of the MHB's ,goals was to educate themselves in making Board policies about housing for its mandated population in Evanston. She said that the Housing Policy Committee was planning tow or three educational meetings for the Board about the issue. She said that the Board would begin the overview with the section from the City's Consolidated Plan that was included in the Board packet. She asked Mr. Saver to provide an overview of the materials. Mr. Saver said that, in order for Evanston to be eligible for HUD funding it must produce a very comprehensive document called a Consolidated PIan (Plan). This Plan is adopted by the City Council and has to be approved by HUD. Last year, the Plan was sent back to the City for revisions for a number of deficiencies. As Jay Terry reported to the MHB last May, the process to revise the Plan was the first time that a large cohort of City staff was involved in developing the document. February 08, 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page t Minutes recorded — not yet approved The current plan was significantly revised and updated before HUD approved it. Mr. Saver said that the section included in the Board's packet provided information about the current and anticipated housing for special needs populations. He commented that the section also provides an extensive list of different types of supportive services in Evanston that enable those individuals to gain and maintain housing in the community. Mr. Saver said that since the Plan was submitted last spring, there were already several other new residential services that opened. Anixter Center opened the first home that is licensed under Evanston's Residential Care Home Licensing Ordinance. It is for eight persons with severe developmental disabilities and multiple handicapping conditions. He said it is a beautiful eight -bed home that was built specific to the needs of the individuals who were going to live in the home. Housing Options has rolled out their new program called Pathways. This is a scattered site -housing program for individuals who have severe and persistent mental illness and who were homeless at the time of their referral. The agency is working with individuals who have not been able to manage in programs that are more traditional. In addition, Connections for the Homeless received funding last year for an expanded family housing program. The agency will be providing apartments and support services to house young Evanston mothers with kids. In response to Ms. Wiebe's question, Mr. Saver said HUD funds Pathways and the Connections for the Homeless Family Program. Anixter's home is for kids who were originally living in a large residential program similar to a nursing home. The agency was able to strike an innovative deal with State funders to permit these youth to stay in the same home when they become adults. At that point, DCFS funding will be replaced by funding from the Office of Developmental Disabilities. Mr. Saver commented that the Evanston Zoning Ordinance was revised in 1993. At that point, a new definition for group homes was adopted. He provided a brief history of the Evanston Zoning Ordinance pertaining to Residential Care Homes. He added that the Zoning Ordinance requires that Residential Care Homes received a local license. Within the last two years, Evanston had to revise its Licensing Ordinance because the City Attorney determined that the original Licensing ordinance for group homes was unenforceable. Ms. Wiebe referred to a paragraph regarding special needs in the community. She pointed out that the information addresses the national policy statement that disabilities should not be treated any differently than housing for any other family in the community. Ms. Sittler asked whether Anixter would always be building houses for people to live there forever. She commented that this would seem to be prohibitively expensive. Mr. Saver said a better basis for comparison would probably be what it would cost to house an individual with multiple handicaps in an institution. He said that most studies he has seen showed that institutional care was more expensive that housing in the community. He added, however, that the difference might not be as great in Anixter's home, given that additional care that was necessary for the individuals who are living there. Ms. Wiebe commented that we do not know how many persons with developmental disabilities are in the February 08. 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 2 Minutes recorded -- not yet approved community and need housing. Mr. Saver said that the State does not have a waiting list for those individuals who have been w-aitinQ for services. Last year there was a bill introduced in the State Legislature directing the appropriate State agencies to begin keeping a single waiting list. He said he was told that the bill did not pass due to strong opposition from the Department of Human Services. Some of the opposition was based upon the concern that if Illinois did maintain a service waiting list the information would make the State open to possible lawsuits. Mr. Saver said, generally, there is also not a good estimate of the number of people with mental illness who are in need of housing. He said that in Evanston this might include those individuals who are living at Albany Care and Greenwood Care who are ready to move into housing in the community, as well as those individuals whose housing is inappropriate. In both cases, the housing should be paired with some type of supportive services. In response to a question, Mr. Saver commented that Chicago Read Mental Health Center (CRMHC) has 190 beds while Albany Care is licensed for more than 350 beds. He said that morning he attended a meeting of the Metro North Network at CRMHC. The Nmvork Manager reported that for years, CRMHC, along with three other state -operated facilities in the metropolitan area, has been operating above their stated capacity. The four facilities now have an inter -institutional agreement to transfer new admissions, after intake, to one of the facilities that has an open bed. As people are discharged, CPU%fHC is eliminating the temporary beds that they have been using. At times, their census has been as high as 220 people. This has gotten the facility in trouble with their accrediting body. The current arrangement is that if someone comes in the front door when the facility is at its maximum census the facility staff will do the intake. If the person is Accepted for services, they are then transferred to a facility where there is a bed available. Mr. Saver pointed out that CRMHC's census and capacity is considerably less than it was a number of years ago. Ms. Sittler said she was concerned about the number of people with mental illness who are placed into the criminal justice system. Ms. Reynolds provided an example, and commented that it %vas not always the right thing to move a person with severe mental disability out into the community. Ms. Wiebe referred to the section about housing for the elderly. She commented that Alexander Brown from Evanston/Skokie Valley Senior Services earlier pointed out to the MHB that his agency's case managers report some elderly have had to leave their homes in Evanston because of the high costs to maintain the homes. Many of these persons have lived all their lives in Evanston. Mr. Tharayil commented that the information indicated that Evanston had the second highest number of AIDS cases in the State. He questioned whether there was sufficient appropriate housing available in Evanston to house this number of persons with AIDS. Ms. Wiebe said that as the MHB continues its review of housing issues in Evanston, for the purposes of developing MHB policies it will be important to bear in mind what are the values of the City regarding housing for special populations. She said the Housing Policy Committee would continue to plan for the discussions at the next few meetings. February 08, 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 3 Minutes recorded — not yet approved IV. RE%7ER' EVANSTON PAIHArDLItiG ORDINANCE Ms. Wiebe said she %%as very concerned about the Panhandling Ordinance that the City Council recently passed. She said she thought the MHB missed the opportunity to advocate about the issue for its mandated populations before the law was passed. She indicated that she thought the individuals identified as panhandlers were individuals with special needs. They are either people who are homeless, or have a mental illness or substance abuse problem. Ms. Wiebe said the issue was voted on between Board meetings and the ;1iHB had not been prepared to respond to it. She said that she wanted the MHB to consider how to respond to issues related to individuals with special needs that arise before the MHB has had the opportunity to take a formal position. Ms. Wiebe said she spoke with staff at Connections for the Homeless about the issue. They indicated that the Entry Point staff had approached many of panhandlers in town and they declined any assistance. She said that Margaret Norton commented that there was no reason for them to accept assistance when they are collecting money. Ms. Wiebe said she saw- the debate about the Panhandling Ordinance on cable TV and thought that several of the Aldermen expressed concerns about it. She said that she thought that if the MHB would have gone to advocate about the issue at the City Council, they could have had an effect. Ms. Wiebe indicated that she thought the Ordinance might be challenged in the future. She asked the MHB what it might want to do about it if it is reconsidered. Ms. Reynolds commented that the panhandlers are a mixed group. However, for those individuals who might fall under the 111-113's populations there are many services available. There are several of the panhandlers who approach people in a way that is uncomfortable. She suggested services should be available to train some of those individuals in social appropriateness. Ms. Reynolds said that she understood why there were people in the community who want to tighten up on the panhandling situations. She said she did not think that the NIHB should be soft on the issue. She added that the Panhandling ordinance did not single out individuals who have a mental illness. Nis. Grover said that there were already laws that dealt with harassment or door-to-door solicitation, and thought that those might have been enough to deal with the issue. She said the MHB might want to make a policy statement to the Cite Council to express the Board's interest in this population and concern about the way that the Panhandling Ordinance affects these individuals. Nis. Canter said she has been the Liaison to Human Smices Committee. She said that she did not think it was a bad thing that the Ordinance was passed. There are certain standards of behavior that everyone needs to follow in society. She said that if people cannot behave within those bounds then she was in favor of some guidelines to hold them in check. She indicated that she thought it was okay to panhandle, but not to use aggressive behaviors. Ms. Canter added that there ought to be some mechanism to inform people on the streets about the Panhandling Ordinance and its consequences. She also thought that there February 08, 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 4 Minutes recorded — not yet approved should be educate for the local citizenry about how to respond correctly to panhandling behavior, and not encourage it. Ms. Kalish asked whether the MHB's Executive Committee could be authorized to act on issues between Board meetings. Mr. Saver said that the MHB has no provision for this in its guidelines. There is no official Executive Committee. The Chair and the Vice Chair use this as a meeting to plan the Board's agenda and meeting. Ms. %Wiebe commented that the next time a subject comes up, and it is between Board meetings, she will call MHB members to make them aware about what is happening. Board members can then call other members to discuss the issue and share ideas about a Board position. If it is a relevant issue then the individuals can call their oti,.n Aldermen and express the concern, V. CONTRACT POLICY GUIDELINES Mr. Saver commented that he had implemented most of the changes that Ms. Grover recommended. Ms. Wiebe and Ms. Sittler made several additional suggestions for revisions. Ms. Wiebe asked that the document reflect consistent terminology throughout the document in reference to people being provided services. his. Sittler moved and Ms. Grover seconded a motion to adopt the Contract Policy Guidelines as amended for use with Purchase of Service Agreements for FY2001-2002. Motion approved unanimously (7 aye). Mr. Saver reported that staff would soon be sending out the draft information to be used in each agency's contract. He said that if MHB members had any comments or questions about their Liaison agency's outcome measures in the contract, they are found in the funding proposals. Alternatively, he said that they could contact Ms. Parrilli for the information. VI. COMINUTTEE REPORTS Proposal Allocation Committee. Ms. Wiebe reported that, because of the 2000 funding process, the Committee discussed how to handle funding applications that were late or submitted with major errors. She said that the Committee could not reach agreement, so it was presenting some options for the Board's consideration. Ms. Grover said that she expected professionalism in the proposals, not perfection. She indicated that, having read the proposals for the first time, the agencies' presentations in the proposals affected her general regard for the professionalism of each agency. A letter asking for special dispensation when a proposal will be late coming. She said that she favored the option "Stick I", in which no funding proposals would be accepted after the deadline. Agencies would be able to submit additional information, but the core proposal would have to be submitted on time. She said that the grace period that was suggested should be built in February 08, 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 5 Minutes recorded — not yet approved to the each agency's own work plan for submitting their proposal on time. She added that she would want a letter explaining why a proposal w-as later. Ms. Kalish said she was in agreement with his. Grover's continents. Being timely and accurate is the reality in submitting funding requests. She said that she would want a letter to explain very special circumstances for the proposal being late. Ms. Re}molds said that the deadline should be final. She said she wanted the process to be treated as a business -like activity. Mr. Tharayil said he was in agreement with everything that had been said. He added that he was more favorable to the option "Stick 11", where there would be some severe financial consequence if the proposal was submitted late. The agency would hurt itself ifthe proposal were not on time. Ms. Wiebe said that the M HB has a long tradition of working cooperatively with the agencies. She did not want the good will with the agencies that has been created over the years destroyed due to sanctions. She added that she also expressed concern that, while the MHB can shif3 monies, she did not believe funds could be used for sanctioning. Ms. Grover said she was also concerned with "Stick II" because she did not thin funding decisions should be based upon anything other than need. Ms. Reynolds said she did not want to sanction the merits of a program due to a proposal coming in late. E However, she supported the suggestions that if a proposal was not submitted on time, the MHB would have to deal with this on an individual basis. She said that the funding should be based on the merits of the proposal. Ms. Sittler asked whether the agencies thought that the deadline was loose or not. In response to questions, Mr. Sayer said that the information included in the proposals identifies the deadline in several places. This past year the agencies had almost two months to complete the proposals. He said that he encouraged agencies to talk with him before submitting their proposal, and made himself available to review a draft of the proposal for confusing information or errors and omissions. However, no one has found the need to do this. He said that he regularly reviews the proposals and asks agencies to submit corrected information if there are problems. Those revisions are then shared with everyone on the funding panel. Mr. Saver said that if the %IHB wants to permit extenuating circumstances as a reason for a proposal being late they provide some guidelines for what kinds of issues would be acceptable. Otherwise, the situation would be the same as it is currently. He pointed out that this past year the CDBG Committee adopted a hard-line and refuses to accept proposals that were submitted late. After further discussion, the 4NiHB, in a consensus decision, agreed that funding proposals roust be�- submitted on time, and all of the required information should be available by the deadline. Late proposals will not be accepted, and the agency will forfeit its opportunity to have a funding hearing. Only in extreme circumstances would the i IHB be willing to entertain an exception for a late proposal. This information, will be provided to the agencies very early in the funding process. Ms. Wiebe said that the Committee reviewed the comments that were made about the Quarterly Narrative Report. The Committee was recommending that the revisions be minimal, and that the reporting format February 08, 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 6 Minutes recorded — not yet approved be simplified. Rather than having a form to fill out, the agencies will be able to submit any format that they would like to use that addresses the areas of the Board's interests. The directions for the report will indicate that the information that they provide should be limited only to what has happened or changed over the past three months. The directions for the report will provide some general trigger questions, e.g., progress towards objectives in the past 3 months; what has happened or changed in the past quarter, what significant issues are anticipated in the next quarter, emerging issues. The important distinction is that each agency will decide what their report will look like. and what specific information they will provide. Ms. Sittler asked whether the reports might be submitted biannually. Nis. Wiebe said that initially the reports were Jay Terry's suggestion. Mr. Saver added that he found the reports helpful and found the information useful on a quarterly basis. However, some of the reports were very sparse and did not provide much useful information about the agency. In a consensus decision, the NIHB adapted the Committee's recommendations. Ms. Wiebe said that questions were raised about the guidelines for the Agency Liaison. She asked whether there was a concern that the role of the Liaison needed to be revised. After a brief discussion there was no action taken to change the Agency Liaison guidelines. Housing Policy Committee Report. Ms. Wicbe said that the Committee was continuing to discuss the educational issues about housing for the MHB. In the last meeting, they were joined by Roberta Schur, staff to the Housing Commission. She will be working with 1dr. Tharayil and Mr. Saver to plan the community forum about housing for special needs populations. Planning for the Legislative Forum. Ms. Grover said that it was too difficult to coordinate with the schedules of all of the Legislators while the Legislature was in session. It .vas decided to plan for a date in June. The focus would be on what mental health issues were dealt with during the Legislative Session, and what issues each of the local legislative representatives satin coming up. V1I. REPORT FROM THE CHAIR Ms. Wiebe clarified that the Executive Committee is really a committee to plan the agenda and the Board's activities. She said that she and the Vice Chair, Ms. Reynolds, meet with staff. The Committee might discuss other items about the Board, as well. She reminded the MHB that items for future consideration that any MHB member wants on the agenda could be sent to her or Mr. Saver for future consideration on the next agenda. Ms. Grover requested that an item for future consideration be a change in the time of the meeting. She asked that the MHB consider changing the time for MHB meetings to 7:00 p.m. instead of 7:30 p.m., due to the lateness of the meetings. Ms. Wiebe said the item would be on the March agenda. Ms. Wiebe commented that she had spoken with Helen McCarthy, from the Childcare Network of February 08, 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page I Minutes recorded — not yet approved Evanston. She said that she had received a few inquires about whether the agency would be closing, with the move to vouchers for day care. She said that Ms. McCarthy assured her that under no circumstances would the Childcare Network be closing. Ms. Wiebe commented that the funding provided by the MHB would probably not change, and children's mental health services would still be provided. She said that Ms. McCarthy indicated that there would probably some major changes with the City -supported services. VIII. UPDATES Aging Well Conference. Ms. Sittler said she has begun to meet with the Aging Well III Planning Committee as a representative from the MHB. She also served as a reviewer in the selection of the workshop presentations for the event. hts. Sittler extended an invitation to all the MHB members to attend the Conference which is being held May I 1 at the King Home, 830 a m: 12:30 p.m. The Board asked Mr. Saver to provide the information for the next meeting about other agencies that are also sponsoring the event Social Norms Marketing. Mr. Saver said that the ESAPC's Social Norms Marketing Planning Committee has organized into work groups. He said he is working on a group that is dealing with resource development. One group is organizing the survey tool that %vill be used at Evanston Township High School. The third group is developing the program statement and the budget. Mr. Saver said, at the ESPAC meeting that afternoon, Linda Selway reported on the progress she has been making at ETHS in introducing the social norm marketing program plans and getting support from essential people at ETHS. Mr. Saver said that the ESAPC is also starting to get the information out in the community through a newsletter. IX. STAFF REPORT Mr. Saver referred to an article in the packet. He said that the State is cutting back on its Early Intervention program. The program services were more heavily utilized than was anticipated, and the State has been overspending the funding authorization this year. Consequently, they are changing the criteria for the level of disability that can be served in the program. He said the changes were supposed to go into effect as of February 1. However, in the face of very aggressive lobbying at a statewide level, the Director of DHS agreed to postpone the start of the program changes for 60 days for further review and consideration. There has been no indication about whether there is any room for compromise. Mr. Saver said that locally this might have an effect upon SHORE's day program for 0-3 year olds. Mr. Saver stated that Childcare Network of Evanston's role in the community would be changing. The State will be subsidizing childcare though vouchers that are given directly to parents. He said that Jay Terry has already begun to discuss this with Childcare Network. There will need to be some, yet, undetermined changes in the way that the City's funds will be used. February 08, 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 8 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Mr. Saver said he visited NTSW"s new site for First Step and had a good meeting with them. He said that Mr. Illing is happy to show people around the new program site at the Monticello facility. 4ir. Saver reported that Mr. Illing said NTSW was close to having another major provider take over the operations of their day program for seniors, Great Opportunities. NTSW is beginning to implement the changes that were discussed with the MHB in their services for persons with mental illness. Mr. Saver commented that, based upon Mr. filling's comments at the visit, the MHB might see NTSW's focus on psychosoeial rehabilitation in one location begin to have NTSW start to look like a full -service agency. This might include counseling service, and other expanded services for their members. Mr. Saver said he thinks it is the agency's interest to be much more than just providing day services and workshop services. Mr. Saver said he spoke with Joe Kestnbaum. Mr. Kestnbaum said that Resurrection's network is expanding. They are in the process of purchasing two additional hospital, Holy Family, and St. Mary of Nazareth. Mr. Saver said that questions have been raised about whether Resurrection will make changes in their behavioral services division. He said that the MHB should keep aware of whether they begin to consolidate services in individual locations. or try to have all of their services located throughout their network. He said that Mr. Kestnbaum indicated that there are no plans for major shifts in their behavioral health services at this time. Mr. Kestnbaum also reported that St. Francis has initiated specialized partial hospitalization program for individuals who are Russian speakers. The program has grown very quickly. Mr. Saver reported that there had not been a budget override for DD services in the January legislative session. However, Arc of Illinois has been successful in getting substantial support for the issues that were originally in the legislation that Representative Julie Hamos had introduced. Arc reported that they got a tentative commitment from the Governor to bring it up a S 1 an hour increase for direct care staff salaries in DD programs as a supplemental appropriation in his Budget message. This would mean that funds would be allocated for some portion of the current fiscal year. Mr. Saver said he would keep the Board apprised about this issue as it develops. Meeting adjourned at 9:50 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Joan M. Barott February 08, 2001 Mental HesM Board Meeting Minutes Page 9 Minutest recorded — not yet approved Eti .- NSTON MENTAL HEALTH BOARD MEETING ;MINUTES THURSDAY, MARCH 08, 2001 Members Present Carol Sittler, Lonnie Wiebe, Vickie Kalish, Ellen Reynolds, Tom Tharayil, Susan Stroh, and Susan Canter Presiding: Lonnie Wiebe Staff: Harvey Saver, Josephine Parrilli, and Joan Barott Community Representatives: Karen Wertymer (Metropolitan Family Services); Alexander Brown (North Shore Senior Center); Carolyn Coglianese (Housing Options) Lonnie Wiebe, Chair, called the meeting to order at 7:35 p.m. 1, INTRODUCTIONS AND COMMUNITY COMMEN"I S Ms. Wiebe welcomed the guests and asked that they introduce themselves. II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES FEBRUARY 08, 2001 Chair Wiebe indicated that, hearing no corrections, the February 08, 2001 minutes were accepted as presented. III. BOARD EDUCATION ON HOUSING ISSUES: Video and Discussion about Community Issues Related to Group Housing Ms. Wiebe referred to the calendar page of the Housing Policy Committee minutes. She said that the Committee had planted several educational presentations for the MHB at the monthly meetings. She commented that a video titled "Housing People with Mental Illness" would be shown that evening regarding community housing for special needs population. She said Thresholds produced it. Mr. Saver provided an overview about housing issues that the Housing Policy Committee thought would be important as the MHB develops its housing policy. He said that the video did a good job of highlighting some of the issues that came up in communities as group housing was being developed. In response to a question, he discussed the impact small community housing had in some neighborhoods in Evanston. He added that the issues in the video rang true with his oti;n personal experiences developing housing for persons % ith disabilities. Mr. Saver told the MHB that the video focused upon housing for individuals %tiith mental health issues, but that the issues certainly generalized to housing for other populations, as well. After the video, Ms. Wiebe related her own experiences in dealing with housing for special needs populations in her neighborhood in Evanston. She commented that, after the initial disruption and opposition, the homes and their occupants were able to easily blend in and be accepted by the March 08, 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 1 Minutes recorded — not yet approved neighborhood. She added that the neighbors never even notice who the residents are at one home nearby. She stated that the mentally disabled coming into a neighborhood could be at first very disturbing to the neighbors. Ms. Reynolds related the experience in her neighborhood when Housing Options opened a two -flat. She said that there were many community meetings where residents' issues, concerns and fears were raised. She said that people are frightened because they were not certain and wondered whether individuals with mental illness would be able to live with their illness in the community. She added that some of the neighbors felt betrayed, inasmuch as they had wanted to purchase this property, themselves, and had not been told that when the building was being sold. Ms. Kalish commented that she had met one of the ladies in the video when she and Mr. Saver recently visited Housing Options' homes. She also found the neighborhood that had initially opposed Housing Options was now working together with them. Ms. Wiebe commented that the video reported that 35% of persons suffering from mental illness do not have adequate housing. `is. Reynolds pointed out that there are some persons with mental illness who are not connected to anybody or any agency and living in the neighborhoods. When they have an episode they lose their housing or are hospitalized, and then they are gone. She asked whether there was any agency that takes care of these folks when they are having psychiatric issues, and whether anyone goes to help them? Mr. Saver said it is difficult to get outreach services for an indi%idual who is not connected to an agency. It is often difficult to get a case manager to go to see an individual who is having psychiatric problems in the community. He said that Evanston/Skokie Valley Senior Services has been able to do that for seniors. Trilogy's Emergency Mental Health Service program is now able to go to the home of a person who is having this type of psychiatric emergency. In response to Ms. Reynolds question, Mr. Saver said that Entry Point knows most of the people who are on the streets or who are homeless. They will try to provide services and try to link these individuals to agency services, but many of these individuals do not want to be connected to a service. He said that it has been his impression that the Entry Point staff tries to stay in touch with these individuals. They continue to foster a relationship with the thought that at some point the individual might begin to trust and be open to some next step. Ms. Wiebe said the MHB would continue to consider the housing issue. She said that at the April meeting the focus would be on some of the national and local laws that effect the housing issue in Evanston. IV. CONSIDERATION OF CHALICE IN TIME FOR tiIHB MEETNGS Ms. Wiebe stated that Jane Grover and Lou Rowitz both have requested that the MHB meet at 7:00 F.M. rather than 7:30 F.M. Mr. Saver said that Ms. Grover %%-as unable to attend the meeting but had forwarded her comments. He read her statement, and indicated that she thought that if the MHB started earlier then the meeting would end earlier. He said she also expressed concern that it would be beneficial for staff. Mr. Tharayil thought that a time limit could be set for the meeting and agenda items. Ms. Stroh, Ms. Kalish, Ms. Canter and Ms. Sittler indicated that they would prefer an earlier meeting and were available to come at an earlier time. Ms. Sittler said she would also support some March 08, 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 2 Minutes recorded — not yet approved type of time limit. Ms. Wiebe commented that. as Chair, she already felt the pressure from the clock. She said that she would not want to put additional pressure on the agenda and set a provision closure. Ms. Reynolds commented that she would like the meeting to move along so that it would end around 9:00 p.m. She suggested that time be allotted for each agenda item. When the time is up move along to the next item. iris. Kalish said that some items might tun a little longer and some a little shorter, but they should even out in moving the agenda along on time. In a consensus decision, the N1HB agreed to change the start time of its meeting to 7:00 p.m. At the recommendation of %cs. Kalish, the MHB will review the issue in three months. Ms. Reynolds asked what steps the MHB would have to take to comply with the Open Meetings Act in order to let people know the time had changed? Mr. Saver said a press release would be sent out, announcements would be posted around City Hall, an announcement would be put in the City's web page, and the time change would be highlighted in the MHB's agenda. V. AGENCY ACCOUNTABILITY Agency Liaison Reports Family Focus. Ms. Kalish reported that she attended Family Focus's monthly board meeting. They discussed their consultant's report about the corrections needed to be able to conform to ADA specifications. The agency will need approximately S300,000 to do all the work that was identified at one time. They have identified some funding from available grants. 'They also plan to meet with the tenants in the building to see whether they can assist with the rehab. They will be starting with the area around the theatre and then will be moving some parking spots to accommodate persons with disabilities. Ms. Kalish said Family Focus is also planning a summer program for young people. This year the emphasis is on entrepreneurial skills. Housing Options. Ms. Kalish reported that she and Mr. Saver recently toured all of Housing Options facilities. She said that she had a good dialogue with one of the agency's residents. Human Services Committee. Ms. Canter reported that the Human Services Committee did not meet. Dimensions. Ms. Canter said that she was invited to the meeting place of Dimensions, at Hilda's Place. She said that she also toured the shelter and Entry Point, and thought that it was a wonderful facility and welcoming place. The Dimensions room is very comfortable room, with books and a television. Ms. Canter said that she spoke with Carolyn Ellis who works directly with the program. She reported that the program is developing, and the participants have been developing relationships with one another and the staff. The participants have many problems and need a lot of support. The Dimensions staff tries to help them to function at the best Ievel that they can. Ms. Canter said the visit was a positive experience. Evanston Community Defender. Mr. Tharayil reported that he met with the folks at the Community Defender. This was a good introductory meeting for him. Childcare Network of Evanston. Ms. Wiebe commented that major changes are happening in March 08, 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 3 Minutes recorded — not yet approved daycare. Helen McCarthy invited Ms. Wiebe to a meeting of Evanston Early Childhood Collaboration, a newly formed organization of agencies in the childcare field. his. Wiebe discussed changes in the way that childcare is being funded. Parents will be making use of a voucher system. This means that there is no way for Evanston to maintain its own unique way of funding childcare through Title XX funded slots. What this will mean for the agency is unknown. What changes Childcare Net,.vork will have to make in its role will take some time to sort out, in particular because Helen McCarthy, the Director, is leaving to become the new Director of Lekotek. Ms. Wiebe said that she anticipated that there will be a realignment of the community funding sources, and it is not clear yet what role local dollars will play in providing care. The MHB is funding Childcare Network $29,900 in FY2001-2002. Ms. Wiebe said that she would keep the MHB abreast of Childcare Network developments. It may be necessary during the summer for the MHB to make some major decisions in its funding. Vl. COMMITTEE REPORTS Housing Policy Committee Report. Ms. Wiebe commented that this committee did not meet this past month. Planning for the Legislative Forum. Ms. Wiebe commented that Jane Grover has been planning for a legislative forum on mental health issues. Mr. Saver commented that the planning process has been moving ahead slowly. He said that Ms. Grover forwarded a draft letter for review that will to use to invite the legislators. It is anticipated that the forum will be sponsored and planned by the Mental Health Association of the North Shore, the Evanston Chapter of the League of Women Voters, and the MHB. Mr. Saver commented that the planning group hopes to have the forum some time in June 2001, after the State Legislature adjourns in May. He said that Ms. Grover would like to see if U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky is able to attend to provide a national focus. VII. STATE ISSUES Governor's Budget Message for FY 2001-2002. Mr. Saver provided an overview of the Governor's Budget. He commented on the materials in the packet and said that the only significant, new funding, so far, seemed to be for a Sl an hour increase for non -administrative staff who work with people with developmental disabilities. He added that there would certainly be other bills that are introduced. He said he would report on the bills that are actively being considered at the next meeting. Proposed DPH Regulations for Facilities Providing Services. Mr. Saver reported that, last yeas, State Representative Lou Lang from Skokie introduced and passed a bill that required the State to deal with the issue of persons with mental illness in long term care facilities. This was, in part, a long-awaited response to an article in a Springfield newspaper in 1996 about problems in staffing and care issues in these facilities that stirred up concern among some legislators in Springfield. Two sets of draft rules were developed in response to Rep. Lang's bill. The rules were put together with input from the staff at DPH, Public Aid and the Office of Mental Health. Mr. Saver said that the DPH staff' presented the draft rules to the Long Term Care Advisory Board of DPH. At their February 27 meeting, the Advisory Board made some final changes and authorized the DPH staff to publish the March 08, 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 4 Minutes recorded — not yet approved proposed rule for review and comment. Once the rule is published, there is a formalized, statewide process for review and comment through the State Joint Commission on Administrative Rules (JCAR). Mr. Saver said that he ►vas looking for direction from the MHB about how closely they want to follow and consider the proposed rules. In response to Ms. Sittler's question, he said that there are a number of advocacy groups that will be reviewing the proposed rule. The statewide group of Long Term Care Ombudsman will be responding to issues. in addition, he said that he thought the Commission on Aging's Long Term Care Committee would be reviewing the standards. He said Nancy Flowers, his colleague in the office, is involved with both of those groups. Mr. Saver asked whether the MHB wanted to receive the proposed rules as they are completed and made available, and did they want to comment upon them? Ms. Sittler requested that, if possible, a summary is provided for the MHB. Ms. Wiebe said it would be useful to see whatever information is currently available before the MHB visits Albany Care and Greenwood Care. Ms. Wiebe commented that it has been some time since the MHB took a position on issues related to those two facilities. She asked that, after the proposed regulations have been published, the MHB would be able to make some type of decision about what action that they would like to take. In the interim, she asked Mr. Saver to pass along the information so that the MHB could review it before visiting either of the facilities. VII. CHAIR REPORT Mental Health and the Aging Conference. Ms. Wiebe recommended that anyone who was interested in this area Should attend this Conference. The Illinois Department of Human Services and Department on Aging sponsor the conference. Mr. Saver said that there are some funds for each board and commission to send people to conferences. He said that staff would take care of the registration should any MHB member wish to attend. Vill. UPDATES Aging Well Conference - Mr. Saver said that planning for the Aging Well III Conference is proceeding. The brochures will be going out in the mail first week in April. Mr. Saver included an attachment in the packet of the cosponsors. All MHB members are invited. ESAPC Social Norms Marketing. Mr. Saver said that planning for the Social Norms ,tlarketing initiative at ETHS is moving ahead. The Planning Committee is anticipating making application for initial funding, and is preparing a proposal. He said that the initial survey of high school students would be completed in the spring. In addition, the Planning Committee was going to survey some parents during parent -teacher conferences at ETHS. He pointed out the copy of the article that The Roundtable printed about Social Norms Marketing that was in the packet. City Budget. Mr. Saver reported that the FY2001-2002 City Budget was adopted by the City Council. The MHB budget was adopted with a small change; a line item for office furniture that the MHB adopted was not included. Mr. Saver said that the City Council adopted the Budget with a small property tax increase and an increase in the City sales tax. March 08, 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 5 Minutes recorded not yet approved Dimensions. Mr. Saver reported that he met with Carol)m Ellis at Dimensions. She talked extensively about the program design, and some of the challenges and individual successes they had been having in the program. He said that the program staff is planning another training for the community, and is preparing to do additional outreach to project the program in Evanston. The program has been short one part-time staff person, but Ms. Ellis said that she expected the position to be filled the next week. He said that Ms. Ellis indicated that she was going to participate on the MHB's Substance Abuse Task Force. Evanston Northwestern Healthcare. Mr. Saver reported that he met with Edith Newman, new Administrative Director for the Department of Psychiatry at Evanston Northwestern Health Care. She will be responsible for all of ENH's ambulatory psychiatry programs. He said that Ms. Newman expressed interest in becoming more familiar with the MHB, and in developing a relationship %vith the Board. Mr. Saver said that she indicated that she was evaluating all of Evanston Hospital's programs in psychiatry and looking at how staff was being utilized. She is interested in also getting input from the MHB about her department's services in the community. Substance Abuse Workshop. Mr. Saver reported that the health department, the Police Department, and the MHB are sponsoring a satellite downlink workshop on March 22 about the impact of methamphetamine in communities. The program is a part of a series that is being presented by the Off -ice of National Drug Control Policy and the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention. Dependent upon the response to this first program, they may sponsor additional workshops in the series. St. Francis/Resurrection. Mr. Tharayil reported that he recently found out that St. Francis Hospital's Mobile Medical Program would be closing in two weeks. Meeting adjourned at 9:1 S. Respectfully submitted, Joan M. Barott March 08, 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 6 Minutes recorded — not yet approved EVANSTON MENTAL HEALTH BOARD MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2001 Members Present Carol Sittler, Vickie Kalish, Ellen Reynolds, Louis Ro%%itz, Jane Grover, Lonnie Wiebe, Susan Canter Presiding: Lonnie Wiebe Staff: Harvey Saver, Josephine Parrilli, and Joan Barott Community Representatives: Larry Gavin Ms. Wiebe called the meeting to order at 7:10 p.m. I. INTRODUCTIONS AND COMMUNITY COMMENTS Ms. Wiebe welcomed the guest and asked that he introduce himself. Larry Gavin gave a brief history of his legal background, and his work with Housing Options to establish housing for persons with mental disabilities. if. APPROVAL OF MINUTES MARCH 08, 2001 Ms. Wiebe indicated that, hearing no corrections, the March 8, 2001 minutes were accepted as presented. III. BOARD EDUCATION ON HOUSING ISSUES: Impact of the Federal Fair Housing Amendments Act 1 Zoning for Residential Care Homes Ms. Wiebe said that the MHB's housing policy was IS years old. The Board is in the process of rewriting the policy. In preparation, she said that the MHB needs to have a better understanding of the federal Fair Housing Act Amendments (FFHAA) and steps that the City has taken. Larry Gavin thanked the MHB for inviting him this evening. He said he was a housing advocate and had been on the Board of Housing Options. Mr. Gavin added, however, that he was asked to come to discuss FFHAA generally, and how the Courts have been interpreting the Act. He gave a brief overview of the FFHAA, and said he wanted to discuss three specific areas that have come up frequently in the Courts in reviewing housing issues, several of which affect Evanston: zoning requirements for Special Use permits for group homes; requirement April 12, 2001 Mental Health hoard Meeting Minutes Page 1 Minutes retarded — not yet approved that group ]tomes be spaced a certain distance apart from other group homes; and, regulations imposed with respect to various health and safety requirements. Mr. Gavin related that the FFHAA were adopted in I988. They prohibit all forms of housing discrimination against persons with a disability. both mental as well as physical. Mr. Gavin refer to a handout distributed to the MHS that quoted extensively with respect to Congress's intent. He said that Congress recognized that persons with disabilities had been denied housing. This was as a result of municipalities and states passing various laws and regulations that operated to exclude persons «ith a disability from the community. The specific purpose of the FFHAA was to end these laws. This reflected that Congress thought it needed to stop the exclusion of people from the mainstream and from communities. Mr. Gavin said the intent was to stop exclusion by cities as well as private persons. Mr. Gavin stated most cities have zoning laws. Most court rulings have held that sma11 group homes must be allowed to locate in any zoning district in which a family can locate. The courts have upheld that small group homes do not have to have a special use permit to locate in a residential area, and to have to jump through hoops for a special use. Mr. Gavin explained the purpose of a Special Use Permit, and said it could be a serious roadblock. He gave an example of a community that tried to impose a special use for group housing. It is burdensome and requires public scrutiny, extra expense, and has a discriminatory effect by having people be unfairly examined. Mr. Gavin continued that many communities have used distancing in attempting to regulate land use requirements. Under such requirements a group home has to be, for example, 1,000 feet or 2,000 ft. apart from one another group home. The courts have found that this has a negative effect even if it is done to prevent clustering or too much density. Mr. Gavin said that the courts have generally found that for those individuals who want to live in the community, and require group housing to do so, distancing requirements would limit how many individuals could live there. Mr. Garin said that distancing requirements were struck dowm four or five times. and cited various cases in ,Minnesota and Pennsylvania. He referred to a case in Chicago Heights whereby Thresholds planned to construct a group home for persons with a mental illness. Chicago Heights denied a building permit on grounds that the proposed home was 500 feet from another home that was for persons with developmental disabilities. The U.S. Justice Department filed suit on behalf of Thresholds and it was determined that Chicago Heights violated the FFHAA. Mr. Gavin said regulations for fire and safety have also been ruled to be an impediment to the development of group housing. He discussed requirements in Ohio that necessitated excessive home modifications that were blanket, across-the-board requirements without regard to the needs of individuals in a home. Mr. Gavin commented that the Alliance for the Mentally Ill, DuPage County, filed a suit against the City of Naperville about four years ago. _ Naperville required that a residential care home for persons with mental health issues to have a sprinkler system and a fire alarm monitoring system. The court held that the City of April 12, 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes page 2 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Naperville failed to demonstrate that the specific individuals in the home needed those particular systems. They held that the City violated the FFHA% by imposing the requirements. Mr. Gavin added that the court said that the city had the burden of showing that individuals actually have the need for specific requirements. By adding unnecessary requirements, the city w-as increasing the cost of housing and putting it out of reach. Group homes are often operated on a shoestring, and serve very low-income individuals who are on SSI, or receiving some other financial assistance. To impose added safety requirements that are not needed cart put the housing out of reach for these individuals. In response to a question, Mr. Gavin said that the City of Evanston has a Residential Care Home Licensing Ordinance that requires staff supervision when anyone who lives in the home is present. He said that he made the argument with the Human Services Committee that this violated the FFHAA because it did not take in to account that some individuals were not going to need 24-hour supervision. He added that he took issue with Evanston's 900-foot distancing requirement to no avail. In response to Ms. Grover, Mr. Gavin said that there have been several court decisions that it is unlawful to have any distancing requirements. Ms. Wiebe commented that there has been a lot of hostility to special needs housing everywhere. She said that there is not any housing in Evanston for individuals with substance abuse problems, and inquired about the Oxford House model. Ms. Grover said that according to the Evanston Zoning Ordinance it appears that substance abuse or addiction to controlled substances are not within the definition of disabled. Mr. Gavin commented that there is a definition for a transitional treatment facility, which is a facility licensed by the State and has temporary living arrangement for individuals recovering from addiction to alcohol or narcotic drugs. The Evanston Ordinance does permit this. Ms. Wiebe commented that she found confusing the relationship between public and private housing in relation to the discussion. She asked if the MHB should think about this in a larger context when it reviews its own policies? Arc there any decisions that open up any restrictions? Mr. Gavin commented that the City of Evanston's Zoning Ordinance permits up to three unrelated persons to live together in any residential unit they want. This includes three persons with a mental illness or three persons with a developmental disability. Then they are not subject to either the requirements in the Zoning Ordinance for group housing, or the City's Licensing Ordinance. Once the City sets the number of individuals that it will accommodate in the definition of family, then it cannot place any further restrictions on any group that does not effect everyone that is under that definition. . In response to Ms. Grover's question. Mr. Saver said that Evanston has one home that is currently licensed as a Residential Care Home. There are two other homes that have submitted applications and are in process. Since the adoption of the relatively new Licensing Ordinance, the City has only had three applications submitted. Mr. Saver then explained the process to establish a licensed residential Care Home in Evanston. April 12. 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Pape 3 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Ms. Wiebe thanked Mr. Ga--in for taking time out of his evening to be a resource for the Mental Health Board. IV. AGENCY ACCOUNTABILITY Quarterly Narrative Reports Ms. Wiebe asked if there were any comments pertaining to the. Quarterly Reports. Ms. Sittler said that she was still concerned about the types of reports that some of the agencies were submitting. She indicated that she was still bothered about why the Quarterly Narrative Reports could not be done differently. Ms. Wiebe said it will be interesting to see what the new reports look like that the agencies submit after the first quarter, with new guidelines. Mr. Saver commented on Trilogy's report- He said that it was not the only one, but that he found the information and the format particularly helpful and useful in understanding the agency. He said that he thought their report was what the MHB might be looking for. Agency Liaison Reports Family Focus, Ms. Kalish said she was unable to attend Family Focus benefit, but was told that it was very successful. This is the agency's 25"i year anniversary. They will be having something in August 200I to celebrate. They are currently working with an excellent firm on the accessibility issues in the building. When the grant monies start coming through, they will start production. Housing Options - Ms. Kalish stated that the agency has a new Director, Susan Kramer. She said that Ms. Lloyd -Still was retiring, but would be available to work with the new director. Ms. Kalish said at the agency's Board Meeting Thresholds made a presentation. They are going to change to a team concept for case management. Ms. Kalish added that she asked to receive Housing Options' Board Minutes. NTSW. Ms. Sittler said she met with Peter Illing, the Director. Ms. Sittler attended the Board Meeting, with one board member in attendance, two potential board members, and an accountant. She said that NTSW is trying to minimize the Role of the workshop as they move to a psychosocial rehabilitation model. However, the clients still seem like the role of work. Mental Health and Aging Conference held in Chicago. Ms. Sittler commented that she and Ms. Kalish attended the Mental Health and Aging Conference held in Chicago. She said there were 400 attendees, and it was very well organized. Ms. Sittler praised one of the speakers, and spoke about all the research that is going on related to medication. Ms. Sittler thanked the MHB for giving her and Ms. Kalish the opportunity to attend this conference. April 12, 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 4 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Trilogy. Mr. Rowitz commented that he met with Karen Helfrich, the Evanston Director, for the first time. They discussed the mental health issues of the agency's clients, and had a good visit. He reported that tics. Helfrich has been regularly attending the Substance Abuse Task Force meetings, and has had a lot to contribute about MISA services. Dimensions. Ms. Canter said she spoke with Kate Mahoney regarding the Quarterly Report. The program has a new staff person who is working out well. The participants in the program seem to relate well to her. PEER Services also has an undergraduate intern who will be staying on for the balance of the year and helping with parts of the program. Childcare Network of Evanston. Ms. Wicbe commented that she found the Early Childhood Community Collaboration and its relationship to the Childcare Network of Evanston quite interesting. Ms. Wiebe provided a brief overview. She reported that there are two major issues with which the Collaboration. One issue is governance. This is something that is still being worked out. What is being discussed is that the Childcare Network of Evanston has overlapping interests with the Collaboration. The area that they share is a role of fiscal agent. The Childcare Network will provide that. They see the new organization as working side -by -side with Childcare Network. The other issue is a commitment statement that they are distributing among the various members of the community that have expressed interest in the Collaboration. These persons come from the various daycare centers, School District 065, and funding agents in the City. They are asking for a commitment to the new Collaboration that is being set up. Ms. Wiebe said that she thought it %%as too early to tell what is going to come out of this. Ms. Wiebe said that she believes the MHB's relationship with Childcare Network is a good one. She said that Carol ;Mullins, the Interim Executive Director has been very welcoming. In this interim period, some of the other staff have picked up some of the administrative duties. The Title XX funds are ending and the voucher system that is being administered by the Department of Public Aid will now be facilitated through Daycare Action Council in Chicago as well as Childcare Network of Evanston. Ms. %Viebe said that she thinks more parents are going to Daycare Action Council for vouchers because they have a quicker tum-around in their processing system. The day care vouchers go directly to each family, so the families are dealing directly with the centers, rather than through the Childcare Network. The transition that is taking place is expected to be completed by September. There will be a change in focus at the agency. Childcare Network intends to work closely with the Early Childhood Collaboration in providing education to the public about child care issues. V. PLANNING FOR 2001 FUNDING HEARINGS Mr. Saver asked what the MHB what types of meeting they want to schedule for the funding hearings this year. He said that a decision had been made after the December meeting to not April 12, 2001 Mental HeaM Board Meeting Minutes Page 5 Minutes recorded — not yet approved make any changes in the funding proposal this }ear. Mr. Saver reviewed the 2001 funding process. He said that he was Iooking for direction about whether to use the same schedule as last year, and asked whether the MHB wanted to have the same number of review sessions? He also asked whether the MHB was still interested in conducting combined hearings with the Evanston United Way? Ms. Wiebe commented that the Board also needed to review and reaffirm or change the MHB's funding priorities. Ms. Grover asked whether the agencies understood the MHB's priorities. She said she thought it would be useful to reconsider the way the priorities are described. Ms. Wiebe appointed Jane Grover and Carol Sittler to be a committee to make recommendations on the funding priorities. and to work on the relationship with the United Way during the funding hearings. Ms. Grover added that she thought that the involvement with the United Way added another dimension to the MHB's review of the proposals. Mr. Reynolds said that she thought the hearings with the United Way were helpful because they provided more information and a more useful experience. In response to Mr. Saver's question, she said she thought the MHB should encourage the United Way to participate in the Board's review of the proposals prior to the hearings. VI. COMMITTEE REPORTS Nominating Committee. Ms. Wiebe said this April is the month in which the Nominating Committee is appointed. In May the Nominating Committee is supposed to make the nominations to the MHB. In June the officers will be elected. They will take office at the July meeting. Ms. Wiebe appointed Susan Critter to chair the Committee and Susan Stroh to serve on the Committee. Substance Abuse Task Force. Mr. Rowitz said the Task Force got a late start, but has had several meetings. He said they have been going through an academic process to look at how to define the issue of dual diagnosis. He said that the Task Force wants to make recommendations to the MHB. The conflict has arisen about whether mental illness is primary and substance abuse is secondary, or the opposite. He said that the Task Force is also discussing the types of treatment that are appropriate. Mr. Ro% itz encouraged the MHB members to attend the meetings, which are on the first Thursday of the month for about one to one -and -a -half hours, and are very informal. Housing Forum Task Force. In Mr. Tharayil's absence, Mr. Saver reported that they had been meeting regularly with Roberta Schur, Housing Planner, to plan the Housing Forum. The Forum is scheduled for Tuesday, May 22, from 7:00-9:00 p.m. He said that hey have arranged a panel of four individuals who will talk about the issue related to housing from several different perspectives, e.g., economic issues, legal and accessibility issues. He said the objective for the Forum is educational in nature. They will not be featuring a particular program, or trying to help people to access housing. However, they will be prepared to follow April 12, 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 6 Minutes recorded — not yet approved up with those individuals who are looking for additional information about programs. Mr. Saver added that the primary target group for the Forum is consumers and family members. Legislative Forum an Mental Health Issues. Ms. Grover said a letter of invitation is being sent to Evanston's legislative delegation. She said that. tentatively, the Legislative Forum is going to be Tuesday evening. June 12, in City Council Chambers. VII. STAFF REPORT Disability Awareness Event. Mr. Saver reported that a Planning Committee has been developed for a community Disability Awareness Event. The first meeting had 15 attendees representing different groups. The City ADA Committee has their next meeting scheduled back-to-back kith this Planning Committee next meeting as a way of encouraging additional individuals with physical disabilities to get involved with the planning. The next meeting will be April 24. Mr. Saver extended an invitation to all MHB members to attend. Ms. Wiebc commented that she had attended the first one and the attendees came with a special motivation to work as a group. In response to a question, Mr. Saver pointed out that the Supreme Court recently ruled that states are no longer subject to the Americans With Disabilities Act. Mr. Rowitz commented that there are attempts also being made to water down the Federal Fair Housing Act through the court system. He said he was under the impression that there are a couple of cases coming up that are going to deal with the Act. Mr. Saver commented that attempts had already been made to amend the Act and eliminate some of the protections for disabilities in the last session of Congress. The attempt failed, but its future may depend upon the composition of the Congress in the coming years. Aging Well III Conference. Mr. Saver reported that planning for the Third Annual Aging Well Conference is proceeding. All of the speakers have been lined up for, what ►viIl be, ten workshops this year. The King Home is once again donating food and the facilities. Space will again be limited, so the first 120 applications will be accepted. He said that Ms. Sittler has been representing the MHB on the planning group for Aging Well III. Social Norms Marketing. Mr. Saver stated that Social Norms Marketing is moving ahead very quickly. Money is the stumbling block, at this point. but there have already been a few funding proposals submitted to Rotary International and the Evanston Community Foundation. He reported that some money from the State's Tobacco Fund, through the Health Department, would also be available for the Campaign. The Resource Committee is continuing to try to identify additional funding sources. The Evanston Substance Abuse Prevention Council now has a signed agreement with ETHS to cooperate on the initiative. It lays out who will be responsible for which pieces of the social norms marketing campaign. Mr. Saver said that it is intended to be a long-term campaign, rather than a one-time program. April 12, 2001 Mental Heatth Board Meeting Minutes Page 7 Minutes recorded — not yet approved The planning committee has already begun to implement surveys of parents to find out what they know about substance abuse and where they get their information. By the end of May, they will have surveyed the entire student body in order to get data upon which to develop the campaign materials. They are targeting a kickoff' for the Social Dorms Marketing Campaign to coincide with Substance Abuse Awareness Week at ETHS, which is the third week of November. Mr. Saver extended an invitation to the MHB members for their involvement on the planning committee. Reeltime. Mr. Saver commented that the ESAPC's presentation with Reeltime at the Library was April 11. It was done in conjunction with Alcohol Awareness 44onth. There were approximately 25 attendees. In the past, Reeltime has had approximately 50 - 60 attendees at each of their events. Mr. Saver said that the planners thought the attendance was low due to extremely inclement weather, and that it was in the middle of spring vacation. However, there was also a feeling that the topics of the videos, of substance abuse and its effects, upon a community, were unpleasant ones. He said that the organizers of Reeltime thought it was great, and had several suggestions about ways in which the ESAPC could engage the community through the use of art. Mr. Saver said that Borders Book Store was also very generous in providing space to highlight informational materials, and to put aside a section of books, on substance abuse. He said that Barnes and Noble declined to do this as they felt this was an uncomfortable issue, and would not generate anything for their store. Mr. Saver said that the ESAPC also a display during the month about substance abuse issues at the Evanston Public Library. Advocacy about Mental Health Issues in High Schools. Mr. Saver reported that earlier in the day he had received a request from the Mental Health Association of the North Shore requesting that the MHB be a cosponsor of a network breakfast for the high schools on the North Shore. They are asking for cosponsors from a large number of mental health agencies and advocacy groups. MHANS is trying to encourage more high schools to provide information and training for both teachers and students about mental health issues and stigma. This breakfast gill be either late April or early May. Mr. Saver distributed a policy statement MHANS was requesting cosponsors to consider endorsing about this. Mr. Saver said that the issues in the statement were supportive of recommendations from the Surgeon General on the issue. Mr. Rowitz moved and Ms. Grover seconded a motion that the MHB be a cosponsor for the MHANS breakfast and endorse the policy position for the event. Motion approved unanimously. Meeting adjourned at 9:15. Respectfully submitted, April 112, 2009 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page a Minutes recorded — not yet approved EVANSTON INIENTAL HEALTH BOARD MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, hiAY 10, 2001 Members Present Susan Stroh, Vickie Kalish. Ellen Reynolds, Louis Rowitz, Jane Grover, Tom Tharayil, Lonnie Wiebe, Susan Canter Presiding: Lonnie Wiebe Staff: Jay Terry, Haney Saver, Josephine Parrilli, and Joan Barott Community Representatives: Lam Duda (Housing Options); Sandra Stumme (Metropolitan Family Services) Ms. Wiebe called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. 1. INTRODUCTIONS AND COMMUNITY COMMENTS Ms. Wiebe welcomed the guests and asked that they introduce themselves. 11. DISCUSSION ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH BOARD HOUSING POLICY Ms. Wiebe reviewed what the MHB had been doing to educate itself about housing issues. She said that she wanted the Board to orient itself to where it had been and where they want to go with a revised MHB housing policy. She said that the ti1HB has had presentations. looked at information about local housing services, and had been given an overview on housing for special needs population in Evanston. Ms. Wiebe asked the MHB to consider what they had seen that they didn't know before, and what they are seeing about which they don't have enough information? Ms. Vl iebe said that it was her hope for the Housing Policy Committee to take one or two months to draw up policy recommendations for the Board's consideration, either in July or September. Mr. Rowitz said the discussion gave him a sense of d6h %u afier being in the community for such a long period of time. He gave a brief history of housing for individuals %%ith special needs in Evanston and their impact on the neighborhoods. He discussed an initial proposal, about twenty years ago, for people who were going to live in some adjoining town homes. There %vas concern about the possibility of declining property values. Families also raised concerns about their children seeing people with disabilities walking around in the community. Mr. Rowitz said that from the information that has been discussed there still seem to be issues around special needs housing. Ms. Wiebe commented that things might have changed but that she was not sure that some of the biases are not still there. Mr. May 10, 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 1 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Rowitz responded that in some Hays Evanston is not always progressive when it comes to social discrimination. He said that he thought the Housing Policy Committee would need to consider the biases when it %~rites the policies. Ms. Canter commented that she thought things have changed in the community since the 70's. People are more sophisticated and attitudes have changed regarding disabilities than years ago. People may still be Evan•, but attitudes have changed. She said that, in particular, in the schools you see more general acct:p :,cc. Ms. Reynolds said there is still an issue of affordability in terms of where housing will be located. The area that a group home might be located is normally limited to certain areas. The housing costs are always going to force group housing into limited sections of town. As a result, those areas often feel that they have done their share with regard to group homes, and something should be done to develop homes in other areas as well. Ms. Wicbe said she thought that group housing could be subsidized in various parts of Evanston. The question remains about where the subsidies would be coming from. Ms. Canter commented that some families are looking at a different model and planning to make private purchases of housing for their children %ithin the next five years. They would then hire staff to provide support for their children as )-oung adults. Mr. Rowitz pointed out that in Evanston there are no existing lots. One would have to either tear down standing homes or use existing apartments and homes. He talked about several models that have been used to get around this type of problem. Ms. Wiebe said she thought the MHB should continue to consider these types of issues. She indicated that the Board would be reviewing policy considerations that they would be able to use to make decisions about their involvement and position the next time that the issue was raised in the community. III. CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES GRANT PROPOSAL FROM METROPOLITAN FAMILY SERVICES Sandra Stumme, Executive Director of Metropolitan Family Services (MFS), joined the Board. Mr. Saver said Ms. Sturnme had approached the City about a federal funding proposal that was recently distributed. The grant is titled a Targeted Capacity Expansion grant, and is supposed to be for "emerging and urgent mental health services needs of communities." Several possible funding titles are a part of this grant. He said that MFS is specifically interested in the funding for prevention and early intervention services. Mr. Saver said that the funds are through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) of the Center for Mental Health Services. MFS approached the City because eligibility to apply for the grant is restricted to units of local government. The average grant award is expected to be S400,000 for a three-year period. Mr. Saver continued that May 10, 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 2 Minutes recorded -- not yet approved MFS was proposing that the City apply for the funds and contract with MFS for the services. MFS had agreed to pay an independent consultant to write the grant application because there was a very short tum-around time. The application is due by Monday. May 21. Mr. Saver said that, ultimately, if a proposal is funded the contract will have to be approved by the City Council. He said that, initially. Mr. Terry would be presenting the proposal concept to the Human Services Committee at its May 14 meeting. Mr. Saver said that the City has no interest in operating the program directly. However, the City cannot just serve as a pass -through for the funds either. The Project Director at SAMHSA indicated that they would expect the City to be responsible financially and programmatically for services, even if another agency were sub -contracted to provide the services. The City would also be expected to take the lead role in coordination of services and in developing any networks that are involved with the project. (Jay Terry joined the meeting) Ms. Stumme said that the only way NIFS is going to get more funding for needed programming in the community is through large grants. This is either through federal sources, like the SAMHSA grant, or from private dollars. She said that MFS has not been successful in raising private dollars for Evanston programs because Evanston is not seen as being a needy community. MFS saw the SAMHSA grant as a way to get additional funding for the agency and also to provide a new, needed program. It is in line with the programs that MFS has been providing in day care centers, and would be an expansion to service a wider community. Ms. Stumme said the grant requires that the proposed program be research based, and already shown to be effective. The results of the program have to be disseminated, and there has to be an evaluation to demonstrate that a program has validity. SAMHSA wants to demonstrate that effective programs can be implemented across a larger population base. Ms. Stumme said that the grant announcement provided a list of established programs that were deemed to be effective from which to select. They also provided web site information about other effective programs. Ms. Stumme said that NIFS has been working in day care centers through funds that the MHB allocates to the Childcare Network. They have been called in to pro%-ide counseling for children having problems in day care. Ms. Stumme reported that, from that experience, they found that the teachers would like more training and programs to work with the children around social competency. She said that they selected a program that is targeted to kids in pre -kindergarten and early grades called The Incredible Year Training Series. The program serves the child, teacher, and parent in the program. Ms. Stumme said that generally agencies are able to find a program for parents, or a program to work with teachers. It is not likely that they are able to get funding for both. That is one of the things that was attractive about the Incredible Years. Ms. Stumme said that MFS was targeting kids in early Head Start and in pre -kindergarten. They thought it was an opportunity to identify children that already had an early learning problem. She said that they had already met with Barbara Hiller, Marla Israel. and Fran Bukrey at District 465; Ms. Israel said that she thought the program could work well. They also met with Angela Johnson from the Early May 10, 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 3 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Start Program to get her support. A meeting has been set up with Superintendent Murphy the next week to discuss the prorot ram and get his approval to present the program in District 465. Ms. Stumme reported that, if the proposal is funded, they are going to first approach the network of childcare within District 465. After training the teachers and staff: MFS would move out into the K-3 classrooms, as well as the four early childhood centers that have the pre-K programs. This is a three- year grant and MFS would space out the training so that it is not done at once. They would hope to get good results that it would enable them to sell it to the next group. Nis. Stumme said that 10% of the grant must be used for the evaluation; and a very thorough evaluation is required. And a longitudinal review will be implemented as kids move into schools. his. Stumme added that there would be materials for helping early parents learn to parent. The schools are pleased with the component of helping kids get ready for school. Ms. Reynolds asked whether the program is a pull-out? Ms. Stumme answered no, that it is a universal program. All kids will benefit from it. And the videos that %%ill be used for training will be demographically appropriate, and have mixed races. In a discussion about the ability to sustain the program after the grant is over, Ms. Stumme said she hoped the District #65 divert some of its special services funding to support the program, if it is successful. Ms. Stumme added that Childcare Network is also very interested in seeing this go forward. She commented that $400,000 does not go far once you start paying for supplies, staff, and the cost of training. As a result, the decision was made to initially limit this to District 65 and those childcare centers that had pre-K students. If possible, in the second year of the grant MFS will try to extend this. MFS has had the contract with the Office of dental Health for children's mental health services. A person from that department saw the grant and strongly suggested that MFS apply. She said support or endorsement from the State is also important in the grant application process. It was thought that MFS would be a good candidate because the agency has received good outcomes. Additionally, based upon the grant criteria Evanston is a good location because it has diversity and a mixed level of need. Ms. Canter asked how AiFS decided to choose this program? Ms. Stumme said that, based upon their experiences, MFS was looking for a program for very young children program. The Incredible Years seemed to be a program that relied upon good collaboration. Mr. Rowitx commented that the federal funding description also requires developing a strategy of bringing together a coalition of agencies to collaborate to support a network of services. They are asking that a coalition help to create linkages in the community for prevention. Ms. Wiebe asked about continuity of funding beyond three years. Ms. Stumme said that would depend upon the outcomes. She said she would expect to build upon those. She said that, from her experience, if you have positive outcomes you could generally get support for a program. May 10, 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 4 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Mr. Terry said this situation is very unique and it presents a good opportunity. However, there are many points of uncertainty. He said that the City does not have the experience of a subcontract of this size. He said that normally a grant of this size needs the approval of the City Council before being submitted. However, the deadline of May 21 would prevent this, at this point. There are only ten more days to figure everything out. He said that he was concerned that all City costs are covered to administer the grant appropriately. Mr. Terry said he has outlined the process for the Human Services Committee for their meeting May 14. However, the City Council will ultimately have to decide whether to accept the grant. Mr. Terry said he explained to MFS that he thought it was important for the MHB to endorse the grant, if it is to go foreword. He said it was also essential that Superintendent Murphy of District 55 endorse it. Mr. Terry said that the issue of behavior problems, as they relate to childcare in school systems, has been an emotionally charged issue in this community. lie indicated that he wanted some of the major institutions of the community to be supportive. He said he had spoken with Police Chief Kaminski, who was very supportive. The Chief said he would like to see the School Liaison Officer go through the training. Mr. Terry said all of the issues must be worked out by Friday, May 18, when the application must be mailed. However, he said that he wanted to rely upon the expertise of Metropolitan Family Services, and wanted to be supportive of the proposal. Mr. Rowitz moved and Ms. Grover seconded a motion for the Mental Health Board to endorse and write a letter of support for the grant being submitted by the City of Evanston to SAMHSA. Motion approved unanimously (8 aye -- 0 no). Ms. Wiebe thanked both Sandra Stumme and Jay Terry for their input. IV. AGENCY ACCOUNTABILITY Agency Liaison Reports Human Services Committee. Ms. Canter said she attended the Human Services Committee meeting. The Committee adopted the recommendations about the McKinney Homeless Funds. Dimensions. Ms. Canter said she spoke with Kate Mahoney. Their new staff person is fitting in well and being effective with the clients. Ms. Mahoney reported that they are planning to do another community training about MISA issues in October. Childcare Network of Evanston. his. Wiebe said the agency is still going through a transition period. She said she also attended another meeting of the )early Childhood Collaboration. At the last meeting they broke into small groups for planning, so there was not a place for involvement. Mr. Terry commented that Carol Mullins, Interim Director of Childcare Network of Evanston, reported that the agency would be coming to the June 4 Human Services Committee meeting to discuss the future of their City funding. They will be discussing the agency's new mission, and what the City May 10, 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 5 Minutes recorded — not yet approved dollars might be used for. V. PLANNING FOR 2001 FUNDING HEARINGS Ms. Grover reported that she and Ms. Sittler were asked to develop recommendations for the 2001 agency hearing process. She said they were asked to review the MHB funding priorities, and to consider whether the MHB should continue to have joint hearings with the Evanston United Way. Ms. Grover presented recommendations for revisions to the funding priorities. She referred to the memo distributed to the MHB. She said that one year ago a number of major changes were made. She said that the agencies seemed to have problems understanding priority 46, for "at risk individuals." She suggested that simple language changes be made to make each of the categories read consistently. The recommendations are to make the names of each of the categories read as the constituency served. Ms. Grover said that she and Ms. Sittler came up with a few alternatives for what the MHB calls priority #6 for "at risk individuals". Ms. Grover said the MHB should consider what the agencies use the money in this priority for as a way to help decide what "at risk" really means. Mr. Rowitz recommended calling the category "Prevention Services." He also suggested revising priority #4 to read "Children with Emotional Disorders and Their Families." Ms. Wiebe said that the issue would be considered at the June MHB meeting for a decision. Ms. Grover said she thought the hearings u ith the United Way were valuable meetings. The two groups look at the different proposals with different questions. It is nice to have this different perspective. Ms. Grover said that Tom Jager, from the Evanston United Way, indicated that his group likes having the joint hearings. They said they %wanted the opportunity to also have a combined meeting before and after the hearings to discuss the information from the proposals and the hearings. He thought that this would be more collaborative and useful to both the United Way and the MHB. There was a consensus to continue to convene combined hearings with the United Way. Ms. Wiebe asked Mr. Saver to develop a calendar for the fall hearing process for consideration at the next meeting. VI. COMMITTEE REPORTS Nominating Committee. Ms. Canter reported that she and Ms. Stroh met to develop nominations for officers for 2001-2002. She said that Jane Grover is being nominated for Chair, and Carol Sittler for Vice Chair. Ms. Wiebe said that at the June MHB meeting additional nominations might be made from the Boor at that time. She added that the elections would take place at that time for terms that will begin July 2001. Substance Abuse Task Force. Mr. Rowitz commented that the Substance Abuse Task. Force is planning to provide training about MISA for the MHB. He said that an article pertaining to dual diagnosis would be enclosed in the next packet. The Task Force is continuing to discuss the definition May 10, 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 6 Minutes recorded — not yet approved of the issues related to dual diagnosis, and trying to identify the services that are available to respond to the problem. Housing Forum Task Force. *vfr. Tharayil reported that the Housing Forum is scheduled for May 22, from 7:00-9:00 p.m. at the Civic Center. Mr. Tharayil said he thought the panel presentation would raise questions involved with finding housing for persons with developmental disabilities, or with mental health issues. He said that the presenters are not all Evanston residents, so the discussion would provide for a broader perspective outside of Evanston. He added that he hoped there would be participation from the community in the dialogue after the initial presentation. An announcement of the Housing Forum was in the Evanston Roundllable, and is scheduled to be in the Evanston Review. Planning for Legislative Forum. Ms. Grover reported that the Legislative Forum has been confirmed for Tuesday evening, June 12. Dick Kota, Policy Chair for the Mental Health Association of the North Shore, will be the moderator. She said, so far, two legislators have confirmed. And Congresswoman Sehakow,sky's office said she would be in Washington but they would be sending a representative. Ms. Grover extended an invitation to all NIHB members to attend. VII. REPORT FROM THE CHAIR Ms. Wiebe commented that she thought the sidebar on the agenda was an asset and an educational device for the MHB. She said that she had been identifying areas that might be covered in the sidebar, but encouraged Board members to also make suggestions. VIll. EVANSTON HOMELESS CONTINUUM OF CARE Mr. Saver referred to the Homeless Continuum of Care document in the packet. He said that the Task Force an Homeless has been meeting monthly throughout the year to coordinate planning activities and conduct a needs assessment for homeless services in Evanston. HUD requires the work of the Task Force in order for the community to be eligible for Continuum of Care Funding. This is a continuation of the Federal Government's push to have communities to do broad based planning in the community for homeless services, and to identify all the resources that can be brought to bear on the issue. He said that Claire McCarthy Peterson has been chairing the Task force and been a driving force in moving the process along. He said that he thought she had been doing an outstanding job of bringing people together. Mr. Saver said that HUD evaluates each community's Continuum of Care. Last year Evanston's received one of the highest rankings in the country. Mr. Saver explained the Task Force on Homelessness' procedures. He said that Evanston was slated to receive approximately $650,000 in its pro rats share for next year by HUD. Nationally, Congress decided that 30% of all funds through the Continuum of Care process has to be allocated for permanent May 10, 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 7 Minutes recorded — not yet approved housing. Last year HUD had difficulty meeting this goal. As a result, this year, any community that has a permanent housing program as their number one priority for funding can receive an additional Ss00,000. Mr. Saver said that the Task Force received four funding proposals. The proposals were rank ordered as follows: I. Interfaith Housing Development Corporation and Connections for the Homeless are proposing to purchase a building and provide a permanent housing program for families; 2. Housing Options is requesting renewal funding for Claire House and Ganey House; 3. Connections for the Homeless is requesting operational funding for the shelter; and 4. Interfaith Housing is requesting a small amount of money to provide staff support for their project at 314 Dempster. This project was recommended for funds for acquisition in last year's Continuum of Care Process. Mr. Saver said that the Continuum of Care would be presented to the Housing Commission. The Commission must certify that it is consistent with the City's Consolidated Plan. Additionally, the Continuum will be presented to the Human Services Committee for their consideration. It must be adopted by the City Council before being sent on to HUD. Every agency applying for funding will then attach the City's Continuum of Care to their proposal before sending it on to HUD. Mr. Saver said he did not think the MHB would know what was funded until late December or early Januar), 2002. IX. UPDATES MHANS Breakfast about Mental Health Issues in High Schools. Ms. Wiebe commented on the MHANS Breakfast and their plans for taking mental health issues to the high schools. She said that Ms. Reynolds would be representing the MHB. Disability Awareness Event Planning. Ms. Wiebe said that she has been attending the planning meetings. Mr. Saver and Jocelyn Dubach from Natural Ties have been providing leadership and helping the group to narrow the list of topics in order to begin planning. Ms. Wicbe extended an invitation to all MHB members to attend. Mr. Saver commented that they have asked everyone _ involved with planning to look at the objective areas. Outcome Measurements Workshop. Ms. Wiebe commented that this workshop was done by satellite up -link. This year the reception was little bit difficult. She said that there were a number of agencies in attendance. Ms. Wiebe commented that for a number of years, the MHB has been saying that the agencies' outcome measures are important. She said that one of the attendees said that that MHB has been talking about this for years, but it never comes up at the funding hearings. Mr. Saver said that Josephine Parrilli coordinated the Workshop as a part of her internship. He thanked her for taking the lead role in the planning and asked her to comment about the Workshop. May 10, 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page B = Minutes recorded — not yet approved Ms. Parrilli said that overall the presentation was disappointing due to a satellite ups -link that kept breaking up. As a result, the evaluation comments that were received were mixed. She said that there was a good turnout. The attendees liked the question and answer session. Ms. Parrilli said that Evanston Cable, due to a bad transmission, was unable to record the presentation. She said that she was going to try to negotiate with the Learning Institute for a Adeo copy of the presentation. Ms. Wiebe thanked Ms. Parrilli for moderating the Outcome Measurements Workshop. Third Annual Aging Well Conference. Mr. Saver reported that the Third Annual Aging Well Conference would be the next day, May 11. The conference is fully subscribed, with 120 attendees registered. Mr. Saver said he would advise the results of the Conference at the June MHB meeting. Meeting adjourned at 9:15. Respectfully submitted, Joan M. Barott May 10. 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 9 Minutes recorded — not yet approved EVA:VSTON MENTAL HEALTH BOARD MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, JUNE 14, 2001 Members Present Susan Stroh, Vickie Kalish, Ellen Reynolds, Jane Grover, Carol Sittler, Tom Tharayil, and Susan Canter Presiding: Ellen Reynolds, Vice Chair Staff: Harvey Saver, and Joan Barott Community Representatives: Sandi Johnson (North Shore Senior Center); Jane Doyle, Kay Branz (Center for Independent Futures); Mary Grover Ellen Reynolds, Vice Chair, called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. I. INTRODUCTIONS AND COMMUNITY COMMENTS Ms. Reynolds welcomed the guests and asked that they introduce themselves. II. REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF APRIL 12 & MAY 10, 2001 MINUTES Ms. Reynolds indicated that, hearing no corrections, the April 12 and May 10, 2001 minutes were accepted as mailed. III. EDUCATIONAL PRESENTATION: CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT FUTURES Kay Branz, President, and Jayne Doyle, Chair, of Center for Independent Futures, joined the MHB. Ms. Branz said that she and Ms. Doyle are each the parents of 23-year olds who have disabilities. She said that she had an MBA, and Ms. Doyle is a professor of special education at UIC. They came together to use their training to develop an organization to create new independent living opportunities for young adults with disabilities. They have been working to get started for the past three years, and have been incorporated for I V, years. Ms. Branz said that they have been developing their program to work with the "invisible disabled." Individuals like both of their daughters have received mandatory special education services throughout their early years. However, once they left high school, the supports they needed were not in place or not available. Ms. Branz discussed some of the problems in June 14, 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 1 Minutes recorded — not yet approved getting state support for programs in the community in Illinois. She said that while Illinois ranks very high nationally in its support for institutional living, it has lagged behind in terms of community -based living opportunities. She said that the State is only providing funding for the expansion of community housing for emergency situations. She added that, for those individuals who are higher functioning, a number of the program models in the community are too institutional because of all of the regulations and funding requirements. To illustrate her points, Ms. Branz provided the MHB with a PowerPoint presentation of "Elaine's Story: A Journey." This provided a personal side of what one family's search for housing and appropriate services has been like for their adult child with disabilities. In the presentation, she pointed out that in order to obtain housing it is usually necessary to sign up for more services than are minimally necessary, and that make the situation too restrictive. In response, Center for Independent Futures is attempting to create a family -oriented model. She said that they taking a holistic approach to take on a complex challenge, and plan for post -high school options for their kids. Ms. Branz said that her organization's materials indicate that "We choose to create and model something new rather than fix a broken system." She said that, instead, they have been looking at national models from both coasts the provide community and teach community living skills. She said that they found some useful models. She added, however, that they wanted to do it on their own in the metropolitan area, rather than having to pay more than S37,000 annually for private pay to send someone out of state. In response to a question, Nis. Branz said that the need for what they are trying to do becomes apparent when you look at the statistics. She pointed out that 27% of special education stu- dents are graduating. I I ° o go on for some type of education; 99% do not. Special education in school is the last time that they are in an environment that is adapted to their needs. They need affordable housing, but much of what is available is not safe. After graduation they need something to extend the special education techniques into their life in the community. These students need curriculum to learn skills; assistance with daily living management; social networks; connections to community organizations; continuing education; and assistance with public transportation. For the vast majority of the individuals, there is nothing out there for them after school is over. Ms. Branz pointed out that there is no central way for parents to get information about what they need to know for their child. There is no service infrastructure, even for people with funds. Even for a family that is willing to pay the cost of the program, it is hard to find a program or the information about where the services are. Ms. Branz concluded by saying that Center for Independent Futures is importing a housing model from Boston. She said it is one that uses models of personal networks to sustain support for the young adults with disabilities. They are setting up two or three pilot sites, with one to be in Evanston. The program will utilize future planning; families will be working together to create the models. June 14, 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 2 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Ms. Reynolds thanked Ms. Branz for the presentation. She asked her to keep the MHB abreast of future developments. (Vicki Kalish joined the MHB at 7:45 p.m.) IV. AGENCY ACCOUNTABILITY Agency Llalson Reports PEER Senices. Ms. Stroh reported that PEER Services recently opened an intensive outpa- tient program for adolescents. The youth meet four times a week after school, and one even- ing their parents are involved. Kate Mahoney was hopeful about this being received well. Human Services Committee. Ms. Canter said she attended the June 1 Human Services Committee Meeting. She said previously funding for child care in Evanston was made avail- able to the Childcare Network of Evanston on a matching basis with State funds. However, the State is moving to a voucher system for qualifying individuals, and the match requirement for the program is ending. As a result, the Human Services Committee agreed to reallocate the balance of the funds that was previously used by the Childcare Network of Evanston for the local match. The HSC agreed to allocate approximately 521,000 to the Child Care Center of Evanston to use for their Home Day Care Network. Childcare Network of Evanston will continue to receive approximately $80,000 to provide scholarships for to supplement for a scholarship fund. The agency will use City funds as scholarships for low-income Evanston families. Mr. Saver commented that matching funds are still available for the Home Daycare Nehvork. These are funds that the Childcare Network of Evanston previously handled through the match, and distributed to the Home Daycare Network. The dollars retained by the Childcare Network will be for families who do not qualify for vouchers. Dimensions. Ms. Canter commented that PEER will have a benefit at Barnes and Noble on Saturday at Old Orchard from 9 am — 9 pm. Last year they received $2,500 from the benefit. She said that Dimensions has had four people graduate. The staff is following up going on with some of the people who have gong through the program. Housing Options. Ms. Kalish stated that Susan Kramer has started as the new Executive Director. On June 20, the United Way is honoring Dorothy Lloyd -Still on her retirement. Housing Options' Annual Meeting in September will feature a panel discussion on mental health issues and the elderly. Mr. Saver said that Ann Jennett, Director of Youth Job Center, is also retiring and is being honored at the same event by the United Way. June 14.2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 3 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Family Focus. Ms. Kalish commented that the agency is having their annual Tag Day on July 21. She said that is usually a good fundraiser. V. PLANNING FOR FALL 2001 FUNDING HEARINGS Funding Priorities, his. Grover presented a revised list of funding priorities for FY2002- 2003. She said that there was a consensus on five of the priorities at the last meeting. She said that the subcommittee took the comments from the last meeting related to services for priority #b and rewrote it to make it clear that it was only for early intervention for at -risk individuals. Ms. Grover said that overall the changes that were made were so that the language would be similar for each category. Ms. Kalish said that she thought the language was simple enough to say what is intended. his. Canter said that anything more specific would be too limiting. Als. Kalish moved and Ms. Canter seconded a motion to adopt the FY2002-2003 Fund- Ing Priorities as proposed: 1. Individuals and/or Families with Substance Abuse Problems. 2. Individuals with a Dual Diagnosis of Mental Illness and Substance Abuse 3. IndivIduals with Severe and Persistent Mental Illness and Their Families 4. Children with Emotional Disorders and Their Families 5. Individuals with Developmental Disabilities and Their Families b. At -Risk Individuals (Needing Early Intervention Mental Health Services) and Their Families. Motion passed unanimously 7 aye — 0 no. 2001 Allocation Process Calendar. Mr. Saver presented a revised hearing calendar for the fall 2001 allocation process. He pointed out that the United Way expressed interest in joining the MHB this year to discuss the proposals before the Saturday hearing, and to talk about the hearings after meeting with the agencies. He said that he knew there were some problems with some of the Saturdays in the fall and asked the MHB which date would work best. There was a consensus to have the Saturday hearing on October 27. Ms. Reynolds said that volunteers were needed for the Allocation Subcommittee. The group_- that had served in that capacity in 2000 — Susan Stroh, Tom Tharayil and Carol Sittler -- agreed to do it again in 2001. VI. ELECTION OF OFFICERS FOR 2001- 2002 Ms. Canter reviewed the Nominating Committee's report for MHB Officers for 200I-2002. Ms. Canter moved and Ms. Kalish seconded a motion to elect Jane Grover as Chair and Carol Sittler as Vice -Chair for the Mental Health Board's 2001-2002 program year. June 14, 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 4 Minutes recorded — not yet approved There were no other nominations from the floor. Motion passed unanimously 7 aye-- 0 no. VII. AIHB COMMITTEE REPORTS Substance Abuse Task Force. Mr. Saver commented that the Substance Abuse Task Force has been reviev►zng additional resources about the MISA population. He said that the Task Fa?c: identified one article that they particularly wanted the MHB to have available that was enclosed with the minutes. The Task Force is continuing to discuss the definition of dual diagnosis. Mr. Saver said that Mr. Rowitz intends to have the Task Force develop a list of needs and recommendations for the MHB. Housing Forum. Mr. Tharayil reported on the Housing Forum from May 22 at the Civic Center. He said it was well received by the approximately 50 attendees. He reviewed the presentations and said he thought that they were dynamic and excellent. The attendees who participated raised a lot of questions, and had the opportunity for a lot of networking. The issues presented were similar to the ones presented tonight in Ms. Branz's earlier presentation to the MHB. his. Kalish commented that she thought the representation was wonderful. She added that the people she spoke with were in consensus that they wanted to have more of these forums, and hoped to have another one within the year because they felt this was so needed, and the exchange of information was so vital. Mr. Tharayil said that he thought the forum was a positive way for the MHB to project itself and provide education to the community. Legislative Forum. Nis. Grover reported on the MHB's Legislative Forum with MHANS and the League of Women Voters on June 12. She said that Senator Kathy Parker and Represen- tative Julie Hamos were in attendance. Congresswoman Schakowsky and Representative Schoenberg were represented. Senator Rotten was ill that evening. Ms. Grover said that the information provided was substantive full of good details. There were a number of consumer and their family members who attended and raised concerns about the Olmstead decision, mental health insurance parity, housing, and the need for more compassion in mental health treatment. leis. Kalish said a number of the attendees also participated in the Housing Forum. Mr. Saver said there were SO people in attendance. He reported that the forum was televised and is being rebroadcast three times in July. Ms. Grover said that at the conclusion of the forum she and the chair of MHANS agreed that the forum should be repeated again next year, possibly before the start of the Legislative session. She thanked Mr. Saver for all his work to publicize the forum and make it a success. VIII. UPDATES Aging Well III. Ms. Sittler commented that she enjoyed the Aging Well Ill conference and looked forward to working on the next one. There were approximately 150 people in atten- June 14, 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes page 5 Minutes recorded — not yet approved dance. She said that she got a lot out of it, as did the rest of the attendees. She said that information from the conference evaluation gave most of the work -shops and the planning very high marks. Mr. Saver said the King Home %;as very gracious in hosting the conference again, and went beyond expectations in providing for everyone's needs. They have already agreed to host the conference in 2002. Mr. Saver said that he had already passed on the role of chair of the planning committee for next year to Jackie Grossman, from Interfaith Housing, and Nancy Anderson, from Seniors Actions Services. He said that they would be meeting next week to pass on the planning files and information. MHANS Breakfast. Ms. Stroh commented that she, Ms. Reynolds, and Mr. Saver attended the MHANS Breakfast, Doug Breunlin from The Family Institute talked broadly about violence in high schools, and discussed providing for kids who are bullied. Mr. Saver com- mented that it appeared that many of the attendees were therapists or individuals in clinical roles. He said it was not clear how the policy goal for the event was going to be communi- cated to the decision -makers at the various high schools. ESAPC Social Norms Marketing Initiative. Mr. Saver said that the Social Norms Market- ing Committee had several successful fundraising appeals. Evanston Lighthouse Rotary contributed $2,500. The Evanston Community Foundation also invested $10,000 for the start- up activities. There are several other proposals out and the Resource Committee is still reviewing foundations to solicit. The Planning Committee was successful in getting surveys from ETHS students, with a return rate of better than 67%. The analysis of the data will be going on over the summer to plan the campaign. It is scheduled to kick-off during Substance Abuse Aware Week at ETHS, the second week of November. Mr. Saver said that Sara Christensen from PEER Services has been spearheading the planning and done an excellent job of organizing the process. Surveys were also collected from almost 500 parents. He said that the Committee was expecting that there would be additional funding available from the Tobacco Settlement Fund through the Health Department. IDS. STAFF REPORT Substance Abuse Prevention Council - Mr. Saver distributed the newsletter from the new newsletter from the ESAPC. He said that the Council had begun a strategic planning process at the meeting held that afternoon. A staff person from InTouch facilitated the meeting. There were 25 attendees. The follow-up meeting on the process will be in July. Mr. Saver distributed information he received as a wrap-up from the last legislative session. A political analysis was provided of the "winners" and "losers" in the budget process. The conclusion of this particular political analyst was that overwhelming loser this year is all of the private agencies that are providing support for people with developmental disabilities and mental health problems. The various agencies that are funded through the State receive about June 14, 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Pago 6 Minutes retarded — not yet approved 65-75% of the actual cost of providing care for individuals who really fall under the State's responsibility. In this year's State budget, these agencies are receiving a 2% increase, but it does not start until April 1, 2002. This actually works out to an increase of % of 1% for the year, significantly less than the State is providing for State employees who work in the insti- tutions. Meeting adjourned at 8:55 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Joan M. Barott Secretary June 14, 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 7 Minutes recorded — not yet approved EVANSTON MENTAL HEALTH BOARD MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, AUGUST 09, 2001 Members Present Susan Stroh, Vickie Kalish, Jane Grover, Carol Sittler, and Susan Canter Presiding: Jane Grover, Chair Staff- Harvey Saver, Jay Terry, and Joan Barott Community Representatives: Alexander Brown (Evanston/Skokie Valley Senior Services), Susan Kramer (Housing Options), Kate Mahoney (PEER Services), Martha Amtson (Childcare Network of Evanston), Karen Wertymer (Metro- politan Family Services), Karen Helfrich (Trilogy) Ms. Grover called the meeting to order at 7:10 p.m. 1. INTRODUCTIONS AND COMMUNITY COMMENTS Ms. Grover welcomed the guests and asked that they introduce themselves. I1. REVIEW A.ND APPROVAL OF JUKE 14,2001 MINUTES Ms. Kalish asked that the June 14 minutes on page 5, in the Report on the Housing Forum, to be re- vised to read (changes in bold): "... and hoped to have another one within the year because they felt this was so needed, and the exchange of information was so vital. Ms. Kalish added that there was also strong interest for a follow-up to the forum in the next six or seven months for something proactive to talk about further action. " Hearing no objections, Ms. Grover indicated that the June 14, 2001 minutes were approved as amended. III. CONSIDERATION OF AiHB HOUSING POLICY Ms. Grover said that in the absence of Ms. Wiebe, the Committee Chair, she wanted to defer a vote on the policy until the September meeting. In discussion about the policy, Ms. Grover said that she thought the Housing Policy Committee's draft was a dramatic improvement over the language and sub- stance of the current MHB Housing Policy. Ms. Grover said that she was concerned that the language related to who was the focus of the policy be consistent throughout. Ms. Grover said she would like one phrase to describe the individuals involved. Ms. Canter said that she thought the use was generally the August 09, 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 1 Minutes recorded — not yet approved same. Ms. Grover said that issue would be discussed in September. In response to Ms. Grover's request, Ms. Kalish provided the background on the development of the draft Housing Policy. Ms. Kalish said that the Committee met a number of times to plan the training for the MHB, and to discuss the issues. Ms. Sittler asked if the Olmstead decision had been discussed at the Housing Policy Committee? Mr. Saver said that it was discussed, but it was not referred to in the Policy because it was not specific to housing. Ms. Grover commented that the principles embodied in Olmstead seemed to be incorporated in the text of the draft. Ms. Sittler asked what purpose of the Housing Policy was going to be? She asked what the MHB in- tended to do with it? Ms. Grover said that would be taken up when the Board discussed the Policy in September. IV, AGENCY ACCOUNTABILITY Agency Liaison Reports PEER Services. Nis. Stroh said that PEER Services is expanding and they hope to set up a branch in Glenview with 1.5 FTE to serve both adults and youth. The reason for this is an increase in clients, and the agency is running out of office space. Nis. Stroh said that Kate Mahoney reported multiple counsel- ors have had to share office space. The new office space is the closest location to their new clients. PEER will be applying for a treatment license for the new space in September. Evanston/Skokie Valley Senior Services. Ms. Stroh commented that the agency would be expanding and moving to Dodge and Main Streets in the very near future. She said that Alexander Brown re- ported it could be as early as October, dependent upon the construction remodeling schedule. This move is needed because there has been a rapid increase in services, staffing and clients. In response to a question, Mr. Brown said that the agency has grown from 7 to 19 clinical staff since opening their doors in Evanston. Human Services Committee. tics. Canter reported that she attended the Human Services Committee Meetings of June and July. She said that there was an ongoing discussion about the City's Subsidized Taxi Cab Program. She said one of the concerns was that some of the taxi cab drivers have been rude and reluctant to take the coupons from seniors and persons with disabilities. At the HSC meeting August 6, some changes were proposed that would be forwarded to the City Council for approval. The recommendation is that the value of the coupons will be raised to $5.00 instead of S3,50, with no in- crease in the cost to seniors or persons with disabilities. The City will more broadly advertise the pro- gram. Education and sensitivity training will be provided for the drivers about working with the popula- tion. There will also be a new system for making complaints about the cab services. Ms. Canter said that there would be a toot developed for the taxi cab drivers to express their own concerns. August09. 2001 Mental Heatth Board Meeting Minutes Page Minutes recorded - not yet approved Dimensions. Ms. Canter commented that most of the information she had was discussed was in the Quarterly Report of Dimensions. She said that Ms. Mahoney reported the program had modest success with their outreach flyers. The program will be doing another community training in the coming Octo- ber. Housing Options. Ms. Kalish introduced Susan Kramer, the new Director for Housing Options. Ms. Kramer commented that she had only been at Housing Options for a few months and things are moving along smoothly. Family Institute. Ms. Grover commented that Family Institute has a new Development Department that is headed by Sharon Pines. She has indicated that one of her top priorities is to work on the rela- tionship with the MHB. The agency is reconfiguring its programs. They have a new Anger Manage- ment Program at the ETHS and it has gone past it pilot stage. They have decided to make it an ongoing program because of its success. They will be able to provide additional information at the MHB's Sep- tember meeting. They will present the information from client satisfaction surveys. Quarterly Narrative Reports Ms. Sittler commented that she is still interested in seeing a change in the Quarterly Narrative Reports. The MHB had a discussion about a cumulative way for agencies to report on objectives. Ms. Sittler said that she was looking for a way to see progress on objectives, with pertinent information on the same page, and not having to check another document for to make a comparison. In response to a question about the MHB discussion related to this matter last spring, Mr. Saver said that the MHB had decided earlier not to use that type of format. V. PREPARATION FOR AGENCY REVIEW AND PROGRAM ALLOCATION PROCESS Mr. Saver reported that that calendar for the Agency Review and Program Allocation Process had been distributed to the MHB members last month. He reminded the MHB that the Saturday agency hearings would be October 27. The proposals will be distributed to the Board by September 21. Mr. Saver asked the MHB if there was any additional information they would require in reviewing the proposals? In response to Ms. Grover, he said that he would be preparing three reports that had previ- ously been requested last year: a summary of the projected and actual service figures for each program; a summary of the history of the MHB's program funding; and, a three year review of the demographics served by each program. Ms. Grover stated that the materials provided last year were very comprehen- sive and seemed to be sufficient. Ms. Kalish said it would be helpful to have any information about dramatic changes that an agency has made over the years. Mr. Saver said that this information is gener- August 09, 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Pape 3 Minutes recorded — not yet approved ally listed in the agency narrative. He indicated that he would look into what information of that sort might be summarized. VI. I IHB COMMITTEE REPORTS Substance Abuse Task Farce. Due to Mr. Rowitz's absence, Kate Mahoney, Co -Chair of the Task Force was asked to join the NIHHB. She reported that they are working on draft recommendations to the MHB. The Task Force will review and adopt them to be transmitted to the NM for consideration. Ms. Mahoney said that the previous meeting focused upon a review of the Dimensions program. Ms. Canter said she thought it was a strong document and gave a good feeling for how the day-to-day. She requested that the report be shared with the MHB at the September meeting. Ms. Canter said that Mr. Rowitz was projecting into the future about research and getting grants for MISA programs. Ms. Ma- honey said that the Task Force members hoped that the recommendations could be used to help agen- cies solicit funding from other sources based upon local needs. (Jay Terry joined the MHB at 8:10 p.m.) Vu. FISCAL YEAR 2002-2003 BUDGET Mr. Saver reported that the City Budget process has started earlier this year. He said that all depart- ment budgets have to be submitted by August 31. In the past, the MHB has been able to submit its program funding recommendations late in November. He said that the Board's FY2002-2003 budget would need to be submitted before the agencies' proposals are reviewed. He reported that, based upon Mr. Terry's memo in the packet, what was submitted by way of agency funding recommendations for the MHB would be a draft. The Board would still be able to develop and submit their funding recom- mendations after reviewing the agencies. Mr. Saver said that this year staff has been directed to submit a proposed FY2002-2003 budget with reductions. He said that the target is a reduction from this year's City's General Revenue Fund of SI.5 million. The City Council has a Budget Committee that has developed a voluntary cap on the increase in the budget similar to the legislative cap on the budgets of the school districts and the Township. There are some expenses where there will be natural growth in the budget, and there are some contract issues where there will be increases. The cuts are coning about in order to stay within the cap that has been established. Mr. Saver said that each division was given a pro rats share of the $1.5 million reduction based upon its percentage of the overall City Budget. Consequently, the MHB had initially been given a target for re- duction of S 11,900. Mr. Saver said, however, that Mr. Terry decided to roll all of the Department of Health and Human Services reductions together in presenting the department's budget. There were some reductions he was making in vacant staff positions and some of the corresponding expenses that enabled him to reduce the amount each division would have to cut. August 09. 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes page 4 Minutes recorded — not yet approved As a result, the Board's target reduction that it is starting with is 56,000. That figure might change be- fore the budget is submitted. fir. Saver referred to materials in the packet and explained where line items were being reduced in the administrative budget to keep costs in line. He said that since the NUM has not had an opportunity to discuss the matter, and these budget projections were having to be made while many people were on vacation, he initially reduced each agency allocation by a pro rata share of the reduction in order to balance the budget. He pointed out that in some cases this meant a reduction of only a few hundred dollars, but that each program was reduced. However, the MHB will still be able to make recommendations that will be communicated to the City Council and to the Budget Office after the Board makes its allocations. fir. Saver asked the %1HB whether they had any alternative direction that they would like him to take with the budget submission. There was a consensus that, in lieu of having the opportunity to review the agencies' proposals, the initial budget projections made sense. In response to a question, Mr. Terry said that the MHB would know for sure what the reduction for its budget would be by the time they vote on the allocations for the agencies after the hearings. Mr. Terry commented that this was the fast time that Council had a Budget Policy Committee involved in the pro- cess, so he was not certain about what the budget process was going to be, yet. Mr. Terry provided additional information about the budget process and responded to questions about the City's financial issues. Mr. Saver commented that the %M's objectives are incorporated into the final budget. The Board will review and discuss the FY2002-2003 objective at the September meeting. VH1. UPDATES Social Norms Marketing. Mr_ Saver commented that when the MHB conducted the monthly, in-depth agency reviews last year, PEER Services talked to the Board about a new prevention concept, social norms marketing. At the time this was just an idea. He said that the Evanston Substance Abuse Pre- vention Council has been forging ahead to make it happen. He said that PEER dedicated .5 FTE of a Prevention Specialist to the ES.APC to start the initiative. hir. Saver said that the initial collection of data from the student body and teachers went exceptionally well. Over 2,000 students responded to the surveys. There are a number of committees that are working on different aspects of the campaign. Fo- cus groups are being planned for when school starts up to test the marketing messages that will be used. Mr. Saver said that he is involved with the Resource Committee that is working very actively to raise the dollars for the program. There are other City staff who are also involved with the planning. The Health Department has been exceptionally helpful and has provided funding from the City's allocation of the Tobacco Settlement Fund. He said Sara Christensen from PEER Services has been doing an ex- cellent job with the ESAPC to organize the planning process and move the campaign moving along. Mr. Saver said that the kick-off of the campaign would be during Substance Abuse Awareness Week at ETHS, the second week of November. He said that he would share the data from ETHS and the cam- paign materials with the Board at the November or December meeting. August 09, 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 5 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Gatekeeper Program. Mr. Saver reported that the Council for Jewish Elderly (CJE) received a plan- ning grant to locally replicate a Gatekeeper Program for seniors. CJE has been convening meetings to begin to plan training for people in the community who have access to seniors in their day-to-day activi- ties. The objective is to identify and locate seniors who are in need of mental health services or other interventions, and hooking them up with services. The area that CJE is working with includes the north pat of Chicago, Evanston, Skokie, Wilmette, Lincolnwood, Morton Grove, and Niles. Mr. Saver said he would provide updates from time to time as the project develops. IX. STAFF REPORT Mr. Saver reported that he would be on vacation August 13 - August 27. Mr. Terry commented that a major initiative of the City Council Budget Committee is the consideration of a head tax. He said that last year there were some members of the City Council that thought it was time for the City to consider imposing a head tax on the major employers in Evanston. The majority of the large employers in Evanston are not -for -profit organizations, such as Northwestern University, Evanston Northwestern Healthcare, St. Francis Hospital, Rotary, Mather Foundation, and Presbyterian Homes. The school districts would be exempted. These employers indicated to the City Council that they were opposed to a head tax, and offered to meet with the City to determine whether there were services that they could provide that would help reduce the City's costs as a substitute for a head tax. Mr. Terry discussed some of the ideas that were proposed and said that there would be a number of meetings to consider the issue thoroughly. Ms. Sittler inquired about the relationship with Northwest- ern University's Police. Mr. Terry commented that there is an agreement to back each other up in cer- tain situations, and that the NWU Police do patrol around the areas adjacent to the university. Meeting adjourned at 8:40. Respectfully submitted, Joan M. Barott August 09, 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 6 Minutes recorded — not yet approved EVANSTON MENTAL HEALTH BOARD MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2001 Members Present Susan Stroh, Vickie Kalish, Lou Rowitz, Carol Sittler, and Susan Canter, Ellen Reynolds Presiding: Carol Sittler, Vice Chair Stan. Harvey Saver, Joan Baron Community Representatives: Martha Arntson (Childcare Network), Karen Wertymer (Metro- politan Family Services), and Dr. David Daskovksy (Trt7ogy); Ruth Pearson, Bertha Wilburn Carol Sittler, Vice Chair, called the meeting to order at 7:10 p.m. L INTRODUCTIONS AND COMMUNITY COMMENTS Ms. Sittler welcomed the guests and asked that they introduce themselves. H. REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF AUGUST 09, 2001 MINUTES Ms. Kalish moved and Ms. Canter seconded a motion to adopt the minutes of August 9, . 2001 as delivered. Motion passed unanimously 7 aye — 0 no. M. RECOGNITION OF LONNIE WIEBE STEPPING DOWN AS CHAIR OF THE MHB The NM gave tribute to Lonnie A iebe for her hard work and devotion to the MHB in her ca- pacity as Chair for the past two years. In Jane Grover's absence, Ms. Sittler as Vice Chair read a letter from the Chair expressing her thanks for Ms. Wiebe's accomplishments as Chair of the MHB. She reported, "Lonnie guided the MHB through an intensive agency review in 2000. Each agency was invited to host the MHB meeting at which it was also the subject of a review. Lonnie's emphasis on the agencies' performance outcome measures has been re - September 13, 2001 Mental health Board Meeting Minutes I Rape 1 t i Minutes recorded — not yet approved flected in the agencies reporting to the NffIB and in their funding proposals. "Lonnie guided the ISM through the process to initiate funding for the Dimensions program. "Lonnie found opportunities for the MHB to play the role of advocate on behalf of its constituents: the NM issued a statement against imposition of the death penalty upon persons with mental illness; the MHB also supported Governor Ryan's morato- rium on the death penalty in Illinois; the MHB wrote to support the federal grant pro- posal to SAMHSA on behalf of Metropolitan Family Services; and the Board pro- vided active support for the "Do The Right Thing Campaign" for additional funds for DD services. "Lonnie made board education a priority. She convened a mini -retreat to study policy development; introduced the MHB to John Carver's board governance philosophies; and through invited guests, deepened the MHB's understanding of the issue of hous- ing for the populations with special needs. "Lonnie also gently prodded the MHB into assuming a higher profile in the Evanston community through the Housing Forum and the legislative forum in 2001. "On the administrative side, Lonnie's leadership resulted in: a more simplified and fo- cused funding process; a more informative agenda, adding "Items for Future Consid- eration" and the informational sidebar; a full board of qualified professionals, having recently welcomed five new members: and, initiation of the revision of the MHB's policies" Ms. Sitder said, on her own behalf, that Lonnie had provided strong leadership and helped her " become more involved with the Board's activities. Ms. Wiebe thanked the Board for their comments. She said she was afraid that she was being'' given credit for some things that were the work of others on the Board. However, she said she enjoyed the work as Chair, and was happy to continue her work with the MHB. IV. BOARD EDUCATION: PSYCHOSOCIAL REHABILITATION SERVICES AND THE EVANSTON CONNECTION - DR. DAVID DASKOVKSY— TRILOGY Mr. Saver said that the local MI service providers are involved in an initiative that was started by the State in 1998, It was initially referred to as CONNECT98 for the state -funding stream from the Office of Mental Health. The funding is for PSR, or psychosocial rehabilitation, services. The State repackaged their day programming funds and put together guidelines for services that fo- cused upon development rather than maintenance and warehousing. The State's major emphasis September 13, 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 2 Minutes recorded - not yet approved was for programming for people who were living in the WD's, such as Greenwood Care and Al- bany Care. The Evanston area got a disproportionate allocation because of the larger number of IMD beds in the community. The State organized the funding so that groups of agencies would have to work together in a "cluster" to accomplish the PSR goals. Trilogy is the lead agency and banker for the local PSR consortium for Evanston. It includes NTSW, St. Francis Hospital Com- prehensive Mental Health Center, and ENH Outpatient Psychiatry. Dr. David Daskovsky, an Evanston resident, is the Coordinator for the PSR services. Each of the agencies provides a spe- cific service or consultation to the overall project. Mr. Saver added that the MHB's funding for Trilogy enhances that agency's PSR programming. In addition, funding at NTSW First Step di- rectly goes to PSR programming. Mr. Saver said that he thought that just prior to the funding hearings it would be helpful for the MHB to see how several of its funded agencies are working together in a common program. Dr. David Daskovsky was invited to talk with the MHB about how PSR is working. Dr. Daskovsky said he started at Trilogy in 1998 to organize the PSR cluster. He said that he was a psychologist, and had an extensive amount of work experience with people with severe chronic mental illness. Dr. Daskovsky explained that PSR is a change in the philosophy in treat- ment. He said that 40 years ago there was a tremendous amount of optimism with the advent of new medications that would enable people with mental health problems to be freed from the back wards where they had been confined. But there was not sufficient infrastructure for mental health services to support effective treatment of people in the community. Also, people were not really sure what would be entailed. This was the first time in more than 100 years these people were in the community. Dr. Daskovsky said that the state and federal government had never really pro- vided adequate funding to take decent care of people who have chronic mental illness in commu- nity settings. As a result, persons with severe mental illness gravitated to SRO's and large nursing homes. They started to take on the look of the institutions these people had just left. Medications and freedom were not sufficient to do the job these people needed. Dr. Daskovsky said that in re- sponse assertive community treatment (ACT) was developed in a program in Madison. It recog- nized that many of the people living in the community were not likely to take themselves in to a clinical setting to see a case manager. They were not well enough to be organized, or did not have the social support to get there. In ACT, case managers went to the residence of these individuals, i.e., hotels, apartments, and nursing homes. Community agencies developed to provide case management, medication management, and take payeeship. This entails talking over, holding on to, and helping persons to take care of their money, because it is destabilizing to have control of money when you are not in control. When people lose their funds they become homeless. These agencies were not rehabilitative, or focused upon quality of life. The emphasis was upon basic subsistence and sustaining care. What agen- cies were doing was providing in the community the types of care that previously had been pro- vided in a contained setting. September U, 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 3 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Later, a grass roots movement began to develop that said this type of treatment and care is not enough- It was not giving enough credit for what people with mental illness were capable of do- ing and becoming. A club house movement, Fountain House, was started in New York by per- sons with severe mental illness and their families in New York. Also, groups like NAMI and the national Empowerment Center sprung up. They started to focus upon the detrimental effect for individuals to be passive recipients of service. Sitting around, smoking, and waiting was found to have an iatrogenic effect. They found that people were living down to expectations, and that a new treatment model was needed. Dr. Daskovsky commented that a growing body of research supported the provision of a range of cogni&e, behavioral, psychoeducational, and skill building services as an adjunct to psychophar- maceuticals. It was found that the single most important intervention was individuals with mental illness and their families about mental illness. Self -management of mental illness had the biggest impact upon keeping people of the hospital. Dr. Daskovsky said PSR is not a treatment method, but a treatment philosophy. There is an ac- tive partnership between the therapist and the patient at every level. It helps to do a functional assessment, in addition to a psychiatric assessment. The therapist should be looking at what peo- ple are interested in doing. Agencies have consumers sit on their boards, and policy making in- volves family members and consumers. PST involves a belief in recovery as a possibility for peo- ple with severe mental illness. Dr. Daskovsky pointed out that two-thirds of people who have mental illness have the capacity to get substantially better when they are treated well. The tenet behind PSR is treatment programs should be progressive and graduated. People should know what their jobs are and what they need to do to get to the next step. PSR programming is organized with a set curriculum to gain skills that had never been learned or were Iost; symptom self -management; work readiness; and active self -advocacy. There is skill building in activities of daily living, e.g., cooking skills, and self - grooming skUls. Dr. Daskovsky said that this is a resolutely optimistic approach; it is democratic, and less paternalistic; there is shared responsibility for clinical and day -today decision -malting. Dr. Daskovsky said that there are some limitations to PSR. It sprang up in reaction to the medi- calization of mental illness. PSR tends to disparage any psychotherapeutic approach. It says that the problem is not the illness, but the way people are treated. It is too easy to move to self-help because there are not expensive professionals involved. PSR is effective for those who are at a level of stability, and have already come to grips with their illness. There are also other important features that are ignored that have a big impact. In reaction to this, Dr. Daskovsky said that CONNECT98 funds were allocated by the state to support a better, ongoing level of care. The local cluster of agencies meet to collaborate and talk about what services they are developing and providing that are complementary, where are the gaps, and what an agency might provide that is missing. . September 13, 2001 Mental HeaM Board Meeting Minutes page 4 Minutes recorded - not yet approved Dr. Daskovsky said that Trilogy did a needs assessment two years ago. There were several sig- nificant findings. First, it takes too long for individuals to move from one part of the system to another. People get discharged from the hospital too quickly and abruptly. As they move across the system of services in the community it takes too long. People need to move more quickly so they don't bog down in the INID's. Trilogy began to provide an orientation for people in IMD's about services that are available at the agency, without them having to go through an intake. Anyone who was in one of the nursing facilities and wanted to come to an outpatient facility like Trilogy could come to find out about the program. This program has been successful. Another finding was that people who live in the IMD's are limited as to the amount of money they can keep for personal spending (S30.001month, S50,00/month if they work). This makes it diffi- cult for the individual to go to programming, save, and move to more independence. Medicaid, will pay for S 100.00 for a one-way ride for a person to take a Medicar, but it will not pay for a CTA bus pass to enable the individual to go to programs. Trilogy has tried to teach persons to use public transportation on their o%7i. Trilogy got money from IDPA to pay consumers on how to get around on a bus, and what to do when you get lost. CTA passes were purchased, and McDonalds Gift Certificates were given to people who lived in the IMD's to serve as mentors. They were trained to be trainers, and to take people round on outings. Dr. Daskovsky said that Trilogy has been conducting classes twice a week at Albany Care and Greenwood Care. They began to discover a need for the younger mentally ill person in Evanston. They want to offer services to persons who have a serious mental illness but are not yet chroni- cally ill. Typically, the ages run from about 18 - 20 up to 30 years old. They may be in denial of their mental illness. This is a difficult group to treat, as they do not want to come to a program for chronically mentally ill individuals. They tend to take drugs and drink, and are non -compliant in taking medication. It is a population that no one knows how to deal with. Trilogy did some research in doing a program for these individuals and they will be speaking with the Department of Mental Health regarding the needs of these individuals not being adequately served. Dr. Dask- ovsky pointed out that Trilogy has been working with Albany and Greenwood, and is going to OMH to seek funding for a pilot project this winter. Ms. Sittler said that she thought PSR was an important approach, and better than the old-style workshops. She thanked Dr. Daskovsky for his presentation, and asked him to keep the MHB apprised of further developments. V. CONSIDERATION OF NRIB HOUSING POLICY Ms. Wiebe said that one of the considerations that got raised during the Board's review of its housing policy was to do another housing forum. She asked that a committee be appointed to get started on the planning. Housing Policy Forum and recommended that Ms. Kalish chair this committee. In response to Ms. Wiebe, Nis. Kalish said she would be willing to serve on the com- September 13, 2001 Mental Health board Meeting Minutes Page 5 j i Minutes recorded — not yet approved mittee, but not be the Chair. Ms. Canter said that she would let Ms. Grover know if she can serve on this committee. Ms. Wiebe said that she reviewed the comments about the proposed Housing Policy from the August meeting and appreciated the input. She said that she would talk to Puts. Grover about them, and take them back to the Housing Policy Committee to make final revisions. She said that there were several issues that she was going to consider. She noted that there was concern that the language should be consistent throughout about the populations that were being covered. She reported that the Housing Policy Committee discussed the Olmstead decision. Because it did not refer specifically to housing, the Committee did not include reference to it. Ms. Wiebe said after the Committee discussed additional revisions and she has spoken to Ms. Grover regarding the Housing Policy, she would bring the proposed policy back to the Board for approval. VL AGENCY ACCOUNTABILITY Agency Liaison Reports Dimensions. Ms. Canter said that Dimensions is planning a community training on October 17. The trainers will be Dr. Stanley McCracken and Dr. Liz Brumfeld. There will also be staff pres- entations and some breakout sessions. There will be a small fee for the training. They will be of- fering CEU's to participants. The location will be at St. Francis Hospital. She said that Ms. Ma- honey spoke about beginning to submit some grant applications within the next year to raise addi- tional funds. Ms. Canter encouraged the Board review the material in the packet about the day-to- day operations of Dimensions. Housing Options. Ms. Kalish said she attended Housing Options Annual Meeting on September 11. Susan Durburg is the new Board President. Ms. Kalish reported that there were presenta- tions about housing for the elderly. NTSW. Ms. Sittler said she would be attending NTSW's Board Meeting on September 13. Childcare Network of Evanston, his. Wiebe said that she had a discussion with Martha Arntson, the agency's new Director. his. Wiebe said that they talked about the change in leader- ship, and the agency's financial problems. Many of the issues are not yet resolved. his. Wiebe said that there was a good write-up in the new Roruultable about Childcare Network. In response to a question, Ms. Arnston commented that there may be a lot of questions, but the MHB should _ not forget the years that Childcare Network has provided so many services for Evanston children and their families. September 13. 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes page a Minutes recorded - not yet approved VII. REPORT FROM THE CHAIR Ms. Sittler said that Ms. Grover wanted to know how the 7:00 p.m. start time for the meeting has been working out. Mr. Rowitx commented the reason for the change was due to meetings lasting too long and getting out at a late time. There were several comments that the time was pushing I too tight for their schedules. Ms.Sittler commented that the time should be left at 7:00 p.m., and will be discussed again at a later date. VIII. UPDATES MHB FY2002-2003 Budget. Mr. Saver said that the NM's budget was submitted with the S6,000 reduction that had been discussed at the August meeting. Mr. Rowitz questioned a cut in the MHB's purchased services, since the mental health issues are becoming even greater in light of recent events. Mr. Saver reminded the MHB that the Budget Sub -Committee would be meeting on September 19 at 7:00 p.m., and that boards and commissions are being encouraged to attend. Mr. Saver said that the MHB had not yet discussed objectives for the next fiscal year. He re- viewed materials that were included in the packet. Ms. 4Yebe commented that the objective re- lated to community needs, service gaps, and priorities might look at housing. Ms. Sittler sug- gested that the MHB review the objectives at a future meeting, and not make a commitment at this point. Social Norms Marketing. Mr. Saver reported that the Social Norms Marketing Campaign at ETHS is proceeding smoothly. Mr. Saver said that focus groups are being set up with students in order to test some of the messages that will be used in the Campaign. The Planning Committee recently submitted a grant to the Department of Public Health under its community base initiative for some of its money from the Tobacco Fund. The tentative kickoff for the Campaign is a press briefing on Friday, November 09. Gatekeeper Program. Mr. Saver referred to materials in the packet. He said that the Council for Jewish Elderly received a planning grant from SAMHSA to establish a Gatekeeper Program in their service area. It includes Evanston, Rogers Park, and some of the suburban areas west of Evanston. In response to a question, Mr. Saver commented that after the MHB's funding proce- dure is over the MHB might be interested in hearing a presentation on the Gatekeeper Program. SAMHSA Grant Application. Mr. Saver said that there had been some positive signs about the SAMHSA grant application. He reported that Metropolitan Family Services' consultant spoke with the people in Washington, D.C. and SAMHSA is not announcing any decisions until their new Director takes office. September 13, 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes page 7 0 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Aging Wdl IV. Mr. Saver said that Nan Anderson, from, Seniors Action Service, and Jan Gross- man, from Interfaith Housing, are co-chairing the program this year. Ms. Sittler reported that the King Home would host the event again. She said she was representing the MHB on the Planning Committee. Mr. Saver said the plans are to expand Aging Well, and to have a film festival the night before the event. Taxi Cab Program. Mr. Saver said the City Council voted to increase the value of the subsi- dized taxi cab coupon to S5.00 from $3.50. The entire $1.50 increase will be borne by the City, and the cost of the coupons to citizens would remain the same. There is also a new sensitivity training program for the cab drivers. A Taxi Comments/Complaints flyer is being sent out. Mr. Saver circulated a survey to MHB members to solicit their availability and preferences for the upcoming funding hearings. Mr. Saver reported that he recently attended the Metro North DD Network. He said that a num- ber of the DD agencies that were in attendance indicated that they actually have slots available in their housing program. However, the State is not placing anyone unless it is an emergency place- ment. There is no money in the budget for it, even in light of waiting lists. Mr. Saver commented that if you have a child or an adult with a developmental disability, it is very difficult to find them alternative housing. Meeting adjourned at 9:00. Respectfully submitted, Joan M. Barott September 13, 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page a Minutes recorded — not yet approved EVANSTON MENTAL HEALTH BOARD MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2001 Members Present Susan Stroh, Vicki Kalish, Jane Grover, Susan Canter, Ellen Rey- nolds Presiding: Jane Grover, Chair Staff.. Jay Terry, Harvey Saver, Joan Barott, Renee Razaano Community Representatives: Martha Arntson, Carol Mullins (Childcare Network of Evanston); Alexander Brown (Evanston/Skokie Valley Senior Services); Delores Holmes (Family Focus); Melissa Leasia (The Family Insti- tute); Joe Kestnbaum (St. Francis Hospital/Comprehensive Mental Health Center); Adam Scheffler (Consultant); Marie Kim, Stuart Foster, Mark Cortez (Medill School of Journalism); Randy Walker Ms. Grover called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. 1. INTRODUCTIONS AND CONIhIUNITY COMMENTS Ms. Grover welcomed the guests and asked that they introduce themselves. She introduced Randy Walker, who was in the audiencc, and reported that she had been nominated by Mayor Morton to be a member of the MHB. Hcr appointment is waiting consideration and the approval of City Council. Ms. Grover said that, in lieu of a quorum, she was going to change the order of the agenda and start with items that did not require a decision. 1I. AGENCY ACCOUNTABILITY Agency Liaison Reports Dimensions. his. Canter commented on Dimension's day -long workshop at St. Francis Hospital on October 17. The workshop was titled "Addressing Dual Diagnosis in Your Clinical Practice". Dr. Stanley McCracken and Dr. Liz Brumfield provided major presenta- tions. Dr. McCracken spoke about best practices in treating MISA. Dr. Brumfield spoke on drugs that are frequently used in treating mental illness and their interaction with other types of street drugs that individuals might be taking. his. Canter said that there were good presen- November oa, 2oo1 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 1 Minutes recorded — not yet approved tations, and there was a good turnout. his. Canter reported that Dimensions lost a staff mem- ber, but they have three good candidates that they are considering to fill the position right away. (Ms. Stroh joined the MHB at 7:10 p.m. his. Grover made the determination of a quorum.) III. REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF SEPTEMBER 12, 2001 MINUTES Ms. Grover indicated that, hearing no corrections, the September 12, 2001 minutes were accepted as mailed. IV. RECOGNITION OF DEPARTING MHB MEMBERS: ELLEN REYNoLns, SusaN STRoji, Tom TuARANTL Ms. Grover asked the lv[HB members to recognize Ellen Reynolds, Susan Stroh, and Tom Tharayil who were stepping do Am from their positions on the Board. She asked the Board members to sign a letter to Tom to express appreciation for his time and interest, and to wish him well in his new endeavors. Mr. Grover said that both his. Reynolds and Ms. Stroh had completed their two consecutive terms on the Board. She read some thoughts that were submitted by Lonnie Wiebe, who had worked with both of them the longest. "Ellen, shank you from all of us, for} -our many contributions from you per- sonal and professional experiences in Evanston. You brought added value to the Board as a result of your activity in the community and your etrperiences at ETHS. Thank. vu for your — sometimes reluctant — willingness to sere on planning groups and committees. In the end, you would always step forward, adding a pawerful presence to the MHB. You provided a unique point of view, and always made }•ourself willing to work ►vith others. " "Susan, thank you for your caring and kno►vledge. Yours was an important _ contribution to the A&B. Tour willingness to juggle the difficult and the not - so -difficult made you a valuable committee member and cooperative co- worker. " (Mr. Terry joined the MHB at 7:15 p.m.) Ms. Grover read the following resolutions of the MHB in to the record: November 08, 2001 Mental Hea" hoard Meeting Minutes Page 2 — Minutes recorded — not yet approved "Whereas, Ellen Reynolds served as a Member of the Evanston Mental Health Board for more than eight years; "Whereas. hereas. Ellen Reynolds has provided strong insight and a sharp ad- vocacy focus for the Evanston Mental Health Board's programs and mission; "Whereas, Ellen Reynolds has served the Evanston Mental Health Board with enthusiasm, an inspired vision and unwavering dedication; and "!:Whereas, Ellen Reynolds has contributed valuable time, energy, and guidance to the Evanston Mental Health Board on behalf of populations with special needs "Now, therefore be it resolved, that Ellen Rey7rolds is recognized for her contributions to the Evanston community, the Evanston Mental Health Board, and its constituents and is hereby unanimously emended the gratitude and the respect of the Evanston Mental Health Board for her leadership and dedicated service to the goals and mission of the Evanston Mental Health Board " And Ms. Grover continued with the following: "Whereas. Susan Stroh served as a Member of the Evanston Mental Health Board for more than eight years; 1 Utereas, Susan Stroh has provided active committee leadership and professional judgment for the Evanston Mental Health Board's programs and mission, „Whereas, Susan Stroh has served the Evanston Mental Health Board with enthusiasm and an unwavering dedication; and "Whereas, Susan Stroh has contributed valuable time, energy, and guidance to the Evanston Mental Health Board on behalfof populations with special needs and especially for children. "Now, therefore be it resolved! that Susan Stroh is recognized jar her contributions to the Evanston community, the Evanston,{Mental Health Board, and its constituents and is hereby unanimously extended the gratitude and the respect of the Evanston Mental Health Board for her guidance and dedicated service to the goals and mission of the Evanston Mental Health Board. The MHB gave Ms. Reynolds and Ms. Stroh gifts as a token of their appreciation and thanked them for their service. V. CONSIDERATION OF ALLOCATION RECONLNIENDATIONS FOR FY0243 November 08. 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 3 w, Minutes recorded — not yet approved h1HB PURCHASED SERVICES Ms. Grover thanked the Allocations Sub -Committee for all their work, the superb supporting narrative, and their allocation recommendations. Ms. Grover also complimented the agencies for the strength of the proposals that the MHB considered and read this year. She apologized that the MHB was not going to be able, in almost all cases, to even match the allocations that were made in last year's City Budget. She indicated that the MHB's Budget for the next fiscal year was being constrained by the City's financial problems. Ms. Grover commented the allocations should be approved at this meeting. There was discussion about several different approaches to considering the allocation decisions. Ms. Grover called on Mr. Terry to provide an update on the City Budget process. Mr. Terry commented that the City Manager was still in the process of developing his final budget. There is a serious problem in the current year budget, which has close to a $4 million gap. The City has a hiring freeze and a spending freeze to deal with this deficit. The City will probably used its cash reserves to finish out this current fiscal year. Mr. Terry said that there is a S3.6 million hole in the planning for the FY2002-2003 Budget. The City Manager is identifying the various strategies as to how this will be balanced, and has committed to provide a budget for consideration by the City Council by December 5. The City Manager is considering a wide range of reductions in expenditures. Mr. Terry reported that the Human Services Committee met November 5 to consider their allocations for Community Purchased Service funding. They elected to defer any decisions until after the City Manager identifies what the over all purchase service funding level is going to be. He added that there is likely to be a noteworthy reduction in that item for both the City and the MHB. Mr. Terry said that he recommended to the City Manager that any reduction in purchase service funding for the MHB be a bottom line figure, and that the individual agency allocations be developed by the MHB. As a result, Mr. Terry said that there was no need to approve the allocations that evening. The issue will have to be revisited at the December MHB meeting, when the MHB is clear about the proposed allocations for the MHB's allocations. Ms. Grover said she thought the Board could adopt the funding levels at the same level as last year, and then lobby with City Council to maintain as much of the current level of funding as possible. Ms. Reynolds said that the Allocation Sub -Committee had developed recommenda- tions, and that the MHB should follow those as far as they have been done. After further discussion, h1s. Canter moved and Ms. Kalish seconded a motion to hold over the funding allocations until the December 12 h'IHB meeting. Ms. Canter said at that time the MHB should know what the final proposed FY2002-2003 City Budget is going to be. The motion was approved unanimously 5 aye-0 no. November 08, 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 4 Minutes recorded — not yet approved VI. CONSIDERATION OF NIHB HOUSING POLICY Ms. Grover said that Ms. Wiebe was making the last revisions to the MHB Housing Policy. However, she had just returned home from the hospital and had been unable to gather the materials to finalize the recommendations for the MHB's consideration. The item will be held over for the December Agenda. VII. MHB COMMITTEE REPORTS Substance Abuse Task Force. Mr. Saver said that Kate Mahoney, Lou Rowitz, and he had met to develop the Task Force report on its activities. Some initial draft work was completed, but there is more to write. The Task Force will be meeting in January to review a draft before the report is submitted to the NiHB. Tentatively, that will happen no later than February 2002. VIII. UPDATES Social Norms Marketing. Mr. Saver distributed the campaign pamphlet and commented that the Social Norms Marketing Campaign will be kicking off the next morning at Evanston Township High School. There will be a press briefing at 10:00 a.m. He pointed out that the pamphlet contained new data that was collected in the school -wide survey that had been done at the high school last spring. tir. Saver passed around posters and the ad that will be used the first month of the campaign and said that they would be placed on the walls throughout the high school in time for Substance Awareness Week which is kicking off Monday, November 12. Print ads will also be placed in several of Evanston's papers. Air. Saver commented that Sara Christensen, at PEER Services, should be credited for pulling together all of the details and organizing all of the activities for this ESAPC initiative. In response to a question, Mr. Saver said in the future Aracely Canchola, Latino Outreach Specialist for the City, would be helping the ESAPC to translate the materials that target parents into Spanish. Aging Well IV. Mr. Saver commented that planning for the Aging Well IV Conference is moving along, and the MUIB is represented on the Planning Committee. Carol Sitticr will be heading up the committee that will be reviewing proposals for workshop presentations, and Renee Razzano is providing the staff support for the committee. The deadline for the propos- als for workshops is December 15. Mr. Saver said that the Planning Committee is trying to expand Aging Well this year to include some type of film festival in conjunction with the workshops. SANIHSA Grant. Mr. Saver commented that the City proposal in conjunction with Metro- politan Family Services (MFS) to SAMHSA was not accepted. He said, however, that SAMHSA's evaluation of the proposal gave it extremely high marks. Due to the events of November 08, 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 5 Minutes recorded — not yet approved September 11, it appears that there may not be funds available for a next round of funding for the particular funding title for next year. He said that he would be discussing this with Sandra Stumme at MFS. Mr. Saver commented that with Ellen Reynolds and Susan Stroh leaving the MHB, two new members have been. appointed: Randy Walker, and Gilbert Krulee. The Mayor also has another nomination for the third Board vacancy that is being introduced at the next City Council meeting. IX. CHAIR REPORT Ms. Graver commented on the Financial Disclosure Form that is sent out from the City Clerk's Office. Ms. Grover said that if the MHB member status has change, a new form should be submitted. Otherwise, the City Clerk's Office will send out the form for completion at the end of February each year. Meeting adjourned at 8:00. Respectfully submitted, Joan M. Barott November 08, 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 6 Minutes recorded - not yet approved EVANSTON tiiENTAL HEALTH BOARD MEETING hfINUTES THURSDAY, DECE}IBER 13, 2001 Members Present Vickie Kalish, Jane Grover, Carol Sittler, Susan Canter, Lonnie Wiebe, Gilbert Krulee, and Randy Walker Presiding: Jane Grover, Chair Stab.. Harvey Saver. Joan Barott Community Representatives: Chris Baer, Susan Doctors. (Childcare Network of Evanston); Sue Brenner (League of Women Voters); Sandi Johnson, Alexander Brown (North Shore Senior Center); Delores Holmes (Family Focus), Melissa Leasia (The Family Institute); Sue Durburg, Dorothy Lloyd Still (Hous- ing Options); Sandra Stumme, Karen Wertymer (Metropolitan Family Services); John Harmon Jane Grover, Chair, called the meeting to order at TOO p.m. 1. INTRODUCTIONS AND COMMUNITY COMMENTS Nis. Grover welcomed the community guests and asked that they introduce themselves. Ms. Grover welcomed Randy Walker and Gil Krulee, and introduced them as newly appointed MHB members. At Avis. Grover's request, each of the new Board members provided a brief overview of their backgrounds. Nis. Grover commented that she is preparing a biographical sketch of the members of the MHB. She said that she was going to try to have it ready for distribution at the January 2002 MHB meeting. II. REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF NOVEMBER 08, 2001 MINUTES Ms. Grover indicated that the minutes of the November 08, 2001 meeting were accepted, with the cor- rections noted in the meeting. III. UPDATE ON CITY BUDGET PROCESS FOR FY02-03 Mr. Saver referred the MHB members to the Board packet containing the City Manager's recommenda- tions for changes in the FY02-03 Budget. He said that the City Manager will publish the entire Budget December 13.2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 1 Minutes recorded - not yet approved by December 3 t.The :alderman then have two months to debate the recommendations, and make changes in either the expenditures or the revenue projections. By law, the FY02.03 Budget must be adopted by February 28. 2002. Mr. Saver said that the proposal for the hiHB's portion of the Budget is to cut the purchase service al- locations by 3794' , or $150.000. This would reduce the MHB's funds for agencies to $253,000. In re- sponse to a question. Nir Saver said most recently the NM's purchase service funds have been flat. Currently, they are approximately S40,000 less that they were nine years ago. Mr. Saver said that the proposed FY02-03 Budget is attempting to close a $3.4 million snap. In addition to program reductions, the Budget has approximately 27 staff positions, within the City. 9 of which are currently filled, that are proposed to be eliminated. Ms. Canter added, however, that at the Budget Policy Committee Meeting a number of the Aldermen indicated that these might be put back into the Budget. Nis. Canter discussed the schedule of meetings that has been proposed for the consideration of the Budget. She said that she attended the HSC meeting and said that there nothing much was discussed in terms of purchase services The HSC did discuss the proposed library cuts, but postponed their discus- sion about agency allocations until after the final Budget Policy Committee meeting on January 9, 2002. That HSC meeting Aill be January 16. Nis. Grover talked about the discussion at the Budget Policy Committee, and the questions that were raised by the citizens who were on the Committee. She said that, at the suggestion of one of the Al- dermen, she distributed a memo from the 1IHB at the Budget Policy Committee meeting on December 12 that described the MHB's mission and the types of services that are prodded by the MHB-funded agencies. She said that now is the time for the MHB to engage in advocacy. She said that she was advised that the N1HB would be able to get on the agenda for some of the budget meetings if the NiHB wishes to lobby that the budget should be preserved. NIs Grover said that she has been talking to the MHB's funded agencies about what the impact of the proposed cuts might be to their services. his. Canter complimented %is. Grover on the content of the memo to the Budget Policy Committee, and said that she thought it struck the rigbi tone She said that it should be presented to the Aldermen at = their Budget Workshops, however, the schedule of the meetings at which the MHB members could dis- cuss the MHB's budget allocations was not vet known Ms. Grover asked members of the audience who were at or on the citizen's Budget Policy Committee to share their observations with the 11HB. Dolores Holmes, from Family Focus, talked about the meet- ing on December 12. She explained the procedure the committee members used for rating city services, =- and what they thought could be recommended for reductions. as opposed to what was in the City Ntan- ager's proposed Budget. She said that there had been earlier meetings in which small groups reviewed the budget information, after each meeting, the small groups met and shared their information. leis. Holmes pointed out that some of the citizen representatives analyzed the budget from the last few years and indicated that several City departments had not been cut, while others had significant staff increases. December 13, 2W1 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes page 2 Minutes retarded — not yet approved Mr. Saver said that some citizens on the Budget Policy Committee expressed concern about the mental health reductions. They indicated. however, that they thought the private sector and parity could handle the problem. Mr. Saver said he was concerned by this and commented that would unlikely be the case. He said that last year there were approximately 5900 Evanston residents supported in services that the MHB funded; 9Mo of those were low income These individuals will not the resources to have insur- ance and are not goine to be the ones helped by any kind of parity bill. Mr. Krulee said from the information provided it was not clear as to what does not get cut in the pro- posed Budget. Nis. Grover said it was largely the Police and Fire Departments. Nis. Grover said that she will address the Budget Office for answers to the NfHB's questions. A participant from the audience commented that the City web page has a section in which questions about the Budget can be raised through e-mail. It was suggested that the Aldermen should be informed about what the specific impact of cuts from the MHB's Budget is going to be. Ms. Sittler suggested that information should be ob- tained from the agencies about what will suffer. In the discussion it was suggested that the Board should not only look at the impact of the cuts, but also creative ways for enhancing revenues. Ms. Grover commented that she had been calling the agencies and slowly getting information that shows the impact. Ms. Grover commented that if community representatives had any information for the MHB to put in their presentation, it should be forwarded, by phone or e-mail, to Mr. Saver. IV. CONSIDERATION OF ALLOCATION RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FY02-03 4iHB PURCHASED SERVICES Mr. Saver said that at as part of the backdrop for the NfHB having to determine what to do about re- ducing allocations for the agencies, many of those agencies are also losing State funding. He said that the Governor is considering actions that would reduce their funding immediately, and also eliminate a 2% increase that was to have taken effect in April. This is all money that was included in current year budgets, and the agencies were dependent upon this year. Ms. Grover asked whether the NM thought it had sufficient information to make agency allocations that night. ibis. Canter suggested the NIHB discuss what the options were. Mr. Krulee suggested that the Board look at a funding strategy that would employ a best case, in-between case and worst case scenario for the Budget. if the Board is able to argue for a Budget that is close to what is there now, what difference would that make? Ms. Grover commented that one approach might be to reduce each program by one third. It might maker a dramatic difference to some programs, and it might make not worth funding some programs. This is not information that the Board currently has. ibis. Grover said that, after talking with Mr. Terry, she thought that the %IHB could delay making a decision until January, after the report from the Budget Policy Committee. without having any negative impact upon the process. The current contracts will not be disturbed and the next fiscal year's contracts could be enacted without too much interruption. Ms. Sittler said that the MHB might want to consider setting a cap or limit on how much it would fund December 13, 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 3 Minutes recorded — not yet approved any individual program. Mr. Krulee said that he thought the Board was in a position of looking at some agencies that could be reduced somewhat and continue to do reasonably well. The Board discussed the initial recommendations that the Allocation Subcommittee developed. There was a consensus that the recommendations were good, but they were based upon the funds that were initially available in the budget process. Nis. Grover said that the structure of those recommendations could be used, but at this point they would be meanino:less. She added that she was concerned about any decisions the Board could make that would have to be revisited. Ms. Canter said that she did not want to make decisions about the allocations based upon the initial rec- ommendations. She said that she thought it would send the %rong message if the kIIM truly wanted to fight the cuts. Nis. Wiebe said that she thought she needed more information. For instance, what would happen to each program if it had a 37% reduction from the ,%iHB? Ms. Wiebe added that she, too, did not want to make decisions based upon principles that might change. Ms. Kalish asked what would be the down -side of not making a decision that evening. She said she thought the decisions should be de- ferred until there is more information from the agencies and from the Council budget meetings. There was a discussion about the budget process and the schedule of meetings. Nlr. Krulee said that the January meeting could be postponed, but the '%tHB could not sit and wait for something to happen. Ms. Grover said that she already had a plan for getting information and finding ways to be heard. She sug- gested that could be discussed at the January meeting. his. Sittier moved and tits. Kalish seconded a motion to defer the consideration of program funding allocations for F1'02-03 until the MHB has additional information from the budget process. Approved unanimously. The Board discussed strategies to obtain information. his. Wiebe asked if any of the agencies present had anything to say about how about the Board could be working together with them to further this process. Sandra Stumme, from Metropolitan Family Services, commented that she thought the MHB should be considering what the programs' outcomes are, and what populations are actually being served. Sandi Johnson, from North Shore Senior Center (NSSC), asked if the MHB would be sending out a communication asking how the cuts %ill affect the agencies? tits. Grover said she would just call the agencies, and the agencies can send an e-mail with the information. Some of this might be incorpo- rated into the ?NiHB's argument. tits. Johnson commented about the argument that some larger auen- cies have substantial reserves Ms. Johnson stated that when NSSC was asked to provide services in Evanston in 1996, the agency had to take a long, hard look at it because they have to raise approxi- mately $1 million per year to support their programs. With only state and federal funding, an agency cannot offer quality programs. Local funding is also essential in order to be able to offer quality ser- vices. When NSSC came into Evanston, they were offered public support. Without those funds, it %,.-ill be extremely difficult to respond to the huge increase in the number of people that are currently being seen in Evanston. Dorothy Lloyd Still, from Housing Options, said she thought that the MHB should keep in mind the impact and value of Mental Health Board funding that goes beyond the actual dollar value. Regardless of the reason for a reduction, it is a very strong statement to other fenders if an agency loses local support from something like the Nicrntal Health Board. Melissa Leasia, from The December 13, 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 4 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Family Institute commented that it might be misleading to focus in on agencies with "deep pockets." She said that the MHB should look at the complete picture of the agency. She pointed out that just be- cause an agency has a building and an endowment does not mean that those resources are available for programming. She indicated that at The Family Institute those assets are completely restricted. and can not be touched for something like their community outreach services. Losing the funds from the MHB would mean that The Family Institute would have to pull staff out of the Evanston Township High School and the other two programs which are supported by the MHB grant. The Family Institute has already had to eliminate several outreach programs. The drop in the economy and the stock market meant that their earned income, 301o of which has been diverted to their outreach programs, was not high enough to cover all the programs. Ns. Grover thanked the community representatives for their comments. She pointed out that the tried and true assumptions about funding decision don't fit. She asked them for their a -mail addresses and invited them to submit any information that kill help the MHB to discern the impact of significant cuts in allocations. 1%: CONSIDERATION OF.NiHB HOUSING POLICY Ms. Grover thanked the MHB Housing Policy Committee for all their work in developing a new MHB Housing Policy. She said that Vicki Kalish. Lonnie Wiebe, Ellen Rcjmolds, and Tom Tharayil spent sev- eral months organizing education for the Board about the issue, and developing a new policy. Ms. Wiebe, the Chair of the Committee, said that the %1HB had been very patient waiting for the policy recommendations. She said that the Committee carefully worked to put together a document about the Board's values for housing for special populations She discussed the programs that were presented about housing issues. She said that the proposed Housing Policy asserts that housing for people with special needs will provide support as needed but not be restrictive, will be based upon individual needs but not diagnosis. will be client centered, available, and, affordable. Ms. Wiebe commented that the R13's Housing Policy is a statement of values for the community, and lays out a challenge for meeting the need. Ms. Kalish said that she thought the most important tenets were "affordable" and "available'. They are the crux of the matter. Ms. Sittler moved and Mr. Krulee seconded a motion to adopt the :Rental Health Board Housing Policy as revised. Motion approved unanimously. INls. Wiebe indicated that the Board should also rescind Mental Health Board Policy 8-87-3, The Pro- motion of Non -Institutional Housing. She said that the MHB's new Housing Policy replaces it. his. Kalish moved and tics. Canter seconded a motion to rescind ;Mental Health Board Policy "7-3. :Notion approved unanimously. Ms. Grover thanked ;his. Wiebe and Ms. Kalish for their efforts and hard work on the MHB's Housing Policy. In discussion. the MHB agreed that the Policy would be distributed to the City Council, Hous- ing Commission, agencies and task forces serving people with special needs, and anyone interested in housing for special populations. Ms. Wiebe said that the Housing Policy would be shard with the par - December 13, 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 5 1.t Minutes recorded — not yet approved ticipants in the next Housing Forum. Ms. Wiebe asked that it also be sent with a thank you to all of the . presenters and resource people Hho assisted the NfHB in developing the policy. VI. AGENCY ACCOUNTABILITY Ms. Grover said that she would be reconsidering the Agency Liaison assignments at the January Board meeting. Mr. Saver said that as a result of people leaving the Board, there were six agencies that were not covered. Nis. Grover asked the Board members to review the list of agencies and assignments that were included in the packet, and think about which agencies they would like to have as their assign- ments. She also asked the Board to consider whether one year was long enough to get to know an agency for the Liaison assignments. Agency Liaison Reports Dimensions. Nis. Canter reported that Dimensions recently hired a new staff member to work with Carolyn Ellis doing direct service to the Dimensions. She said that Ms. Ellis indicated that this is ena- bling the program to provide a new focus for their clients. Family Focus. Nis. Kalish reported that Family Focus is going to be the recipient of the Women's Club Annual Benefit in March, 2002. VII. CHAIR REPORT Ms. Grover said that she had developed a digest of how the MHB conducts its meetings and what gov- erns the MHB's meetings. She said it was included in the Board packet, and thought it was a good in- troduction for the new Board members, and a good reminder for the rest of the group. Ms. Grover said that the MHB members have a continuing obligation to financially disclose any poten- tial conflicts of interest using the Financial Disclosure Form that is sent out by the City Clerk's Office. She said that this should be updated if the MHB members status has changed. She said that, generally, this form is sent out the end of February each year. In response to his. Wiebe's question, Ms. Grover explained the requirements of the Open Meetings Act. ViIl. STAFF Mr. Saver said that one of the questions raised during the funding hearings was the extent to which each agency was able to respond to a crisis in the community, or to provide support when there was a na- tional crisis. He said that, in conjunction with the City's emergency plans staff is beginning to look into the development of an emergency response that incorporates behavioral health agencies. He said the Board was fortunate to have Nis. Razzano working with them this year and complimented her on her December 13, 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Pape 6 Minutes. rdcd — not yet approved work. Mr. Saver said that Ass. Razzano is researching the emergency response plans that are being used in other communities, and doing a search on the internet for any information. After that, a community meeting will be organized to discuss what is currently being done by agencies in the community, what the needs and the gaps are, and what can be done to respond to those issues. He said that he expected to have an initial meeting in February. In conjunction with that, Mr. Saver said that The Family Institute is sponsoring Red Cross training for emergency mental health workers who would be a part of the Red Cross's emergency response plans. The training will be March 3 and 4. Social Norms Marketing. Mr. Saver reported that Strength in Numbers has purchased three weeks of advertising time at the Century Theatre. A targeted ad will be showing on all 18 screens at the theaters in late December. The "New York Times" Sunday magazine had an article about ideas that made a dif- ference in 200). In the article, social norms marketing was identified as one of 80 ideas that had an im- pact in the last year. Mr. Saver commented that the Planning Committee is still researching funding for the campaign for next year. Meeting adjourned at 9:00. Respectfully submitted, Joan M. Barott Secretary December 13. 2001 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 7 Minutes recorded — not yet approved EVA.ISTON h1EtiTAL HEALTH BOARD MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, JANUARY 24, 2002 Members Present Vickie Kalish, lane Grover, Carol Sittler, Susan Canter, Lonnie Wiebe, Gilbert Krulee, Randy Walker Presiding: Jane Grover, Chair Staff: Harvey Saver, Joan Barott, Renee Razzano Community Representatives: Karen Wertymer (Metropolitan Family Services); Martha Arntson (Childcare Network of Evanston); Will Sundblad (Connections for the Homeless); Marilyn Volker, Linda Cooper (North Shore Senior Center); Melissa Leasia (The Family Institute); Peter Ming (NTSW); Alexander Brown (Housing Options); Elizabeth Holtsclaw (City of Evanston Health & Human Services) Jane Grover called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. I. INTRODUCTIONS AND COMMUNITY COMMENTS Nis. Grover welcomed the guests and asked that they introduce themselves. Ms. Graver said the she was developing a biographical sketch of the MHB. She presented the first drat and said that she had some additional material to put together. Il. REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF DECEMBER I3, 2001 MINUTES Ms. Grover indicated that the December 13, 2001 meeting minutes were accepted as presented. III. AGENCY ACCOUNTABILITY Quarterly Narrative Reports his. Grover asked whether there were any comments about the Quarterly Narrative Reports. Ms. Kalish expressed her concern regarding them. She said that she has a hard time getting the gist of what happened in a meaningful way. Ms. Sittler said that she still has a goal of modifying the reports to provide chart with a cumulative space for the discussion about the objectives. January 24, 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page i Minutes recorded — not yet approved Ms. Wiebe commented that she would also like good objectives in the reports, and would like to see good progress. ,tits. Wiebe said that she thought that part of the Agency Liaison responsibilities was to communicate with the agency and see what can be worked in to the report. She described the way she handled this with one of the agencies with which she was the Liaison. She told the Director that she wanted to see information about specific progress, and progress that was meaningful. Ms. Wiebe commented that for the past two years the MHB has sponsored workshops for agencies on developing outcome measures. She added that she hopes that the workshops continue. his. Wiebe said that she did not think the problem was the reporting format. In response to her question, Mr. Saver said that there had been a reporting form for the Quarterly Narrative Reports, up until last year. At that point the Board decided to eliminate the reporting form, and provided guidelines for the information they wanted in the report. A number of agencies have continued to report on the old form. He indicated that he did not think that it had a considerable impact upon the way in which agencies reported about their objective. Ms. Kalish pointed out that she only found two or three of the reports are filled with information that she found extremely useful. Ms. Grover said that there should be a better way of formatting the Quar- terly Report so that the MHB gets the information it is looking for. She appointed Ms. Sittler and Ms. Kalish to work on a revised Quarterly Narrative Report format. (Mr. Terry joined the meeting at 7:20 p.m.) Agency Liaison Reports Childcare Network of Evanston. his. Wicbe said she spoke with Martha Amtson about the Early Childhood Collaboration. She was informed that they are going in the direction of merging the Col- laboration under the Childcare Network. Family Focus. leis. Kalish said she attended the Family Focus Auxiliary Meeting. At the meeting it was stated that Delores Holmes would be retiring the end of June 2002. The agency is beginning the process to evaluate the role of the Director, and a search has begun. The Family Focus building is now fully Ieased. The last program going in is a School District #65 program for kids who have been skipping school. Family Focus has requested District 65 to "beef up" homework for these kids, and this is going quite well. Nis. Kalish said that it was her understanding that the youngest child in attendance is in second grade. Nis. Kalish received an invitation to attend the 25' Anniversary luncheon with the overall parent organization in Chicago. Nis. Kalish described the facility, and said she thought it was wonderful. NTSNY. ibis. Sittler said that she had been attending the NTSW board meetings. They are trying hard to raise funds to build a new kitchen. This would allow the clients to cook, enable the program to do training, and permit people to have hot meals during the day. Ms. Sittler commented that NTSW is considering a merger back into Thresholds. This would make it easier in many administrative and financial reporting areas. Ms. Sittler said, however, that they want to maintain the integrity of the - Board. January 24. 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 2 Minutes recorded -- not yet approved W. DISCUSSION ABOUT ALLOCATION PROCESS AND CITY BUDGET FOR FY02-03 iN1HB PURCHASED SERVICES Mr. Terry reported that in terms of process, the City Council is meeting every Saturday through January and February to review and consider the City Nlanagers proposed budget. Each Saturday is blocked out for the consideration of several specific subject areas. The next Saturday will be focused on the Summer Youth Employment Program, the issues as they relate to the Police Department, and the branch libraries. Capital improvement projects are scheduled for February 2. February 09 the focus will be on human services. The proposed contracting out for Emergency Assistance with the Township, the reduction in the Community Purchase Service Budget, and the reduction of the MHB's purchased services budget will be open for discussion. Monday, February 4, there will be a public hearing on the Budget. Mr. Terry said that the January Human Services Meeting was cancelled, so the next meeting of the Human Services Committee is February I8. That will be the earliest opportunity for some formal action to be taken by HSC on the proposed Community Purchase Services cuts. He indicated that the City Council has made no formal decisions yet on revenue or expenditure. However, at the last Satur- day meeting they took a "straw poll" and indicated that they were not willing to close the branch libraries. They indicated that they would reinstate this expenditure with no indication, yet, as to how this would be paid for. Mr. Terry added that there had been some discussion about the revival of a "head tax." Mr. Krulee asked whether anyone talks about the consequences of cutting the budget to specific pro- grams and the people who go there? Mr. Terry said that it is hard to know given that funds go to provide general support, in most cases, rather than for a specific position. Each agency deals with it in their own way when they talk about the impact of cuts. Nis. Grover presented a report she got off the City web page that summarized the results of the work of the Budget Policy Committee. She said that the document showed the results of their budget bal- ancing exercise. Ms. Grover pointed out that in their deliberations not one of the five citizen groups targeted mental health funds or Community Purchased Services for reductions. As a reflection of the community values, they decided that human services are an important community priority. Mr. Krulee pointed out that the chart made it appear that the Committee eliminated many of the expenditure reductions. The Mental Health Board had a general discussion about the City Council Budget hearings. V. AGENCY LIAISON Ms. Wicbe reviewed the background of the Agency Liaison Guidelines. She discussed the time limit on the assignment to one agency, and said that she thought one year was too short a period. She said January 24, 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 3 Minutes recorded » not yet approved that she would like to be able to stay with an agency longer in order to be able to become more familiar with each agency. She said that the one-year time limit pro%ided Iess time to get to know more agcn- ctes. Ms. Kalish said that she had different reactions from the agencies to which she has been assigned as the Liaison. She reported that she felt eery welcomed by her current agency, but other times did not get very much information. In response to a question, Mr. Saver said that each time there is a change in the Liaison assignments the information is forwarded to the agency directors along with the MHB phone list. He said that individually and in the mail he has always encouraged agencies to feel free contact their assigned Liaison. In discussion about the term limit for the Liaison assignments Ms. Grover said that she wanted to rotate the Liaison positions more frequently, rather than less. There was a recommendation made that one alternative could be for MHB members to serve as Liaison for one year with each agency, but no more than two if there were unforeseen or special circumstances. New Liaison assignments «•ere made. Ms. Wiebe and Ms. Canter were appointed to review the Liaison Guidelines and report back to the MHB with recommendations. Vi. REVIEW CONTRACT POLICY GUIDELINES FOR FY02-03 PURCHASE OF SERVICE AGREEMENTS Mr. Saver explained that the .%IHB Procedures require the Board to review the Contract Policy Guide- lines every year. The Board needs to either amend them or adopt them for use with the Purchase of Service Agreements for the coming year. He said that over the years, there have been changes in the Policy Guidelines. Last year, there were a considerable number of changes in the text to clarify issues. However, there were no substantive changes made. In response to a question about timing, Mr. Saver said that the City Budget must be adopted by the last day of February. He indicated that he anticipated it will be adopted at the February 25 City Council meeting. If the MHB waits until it receives a final figure from the City Council to make its allocations, the first opportunity the MHB will have would be its March 14 meeting. The Policy Guidelines will not be needed before then. Mr. Saver commented that Ms. Grover has been in touch with most of the agencies regarding the allocation process. Draft information for contracts will be delayed in being sent to the agencies this year. Staff will not know what information, both financial and program service projections, will be used until the MHB and the Human Services Committee make their allocations and the City Budget is finally adopted. He indicated that, given the proposed cuts in the City and MHB's funds, the service projections from the agencies might change. Mr. Saver said that each agency will still be asked to submit their three highest priority performance outcome measures for each of their programs that does get funded. He encouraged each Agency Liaison to discuss the performance measures with their ,January 24, 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 4 Minutes recorded — not yet approved agencies before the contracts are written. V[I. FY2002-03 MENTAL HEALTH BOARD OBJECTIVES Mr. Saver commented that each year the NIHB develops objectives for the forthcoming year. He said that he had prepared a first draft, which was included in the packet, based upon earlier Board discus- sions and tentative commitments. The Board has not yet had an opportunity to review them or have any input. He indicated that the objectives would assist the MHB members in making decisions about activities for the year. Ms. Wiebc commented that she thought the objectives were very good. She recommended that objec- tive #1 be expanded to read (changes underlined) " ... evaluated the agency funding process, and tg have reviewed the process in relation to the Cily's funding process. and where necessary..." Mr. Saver said that, dependent upon what finally happens with funding allocations this year, the MHB might wish to have a more lengthy discussion about its funding priorities for the next year if it only has 52.50,000 to allocate. Ms. Wiebe commented on the well -received forum the MHB conducted on housing for persons with special needs last year. She said that she knew there %was discussion about doing another housing forum again. But, she said, that there wouldn't be much going on with new housing so this might be the time to focus on a different issue. She said that this might be the opportunity to look into early childhood issues. his. Wicbe asked that an objective be presented for consideration that would focus on reviewing and evaluating services for early childhood mental disorders. Ms. Kalish raised concern about not focusing on the objective related to housing. She said that she thought it was still timely to provide people the opportunity to have that discussion. She said that there was an overwhelmingly response by participant at last year's forum to continue the focus. Mr. Krulee suggested that the MHB might Nwant to keep both objectives in their plan, with the idea that they might not both happen within the year. He said that the Board might want to be prepared to move in whichever direction might be most advantageous. Mr. Saver said that, based upon the comments, he would provide a revised list of objectives at the February meeting. He encouraged Board members to contact him if they had other ideas that they wanted to have considered. VIIII. STAFF REPORT Mr. Saver said that planning is continuing on pace for the Fourth Annual Aging Well Conference. He said that Ms. Sittler and Ms. Razzano coordinated the evaluation of proposals for the presentations. Ms. Sittler said that this year there would also be a film festival on May 1 that will focus upon the January 24, 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 5 Minutes recorded -- not yet approved goals of the conference. Mr. Saver commented that there is going to be a wider array of workshops, with workshops on acupuncture, alternative medical treatments, and massage therapy. Mr. Saver stated that Ms. Grover was invited to a meeting u;zth State Representative Julie Hamos who wanted to talk about mental health issues and legislation is Springfield. He said that he would be attending the meeting the next morning with Ms. Grover and a few directors from various agencies. Mr. Saver pointed out that Ms. Grover had put together a biographic sketch of each of the MHB members to assist everyone in becoming more familiar with each other. A draft was distributed at the meeting. Mr. Saver commented that the social norms marketing campaign —"Strength In Numbers!'-- is in its next phase of distributing marketing information at ETHS. He reported that the campaign received good news from the grant office of Chicago Community Trust. The actual award letter had not yet been received, but the Grant Officer assigned to the campaign announcer) the award would be for two years. He said that this would be a strong foundation of support for the second year, and should assist with other fundraising efforts. Ms. Canter commented on the nice bookmarks which were developed by the National Association for Down Syndrome, and that were included in the Board packet. Mr. Saver said this was a community education strategy that NADS had developed. They provided a number of them to their membership. He said that Ms. Barott distributed them in the Board's community mailing, and they were made available in the Health Department. Meeting adjourned at 9:00. Respectfully submitted, Joan M. Barott January 24, 2002 Mental Health board Meeting Minutes Page 6 Minutes recorded -- not yet approved EVANSTON MENTAL HEALTH BOARD MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2002 Members Present Vickie Kalish, Jane Grover, Carol Sittler, Sue Canter, Lonnie Wiebe, Gilbert Krulce, Lou Rowitz, and Randy Walker Presiding: Jane Grover, Chair Staff: Harvey Saver, Joan Barott, Renee Razxano Community Representatives: Sandra Stumme, Karen Wertymer (Metropolitan Family Services); Sandi Johnson, Pam Thomas (Evans(on/Skokie Valley Senior Serv- Ices); Martha Am son, (Childcare Network of Evanston); Robin Ste- phens (School of Public Health ); Claire McCarthy Peterson (Task Force on HomeIessness); Karen Vroegh (MHANSILeague of Women Voters/Evanston); Alexander Brown (Housing Options) Ms. Grover called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. I. ItiTRODUCTIONS AND COMMUNITY COMMENTS Ms. Grover welcomed the guests and asked that they introduce themselves. 11. REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF JANUARY 24, 2002 MINUTES Ms. Grover commented that the January 24, 2001 minutes were accepted with minor corrections. III. PRESENTATION: STRATEGIC PLAN FROM THE EVANSTON TASK FORCE ON HOMELESSNESS Claire McCarthy Peterson, Chair of the Evanston Task Force of Homelessness (TFH), joined the Mental Health Board. Ms. Peterson said that several years ago, HUD required all jurisdictions that were going to go after federal McKinney funds had to develop a Continuum of Care (CoQ. The CoC describes all services and supports that might prevent first-time homelessness or recurring homeless- ness. Evanston is one of the jurisdictions. The Task Force on Homelessness is responsible for devel- oping a community strategy to address the issues of homelessness in Evanston. There are 450 groups throughout the United States that are developing a Continuum of Care. Illinois has 17 different CoC. Chicago and Evanston do their own CoC. In Illinois, all the others are on a county or multi -county February 14, 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 1 Minutes recorded — not yet approved level. hts. Peterson said the TFH is responsible for three different components: (1) developing a network of housing opportunities and support services for persons who are homeless or at risk of becoming home- less; (2) writing Exhibit 1, the quality which determines whether programs get funded; and (3) review- ing and ranking all the funding proposals that are submitted for HUD funding each year. Ms. Peterson added that HUD requires that the proposals go through the group that develops the Continuum of Care. She said that it takes an entire year to complete all of that. Nis. Peterson said the Task Force operates under the City' Department of Health and Human Services. There is a strong presence of City government on the TFH, but that is only one piece. She said that Jay Terry and Harvey Saver are both directly involved, as are staff from Emergency Assistance Services, CDBG, Housing, and Evanston Township. There is also strong presence from a range of agencies in towrt. Personnel from agencies representing the homeless are very active within this group. Ms. Peterson reported that HUD requires the Task Force to do an annual count of the homeless in Evanston each year, which is a tremendous task. This includes people in the shelters; people in perma- nent supportive housing designed for persons who were homeless, and the unsheltered homeless. She discussed the various strategies that arc used to develop the numbers. Last year there were 180 people who were homeless in Evanston; 55 of these were younger than 18, either on their own or with their families. Last summer the TFH looked at agency encounters with people who were homeless on a single day. The agencies reported 300 encounters, but some of these were duplicated events. Isis. Peterson said that the TFH conducted focus groups last year and received information about kids who are homeless. Y.O.U. and Family Focus see many of them. The TFH decided to do a count of this group on February 21, next week. These are kids who are in the 14-18 year old age group, are transient, live on and off of the streets, live nomadic lies and travel back and forth across Howard Street. The census will define the group as anyone who is 17 or younger, and did not know where they would be spending the night at any time during the week. The TFH has a five year strategic plan. As a pan of that, every year they get the numbers about people who are homeless, what they look like, what their needs are, what the community is able to provide to them, and what needs to be developed. Last year, focus groups were utilized to identify needs. These followed what the members of the TFH had also identified. All agreed that Evanston needs more services for homeless families. There is no shelter in Evanston for a homeless family. There is also = a need for more transitional housing to assist people to get back on their feet. Ms. Peterson said that Evanston has a wonderful array of services. A major objective is to not lose anything. She commented that Evanston has a lot of services that prevent not only first time, but also reoccurring homelessness. To lose any one of those services would leave a big hole. The second goal is to augment existing services when there is a high priority need that has been established. The TFH has been working with the idea that there are high priority needs for substance abuse services and job training. Ms. Sittler asked whether HUD dollars are remaining stable? Ms. Peterson said that this year's funding February 14, 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 2 -_ F Minutes recorded — not yet approved has not yet been announced. The funding cycle is for three years. Each year HUD notifies Evanston what funds are available that the TFH agencies can apply for. Ms. Grover inquired if the TFH gener- ally gets what funds are applied for? Ms. Peterson stated that the TFH agencies have been very fortu- nate the past few years, and have done very well. She explained the procedure regarding HUD's point system in reviewing proposals. Congress has required that 30% of all the funding is given to permanent housing projects. Permanent housing under HUD is a housing development program that will provide permanent supportive housing for disabled homeless persons. Ms. Sittler asked whether there is any place like Lower Wacker in Evanston? Ms. Peterson said that there is a perception that in the summer a number of homeless people sleep along the lake. She added that it may be that individuals are just more visible in the summer. Ms. Grover asked whether names are taken during the count to cut down on duplication? Ms. Peterson said that isn't done, but they do try to be careful. Usually they go to different places. But in some cases, people who are in the soup kitchens are not homeless but right on the edge. You cannot assume people are homeless just be location. Usually, people at the agencies have some idea. In response to a question, Ms. Peterson discussed the process to approve the CoC. She commented that that she does not know of any other community whereby the CoC goes to a group like the Human Services Committee for approval. She said that it is something that Evanston has chosen to do. Mr. Saver added that Housing Commission also reviews the CoC, because HUD does require that it be found to be consistent with the City's Consolidated Plan. Ms. Peterson said that the Task Force representatives have been meeting for the past I'/: years with a Regional Round Table on Homelessness. Several major foundations have been working with represen- tatives from Chicago, Evanston and several counties to implement a system to gather good data about the homeless population. She said that the initial report from data collected on a single day provided the following regional information: there were 11,000 who were ages 14 --49; 23% substance abusers; 67% high school graduates; 41 % were employed; 19% were veterans. She added that the final report is not Out yet. Ms. Wiebe asked about for additional information about Goal #3 in the Strategic Plan. Ms. Peterson explained the goal for short-term transitional housing for families with children. She said she was going to a meeting to discuss a plan from Connections for the Homeless that would be developed elsewhere, but that Evanston would be able to take advantage of. She added that plans for three fami- lies have already been approved. Ms. Peterson thanked the MHB for inviting her presentation on the Task Force on Homelessness. She said that this year's CoC would be forwarded to the MHB when it is prepared. Ms. Grover thanked Ms. Peterson for her presentation. IV. ADOPTION OF CONTRACT POLICY GUIDELINES FOR FY2002-2003 February U, 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 3 Minutes recorded — not yet approved PURCHASE SERVICE AGREEMENTS Mr. Saver commented that he had not received any comments about the Contract Policy Guidelines. He said that next year he will also ask that they be reviewed by the City Attorney to determine whether they needed to be updated for any changes. Ms. Canter moved and Mr. Krulee seconded a motion to adopt the Contract Policy Guidelines for use with FY2002-2003 Purchase of Service Agree- ments. Motion approved unanimously. V. FY2002-2003 }IHB OBJECTIVES Ms. Grover said the MHB Objectives had been revised at the January MHB meeting. Those changed were reflected in the materials in the packet. Ms. Canter moved and Mr. Krulee seconded a motion to adopt the FY2002-2003 MHB Objectives. Motion approved unanimously. VI. SET SCHEDULE OF MEETINGS FOR FY2002-2003 ALLOCATIONS Ms. Grover said that the City Council will be meeting February 25 to adopt the City Budget. She said she would like to have the Allocation Committee meet as soon as the MHB has a definite allocation for purchased services. She said it raised the question about whether to have a special MHB meeting to adopt funding allocations. Nis. Grover said she spoke with each of the Aldermen to see whether they had any issues or questions with the Board's funded agencies. Several Board members complimented Ms. Grover for her presentations at the Budget Hearing and Budget Workshop, and for the op ed article in the papers. They also thanked the agencies present for the information they provided in the Budget Hearing. Ms. Sittler asked whether the Human Services Committee on Monday would also be about the Budget. Mr. Saver said that Community Purchased Services would be discussed. Ms. Grover commented that she spoke with Jay Terry about the possibility of consolidating the funding from the MHB and the City into one process under one funding body, with the MHB overseeing this. The MHB would be respon- sible for all the purchased services that the City provides. Some of the agencies are funded by the MHB, some by the City, and some by both. Ms. Grover said that she thought this was going to be discussed at the HSC on Monday, as well. Mr. Terry indicated that some of the Aldermen expressed interest in the idea. If this comes to pass, Ms. Grover said that she is not clear about what would be involved. She said that the MHB might have to make changes in its by laws, policies and procedures. In response to a question about a change in the workload, Mr. Saver said that administratively all of the contracts are being handled by NIHB staff already. The MHB discussed general impressions about the concept of consolidated funding. Mr. Rowitx commented that it might mean that the structure of the Board could change. It might mean that the appointment process would change, and the Board might not be a Mental Health Board any longer. Concerns were expressed about what it would mean for the definition of the MHB and its autonomy. February 14, 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 4 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Ms. Wiebe commented that the MHB has a special relationship with purchase service agencies that it funds. It is will be important for the MHB to be able to continue to select agencies for funding that are under the MHB's definition of mental health. She expressed concern that if a consolidation goes through the hiHB might be giving up its present definition of about who the Board is, and this will effect the MHB's By La«,s. his. Grover commented that there are ways to rewrite the By Laws so that they would maintain a special mental health purpose for mental health programs. Mr. Krulee said that it could mean a broader purview fort the MHB, and a need for broader skills on the Board. Ms. Canter asked how the agencies that are not funded by the Mental Health Board or are dually funded are reviewed and monitored. Mr. Saver said that both he and Mr. Terry review the funding proposals and the Quarterly Narrative Reports. He added that the monitoring and payment process for agencies funded by either or both the MHB and City is the same. Ms. Grover invited the Board to hear the discussion about consolidation at the February 18 HSC Meeting. Vil. AGENCY ACCOUNTABILITY Agency Liaison Reports NTSW. Ms. Sittler stated she met with staff at NTSW. The Director reported that a large number of beds are being shut down at Elgin Mental Health Center. NTSW has been working with three other Skokie agencies to develop services and housing for some of the people who will be moved into the area. She said that NTSW is working on a revised mission statement. NTSW is going to de-emphasize their trademark sheltered workshop focus more on their First Step -like services, such as training in life skills and PSR. NTSW is also looking at developing a new name. Mr. Saver distributed the new Agency Liaison assignments. He said that the material had already been sent to the agencies. He commented that the agency directors were also provided contact information for all of the MHB members. Ms. Grover said that Thomas Suk had officially withdrawn from the MHB. VIII. STAFF REPORT Changing Faces. Mr. Saver reported that Joe Kestnbaum is no longer with St. Francis Hospital. He said that Mr. Kestnbaum told him that Resurrection was reorganizing their behavioral health line of services, and Mr. Kestnbaum's position no longer existed. He said that he did not know what the changes entailed, however, added that he saw an ad for a new position at Resurrection for a Vice President of Behavioral Health Services. He indicated that Mr. Kestnbaum immediately found a new position in North Carolina running two outpatient psychiatry programs at two small hospitals. He indicated that he was told Linda Lewandowski is the contact at St. Francis CMHC. February 14, 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 5 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Election Forum. Sir. Saver passed out an announcement about a Gubernatorial Forum on develop- mental disability issues at Little City in Palatine on February 27. Walter Jacobsen will be the modera- tor. Emergency Planning. Mr. Saver reported that staff the City's Emergency Plan will have a mental health component to it. He said that Nis. Razzano has been doing background research in the area. Ms. Razzano said the planning is in its early stages. She said that she had been doing research involving what other communities have developed for disaster preparedness for mental health. She reported that on March 12, at the time of the ELAN meeting, representatives from the New Trier Township area were going to be talking about how they have been coordinating their social been coordinating their social vice and mental health agencies in responding to emergencies and disasters. She said that they have had a coordinated community response for about 13 years. Mr. Saver said that The Family Institute is sponsoring training from the American Red Cross for emergency mental health responders for disasters. Twenty mental health staff from agencies in the community will be trained as Red Cross emergency responders. He said that he would be taking part in the training. State Legislation to Implement Olmstead. Mr. Saver reported that State Representative Julie Hamos spoke at the ELAN meeting the previous week regarding a White Paper and legislation she had intro- duced to begin to implement the Supreme Court's 01n Lead decision for persons with mental illness in Illinois. Mr. Saver stated that 35 - 38 persons were in attendance. State Rep. Hamos is proposing that Illinois has not met its responsibilities under Olmsiead. He said that she pointed out at the MHB's Legislative Forum last spring that a report was developed by a broad, statewide planning group under the auspices of the Illinois Department of Human Services (DNS) to plant for Olmstead. However, DHS _ disavowed the recommendations from the report. They feel that the State of Illinois is already in compliance with the Olmstead decision. State Rep. Hamos indicated that she thought trying to develop a broad, sweeping plan was not going any where, so she is proposing to focus specifically upon indi- viduals living in Institutes for Mental Disease (INiD), like Albany Care and Greenwood Care. He said that this is the term that the federal government uses to identify facilities that have one person more than 50% with a mental illness. Unlike other nursing homes, these facilities are not eligible for 50% Medicaid reimbursement so the State has to pay the full cost of operations out of its general revenues. State Rep. Hamos's plan is to move people out of IMDs and into community housing that is reimburs- able under Medicaid. State Rep. Hamos indicated in her presentation that she thought there was a great_ disproportion in the distribution of funding that is going into institutional line care in Illinois, and is trying to find a way to move more dollars towards the communities. Her proposed legislation would stove 200 people a year from IMDs into the community as a pilot project over the next five years. 1n order for the proposal to pay for itself, IMD beds would have to be closed when people moved out of them. At some point it might require that some of the iMDs be consolidated. Sir. Saver said that there might be hearings on the proposed legislation around the State. He said the offered co-sponsor a forum. State Rep. Hamos's bill was just last week. He indicated that he would report to the MHB as it is February 14, 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 6 Minutes recorded — not yet approved considered. Meeting adjourned at 9:00. Respectfully submitted, Joan M. Barott February 14, 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 7 Minutes recorded - not yet approved EV ANSTON MENTAL HEALTH BOARD MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2002 Members Present Victoria Kalish, Jane Grover, Carol Sittler, Susan Canter, Lonnie Wiebe, Gilbert Krulee, Lou Rowitz; and Randy Walker Presiding: Jane Grover, Chair Staff: Jay Terry, Harvey Saver, Joan Barott, Renee Razzano Community Representatives: Sandra Stumme, Karen Wertymer (Metropolitan Family Services), Sandy Johnson, Pam Thomas (Evanston/Skokie Valley Senior Services); Martha Amtson (Childcare Network of Evanston); Karen Helfrich (Trilogy); Melissa Leasia (The Family Institute); Tom Jager (Evanston United Way); Bob Roy (Evanston Community Defender); Kate Mahoney (PEER Services); and Alexander Brown (Housing Options). Ms. Grover called the meeting to order at 7:10 p.m. I. INTRODUCTIONS AND COMMUNITY COMMENTS Ms. Grover welcomed the guests and asked that they introduce themselves. II. REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF FEBRUARY 14, 2002 MINUTES Ms. Grover commented that, hearing no corrections, the February 14, 2002 minutes were accepted as presented. III. CONSIDERATION OF ALLOCATION RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FY02-03 1%1HB PURCHASED SERVICES Ms. Grover said that the Allocations Committee met last week and prepared the packet of funding recommendations. She thanked Mr. Saver for his work on the packet and memo, and said he was a big resource for the Committee members. March 14, 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Pape 1 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Ms. Grover said that the City's projected budget shortfall and the City Council's subsequent budget vote resulted in a 18 5° o, or 575,000, reduction in the NIHB's budi;et for Purchased Services for twenty-one programs Ms Grover added that it was unlikely that the 575,000 reduction, from S403,100 to 5328,100. would soon be recaptured. Ms. Graver said that the .allocation Subcommittee agreed at the outset that it would not be fair for them to recommend funding reductions evenly, across the board to all programs. Ms. Grover gave an explanation about how- the Committee fit all of the programs into a formula for funding, using high priority, medium priority and low priority. She said that one of the criteria was how well the program fit into the MHB's identified priorities. She said that the Committee also considered each progranfs effectiveness, was it duplicative, was the program expanding or retracting, and how many Evanston residents did it serve. She added that the Committee also considered whether the program had a good way of showing that Evanston dollars went specifically for Evanston residents. Ms. Grover referred to the two Allocation Subcommittee reports in the Board packet. She said that for funding purposes the following agencies were ranked High Priority: Family Focus/Primary Prevention, Childcare Network of Evanston/Children's Mental Health Services, Dimensions, Trilogy, Metropolitan Family Services/Family Support and Prevention. The Committee adopted the _ Allocation Subcommittees November 1, 2001 recommendation for a funding reduction for the Evanston Community Defender. his. Grover said that the Allocation Subcommittee was faced with hard decisions. They determined that in order to fund the higher priority programs, it was no longer possible to fund expensive, hospital -based services. St. Francis Hospital's programs were being recommended for significant reductions. Addiction Recovery Center and Adult and Child/Adolescent Outpatient Psych were being recommended for no funding The programs provide good services, but _ the MHB is already supporting other programs that are providing the same services in the community. St. Francis's Psych Care -Mentally III was recommended for the remaining 57000. The remaining programs were considered Medium Priority. Their allocations were reduced by approximately the same amount as the Mental Health Board's Budget, or 18 5% In response to a question, :his. Grover said that all of the programs were considered on their own. The basis for the allocations was programs, not agencies_ Ms.%Valker inquired about the St_ Francis Hospital programs and the effect their program reductions would have on services in the community. Ms. Wiebe said that she spoke with Linda Lcwandowski, _ who is assuming some of Joe Kestnbaum's responsibilities until a new director is hired at St. Francis/Comprehensive tiiental Health Center (CMHC). They discussed the future of the CMHC programs. Ms. Wicbc found out that within 1112 years they would have their nevy plans in place. his. Wiebe said that their programs and services for the community that is served matters. She said that she thought the new plan would came out of some consolidation at Resurrection. However, she said that she did not think the programs should be a priority for funding if the programs are not fully existing. She added that she thought that neighborhood needed the services. March 14, 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes page 2 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Ms. Walker asked about the funding for St. Francis's programs. Mr. Saver pointed out that any of the Board's proposed reductions was likely to have an effect. He said that in the agency's funding proposal it reflects that the greatest majority of funding for the Adult and Child/Adolescent Outpatient Psych program came directly from the hospital itself. He indicated that was also the case for their other programs. He said that he had received information that indicated the State was going to be substantially reducing the funding for that program, as well. Ms. Walker noted there was a lot of money being given to prevention and early intervention for younger populations, and that she did not like to see the adult services being reduced. She said that, from her experience, the population with chronic mental illness does not get as much attention as other populations. Ms. Grover reviewed the Board's priority funding areas. She said that she thought the funding for Addiction Recovery Center was redundant. Ms. Wiebe said that she thought it might be a different population than is being seen at PEER Services, however, she said this year the Board could not fund everything. Ms. Wiebe said it was difficult to make cuts because it leaves people in Evanston in need. She said that the system that the Allocation Subcommittee developed had clarity. After two rounds of review by the Allocation Subcommittee, it helped to clarify the issues and decisions the Mental Health Board needed to make. Ms. Wiebe said that she appreciated the Subcommittee carefully considered each program in their recommendation. Ms. Grover reported that she would have liked to fund all of the proposals at the requested Ievel, if the Board could have. Mr. Rowitz commented that other issues would also have an impact upon next year. Already, there are proposed, substantial reductions for FY03 at the federal and state level. Next year, the Board will need to be clearer with its priorities. The MHB will have to spend more time trying to figure out how the agencies will maintain their programs as community dollars lessen. Mr. Rowitz said he did not believe the community would go along with another 7.2% real estate tax increase next year. He opined that the message to the agencies is very clear for next year that maybe they will not be able to count on the Board. Mr. Krulee said he was also concerned about cutting the St. Francis Hospital /Addiction Recovery Center (ARC). In response to his question, Sir. Saver said that PEER Services and Chapman Center also provide substance abuse programs for the community. Ms. Grover commented that the amount of funding for ARC was S7,000.00, which is relatively low percentage of the program's funding. That was another criteria that the Allocation Subcommittee used in developing its recommendations — how much impact was the Board's funding playing in the program's funding. Mr. Terry commented that he had spoken with the CEO of St. Francis Hospital. He said that, at the executive level, they do not know• what the future of behavioral health is going to be in their system in the future. He said that he was under the impression that they were not sure what the location would be. There may be various networks joined together. He added that the information that he has seen is that behavioral health is money loser for hospitals. Mr. Terry said that the future of behavioral health services at St. Francis would not likely be effected by Mental Health Board dollars. March 14, 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 3 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Mr. Rowitz moved and Mr. Krulee seconded a motion to adopt the FY2002-2003 funding recommendations from the Allocation Subcommittee_. Ms. Grover read into the record each program funding allocation (see attached). Motion approved unanimously (8 aye --0 no). Ms. Grover thanked Ms. Canter and Ms. Sittler for their work on the Allocation Subcommittee to assist the Mental Health Board in the difficult work of making funding allocations this year. IV. DISCUSSION ABOUT CONSOLIDATION OF htHB / COMMUNITY PURCHASED SERVICES BUDGETS Mr. Krulee asked for clarification about the difference between Community Purchased Services (CPS) and the Board's funding activities. Both are funds currently under the City's General Revenue Fends. Mr. Terry related the history of the Mental Health Board, which was developed under a Total referendum. He said that the Board's funding had been around for over 30 years. It has been around longer than the Community Purchase Service funding. CPS has been what the members of the City Council have had an interest in funding and keeping under their purview. Mr. Terry said that there are a number of programs that both the Mental Health Board and CPS fund. However, there are others that have not fit into the MHB's mission, or the City Council members at that time, felt they were better kept under their direction. Mr. Terry pro%ided a history of the six agencies currently funded only by the City. He said that once agencies get into the CPS funding process, it has been perpetuated. Ms. Wiebe said that is was her observation that when the Mental Health Board decided to not fund a program, it was because it was not seen as falling under mental health. She said that might provide some complications in a consolidated process. Ms. Grover asked what dollars were specifically being considered for consolidation? Mr. Terry said that there seemed to be a range of possibilities. It might include all of the funding that goes through the Human Services Committee. Another possibility would be to include the funding that already involves both HSC and the MHB. He said that some members of the HSC don't feel that they have the time every year to do the proposal review. They might be willing to look to the MHB as the spokesperson for funded human services. Mr. Rowitz commented that at one level it made sense to consider this. Lath all the agencies being funded under one roof, it might streamline the funding process. He said that he thought that there might also be something positive about taking elected officials out of the picture of reviewing funding proposals and giving the review to a community -based board like the Num. Mr. Rowitz said that on the negative side it might dilute the MHB focus and what this Board tries to do. He asked whether the role of the MHB is just going to be the funding of community -based programs, both mental health and others? He added that the proposed change it might also effect why people are on the MHB. March 14, 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes page 4 Minutes recorded —not yet approved Ms. Grover commented that the MHB sees itself as mental health advocates for community mental health services, and wondered whether this would change? Ms. Grover said that structurally there are some things that might have to be revised. She asked whether it made sense to remove funding decisions from elected officials to community -based board? fir. Terry commented that the HSC would still retain final review of the NM's recommendations, as it does now. Mr. Terry said that he was not Sure that the community saw the X1HB in the same way. Recently, during the discussion about the FY02-03 Budget, he said that he thought that the Council and the community saw the MHB advocating for all community programs. Structurally, the decision about which agencies to include might be made on a case -by -case basis. For example, the MHB might decide whether the Board should be involved in decisions regarding day care, or is that something they would recommend the Aldermen retain direct responsibility for. Ms. W'ttbe said that the community might be confused. However, she did not think the MHB or the City Council were confused. She observed that there had been a considerable difference of philosophy involved in the two funding processes. Mr. Saver observed that the title of "mental health" might obscure the Board's mandates. He said that the Board's statutory responsibilities are mental health, developmental disabilities, and substance abuse. Mr. Rowitz said that many people already think that "mental health" should be expanded to deal with problems of living. The Board could always identify a broader definition. Ms. Canter said that the Board could define it as a broader picture. The Board could describe its activities in a focus like behavioral health, and look at broader categories that they wanted to include, such as wellness or prevention. Ms. Grover reviewed the MHB's Mission in its By Laws. She asked what an agency would do, and how it would know to come to the MHB for funding? fir. Saver said that he thought that, initially, agencies would be notified in the same way that they are now, and the appropriate agencies would receive the .%%M's funding proposal with an explanation of the changes. He added that most of the agencies receive the Board minutes, and would be aware of any significant changes in the funding process. Ms. Sittler asked whether the MHB membership could be increased, perhaps two or three members, to deal with the expanded workload? Mr. Terry responded that this would require an Ordinance change. Mr. Terry responded to specific questions about the City -funded agencies. Mr. Rowitz said that if the funding process were to move into one pot of money, the MHB would have to make decisions about high priority agencies_ The agencies would need to compete on whatever standards the MHB set up as highest priority. Ms. Kalish asked how the City funding process currently worked? Mr. Terry said that the process is generally similar to the M W& However, the HSC has funded the same agencies for the past 10-12 March 14. 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 5 Minutes recorded — not yet approved years. The agency has only had to petition the HSC. The Aldermen have Qiven the agencies rougher hearings, but they have not really made any cuts until this year. There were some targeted reductions five years ago, but those were rescinded. Mr. Saver said that the forms and the proposal are very similar in both funding reviews. Nis. Wiebe said that, as a citizen, she thinks the agencies funded by the HSC are important and should also be reviewed fairly. She said that the MHB is currently a good board, and is doing its job well. She said she %%-as concerned about the Board having its mission diluted. She said that she was also concerned about the Board fining something right now that she did not think was broken. Ms. Grover pointed out that a consolidation would save having one-third of the agencies to write two proposals. his. Sittler said that she had no problem absorbing more agencies. She said that she thought they could fit in well with a broader definition. Mr. Krulee said that he was also interested in consolidating the funding processes. He said, however, that he was concerned about the workload. Ms. Sittler commented that the addition of six more agencies would give each Board member 3 agencies as Liaison. She said that she was also concerned about how the MHB would divide up the work. Ms. Walker discussed her experience working with adults with chronic mental illness (CMI). She described the impact of the State's budget cuts and pointed out that services for the CMl population were being hit with larger cuts. She said that, by and large, that population received less funding that others. She thought that youth organizations had an easier time raising money. Ms. Walker said that she had little interest in changing the focus of what the MHB is doing now. his. Grover said that she thought there ought to be a way to incorporate his. Walker's concerns so that they were always in the mind of the Board. In discussion, the MHB requested copies of the six additional agencies' proposals that are not funded by the MHB. Mr. Saver said they would be sent out the next week. Ms. Wiebe inquired if there was a possibility the HSC could have an additional committee to do just the funding re%iew? Mr. Terry commented that he felt a new entity was highly unlikely. He said if the workload was to expand, it would be possible to consider more members for the Board. He said that this was done for the Recreation Board several years ago. He said that it also could be accomplished by a phased in process, rather than all at once. Mr. Terry said that Alderman Feldman was interested in having some citizen -input process, and that the HSC was anxious to know how the agency directors would feel about consolidation. Mr. Terry asked whether the MHB was interested in hosting a process to invite agency directors to comment on the prospect of combining the two funding processes. Ms. Wiebe said that she thought that the MHB would be taking on more issues and wasn't sure why. Mr. Terry said it would increase the MHB's budget, and areas of influence. Mr. Krulee suggested that if the Board were to proceed, to do it in two steps. First, invite agencies in to find out more about them, what they do, how they deal with the mental health aspects of what March 114, 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 6 Minutes recorded - not. yet approved they do. He said that he also wanted to consider what the six non -funded agencies do and how they handle themselves. Second, he suggested some further deliberations about what night be done in consolidation. Ms. Canter commented that the MHB should learn about the six agencies with which the MHB is not familiar. She also liked the idea of a public hearing. The she thought the Board could meet with HSC to discuss the issue after it has taken a position. Mr. Krulee said that the MHB should make the point that it is sensitive to the mental health implications of what the other agencies are doing. Mr. Rowitz said that he has always had a broader community perspective in his 40 years of professional work in mental health. He said that he has no problem incorporating all of the agencies into the MHB's funding process. He said that the Board could expand definitions and take a more comprehensive role in mental health. There was a consensus of the Board to convene hearings about the proposal to consolidate the two funding processes. Ms. Grover said that she thought that it probably would take two MHB meetings to do the hearings, beginning with the April meeting. She asked Mr. Krulee and Ms. Wiebe to work with staff to organize the hearing process. V. AGENCY ACCOUNTABILITY Agency Liaison Guidelines Ms. Wiebe stated that she and Ms. Canter met to discuss the Agency Liaison Guidelines. She commented that the Liaison role is an important part of the MHB. Ms. Wiebe said that the recommendation about length of service was that the Liaison would serve no more than one term of one year with a single agency. However, a person who serves less than a full year in their term may request to serve an additional term. Ms. Grover suggested that the language for Item #1 be revised to read "... will serve no more than one consecutive term of one year with single agency." A recommendation was made to revise #2b so the Liaison would be responsible to attend agency board meetings "as appropriate". Mr. Rowitz moved and Mr. Krulee seconded a motion to adopt the revisions as corrected to Procedure 8-95-A, Mental Health Board — Agency Liaison Guidelines. Motion passed unanimously (8 aye — 4 no), Ms. Grover thanked the Committee for their recommendations that were included in the NM packet. She said that the idea of doing intensive agency reviews might be very informative. She indicated that she wanted to hold that idea off until later. March 14, 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 7 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Agency Liaison Reports Family Focus. Ms. Kalish commented that with Dolores Holmes retiring in June 2002, a search for her replacement is being conducted. If any MHB member is aware of any one qualified for this position they are asked to contact Family Focus. This position is also posted on the web. Evanston Community Defender. Ms. Sittler met with Bob Roy, and had an opportunity to learn about their programs. She said that she was impressed with their work, and thought that having a social worker to work along with the attorney is great. But she said that she thought it was a luxury in term of the funding priorities that the MHB had to make. She said that she thought the agency was serving the youth of Evanston very well. The Family Institute, Ms. Canter said she met with Sharon Pines and was given a tour of the facility. leis. Canter met Bill Pinsof, President, and Angela Heisler, Vice President, and Melissa Leasia, Director of Development. Later, she spoke with Carl Hampton and Bill Russell about the community programs. They agreed that Ms. Canter and Sharon Pines would have monthly telephone conversations. She said that it was a very good introduction to the Family Institute. Connections for the Homeless.. Mr. Krulee reported that he met with Will Sundblad for an initial meeting. He said that he was impressed with the agency's total systems approach in helping get people back to a productive adult status. VL STAFF REPORT Emergency Ntental Health Responders in Evanston. Mr. Saver commented that Ms. Razzano planned a very successful initial meeting of 35-40 individuals to discuss planning a mental health response in the City's emergency plan. Ms. Razzano said that Tom Golbieski, Department Chair at New Trier High School's Social Work Division, and Elan Adler, Police Social Worker in Winnetka came to discuss the emergency response plan in their community. They are two of three who are responsible for the Community Response Plan in New Trier Township. They discussed what they do in terms of a disaster, or a small crisis or large crisis, and how they are organized and coordinated. Ms. Razzano said that there was good representation from different sectors. There was also a lot of interest in besrinning to took at what the needs are in Evanston. Ms. Razzano said that some of what Winnetka developed was in reaction to the Laurie Dann shootings a number of years ago. This is a good opportunity for Evanston to be proactive and capitalize on all of its resources. Mr. Saver said that 12-13 individuals have signed up and are interested in working on a task force to begin to develop a mental health response plan to emergencies in Evanston. American Red Cross Training. Mr. Saver said that The Family Institute (TFI) sponsored training from the American Red Cross (ARC) for mental health responders on various emergency mental March 14, 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 8 Minutes recorded -- not yet approved health issues_ He said that 21 Iocal staff were trained, including himself and Nancy Flowers, Long Term Care Ombudsman for the Commission on Aging. He said that he thought the training had been so successful that TF1 and the ARC were considering doing another one. Mr. Saver said he spoke with the trainers from the ARC who indicated that they would be happy to help with planning or training for the City's Emergency Plan, as well. Gubernatorial Forum. Mr. Saver said that he attended the Gubernatorial Forum at Little City. He said that it was interesting, but only a couple of the candidates showed up and were able to spend much time responding to any issues. Those that did all professed concern about support for disability issues, but only one candidate had any specific proposals. Jim Ryan and Pat O'Malley did not show up. State Funding. Mr. Saver said that there was information in the packet about the proposed cuts. He commented that local agencies have been receiving information about their budget cuts from the State. He said that he spoke with the Executive Director of Lekotek, which is Iocated in the Civic Center. She informed him that initially the budget line for Lekoteks was being reduced by $850,000. This will entirely wipe out some of the smaller, independent Lekoteks. There will also be a significant reduction in State funding for the national office in Evanston. He explained that the Evanston office is a central resource for a toy lending library and play as a habilitative tool for children with disabilities. Locally, they train parents in how to use play and toys with their kids as a way to help their kids grow and develop. However the National Office also trains people from other communities in how to run Lekoteks. Mr. Saver said that the funding for Lekotek was being lumped into all of the other stet funding for education. Governor Ryan's proposed budget is allocating funds from a number of intervention programs directly to local school districts, and they will have the discretion locally about how they will use the dollars. Mr. Saver said that he spoke with Jerry Gulley, from SHORE. Mr. Gulley reported that in addition to actual budget reductions, the State is proposing to fund residential resources in a different manner that might result in a loss of$350,000 - 5400,000 for SHORE's housing programs. Mr. Saver said that the Quarterly Narrative Report from St. Francis indicated that their Adult & Child/Adolescent program was losing all of its state funding, approximately S44,000 out of a program that has a budget of approximately S710,000. Aging Well Conference. Mr. Saver reported the Aging Well brochures are in the mail and posters are being distributed. He indicated that a registration page was added to the City's web page this year, so people will be able to register online. Ms. Sittler reported that the Silver Images Film Festival is going to use Aging Well as one of its venues. The film festival will be held at the Evanston Public Library on May 1, at 7:00 p.m. Community Purchased Service Funding. Mr. Terry reported that the he had written a letter to all the Community Purchased Service agencies and stated what their new dollar amount would be in the March 14, 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 9 Minutes recorded - not yet approved FY2002-03 Budget. He indicated that before their contracts are drafted, the agencies were to respond and indicate how the reduced dollar amount was going to effect the contract objectives. He said that he was going to be interested to see how the agencies implement the reductions. Meeting adjourned at 9:00. Respectfully submitted, Joan M. Barott Secretary March 14, 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes page 10 Minutes recorded - not yet approved EVANSTON MENTAL HEALTH BOARD MEETING NIOWTES THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 2002 Members Present Victoria Kalish, lane Grover, Carol Sittler, Susan Canter, Lonnie Wiebe, Gilbert Krulee, Randy Walker Presiding: Jane Grover, Chair Staff: lay Terry, Harvey Saver, Renee Razzano Community Representatives: Sandra Stumme, Karen Wert vaer (Metropolitan Family Services); Pam Thomas (Evanston/Skokie Valley Senior Services); Carol Mullins, Susan Doctors (Childcare Network of Evanston); Will Sundblad (Connections for the Homeless), Kate Mahoney (PEER Services); James Sibley (Youth Job Center). Ms. Grover called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. 1. INTRODUCTIONS AND COMMUNITY COMMENTS Ms. Grover welcomed the guests and asked that they introduce themselves II. REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF MARCH I4, 2002 MINUTES Hearing no objections, Ms. Grover said that the March 14, 2002 minutes were accepted as presented. Ili. APPOINTMENT OF NOMINATING COMMITTEE Ms. Grover reviewed the Nominating Committee process. She said that MHB officers for the 2002- 2003 year would be nominated at the May MHB meeting and then voted on at the June meeting. They would then take office at the July meeting. Ms. Grover appointed Sue Canter and Vicki Kalish to serve on the Nominating Committee. IV. AGENCY ACCOUNTABILITY Agency Liaison Reports Family Fccus. Ms. Kalish reported that the agency has begun the search for a new Director at the Evanston site. Mr. Saver pointed out that he had included a copy of the job announcement in the April 11, 2002 Mental Health Hoard Meeting Minutes Page 1 Minutes recorded — not yet approved htHB packet. Childcare Network of Evanston. Ms. Canter commented that she is getting acquainted with Childcare Network. She reported that the agency expressed their thanks to the MHB for placing a high priority on their services during the funding process. Ms. Canter said she met with Martha Arntson and Chris Bare regarding early child programming. She indicated that she attended a Board Meeting and that the Board is working hard on raising funds for the anticipated cuts from the State. On April 25, parents and staff %%ill go to Springfield for a Parent Lobby Day. The agency indicated that they are redesigning their relationship with Metropolitan Family Services. Ms. Canter said that she visited the Childcare Center on Asbury and met with a therapist who works in Project Help. SL Francis Hospital Comprehensive Mental Health Center. Ms. Wiebe reported that she met with Linda Lewandowski for an introductory meeting. She said that Mss. Lewandowski said that they were very concerned about the MHB's funding cuts for their programs. Ms. Grover suggested that the agency could address the M1W with their concerns, if they choose, and extended an invitation. SHORE. Mr. Krulee said he had an appointment to meet with Jerry Gulley the following Tuesday. Metropolitan Family Services. Ms. Grover reported that she would be meeting with Sandra Stumme the next week. She said that from her conversation with Ms. Stumme she sensed that the agency is beginning to tighten its belt. Ms. Wiebe pointed out that many of the Agency Quarterly Reports reported anticipating the State cuts. V. DISCUSSION ABOUT PROPOSED CONSLIDATION OF EVANSTON'S HUMAN SERVICES FUNDING Ms. Grover said that the NM was going to begin the process to get input from community agencies and interested individuals about the possibility of consolidating the allocation and monitoring of Mental Health Board Purchased Services and the City Community Purchased Services. She said that there were only a couple of speakers signed up for that evening's meeting. However, there are 12 people signed up to present comments for the May meeting. WEIR Sundblad, Executive Director, Connections for the Homeless. Mr. Sundblad was invited to the table. (Mr. Sundblad's comments are included as an attachment.) Ms. Grover asked what =_ services the City funds? Mr. Sundblad reported that the City is funding Family Housing Services. Ms. Grover said that she is interested in keeping a commitment to mental health services. She asked what services Hilda's Place provides? Mr. Sundblad said that is the homeless shelter with supportive - services. The shelter is seeing more individuals with chronic mental illness. Now, the shelter is almost always full. The program tried to provide support for basic skills to enable individuals to survive. The Family Housing program is transitional, and provides wrap -around services so the families don't run into trouble. Mr. Sundblad said that Hilda's Place is seeing approximately 401/o if its clients with mental illness; 70% with substance abuse problems, There are a high number with — M1SA problems. -- April Ii. 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 2 Minutes recorded— not yet approved Mr. Krulee asked whether the agency would be pushed into competition with other agencies if consolidation happens? Mr. Sundblad said his agency's services are unique. Their clients fall through the cracks of other agencies with their problems. Mr. Terry reported that there are currently four mechanisms for funding Connections from the City. The agency receives funds from the McKinney Emergency Shelter Grant Program, CDBG, MHB, and the City. City staff has to keep these straight. On occasion, which programs are funded from which funding sources has changed with the agency's input. Mr. Sundblad thanked the NUM for its time. He said that he thought his agency could work with a consolidated funding process. Kate Mahoney, Executive Director, PEER Services. Ms. Mahoney was invited to join the NM. She described how her agency's programs are handed through the City's General Revenue Funds. The continuum of services that PEER provides is prevention, early intervention, adolescent treat- ment, adult treatment, and programs for persons with HIV. Ms. Mahoney said that, from a strictly self-serving perspective, she is supportive of consolidation. Currently she has to write two separate proposals, and would only have to write one And the City only funds PEER a small amount. So it would be helpful for her to have consolidation. Ms. Mahoney said that she thought the Human Services Committee has a very full agenda and has not had as much time for social services. It would be helpful to have more attention from a single funding body like the M11B. She acknowledged that it would be more work for the hiHB, his. Mahoney said that she thought there was some potential for the community having a better understanding of how local tax dollars support community services by only having a single pool. Ms. Mahoney said that she thought that there was potential for the MHB to have a smaller focus on substance abuse in a consolidated funding plan. She said that she was worried that the City Council might lose sight and become too distant from human service issues. The MHB would have to work harder to keep human services issues on the Councils radar screen. tits Mahoney said that she w•as also concerned about human services becoming a lesser priority in the community. Ms. Mahoney said that she is encouraged by the prospect of consolidation. But she would not want to see a loss for other services that the MHB does not currently fund, because PEER's clients need those services, as well. Ms. Grover asked whether his. Mahoney was concemed that funding might fall even lower if human service funding is not in front of the HSC? his Mahoney said she did not think that as the case. She said that she would want the hiHB work with the agencies to advocate sustaining and expanding funding. She said that she thought the MHB should have the expertise and advocate for overall needs. Ms. Grover asked what the confusion was between Community Purchased Services and MHB funds? Ms. Mahoney said that she thought many people believed that there was duplication in the funding. It would be helpful to talk about one line item for local human services funding, and talk about all ht needs together. April 11, 2002 Mental Hearth Board Meeting Minutes Pale 3 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Mr. Krulee said that it sounded as if ;pis. Mahoney was pushing for good communication with the HSC. Ms. Mahoney said that was the case. She said she thought it would be important to educate and advocate with the HSC about overall needs, and for funding in general. She said that she saw the MHB having to have the expertise to say what the priorities should be. Ms. Grover said that his. Mahoney's comments were about structuring the process to focus on both sides. She thanked her for her time and encouraged her to pass on any other comment she might have. James Sibley, Executive Director, Youth Job Center. Mr. Sibley joined the MHB. He said that he is new to the local funding process, so his comments were being made in that context. He indi- cated that he had not expected to speak at the meeting, and was appreciative of the Board making time. He said he was very interested in hearing everyone's comments, and was planning to make a presentation at the May meeting. He said that he thought that a sense of loss was always going to be a part of the conversation in any discussion about change, and it should be expected. He said that he thought that in the absence of information, and new standards, and requirements, a sense of loss is what will determine the response to the proposal. Mr. Sibley said that he thought it would be important as the discussion about consolidation proceeds to be very clear up front about the changes. Mr. Terry commented that, as the NM thinks about its response to consolidation, it is an opportu- nity to think outside of the box. He pointed out that the City has its Summer Youth Employment Program. During the Budget discussions, Youth Job Center indicated that they could handle that program. The City has directly managed a summer youth employment program for a number of years. Mr. Terry asked for a reaction to all youth employment being located somewhere else in City government, perhaps consolidated and placed under another umbrella? Mr. Sibley commented that there is always different interpretation of youth services and how you define it. He said he thought the response depended upon how you define human services. He indicated that the population is being served, but thought that for the services to coexist they had to be differentiated. Mr. Krulee asked whether YJC was working with a single population, or multiple populations? Mr. Sibley said that his agency's focus is primarily with youth who are at risk, and not always able to be employed through normal tracks. They are kids who are difficult to place. Ms. Grover thanked Mr. Sibley and suggested that the %M review YJC's proposal for when he returned in May. ibis. `Viebe thanked the agency representatives who spoke this evening and stated their information was helpful to her. Ms. Grover reported that there were 11 speakers who had signed up to present at the May meeting. VI. PLANNING COMMUNITY EDUCATION Ms. Grover referred to material in the Board packet. She asked the MHB what type of community education that they wanted to plan in the calendar year. April 11, 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 4 Minutes recorded - not yet approved Ms. Wiebe pointed out that, rather than doing another forum on housing, the hiHB should participate in the April 22 Housing Forum that was referenced in the packet. Ms. Wiebe recalled for the MHB last year's discussion on housing for persons with disabilities. She said the MHB could participate in the Housing Forum and discuss problems faced with the lack of affordable housing. She urged Board members to attend. She said that she wanted to distribute the Board's Housing Policy at the Forum. She said the MHB's statement should ba distributed as far as possible and this is one way to do so. In response to her question, Mr. Saver said that the Housing Policy has been distributed through several networks already. Ms. Grover called on Will Sundblad who reported that CEDA was organ- izing packets of information for the Housing Forum. He provided information about how to get the Board's Housing Policy included on the packet. Mr. Sundblad also encouraged the MHB to attend the Housing Forum. Ms. Sittler suggested getting back to the League of Women Voters to discuss a Candidates Forum on mental health issues. She said the forum last spring on the same issues was very successful. Ms. Grover said she would follow up with LWV on that. Ms. Kalish said that she thought the MHB should see how the April 22 Housing Forum played out before deciding whether to do a follow up on housing -related issues. Ms. Kalish suggested that the MRB do an informational meeting for the community and consumers about the impact of the State budget cuts. She said that she thought it would be important for people to understand the fall -out from the budget decisions that are being developed. Ms. Walker discussed the information from her agency about the impending cuts and their impact on people. Decisions were already being made about which individuals in her agency were going to be losing services. Mr. Saver said that he was at a meeting of the Metro North Network that morning. He discussed information that was presented by a number of agencies about how they were proposing to significantly reduce services in both the current fiscal year, and after July I in response to State cuts_ He said that the only good news was that a number ofagencies reported much lower current staff turnover rates as a result of the problems in the economy Ms. Walker proposed that the Board do a forum on the fall -out from the State Budget, and to include all state funded human services. Mr. Terry pointed out that the discussion about the State Budget related to the Board's earlier discussion as to whether or not the MHB was an advocate for all human services. his. Walker said that the forum could be used as a way of getting people involved. After a lengthy discussion about the Budget, the MHB agreed to do organize a forum about whatever decisions are finally made in the State Budget for human services. Ms. Grover appointed Ms. Walker to organize the event for some time after the Legislature adjourns. VII. STAFF REPORT Aging Well Conference- Mr. Saver reported that registration had begun for the conference. At last report, one-third of the registrations had come in through the online registration on the City web page. He reminded everyone about the film festival that was a part of Aging Well. It will be at 7:00 April 11, 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 5 Minutes recorded — rwA yet appnwed at the Evanston Library on May 1. St. Francis Comprehensive Mental Health Center. Mr. Saver reported that Resurrection had hired Ted Teste as the Director of all of the outpatient behavioral health services at their five hospi- tals. He said that he would be trying to set up a meeting with him soon. Meeting adjourned at 9,00. Respectfully submitted. April it. 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Poke a Su" Kariheost Cook County Saxt 1934 ZM4 hewer drenue tnlryPant {autreac6 ?rsgramj Erzwan. Iui+ois 60701 3e7N1540T0 Hilda't Plou �Sheher/Suppor+ire 5ernrn} ��T�S�-555a FAX Housing Scrnces Connections for the Homeless Regarding the proposed Consolidation of Evanston's Human Service Funding: We at Connections have no problem, in principle, with the consolidation of the review process through the Mental Health Board for our homeless services. Adjusting to this change could be quite easy for us; we feel we work well with the MHB and do not view this part of the consolidation as a problem. We do not feel the consolidation would in any way affect our participation in the funding process, as it currently exists. We do, however, have some funding questions regarding the proposed consolidation. 1. Is it possible that the total amount of funding available for these services may be reduced due to the consolidation? 2. Would this consolidation, in essence, put our services in competition with one another now for the same pool of funds that previously were separate funds? Or will the MHB continue to treat the funding source separate — mental health vs. human services? The answer to these questions could not only impact on whether we would be inclined to initiate funding requests for new programs, but also our support for the consolidation. Human services continue to lose precious funding as governments, at every level, look to balance their respective budgets. This consolidation should not affect the amount of dollars available to help those most in need in this community. Minutes recorded — not yet approved EVANSTON MENTAL HEALTH BOARD MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, MAY 09, 2002 Members Present Victoria Kalish, Jane Grover, Carol Sittler, Susan Canter, Lonnie Wiebe, Gilbcrt Krulee, Lou RowiM and Randy Walker Presiding: Jane Grover, Chair Staff: Jay Terry, Harvey Saver, Joan Barott, Renee Ra=no Community Representatives: Sandra Stumme, Karen Wcrtymer, Sally Frau, (Metropolitan Family Services); Sandi Johnson, Pam Thomas, (North Shore Senior Center); Martha Arntson (Childcare Network of Evanston); Sue Brenner (League of Women Voters); Dolores Holmes (Family Focus); Karen Vroegh (Mental Health Association of the North Shore); Sharon Pines, Melissa Lcasia (The Family Institute); Alderman Ed Moran (Evanston City Council); Bob Roy (Evanston Community Defender); Helen Roberts Evans (Child Care Center of Evanston); Kathy Shearer, Mary Lee Swiatowiac (Infant Welfare Society -Teen Baby Nursery) Ms. Grover called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. 1. INTRODUCTIONS AND COMMUNITY COMMENTS Ms. Grover welcomed the guests and asked that they introduce themselves. Il. REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF APRIL 11, 2002 MINUTES After hearing no comments, his. Grover reported that the April 11, 2002 minutes were accepted. Ill. REPORT OF NOMINATING COMMITTEE Ms. Canter reported for the Nominating Committee. She said that the Committee was nominating Ms. Grover and Ms. Sittler to remain in their current Board positions for a second term. Ms. Grover said that the nomina- tions would be voted on at the June MHB meeting. At that time nominations may also be made from the floor. IV. AGENCY ACCOUNTABILITY Agency Liaison Reports SHORE. Mr. Krulec said he visited with the agency's Director and saw some of their programs. He said that May 09, 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 1 Minutes recorded — not yet approved he was impressed with what they arc trying to —.complish. He indicated that he is going to go back to see what they are doing with computer assisted training Childcare Network of Evanston. Ms. Canter said she attended the board meeting of the Childcare Network on April 23. She said that at the meeting they discussed the Early Childhood Collaboration. It looks like Childcare Network will be the agency to pull together the other agencies that will be pan of the Collaboration. She said she would be attending the Collaboration Afeeting later in the month. The Childcare Network was one of the recipients of a cash award from Romano Brothers in the amount of S5,000. Family Focus. his_ Kalish reported that she attended the Family Focus Advisory Committee meeting on May 4. The agency is actively moving along the process to replace Delores Holmes. NTSW. Nis. Sutler said she spoke with Peter Illing of NTS W. The agency is waiting to hear about the State Budget cutbacks will affect their programs. It is getting very late, and they don't have any solid information with which to plan. St. Francls/ResurrectIon. Ms. Wiebe said she spoke with Linda Lewandowski. The program is changing and will now be called: Resurrection Behavioral Services Center. There are a number of important decisions that arc being made about the services. Ms. Wiebe said that ]his. Lewandowski indicated that she would speak to the MHB when the decisions have been finalized. Metropolitan Family Services. his. Grover said that she met with Sandra Stumme, Karen Wertymcr, and Sally Fmu. She thought it was a good meeting. and she had the opportunity to become more familiar with the agency's programs. Affordable Housing Forum. Ms_ Kalish said that she had attended the Affordable Housing Forum in Wilmette. There was a large group of people in attendance. They represented a wide rariery of interest groups. The focus was low income housing in the community. his. Kalish said that there was not enough time to discuss all of the issues raised and needing to be discussed. She said that the forum did not provide a lot of time for dialogue. There will be another forum. Ms. Sittler reported that she and Ms. Kalish met to discuss revisions of the Agency Quarterly Report. They decided that they would wait until after decisions are about the proposed funding consolidation. The reports, as they are, now are totally narrative. Some have goals and are specific. They are trying to think of a way in which these two types of reports could be merged into something more meaningful. Ms. Sittlersaid that they would continue to work on this, and would place the item on an agenda during the fall. V. DISCUSSION ABOUT PROPOSED CONSOLIDATION OF EVANSTON'S HUMAN SERVICES FUNDING Sharon Pines, Assistant Development Director, The Family Institute. Ms. Pines joined the MHB. (Ms. Pines' comments are included as a written attachment.) Ms. Pines added that the agency hopes that a consoli- dated funding process will lead to a vision and a broader definition of mcntal health in the community. Kathy Shearer, Executive Director, Infant Welfare Society and Mary Lee Siviatoolec, Program Direc- May 09, 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 2 Minutes recorded — not yet approved tor, Teen Baby Nursery. its. Shearer and .%Is. Swiatow•iec joined the ,%tHB. (Their comments arc included as a written attachment.) his. Shearer added that if consolidation goes forward, she would like the opportu- nity to give the MHB a detailed background about why Teen Baby Nursery is around. tits. Grover commented that they would have that opportunity if funding consolidation moves ahead. Sandi Johnson, Executive Director, North Shore Senior Center. Ms. Johnson joined the MHB. (Her comments are included as a written attachment.) Mr. K.rulec asked Nis. Johnson if she makes a hard and fast distinction between mental health and human services? She said she didn't because her agency does both case management and counseling. Sandra Stumme, Executive Director Metropolitan Family Services and Sally Frau, Supervisor, Family Support and Counseling. his. Stumme and his. Frau joined the MHB. (Comments are included as a written attachment.) Ms. Stumme said that she had additional comments that were the same as the ones made by The Family Institute. She said that she would like to see the MHB's mental health definition be a little broader. Mr. Rowitz asked whether Ms. Sturnme was asking for the definition to be more from a behavioral perspec- tive, and to expand to deal more with behavioral health concerns? his. Stumme said that would be her recommendation. She said that the State's funding is going to make it more difficult to get a continuum of services funded. She said that the agency has already heard that the Department of Children and Family Services is not going to continue to fund the prevention programs that they have been funding through the C&A LAN. Martha Arntson, Executive Director, Childcare Network of Evanston. Ms. Amtson joined the MHB. (Her comments arc included as a written attachment.) leis. Amtson added that she has the same questions as those raised by metropolitan Family Services. Sue Brenner, League of Women Voters. Nis. Brenner joined the MHB. Ibis. Brenner said that the League has a concern about process. She asked who would be the governing body? She said it is difficult knowing whether the MHB was the correct body to be making funding decisions without understanding what the process would be. his. Brenner commented that the community should help Aldermen to do their jobs, and provide resources to Aldermen who arc overworked. By appointing community members to boards and commissions, this is one way to help .aldermen with their understanding of issues. She asked, however, what the path of recommendations would be if the MHB were to be making the recommendations? She also asked whether, by having the MHB make all human services funding recommendations, this was another layer between Aldermen and the community? Ms. Brenner said, as a Board member Childcare Network (CNE), she wanted to add to the agency's earlier comments. She said that infrastructure support should be considered a part of funding for all programs. She said that the City funds CNE to provide scholarships for day care. The monies received for scholarships are not allowed to be used for administrative purposes. She said that she thought if there were a new funding structure, administrative costs to implement programs should also be considered in any funding arrangements. Dolores Holmes, Director. Family Focus Evanston. (his. Holmes written response to the questions that the MHB raised is included as a written attachment.) John Ames, Executive Director, BE -HIV. fir. Ames joined the MHB. He distributed the agency's news- letter. He stated that BE -HIS' does not receive funding from the MHB. He indicated that the funding received May OS, 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 3 Minutes recorded — not yet approved from the City is symbolic, and provides general operating expenses to support the agency's operations for outreach, education, and mental health counseling. They do not see many Evanston residents in the Mental Health Counseling, so it may not make sense to continue to get funding for that program. Mr. Ames com- mented that they are focusing more on educational outreach, which seems to be more effective in Evanston, reaching youth in schools. Next year, they are hoping to have a collaborative agreement with Evanston Hospital to open an HIV outpatient clinic at the hospital. This would greatly increase access to services for residcnts of Evanston, who currently go to Cook County Hospital, Mr. Ames said that BE -HIV most effcc- tively serves Evanstoians in school presentations and outreach at the School District =202 and District 65. Mr. Ames indicated that funding consolidation makes sense to him from an administrative point of view. He indicated that, if the proposal goes ahead, he would look forward to presenting before the MHB. Helen Roberts Evanston, Executive Director, Child Care Center of Evanston. Nis. Roberts Evans joined then MHB. She said her agency does not currently receive funding from the MHB, but they reap the benefits from others that do. This past year was the first Purchase of Service Agreement with the City of Evanston to help fund their home day care network. They have a network of homes for infants, toddlers, and older children with development delays. They also have a pre-school program at the Child Can Center of Evanston for children who arc 2 1/2 until they go to kindergarten. The Purchase of Service Agreement is the match for the DFI funding from the State of Illinois Department of Human Services that is replacing money that they had received for their S5.001day per child. She said that they have families at the Center who received mental health services funded by the Mental health Board, and scholarships from Childcare Network of Evanston that arc funded by the City. The families are positively impacted by the mental health services. Ms. Roberts Evans said if an agency is currently submitting a proposal to both funders, the proposed changes would make the process easier. She added that, from working with agencies that do get MHB funding, she thinks the Board's involvement with those programs has been beneficial. tits. Robert Evans asked whether the proposal is for the funding from the MHB and the City to be combined? Mr. Terry replied that the proposal is that the two budgets would be combined in creating one pool of money in the amount of the tu-o budgets combined. The Human Services Committee would still need to approve the MHB's funding recommendations. Mr. Rowitz commented that most of the work in the review and allocation process would come from the MHB. Bob Roy, Executive Director, Evanston Community Defender. Mr. Roy joined the MHB. He com- mented that they could work with the process whether or not the funding process is consolidated. If they did not have a program that fell under a %IHB priority, it may be a "little edgy." However, they do have a compo- ncnt that falls under the NIHB priorities. Mr. Roy said that he thought that there was a need to understand the value of services in a more expansive view of community functioning. That more expansive view is similar to what went on during the original Unified Budgeting Process. Mr. Roy added that process was appreciated because every agency director likes having that expanded access to people who make the deci- sions. Mr. Roy commented that if the MHB is the body making funding recommendations, that is an entirely citizens' review committee that would ultimately have to be voted in to action by elected officials. He asked whether the decisions would remain when a citizens' board makes them as recommendations and elected officials have to adopt them? Mr. Rowitz commented that the NIHB will make the agencies accountable for the funds by monitoring the process, and information will be collected during the funding year to see how this money get used. Ulti- mately the agencies become responsible to the MHB and the MHB becomes responsible to the Human Services Committee to make sure the money is being used in the best interest of the community. However, the MHB cannot have a big effect if the HSC or the City Council cuts the amount of money. May 09, 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 4 Minutes recorded » not yet approved Alderman Ed Moran, Evanston City Council. A1d. Moran joined the NIHB. He said that he is a former member of the Human Smices Committee and used to be on the Recreation Board. He said that he thought that the proposal for consolidation is probably very positive for the City in terms of the human services funding. Alderman Moran said that the Unified Budget Process used to be like a human services summit. It was a way to reeducate the participants about all the good things that the agencies have done, what prob- lems have subsided or gotten larger. He said that he thought the MHB was a good repository for the funds as the City goes forward. The tiIHB has always demanded accountability, and has had a very good review process. Alderman Moran said that the City is in a very difficult situation financially. As a result, one can't dismiss that human services funding µon't be cut back again. He added that he hoped not. It would be good for the City for there to be one group to energetically develop the funding recommendations if cuts have to happen again. This would require pursuing where you can get the greatest benefit. You have to look beyond the agencies to the client base with the greatest needs to effect them beneficially. Alderman Moran said he thought consolidation would be beneficial in developing a good body of knowledge to make those decisions. Alderman Moran said he thought that there were several challenges. The MHB's mission is mental health. With consolidation the Board would have to wear a number of hats. The MHB would be reviewing some agencies that are not mental health. It will have to decide how to make decisions fairly, justly, and equitably. However, he said that he thought it was a good proposal for where the City is right now. Alderman Moran said that he admired the Mental Health Board's work, passion, and advocacy. He said that he would like to see it infused in the City's human services funding process Air. Saver distributed written statements from Alexander Brown, Executive Director of Housing. Options, William Kolen, Supervising Attorney of Legal Assistance Foundation or Metropolitan Chicago, and Jim Sibley, Executive Director of Youth Job Center, He indicated that they were unable to attend the meeting and wanted to be able to submit their comments for the record. (Both written statements are at- tached.) In discussion, Ms. Grover asked whether it is responsible to have a group of non -elected, volunteer, non- professional members of a board that does not really go through a vigorous screening process make decisions about how to spend $ I million of taxpayer money. Mr. Rowitz said he thought it was consistent with the MHB's tole and responsibility as community trustees. Mr. Terry pointed out that the MHB is not unique in this regard. He pointed out that the Library Board, Arts Council, and Recreation Board are citizen boards in the same position as the MHB, and that make significant financial recommendations to the City Council. He said the thought that there should be a one board to advocate for human service and mental health funding. In response to Nis. Walkcr's question, Mr. Terry explained the jurisdiction of the Human Services Committee (HSC) over a large number of functions of City government. The HSC handles a large number of issues on a wide range of subjects. As an example, at the Monday, May 13 meeting, the HSC will meet at the Noyes Cultural Arts Center. They will be reviewing the arts grants; a master plan for the Arts Center, the disposition of citizens' complaints against the Police Department; and Township matters. Mr. Terry said that the MSC has a dozen pending references on its agenda. He added that with all the political advocacy related to this year's City Budget, there was a feeling by certain members of the HSC that having the MHB handle human services funding recommendations might depoliticize the issue and get a more objective review of agency performance. Alderman Moran commented that he thought the MHB should be the advocate to the agencies. Mr. Terry pointed out that during this year's Budget debate some members of City Council saw the MHB May 09, 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 5 Minutes recorded — not yet approved filling that role through their advocacy work anyway. Ms. Grover said that she prepared a timeline for how the MHB Would deliberate the issue of consolidation (attached). She indicated that she thought the tiiHB might be able to make a recommendation to the Human Services Committee about consolidation at the %IHB's June meeting. She said that prior to this a summary of all of the presentations, as well as additional information and recommendations would be developed for the HSC. Mr. Terry said that if the MHB was prepared to move ahead after the June meeting, hc.would place the issue on the HSC's agenda for the July I meeting. Vi. REPORTS Community Education. his. Walker said that she and Mr. Saver met to discuss the MHB's community education objective. Ms. Walker said that they are recommending that the tiiHB sponsor a forum that is informative and educational about the Supreme Court's Olmstead decision. Mr. Saver reported that the Court held that the unnecessary segregation of individuals with disabilities in institutions may constitute discrimina- tion based upon disability. The Court ruled that the ADA may require states to provide community -based services rather than institutional placements for individuals with disabilities. He added that all states are supposed to be developing an implementation plan for Olmstead. Ms. Walker explained that the purpose of the forum would be to highlight what is and is not being done, at this point The plan would be to have a panel representing different interests on the topic, e.g., Illinois Department of Human Services, a representative from the Department of Justice, advocacy groups. Mr. Saver said that they wanted to determine whether there were any groups that wanted to partner in putting on the forum. Mr. Saver pointed out that this Supreme Court decision was the basis for the legislation that State Representative Hamos introduced in Springfield about helping people move out of INIDs. The MHB reviewed this issue earlier in the spring. his. Wiebe said that she thought that this was an important topic. There was a consensus of the MHB to pursue this forum. Mr. Terry commented that in a conversation with the Director of the Statewide Independent Living Council, he was told that unions also are having a role to play in the issue. Ile said that he was told State employees' unions have a vested interest in keeping all the institutions in place in order to maintain their members' jobs. Mr. Terry said that advocates believe that one candidate for Governor is very dependent upon the unions' support. They think that if this candidate wins in the fall, there would be little if any dcinstitutionalization under his administration. There are many conflicting and vested interests in this issue Mr. Rowitz said that Governor Ryan recently proposed to close Lincoln Developmental Center. However, after significant parental and union opposition, and the concern of the community where Lincoln is located, there seems to be a reversal on this issue and the facility will not close. 141r. Rowitz added that a recent Supreme Court ruling pared back on some of the provisions of the ADA. Aging Well Conference. his. Sittler reported that the Silver Images Film Festival on May I at the Evanston Public Library was very successful and well attended. There were approximately 70 attendees. Nancy Flowers, from the Commission on Aging, and Robyn Golden, from the Council for Jewish Elderly, lead an interesting group discussion after the videos. his. Sittler reminded the Board members that the Aging Well Conference would be the next morning at the King Home. She extended an invitation to the Board to stop in. May 09, 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 6 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Planning for Emergency Mental Health Responders. his. Razzano reported on the initial meeting of the task force to develop a coordinated response from mental health professionals in an emergency. She said that there was an initial discussion about the needs of Evanston, in comparison to the earlier presen- tation in March about the New Trier Community Response Plan. Cynthia Harris, Coordinator of the Victim Services Division and, Lieutenant Mike Perry, Evanston Police Department, presented about the protocol for a Police response in an emergency, and how- and when the Police social workers get involved. Currently, the Police social workers on the North Shore support each other when they are needed, but in Evanston there has not been any coordination with community agencies. Ms. Ra77nno said that she will be meeting with a subcommittee in the next two or threes weeps to develop recommendations to the larger group for what type of critical incidents the group should be planning for. Nis. Razzano commented that June 6 is her last day in her internship with the MHB, so she won't be at the next Board meeting. She thanked the Board for their support and expressed appreciation for the learning opportunity. Ms. SittIer thanked Ms. Razzano for helping her with her role in planning the Aging Well Conference. On behalf of the MHB, Nis. Grover thanked Ms. Razzano for her good work throughout the year, and wished her well in her future activities. VIII. CHAIR REPORT Nis. Grover said that she had preliminary discussions with representatives from the League of Women Voters and the Mental Health Association of the North Shore. Pending the election of the new officers in each organization, there is a tentative agreement to convene a candidates' forum about mental health issues in the fail. IX. STAFF REPORT Mr. Terry reported that July 13 Dolores Holmes Day in Evanston, in honor of her retirement from many years of leadership for Family Focus Evanston. He said that there would be a full day's worth of festivities, which we will learn more about later. Mr. Saver reported that two weeks ago he received several calls inquiring about rumors related to the plans far St. Francis Hospital's Comprehensive Mental Health Center (CMHC). He called Linda Lewandowski and, in response to his questions, she indicated that Resurrection Health Care has hired a new Director of Outpatient Behavioral Health Care Services. At the same time, Resurrection's plans are to move their outpa- tient behavioral health services out of their hospitals and into community settings. As a result, the plans call for moving CMHC, Addiction Recovery Center, and Intensive Outpatient Services somewhere in the commu- nity. He said that Ms. Lewandowski is beginning to look for space in south Evanston. In response to a question, Mr. Saver said that he thought the programs would need to locate in Evanston because their funds from OMH for psychiatric services were targeted to an Evanston population. Mr. Saver reported that SAhiHSA invited the City to reactivate the application that had been submitted about one year ago, but was not funded. The program was to provide training for early childhood development staff and teachers to implement an early intervention/prevention program in school and early childhood settings. The City was going to subcontract with Metropolitan Family Services to provide the services. He said that May 09, 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 7 Minutes recorded — not yet approved he received a phone call from the Grant officer at SAIIAHSA requesting that the City have the proposal reinstated. There was a great deal of urgency to get the decision made quickly. He said that the original parties to the grant application — the City, Metropolitan Family Services, and School District #65 — were all in agreement. He said that like many other things with the federal government, it was a case of hurry up and wait. After giving authorization to have the proposal reactivated, Mr. Saver said that he was told the decision would b made sometime within 10 days to 2 months, or so. He said he would notify Board members when there is a response. Mr. Saver reported that at the past Monday night City Council Meeting, Mayor Morton nominated Linda Laatsch to the Mental Health Board. He said that Ms. Laatsch would be presenting at the Aging Well Conference the next morning. Her nomination is scheduled to be voted on at the May 20 City Council Meeting. Ms. Walker reported that she attended a rally in the rain in Springfield yesterday where there were 1,500 people in attendance. It was a protest rally about the mental health budget. Among others, State Representa- tive Jeff Schoenberg spoke to the group. He said that he was working with others in the legislature to see that funds for mental health services are restored next year. Meeting adjourned at 9:00. Respectfully submitted, Joan M. Barott Secretary May 09, 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes page 8 Minutes recorded — not yet approved EVANSTON MENTAL HEALTH BOARD MEETING 1IINUTES THURSDAY, dUNE 13, 2002 Members Present Jane Grover, Carol Sittler, Linda Laatsch, Lonnie Wiebe, Gilbert i:rulee, Lou Ro►vitz, and Randy Walker Presiding: Jane Grover, Chair Staff: Jay Terry, Haney Saver, and Joan M. Barott Community Representatives: Ann Rainey (Alderman); Sandra Stumme (Metropolitan Family Services); Nicki Pearson (Childcare Network of Evanston Board); Pam Thomas (Evanston/ Skokie Valley Senior Services); Alexan- der Brown (Housing Options) Ms. Grover called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. I. INTRODUCTIONS AND COMMUNITY COMMENTS Ms. Grover welcomed the newest hiHB member Linda Laatsch. Ms. Grover welcomed the guests and asked that they introduce themselves. if. REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF MAY 9, 2002 MINUTES Hearing no objections, Ms. Grover said that the minutes of'the May 9, 2002 MHB meeting were accepted as presented. CONSIDERATION OF THE PROPOSED CONSOLIDATION OF EVANSTON'S HUMAN SERVICES FUNDING Ms. Grover said that the MHB had received a significant amount of input from agencies about the proposed consolidation of City Purchased Services and the MHB's funds. She said that she thought that, in this meeting, the MHB should be able discuss the issues and arrive at a decision about how to proceed. She reported that it was her goal to develop recommendations to send to the Human Services Committee about whether to proceed with consolidation. And if so, whether to do it in whole, or in pan in one form or another. In Susan Canter's absence, his. Grover read an e-mail from her that conveyed her thoughts on the matter. Ms. Canter said that she was able to identify both the pros and the cons, however, the pros outweigh the cons. And those agencies that do not clearly fit in can be included under the issue of "wellness." Ms. Canter said that she would opt for Alternative #l, "The immediate, full consolida- tion of all purchased services agencies with the MHB." Her second choice is Alternative #2, the immediate consolidation of the seven agencies that are already funded by the MHB. .tune 13, 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 1 Minutes recorded - not yet approved Mr. Krulee commented that if the NIHB emphasizes wellness. intervention, and prevention, almost everything has mental health implications. This is particularly the case for children, support for education, and schools. If you do not do it. you are asking for trouble later on. ).Jr. Krulce said that consolidation seems to be an obvious issue with the agencies that the MHB already funds. He added that he did not see anyway. however, to take some of the agencies and not take the others. His question was how to manage this and divide up the additional work. Mr. Krulee said that it is going to take some careful, innovative thought about how to manage the budget with new program areas. Mr. Rowitz commented that he has been supportive of consolidation from the very first discussion. He said that he supports Alternative =1. He recommended that [he 1%IHB sec mental health in a wider focus. If you see mental health as dealing with the wellness of the community, then you are dealing with all of the programs that are being discussed, and they all fit with the MHB. Mr. Rowitz said that he thought the advantage of a board like the INIHB is that it can be a little more objective, and can spend a little more time in looking at what all of the projects are all about. He added that the issues the MHB would raise are different from the questions that are raised by the HSC. Two reviews would be positive in this context. After the tiIHB's strong, objective review and develop- ment of funding recommendations, the HSC would have the opportunity to review the recommenda- tions and debate the politics. Mr. Rowitz suggested that if there were funding consolidation there would then be a community focus with a strong emphasis upon prevention in addition to a stronger secondary prevention focus. The MHB could look at services as a whole for the community. The funding process would be the same across the board. Mr. Rowitz commented that currently on the Board a number of people have a wider focus in their background, and are familiar with more than just mental health. Ms. Wiebe said that she was not concerned with how the group defines mental health or human services. It just depends upon how the Board wants to look at its role. They will always be able to deal with definitions. She commented that the proposed funding consolidation may be good for the agencies, clients, the community, and City Council, but she did not think it was good for the MHB for various reasons. But City government should be good for the community as a whole. Ms. Wiebe said she was apprehensive about hog;' the MHB would be able to manage the sheer amount of work involved. But she thought that the Board would be able to deal with it. She added that she was not worried about the Board losing anything. She said that for consolidation to occur it would require very careful thought about agreements between HSC and the NIHB, and what they are doing to- gether. All of this would need to be worked out before anything goes into place. Ms. Grover pointed out that from Jay Tetr}'s initial memorandum about consolidation, one possible disadvantage that was pointed out flowed from different funding philosophies. She discussed the current relationship between the HSC and MHB. She said that if all are in agreement about under- taking consolidation, the Board should again be talking directly to the HSC about funding recom- mendations and funding priorities. Ms. Sittler commented that she is in favor of consolidation. She said that should want more regular updates from all of the agencies than what is provided during the funding process. She added that she thought it would be more manageable if the MHB were to have at least one additional member. Ms. Sittler said that she spoke with ,'pis. Kalish, who could not be at the meeting, and she also was in favor of consolidation. Ms. Laatsch asked about the funding process and the efficiency of the consolidation. In response to a discussion about how the two application processes are currently implemented, she said that it June 13, 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 2 Minutes recorded — not yet approved made sense to her to have the various agencies only have to face one board that has teased out a single, specific funding process. Ms. Walker asked if consolidation were to come about, would the group continue to be called the Mental Health Board or the Human Services Board? Ms. Grover said that those types of issues may need to be worked out along the wa}. Mr. Rowitz commented that almost all of the programs that would be involved are eligible for funding at the federal level under SA.%tHSA. Their eligibility would fall under a broader definition of behavioral health, rather than mental health. Nis. Walker said she thinks that the community has taken a specific interest in mental health through the Mental Health Board. She said that she was concerned about moving away from it. She indi- cated that she saw the shift in focus being away from primary care for mental health to prevention. She said that much more funding is available for prevention and services to intervene with children. However, adults with severe mental illness always seem to be getting shorted in budget discussions. She pointed to the State's current budget debate to make her point. Ms. Walker said that the focus in the community through a Mental Health Board was what had her interested in participating and being involved. She indicated that she wanted to maintain what little funding was available for people with mental illness. Ms. Wiebe responded that one way to protect the various interest areas is through the participation of the people on the Board. She said that for her, as well, it is important to have that continual focus on severe and persistent mental illness. his, Wiebe said that she thought it would be possible to preserve the best of the mental health concerns. But the Board will need to figure out how to expand the vision. Mr. Rowitz moved and ;IIs. Sittler seconded a motion to recommend Alternative #1 "Immedi- ate consolidation of all purchased service agencies to the JIHB for monitoring and liaison, and for funding effective FY2003-2004." The NIHB reviewed the alternatives that were presented in the Board packet. There was a general discussion about the alternatives recommending partial consolidation being too fragmented. Motion approved unanimously (7 aye 0 no). Ms. Grover appointed Ms. Wiebe to serve as a Sub -committee with her to prepare a plan for consideration for full and immediate consolidation. Ms. Grover asked Alderman Rainey. Chair of the Human Services Committee, about what the best way would be for the MHB to present its analysis and recommendations to the HSC. Alderman Rainey said she thought it would be best to wait until the MHB actually had a more detailed plan to propose. Because the MHB won't be considering its own proposal until its July meeting. she suggested that the August HSC meeting would be the first opportunity for both groups to have an opportunity to discuss the issue and the %IHB to make an in-depth presentation. Alderman Rainey said that she thought it would be important to solicit input from the six or seven agencies that would be most effected by the MHB's proposal. its. Wicbe pointed out that all of the agencies had an opportunity to provide a response to the idea of consolidation and were invited to the MHB meetings for that purpose. There was a discussion about the possibility of inviting the agencies to respond in an n open forum to a draft plan. Mr. Terry said that he thought it would be is difficult to have a discussion of this nature with all the various bodies within the City that would be effected. He recommended that June 13, 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 3 Minutes recorded — not yet approved rather than the Sub -committee develop a specific proposal, it might be best to have the Sub- com- mittee come up with parameters under which the AIHB could discuss and negotiate the issue. He said that he thought the members of the HSC would have their own feelings about all of the various alternatives. IV. EVANSTO` HOMELESS CONTINUUM OF CARE Mr. Saver recalled for the MHB that Claire McCarthy Peterson, Chair of the Evanston Task Force of Homelessness (TFH), attended the February MHB meeting. She presented TFH's five-year strategic plan. She also described the Continuum of Care process in which recommendations are made to HUD each year about funding under the Super NOFA. Mr. Saver explained the Task Force on Homelessness' procedures. He said that Evanston was slated to receive approximately S667,000 in its pro rata share for next year by HUD. Mr. Saver said that the Task Force received two funding proposals for consideration. Both were proposals for renewal funding. The proposals were rank ordered as follows: 1. Housing Options for the Pathways Program. 2. Connections for the Homeless for the New Beginnings for Young Families Mr. Saver said that the Continuum of Care (CoC) was presented to the Housing Commission. The Commission is required to certify that the CoC is consistent with the City's Consolidated Plan. Additionally, the Continuum was presented to the Human Services Committee for their considera- tion. It must be adopted by the City Council before being sent on to HUD. Both of the agencies that are applying for HUD funding this year then attached the City's Continuum of Care to their proposal before sending it on to HUD. In response to a question, Mr. Saver said the City and the agencies wouldn't know what is being funded until late December 2002 or early January 2003. Mr. Saver said that the NIHB has no formal role in the CoC process. However, in previous years the MHB has opted to write a letter of support to HUD when it involves issues with which they are concerned. Mr. Saver pointed out that his. McCarthy Peterson was again the driving force in pulling the document together. She worked with a number of committees in generating data for the docu- ment, but she authored all of the updates and new sections. Ms. Wiebc said that she thought the CoC was an impressive document. ,tits. Wiebe moved and Ms. Walker seconded a motion to write a letter to HUD in support of the work of the Evanston Task Force on Homelessness and its 2002 Continuum of Care. Motion approved unanimously. V. AGENCY ACCOUNTABILITY Agency Liaison Reports (In Ms. Kalish's absence, Ms. Sittler gave the two following reports): Family Focus. The agency hired John Turner as the new Director, with an effective date of July I. Trilogy. The program will no longer be serving the individuals in Housing Options' SHP program. The agency chose to consolidate all of the case management services with Thresholds. June 13, 2002 Mental health Board Meeting Minutes Page 4 Minutes recorded — not yet approved NTSW. Ms. Sittler said she attended the NTSW Board Meeting and they reviewed their budget. Their United Way funding from Evanston and Skokie remains stable. They have a big project underway to develop a kitchen where clients can learn to cook and serve themselves. It will also be available for the staff. There has been a big fund raising effort for this project. They are 53,000 short but will sign a contract and get started. NTSW is chancing much of their program to psycho- social rehabilitation. This will enable them to pick up additional funding through Medicare. This will make a big difference in their budget this coming year. They did have to lay off 2.6 FTE, and cut back on psychiatric consultations. Nis. Sittler said that the Board has a discussion and decided that they would begin to move their operations more closely under Thresholds' structure. Housing Options. Alexander Brown was asked to provide an update on his agency's activity. He said that that after careful review of the property inspection for the Emerson property, they decided not to pursue the property. He said that the good news was that they had almost no negative feed- back in response to letters that the agency sent to the community about their proposed acquisition. They had an open informational meeting and only four people showed up. In response to a ques- tion, Mr. Brown said that Housing Options has no intention of moving out of Evanston. He said that there might be a program that would be developed in an adjacent community in the future, but there are no plans for that at this point. St. Francis/Resurrection Hospital. Ms. Wiebe said that she would be in contact to confirm what will be happening with either the movement or non -movement of the outpatient Behavioral Health Care Services. Mr. Saver added that he has not been able to get any formal word about what will be happening with the inpatient psychiatric unit. Ms. Grover asked if Ms. Laatsch if she was prepared to take on a Liaison assignment, or would she prefer to wait awhile? Ms. Laalsch elected to be Liaison to PEER Services. She asked that she be sent material about the agency and its last funding proposal. Mr. Saver said that Agency Quarterly Narrative Reports would be included in the July packet. Based upon the Board's decisions earlier about funding consolidation, he said he would include copies of the reports from the agencies that arc not funded by the MHB, as well. VI. REPORTS Planning of Emergency Mental Health Responders. Mr. Saver reported that there was a second meeting of the group that is planning a mental health response to critical incidents. There is a good core of people that are interested in working on the plan. They arc trying to take advantage of information that other communities have developed for this purpose. Recently, Tom Janetske, Assistant Director of the City's Emergency Management Agency and from the Fire Department, provided an overview of what the City's Emergency Plan looks like and what types of structures and responses need to go into the plan. Mr. Saver said that they would be developing a survey that will be sent to agencies to identify the mental health resources that would be available in the community to respond to a critical incident. They will also be developing some type of command structure to call out resources in an emer- gency, and to coordinate the response. Training will also be provided for the entire network that is developed so that all involved would be working with the same information, and have a consistent June 13, 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 5 Minutes recorded — not yet approved set of expectations for their responses. He said that the GlemiewrNorthbrook network is providing training later in the month for the agencies that are a part of their response system. They offered a couple of spots for people from Evanston, so he will try to participate. Mr. Saver pointed out that what is being developed is a crisis response netw-ork, and not therapy. He said that the group would also do some tabletop exercises to test the network. Mr. Janetske developed a very useful scenario for this purpose for the management staff of Health and Human Services few months ago. Ms. Wiebe asked what the relationship was between State and Federal planning for emergencies? Is every community doing their own thing, or are they hooking up together as a part of a larger plan? Mr. Saver said that the group he is working with is developing one specific part of what is a much larger plan for the Evanston community. Each City department has an annex, or chapter, in the plan, with its own specific requirements. Mr. Saver said that there is not an integrated plan in place for mental health issues related to critical incidents. He said, however, that as a part of the planning process he thought that arrangements might be made so that if emergency mental health responders were not able to handle a specific type of emergency, then a network from another community might be able to lend assistance. That will require that all the individuals involved would be similarly trained and using the same language. The police social workers in nearby communities already do this for each other around critical incidents. Mr. Terry explained that the definition of disaster or emergency has changed in the last year, as have the requirements for a disaster plan. There is a national network of disaster planning that is run through the State and the County. The County Sheriff runs the County Disaster Preparedness Agency. There are liaisons through State and County officials and local coordination. He reported that there were contingency plans in the works for July 4. There is a general anxiety that something might occur within the country as it relates to the 4' of July, but nothing specific has been cited. VI. REPORT FROM THE CHAIR Ms. Grover said that she included in the packet an updated sheet with background information on the all of the MHB members. Ms. Grover said she polled the N1H13 members to determine people's availability for the summer months. Due to a lack of a quorum, there will be no August meeting. Saturday, July 13, 2002, is Delores Holmes' Day, to honor her upon her retirement. There is going to be an extensive program and an ice cream social. Mr. Terry said that the planning group would like to have the various groups in town that are familiar with her work to participate. He suggested that a MHB member be designated to attend and give a presentation. Ms. Grover said the MHB would consider a proclamation at the July meeting. VH. ELECTION OF OFFICERS FOR 02-03 Ms. Grover reviewed the Nominating Committee's report for MHB Officers for 2002-2003 that was delivered at the May meeting. She asked if there wee any nominations from the moor. Mr. Ro►tiitz moved and Mr. Krulee seconded a motion to accept by acclimation the nomination of Jane Grover as Chair and Carol Sittler as Vice -Chair for the Mental Health Board's 2002-2003 program year. Motion passed unanimously (7 aye — 0 no). June 13, 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 6 Minutes recorded — not yet approved VIII. STAFF REPORT Mr. Saver reported that some of the mental health service funding was restored in the final FY02-03 State Budget. The community mental health service program funding that was going to be cut by 5.5% and targeted reductions were restored to FYOI-02 levels. The appropriations for programs for persons with developmental disabilities that were going to be cut by 2.5% were all restored to the FYO1-02 funding level. The 2% cost of doing business adjustment, retroactive to April 1, 2002 was vetoed by the Governor and was not restored by the General Assembly. Mr. Saver said that most of the agencies that the MHB deals with that receive DHS funding will not be receiving cuts in their State funding, however this is the third year that this level will remain unchanged. Mr. Rowitz commented that some regional offices have been cut back significantly. In addition, the Zell Mental Center will be closed, and the Elgin and Alton Mental Health Centers will be downsized significantly. Mr. Saver said that some of this money is going to be transferred to community hospital and outpatient service agencies. The office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse was being reduced by 2% for treatment services. There was an additional I % reduction, or 5800,000, for the treatment appropriation when the Governor's line item veto reduction was not restored. Mr. Terry said that staff was recently informed about a lawsuit that was settled against the City of Evanston. It was related to a police chase. All of the details are or will be in the Evanston Review. There was significant information related to an individual's mental health record that the Judge would not let be entered into the record because of confidentiality requirements. The jury found against the City and awarded S l 1 million to the victim of the police chase. The City is planning to appeal, and this will take some time. Mr. Terry said that depending upon the outcome of the appeal, this might have a tremendous impact. There is no insurance to cover this, so bonds will probably have to be floated to cover the award. Meeting adjourned at 9:00. Respectfully submitted, Joan M. Barott June 13, 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 7 Minutes recorded — not yet approved EVANSTON MENTAL HEALTH BOARD MEETING i1IIN UTES THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2002 Members Present Jane Grover, Carol Sittler, Lonnie Wiebe, Sue Canter, Victoria Kalish, and Randy Walker Presiding: Jane Grover, Chair Staff: Harvey Saver, and Joan M. Barott Community Sandra Stumme (IiFS), Sue Ann Glaser (CNE Board), Representatives: Sandi Johnson (NSSC), Martha Arntson (CNE) Chair Grover called the meeting to order at 7: ] 0 p.m. 1. INTRODUCTIONS AND COMMUNITY COMMENTS Chair Grover welcomed the guests and asked that they introduce themselves. 11. REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF JUNE 13, 2002 MINUTES Chair Grover commented that the June 13, 2002 minutes were accepted. III. CONSIDERATION OF PROPOSAL FOR CONSOLIDATION OF EVANSTON'S HUMAN SERVICES FUNDING Chair Grover referred to the draft memorandum written by Lonnie Wiebe, Gil Krulee, Jane Grover and Harvey Saver that outlines recommendations or "parameters" for consolidation of human services funding. The draft memo would be presented to the Human Services Committee (HSC) explaining how the MHB reached the conclusion last month, and what the MHB discussed as parameters for consolidation. Chair Grover stated that the memorandum attaches a summary of the hearing testimony in a chart form showing pros and cons. She commented that it is important to show the chronology of the MHB's consolidation discussions (since February, 2002). Ms. Wiebe asked if anyone needed more information about the proposed July 11, 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 1 Minutes recorded — not yet approved consolidation before it goes to the HSC. Chair Grover commented that the committee discussed that all agencies, both MHB-funded, and City -funded, get a separate specific notice of the HSC agenda item for the August or September meeting. Ms. Canter suggested that the memorandum include the dates of the ApriUMay hearings. Nis. Sittler commented there is a possibility for an increased workload for the MHB. The attached chart mentions that the MHB might revise its by-laws and procedures and add new members. Ms. Wiebe commented that the committee discussed the possibility of changing the MHB's name and restating its mission. Ms. Sittler felt that the MHB's name should be preserved at this time. Chair Grover commented that consolidation could go forward and then the MHB could better determine what revisions need to be made in its procedures. Ms. Canter suggested that if consolidation does take place adjustments could be initiated by the MHB as needed. Chair Grover stated that with no other changes or comments to the draft memorandum, it will stand as discussed. There being no objections, motion passed. Ms. Canter wondered if the memorandum would be presented at the August HSC meeting and wondered if MHB members should be present. Mr. Saver will send a notice if the proposed consolidation will be on the HSC agenda for August. IV. CONSIDERATION OF PROCLAMATION IN RECOGNITION FOR DELORES HOLMES Chair Grover thanked Mr. Saver for crafting a plaque to be presented to Delores Holmes, retiring executive director of Family Focus. Motion passed unanimously to present the plaque to Ms. Holmes. Chair Grover requested that this Resolution - of the Evanston Mental Health Board to placed in the minutes. The Resolution proclaims: "Whereas Delores Holmes gave 25 years of service to the Evanston community as the _ Director of Family Focus; Whereas, Delores Holmes shepherded her programs to =- grow, expand, and evolve to consistently respond to the changing social, emotional, and educational needs of family Focus Our Place's families and youth; Whereas, Delores Holmes was always vigilant in monitoring mentoring the involvement of the youth of Family Focus Our Place throughout their experiences in the Evanston schools; _ July S1, 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 2 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Whereas, if it takes a village to raise a child, Delores Holmes has been the local planner to see that the village has been in place for so many thousands of children; Therefore be it resolved by the Evanston dental Health Board that Delores Holmes is given our thanks for serving as the Evanston Lighthouse that guided her charges though the storm of adolescence, and for being a compelling positive force on the mental health of the Evanston Community." The Delores Holmes Day will take place on Saturday, 13, 2002, from noon to 4:00p. Susan Canter offered to appear on behalf of the MHB to make the presentation. Mr. Saver will attend this ceremony also. V. AGENCY ACCOUNTABILITY Agency Liaison Reports Ms. Wiebe commented that not all the Quarterly Narrative Reports were received and were therefore not attached to the minutes. Ms. Wiebe noted that Housing Options' report is has thorough information about performance objectives. Resurrection Hospital (St. Francis): Ms. Wiebe commented that she spoke with Linda Lewandowski who had planned to address the MHB this month, but was unable to do so. Ms. Lewandowski requests a place on the September MHB agenda. Behavioral Health Care Services will continue to be located in Resurrection Hospital and will cover a northeast region of the Chicago metropolitan area including Holy Family Hospital. There Nvill be one director for this region. ti1s. Lewandowski commented that the space in which they work had been built for mental health services. Resurrection's reorganization will be complete by September. Ted Testa has left Resurrection Hospital. Ms. Wiebe stated that Resurrection's job descriptions and staff positions will be in place by September 1, 2002. tics. Wiebe stated that Resurrection's Quarterly Report was not received. Mr. Saver added that Resurrection has not returned its Purchase of Services Contract. Ms. Wiebe commented that Mr. Joe Kestenbaum would be visiting in the Evanston area next week. Mr. Saver commented that funds would not be released to Resurrection until the executed Contract had been submitted. Teen Baby Nursery (Infant Welfare Society): Sue Canter visited the Teen Baby July 11, 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 3 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Nurser), and commented that it is a wonderful facility with great teachers. The facility, open for fourteen years, focuses on prevention of pregnancy for teen-age moms at ETHS. Many of the children whose parents participated in the program as teens are now are approaching the teen years themselves and it will be interesting to see if there are any children who return as parents. Ms. Canter passed out the Childcare Network's new brochure. VI. SUININIARY OF SPRING LEGISLATIVE SESSION Mr. Saver commented that MHB is the only non -service provider agency that has a membership with [this organization]. Membership is comprised of small to very large social service organizations that are providing mental health services. Are of Illinois handles the entire sector of services for people with developmental disabilities. It is a trade agency (a 501(C)(4)) which does education and legislative lobbying. Mr. Saver stated there are several State facilities affected by the State budget difficulties. Zeller Mental Health Center is closing and the Elgin and Alton facilities are being downsized. The Lincoln Development Center was to be closed last year and this has been handled through the budget this year. Mr. Saver stated that some of the individuals will be placed in the community other individuals will be placed in other State institutions. %Is. Wiebe feels that it is important to have a public forum on the Supreme Court decision in the Qlrnstead case and the State's compliance with that decision. The State's Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse is being cut. They are being reduced by approximately 2.2% of last year for treatment services. Prevention services are being changed. PEER Services has a prevention grant and they will be reorganizing the way the prevention services are being provided in various regions. Lekotek sites are being maintained at the cost of $731,000. They received approximately 80% of their budget from last year. Mr. Saver commented on a bill which affects the MHB. It authorizes the MHB to enter into multiple year contracts with respect to the provision of services and the employment of personnel. VIi. STAFF REPORT PIanning of Emergency lliental Health Responders: Mr. Saver commented that he July 11, 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 4 Minutes recorded -- not yet approved participated in the five-day Glenbrook/Northbrook training for emergency mental health responders. The training is called SCAT -- School Community Assistant Teams. The Mental Health Association of Illinois (MHAI) received a substantial grant several years ago from the Attorney's General Office to provide training for Victim Assistance professionals. Mr. Saver illustrated how the emergency responders would respond to a crisis within its district. The Mental Health Association would be called out to brine in some of their trained volunteer staff. Mr. Saver commented the training gave everyone a good overview of emergency response and the same framework and command structure to work within. The group continues to meet and met last Tuesday to start talking about structural issues. Mr. Saver stated it is important to have representation from both high school and hospitals. Next month, a fire -police chaplain will make a presentation. Mr. Saver will be training and certifying potential volunteers, and coordinating emergency plans for mental health issues. The group will be looking at available agencies and training information. Ms. Wiebe commented that the City of Evanston needs this total community organization to deal with catastrophes. Air. Saver commented Mr. Terry directs the Citizen Emergency Plan under the Health Department for bioterrorism. Mr. Saver recalled a fire emergency in the North Shore Retirement Hotel and how it was handled and how everyone wanted to assist. Ms. Sittler asked if Northwestern was involved with the Citizen Emergency Plan, and Mr. Saver stated not yet. Air. Saver commented that at the training they talked about their local networks of service providers. Randy Walker commented that the Red Cross offers a two/three day crisis intervention training for their licensed clinical counselors, which puts those counselors on an international list to respond to another crisis such as Oklahoma City. Ms. Walker wondered if the MHB could compile a list of professionals in Evanston who can assist with local crises. Mr. Saver commented that The Family Institute sponsored a training program (20 persons) in March for emergency response. Mr. Saver and tits. Nancy Flowers (Commission on Aging) completed the training and were certified. The Family Institute is planning another training and Evanston Hospital is planning similar training in September/October 2002 for community crisis intervention. The Family Institute hopes to do another training within the community. July 11, 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 5 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Nfr. Saver stated the grant application to [SAHMSA] has been reactivated. The grant award was in conjunction with Metropolitan Family Services for three years, totaling S400,000. Mr. Saver suggested that he will have to develop a new grant structure and contract with the City's Finance and Budget office. Ms. Sandra Stumme (Metropolitan) remarked that it does not take long to spend this amount of money when most of the grant will be spent on staff salaries. [SAENISA] was pleased with the program chosen for the grant, called The Incredible Years Program, which is from Washington. Incredible Years involves working with teachers, parents an- students all at the same time. Metropolitan anticipates assigning two staff members to work with the parents and the children and a program director to handle the administrative work involved in such a federal grant and to manage the program. Ms. Stumme stated that 10% of the grant must be set aside for program evaluation. Mr. Saver commented that he will be attending a grant management workshop (September 26- 27, 2002) required by the grantor. VII. CHAIR REPORT Chair Grover commented on the recent U.S. Supreme Court finding that execution of the mentally retarded is an unconstitutional as it violates the 8' Amendment proscription of cruel and unusual punishment. This is an issue the MHB discussed two years and addressed to Governor Ryan. The decision hinged on the fact that several states, such as Illinois, have passed laws exempting the mentally retarded from the death penalty. Chair Grover stated there is no August MHB meeting. The next meeting is September 12, 2002. Meeting adjourned at 8:45 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Joan M. Barott July 11, 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 6 Minutes recorded — not yet approved EVANSTON MENTAL HEALTH BOARD MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2002 Members Present Jane Grover, Carol Sittler, Lonnie Wiebe, Sue Canter, Victoria Kalish, Lou Rowitz, Gil Krulee, Linda Laatsch, and Randy Walker Presiding: Jane Grover, Chair Staff: Jay Terry, and Joan M. Barott Community Sandra Stumme (MFS), Helen Roberts Evans (CCC), Representatives: Sandi Johnson (NSSC), Martha Arntson (CNE), Karen Helfrich (Trilogy), Alexander Brown, Debbie Johnson (Housing Options), Jon Niehus (BE HIV), and Linda Lewandowski (St. Frances/Resurrection) Chair Grover called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. I. INTRODUCTIONS AND COMMUNITY COMMENTS Chair Grover welcomed the guests and asked that they introduce themselves. [I. REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF JULY 09, 2002 MINUTES Chair Grover commented that the July 09, 2002 minutes were accepted. III. RESURRECTION BEHAVORIAL HEALTH CARE SERVICES (Formerly St. Francis Hospital) Chair Grover welcomed Linda Lewandowski (Resurrection Behavioral Health Care Services). Chair Grover remarked that Lonnie Wiebe is the liaison to Resurrection Behavioral Health Care. September 12, 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 1 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Ms. Lewandowski gave a brief history of St. Francis Hospital's mental health services, which were begun in 1962. At this time the name reference was ACGC, Adult Child Guidance Center. The current name is Resurrection Behavioral Health Care at St. Francis, the Comprehensive Mental Health Center Addiction Recovery Center. Ms. Lewandowski stated that they are supported by the Evanston United Way, Mental Health Board and grants from OMH. She stated that they accept private insurance, Medicare/Medicaid, and offer a substantial sliding fee scale. Services include group, individual, family, and couples' treatment, psychiatric assessments, medication evaluation and management, psychosocial testing and consultation, and a psychiatric medication sample program. The Center ran a successful bilingual program in the Evanston Township High School last year in which seventeen (girls) participated. This year they are hoping to have two Spanish-speaking groups in the high school. They have 9 staff FTE's in the mental health centers, 3 in the addiction recovery center and 7 in the intensive outpatient center, 4 psychiatrists all who work part time, 8 social workers full time, and several part time personnel. Five years ago, Resurrection Hospital purchased St. Francis Hospital. Two years later, it purchased ProCare, which is the old Proviso East/West mental health center. Resurrection made a commitment to provide a systemwide behavioral health service line, and a strategic plan was developed to facilitate this. Resurrection System includes 8 hospitals, and they are hoping to develop behavioral health systems in all of them. It is a mission driven hospital, providing respectful low-cost or free services persons who need mental health services. There are 7 service lines. Lonnie Wiebe stated that this is a very impressive range of services. Ms. Lewandowski stated that she is interviewing candidates for the position of Outpatient Director of the Behavioral Center, and will advise when a decision has been made. Carol Sittler inquired as to a percentage of clients who are Evanston residents. Ms. Lewandowski stated that the percentage is quite high. Ms. Lewandowski stated that they try to coordinate with other services in the community. Chair Grover thanked Ms. Lewandowski for her presentation. IV, LIAISON ASSIGNMENTS Chair Grover explained that with the incorporation of six additional agencies, MHB September 12, 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 2 Minutes recorded — not yet approved members need to assume another liaison assignment. The assignments were made for BE -HIV, Legal Assistance Foundation, Teen Baby Nursery, Youth Job Center, Y.O.U., and the Child Care Center. Chair Grover stated at this time no additional members will be added. This matter will be addressed Spring, 2003. V. AGENCY ACCOUNTABILITY Quarterly Narrative Reports (Second Quarter) Ms. Wiebe thanked again Ms. Lewandowski, Resurrection Behavioral Health Care Services, for her presentation. Family Institute: Ms. Canter stated that Sharon Pines is no longer with Family Institute and the contract person is Rosemary Wolohan. Ms. Wolohan produced the Quarterly Narrative Report. Reading through the report, it appears that things are going very well with the programs in the high school, which are the ones that the MHB funds. Childcare Nework: Ms. Canter has been attending the board meetings of Childcare Network. Chris and Ms. Canter will meet at one of the agencies where the students and families are involved with Project Help. Ms. Canter stated that she has been to two of these meetings and she is interested in attending another meeting at the Childcare Network Board Meeting. VI. FY2003-2004 FUNDING SCHEDULE Chair Grover referred to the sidebar of the September 12, 2002, Agenda, covering the MHB Funding Calendar. Chair Grover explained the procedure and asked for volunteers to serve on the Allocation Committee. The funding proposals are due September 20, 2002, consisting of a ten -page narrative, and approximately 8 pages of budget forms. This will give MHB three weeks to review them. The first four hearings (Dimensions, Trilogy, Infant Welfare Society, and The Family Institute) will take place on October 10, 2002 at the MHB's regular meeting which will begin at 6:00p.m. Dinner will be provided. These are agencies that are funded only by the MHB. If all the proposals have been read, there maybe enough time to September 12, 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 3 Minutes recorded — not yet approved actually do the preliminary review as we did last year, highlighting issues and raising questions in anticipation of the October 19, 2002, funding hearing. Saturday, October 19, 2002, the MHB will hear sixteen funding hearings starting at 8:30a.m. until 2:00p.m. in joint panels with the Evanston United Way. She anticipates two breaks during the hearings. At the regular November 14, 2002 MHB meeting, the MHB will discuss the allocation decisions. The Allocation Committee will have met sometime between Saturday October 19 and the November 14, 2002, MHB meeting, and will have written out its allocation recommendations. Ms. Sittler and Ms. Kalish stated that they would be unable to attend the October 10, 2002 MHB hearing meeting. Ms. Wiebe suggested that the MHB members look at the Objectives, and what the agencies are doing to reach these objectives. Allocation Committee: Chair Grover explained the role of the Allocation Committee. Lonnie Wiebe and Sue Canter will serve on the Allocation Committee, with Carol Sittler as an alternate. Carol Sittler will serve on the Aging Well Planning Committee which is planned for (May) the Spring, 2003. IV. CHAIR REPORT Chair Grover remarked upon the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Adkins v. Virginia in which the Court found that imposition of the death penalty upon mentally retarded persons was unconstitutional. Chair Grover stated an introductory letter was sent to the new agencies explaining the MHB and its work. VIII. STAFF REPORT Mr. Terry commented that the Department Heads had a retreat with the City Council a few weeks ago. The general overall budget guidance has no dramatic changes. The instructions received from the City Manager is to come with a maintenance budget. The process the City manager has adopted is that a budget would be submitted only if there would be a change. If no budget change is received by a deadline, then last September 12, 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 4 Minutes recorded —not yet approved year's budget automatically goes into the 2003-2004 budget. The departmental budgets will be submitted with minor changes and all within a fixed bottom line. Every one of the City's labor agreements (Police, Fire, Sanitation) is in negotiation right now. SAHMSA Grant - Mr. Terry commented the SAHMSA grant with Metropolitan Family Services is moving forward. Mr. Terry stated he had met with John Turner, new Director of Family Focus. Mr. Terry also met with John Ames, Director of BE -HIV. Mr. Terry reported a drowning of an Albany Care resident a few weeks ago; the cause is undetermined. This past weekend there was a suicide at the 2300 Noyes Court senior building. The MHB will not have an intern this year due to Mr. Saver's medical leave. Meeting adjourned at 8:15. Respectfully submitted, .loan M. Barott September 12, 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 5 EVANSTON MENTAL HEALTH BOARD MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2002 Members Present: Jane Grover, Lou Rowitz, Randy Walker, Lonnie Wiebe, Gil Krulee, Susan Canter, and Linda Laatsch Presiding: Jane Grover, Chair Staff: Jay Terry, Joan Barott Community Representatives: Kate Mahoney (Dimensions; PEER Services), Carolyn Ellis, Margaret Norton (Dimensions; Connections for the Homeless), Joy Richards (Dimensions; St. Francis/Resurrection); Sharon Pines (The Family Institute); Karen Helfrich, Bill Fisher (Trilogy); Mary Lee Swiatiowiec, Kate Trippi (infant Welfare Society, Teen Baby Nursery); Martha Arntson (Childcare Network): Karen Wertymer, Sandra Stumme (Metropolitan Family Services), Pam Thomas (NSSC) Carolyn Coglianese (Housing Options). Chair Grover called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. 1. INTRODUCTIONS AND COMMUNITY COMMENTS The members of the audience introduced themselves and were welcomed by the Board. I1. FY 2003-2004 MHB FUNDING HEARINGS Chair Grover explained the procedures for the funding hearings: each agency has 30 minutes for its presentation, with 5 minutes at the conclusion for wrap- up or additional questions. October 10, 2002, Mental Health board Meeting Minutes Page 1 The Family Institute: Chair Grover welcomed The Family Institute presenter, Sharon Pines, Interim Director of Development and consultant. The new Director of Development is Dan Dever. Ms. Pines stated that the proposal this year is very similar to last year's. Ms. Pines commented that the needs of the population are greater because of society pressures are greater due to economic downturn. They have seen a lot more stress on individuals and families coming to The Family Institute. The Family Institute, along with the other agencies, are having a terrible time keeping up with funding, let alone trying to find other sources for funding. Foundations and corporate giving programs have cut back and individual donations are also declining. The Family Institute's programs have not changed. There are two categories of programs. The Outreach Program works in the community. There are three community outreach sites, including Evanston Township High School's Anger Management Program, a program at Family Focus (not funded by the MHB), and the Latino program which sends therapists into the home. Ms. Pines noted there is an increased need among Latino families, which is far from being met. Some of the needs of the Latino families are hidden needs and found out at the time of working with the clients. The Family Institute's Latino therapist works with the Latino community and the cultural and language barriers are somewhat overcome. The Latino therapist will go to a client's home if this is more convenient. The Family Institute works with agencies, and churches that work with Latino community to see what the needs are. The Family Institute has a Family and Child Clinic with a sliding fee scale. The Clinic is located at The Family Institute. The Family Institute is very interrelated with other providers and agencies in Evanston and receives referrals from social workers, mental health providers, social service organizations, etc. The Family Institute's services do not reach into childcare centers. Ms. Pines stated that The Family Institute is requesting funding their program October 10, 2002, Mental Health board Meeting Minutes Page 2 at the Evanston Township High School their work with Latino families and the work for families, who come in through the clinic. She remarked that corporations or foundations will fund very few organizations in Evanston. The Evanston Community Foundation has funded The Family Institute's anger management program, but that funding is gone this year. This is being replaced by some funding by the high school. In the past, The Family Institute presented a budget on partial salaries. Ms. Pines stated this is for the Latino Program, Carl Hampton at Evanston Township High School, and the clients seen at the clinic. Ms. Pines stated there is a senior staff practice, which generates income, staffed by experienced therapists and, in several of the programs, graduate students who work under the supervision of the therapist. The Family Institute considers its Anger Management Program a success and will move this program forward. Ms. Pines Ms. Pines stated their Anger Management Program is going very well. Mr. Branch, associate principal of ETHS, (9-101 grades), really loves the program as well as Mr. Allison. Alternatives to suspension are offering a student a few therapy sessions with his family and a conflict resolution. Ms. Pines commented that they receive many referrals. Ms. Pines stated that Y.O.U. has an outpost at Nichols and Chute schools. Ms. Pines commented that the Family Institute was very grateful for the past years of support from the MHB. Chair Grover thanked the Ms. Pines for her presentation. Trilogy/Evanston: Chair Grover welcomed Trilogy/Evanston Presenters Karen Helfrich, Director/Evanston and Bill Fisher, Trilogy Board Member, and explained the hearing procedures. Ms. Helfrich stated she is again asking for funding for Trilogy/Evanston their Activities Program, i.e., camping, theatre, etc. Ms. Helfrich stated there is a October 10, 2002, Mental Health board Meeting Minutes Page 3 part-time individual who does the coordinating and facilitates the larger activities. His position is underwritten by another funding stream from the Department of Mental Health. For the Activities Program there is no staff or personnel costs. Ms. Helfrich stated they are trying to teach clients how to have fun, do things together, plan social engagements, and execute social engagement in a civilized way. Many clients have been isolated and critically ill, and have not learned the skills to make a satisfying leisure life, make friends, maintain friends, or develop interests. Ms. Helfrich commented that the clients have formed their own coffee night on Friday night which is totally separate from Trilogy. Ms. Helfrich stated this is done by an inner core and it varies in attendance from seven to ten people. This is Trilogy's third annual funding request to the MHB and Ms. Helfrich remarked that if the MHB did not fund the Activities Program, it could not happen. There is no money in their State grants for socialization. Ms. Helfrich commented that they are trying to recruit participants from Greenwood Care and Albany Care. Ms. Helfrich commented that they do a lot of volunteer tutoring. Ms. Helfrich stated that there are a number of tutors in Albany Care. Five of Trilogy's former Housing Options clients are continuing to participate in the check -in group and activities with Housing Options. Ms. Helfrich stated all clients in the Activities Program are Evanston residents. Ms.Helfrich stated that no Hispanic clients participate in the Activity Program, although Trilogy in Rogers Park does have Latino clients. Ms. f Helfrich commented that most of the clients live on their own, with the exception of one Greenwood Care resident. Ms. Helfrich feels that the clients of Trilogy are very grateful for the Activity Program. Ms. Helfrich described an outing to Wadsworth (Lipzizian Horse Show) which was a success. Ms. Helfrich commented that she feels with these activities the clients become less isolated. They appear to pay attention more to personal hygiene, appearance, and clothes because of the socialization. October 10, 2002, Mental Health board Meeting Minutes Page 4 Ms. Helfrich commented that effective July 01, 2002, SHIFT money from Housing Options was transferred to Thresholds from Trilogy for case management services to Housing Options clients living in scattered site apartments. The contract was worth approximately $52,000. She suggested that Housing Options transferred the contract for administrative simplicity. Chair Grover thanked Karen Helfrich and Bill Fisher for their presentation. Infant Welfare Society (Teen Baby Nursery): Chair Grover welcomed Infant Welfare (Teen Baby Nursery) presenters Mary Lee Swiatiowiec, Director, and Katie Trippi, Board member, and explained the MHB procedure for the hearing. Ms. Swiatiowiec commented that the teens enrolled in their program must be an Evanston resident and enrolled in ETHS or a District #65 school or an alternative school as part of the Evanston school system. The three main goals have been to help the girls succeed towards graduation, raise their child, teach them parenting skills, and postpone a second pregnancy. This year, Teen Baby has put in a system tracking 25 different items of services that the girls are receiving. This information is being complied quarterly. Ms. Swiatiowiec stated that the agency has noticed that the mothers who participate in the program are increasingly younger, that is, the agency is seeing more eighth graders, freshmen, and sophomores. Mr. Rowitz asked if Teen Baby was developing some sort of joint programming that crosses over multiple agencies. Ms. Trippi commented their findings were that teen parents need such a network of service. One agency cannot provide all that is needed. The Evanston Health Department, counselors at high school, and persons from District #65 meet monthly to discuss what these girls need. At the present time there are 12 children enrolled in preschool, Infant Welfare Society works with prenatal moms who are able to stay at the high school. Infant Welfare's program is located at the Family Focus building and the transitional leaming center should the girls wish October 10, 2002, Mental Health board Meeting Minutes Page 5 to be tutored. When the babies are six -weeks old they become eligible for the nursery so the moms can go back to school. Many of the former parents do come back to Infant Welfare to share their success stories. Ms. Trippi commented that Infant Welfare does some of the supplemental parenting classes. While the girls are pregnant, they go to Family Focus for their education through District 202. Funding comes from various sources and this is a very expensive program. Ms. Trippi stated that the City of Evanston came to Infant Welfare in 1987 and asked that they open this up with no cost to the agency. Ms. Trippi remarked that services for children with special needs have been part of Infant Welfare services. Every child in their program is screened every year for developmental problems and further assessment is done is there are any concerns. Ms. Canter described her visit to Teen Baby Nursery and was very impressed with this agency. Chair Grover commented that the MHB accounts for 30% of Infant Welfare's program budget. Approximately 5 years ago the City funded 60 to 70% of Infant Welfare's program budget. An Early Headstart grant was received from the Federal Government which encompasses all of the children at Teen Baby Nursery and another 15 to 20 clients at the Baby Toddler nursery. Ms. Swiatiowiec stated through Early Headstart there is a father group. Ms. Trippi extended an invitation to all MHB members to visit Infant Welfare Society (Teen Baby Nursery). Chair Grover thanked Mary Lee Swiatiowiec and Kate Trippi for their presentation. October 10, 2002. Mental Health board Meeting Minutes Page 6 Dimensions: Chair Grover welcomed Dimensions presenters Kate Mahoney (PEER Services), Carolyn Ellis (Connections for the Homeless), and Joy Richards (St. Francis/Resurrection Hospital). Kate Mahoney commented that from the introductions, one can see what a collaborative effort Dimensions is. Ms. Mahoney stated that the Dimensions Program was started in response to both the Community Substance Abuse Roundtable and the Mental Health Board. Dimensions recognizes dual diagnosis as an issue in Evanston. Many agencies in Evanston were dealing with clients with both mental health and substance abuse issues. This was a chance to design and integrated a program that would put the two components together. Connections for the Homeless hosts houses the program and does outreach and case management for homeless who are dually diagnosed. Ms. Mahoney stated that Joy Richardson brings clinical expertise to the program and PEER Services provides the administration and plays the fiduciary role. Carolyn Ellis commented that she has three resources on which to draw, that are equally different, strong, and important and noted that by working together, the program has been strengthened. Ms. Mahoney commented that one of the important things is that the clients can count on the resources of all three organizations. Ms. Mahoney commented that this has been a good year for them. They have added a number of volunteers who bring a variety of components to the program. A volunteer who does psychodrama (Joy Richardson explained this is something like Second City where clients get involved in playing the roles and resolving issues using drama), a volunteer does shopping, a volunteer who is himself dually diagnosed, runs a 12-step meeting. Ms. Mahoney stated that approximately 25% of the clients are homeless. Ms. Mahoney commented that most of the traditional mental health housing programs are very skeptical of a person who has had a substance abuse problem. Ms. Mahoney commented that most of the clients are on October 10, 2002. Mental Health board Meeting Minutes Page 7 medications but some do not have access to medications. Dimensions is a true collaboration and is very unique. Ms. Laatsch remarked that that clients who are alcoholic and have another diagnosis to go to a dual diagnosis meeting. Ms. Mahoney commented that these past two years a conference has been sponsored as and outreach tool and to educate community providers about dual diagnosis issues. This year the conference has a slightly different plan to go on -site to different agencies and do in-service training within their staff meetings. Dimensions is trying to make its services more accessible. Ms. Mahoney commented that they have had clients visit to see if the group is for them. Ms. Mahoney commented that Dimensions has worked with Evanston Hospital's Highland Park facility. Ms. Mahoney commented that the budget funds they receive are for Dimensions only. Ms. Mahoney stated they have hired a new staff person, a NISCA Coordinator, who worked for Chicago Reed Hospital. Mr. Terry asked if the other two agencies share their fund raising. Chair Grover thanked Dimensions for their presentation. VII. REVIEW AND APPROVALOF SEPTEMBER 12, 2002 MINUTES Chair Grover commented that the September 12, 2002 minutes were accepted, with a minor correction. V. FY2003-2004 FUNDING Chair Grover asked the MHB members if there were any questions pertaining to the attached review sheets. Ms. Wiebe commented that the Allocation Committee spoke about setting up funding criteria. October 10, 2002. Mental Health board Meeting Minutes Page 8 Mr. Rowitz questioned whether the Human Services Committee expects the MHB to honor the previous funding allocations to the consolidated agencies or whether the MHB has some discretion in the funding allocations. Mr. Terry commented that the MHB has total discretion but if there were a significant shift and agency might appeal to the City Council. The MHB members commented on the agencies and gave their reviews. VI. STAFF REPORT Chair Grover explained the "cheat sheets" she prepared, which summarize the funding proposals for each agency. Chair Grover stated if any MHB member is interested in hearing additional agencies next Saturday, please assign yourself. Chair Grover stated that Mr. Saver is doing well and anticipates returning to work December 01, 2002. The Hearing Meeting adjourned at 9:30 P.M. Respectfully submitted, Joan M. Barott October 10, 2002, Mental Health board Meeting Minutes Page 9 Minutes recorded —not yet approved EVAINSTON MENTAL HEALTH BOARD MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2002 Members Present Jane Grover, Carol Sittler, Lonnie Wiebe, Sue Canter, Victoria Kalish, Lou Rowitz, Linda Laatsch, and Randy Walker Presiding: Jane Grover, Chair Staff: Joan M. Baron Community Representatives: Sandra Stu nme (Metropolitan Family Services); Helen Roberts Evans (Child Care Center of Evanston); Pam Thomas (Evanston /Skokie Valley Senior Services); Martha Arntson, Chris Baer(Childare Network of Evanston); Kathryn Peterson (Medill School of Journalism); Alexander Brown, (Housing Options) Ms. Grover called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. I. INTRODUCTIONS AND COMMUNITY COMMENTS Ms. Grover welcomed the guests and asked that they introduce themselves. Ms. Sandra Stumme (Metropolitan Family Services) commented that the Evanston United Way was informed this past week that its budget would be reduced by more than 17%and that each suburban United Way would determine how to apply the reduction. Ms. Stumme stated that at present, the Evanston United Way has not determined how to apply the budget cut. II. REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF OCTOBER 10, 2002 MINUTES Ms. Grover commented that the October 10, 2002 minutes were accepted without comment. III. AGENCY ACCOUNTABILITY There were no liaison reports for the month. IV. FY2003-2004 FUNDING ALLOCATIONS November 14. 2002 Mental HeaM Board Meeting Minutes Page 1 Mfnutes recorded •- not yet approved Ms. Grover introduced the AIlocation Committee's (Sue Canter and Lonnie Wiebe) recommendations for FY 2003-2004 funding. Ms. Grover thanked Ms. Canter and Ms. Wiebe for their work as the Allocation Committee in putting together the recommendations. She also remarked that Air. Jay Terry requested that the actual allocations be made at figures rounded to the nearest $100 to comport %%ith the City's budget forms. Ms. Grover thanked the agencies for their contributions to the funding hearings and remarked that the hearings had good discussions. Ms. Grover welcomes suggestions as to how to improve next year's hearings. Ms. Grover referred to a letter from Trilogy (received after the hearings) transmitting Trilogy's objective assessments of its programs. Ms. Wiebe stated the Allocation Committee would like to hear responses from the Board regarding the recommendations. According to the Committee's memorandum, agencies new to the MHB should receive funding at the current FY 2002-2003 level, based upon the fact that the MHB has not had time to become truly familiar with those agencies. Those allocations are as follows: for BE -HIV, Child Care Center of Evanston, Infant Welfare Society, Legal Assistance Foundation (Evanston office), Youth Job Center, and Y.O.U., funding is recommended at the amount requested for a total in this category of $276,300. In addition, because the following agencies have been funded for sometime and have had MHB liaisons, there was no reason to change their funding and the Committee therefore recommends funding at the current level. These agencies are: Evanston Community Defender, Family Focus, North Shore Senior Center, PEER Services, and Trilogy (Evanston), for a total of 5197,700. Three agencies were recommended for no funding: The Family Institute, NTSW (Thresholds), and St. Francis/Resurrection Behavioral Health Services. The Committee did not support continued funding to those agencies because the amount of money requested was very small to the agencies' total revenues and because the parent organizations are large and are therefore more able to cover the relatively small funding received by the MHB. Not funding these three agencies makes available $20,000 to award elsewhere. The Committee emphasized that these three agencies may certainly seek funding in the future. Finally, the Allocation Committee recommended that the following agencies should be awarded their funding requests or more due to exceptional prograrn/agency performance and need. Those agencies are: Child Care Network of Evanston, Connections for the Homeless, Dimensions, Housing Options, Metropolitan Family Services, and SHORE. Ms. Grover remarked that the Allocation Committee recommended money beyond the funding request for Child Care Network's City-wide Scholarship Program. Ms. Canter commented that the funding allocation recommendations were no easy task and that there were insufficient funds to meet every agency's request. Moreover, the Committee recommended eliminating funding to three agencies, not to diminish the agencies or their programs, but because in times of tight November 14, 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 2 Minutes recorded - not yet approved budgets it is not possible to do symbolic funding. Mr. Rowltz asked what happens to the MHB's finding allocations if the City's budget is cut; he therefore recommended that the MHB's approval of the recommendations be subject to the availability of funds. Nis. Grover commented that the City's budget decision might not happen until February 2003. The MHB is on the Human Services Committee agenda for its December 2, 2002 meeting, at which time the MHB w111 present its recommendations. Mr. Rowitz moved to approval the Committee's funding recommendations, as set forth in its memorandum, conditioned upon the availability of funds. Motion seconded. Motion passed. (Ms. Grover read the specific funding recommendations for each agency from the Allocation Committee's memorandum.) V. CHAIR REPORT Ms. Grover commented that Haney Saver would return to work part-time on or about December 1. 2002. Nis. Grover attended the Human Services Committee Meeting at which time the housing ordinance and affordable housing was discussed. The Human Relations Commission proposed using source ofincome as a protected class to be incorporated into the Evanston landlord tenant ordinance; the Committee tabled the proposal and discussed the branch libraries. Ms. Grover stated Wynne Harrison, ADA coordinator for the City, has contacted Ms. Groverabout MHB's participation in an ADA sensitivity training for library employees. Randy Walker was suggested as a panelist for the training, which may happen in 2003. Ms. Sittler attended the Aging Well Commission's conference planning session. The Conference will be held again at the King Home on May 9, 2003. There will be two major sessions and the Mayor has agreed to give the keynote speech. The Commission hopes to have a homefront security session. VI. STAFF REPORT All have a Happy Thanksgiving. Meeting adjourned at 8:00p.m. Respectfully submitted, Joan M. Barott November 14, 2002 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 3 Minutes recorded — not yet approved EVA.NSTON ,MENTAL HEALTH BOARD MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, JANUARY 09, 2003 Members Present: Jane Grover, Carol Sittler, Lonnie Wiebe, Sue Canter, Victoria Kalish, Linda Laatsch, Randy Walker, Gil Krulce Presiding: Jane Grover, Chair Staff: Haney Saver, Joan M. Barott Community Representatives: Sandra Stumme (Metropolitan Family Services); John Ames (BE - HIV); Will Sundblad, Kevin Foss (Connecti8ns for the Homeless); Peter Iiling, Andy Anderson (NTSW); Pam Thomas (Eranston/Skokie Valley Senior Services); Martha Arntson, Sue Brenner (Childcare Network of Evanston); Bob Roy (Evanston Community Defender); Alexander Brown, (Housing Options) Jane Grover, Chair, called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. 1. INTRODUCTIONS AND COIIIMUNITY COMMENTS Ms. Grover and the MHB members and guests welcomed back Mr. Saver. Ms. Grover welcomed the community representatives and asked that they introduce themselves. II. REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF NOVEMBER 14, 2002 MINUTES Hearing no corrections, Ms. Grover said that the November 14, 2002 minutes were accepted as written. AGENCY ACCOUNTABILITY Liaison Reports Family Focus. Ms. Kalish said that John Turner, Director of Family Focus, reported that the agency has seen increasing numbers of individuals within the past month with severe clinical depression. They referred approximately 10 cases to The Family Institute. Family Focus has a new Hispanic social worker that is doing more with the Hispanic community. That population is presenting with a greater need for counseling. Mr. Turner also indicated that they are identifying depression in the January 09, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 1 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Pregnant Teen Program. Ms. Kalish reported that he said it might be attributed to the time of year. During the holiday season, Family Focus experienced one of the greatest demands for basic need that they have had. Y.O.U. leis. Kalish said the agency has an ambitious three-year fundraising goal of S1.5 million. They have already raised more than S700,000 towards that goal. Child Care Center of Evanston (CCCE) and Childcare .Network Evanston (CNE). Ms. Canter commended both of agencies on their current fund raising efforts to makeup for deficits. This has particularly been the case with scholarship money, where both are making greater efforts. Ms. Canter reported that CNE and Evanston have been chosen as one of the initial communities to implement Universal Prc-School. This will also provide funds for additional support services. As more money comes to the State, more communities will be added to implement the initiative. Ms. Canter commented that the CCCE has been experiencing financial problems because the State is slow in releasing funds. She said that October funds were not received until December. This has created problems with their payroll and their ability to pay bills. The center is trying to have their parents be more accountable in a timely way for what they o%vc. That has been a problem over the past two years. CCCE's recent fundraiser made approximately S 14,000. Ms. Canter stated that both CNE and CCCE are concerned about a reduction in funding of approximately 17% from the Evanston United Way. Mr. Saver reported that he spoke with Tom Jager at the United Way about this issue. Mr. Jager said that because of significant shortfalls in the funding that was received locally from the United Way of Suburban Chicago, the Board of the Evanston United Way agreed to cover the deficit from their endowment. They also did this with initial allocations last July. What this means is that all of the agency allocations will be kept whole through the remainder of the current fiscal year. There will not be a 17% reduction. However, Mr. Jager reported that it is very likely that the Evanston United Way will have to implement funding reductions at the beginning of their next fiscal year, in July. Trilogy. Ms. Sittler reported that she was invited to Trilogy's client holiday party that was held at a client's home. She said it was very enjoyable. Evanston Community Defender. Ms. Sittler said that the Defender received a large number of holiday presents from the Marines. They wrapped the gifts and give them to the siblings of the kids who arc their clients. NTSW. Ms. Sittler said that she had regularly been attending NTSW's board meetings. She commented that she thought that they have been doing excellent work. St. Francis Behavioral Health Care. Ms. Wicbe said she spoke with Linda Lewandowski, Program Manager, about the M1HB's decision to eliminate funding for St. Francis's one mental January 09, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 2 -- Minutes recorded — not yet approved health program. She said that, while Ms. Lewandowski expressed disappointment in the MHB's decision not to fund them, she indicated that she had learned a lot about organizations and community ailer dealing with the MHB. Ms. Lewandowski reported that, right after their hearing, their programs' new Director felt the need to begin to get closer to the community. Ms. Lewandowski reported that the agency is already planning to submit a funding request in 2003. Liaison Reassignments The MHB reviewcd the current list of Liaison assignments. Ms. Grover made new assignments in order to distribute more equitably the workload, and to reflect the list of agencies that will be funded in FY03-04. Mr. Saver said that the next day he would update the list and the list of agency contacts and send it to the MHB, as well as to all of the funded agencies. IV. REVIEW OF CONTRACT POLICY GUIDELINES FOR FY2003-2004 PURCHASE SERVICE AGREEMENTS Mr. Saver said that the MHB's Administrative Procedures require the MHB to annually review and reaffirm or revise the Contract Policy Guidelines (Guidelines), and adopt them for use with Purchase of Service Agreements for the coming year. Generally, this should be completed no later than the February meeting. In response to a question, Mr. Saver said that the same Guidelines have been used in the past with both the MHB and City Purchased Services agencies. The agencies that are new to the MHB this year will already be familiar with them Mr. Krulee asked whether there were any sensitive issues that were in the Guidelines. Mr. Saver responded that most of the language was straightforward. Some sections are incorporated because of what the City Council had previously decided that they wanted from all of the City's contractors. This was particularly the case with the requirements for liability insurance. Mr. Saver said that in the last two years, there was a number of non -substantive revisions adopted for grammar and context only. Mr. Saver said that based upon the changes in the funding process and the consolidation of responsibility for allocation and oversight of the funds, the MHB might want to consider revising and updating the Guidelines to reflect the recently consolidated funding process. He said that this was an opportunity for the MHB to revise the Guidelines as it considers how it wants to clarify and implement its monitoring relationship with the expanded list of fundcd agencies. However, he indicated that the Guidelines have continued to be sufficiently broad to meet the MHB's currently articulated needs for monitoring contracts with agencies. Ms. Grover said that she wanted to consider developing a unified contract document that would incorporate the Guidelines with the language of the Purchase of Service Agreement, rather than including them as an attachment. Ms. Wiebe indicated that she wanted the Guidelines to have January 09, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 3 Minutes recorded — not yet approved clarity and reflect the reality of the contractual relationships that exist. ]GIs. Grover said that she would mark up the Guidelines for changes that reflect the consolidated funding process and send those to Mr. Saver. She also said that she would check with the City Attorney to see whether there were any legal issues that would prohibit merging the Guidelines with the Purchase of Service Agreement. V. FY2003-2004 FUNDING ALLOCATIONS City Budget Update. Ms. Grover provided an update on the City's Budget so that the MHB might have more complete information as they discuss Connections for the Homeless, BE -HIV and NTSW. She said that the Human Services Committee would review the MHB's funding recommendations at the meeting on Wednesday, February 05. Mr. Saver said the City Manager submitted his proposed FY03-04 Budget to the City Council with a number of proposed reductions. Each of the MHB's agency funding allocations was submitted with an across-the-board reduction of 3.5%, for a total reduction of approximately 530,000. tics. Grover said that the MHB might want to make a strong recommendation that any budget reductions in the MHB be decided by the MHB, rather than applying the 3.5% budget reduction. She said that the MHB should decide before the HSC meeting whether to make that recommendation. Ms. Wiebe said she was in favor of the MHB making the decision about any allocation of budget reductions to the agencies, rather than it being made in a uniform way to all agencies. She said that she wanted the hiHB to decide the priorities. Ms. Laatsch said she thought it might be fairest to allocate the reductions across-the-board, but the MHB should be able to consider how the reductions are made. She added that all of the agencies are being financially hurt this year. Ills. Sittler moved and Ms. Kalish seconded a motion that if the MIiB Purchased Services budget Is reduced by 3.5%, the INIHB should determine its priorities for the reductions, and to which programs the reductions should apply. In discussion, Ms. Wicbe said that she was opposed to the motion_ because she the MHB should oppose the reduction and indicate it was not willing to accept another funding reduction. Motion passed 7 aye (Sittler, Canter, Krulee, Laatsch, Grover, Kalish, Walker) — I no (Wicbe). Ms. Grover said a letter would be sent to the HSC for the February 5 meeting stating that the MHB wants to make the decisions about any funding reductions to the agencies. Ms. Canter said she thought the NIHB should consider whether there is any option regarding the 3.5% reduction. Ms. Laatsch said that. with the state of the City's proposed Budget, the MHB would - need to be prepared to identify where the money would come from if it opposed the reduction. Ms. Wiebe said that she was unwilling to give up the 3.5% without the MHB being heard. Mr. Saver was asked to send out the Budget Hearing schedule to the MHB. He said that the first budget hearing was Saturday, January 11. Ms. Grover suggested that all the MHB members come to the February 05 HSC meeting. January 09, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 4 Minutes recorded -- not yet approved Request for Funding Shift from Connections for the Homeless. Will Sundblad, Executive Director, and Kevin Foss, Entry Point Manager, joined the Board. Mr. Sundblad referred to the material he provided for the MHB packet. He said that he was asking the MHB to switch its funding ofS23,000 from Family Housing services to Entry Point. HUD funds the program, and funded it at 100% during the first three years. The program is in its second round of funding. Now, Connections for the Homeless must come up with 20.25% local matching funds, depending upon the line item in the budget. Mr. Sundblad said that Connections has been unsuccessful in finding private dollars just for outreach services targeted to Evanston. He said that this is not a reflection on the program services, but upon the uniqueness of the program and the size of the jurisdiction that they cover. Many foundations do not want to fund programs that are just for Evanston, or just the outreach services that the program provides. City Bank will fund Connections approximately S2,500 that can be used for match. The agency will need approximately S44,000 for the local match, and all of the sources that they were looking to have turned the agency down. In response to Ms. Grover, Mr. Sundblad said that they would have to provide the match each of the three years of the HUD contract. They continue to look for private sources, however, if Connections cannot provide the match they would have to pay back HUD for the portion of the grant award that they were not able to match. In response to a question, Mr. Sundblad said that they are able to get private funding for the Family Housing Services program because it is geared to families and children. In addition, the agency has a surplus of approximately S23,000 in that program's revenues, so the funding transfer would not negatively affect the program. Mr. Sundblad said that it the MHB is agreeable about shilling the funds to Entry Point, he would like to be retroactive to the December payment. This would enable Connections to shift approximately S5,000 from the current contract to Entry Point, as well. Ms. Wicbe said that she would like to hear more about the program. Mr. Foss said that Entry Point is a vital program for the community. There are a number of people living on the streets who suffer from untreated mental illness. They need to make a connection. The program patiently develops relationships with them in order be able to link them to move from the streets to whatever will help them relieve their symptoms, get food, and a warm coat in the winter time. It is critical to be able to be where the individual is to be available to listen. The interaction on the streets is the first step to engagement. Mr. Foss added that with major cutbacks, agencies arc going to see more people without services and symptoms that are more serious. Mr. Sundblad said that the program provides services to the individual as well as to the community. They are there for the person who is homeless when they are ready respond. If not now, then the Entry Point staff will go back ... and go back. However, the program also responds to calls from businesses and the neighborhoods. Entry Point has a staff of four. Mr. Sundblad said that they are doing all that they can to get the word out in the community that Connections for the Homeless is available to help. Ms. Grover asked whether the agency Nvas at the Human Services Committee during the discussion about the Aggressive Panhandling Ordinance. Mr. Foss said that they were involved. He said that January 09, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 5 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Entry Point staff conducted surveys on the streets of do%�,ntown to see whether the Ordinance was having an effect. They received a number of positive responses from businesses that the Ordinance was helping. Ms. Grover asked what their clients had to say about the Ordinance. Mr. Foss said that for the guys who are street savoy, it is more of a nuisance. Those guys know how far they can really go before the Police will respond. Entry Point meets monthly with the Police to talk about what is going on. They have also found that many people they speak with on the streets that are panhandling make no bones about the fact that they are not homeless and have a place to stay. Mr. Sundblad pointed out that anyone staying at Hilda's Place must sign a contract that they will not panhandle. It is a cause for dismissal from the program. Ms. Canter asked what specifically had changed since the fall budget hearings that prompted the request for the funding change. Mr. Sundblad said since that time several foundations and the NU Dance Marathon turned them down for funding requests to support Entry Point. Some of the foundation are changing guidelines arc no longer funding programs for people who are homeless. Because of the match requirements for the HUD funding, Connections must cover that local funding base somehow. In response to GIs. Grover, Mr. Sundblad said that Connections would come back to the MHB for funding for Entry Point until or unless the economy changes or foundations agree to fund the program. Ms. l..aatsch said that she saw Entry Point as a unique service for people not willing to come in for services. In response to Mr. Krulee. Mr. Foss said that most of the people the Entry Point staff encounter are suffering from mental health issues or substance abuse problems. The agency can link them to rehabilitation or detox services. Mr. Sundblad said that even if the MHB agrees to shift the funding, he would need to seek a shift in funding from the United Way and CDBG. Ms. Laatsch moved and Ms. Walker seconded a motion to shift Connections for the Homeless FY03-04 funding from Family Housing Services to Entry Point. Motion passed unanimously (8 aye — 0 no). Ms. Wiebe moved and Mr. Krulee seconded a motion to shift Connections for the Homeless FY02-03 funding from Family Housing Services to Entry Point for the 3-month period December 2002 through February 2003. Motion passed unanimously (8 aye — 0 no). Status of BEHIV Merger. John Ames, Executive Director, joined the MHB. Ms. Grover said that in the fall the MHB heard about a possible agency merger. She asked whether BEHIV was still going to exist. Mr. Ames said that in November his Board had given him the green light to talk with Open Hand about the possibility of merger. In December, they decided not to even explore the possibility, because the agencies' missions are different. BEHIV received a small grant from the Chicago Department of Public Health to undertake a strategic planning process, and to enable the agency to look at the issues that face them in terms of finances, mission, and the ongoing issues of who has HIV and ho%v can BEHIV best serve them. As a result, all options about merger or reorganization are on hold. Mr. Ames said that he thought that BEHIV would remain in Evanston for at least the majority of the next fiscal year. He commented that if they were to move out of January 09, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 6 f Minutes recorded — not yet approved Evanston it would be an economic decision to consolidate their two offices into one in Rogers Park. Evanston residents would still receive services. Ms. Grover asked what prompted the discussion about a possible merger. Mr. Ames said that Open hand focuses on nutrition services but would like to be more comprehensive. However, they have no experience with housing, harm reduction, or counseling. Ms. Grover thanked Mr. Ames for his presentation. She said that if things should change with BEHIV's programs or structure during the fiscal year, the hIHB would revisit the question of the contract and funding. tiTS►N'. Peter Illing, Executive Director, and Andy Anderson, Board Chair, joined the Hoard to ask the MHB to reconsider its decision to eliminate the agency's 58,000 funding in FY03-04.. Mr. Anderson said he realized that NTSW k-as an easy target to eliminate from funding. First, NTSW consolidated all of its programs in Skokie. Second, the agency lost money for three years and nearly went bankrupt. Third, there is a perception that NTSW only serves Albany and Greenwood residents who are not considered real Evanston residents. Mr. Anderson added that last year NTSW was financially in the black. He said that NTSW would continue to provide services to Evanston, regardless of whether the MHB funds them. Mr. Anderson commented that NTSW is part of the Evanston Local Area Network, and their state OMH funds require that they serve the Evanston population. Currently they have 59 members; seven people who are from the Evanston community and 17 people who arc from Evanston's long-term care facilities. Mr. Anderson said that there were three good reasons why the MHB should continue to fund NTSW. First Step is a good program with a successful record, and it benefits a relatively large group of people. The agency is working with the Transition to Work Program, and they are developing a program that will implement statutory service mandates for younger people. Finally, funding is an endorsement of the program. It is a statement by the City and the MHB that NTSW is doing an effective job in the community. This recognition assists with NTSW's state contracts and its fundraising efforts with other sources. Mr. Anderson asked that NTSW be funded at some level. Ms. Grover said the ,\IHB decided not to renew approximately 58,000 for NTSW, which was less than 1.2% of the total program budget. Mr. Anderson said that he did not think that any other organization in the community was dealing %vith the population other than the hospitals. Ms. Grover said the decision to not fund NTSW was a very difficult one to make. She said that they heard the Board's earlier discussion about its purchased services budget shrinking. The Board stands to lose an additional $30,000, on top of last year's funding reductions. The decision was not based upon programs. First Step is valuable and worthy in so many ways. Ms. Grover added that the MHB thought $8,000 was a drop in the bucket for NTSW, a small percentage of the program's funding. It seemed symbolic, but it was a gesture that was too expensive this year. Ms. Wiebe said the decision not to fund NTSW was a very difficult one. She explained the Allocation Committee's process. In her eight years on the Board, the MHB has never had to face the budget issues that they arc now encountering. The Committee recommended that the MHB cut the January 09, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 7 Minutes recorded — not yet approved agencies that had a relatively small percentage of their budget from the MHB. Nis. Wicbe said it was clear that it was not going to be easy for NTSW to make up the amount. She suggested that NTSW come again the following year to request funding, and perhaps the MHB's budget will have increased. Ms. Walker asked how much 58000 would actually affect the clients. Mr. Illing said last fiscal year the program already had to lay off 2.5 FIE; 1.5 FPE were in direct service. This year they will be paying an additional 512,000 in health insurance benefit. hit. filing added that last year the Niles Township Administration reduced their funding across the board by 50%. He added that the goal of consolidation two years ago was to reap the benefits of administrative efficiencies. Any cuts this year will have to come out of direct service because they have already seen the savings in administration. The core of the First Step program is drawing in on itself. Ms. Grover explained the procedure for appeals. She discussed the criteria for an appeal and said that an appeal of the Board's decision should be addressed to the Human Services Committee. Mr. Anderson thanked the MHB for its consideration. He said that NTSW has had a good working relationship with the MHB over the years. He did not want to challenge its recommendations, especially with the standards for an appeal. He said that NTSW does not meet the standards and he could not recommend that. He concluded by saying that he would still like to see the relationship between NTSW and the MHB to continue, and for there to be a Liaison or something on an ongoing basis. YI. STAFF REPORT Mr. Saver said that Claire McCarthy Peterson, Chair of Task Force on Homelessness in Evanston, would be presenting at the MHB's February 13 meeting. Evanston has been a part of a muld- regional needs assessment process on homelessness. Ms. Peterson will be discussing the results of the study. Aging Well. Ms. Sittler reported that the 5`s Annual Aging Well Conference is being planned for Friday, May 9 at the King Home. The Planning Committee has again asked MHB member Linda Laatsch to present a workshop. The film festival will be at the Evanston Public Library on Wednesday, May 7. National Lekotek Center. Mr. Saver distributed a press release from Lekotek that announced their merger with Anixter Center in Chicago. Lekotek is located in the Civic Center. This was the first site of a program concept that was developed in Sweden in the early 60's. Training is provided for parents and siblings on how to use interactive play experiences to incorporate their young family member with a special need into the normal flow of community and family. Mr. Saver said that he spoke with Hclen McCarthy, Executive Director about their plans. She indicated that it was difficult for an agency of their size with a national focus to fundraise in this economy. She said that she was January 09.2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page a Minutes recorded — not yet approved excited about the merger with Anixter because they will be provided additional assistance with resource development and administrative support. Both organizations thought that their missions were complementary. At the point when their lease at the Civic Center runs out, Lekotek will be moving to Chicago to be closer to Anixter, and to save on occupancy costs. Center for Independent Futures. Air. Saver said that a relatively new group, Center for Independent Futures, made a presentation at the MHB's Housing Forum. In addition, their President, Jane Doyle, spoke to the MHB about two years ago regarding their activity to develop opportunities for their family members who are young adults with developmental disabilities. Mr. Saver said it was his understanding that the organization was started to provide opportunities to many people who had training and support resources available while in school. After they graduated, they found few training or job opportunities, and no available and accessible housing after they graduated. Mr. Terry and Mr. Saver met with them two weeks earlier to discuss their plans to develop several housing models for the families they arc working with. They are in the process of looking at buildings, and are considering the development of lot. Mr. Saver said that it was exciting to hear about the enthusiasm of the group, and to see them begin to realize the plans they discussed at the Board's Housing Forum, Mr. Saver said he invited them to make a presentation to the MHB when they were prepared to make their plans public. Social Norms Marketing Campaign. Mr. Saver distributed the results of the first year of implementation of the campaign at ETHS. During the previous year, 5% more of ETHS students chose not to smoke cigarettes than the year before; 3% more ETHS students chose not to drink alcohol during the same period. Mr. Saver said that the strategy of the campaign is to create more accurate perceptions of norms related to alcohol and tobacco use. There was a significant increase in accurate perceptions among students, parents, and high school staff about the number of ETHS students who are choosing not to use alcohol and tobacco. Air. Saver said that the ESAPC is talking about trying to introduce parts of the Campaign to the middle schools, as well. Evanston SEED. Mr. Saver reported that City staff has been working with the attorney and Director at Metropolitan Family Services (MFS) to develop the Agreement for the Project. He said that he anticipated having it finished in February. In December, MFS hired a Project Director, who has already received training and is receiving consultation in The Incredible Years curriculum. In January, MFS hired both of the staff %vho %vill be providing the training for parents and classroom teachers. They will also be receiving their initial training in the program model. Mr. Saver reported that an Implementation Team has been meeting since mid -December to develop the plans and timeline for start-up of the Project. This will include identifying the initial classrooms and locations where SEED will be kicked off. The Team comprises project staff from MFS, the early childhood staff from District n65, the Director and Clinical Coordinator from Childcare Network of Evanston, and Mr. Saver. He added that he is in the process of identifying and recruiting members for the Community Advisory Council. Online Resource Directory. Mr. Saver said that he has been working with the City's Webmaster to January 09, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 9 Minutes recorded — not yet approved setup the MHB's mental health services directory "This Might Help" to be available online through the City web page. They are in the process of cleaning up the information and will have all of the agencies provide updated information for the current listings. After the current database is clean, they will solicit new listings, Once the information is organized online, it will be used to run a hard copy to print the directory for distribution, as well Early Retirement from State Employment. Mr. Saver said the State offered an early retirement option to its employees. They received a much larger response than expected. In both the DD Services Division and the Office of Mental Health, many of the top administrators and people with institutional memory left. Almost 3000 people took the option from the Department of Human Services, with more than 700 people leaving institutional services. Some state mental health centers have lost between 12 -20% of their staff. Until the State's hiring freeze is lifted for specific and critical positions, people are being turned away from institutional care. This is happening at the same time that many private hospitals have been downsizing or eliminating their inpatient units. Natural Tles. Alexander Brown, Executive Director of Housing Options, pointed out that Natural Ties based in Evanston has closed its doors. Natural Ties was a national organization based in Evanston. It was started by an Evanston resident at the University of Kansas to facilitate simple and natural relationships and friendships between students in college with young adults with disabilities, i.e., the "natural tie". The struggle to raise funds fsnally caught up with them. Meeting adjourned at 9:30 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Joan M. Barott January 09, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 10 Minutes recorded — not yet approved EVANSTON MENTAL HEALTH BOARD MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2003 Members Present Jane Grover, Susan Canter. Gilbert Krulee, Linda Laatsch, and Randy Walker Presiding: Jane Grover, Chair Stab: Harvey Saver, Joan Barott Community Representatives: Martha Atntson, (Childcare Network of Evanston); Sandi Johnson, Pam Thomas (North Shore Senior Center); Kelly McGrath, Anne Tauchane (Medill/Northwestern University); Linda Lewandowski (St. Francis Be- havioral Health Services); Claire McCarthy Peterson (Evanston Task Force on Homelessness); Alexander Brown (Housing Options) Ms. Grover called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. Y. INTRODUCTIONS AND COMMUNITY COMMENTS Ms. Grover welcomed the guests and asked that they introduce themselves. ll. REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF JANUARY 09, 2003 MINUTES Hearing no objections, Ms. Grover said that the January 9, 2003 minutes were approved as pre- sented. Ill. PRESENTATION OF FACING HOMELESSNESS: A Study of Homeless- ness in Chicago & the Suburbs. Claire McCarthy Peterson, Chair, Evanston Task Force on Homelessness Claire McCarthy Peterson, Chair of the Evanston Task Force of Homelessness, joined the MHB. She distributed a summary of the 2002 profile of the count of the homeless population that was im- plemented in Evanston. Ms. Peterson said that HUD required this head count in 2002 in order for communities to access funds. Ms. Peterson discussed the Regional Homeless Needs Assessment Project (HNAP). The Regional Roundtable on Homelessness conducted the HNAP. Researchers at the University of Illinois - Chicago implemented the study. Ms. Peterson said that the Roundtable comprises representatives from the cities and counties in northeastern Illinois that have a Continuum ofCare in place: Chicago and Evanston, and the counties of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will. It also includes representatives from a number of local foundations, who provided the greatest amount of funding to February 13, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 1 Minutes recorded » not yet approved conduct the study. Ms. Peterson pointed out that the HNAP %vas the most comprehensive study that has been completed anywhere in the country of the needs and characteristics of people who are homeless that has been done in one area. Nis. Peterson said that every study that has been done has indicated that people who are homeless are difficult to count. It is easier to count how many are accessing services. The study also had other limitations. The researchers could only interview people who were able to give consent. They could not contact anyone who was younger than IS and Iiving on the streets, or people who had a serious mental illness. As a result, their numbers are probably depressed and lower than reality. Ms. Peterson reported that there were three surprises that came out of the HNAP. First, undereduca- tion level, it was found that of the population surveyed, 1 /3 don't have a high school education, 1,/3 have a high school education, and 1/3 have more than a high school education. So getting a high school education is not an answer to homelessness. Second, 40%ofthe population had employment. This was a combination of either part-time or full-time employment. In addition, the job might have been at the lower end of the wage scale, but a number of people had some source of income. Third, the perception is that people who are homeless are very mobile. The study reflected a relative lack of mobility. Some people moved around, but the greater majority stayed in place. Ms. Peterson said that the study showed that people became homeless due to a variety of reasons. Some were issues that attached to a person's life, e.g., loss of job, illness, history of mental illness, substance abuse, or domestic violence. Other issues were systemic, such as lack of affordable hous- ing. This was especially the case in this area. Nis. Peterson said that there was a big disconnect at the lower end of the wage scale between peoples' resources and the cost of housing. She said that HUD reported that no jurisdiction in the U.S. where there is sufficient, affordable housing forpeople who are in a lower economic level. Ms. Peterson reported that there has been a movement in the past years to think about homelessness in terms of different patterns. Under the category "crisis homelessness" are approximately 30% of _ the population. In this category are individuals who experience the following: people who are home- less for the first time; are homeless for a period of months; families; younger people; some degree of mental illness of substance abuse; the greatest proportion of people who have lost their job. In order to help the people experiencing this pattern they need assistance getting into housing, looking for and maintaining housing, and with budgeting. Ms. Peterson said that a second pattern is "episodic homelessness", which comprises about 40°% of the population. These individuals live precarious lives, and quickly move in and out, as things hap- pen in their lives, and never quite make it. They use a high degree of services and are different from the "crisis" group. The third pattern is chronic homelessness, which includes about 30% of the population. These indi- viduals have been homeless for at least one year, and have been homeless before; there is a high de- E gree of substance abuse or mental illness; typically, many of these individuals have been released from some type of institution. Approximately 35% of this latter group has been in Jail or prison. Many of these individuals are distrustful of service providers and the service system. February 13, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 2 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Ms. Peterson pointed out that there are also people who are at risk of becoming homeless. Over50% of the people in soup kitchens are unable to afford rent, food. and clothing. Currently, we have more people who are in need of emergency assistance to avoid becoming homeless. In response to a question, %is. Peterson said that in Evanston there is also a problem with homeless youth. Both Family Focus and Y.O.U. see 20-25 youth per rear who are homeless. These are youth between the ages of 13 and 17 who need a safe haven and a place to stay off the streets. Mr. Krulee said, based upon his knowledge of the programs, he assumed that places like Y.O.U. don't make much of a dent in the homeless situation. Ms. Peterson said that she thought there were many young people who might be homeless without those resources. Ms. Peterson reported that the Chicago Community Trust w-as the largest fonder of the HNAP. In addition, the McCormick Foundation, the Donnelly Foundation, the Joyce Foundation and other fin- ders provided support. They were interested because they have increasingly received proposals to fund homeless services, but were in the position of having to make decisions with insufficient infor- mation about the population. Asa result, the _T:NAP attempted to provide a region -wide assessment of the service needs of people who are homeless, as well as their characteristics. In order for the foundations to make more -informed grants, they wanted a better handle on what homelessness was like. Ms. Peterson stated that there is currently a lot of interest in homelessness, and it is beconvng increasingly expensive to deal with. HUD is putting more money into permanent housing to begin to deal with chronic homelessness. She added that 30% of the funds that HUD allocates to homeless- ness has to be directed to permanent housing. Ms. Grover thanked Ms. Peterson for her report and asked that she keep the MHB informed about any new developments. IV. AGENCY ACCOUNTABILITY Agency Liaison Reports Childcare Network of Evanston. Ms. Canter commented that Chris Baer informed her that they would be getting interns to work at the Child Care Center of Evanston. They will be working di- rectly with kids and families, as it is appropriate. At the Childcare Network's board meeting there is going to be a school board candidates' coffee Thursday, February 20, at King Labs School for par- ents of children with special needs. Infant Welfare Society. M s. Laatsch said she met with Kathy Shearer and Mary Lee Swiatiowiec for the agency's first Liaison meeting. The minutes of the agency's board meetings will be sent to her when she is unable to attend. Ms. Shearer discussed their plans to respond to changes that they are seeing. The mothers are getting younger and the kids are showing more special needs at an earlier age. Ms. Laatsch said she was impressed with the facility. She added that Teen Baby Nursery has a special arrangement with ETHS so that the school's Attendance Office will excuse a mother when the child is ill. The program is going top survey the participants about their needs, and will survey February 13, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 3 Minutes recorded -- not yet approved the fathers' and grandparents' group. PEER Services. Nis. Lantsch said that she met with Kate Mahoney and Sara Christensen at PEER Services. They provided updated information from the Strength In Numbers Campaign concerning drug and alcohol use at ETHS. Housing Options. Ms. Walker commented that Housing Options was approved for continuation funding by HUD for the total cost of the Pathways Program. Nis. Walker said that the previous Sat- urday was the agency's annual benefit. They raised approximately 5% of their total annual budget. SHORE. Mr. Krulee stated he has been attending monthly board meetings of SHORE. Mr. Gulley told him that since the agency does vocational training, they would be able to get more business for their trainees if they had the ability to increase their capital budget for equipment. Currently, the agency is concerned about the prospects of unionization as there is an organizing campaign being conducted there. Mr. Krulee said that the next Tuesday he would visit SHORE and get a hands-on look at their use of computers to manage their affairs. Mr. Krulee said he has had considerable ex- perience and may be able to provide them %vith some assistance, if he can, of will see if he can help them contact some of his former colleagues who might be able to help. Evanston Community Defender. Ms. Grover provided tits. Sittler's report because his. Sittlerwas unable to attend the meeting. Ms. Sittler met with Bob Roy and his staff at the County Court House. Mr. Roy arranged for her to meet with the Court staff, clerks, and guards. Mr. Roy also arranged an opportunity for Ms. Sittler to visit with the Judge in his chambers. Ms. Sittler also met with some of the kids who were being brought before the Court. She reported that the Community Defender is do- ing a good job helping to find alternative placements to the jail for some of the defendants. She added that PEER Services was mentioned as one of the agencies that the Court relies upon as a place to refer their clients. Ms. Sittier reported that she found it to be an enlightening experience. Human Services Committee (HSC). his. Grover reported that she, Ms. Kalish, and Ms. Canter at- tended the Wednesday HSC meeting. The htHB reported on its discussions with the three agencies about funding issues at the January MHB meeting. %Is. Grover said that the Aldermen reaffirmed that the MHB allocations would be reduced by 3.50NO. However, they supported the hiHB in making the decisions about where to apply the 3.5% reduction. The HSC complimented the MHB for its professionalism in dealing with issues. There were also a number of positive remarks made about the MHB having assumed responsibility fora larger group of agencies in the funding and monitoring - process. Ms. Grover said that she agreed to come back to the HSC on a quarterly basis to provide updates regarding the %IHB's activity. V. REVIEW CONTRACT POLICY GUIDELINES FOR FY03-04 PURCHASE OF SERVICE AGREEMENTS Ms. Grover said that she and Mr. Saver made revisions in the Contract Policy Guidelines based upon the change in the allocation process this past year. She said that she discussed with Mr. Saver ways to incorporate the Guidelines and the Purchase of Service Agreement by language and reference, February 13, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 4 Minutes recorded .. not yet approved however, she agreed to defer to staff concerns about not combining the two documents into a single document. Mr. Krulee moved and Nis. Canter seconded a motion to adopt the Contract Policy Guidelines for use with FY2003-2004 Purchase of Service Agreements. Motion approved unanimously (5 aye -- 0 no). VI. PROPOSED FY 2003-04 MENTAL HEALTH BOARD OBJECTIVES Ms. Grover discussed the proposed FY03-04 MHB Objectives that were included in the packet. She said that she and Mr. Saver prepared the objectives based upon items that the MHB previously dis- cussed, as well as unfinished business from the previous year's objectives. After discussion, Mr. Krulee moved and Nis. Walker seconded a motion to adopt the FY2003-04 MHB Objectives as presented. Motion approved unanimously (5 aye — 0 no). VII. FY2003-2004 FUNDING ALLOCATIONS City Budget Update. Ms. Grover said that the Allocation Subcommittee would meet after the Feb- ruary 24 City Council meeting if the MHB's Budget is adopted with the proposed 3.5% reduction in agency allocations. She said that she wanted to consider any necessary changes in the MHB's alloca- tions at the March MHB meeting. In response to a question, Mr. Saver commented that the develop- ment of contracts with the agencies shouldn't be held up too long because of the changes. However, contracts cannot be sent out until the MHB adopts the final allocation after any reductions are made. Vlll. COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH CONFERENCE Mr. Saver reported that the MHB signed on as a sponsor for a "Community Mental Health Confer- ence on Overcoming the Stigma of Mental Illness." It v ill be held Sunday, June 8 at Beth Emet Synagogue. Last year, the same group put on a similar conference that was very w•elI attended. The conference organizers are not asking for a financial contribution because the Naomi Ruth Cohen Foundation is underwriting the conference. As a sponsor, the MHB is being as' .;d to help advertise the event through its mailing lists. Mr. Saver said that, in addition to sending out information to the Board's various lists, we will be putting information about the conference into City Highlights that will be published 2-3 weeks before the event. IX. STAFF REPORT Heartland Health Care Services. Ms. Saver reported that he visited a new program in Evanston that is providing day services for people with mental illness. Heartland Health Care Services opened in November 2002, and is Iocated at 2000 Greenleaf. Their target population is people who are liv- ing in institutional care in either nursing homes or 1MDs. So far, they are working with 14 facilities in the larger Metro area. Two are as far away as Bridgeview and the area south of Midway Airport. February 13, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 5 Minutes recorded — not yet approved As of}'et, Heartland does not have a relationship with either Albany or Greenwood. The program is open 5 days a week. from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mr. Saver said that Heartland currently has approximately 90 people per day attending their pro- gram. The building looks Iike it was originally a light -manufacturing site. They are currently provid- ing all of the services and groups in a very large, colorful, well -lit room. The groups are divided by half -walls. Ivir. Saver said that he ►vas told this was to enable the security person to keep an eye on any problems that might develop. While they indicated they have capacity for approximately 150 people, there is already a high noise Ievel and a lot of congestion. The current staffing seems to be minimal -- six people are on site and working with groups, which includes the director and the secu- rity person. Heartland does have additional staff available during the day, e.g., nurse, dietitian, meal preparation. The director said that their census has been growing quickly, so they are interviewing for additional staff. Mr. Saver said he was told that Heartland is not a not -for -profit. It is organized as a limited liability corporation for tax purposes. The principal partner serves as the CEO. She is on -site, and is a li- censed clinical social worker. The program is working with four psychiatrists who provide coverage during the week. The CEO said that because the psychiatrists provide "supervision", the program is organized as a physician's practice. Mr. Saver said that she reported that this had implications for their requirements under zoning and with Evanston's business license. Heartland does not have any state funding. Because they are operating as a physician's practice, they are billing under their psy- chiatrists. Project SEED. Mr. Saver reported that the past Monday night the City Council approved the Letter of Agreement between the City and Metropolitan Family Services for Project SEED. He said that the Implementation Team (representatives from District #65's Early Childhood Programs, Childcare Network of Evanston, Metropolitan Family Services, and himself) has been meeting to plan the ini- tial stages of the program. In addition, a subcommittee has been meeting to work out the details about getting information out to the community. Mr. Saver added that there will be 34 orientation meetings in March and April to inform the community and interested parents about the project. Meeting adjourned at 8:40. Respectfully submitted, Joan M. Baron Secretary February 13. 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page a Minutes recorded — not yet approved EVANSTON MENTAL HEALTH BOARD MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 2003 Members Present Jane Grover, Susan Canter, Lou RoKitz, Linda Laatsch, Randy Walker, Victoria Kalish, Carol Sittler Presiding: Jane Grover, Chair Staff: Haney Saver, Joan Barott Community Representatives: Chris Baer, Sue Ann Glaser (Childcare Network); Kelly McGrath, (Medill/Nortbwestern University); Pam Thomas (Evanston/Skokie Valley Senior Services); Sandra Stumme (Metropolitan Family Services); Alexander Brown (Housing Options); Don Baker (Y.O.U.); Helen Roberts Evans (Child Care Center of Evanston). Ms. Grover called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. I. INTRODUCTIONS AND COMMUNITY COMMENTS Ms. Grover welcomed the community members and asked that they introduce themselves. Ms. Grover explained the absence of Lonnie Wiebe and said that the MHB members wished her well. Mr. Saver said he had spoken with her and that she was expecting to soon have back surgery. He said that she was taking calls at home and would appreciate hearing from people. 11. REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF FEBRUARY 13, 2003 MINUTES Ms. Grover said that the February, 13, 2003 minutes were approved with the corrections that were presented by Ms. Canter. III. FY2003-2004 FUNDING City Budget Update Ms. Grover said that the City Council adopted the City's FY03-04 Budget February 24. As the MHB expected the Budget included a 3.5% reduction, or approximately S31,000, in the MHB's purchase services allocation. Ms. Grover said she advocated with the Aldermen at the Council meeting to try to save the MHB's total funding. Ms. Barott said that at the recent meeting a member of the Com- mission on Aging complimented Ms. Grover for her well-spoken remarks on behalf of the agency funding. March 13, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 1 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Ms. Grover said she was recommending that the MHB start earlier in the budget process next year to develop a strategy to sustain the MHB's purchase service allocations. Ms. Grover said the Alloca- tion Subcommittee discussed how this matter might be approached. One possibility would be to have a MHB member permanently assigned as an advocate, and to be aware of proposed funding changes locally and at the State. The person would be responsible for bringing the information to the Board, and being a contact person for the MHB in any related advocacy efforts. Revise Agency Allocations Ms. Grover said the Allocation Subcommittee revised the funding recommendations for program al- locations for FY03-04. She reviewed the recommendations that were in the Board packet, and the rationale for the recommendations. The Allocation Subcommittee recommended S30,000 in changes by reducing funding levels for ten programs at six agencies (BE HIV, Connections for the Homeless, Housing Options, Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago, Infant Welfare Society, and Youth Job Center. Ms. Grover said that the Subcommittee identified agencies that were not going to be as significantly affected by the 5-8% reductions being considered for State funding. In addition, the Subcommittee considered agencies that received a recommended funding increase during the fall 2002 allocation process, as well as agencies that were serving declining numbers or percentages of Evanston clients. Ms. Laatsch questioned the rationale for the reduction for Teen Baby Nursery at the Infant Welfare Society (Itt'S). A comment was made that that, in addition to other considerations, Teen Baby was providing an educational function and perhaps the school system should assume a large role. In re- sponse to a question about funds available from Evanston To%vnship High School (ETHS) for Teen Baby Nursery, Mr. Saver said that the current contract with Infant Welfare Society includes $89,000 form the City and S38,000 from ETHS. The contract for this program has been structured like this from its inception about 12 years ago. They City does the contracting, monitoring, and follow-up; ETHS reimburses the City for an agreed upon amount of the total contract. Last year, when the City reduced human service funding by 18.51/10, ETHS increased its allocation to make up the balance. Ms. Laatsch said that the reduction would be a hared cut for the agency to absorb and indicated she wasn't sure what IWS would be able to do to make up the balance. She asked whether the MHB could assume that ETHS would again make up the balance. Mr. Saver said that could not be as- sumed. For an increase in ETHS's allocation to even be considered, someone from the City, the MHB, or IWS would have to speak directly to the Superintendent. Ms. Sittler complimented the Allocation Subcommittee for their hard work and reasonable recom- mendations. Ms. Grover reviewed the proposed FY03-04 funding program allocations (spreadsheet attached). Ms. Sittler moved and Ms. Kalish seconded a motion to approve the Allocation Sub- committee's revised program funding allocations for FY03-04. Motion approved unanimously (7 aye -- o no). IV. AGENCY ACCOUNTABILITY March 13,2M Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 2 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Agency Liaison Reports Child Care Center of Evanston (CCCE). Ms. Canter attended CCCE's Board Meeting in Febru- ary. She said that their current financial picture is looking better than a few months ago. They have almost all their home day care slots filled. In addition, they are starting to catch up with the lag in their payments from the State, and their committee is working harder on fundraising. They will have a Benefit Dinner at Kendall College on May 4.One of the agency's staff and a home day care pro- vider presented at the Chicago Association for The Education of Young Children. The Evanston United Way obtained a S 1,000 grant for CCCE from Barnes and Noble. This enabled them to obtain many books for the care providers. The Director told Ms. Laatsch they are concerned about a future deficit for the agency. As a result, they are trying to recruit more families who are able to pay full fee tuition. Childcare Network of Evanston (CNE). Ms. Canter commented that Martha Artnson and Sue Brenner, Board Chair, have been visiting with the local Legislators to provide information about leg- islation that is being considered. The Coordinator of the Neighborhood Networks Program associated with the CNE gave a presentation about her work with the unlicensed daycare homes. She provided them with materials and made available educational opportunities for people who run the daycare homes. Currently, there are ten providers involved in this, and these providers serve approximately 25 children. Y.O.U. Ms. Kalish said she spoke with Doze Baker who said that the agency is, for the first time, having to consider a formalized waiting list for their after school program. There are approximately 20 kids on this list. Family Focus. Ms. Kalish said that Family Focus is having their annual benefit, which is March 30 at Northwestern. Every year they present awards at this event. This year the recipients are Karen Thompson and Emma Johnson. Housing Options. Nis. Walker stated that the Board of Directors of Housing Options has decided to formerly begin the search for additional property to purchase. This would be the fifth building that the agency owns; they lease 15 apartments. They are looking for a dwelling that would be more ac- cessible for, and meet the needs of, the agency's aging population. BEHIV. Ms. Walker said that she met with the Director, John Ames, toured the facility, and met the staff. She said that she looks for%%ard to working with the agency and thinks she will be able to learn something from them. Ms. Walker said that Mr. Ames reported that it looks like the agency will be around for a while. Infant Welfare (Teen Baby Nursery). Ms. Laatsch said she would contact Teen Baby Nursey about hosting a MHB meeting at its location. Evanston/Skokie Valley Senior Services. Ms. Sittlersaid she rnct with Pam Thomas, Director, and learned about their services for seniors. She said that the agency provides a great range of services March 13, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 3 Minutes recorded — not yet approved for seniors who have a disability. Connections for the Homeless. Ms. Grover said that Connections has a new Board Chair, Sue Cal- der. Ms. Grover said that a recent article indicated that Governor Blagojevich did not expect universal preschool to be fully funded in Illinois. She asked the representative of CNE what this would mean and they indicated that it was still to soon to tell. V. MHB FY03-04 WORK PLAN Mr. Saver reviewed the draft Work Plan that he developed with Ms. Grover. He said that the pur- pose of the document was to provide the MHB with a timeline for the Board's activities over the course of the year. Mr. Saver explained that the functions were based upon ongoing or continuing activities; routine, administrative functions; issues in which the MHB had expressed a concern or interest; the MHB's objectives; and, the consolidated funding process. He said that the functions were broken down based upon staff and Board areas of responsibility. He added that he identified the functions that must occur, outside of the Board's discretionary activities, given the MHB's roles and responsibilities. Mr. Saver said he included a legislative forum under Community Education for the Board to con- sider. The h1HB was not able to convene one last year, and had been very interested in repeating the successful event from June 2001. Ms. Grover said that she proposed that the MHB begin to review and develop budget revenue strategies for FY04-05 very early in the City's budget process. Mr. Saver said that the MHB has traditionally also provided a coordinating and planning role with groups that are in Evanston. He said that the MHB currently provides support and assistance with meetings and communication for the Evanston Substance Abuse Prevention Council, Social Norms Marketing Committee, and Evanston Local Area Network. He described the relationships and the related activity. Ms. Grover referred to the Allocation Review Process. She said that, over the course of the year, she would like to review the MHB's funding priorities for the current year based upon how funds were allocated. The MHB should also consider whether there is a useful system for determining what the _ funding priorities are in a consolidated funding process. She said she thought that this could be accomplished within one or two meetings. This will be helpful in the fall when the MHB is making funding allocation decisions. Mr. Rowitz said that the MHB usually has an annual board training activity. He said that something about a mental health issue would be timely and suggested doing something related to bio-terrorism. Mr. Rowitz offered to help put together a presentation and discussion about the fear factor ofpoten- tial events. He said that it has a tremendous impact on individuals and the community. There was a consensus among the Board to have this type of training for sometime in early -late fall. March 13, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 4 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Ms. Grover referred to one of the MHB's objectives. She said that before the funding hearings the MHB should meet with the six new agencies to conduct an in-depth review, and become more famil- iar with those agencies. She suggested that, if possible, those meetings should be held at the agen- cies' locations. This «ill help in getting to know the mission and programs of these agencies. Ifthis is not possible, invite them to do a presentation at the MHB meetings. Ms. I.aatsch said that Infant Welfare Society was able to host the MHB's April meeting at their site for Teen Baby Nursery. Mr. Saver said that he ,.+•ould contact the six agencies and set up a schedule for the agency reviews. Mr. Rowitz suggested that the MHB should use questions similar to the ones used in the agency reviews several years ago. Ms. Sittler said she would work with Mr. Saver to develop the issues for the re- view. Ms. Grover pointed out that in his memo Mr. Saver highlighted the Board's objective about conduct- ing an assessment in a human service area. She asked whether the MHB wanted to add it to the Work Plan this year. In response to a question, Mr. Saver said the objective might be more realistic to im- plcment over two-year period. Ms. Grover said that regularly conducting the assessment and col- lecting information about a specific human service area would provide data for the MHB far later discussions with the City Council and the City Manager's Office, and provide the MHB with docu- mentation when there are increasing needs in a particular area. Ms. Walker said that the MHB might want to consider going back to its roots and do an assessment of the needs of Evanston residents with severe and persistent mental illness. She said that she thought that the MHB's funding has been re- duced for that population. Moreover, with the recent funding consolidation, a large portion of the MHB's budget is going to children's services and early childhood education. There was a discussion about the Board's previous activities related to an assessment of needs. Mr. Saver said that the MHB's last community assessment was in the area of substance abuse. Mr. Rowitz facilitated a Community Round Table discussion that was conducted with the Evanston Community Health Advisory Board about Evanston's needs and service gaps in substance abuse. Out of that, dual diagnosis or MISA was identified as the highest need. The Board conducted a study of community services and then developed an RFP to fund a MISA program. That was the founda- tion of the Dimensions Program. Subsequently, overa two-year period, the MHB convened to further study other issues that were identified in the original Round Table. Ms. Walker said that she liked the idea of doing an assessment of how the MHB is funding pro- grams. In discussion, suggestions were made that the Board could consider how those programs are meeting needs, how are the needs changing. and how fast does the community push people out when they can no longer afford to live in Evanston. Ms. Grover asked what the focus would be if the MHB were to do an assessment of service needs and gaps for adults with mental illness. Mr. Ro%Nitz said one approach might be to deal with the in- crease in affective disorders and depression. In addition, post -traumatic stress disorder is on the rise as it is associated with the fear of terror. Ms. Kalish asked whether the MHB currently had the resources to undertake a thorough assessment, at this point. Ms. Canter said that she thought the Board was already undertaking quite a bit that was March 13, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 5 Minutes recorded — not yet approved new with a new focus on developing budget strategies, possibly revising funding priorities, conduct- ing six in-depth reviews of the agencies new to the AiHB. and having board training. In response to Ms. Grover, Mr. Saver said that materials for the funding process would probable be distributed to the agencies by the middle of July. That would be the time to send out information to the agencies about any priority issues. Ms. Canter suggested that the Board ask staff to organize funding based upon current funding levels to assess the current priorities. She added that might be all that is possi- ble before the funding process begins. Mr. Rowitz commented that, with shrinking funds the MHB would have to make a decision as to whether it is possible to continue to fund all of the programs, especially if some are only receiving a small amount. He said that it is not just determining priorities, but also considering factors that af- fect how the Board chooses to defend a program. Ms. Grover commented that the Board should again consider setting a minimum funding level for consideration. Based upon the discussion, the MHB agreed to eliminate a service assessment from the Work Plan and the Objectives at the present time. Mr. Rowitz said that there might be public health interns available who could help with an assessment over the summer or in the future. lie said that he would look into it. Mr. Saver said that he might have an intern placed with the MHB next year to as- sist with ongoing activities. That would also make more time available for a new project. Ms. Grover summarized the discussion and said that, in addition to the items proposed on the Work Plan, the MHB agreed to add a legislative forum; eliminate a community service assessment fornow; and add board training about mental health issues related to bio-terrorism for the fall, Mr. Rowitz move and Ms. Laatsch seconded a motion to adopt the FY03-04 Work Plan as revised. Motion approved unanimously (7 aye - 0 no). VI. CONSIDERATION OF ADVOCACY LETTER ABOUT THE STATE BUDGET Ms. Grover presented a draft letter advocating against the proposed 5% reduction in the State's budget in FY03-04 for mental health and substance abuse funding. The letter is to be sent to the Governor, the Budget Director, Evanston's State Legislative delegation, and the local papers. Ms. Walker moved and Nis. Kalish seconded a motion to approve the N11113's advocacy letter and to distribute it broadb•. Motion passed unanimously (7 aye -- 0 no). Vll. REPORT FROM THE CHAIR Ms. Grover said that the Financial Disclosure Statements were distributed to members of City boards and commissions. She reminded MHB members that they should be returned to the Mayor's office as soon as possible. Ms. Grover congratulated Alexander Brown for completing the requirements for a PsyD. March 13, 2003 Mental health Board Meeting Minutes Page 6 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Vll. STAFF REPORT Mr. Saver distributed an article from the Round Table about former MHB member Nicki Pearson. She v.as honored with an award sponsored by State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka as one of 20 Illi- nois women to receive a "Women to Women Making a Difference.- Mayor Morton nominated her for the Award. Evanston Substance Abuse Prevention Council. Mr. Saver said that the ESAPC recently submit- ted a S 100,000 grant request to the federal government for ongoing support for Strength in Numbers, the social norms marking initiative at Evanston Township High School. In addition, funds are also being requested to support introducing social norms marketing activity into the middle schools, cur- riculum for use with the middle schools' community resource officers, and a few targeted prevention activities in the community. He said that PEER Services is taking a lead role in planning for the grant. Schizophrenics Anonymous. Mr. Sayer said that he has been working with an Evanston woman who wants to start a local Schizophrenics Anonymous group. It is a self-help group that is based upon a national model that was started in .kfichigan. The woman had previously run a group in cen- tral California. He said that he would be assisting her with finding ongoing meeting space, and might be initially providing support to help advertise the group in the community. Project SEED. Mr. Saver said that, the day before, Donna Stuckert, the City's Public Information Officer, distributed a press release about four community orientation meetings regarding Project SEED to the major media outlets. Mr. Saver distributed the announcement and a summary that Met- ropolitan Family Ser-Oces is beginning to use to describe the program. Mr. Saver said that Sue Can- ter had agreed to be on Project SEED's Advisory Council representing the MHB. National Mental Health Association. Mr. Saver distributed an announcement about a National Call In Day that NMHA is sponsoring. They are asking people to contact their federal legislators on March 19 to express concern about current proposals in the federal budget that would leave many low-income people without mental health programs. Mr. Rowitz said that the Evanston Community Health Advisory Board is going to hold a public hearing on the prohibition of smoking in public places in Evanston. Meeting adjourned at 8:40. Respectfully submitted, Joan M. Barott Secretary March 13, 2003 Mental Health hoard Meeting Minutes Page 7 Agency I Prop ram BEHTMomprehensive Case Management BEHIVIM-er" HeaRh BEHMWei,,ess Services 1 SEHIV Total 2 Child Can Canter of Evanston/Home "r Care CNFJ Serr.Ces rx Crrld en with SPI** NWI CNE I C.tv Wde Sd+clarvvpa 3 Chlkkan tbtnart al Evanston Total C0 rwCwr'4 I SwtvArKe Abuse Casa Mansaw Conr*Cb ry I Erey Pore 4 conracwm Total a (X-*Mlora WMA Collaboration Evai a= Can"uley Defender I S=W Wort Serncss Evai mto Carr- rrtr Defender I I.eaal Services I Evanston Caa n,unirp Defender Total F" Foos I Primary Prcvmdgn FerndT Foos I Pre7wN and Pww" Teen 7 Fame} Focus Total 0 The Famer kwttdne I Evanston Atdtlsk Housing Osoo-rs r Res+den4al Serr"s HouskV 0coa is I SHIP e Housing Opbons Total 10 Infant W@ fsrr got" I Tan Baby Mursanf 11 t.AFAWJ Evanston lenal Services 2002 AGENCY $S REQUEST BEFORE BUDGET REDUCTION AFTER 3.5% BUDGET REDUCTION Current Funamg AlloC460n Committao FY03-04 i Change S Chan" % Change Allocation Request Requested Funding Recommendations from FY03-04 from FY02-03 from FY02-03 FY0I-03 FY03-Z4 Change Allocation 3 Change %Change Allocatlon Recommend Allocation Altoratlon $12,450 S14.000 S1,550 $12.450 SO 0.0°% $9,380 (S3,070) ($3.070) -24.7% $3,320 S5,000 $1,680 S3,320 S0 00°% $2,320 ($1.000) ($1,000) -30.1% $830 $1.000 S170 S830 so 0.0% $0 ($830) ($830) -100.0% I $1600 $20,000 $3,400 $16,600 s0 0.0% S11,700 LS4,900) ($4,900) .29.6% _ 518.500 $21.8Q0 53,300 518.500 50 0 Q $18„500 so s0 0.0x $29 900 S29.900 50 $29,900 SO 0.0°% $29.900 $O $O 0.0% S99.D00 S120.000 $21,000 S100.795 S1.795 18°% S100,795 $O $1,795 1.8% S128.900 $149,900 $21.000 S130y695 $1.795 1.4%. S130.695 SO $1,795 1A% $7.300 S9.000 $1,700 S9,000 S1,700 23.3°%. $7,300 ($1,700) s0 0.0% $19.000 S23,000 S4,000 $23.000 S4,000 21.1°% $21.000 (S2.0OO) $2,000 10.5% $26,300 $32,000 $5.700 $32.000 s5,700 21.7% $28,300 ($3,700) $2,000 7.6% s58.000 $61.000 $3.000 $61.000 S3.0001 $61,000 5.2°% SOI $3.000 6.2% $18.236 S39 547 S21,311 S18,236 $O 0 0°% $18,238 50 s0 0.0% $27.764 $24 453 (S3 311) S27.764 SO 0 flee $27.764 $O $0 0.0% S46,000 $64,000 $18;000 $46.000 so 0.0X $46.000 $0 So 0.0% $16,900 $17,745 $845 $16,900 so 0.0a% $16.900 so so 0.0% $25.100 $26.355 S1,255 $25,100 SO 0.0°% $25,100 $O s0 0.0% $42,000 S44,ivu , $ 2,100 $42,000 so 0.0% $42,000 $0 s0 0.0% $5.000 $10 000 ( $5;000 $O ($5.000)1 -100.0°% so s0 (S51000) -100.0% S9.800 $12 000 S2,200 S12.000 $2,200 22 4°%. $10.800 (S1.200) $1,000 10.2'% $10,600 S13,000 $2.400 S13,000 $2,400 22.6% $11.600 ($1.400) $1.000 9A% $20.400 S25.000 $4,600 $25,000 $4,600 22.5% $22.400 ($2.600) $2,000 9.8% $89,0001 S89,0001 SO'[ S89,,o00I s0 U% $80p000 p.000) ($9.000) -10.1% S47.800 S50.000 S2,200 S47.800 $01 0.0% $44.0001 ($3,800) ($3,800) -7.9x hda arlrra l Y24R3 Page 1 of 2 03-M Program dlotauon redurporuaaed Agency 1 Program Metro Fairy Setv,ces! Fanny Suppon and Preversipn Metro F w-" Srsm:es I F w* 5er.,c n 12 Mevupoatan Fa,nhy Services Total 13 PM= I Evsr=%*nmkaw vane, Sardor Sacs 14 MINVI I FlatSvp PEER Services ( Apoiescery Treatrtxrt PEER Servos r AAun TreawrwM PEER Serr4s r mutt Earty kseevtre,an 15 PEER Eerv+css Total SHORE Car vmrwr Scroces I Dal PnnrmvwV SHORE Corr -army Servc" I RD Resxw" Services 11 SHORE: Coftwuhlty Servtoas Total SL Fra, IA*Scf n Ro=vpryCantor SL Francis I Psynh C&rw4Wenjspy 10 I St Fnntls Comm Mental Haetth ContwToW I Trilogy I Evwwon Aedvtdes "mr" 15 Youth Job CanterrJob Rsadlness .. . 20 Y.O_U- I Yov%4 Development MMS TOTAL 2002 AGENCY SS REQUEST BEFORE BUDGET REDUCTION AFTER 3.5% BUDGET REDUCTION Current Fund,ng Allocation Committee FY03-04 S Change f Chance % Changs Allocsaor, Request Requested Funding Recommendations from FY03-04 from FYg2-03 fovm FY02-03 FY0243 FY43-04 Change Anocallon - S Change % Change Allocation Rst:ommend Allocstion Allocation $82.500 $84.975 S2.475 $84.975 $2.475 3 0°% $84,975 $0 $2.475 3.0% $8.000 S8.240 $240 $8.240 $240 3.0% $8,240 so 5240 3.0% $90,500 $93.215 $2,715 $93,215 $2,715 3.0% $93,215 5o $2.716 3.0% $31,900 S39.500 $7,600 531.900 SO 0,0% $31,900 SO SO 0.0% $8.0001 S13.0001 $5,000 $01 (58.000) -100.0°% $0 so IS8,000) -100.0% S12,400 $14,000 $1.600 S12.400 s0 0.0°% $12.400 so s0 0.0% S38.400 $39.000 $600 $38.400 s0 0.0°% $30.400 so so 0.0% $21.000 $21.500 $500 $21,000 so 0 0°% $21.000 so so 0.0% $71,800 S74„500 $2,700 $11,800 so 0.0% $71,300 so So 0.0% S19,600 $20.984 $1.384 $20.660 $1,060 5.4°% $20,660 so $1.060 5.4% S21.200 S22.648 S1.448 S22,330 $1,130 5.3°% $22,330 so $1.130 5.3% $40,800 S43,632 $2 832 542,990 $2.190 5.4% $42„990 so S2,190 6.4% $O S7.250 $7,250 $0 $O NA $0 so so na $7.000 S7 500 $500 $O ($7,000} -100.0°% s0 s0 ($7,000) -100.0% $7,000 S14,750 $7,750 so 37,000) -100.0% so s0 {s7,000) .100.0% s6,0001 $6.000 $0 S610001 so 0.0°% $6,000 ' s0 $0 0.0% $14.0001 S14.0QO1 SOI S14.000 SO 0.0°% $8,000 ($6.000) 36,000) -42.9% $90,4001 $108.7001 $18.3001 S90.400 $01 0.0% $90,400 so $0 0.0% $858,900 s974,097 l $115,197 T $858,900 $0 1 0.0% $8_ 290 ($30,000) ($30,000) •3.5% hat /hrad am&" Es" 2 ar 2 Minutes recorded — not yet approved EVANSTON MENTAL HEALTH BOARD MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2003 Members Present Susan Canter, Randy Walker, Victoria Kalish, Gill Krulee, and Carol Sittler Presiding: Carol Sittler, Vice Chair Staff: Harvey Saver, Joan Barott Community Representatives- Pam Thomas (Evanston/Skokie Valley Senior Services); Sandra Stumme (Metropolitan Family Services); Alexander Brown (Housing Options); Don Baker (YOU) Ms. Sittler called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. I. INTRODUCTIONS AND COMMUNITY COMMENTS Ms. Sittler reported that Ms. Grover was out of town and that she would be chairing the meeting. She welcomed the community representatives and asked that they introduce themselves. II. REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF MARCH 13, 2003 MINUTES Ms. Sittler said that the march 13, 2003 minutes were approved with the corrections that were submit- ted. Ill. INTENSIVE AGENCY REVIEW: Y.O.U. Ms. Sittler welcomed Don Baker, Executive Director of Youth Organizations Umbrella (YOU). Mr. Baker said that YOU was founded in 1971. It was developed in response to recommendations from a community task force that considered the needs of Evanston's youth after the Youth Center closed. Fewer young people had been using it during a period when fewer and fewer teens were using formal, more structured, and traditional activities. The space for that Center then became the Levy Senior Cen- ter. Mr. Baker said that he had been a member of 15-person task force that was the founding commit- tee of YOU. It included representatives from the City Manager's Office, Police Department, Recreation Board, Evanston Youth Commission, Reba PIace Fellowship, Council of PTAs, and ETHS. Mr. Baker said that a founding principle of YOU is that not all kids are the same. They have different interests, talents, resources and needs. Initially, YOU served as a sponsor, or"umbrella," fora number of small, focused activities that were provided by different groups around town. Mr. Baker added that there were a number of youth in Evanston who were served well. YOU focused on the kids who were "on the margins", and were not being adequately served by more traditional and mainstream programs. Mr. Baker recounted how there has been a lot of movement over the past 31 years in how local tax dol- April 10, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 1 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Jars have funded human services. He discussed YOU's history of funding through a number ofdiffer- ent City departments or programs during that time. Mr. Baker described the movement that was important in youth services throughout the country starting in the early 1970's. "Alternative" services were in vogue. Outreach services and drop -in centers found kids where they were, or took them into programs on the youth's own terms. Pogue YOU was a part of that movement. The "umbrella" was finding kids who were not thriving through programs at the Y, in schools, in programs that were more traditional, and in sports activities. Now, the agency sees the issue as all kids need youth development programs. Mr. Baker said that YOU now provides services that arc not dissimilar to services that are more traditional. However, the kids they serve are typically not the same as those being seen in the more traditional agencies. One of YOU's purposes is to get kids off the streets and help them stop or avoid delinquent kinds of behaviors. They work with them to try to get them back into school, jobs, and other productive activities. They help them get their lives turned in di- rections that are more positive. Mr. Baker said that all of the MHB's funds go to support the Youth Development Program. That pro- gram is also funded by state funds, the Evanston United Way, and private donations. The Family Sup- port Program is a more traditional, clinical program with licensed social work staff. It is funded par- tially by grants from the state, a small piece of a federal grant that they have in conjunction with several other agencies, and private funds. The agency also has Outreach Services and a Delinquency Preven- tion Program for youth who are at risk for teen delinquency. Mr. Krulee asked what the client numbers were in YOU's programs. Mr. Baker said that at YOU's peak they were seeing approximately 1,200 kids per year in all of their programs combined. Now they are seeing approximately 700. Annually, they now see approximately 150-200 in the Family Support Pro- gram,150-200 in the Delinquency Prevention Program, and approximately 500 in the Youth Develop- ment Program. .While the budget has tripled over a number of years, the number of kids being served has declined significantly. Mr. Baker pointed out that, in order to be effective, the agency has found the need to spend more resources, time and energy on a smaller number of kids. In response to Mr. Savcr, Mr. Baker reported that they had been operating two summer sites. However, due to funding cuts one year ago, one site was eliminated. YOU has been somewhat successful raising private funds this year and so this next summer they will be able to again run two sites. Ms. Sittler asked Mr. Baker what were the agency's most pressing problems. He responded that it was figuring out how to draw all of the kids into an appropriate youth development program. Mr. Baker said that there were many kids who were not taking advantage of any of the resources available to kids in the community. YOU sees kids who are vulnerable and on the streets, victims as well as victimizers who arc at risk and come from all racial, ethnic and economic groups in Evanston. The risk factors that kids not comfortable in the more traditional agencies have to confront are poverty, lack of parental at- tention, inadequate housing, a lack of effective support, and inadequate support from the schools. These issues put young people at risk. Mr. Baker said that YOU has seen an influx in Evanston of families from Jamaica, Haiti, Belize, Mex- ico and the housing projects from Chicago. Many of these are functionally immigrant families in Evanston. They bring with them all the issues involved with poverty, racism, and inadequate housing that many others in Evanston have had to face. In response, YOU employs a number of biracial and April 10, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 2 Minutes recorded — not yet approved bicultural staff. They have 13 full time staff, 7 permanent part time staff, and a number of graduate in- terns from universities. In addition, they have a group of about 100 volunteers. Mr. Baker explained that YOU provides academic support in after -school programs. They also have a Saturday Morning Breakfast Club that is held at the Public Library. There they provide tutoring and mentoring to help kids get organized for big school projects. Mr. Krulce asked about the numbers and demographics of the new immigrant group that Mr. Baker de- scribed. Mr. Baker said that ETHS now reports a population that is approximately 15% Hispanic. The families of many of these individuals are largely from two small towns in Mexico. Those individuals from Haiti, Belize, and Jamaica arc from locations that are more scattered. The numbers are difficult to come by because many of them are "counted" as African -American. Ms. Canter asked whether YOU is now working with staffand volunteers who were once involved as youth with their programs. Mr. Baker said that it has happened in a relatively few cases. He indicated that was because most of the young people that they work with have large deficits. It would be a large step up for many of them to regularly use the programs at the YMCA. The agency would consider that a considerable victory. Ms. Canter asked whether the agency had any data regarding long-term results of their contacts with kids. Mr. Baker said that the agency has been trying to figure out how to begin collecting data about impact and outcome in a more meaningful manner. However, he added that they currently have no data on long-term results. Mr. Baker said that it is difficult to track this. They have anecdotal evidence about individuals, but nothing that is statistically meaningful. Ms. Sitticr asked Mr. Baker what he would like the MHB to remember from his presentation. He said, first, every youth in the community needs healthy youth development experiences and programs, and a support system. There are only two Evanston programs that focus their efforts and resources upon kids on the margin, Family Focus and YOU Second, YOU now has a substantial clinical component for kids whop are not going to go to more traditional, therapeutic settings. YOU's staff needs special skills to reach out to kids, develop their trust, and get them to come into the program. Finally, the MHB will see the number of kids YOU serves continue to decline as the agency tries to provide support that is more intensive to fewer kids who need more support. Mr. Baker added that, based upon its background, the MHB might be more interested in funding the more clinical aspects of YOU's programs, rather the Youth Development. He indicated that he would be open to discussing that with the Board or YOU's Agency Liaison. Mr. Krulec asked whether the agency needed more contact with Northwestern University. Mr. Baker said that the university has always provided a lot of volunteers and support. However, they can always use more. As an example, he said that Northwestern made people available to help YOU with the de- velopment of their data management system. Ms. Kalish asked what Mr. Baker would do if he were given a large amount of new money. He said that he is feeling the most pressure in the after school programs. For the first time the agency has a Nvaiting list in that program. lie would want to add two new staff people for that program at the Chute and haven centers. He would also hire one more clinician to respond to the increasing demand for more clinical services. If he had the luxury, he would also like to supplement the office staff. April 10, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 3 Minutes recorded — not yet approved The MHB members thanked Mr. Baker for his presentation. IV. AGENCY ACCOUNTABILITY Agency Liaison Reports Family Focus. Ms. Kalish said Family Focus had their big fundraiser at the end of March. It was well attended. She reported that she had attended Family Focus's monthly board meeting. John Turnersaid that the agency is looking for creative ways to get through the end of the fiscal year with a financial shortfall. Childcare Network of Evanston. Ms. Canter said she attended the CNE Board Mceting. They are reviewing their programs. Each meeting they are having one of their programs highlighted. This past month, Chris Baer talked about Project Help's successes and its staff. Fifteen families are receiving help in the childcare centers. They have an intern working at the Child Care Center of Evanston for 18 hours a week at three different centers. CNE is currently researching information about developing childcare programs for children with special needs. Mr. Saver reminded the MHB that the MHB's funds support Project Help. Project SEED. \is. Canter said she attended one of the community information meetings about Project SEED. The curriculum that the project will be using with early childhood classrooms is The Incredible Years. She indicated that the presentation made the program sound great. Ms. Canter said she was looking forward to serving on the Community Advisory Council, and asked Mr. Saver to send the MHB the informational packet from the community meetings. She pointed out that Metropolitan Family Ser- vices is looking for a Spanish-speaking social worker for Project SEED. SHORE. Mr. Krulee reported that he has been visiting with the staff at SHORE. They want to start making use of computer technology in their educational programs. He said that he was going to help them look into it. He found a good resource at Park School. Separately he identified many products that had potential. He will help the agency identify what might be useful and try out the programs. • Housing Options Update Alexander Brown, Executive Director of Housing Options, joined the MHB. He indicated that he wanted to bring the MHB up-to-date on the status of their purchasing an additional building to develop additional for their clients. He said that earlier last fall he reported to the MHB that Housing Options was considering the development of a home for their aging, senior population. In the past two weeks, they placed under contract a home at Kirk and Asbury. Mr. Brown said that, for some time, Housing Options' policy has been that after a property is under contract they will then notify the community. The agency sent out 150 letters to community leaders to inform them about the site. In addition, they called the Mayor, the Aldermen. and City staff. They also sent 60 letters to the immediate neighbors. Initially, the feedback had been generally positive. Since the letters were sent out, there are some of the immediate neighbors that have expressed concerns regarding safety, property values, and supervision of the residents. They have been expressing their concerns at the Human Services Committee, on the 8' Ward wcbsite, and at City Council. Mr. Brown said he has received several calls, both positive and April 10, 2003 Mental Heafth Board Meeting Minutes Page 4 Minutes recorded — not yet approved negative. He indicated that he is willing to meet with any groups or individuals who may have concerns about Housing Options' new living units. Mr. Brown said the building is a tw•o-family home. The first floor has three bedrooms and two baths. The unit on the second floor has a sinele bedroom and bath. He reported that one-third of his agency's residents are over 55; some of them live on a third floor. Their oldest resident is almost 70. They are having more difficulty climbing stairs. The Kirk and Asbury home will enable Housing Options'seniors to move to the ground level. Unless Housing Options is able to provide housing for sonic of these indi- viduals in an accessible, first floor setting, or a lower level building, they may have no other housing option other than a nursing home. In response to a question. Mr. Brown said that the recent article in the Evanston Evpress was not en- tirely accurate. He said that he called the reporter who indicated that he was on deadline and had not spoken to anyone from Housing Options, or tried to confirm any of the information with the agency. Mr. Brown explained that, in addition to all of the services that they provide, Housing Options serves as an advocate for the legal rights of their clients. Next Tuesday, they will have an informational meeting with the community to educate and help them to understand what they are trying to do. Mr. Krulce asked Mr. Brown whether he thought that smaller housing units were preferable to larger facilities. Mr. Brown answered that the agency's goal is to provide smaller units that fit into the com- munity. He said that he thought that adults who have a chronic mcntal illness are happier and more successful in a small community setting. Ms. Walker asked what the MHB could do to help. Mr. Brown explained that he thought there was a reference made to the Human Services Committee to consider a change in the licensing ordinance from regulating a certain number of people who live in a "dwelling unit" to that number of people who live "under one roof." He said that Housing Options could use assistance in helping the community under- stand what this type of housing does and provides, as well as what mcntal illness is. Ms. Sittler suggested that the agency have neighbors of their other properties provide support Ms. Kalish said that it would be good to hear in a public forum from them and the reality of their proximity to Housing Options' units.'Mr. Brown said that several of them arc willing to add their voice, but don't want to go to a public meeting just to be yeilcd at by angry neighbors. Mr. Brown added that the agency is willing to do what it needs to do to help people understand what services the agency provides and how they conduct their business. However, eventually, Housing Options will close on the home, fix it up and make renovations and repairs so that it looks better than it does now, and then is going to move in. MS. Sittler led a discussion about what the MHB should do to support Housing Options, and what could be done to help counter the negative profile of their services that was being discussed by some members of the neighborhood adjacent to the new home. Several Board members said that they would go to the community meeting on April 15 in order to get more information, and to hear the neighbors' concerns. The MHB discussed the various roles that the members might play within the Board's areas ofresponsibility. Mr. Krulce moved and Ms. Canter seconded a motion for the MHB to publicly give support and submit letters to appropriate publications on behalf of Housing Options new housing program. Motion passed unanimously 5 aye (Canter, Walker, Kalish, Krulce, Sittler)— 0 no. April 10, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 5 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Mr. BroAm said that Housing Options tries very hard to have good relationships with everyone in the neighborhood. He thanked the MHB for their support. • Agency Review Process Mr. Saver updated the MHB on the schedule for the Agency Review Process. He said that it would not be possible to have the Board meeting at each of the agencies. Because of space limitations, or prob- lems with accessibility, the Board would only be meeting at Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropoli- tan Chicago and Teen Baby Nursery. The Board decided to put on hold any plans for organized tours of the other three agencies. Mr. Saver encouraged the Board to contact the agencies directly if they would like to see their facilities. The Board discussed working out among themselves some small group visits with the agencies before the fall funding review. After reviewing the proposed schedule, the Board agreed to schedule an August meeting for an agency review in order to be able to accommodate all of the agencies before October. The MHB discussed the process that they used that evening for the Agency Review with YOU. The Board agreed that the agenda for the discussion was helpful. However, there was a consensus to expand the discussion from 30 minutes to 45 minutes. V. FUNDING ALLOCATION PROCESS • Budget Application Materials Mr. Saver reviewed the items in the Board's Work Plan for the funding allocation process. He said that every year the NIHB reviews the budget application materials for the coming funding hearings. He indi- cated that there were no comments or concerns about the 2002 proposals about which he was made aware. Mr. Saver asked for input and recommendations regarding the proposals and said that he wanted to have the final proposal format approved by the Board and ready to send to agencies by the middle of July. After a brief discussion, the MHB agreed that there was no need for any changes in the proposal format. Mr. Saver reported that he has spoke with two agencies about making application to the MHB for fund- ing. He said he was not aware whether they would pursue it. He indicate that the MHB's procedures require that any agency applying to the Board for funds for the first time has to submit a letter of intent no later than the June Board meeting. The intent of the letter is the same as a preliminary letter that is submitted to a foundation. The Board has an opportunity to review the information and determine, based upon the proposed program, the estimated cost, or the availability of funds, whether it is inter - ested in receiving a full proposal for consideration. It saves the agency the trouble of having to develop the entire proposal if there is no interest on the pan of the funder to consider it. Mr. Saver added that he expected at least a couple of the programs that were not funded in the past year to apply for funding again. • Review the Consolidated Funding Process Mr. Saver commented that the MHB also included a review of the new, consolidated funding process in = the 2003 Work Plan. He said that he thought that it would be difficult to do as a large group at a Board meeting. If there are going to be changes considered in the process, it will be more efficient to work with a subcommittee. He indicated that he would make the revisions if there were only minor changes. He reported that Nis. Grover thought that a small group should review the process before moving April 10, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 6 Minutes recorded — not yet approved ahead. She said that she would work on the subcommittee. Ms. Kalish and Ms. Canter volunteered to work on the review of the process with Ms. Grover. Vl. APPOINTMENT OF NOMINATING COMMITTEE Mr. Saver reviewed the MHB's Nominating Committee process. He said that MHB officers for the 2003-2004 year would be nominated for consideration at the May MHB meeting. The MHB will vote on the nominations and elect officers at the June meeting. The elected officers will take office at the July meeting. Ms. Sittler reported that Ms. Grover appointed Vicki Kalish and Lonnie Wiebe to serve on the Nominating Committee. VII, CHAIR REPORT Ms. Sittler said there was no report from the Chair due to Ms. Grover's absence. Vill. STAFF REPORT State Budget. Mr. Saver said that the Governor released his proposed budget for FY03-04. He re- ported that he is only now beginning to receive analyses from arc/Illinois and CBHAI about the impact upon community services. The way the Budget is organized, it is difficult to find a single impact state- ment on any specific service sector. Mr. Saver said that it appears community agencies will have their budgets reduced by approximately 1.5%. However, this is after already flat orreduced State funding for community services over the past four years. In addition to the overall reductions for community agency budgets, it appears that the Governor proposed the elimination of state funding for several community providers who work with persons with developmental disabilities. The Governor also pro- posed not to rehire all of the OMH staff that took early retirement and left their employment at state mental health centers. Mr. Saver said that he was told that the state would likely fill only one out of every three positions that are vacant in the state psychiatric centers. These vacancies are making it dif- ficult to get someone admitted to a facility. This is coming at a time when a number of community hospitals have closed their inpatient units. The State is placing pressure on their mental health -funded providers to keep people with psychiatric problems in the community or inpatient units as long as they possibly can, because the state facilities have so many closed psychiatric beds. Mr. Saver said that he was told the Governor's proposed budget also includes additional funds for state DD facilities at the same time that community agencies are receiving funding reductions. Finally, in response to a cam- paign promise to the community and to the unions, the Governor is proposing to reopen Lincoln Devel- opmental Center. Governor Ryan closed this facility after many years of problems, Mr. Saver said that this was counter to the national trend to move people with developmental disabilities into small, com- munity residences and close DID institutions. Illinois invests more than most states in keeping their in- stitutions open rather than investing that resource in smaller, residences that are more appropriate. The only funding for new CILAs for persons with developmental disabilities in the proposed budget are for emergency placements, i.e., a person's caregiver died or was unable to continuing to provide care, and placements for people transitioning out of the DCFS system. Illinois has no idea how many people are actually waiting for housing placements because they refuse to keep an organized statewide waiting list. A current bill in Springfield may make a waiting list mandatory. Aging Well Conference. The registration forms have been mailed out for the Aging Well Conference April 10, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 7 Minutes recorded — not yet approved and the schedule of workshops has been established. The Film Festival will be on Wednesday, May 7 at 7:00 p.m. at the Evanston Library. A.S.K. Mr. Saver provided background on a new organization that was started by Marion Casey. An- swers for Special Kids (A.S.K.) is providing information and resources for parents with whose kids make use of special education resources in the schools. He said that he is helping her with a presenta- tion by Matt Cohen, an attorney who has been an advocate for parents in the IEP process. He will be presenting at the Lc%y Center on Tuesday, May 6, 7:30-9:00 p.m. about how to be an effective partici- pant in your child's I EP. Mr. Saver said that he is assisting her in finding regular meeting space for her developing organization. Community Responses to Truancy: Engaging Students in School. Mr. Saver said that he invited the C&A LAN to help him sponsor a videoconferencc for the community about truancy. Chronic truancy has been identified as an early warning sign that a youth is headed for delinquent activity, social isola- tion, and/or dropping out of school, factors that place a young person at a long term disadvantage in be- coming a productive citizen. The videoeonference is on April 30, but this is a bad date because ofcom- peting trainings. He indicated that ECTV agreed to downlink and videotape the conference for him. The actual training will be provided some time in early June. Mental Health Conference. Mr. Saver reminded the Board about the Second Annual Naomi Ruth Cohen Charitable Foundation's Mental Health Conference titled, "From Confusion Toward Clarity: Mapping the World of Mental Health Services". The MHB is sponsoring this with about 90 other or- ganizations and congregations. Ms. Walker reported that she as planning to attend the conference. Ms. Walker reported that she would be leaving her job with Anixter Center on April 25. She will be going to Wilpower to become their Director of Residential Services. Meeting adjourned at 8:45 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Joan M. Barott Secretary nw— April 10, 2003 Mental health Board Meeting Minutes Page a Minutes recorded — not yet approved EVANSTON MENTAL HEALTH BOARD MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, MAY 08, 2003 Members Present Lonnie Wiebe, Susan Canter. Randy Walker, Victoria Kalish, Gill K.rulee. Lou Rowitz. Linda Laatsch, Jane Grover, and Carol Sittler Presiding: Jane Grover. Chair Staff: Haney Saver. Joan Barott Community Representatives: Kathy Shearer, Mary Lee Swiatiowiec. and Erica Anderson Pam Thomas (Evanston/Skokie Valley Senior Services); Sandra Stumme (Metropolitan Family Services); Alexander BroNvn (Housing Op- tions); Sue Ann Glaser (Childcare Nenvork of Evanston); Michael Kerns Ms. Grover called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. at Infant Welfare Society's Teen BabyNursery at 2010 Dewey in Evanston I. INTRODUCTIONS AND COMMUNITY COMMENTS Ms. Grover welcomed the guests and asked that they introduce themselves. II. INTENSIVE AGENCY REVIEW: TEEN BABY NURSERYIINFANT WELFARE SOCIETY Ms. Grover welcomed the staff from Infant Welfare Society: Kathy Shearer, Executive Director, Mary Lee Swiatiox%icc, Director of Teen Baby Nursery; and Erica Anderson, Developmental Psy- chologist. Kathy Shearer said that Infant Welfare Society (IWS) is an older social service agency that has been around since 1917. The original focus had been on health issues, and always focused on infants and toddlers. IWS was the first licensed childcare faciliry in the state. and the second one in the nation. IWS maintained that focus when it developed Teen Baby Nursery (TBN), ,.%-hich has been around 1.3 years. Ms. Shearer reported that IWS started TBN at the request of the City of Evanston. It was developed in response to the special developmental nceds of teen moms. Initially. the program provided sup- port, guidance and childcare for the babies of seniors. The goal was to enable the girls to finish their studies and graduate from high school. Ms. Shearer said that. fourteen years later, the teen preg- nancy rate in Evanston has remained about the same. The City has had approximately 55 - 65 teen pregnancies every year. However, the average age of the girls getting pregnant has been plummeting. May 08, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page Minutes recorded — not yet approved TBN is secing some moms «ho are petting pregnant in the 8`h grade. This year TBN only has three mothers who will be Lraduatinc. While the average age for this program has dropped significantly. it has brought with it a number of challengers. The 1 4-year mom is facing a more issues and challenges than the l 7-18 year old mom that TBN bcgan the program. GIs. Shearer pointed out that Ms Swia- tiowviec was the first statTperson hired for TBN when it opened. She has now been the Directorof the program for eight years. (Lou Rowviiz and Carol Sittler joined the meeting at 7:15 p.m.) Ms. Anderson said that she has been working %with the program "The Sooner the Better" at I WS and has seen many changes with the impact of the lowering age of the moms. She continued that the pro- gram has to act aggressively to address new issues. They are starting therapeutic playgroups between all of the moms and their kids at TBN next fall. The playgroups will have trained clinicians work with the moms and babies on their developing relationships. The program is intended to fosicr healthy parenting skills and provide therapeutic intervention between the mom and the baby. The groups will be highly structured and the program will be tracking outcomes. his. Anderson said that they are going to try to work with District "'202 to start a program in the fall of support groups for girls in District =55's 51h-7`h grades. They hope to stem the issue of carly pregnancy before girls get to the high school. Ms. Grover asked about the relationship between the mom's age and youth having an effect upon early problems and learning delays. Ms. Anderson said that they have been seeing significant emo- tional issues in the child because of problem behaviors kith the young, teen mother. It does not seem to be related to a low birth weight issue. Ms. Shearer added that health care is an increasing problem at TBN. They have been seeing a lot of asthma in the babies, but it appears to be a devel- opmental problem and not a result of risks at birth. She said that TBN is committed to serving this community in whatever was is necessary. She explained that they arrange for an R.N. to go to the doctor with moms to help them understand medical instructions and information about the care of their child. If a child gets sick, staff at TBN has been able to help the mom obtain a prescription. If it is necessary, they will provide the medications while the child is at TBN if the mom is having diffi- culty following the administration regimen. F Ms. Laatsch said that the therapeutic playgroups sound like they will be a very expensive additional component, especially if the)- are to be provided by professionals. She asked how the program is go- ing to manage the costs. Ms. Shearer said that it wvould be very expensive. The costs Mill be above the current operational costs. The additional costs will be in the range of S35,000-38.000. They are currently working out the financing. TBN receives funding from the: state and federal governments, _ as well as local funding from the NIHB and Evanston Township High School. INVS is also submit- ting grants for program support. However, even if the grant applications are not funded. INVS will absorb the costs from their agency's own funds. They will also be contracting with licensed clini- cians to look at the child on a one-to-one basis, help develop curriculum and lesson plans, and per- form follow-up assessments in order to provide outcome date to fenders. It is a unique and innova- tive program that has worked with other populations, but it is a new initiative wvith moms and their c babies. Nis. Kalish asked for a description of a typical day at Teen Baby Nursery. Ms. Shearer said that May 08, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes page 2 Minutes recorded — not yet approved some of their efforts. right now. are to try to actually develop a typical day. There always seems to be a lot of change based upon how the moms and babies are doing. tics. Swiatiowiec discussed the schedule: and activities that are available to the moms and babies. She said that the kids might be at the program for 9 hours. The actual time that the program is open is 8:00 a.m.--3:30 p.m. however, they do provide for the moms' travel time. The girls are also able to see a social worker at Family Focus after the program is closed. Ms. Grover asked whether some days of the week are more difficult. Nis. Anderson said that it is not predictable. However. Monday is generally the toughest. Because of the weekend, the kids might be off their schedule. The child might have been spending the weekend at a different location with the father, or they might have spent some of the weekend with a grandparent. That first day back is sometimes the opportunity to get the child back into a schedule. Isis. Grover asked about the meals that are provided to the children. Nis. Su%iatiosyiec said that they are provided breakfast and lunch everyday, and there is a snack that is provided in the afternoon. Nis. Kalish asked how many kids are currently enrolled in TBN. \is. Swiatiowice said that atten- dance has been very good. There are now 17 babies enrolled, with two more that will soon start. They also work with ETHS, so the program structure requires that the parents attend their own school. When the children arc sick, TBN has also made special arrangements with the high school so a mom's absence from the high school does not count against her. Ms. Sittler asked what happens at TBN if the mom is detained for some reason. his. Siviatiot%icc said that the program has emergency cards. Thee call a family member or other emergency contact that is on rile to pick up child. She said that TBN also works with other family members. Ms. Wiebe asked how long a mom or child is followed. Ms. SwiatoMec said that the program was set up initially to follow them as long as the mom was in school. However, with the age of the girls gelling younger. the child will turn three years old while the mom is till going to be in school for an- other one or two years. The program is set up to only work with the babies until they are three years old, so TBN is beginninc to talk about how to deal with the follow-up issue. - Nis. Laatsch asked whether either parent is expected to pay for services. ;his. Swiatiowiec said that the parents are eligible for a childcare subsidy through the State of Illinois. The majority of the costs are covered by the State at a rate of about $260 per week. However. TBN still expects each family to pay a fee of $6 per week as a way of assuming some responsibility for the care and support. Nis. Walker asked how TBN manages to deal with sick kids and with the summer months. his. Swiatio%viec said that TBN remains open through the summer months. Most of the moms eo to summer school, or they work. So, they continue to need the support of the nursery. Nurses are avail- able as a resource to work with the moms about what to do with their kids in avoiding illnesses. In addition, the staff at TBN does a lot of hand washing, and insists that the kids do, as well. Nis. Grover thanked his. Shearer for the informative charts. She pointed out that TBN's enrollment has gone down slightly. %%hile. at the same time. the amount of services provided has jumped. Nis. Wiebe asked whether had volunteers that they are able to use to help at TBN. NIs. S%viatio'Mec May 08, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 3 Minutes recorded — not yet approved stated that they have had volunteers onh• occasionally. They ask volunteers to make a commitment for a substantial amount of time so that there is consistence in the lives of the babies. Most people have generally not had this kind of time available. TBN has had some interns from the Erikson Insti- tute, National Louis University, and Northwestern. and the program welcomes their time. Neverthe- less, TBN needs and requires long:, regular contact with the young babies for the purpose ofcontinu- ity. In response to Mr. Krulee and Ms. Grover, tics. Swiatiowice reported that TBN will take the babies as young as six %seeks old. TBN serves approximately 35 parents a year. The information she has received from ETHS indicates that there are approximately 35 - 50 pregnancies a year, so TBN is serving approximately 60-700 o of the pregnant teens at ETHS. Some of the teen moms rely upon family care or daveare. They are serving more families this year because TBN is more visible at the high school's Health Services office. TBN has a marketing specialist at the high school, and through her recruiting the enrollment has been very successful this year. Nis. Canter asked about the programs' expectations. his. Sww•iatiowiec described them and said that a number of the girls resist the rules and being, check up on. However, they must comply with the rc- quirements in order to stay eligible for the program. Nis. Sittler asked about the involvement of fathers. Ms. Swviatioviec commented that some fathers do participate a lot. some fathers do not participate not at all, and the largest group falls somewhere in between. Through Early Head Start, they can participate in a Male Involvement Group. his. Wiebe asked whether there has been any change in that involvement and Nis. Swiatiowviec indicated that it has not changed at all. his. Grover asked whether there would be any advantage for TBN to be located at ETHS. That way TBN would be able to have contact with and rope in more of the pregnant teen moms. his. Shearer said that would be an ideal arrangement, if only because there would be more special support ser- vices available to the girls and the program. his. Sittler asked Ms. Shearer to respond to one of the planning questions that was sent to the agency prior to the meeting: -If the M1-1B could give you an extra S 100,000, how would you as the Director spend it?" Ms. Shearer said she had four priorities {in order}: I. Fund the therapeutic play groups for TBN; 2. At Baby Toddler Nurser. many of the parents are former teen moms, and have some of the same issues. implement the same support groups there as are available at TBN; 3. Get more groups started at School District K65 in conjunction with 4?02 staff; and, 4. Leverage more support for The Sooner The Betrer program at TEEN and Baby Toddler Nurs- er. The hiHB members thanked his. Shearer and the staff from Teen Baby Nursery for their presenta- tion, and for their hospitality in hosting the meeting. May 08, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 4 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Ill. EVANSTON PROJECT SEED Greg O'Donnell. Project Director of Evanston Project SEED tStrengthening Early Education and Development). joined the MI-16. He said that Project SEED is a program of Metropolitan Family Services (MFS ). The City of Evanston applied for and received a grant from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in the Department of Iealth and Human Services, and subcontracts with NIFS to implement the program. Mr. O'Donnell referred to program materials that were provided in advance in the \iHB's packet. lie said that SEED would be implemented in the early childhood programs for children 3-5 years ofage at both School District :H65 and the private childcare centers. SEED will be using an evidence -based program model called The htcretlible }curs (TIN'), �,.hich was piloted in the Seattle area approxi- mately 20 years ago. Planning for the program implementation began when the City received the grant last summer. In November. MFS hired Mr. O'Donnell as the Project Director. lie said that he hired the program staff in mid -January. He indicated that there were four community orientations provided at three separate locations in town over the spring. Tile presentation at School District 465's Administration Building was presented in both English and Spanish. In addition. he said that Mr. Saver has organized a Community Advisory Council for the Project. The first meeting was April 28. The project has a lot of community involvement. Mr. O'Donnell reported that the last week in May he and his staff would begin to implement the Pro- ject. He descried the three program components. and said that they would implement the parent - training component first. The parent skill -training component of TIY is a 12-week group course. Mr. O'Donnell said that. as the program is running at capacity. they would be running three groups at the same time %%ith approximately 14 parents at a time. The Project %sill provide whatever assistance they can to eliminate barriers to parent involvement and completion of the training e.g. childcare, meals, assistance with transportation.. In addition. the groups will be held at different locations in the community. at various locations close to where the families are in the community. In response to Ms. Latch's question about the evaluation of SEED. Mr. O'Donnell said that Dr. Deb- orah Gross was retained as the Project Evaluator. She is an Evanston resident who has had a signifi- cant amount of experience in doing evaluation with early childhood programs through Rush Medical School in Chicago. She also has had experience in the implementation of The Incredible fears Pro - grain in Chicago's iVest Side Project. and has published that research. Dr. Gross agreed to be the Evaluator for SEED and signed a contract with \IFS in late February. Mr. O'Donnell continued that the evaluation would be looking at three major outcome arms: increase in the parents' reported sense of success with their children; teachers reported sense of success in classroom management with their students: and. reported improvement in children's behavior and home and in the class. and a re- duction in problem behaviors. Mr. Krulee asked whether SEED would work through * 65's staff that is already doing similar types of activities in the schools. Mr. O'Donnell said that in the fall of 2003. the Project would be initiated in the classrooms. First, IMI'S's staff will have to be trained in the classroom and teacher training component. Mr. O'Donnell said that the grant was originally submitted in response to needs ex- pressed by early childhood classroom teachers about the need for additional training and resources to assist with classroom issues. So it will be essential that SEED be working with all of the early child - May 08. 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 5 Minutes recorder! — not yet approved hood centers. In response to lis. Wiebe. fir. O'Donnell said that SEED is being made available universally to all children 3-5 }cars old and their families who are being served in childcare centers in Evanston. However. based upon the grant requirements, the target group is low-income and minority children. Mr. O'Donnell added that. at some point next school year, SEED would be offering the classroom component in a 6-month cycle at the same time as parents groups are being provided. As a part of the entire program. there will be 24 hours of training for the teachers in classroom techniques. CEUs and a stipend will be provided to teachers to entourage their participation. Nis. Canter asked what the plans were for program sustainability. Mr. O'Donnell responded that the plan is to use the evaluation results as a way of encouraging support for the program from the com- munity beyond the initial three }ears. He said that the TIY curriculum that is being used has also demonstrated success in improving school readiness. Sandra Stumme, Executive DirectorofMetro- politan Family Services. said that in the initial planning meetings for the grastt, the Superintendent of School District #165 indicated he would do what he could to help maintain the program in Evanston if the evaluation showed good results. Mr. O'Donnell distributed program -marketing flyers that were in both English and Spanish. He said that all of the program materials would be both in English and Spanish. In addition, he has hired a bilingual and bicultural staff person. He said that he hope to initially start two groups in English and one group in Spanish. The MHB members thanked Mr. O'Donnell for his presentation. IV. REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF APRIL 10, 2003 MINUTES Nis. Grover commented that the April 10, 2003 minutes were accepted. V. REVISIONS TO RESIDENTIAL CARE HOME LICENSING ORDINANCE Ms. Grover said that proposed Alderman Rainey referred revisions to Evanston's Residential Care Home Licensing Ordinance to the Human Sen•ices Committee. The proposed revisions were to have been discussed at the May 5 HSC Meeting but «•ere held over to the June 2 meeting. She said that she, Mr. Krulee, and Nis. Canter attended at the meeting. Ms. Grover suggested that MHB members attend the June 2 meeting, at which time the item will be placed on the agenda. Nis. Grover commented that the .%IHB packet contained information pertaining to the history of the Residential Care Home Licensing Ordinance in Evanston. She said that she also requested the infor- mation in the Board packet about previous attempts to revise the Licensing Ordinance. Nis. Grover reported that the information provided as background to the Human Services Committee for their meeting indicated that issues for consideration in the Licensing Ordinance were extensively researched and deliberated in 1996 and 1999. She pointed out that the Districts and Circuits govern - May 08, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 6 Minutes recorded -- not yet approved ing Evanston have p::1viously ruled favorably for residential community housing. Mr. Rowitz commented on .ghat the likely costs would be for investigating this issue fora third time. He added that the Cir. would have to be careful in the sway it discussed the issue because it would be very expensive to derend an oncoinc challenge for the City. tits. Grover commented that she did not think that the origin:-1 legal opinions about local licensing would change. Nis. Walker said that she thought the NiHB has an important role in the community to educate people about chronic metal illness. She said that she though most residents in the community would not want to live next door to a home for persons t►ith mental health problems. She indicated that she thought chronic menW illness should be at the forefront of the Board's agenda for community educa- tion. In response to Nis. Walker's question. Alexander Brown, Executive Director of Housing Op- tions. commented that since his agency's April 16 community meeting about the home on Kirk, he had not received any additional phone calls or inquiries from citizens or neighbors. He said that his only dialogue has been with City staff. Nis. Grover said that she did not think that this was a Housing Options issue. From what she has been able to tell, the agency has been working within local law. Based upon the decision at the April NilIB meeting, she said would prepare a letter stating the Board's position before the HSC meeting on June 2. VI. BRIEF OVERVIEW OF PROPOSED STATE BUDGET Mr. Saver referred to summary information in the MHB packet. He reported that there is a proposed 1.5% reduction from current year funds for agencies providing DD and Nil services. He said that the reduction would likely be greater than that if the Governor's budget is adopted as it was proposed. For example, in some cases, a community agency's allocation has been eliminated. Typically. in those situations, the agency had originally been included in the budget fora numberof years, and its allocation was an individual line item in the budget for special funds. Mr. Saver added that the State is considering new language in its contracts ►►ith the community agen- cies. A 2% "holdback" is being proposed. In the event that, at any time during the fiscal year, the State's projections are that revenues are falling behind the budget projections, the state can decide to "holdback" and not pay up to 20'o of the total amount of the contract. This could happen at any time during the year. It ►rill be more problematic for an agency if it spends its money and has to recoup 2% of the total contract from the last one or two payments. Agencies that are in financial trouble might have to set up an escrow and not be able to spend funds to which they are entitled. Mr. Saver reported that at the same time the Governor is proposing to reduce the budgets for com- munity agencies, he is considering reopening Lincoln Developmental Center. The facility was closed during Governor Ryan's last term because of a number of serious injuries and deaths to its residents, and other programmatic improprieties. Air. Saver said that the proposed plans are that a re -opened facility would be significantly do►►nsized at a very expensive cost. The proposed amount to reopen a state institution might equal approximately what the state will save by cutting the budgets of com- munity agencies. May 08, 2003 Mental HeaM Board Meeting Minutes Page 7 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Mr. Rowitz said that the State's budget is in horrible shape. Most of the state agencies have been cut. The Illinois Department of public Health is concerned about another West Nile Virus outbreak, and don't know how they are going to pay for it. VII. REPORT FROM THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE Ms. Wiebe reported for the Nominating Committee. She said that she and N1s. Kalish comprised the Committee. The Committee nominated lane Grover for a third term as Board Chair, and Sue Canter as the Vice Chair. Both individuals accepted the nominations. Ms. Wiebe said that the nominations would be voted on at the June ti1HB meeting. At that time. nominations may also be made from the floor. The elected positions will assume office at the July meeting. Vlll. CHAIR REPORT & STAFF REPORT Ms. Grover said that there would be no report from the Chair or stafl'in order to be able to move into the next agenda item. IX. RECOGNITION OF OUTGOING BOARD MEMBER: LONNIE WIEBE Ms. Grover reported that the May meeting was Lonnie's Wicbe last official meeting with the Mental Health Board. She said that 41s. NViebe had served on the riiHB for two full terms for eight years. Ms. Grover indicated that she had invited a number of people to join the NIFIB to help recognize and honor Ms. Wiebe as she stepped down from the MHB. Nis. Grover presented Ms. Wiebe %%ith a plague and a letter from Mayor Morton. She read the fol- lowing in to the record: "Dear ,tfs. Wiebe: "Thank yore for your service on the .dental Health Board. We tier), much appreciate your continuing sen-ke to the Board. Our records indicate that your second tern: is up on Nfay 30, 2003 and the council rules allow only one reappointment. We hope that}ou will continue your interest in community actii-ities. We do appreciate your menihership on the Mental Health Board and hope that the en- closed CertiTcate will remind you of our appreciation. _- Sincerely, Lorraine 11, Morton, Manor Ms. Grover then read the following Resolution of the Evanston Mental Health Board of May 8, 2003: "11,1ereas, Lonnie [Plebe served as a ,tfenther of the Eti anston,dental Health Boardfor eight years; May 08, 2003 Mental health Board Meeting Minutes Page a Minutes recorded —not yet approved "li7tereas. Lonnic Wiebe has provided strotrg leadership: an intspired risio►t, and a ftnety honed sense ofadvocacr)nr the Evanston .dental Health Boards programs andl mis- sion: "Whereas, Lonnie {d iehe has.cen•edthe Er-drnstott .tlertal llealth Board it ith ener*t and enthusiasm, and it ith manY nmre hours than she could ever have imagined: and "117tereas. Lonnie Wiehe has contrihuled a legar}• to the E►•an.ston .t lento! llealth Board of f utding for the Dimensions program: a deeper understanding of the rights of popula- tions with for needs to a home in the cornmunin•: and a higher prda/ile in Evanston through its sponsorship of educational and legislativeforunrs chow special issues and spe- cial needs: ' No r. therefore he it resolved, that Lonnie 11 tche is applauded and commended for her lifelong► contributions to Evanston and her eight years to the Evanston ,dental llealth Hoard, and is hereb'v unanimouslt• extetuled the gratitude and the respect ofthe Evanston Mental Health Baard for her leadership and dedicated service. " Ms. Grover then introduced %iichael Kerns, a former two -term member of the MUM and Chair of the Board during Nis. Wiebe's early tenure. Nfr. Kerns thanked theNil IB for alloying him to be part of the tribute to Nis. Wiebe. He said that he ►vas sure that the NIHB recognized Ms. Wiebe's many ef- forts and talents. He indicated that he wanted to share some of his own experiences in working with her. Mr. Kerns said that when he and his. Wiebe served on the NIHB, it was a period of Board turn- over. The MHB was going through a challenge ►working ►►ith HSC on budgetary issues. and the City Council was revie►yine the Residential Care I tome Licensing Ordinance. Mr. Kerns said that his. Wicbe assisted Nir. Kerns as Vice Chair during this period. She was instrumental initiating the MUIB's Agency Liaison Program with the funded agencies. ►►high lead to improving the Board's rela- tionship and the dialogue with them. Ms. Wiebe was the first Liaison to tiletropolitan Family Ser- vices when the agency came to town. and provided a considerable amount of support to the agency's Executive Director. %is. Wiebe also worked with Mr. Kerns on long term care facility issues and the downtown panhandling issue. his. Wiebe worked very closely with the Directors of Albany Care and Greenwood Care in trtiing to help them improve their relationships ►yith the community. She was able to bring to the community that the residents of those facilities were not causing all of the prob- lems about which they were concerned. Mr. Kerns thanked Ms. Wiebe for all of her efiarts and en- deavors on behalf of the Board and the Board's target groups. Mary Gavin. a former Mental I lealth Board colleague of Nis. Wiebe. was unable to be at the meeting. Ms. Kalish read a letter to Nis. Wicbe on her behalf. Ms. Gavin thanked P+is. Wiebe for leaving be- hind a proud legacy on the Mental Health Board. and a life-long commitment to activism and advo- cacy for social reforms. She ►►rote that Nis. 'Wiebe had been associated with many worth), causes in Evanston. She advocated for the disenfranchised and marginal members of society. INIs. Gavin said that, in the 1980's. when she became a member of the Board of Directors of Mental Health Associa- tion of Evanston. now the dental Health Association of the North Shore, Nis. Wiebe's name was already legendary as a teacher and trainer of numerous community volunteers. She taught people empathic listening skills -- how to listen deeply to others, facilitating communication and dialogue on an intensive personally level. 'Nis. Gavin also wrote that Nis. Wicbe also gave her services to the community through her employment at ACORN, a drop -in mental health center and a bold concept May 09, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 9 Minutes recorded -- not yet approved at the time. She «as also active very early on in supporting people to those afflicted with HIV. ills. Gavin also thanked Ms. Wiebe for shepherding through her orientation to theMental Health Board. She invited GIs. Gavin to her home for a two-hour dinner. and shared her knowledge of the systems and personalities in Evanston. Ms. Canter presented a testimonial to his. %Viebe: "This being the last official .Vemal Health Board meeting of Lonnie J17ebe's second term, 1 would like to prly tribute to her eight }ears of outstanding service to the hoard and lire Evanston communit)•. Jf lien 1 it -as appointed to the Alental Health Board aft if - Jears ago, Lonnie etas my mentor. .She made surer that I understood how the Board worked and what nr)• roles and responsibil ities it -ere. She familiari_ed me vvith the agencies that report to the Board, as it -ell as, their Directors and hoard members. During nri-first)•ear own the Board. Lonnie served as Chair. Her thortl liffiel and concerned consideration of each issite before its helped to motivate me as hell as other members to become more involved and ac- tive participants. Lonnie is an excellent listener. She often has strong opinions herself, but it is clear that she values the thoughts and ideas of others. Each percon's comments are carefully weighed, considered and accepted frith thanks. INienever a topic comes up jar discussion, or when there is a speaker hefore the Board, Lonnie poses questions which meel with the issue at hand, or uncover another area to investigate. Lonnie'.s tireless devotion toward an advocacy for mental health issues and agencies and her strong leadership, as both a member and Chair ofthe .1lental Health Board have trul , been a gift to the Evanston community. It has been a pleasure to work Lonnie, and I miss having her as a colleague. Sue Canter. Sandra Stumme. Executive Director ofMetropolitan Family Services (MIS), thankedNis. Wiebe for her assistance to Ms. Stumme and the agency in its first two years in Evanston. She said that her ad- vice, analyses and mentoring were invaluable to them at a time when it was very difficult for a new agency to get established in Evanston. its. Stumme said that she appreciated ,4Is. Wiebe's support and guidance and thought that the other agencies with whome she had contact over the years felt the same way. Jay Terry, Director of Health and Human Services and the Mental Health Board, shared with the group an occasion .vhere Nis. Wiebc's timely intervention as an individual Board member was able to make a difference. It provided the NIHB an opportunity to create a new program. He said that - Ms. Wiebe has never been reluctant to pick up the phone and voice her opinion, but it always was a conversation based on mutual respect. 'fir. Terry expressed his respect for Ms. Wiebe and said that =_ he always enjoyed those conversations that were challenging, supportive and well received. Ms. Wiebe said that she was overwhelmed. thanked the MI IB and said she appreciated all of the kind remarks. She said that it was difficult for her to respond to so many memories. Working with the MHB has been very important to her. his. Wiebe indicated that mental health has been her career and her major connection with the Evanston community. She has lived in Evanston for40years. She said that through her connection Kith the Board members they had become her friends and very im- portant to her. May 08, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 10 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Nis. Grover asked that the business meeting of the Mental Health Board be adjourned in order that the Board could present Nis. Wiebe aith several gifts and have a small celebration in her honor. Meeting adjourned at 8:45 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Joan M. Barott Secretary May 08, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 11 Minutes recorded — not yet approved EVANSTON MENTAL HEALTH BOARD MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2003 Members Present: Susan Canter, Randy Walker, Victoria Kalish, Gill Krulee, Lou Rowitz, and Carol Sittler Presiding: Carol Sittler, Vice Chair Staff: Harvey Saver, Joan Barott Community Representatives: Sandi Johnson (North Shore Senior Center); Karen Wertymer (Met- ropolitan Family Services); James Sibley (Youth Job Center); Peter Illing, Andy Anderson (NTS4Y); Jay Forman (Thresholds) Ms. Sittler called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. 1. INTRODUCTIONS AND COMMUNITY COMMENTS Ms. Sittler welcomed the guests and asked that they introduce themselves. if. REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF MAY 08, 2003 MINUTES Hearing no objections, Ms. Sittler said that the May 8, 2003 minutes were approved as presented Ill. INTENSIVE AGENCY REVIEW: YOUTH JOB CENTER James Sibley, Executive Dircctorof Youth Job Center (YJC), joined the Mental Health Board (MHB). Mr. Sibley distributed a packet to the MHB members containing YJC's Annual Report, the Strategic Corporate Alliance brochure, a new Board newsletter, and program information. Mr. -Sibley said that one of the major challenges at the YJC is a job placement. Recent studies show that, because of the economy and the unemployment rate, very few teens will be placed in jobs in busi- ness relative to previous years. The average placemrcnt for teens in the summer months is around 69%. According to the Bureau of Labor statistics, this will be considerably lower this year. Placements in the job market are difficult due to downsizing, layoffs, and budget cuts. As a result, teens have to com- pete against adults who are more experienced, even if they are working below their skill level and other individuals with skills. Mr. Sibley reported that YJC has started several new initiatives to develop jobs. They are trying to de- velop more partners who would work with the agency to develop placements and actually place the youth in the jobs. Partners would support YJC to transition those clients that are at risk. This has been a struggle. One of these is the Youth Initiative. The Initiative focuses upon a specific target population of 14 -16 year olds. One of the efforts that has been very successful is their summerprogram where 14 Mental Health Board Fleeting Minutes June 12, 2003 Page 1 Minutes recorded — not yet approved and 15 year olds serve as classroom aides. They do tutoring and mentoring for summer school teachers in District #65. YJC is also focusing on an 8-week youth internship project. Some funding has been received for this initiative from the Workforce Development Board of Northern Cook County. YJC hopes to receive money from city groups to sponsor about 20 kids. Through the Job Development initiative, YJC is trying to focus on specific target audiences. Some of these are people who are ex-orlenders, or are homeless. Many of these are in the Strategic Corporate Alliance. They want to give people a chance through employment. However, businesses are struggling, and they have their choice of clients to place in their openings. It is eery difficult to develop new placements, at this point. Mr. Sibley added that YJC is working with the Siemens Corporation in a Transitional Job Program. They have developed a partnership for internship, as well as a job coopera- tive. Mr. Sibley pointed out several items of interest in YJC's newsletter. He said that YJC is considering relocating to the old Scott's Funeral Home on Sherman. The building may be converted to a facility for not -for -profit organizations. Several Evanston agencies are considering moving into the building. At the same time, a developer made a substantial offer for YJC's property at 1114 Church. It was well above market value. Mr. Sibley said that, with this in mind, there is likelihood that YJC will take the offer. It will enable YJC to pay off the loan on their building at 1114 Church, and pay off the build -out loan for their Ben and Jerry's store on Orrington Avenue. In response to Mr. Saver's question, Mr. Sibley said that Ben&Jerry's is YJC's only business venture of this type, so far. As one of their Partnershops, the corporation gave YJC a significant reduction on the franchise fees, and YJC does not have to pay royalties. However, the upfront money for the build -out had to come from YJC. Mr. Sibley said that the business has been below its revenue projections due to weather conditions this spring. This is coming during a 100-day period where the business is supposed to make the majority of its revenues that will provide the operating capital to carry it through the rest of the year, when it is cold. Mr. Sibley discussed the Ben&Jerry's business and the marketing plan. In response to a question about the impact of foot traffic on the revenues, Mr. Sibley said that the corporation rated the Sherman site as a B+. Bcn&Jerry's would not let them open a shop with less than a B rating. Bcn&Jerry's develops and guides the marketing plan. For their grand opening, YJC passed out thousands of flyers locally. YJC initially trained 10 of its clients for the Bcn&Jerry's venture. These jobs arc considered temporary and training positions. Mr. Sibley said that he expected train approximately 30 clients for the entire first year of operation. This is a training initiative. The older clients will want to move on to the permanent em- ployment market. Ms. Sittler asked what percentage of YJC's clients is still in school versus those who have dropped out or graduated. Mr. Sibley point out that the job training initiatives target the I4-18 year old group. Of YJC's entire client group, 900 out of 1306 clients fall into that group. These kids as generally still in school and looking for summer jobs or part-time employment. In response to Ms. Sittler, Mr. Sibley said that the YJC is a certified job trainer for Walgrecn's in cus- tomer service and cashiering skills. He added that YJC is the only certified trainers outside of the Wal- green Corporation in the metropolitan area. He indicated that, from Walgreen's statistics, 75-80% of those who go through the Walgreen's training are placed in either a Walgreen's or a comparable type of Mental Health Hoard Meeting Minutes June 12.2003 Page 2 Minutes recorded — not yet approved job. The customer service skills are always transferable to other types of jobs. YJC is running 6-8 peo- ple through each training session, with six training sessions per year. He said that 80% of kids who go through the training will be allowed to interview, and approximately 60% of those will be accepted. Ms. Kalish said that youth could help in a number of different ways. She asked what types of place- ments YJC was finding in which they can work. Mr. Sibley said that 50-60% are in food services and retail positions. The rest are all over the job spectrum. Some of their Successful placements arc very well qualified. Some of their clients are placed in CNA positions, as well. Ms. Sittler asked Mr. Sibley about his impressions of the number of jobs that they have found in Evans- ton versus elsewhere. Mr. Sibley said that a large percentage is in Evanston and the surrounding com- munities. YJC currently has approximately 600 jobs in their database; only about 140 arc active place- ments. The Job Development Initiative is trying to expand their job offerings. They are serving a pri- marily Evanston client base. However, they want to make sure that jobs are broadly available as long as there is accessible transportation. Mr. Saver said that the previous YJC Executive Director used to discuss that it was difficult to get Evanston youth to leave the community for employment. He asked whether this was still a problem for the agency as it was trying to develop jobs in a broader area. Mr. Sibley said that only 83% of YJC's client base is from Evanston; it used to be closer to 99%. Many of the young adults coming through the agency live on the north side of Chicago, and they will travel elsewhere. Nevertheless, it is still difficult to get Evanston kids to travel for a job outside of town, even with available and accessible travel. Mr. Sibley added that YJC have a person who resides at the Illinois Employment Training Center, which is part of their Workforce Development Contract. YJC works with the individuals on a career develop- ment project, which may or may not include employment. Ms. Kalish asked whether YJC's clients are referred to the agency, or do they walk in themselves.,,Mr. Sibley said that YJC's policy is that they reject no one, as long as they are within the age constraints for a program. The person may be situationaNy challenged, e.g., no high school degree, criminal back- ground, homeless. He added that YJC would accept everyone who walks through the door. YJC has a number of programs so a counselor will first work with the person to find out what their interests are, what they arc trying to accomplish, and whether their skills match up. For example, the Strategic Corpo- rate Alliance started out as a welfare -to- work program. YJC provides four weeks of job training before working with an individual on a job search and placement. This is for the 1840 year old population. Ms. Walker asked what YJC does specifically with the MHB funds. Mr. Sibley said that YJC uses the MHB funds to supports the agency's core job placement services for 14 - 25 year olds; a portion also supports the SCA Program for 18-25 year olds. Ms. Canter asked whether the job retention rate that YJC reports is not high because support is not pro- vided after a person is placed in a job. ,fir. Sibley said that job retention is a major problem for YJC. They work with people to place them in jobs. YJC does provide support through the initial transition, but they are notable to do as much with post -placement activity. YJC does a 30-day, 60-day, 3- month, 6-month, and one-year follow-up. This is labor intensive and will require a larger staffing component. The agency would like to be able to do more job preparation as well as past -employment follow-up. Another problem with follow-up is that many of their clients do not stay Iong on one job. Mr. Sibley Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes June 12, 2003 Page Wnutes recorded - not yet approved said that the retention rate for the SCA is higher, and approximately 35% of that program's clients retain their job for one year; the one-year retention rate for their other clients is approximately I4-17%. Mr. Sibley continued that YJC works with approximately 1400 clients per year, but that works out to about 3000 visits. YJC's would like to get additional staff to provide more support and training. Currently, YJC has eight employees: two are involved with the core program; two work in the Strategic Corporate Alliance; and one works with the Illinois Employment Training Center. In addition, there is an Execu- tive Director, and two part time staff who work with development, and as YJC's controller. Mr. Sibley said that an ongoing issue for YJC is whether to have a larger influx of Chicago clients. He pointed out that the numbers of people from Chicago arc increasing. At the same time, much of YJC's funding has been local or specific to the Evanston area. Ms. Sittler asked what Mr. Sibley what his priorities would be if he were given a large amount ofunrc- stricted new money, Mr. Sibley said his priorities would be to expand the job readiness training; pro- vide more post -employment follow-up and more overall support for all of YJC's clients. He said that YJC is better at prepping their clients, and does not do as well at the back end, when they get a job. Mr. Sibley added that he would also expand job development so there was a job waiting for each of their trainees to place into when they complete training. Mr. Sibley stated that it is not only important to prepare the clients for a job, but have a job waiting for them. Mr. Saver asked whether the increase of businesses in the service industry in Evanston has provided any additional job placements for YJC. Mr. Sibley said that there have been some opportunities to work with new businesses. The have developed 'Job fairs" for some of the new establishments in town to help them find employees. YJC uses their pool of clients for the fairs. He said that when the Century Theater opened, YJC conducted a fair and got a number of positions for their population. The MHB members thanked Mr. Sibley for his presentation. IV. PLANNING FOR 2003 FUNDING HEARINGS Agency Application for Funding Consideration. Ms. Sittler said that NTSW was at the meeting to be able to discuss submitting a funding proposal for the 2003 allocation process. She referred to materials in the MHB packet. She reported that, as of July 1, NTSW would be dissolving its corporation and Board of Directors. Thresholds will take over NTSW's services, facilities and assets. Ms. Sittler ex- plained that, because of the takeover any funding application would have to be submitted by a new agency to the Board. As a result, under the Board's policies Thresholds has to make a presentation to the MHB asking consideration to submit a funding proposal. Ms. Sittler welcomed to the MHB Peter Illing, Executive Director, and Andy Anderson, Board President, from NTSW; and Jay Forman, Chief Operating Officer, from Thresholds. Ms. Sittler said that NTSW/Thresholds submitted a letter of intent to submit an application for funding. She said that she received her copy of the letter in the mail from Thresholds explaining their presenta- tion. She confirmed that all of the MHB members had received the letter and had the NTSW/Thresholds background for the presentation. _ Mr. Forman provided a history and overview of Thresholds' services. He said that their service area Mental Heath► Board Meeting Minutes June 12, 2003 Page 4 Minutes recorded — not yet approved has become the entire metropolitan area. The agency began in 1959, and has grov-m over the years to become a national leader in psychosocial rehabilitation services. Mr. Forman explained Thresholds' purposes in serving people with mental health problems: prevent and avoid unnecessary psychiatric in- stitutionalization; vocational rehabilitation; socialization; independent living; and education. He contin- ued that the Psychosocial Rehabilitation Program tries to educate people about the medications they are on, and to help with medication management. Thresholds' Vocational Rehabilitation Program is substantially different than NTSW'_ was. During the transition period over the past, couple of years, Thresholds provided a consultant for 1TSW's members. Thresholds has worked hard to improve the program. Through their efforts in helping revise the direction of the program, 15 people have been moved on to community jobs. First Step is not just a sheltered workshop anymore. First Step has been merged with what was NTSW's Sheltered Workshop so that all are receiving a blended set of services. People are receiving training in social so that they might leave the program with a chance of success. In addition, Thresholds has been helping First Step develop a set of community outcome measures that emphasize skills focusing on a variety of integration goals. Mr. Forman said that Thresholds has always had an interest in the Evanston community. Evanston resi- dents benefit from Thresholds' independent living operations, both through their services in support of Housing Options' programs, as well as through their 10-person group home at the former Glenview Naval Airbase. A numbcr of people from the local 1MDs have moved to the group home. Mr. Forman said that home is relatively new, but had some initial successes. One example is a man from Evanston who worked his way through Thresholds' program at Glenview Base House, became a staffinember, and continued on staff at another community residential housing program. Mr. Forman continued that Thresholds offers a range of resources to support their members. They as- sist them with adult basic education through post -secondary education, including some available schol- arship money to help fund individuals persons in post -secondary schools. Thresholds tries to ensure the people arc physically well. They have developed a relationship with the University of Illinois School of Nursing, through which they provide two clinics that do comprehensive primary care. NTSW uses these clinics. Mr. Forman said that Thresholds also provides a number of specialized programs for people with substance abuse problems. For example, NTSW has people on staff that are CADC certi- fied to deal with substance abuse and MISA issues. In response to a question, Mr. Forman said that NTSW is now merging with Thresholds because there is a need to eliminate some of the financial pressures that exist. For example, NTSW has been nega- tively affected by the slow down on cash flow that exists under the State funding. Without Thresholds' financial resources, Mr. Forman indicated that he is concerned that NTSW would cease to exist. NTSW currently has a significant debt of approximately $300,000. After the merger, this will disap- pear when NTSW draws down Thresholds' financial resources. ,Mr. Forman said that he wants Thresholds to have a local program serving the Evanston community that will grow, flourish, and do more than First Step was able to do. He indicated that he would also like to establish new programs. Mr. Forman indicated that he has always been concerned about the high density of persons with chronic mental illness in Evanston because of the presence of the two large 1MDs. He said that Thresholds would like to provide a positive exit point for some of these individuals, and help integrate them into other communities. State Rep. Hamos's recently adopted legislation will provide resources to do just that, and Thresholds is anxious to work with the Iocal community to see what they can develop. Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes June 12, =3 Pape 5 Minutes retarded — not yet approved Thresholds is also interested in working with youth who have mental illness in the community's schools. He said that approximately 13 of those children who arc identified need continued support after graduating on order to be successful. They need either moderate or more active assistance to help them avoid becoming future, active psychiatric patients. About 113 of the kids that are mentally ill are successful post high school. Mr. filing said he has begun to discuss the development ofprograms with the high school that would be South friendly. He indicated that referrals started to come at the end of the school year. Mr. Anderson, President of NTSW, said that he is on the Thresholds Board of Directors as the person who represents NTSNNI. NVhen NTSW ceases to exist as a corporation, he is not sure what his status will be on that Board. Mr. Anderson commented that he has been a volunteer with NTSW for about five years. He said that as a local resident he has taken pride in NTSW's role in the Evanston community. He indicated that he wants to continue to advocate for the NTSW program in Thresholds' structure. Initially, Evanston will not get the full range of Thresholds' programs. However, he said that he wants to advocate keeping a strong focus on Evanston and Skokie. He said that he firmly believes that there will be a good program here. Mr. Anderson said that one of the problems for NTSW was that they were unable to attract volunteers to a small program. In addition, he said that he was aware that there has been ambiguity for several years about whether it was NTSW or Thresholds. Mr. Anderson said he thinks that there will be effi- ciencies in combining with Thresholds rather than keeping a singular focus for fundraising, recruitment, and marketing. He reported that he finally gave up the struggle to maintain NTSW as a separate entity because there is too much good to offer to the community by merging the organization. Mr. Forman said that Thresholds has been working to help the NTSW program capture additional funds, e.g., Medi- caid. The program was starting to thrive, but NTSW desperately needed additional support, especially with the debt. Mr. Saver said that the MHB's guidelines for agencies that are applying for funds require that the pro- gram have a preference for Evanston residents. He asked whether Thresholds is willing to make that commitment. Mr. Forman said that First Step has done that not only with the PSR funds through Con- ncet'98 fonds, but also with the funds that come from OMH's network out of Elgin. He said that was actually using funds that crossover network lines. Mr. Saver said that the initial funding for First Step came about in 1985, through the Evanston -Elgin project. DMHDD targeted the funding to provide ser- vices to residents of, what were then, Evanston's long-term care facilities for persons with mental ill- ness in Evanston, and now INfDs. The supportive mental health services for these individuals, in many cases, are provided by Evanston -based mental health agencies. First Step has been a member of the Evanston community's mental health network since its beginning. This was even before the develop- ment of LANs. When NTSW unified its smices at the Monticello location in 2000, the Evanston LAN wrote to DMHDD to express concern, while supporting the move, that the funds were being monitored by the Elgin Network rather than the Metro North Network because of the location of the NTSW Ad- ministrative offices. Even after the unification, NTSW had committed to target the Evanston IMDs. Mr. Saver asked Mr. Forman if Thresholds would step up and argue with OMH that the focus for what is now First Step funding should remain focused upon Evanston people in the event that the Elgin Net- work decided to try to change direction. Mr. Forman said Thresholds would absolutely support that stand. He said that in what are now the NTSW programs Thresholds would place a priority for Evans- ton residents. Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes June 12.2003 Pays 6 Minutes recorded — not yet approved In response to Mr. Saver's question, Mr. Forman said that Thresholds' programs go as far south as Kankakee; northwest to McHenry County; and west to the Chicago City limits. They are currently in discussion with an agency in Waukegan, as well. With all of the agency's programs, there is a strong emphasis upon local control. Mr. Forman added that, given the state of the economy and state funding, financially it will be hard for the smaller not -for -profits to be able to maintain a wide range of high quality services for a while. Mr. Anderson urged the MHB to give a funding proposal consideration. He said that would like to see Evanston fund the program in some way. He said that local funding would help him be able to argue for more resources from Thresholds driven to the NTSW program. Mr. Saver clarified that the MHB's procedures require that they vote affirmatively to accept a funding request during the allocation process from an agency that has not previously been funded. Given that the agency making the application would be Thresholds, Ms. Grover wanted to the MHB to decide whether or not to accept a funding request from the agency for First Step. In response to a question, he said that the vote was not whether or not to fund the agency, but rather whether to accept a proposal for consideration. As is always the case, this is not a guarantee of funding. The MHB would only be agreeing to allocate staff time to assist the agency through the funding process, and Board time to read and discuss the request. Mr. Rowitz moved and ;fir. Krulee seconded a motion for the I%IHB to agree to receive a funding request from Thresholds for the 2003 funding allocation process. Mo- tion approved unanimously (G aye — 0 no). Funding Review and Allocation Process. Mr. Saver reported that he spoke with Tom Jager from the Evanston United Way about the fall hearing process. Mr. Jager said his funding panel would again like to convene a joint hearing with the MH13 in October. Ailer discussion, Mr. Saver said he would poll the MHB about either October 18 Or October 25 for that Saturday combined hearing. The MHB reviewed the proposed schedule for the allocation process and agreed to again review the agency proposals as a group before the Saturday hearing. Questions and issues that are raised in that process will be sent in advance to the agencies to enable them to prepare for their hearings. Mr. Saver indicated that he is trying to have the proposal packet in the mail to the agencies by the mid- dlc of duly. He said that he is working with the City's Information Systems Division to again make the computerized forms for the proposals available on the City's web page. V. UPDATE ON PROPOSED REVISIONS TO RESIDENTIAL CARE HOME LICENSING ORDINANCE Mr. Krulee, Ms. Walker, and Ms. Canter reported that they attended the Human Services Committee meeting on June 9 to hear the discussion about proposed revisions to the Residential Care Home Li- censing Ordinance. Ms. Grover was at the meeting, as well. There was a general discussion about the issues that the Aldermen raised regarding the proposal. Mr. Krulcc pointed out that there was no reso- lution of some of the concerns that were being raised. He said that the Chair of the Committee re- quested that the Legal Department research case law since the last time the City discussed the issue of residential care home licensing. This was done to determine what effect the rulings might have upon the current Ordinance as well as any changes that the HSC might consider. Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes June 12, 2003 Page 7 r Minutes recorded — not yet approved Vl. AGENCY ACCOUNTABILITY Housing Options. Ms Walker reported that Housing Options is closing on their Asbury property on June 30, and will spend a month doing renovations and improvements. They arc planning to move their members into the home in mid -late August. She said that the agency's Board of Directors extended their appreciation to the MHB for their support in the controversy about the Kirk and Asbury home. BEHIV. Ms. Walker said that BEHIV would move a significant number of their staff to their Rogers Park office in November. This will include their Case Management program that the MHB funds, so there are a number of questions to be answered as far as continued funding from the MHB. Mr. Saver said he spoke with John Ames, Executive Director. When BEHIV made a presentation to the MHB, they indicated that they would be making the move two-thirds of the way through the fiscal year. Mr. Ames clarified that he meant the City's fiscal year or contract year, and not BEHIV's fiscal year. Mr. Saver said that Mr. Ames initially indicated that the entire agency would be moving to the Rogers Park location. However, Mr. Ames reported that his Board was adamant about maintaining an Evanston presence. They will be staying in their present location, with a reduced service component. BEHIV is looking for an agency with complementary services that will sublet 1000 square feet of BEHIV's of- fices. Mr. Saver said that a number of questions that he raised regarding BEHIV's service delivery for Evanston residents would be addressed at BEHIV's intensive review with the MHB at the August meet- ing. Childcare Network of Evanston (CNE). Ms. Canter reported that she attended CNE's Board meeting. They had already received the report about the reduction from the Evanston United Way. For2003-04, it will be close to S9,000, or 27%. Ms. Canter added that Child Care Center of Evanston has not yet heard what their reduction will be. Mr. Saver commented that the Child Care Center would be re- viewed at the July MHB meeting. Vli. PROPOSED STATE BUDGET Mr. Saverstated that the Budget initially proposed by Governor Blagojevich projected approximately a 1.8% reduction in state GRF for agencies funded to provide mental health and developmental disabili- ties services. After a very successful lobbying campaign, one funding bill was passed that eliminated the reduction. Another bill was also adopted that projected a 4% increase for those same agencies. The Governorrecently signed that bill authorizing the increase; it is not clear yet what will happen with the bill that eliminated the reduction. Another item that may prove difficult in the contracts that the state is sending these agencies, as wcIl as other not -for -profit human service agencies, is a 2% "holdback." At any time during the contract year that starts July 1, if the Governor's Office determines that the State is not going to meet its revenue projections, it can tell the agencies to return 2% of their funding to the State. A number of agencies have already decided that they will not budget that amount of their state allocation until they know that they will be allowed to actually obligate those funds. Mr. Saver said that, while a number of the budget bills have already been signed, he has already seen speculation from the trade groups that have been working on the bills funding human services that the revenue projec- tions may be off, and that the Legislature will have to reconsider at the State Budget during the fall override session. Mental Health Board Meeting Mlnutes June 12, 2003 Paae a Ulnutes recorded — not yet approved Mr. Saver also reported that the bill sponsored by State Representative Julie Hamos to provide addi- tional support for people with mental illness in the community passed. The MHB reviewed that bill when it was initially introduced in 2002. The bill has been signed into law. It moves dollars in the 1DPA budget from INIDs to supportive services, including housing, in the community for people with mental illness. Mr. Saver said that the Chicago Tribune endorsed the bill based on good government and cost efficiencies. He indicated that one of the rationales for the bill was that as persons move from 1MDs into the community, the dollars would follow them. At the same time, the funds will be eligible in community setting for Medicaid match, while the INID services are paid 100% by State funds with no eligibility for federal matching funds. Mr. Saver said that this would be a law worth monitoring be- cause the rules have not been written and the difficulties are probably going to be encountered in the details. The MHB asked Mr. Saver to write letters to Evanston's state legislative delegation to thank them for supporting and providing leadership for increased state funds for the Board's target populations. Vill. ELECTION OF OFFICERS FOR 2003-2004 Ms. Sittler reviewed the Nominating Committee's report for MHB Officers for 2003-2004 that was de- livered at the May meeting. There were no additional nominations from the floor. h1s. Kalish moved and Mr. Krulee seconded a motion to accept by acclimation the nomination of sane Grover as Chair and Sue Canter as Vice -Chair for the Mental Health Board's 2003-2004 program year. The motion passed unanimously (6 aye -- 0 no)... IX. STAFF REPORT City Budget. Mr. Saver reported that Ms. Grover had a meeting scheduled with City Manager Roger Crum on June 26 to begin discussing the City's FY04-05 Budget and the MHB's allocation in the Budget. This was an area that the MHB identified for special attention in its FY03-04 work Plan. Videoconference on Truancy. Mr. Saver reported that the videoconference "The Community Re- sponse to Truancy" on June 3 that the MHB cosponsored with the C&A LAN was well attended. There were approximately 45 people there from agencies, schools, the Police, probation, and the Courts. The C&A LAN organized a good discussion after the video. It focused on individuals' roles, gaps in ser- vices, and strengths and problems in the coordination of the various sectors. Legislative Forum. Mr. Saver said that Ms. Walker agreed to represent the MHB in planning the fall Legislative Forum. The MHANS agreed to cosponsor the event with the Board. Dick Coats, the mod- erator for the forum two years ago, agreed to represent the MHANS in the planning process. United Way Funding Reductions. Mr. Saver said that he spoke with Tom Jager about the Evanston United Way 2003-2004 allocations. Mr. Jager said that the UWay would have to make a combined 29% reduction in its allocations from last year's funding. The reductions will be targeted, rather than across the board. Mr. Saver said that the U Way made a strong commitment to its agencies last year and was able to avoid any reductions, even though it revenues were dowm, only because it agreed to spend out of its endowment. Mental Heahh Board Meeting Minutes June 12. 2003 Page 9 Minutes recorded - not yet approved Community dental Health Conference. Mr. Saver introduced the discussion on the June 8 confer- ence "Overcoming the Stigma of Mental Illness," that the MHB sponsored. It was held at Beth Emet The Free Synagogue, and was cosponsored by over 90 organizations. The Naomi Ruth Cohen Founda- tion and the Cohen family provided major funding, support, and organizing of the conference. There were a little over 200 people that attended on, what was, a lovely Sunday afternoon. Ms. Kalish said that this was the second year that she has attended this event. She commented that the quality of break- out sessions and the keynote speaker was better than the previous year. She said that she the conference was worthwhile, and provided resources and information for what was largely a group of family mem- bers who are supporting people with mental health problems.. Ms. Walker said that she thought there were also good opportunities for networking for families with self-help groups and professionals. She said that the conference next year is being planned for June 6, 2004, and will be about children and ado- lescent mental health; in 2005, the conference's focus will be mental health and geriatrics. Mr. Saver said that both the conference planner and the foundation director commented that they were interested in having a steering committee involved with planning and providing direction for the mental health conference. He said that he discussed with both Ms. Kalish and Ms. Walker the possibility of the MHB having greater involvement in the planning process, and wail be discussing this with the steering com- mittee in July. Housing Options Administrative Offices. Mr. Saver said that he recently spoke with Alexander Brown about regarding Housing Options' office space. Mr. Brown indicated that the agency recently signed a lease for new office space near Florence and Crain. The offices will be in a rehabbed building that will provide greater accessibility and more space for the agency. Meeting adjourned at 9:15 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Joan M. Barott Secretary Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes June 1Z 2003 Page 10 Minutes recorded — not yet approved EVANSTON ME`�"TAL HEALTH BOARD MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, JULY 10, 2003 Members Present Susan Canter, Randy Walker, Victoria Kalish, Gill Krulee, Jane Grover, Carol Sittler, Linda Laatsch Presiding: Jane Grover, Chair Staff: Harvey Saver, Joan Barott Community Representatives: Pam Thomas (Evanston Skokie Valley Senior Services); Sandra Stumme (Metropolitan Family Services); Alexander Brown (Hous- ing Options); Helen Roberts Evans, Tami Biorchi (Child Care Cen. ter of Evanston); Marian Casey (Answers for Special Kids) Ms. Grover called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. I. INTRODUCTIONS AND COMMUNITY COMMENTS Ms. Grover welcomed the guests and asked that they introduce themselves. II. REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF NNE 12, 2003 MINUTES Ms. Grover said that the MHB accepted the June 12, 2003 minutes with one spelling correction. Ms. Grover thanked Carol Sittler for chairing the June I2 MHB meeting in her absence. III. INTENSIVE AGENCY REVIEW: CHILD CARE CENTER OF EVANS- TON Ms. Grover welcomed Helen Roberts Evans, Executive Director, and Tami Biorchi, Home Day Care Coordinator from the Child Care Center of Evanston (CCCE). Nis. Grover commented that the CCCE is one of the six new agencies the MHB is funding this year. She Said that the MHB tented to know more about CCCE's mission, the agency itself, and the people it serves. Ms. Roberts Evans reported that both she and ;tics. Biorchi have been involved with CCCE in various roles since the early 1980's. They have both had experience as parents receiving childcare from CCCE, as classroom teachers, and as administrators. She said that, currently, CCCE has eighteen family childcare homes. One is in Skokie, but that provider is moving into Evanston soon. The ma- jority of the children in the family childcare homes receive some type of subsidized care. The Agency Quarterly Reports provided to the MHB identify the number of children who are from Evanston, the number that are subsidized, and the DCFS special cases where there are no fees July 10, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 1 Minutes recorded — not yet approved charged. Four families pay the full fee. The Child Care Network of Evanston (CNE) and CCCE have scholarship funds available for some families. Ms. Biorchi said that in 1983 she was a provider in the Home Day Care Network, which she now coordinates. Later, she came back to CCCE as an Assistant Coordinator for the Home Day Care Program. Three years ago, she became the Coordinator. Ms. Evans said that personnel at CCCE stay % ith the organization for many years, as well as in the Home Day Care Program. It makes for a lot of continuity with the care that is provided to the chil- dren. She said that in the next week there would be two retirements -- 37 years and 25 years. If the child comes to CCCE's programs, they frequently get the entire family, through dinners, meetings and social occasions. There is a strong sense of community at the Center. Ms. Evanston said that CCCE is now seeing children of children that she originally knew while she was a teacher at CCCE. Ms. Evans said that the agency's funding that enables them to help home day care providers deal with isolation. They provide support services to their network of home providers, go into the homes on a regular basis, and generally are able to have the same support person go to each home. For ex- ample, they have a roving reader who goes to each home twice a week. Ms. Evans explained that the readers help the home day are providers to choose books, as well as model for the providers about how to read to kids. The), assist with a number of different techniques. The reading program has be- come training and mentoring for both the parents and the providers. The program has been evolving. It started at the Foster Reading Center in 1987. CCCE took it over in 2001. In response to a ques- tion, Ms. Evans said that they do have a rotating lending library, and the readers are paid. CCCE also has two roving musicians who go once a week to each of the homes and do music and move- ment with the children. Ms. Evans Said CCCE is trying to find new ways to fund their Child Development Specialist, who is a graduate from the Erikson Institute. She goes to the daycare homes, starts the screening of children who are in the 0-3 age category, and determines whether a referral should be made to Child and Fam- ily Connections (CFC). When a child is referred to CFC, a full assessment is made, and therapy is available to be provided. The therapists can go to the childcare homes and therapy can be provided right there. CCCE has a psychologist to perform the evaluations. She also works with Baby Toddler Nursery. Additionally, specialists work with the home daycare providers and help develop weekly developmental playgroups. In response to Ms. Grover and Ms. Canter, Ms. Evans said that CCCE has a network of 18 daycare homes. The number of children per home is based upon the standards that regulate. They regulate the number of children under two and the number of children under five that can be in each home. Five homes with a 1:4 ratio are only for Head Start kids. Those regulations are stricter than the DCFS standards. In response to Ms. Walker, Ms. Evans discussed the types of therapy that are available at the family childcare homes, e.g., speech, OT, PT. If the child is a DCFS special case, DCFS may also have a therapist sent into the home. What they provide is dependent upon the individual needs of each child. Therapists are not able to come to the home after a child's third birthday. At that point, the child is provided special services at School District 465. Through an IEP, they are provided 2.5 July 10, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 2 hfiinutes recorded — not yet approved hours per day of special education, and �65 transports the child back -and -forth from the home to the Nis. Evans said that while CFC provides special services in the home, their guidelines require that the child have at least a 30% developmental delay. Beneath that level, they are not able to provide any services. The child does not get anything from CFC if that is the case. 1 lowever, CCCE has ac- czss to CNE's Client Enhancement Program funded by the MHB that can provide at least some sup- ports. Nis. Evans said that services being brought into the daycare home help the providers deal with their sense of isolation. They can talk to an adult about issues, and get mentoring and suggestions. The providers can feel that they have an advocate and a support network. CCCE has monthly meetings for the home daycare provider in order to provide training and in -services. She said that DCFS rc- quires 15 hours of inservice training a year for the home day care providers to maintain their certifi- cation. Ms. Briochi reported that CCCE is the sponsor of the Food Program for the Home Daycare Program. She said that she monitors the homes unannounced during the meal times. She said that she is re- quired to monitor that the right paper work is completed, menus, and that nutritious meals are being provided. Ms. Briochi said that she handles the relationship with the State and reimburses the home daycare programs. Ms. Sittler asked what provisions are made for sick children in the program. Ms. Evans said that they are able to handle ongoing chronic conditions, such as something like asthma, seizures, or sickle cell anemia. However, they cannot accommodate a child who is sick for the day, or several days, with a temperature greater than 101 degrees, diarrhea, vomiting or an infection. The DCFS regula- tions will not let that child attend the program. Ms. Grover asked whether the City of Evanston has funded anything besides the Home Day Care Program. Ms. Evans said no and discussed the agency's finding history. She said that in 1944, at the beginning of the agency, the Evanston Community Chest, what became the Evanston United Way, funded them. They were able to purchase their current location in 1969 through a matching grant from W. Clement Stone and his wife. In 1972, they started the Home Day Care Program as a cost- effective way to have child care for infants and toddlers. It was too expensive to have the younger lids in a center -based program. That would be almost S 100/week more than in home daycare. Ms. Kalish asked how they selected the home daycare providers. Ms. Evans explained the licensure for the home daycare providers. She said that they have to get both a DCFS license, as %yell as a City of Evanston permit. She commented that the home daycare providers could make more money taking in private pay children than they do through CCCE's Program. However, the mission of CCCE has always been to provide high quality, affordable childcare to children of all socioeconomic back- grounds, and regardless of ability to pay, at both the center as well as at the homes. They full fee is less than at most other centers, but they have subsidies available. Most of the families are subsi- dized. At the center, approximately 50% are subsidized; in Home Daycare 80% are subsidized, with 1 I children who are DCFS special cases. Of the subsidized children, parents pay anywhere from $1- 54/week. The reimbursement rate from IDHS has not gone up since 1997. Ms. Evans commented July 10, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 3 Minutes recorded — not yet approved That the Home Day Care Providers might have private pay children as long as they are within the lim- its of their license. The Home Daycare providers are paid by CCCE. Parents pay CCCE -- the home provide is paid by CCCE whether the family pays or not. The provider can focus upon maintaining a caring relationship without having to deal with disagreements about payment. Ms. Canter inquired as to what connection CCCE has with District #65, and what support to they provide. Ms. Evans said the relationship is for special needs kids who are over 3 years of age. CCCE's Child Development Specialist is very active and sets up appointments with SPAAC at the District. DCFS looks at the developmental age of the children in considering special services, not the chronological age. Children can stay in CCCE's programs because they are not developmentally ready to move on and if they can keep up with the group. She discussed what might be provided for a child with Down Syndrome or cerebral palsy who was able to stay at CCCE. Mr. Krulee asked whether CCCE competes with church -sponsored schools. Ms. Evans said that the only church with full -day childcare is School for Little Children North. In response to Ms. Laatsch, .%4s. Evans said that CCCE's only waiting list if for home daycare. She added that CCCE does have substitute daycare within their network in the event that a home closes for any reason. If it is not available, they wrilt work to put a child in one of their licensed homes. Ms. Grover asked where the children come from. Ms. Evans said that about 20% of the children do not live in Evanston but come from Chicago and Skokie. However, their parents work in Evanston so it is convenient. . Ms. Evans wrapped up the presentation by saying that CCCE appreciates the City funding from the MHB. The agency lost its contract to administer the Home Daycare Project. The Human Services Committee initially stepped up and agreed to give CCCE funds as the necessary match money for the funds from IDHS to provide supportive and in -home services. This has enabled the Home Daycare program to continue to exist. Nis. Evans thanked the l4IHB and extended an invitation to them to visit their homes. The MHB members thanked Child Care Center for their presentation. IV. PRESENTATION ABOUT ANSWERS FOR SPECIAL KIDS (A.S.K.), MARIAN CASEY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Marian Casey, Executive Director of Answer for Special Kids (A.S.K.) joined the MHB. Mr. Saver provided an introduction and said that the MHB had assisted A.S.K. with logistics in co -sponsoring a legal presentation for consumers "How Parents Can Be Effective Members of the IEP Team." Ms. Casey discussed how she got involved with starting A.S.K. She said her son had a non-verbal learning disability and was identified for special services to Evanston/Skokie School District #65 (#65) about three years ago, at the age of 4. He was evaluated for a prevalent developmental disor- dered. Ms. Casey said that she was told that her son would qualify for special services and be eligi- ble for the diagnostic classrooms. She said initially her family pursued private services at Evanston July 10, 2003 Mental health Board Meeting Minutes Page 4 Minutes recorded » not yet approved Hospital for occupational and speech therapy. Ms. Casey said that planning for the services her son needed within the school system required that she go through an Individual Education Plan (IEP). She explained the process and the IEP meeting and said that it overwhelmed her. She wanted to tall► with the parents of other kids with special needs but found it %vas difficult in Evanston to make those connections. It was not easy to learn about what her son had and the best way to deal with that. Ms. Casey said she found a support group of parents on the North Shore through the North Suburban Special Education District (NSSED). This covers Wilmette and 21 other north and northwest sub- urbs. Ms. Casey said that there are 1,500 children out of approximately 7,000 in 465 with special needs. However, locally she was not able to find any parent outreach or support available Iike she had found north of Evanston. She said that she had her own need to have support from and share information with other parents who were going through the IEP process. At the same time, the 965 School Board was receiving the Cole Report that recommended, among other things, that #65 had a need to estab- lish that type of parent support initiative for advocacy and to educate parents about the IEP. Ms. Casey said that the IEP is a very complicated process that is regulated and governed by federal law. She said that she thought parents needed more information about the process and about how each child's IEP is developed. She saw the need for a group in Evanston that could be modeled after what NSSED provides. Many parents coming in to their child's annual IEP meeting do not even have information about how to be a participant in the IEP meeting. Everyone has a report on your child with recommendations, and that can ovenvhelm parents with considerable education. Parents receive the legal guidelines, but many of the parents do not even have a secondary education so they have trouble understanding all of the implications of the process. It is not described in a manner that that can be easily and read- ily understood. If parents know more about theirs and their child's rights, they will be able to ask for and demand more services. The difficulties become even more problematic when there are language barriers. Parents need the information in language that they can easily understand. Ms. Casey said that she decided to form her own parent support group. In starting the group, she was unable to come up with a list of parents to contact whose children received special services because of confidentiality. Ms. Casey said that at her own expense she started sending out information to parents and asked that they contact other interested people. She started up A.S.K. by putting up fly- ers, word-of-mouth, targeted mailings, and calls to other parents to come to a meeting. In a very short period, she incorporated and got her 5010 status. Her group grew from 33 people early last minter to more than 300 parents without much publicity-. Nis. Casey said that A.S.K. just received a seed grant from the Evanston Community Foundation, and she is developing an informational web site. When parents call she gives them information or referrals. Ms. Casey said that she is not working as an advocate. In her previous professional career, she was a practicing attorney, but that is not her role with A.S.K. As the Director, she is a parent of a child with special needs, and she has many re- sources that she collected over the years that she is willing to share. Mr. Krulee asked if the problem was that the school district does not have the resources to provide this type of function for parents. Mr. Casey said the schools do not have the resources or money, but July 10, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes page 5 Minutes recorded — not yet approved under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), funds are available to convene parent resource groups. She said that she thought there should be one in the Evanston school districts. Ms. Casey said that she has been working with #65 and the Director of Special Services on the issue. She said that she is also on the Steering Committee for Special Education to come up with a plan for a Parent Resource Committee. They are going through the recommendations of the Cole report that w•as delivered to the n65 School Board about special education. Ms. Casey said that, at the same time, she is going ahead with the development of A.S.K. She set up monthly meetings where parents can come and share information and support. in addition, she is arranging for professionals to talk to parents and answer their special education -related questions pro bono. Ms. Casey added that she is on Evanston's Children and Adolescent Local Area Network (L.ANr), and has done training for the LAN in conjunction with #65's Director of Special Services about the IEP. She said that she has also been talking with Mr. Saver about the possibility of doing some type of community education in conjunction with the MNB. One possibility would be a con- ference or workshops, from a consumer perspective, for parents and professionals about She has also been speaking with people at the new site for the Music Institute of Chicago's Institute for Therapy through the Arts about a space at that site. She said she would like to establish an office in a small space fora resource library, couch, and bulletin board where she could sit and meet with families. In the fall, she is going to work through the PTAs to send information directly to parents. She indicated that the Presidents of the PTAs know Ms. Casey, and they are going to put information about A.S.K. in their newsletters, Ms. Casey said that she has also recently worked with Aracely Canchola, the City ofEvanston's Latino Outreach Specialist, to reach Spanish-speaking parents. She said thatthey often do not contact 965 with their questions. In response to Ms. Grover, Ms. Casey said that she is not attempting to be in an adversarial relation- ship with 965. She said that there are other people who deal with the legal and adversarial issues. She added that she sees A.S.K. as a vehicle to pro%ide resources and education to parents, and to help them connect around common issues. To do that she is setting up a web site, starting parent meetings, and working to get educational articles published in the papers. A.S.K. is geared to work- ing with parents of special needs kids, regardless of where the live. She wants to teach parents to be present at the IEP as a part of a team, and working in conjunction with the professionals. Ms. Casey said that she hoped that A.S.K. could continue to grow. The most appropriate role seems to be for A.S.K. to work with the community and stay outside of the school district. Developmental delays are increasing in the community, so A.S.K. has the potential to benefit everyone. Ms. Casey said that it would become increasingly important to work towards getting the entire community in- terested in #65. Only 30% of the Evanston population has direct contact with the Evanston school system. The rest are Northwestern student or professors, seniors, couples without kids and condo- miniums without kids. If you go to Wilmette, 70 - 80% of the area is in contact with their public schools, and they are supportive. Ms. Casey said that she hoped A.S.K. could make special educa- tion services a larger community issue. She said that she hoped there were more opportunities for A.S.K. to work in conjunction with the MH13 in providing information and education to the commu- nity. Ms. Grover thanked Ms. Casey for her presentation and asked her to keep the MHB informed about A.S.K.'s progress. July 14, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 6 Minutes recorded — not yet approved V. PLANNING FOR 2003 FUNDING HEARINGS Mr. Saver said that he polled the MHB and the overwhelming consensus was that Saturday, October 25 was the best date for the fall funding hearings. He reported that ,%Sr. Jager said it would also be okay for his funding panel. Mr. Saver reviewed %ith the MHB members the final packet and sched- ule for the hearings. He said that The Family Institute has not vet indicated their final intentions about reapplying for funding. If they do submit an application, the Board's October 4 meeting would need to start 30 minutes earlier or go thirty minutes later to accommodate one more hearing. Mr. Saver said that he met %with the Division Manager of Community Mental Health at St. Francis Hospi- taMesurrection behavioral Health Services. From that conversation, it does not appear that they will be reapplying for funding. Mr. Saver said that this year's proposal only has one change. Based upon quarterly reports and in- formation presented to the MHB, "waiting lists' have become a more highly visible issue. He said that he incorporated one question about that in the Program Services Description. He added that all of the electronic versions of the proposal forms have been updated and are currently available on the CiVs Web Page. The funding proposal packets will be mailed out at the beginning ofthe next week. VI. AGENCY ACCOUNTABILITY Family Focus. Ms. Kalish said that she met with John Turner, Director, who just celebrated his first anniversary on the job. She reported that he has some new and exciting ideas and interests regarding mental health programming in the agency's services. Family Focus, Inc. had a group visit from Ghana for several weeks. They looked at the agency's various sites and are considering how they might be able to set up family centered services. They hope that the ideas they have teamed from Family Focus they can replicate in Ghana. This year, Family Focus %Ill undergo a replacement of the roof at the 2010 Dewey building. Y.O.U. Ms. Kalish said she attended the agency's annual meeting. Y.O.U. has a new• Board Presi- dent. NTSW/Thresholds. Mr. Saver discussed the Ietter that the MHB received that evening from Peter ]fling, NTSW's Executive Director. Contrary to the NTSW and Thresholds presentation to the MHB in June, the anticipated merger has not yet been finalized. NTSW's Board of Directors did vote to complete the merger. However, at Thresholds' Board meeting several questions were raised About the NTSW building and the need for an environmental review. Mr. Saver said that Jay Forman, COO of Thresholds, indicated to him that he expected the merger to take place as soon as the envi- ronmental review was completed. Mr. Forman told him that the thresholds Board wanted to know whether there was any potential liability involved in the merger as a matter of due diligence in their consideration. Mr. Saver said that the timing may complicate the question of which agency is sub- mitting the funding application to the MHB in the fall. However, that will be the responsibility of the two currently separate organizations to figure out and explain to the funding panel. Mr. Saver said that he would send, as a matter of courtesy, the funding package to both agencies. In addition, he said that he would schedule the hearing for their proposal for the last time slot on October 25, July 10, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 7 Minutes recorded — not yet approved when there is only one presentation. That «ill allow all the panel members to participate, and more flexibility for time allocated to that hearing. VII. REPORT FROM THE CHAIR Ms. Grover thanked Ms. Sittler for serving two years as the Vice Chair. Site said that she appreciated having the opportunity to work with her. Ms. Grover reported that she met with City Manager Roger Crum at the end of June. They discussed the City Managers budget development process for FY2004-2005. She said that she asked about how the MHB could interject itself into the process at an earlier stage, before the Proposed Budget is delivered to City Council at the end of December. Ms. Grover said that Mr. Crum told her that he and his staff was familiar with who the MHB is and what they do. He said that they were pleased with the work of the MHB, and with the way the issues were dealt Mth related to the recent funding consolidation. Ms. Grover told the MHB that she thought that the time to begin to participate in the process would be once the City Manager presents his Proposed 04-05 Budget to the City Council, by December 31. She said that the MHB should be prepared right away to provide information and dis- cuss issues with members of the City Council about the funding process and the Board's purchase of service funding. Ms. Canter asked about the MHB's original plans related to funding consolidation and to providing information semi -regularly to the Human Services Committee. She suggested that the MHB get some time on HSC's agenda to continue a dialogue with them about funding community agencies. Ms. Grover said that she would write a memo to the HSC to summarize and describe what the MHB has been doing, and to update the HSC on the consolidation. Ms. Grover said she contacted Mayor Morton's Office regarding the appointment of someone to the vacant position on the MHB. VIII. RECOMMENDATIONS FROM EVANSTON TASK FORCE ON HOhIE- LESSNESS: 2003 CONTINUUM OF CARE Mr. Saver reminded the MHB that Claire McCarthy Peterson, Chair of the Evanston Task Force on Homelessness (TFH), attended the February MHB meeting. She presented data from the TFH's local community needs assessment on homeless issues. his. Peterson also described the Continuum of Care (CoC) process in which the TFH makes recommendations to HUD each year about funding un- der the Super NOFA. Mr. Saver explained the TFH's procedures connected with CoC funding. This year's allocation from HUD was $686,61 a. However, Congress mandated that 30% of all dollars spent nationally under this particular funding title had to go for permanent housing for people who are homeless. As a result, HUD also offered an incentive bonus if a new permanent housing proposal was ranked # I by the local CoC. The amount of the bonus is the lesser of the City's pro rata share or the cost of eligible housing activities of the new permanent housing proposal. July 10, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 8 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Mr. Saver said that this year the TFH received and ranked the following four funding proposals. 1. Connections for the Homeless (New) Permanent supportive housing project. 4 units of leased permanent housing with supportive services for homeless individuals with disabilities 2. Connections for the Homeless Renewal funding for Entry Point 3. Connections for the Homeless (New) Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) stand- alone project. Startup and operating costs 4. YWCA Evanstonf'orth Shore (New) Housing program Mr. Saver reviewed the memo from Ms. Peterson with the TFH's rationale for the recommendations. The proposal from Connections for the Homeless for four permanent housing units % as the only pro- posal that fell under HUD's incentive. Connections also submitted a proposal to renew the Entry Point Outreach Program. Mr. Saver said that HUD places a heavy emphasis upon a high ranking for renewal projects that are working. In fact, they have indicated that they reserve the right to revise a community's priorities in the event that they ignore renewal projects. Connections also submitted an application for startup costs for a new HMIS for the community. The implementation of an HMIS has been mandated for all CoC communities by 2004. The HMIS is an eligible cost under Super NOFA funding, and is one of the few funding sources that arc available to start up the HMIS in Evanston by 2004. If the community does not have an HMIS by that time, all local homeless dollars from the federal government are potentially at risk. Agencies actually receiving the federal funds will have to be the first agencies connected to the HMIS. Finally, the YWCA wants to establish two transitional housing units with supportive services for victims of domestic violence and their fami- lies. Mr. Saver said that the TFH found all of the proposals worthwhile and priorities. He pointed out that the TFH is obliged to rank order every proposal that is submitted to it. The actual rank order established by the TFH was the only way that Evanston was able to get all four of the proposals to fall within the funding cap for the City. As a result, if Evanston's CoC is ranked highly enough, it is very likely that all four of the proposals will receive funding. Mr. Saver said that the TFH's 2003 Continuum of Care (CoC) was presented to the Housing Com- mission. The Commission is required by to cenif~• that the CoC is consistent with the City's Con- solidated Plan. Additionally, the Continuum was presented to the Human Services Committee for their consideration. The City Council also must adopt the CoC before it is sent on to HUD. All four of the agencies that are applying for HUD funding this year then must attach the City's Continuum of Care to their proposal before sending it on to HUD. In response to a question, Mr. Saver said the City and the agencies would not know what is being funded until late December 2003 or early Janu- ary 2004. Mr. Saver said that the MHB has no formal role in the CoC process. However, in previous years the Board has opted to wTite a letter of support to HUD when it involves issues with which they are con- cerned. Mr. Saver pointed out that Ms. Peterson, as a volunteer and chair of the TFH, continues to be the driving force in pulling the CoC together. She has worked with a number of committees to generate data for the document, and written or updated many of the sections of the document. In a consensus decision, the MHB requested that a letter be sent to HUD in support of the work of the Evanston Task Force on Homelessness and its 2003 Continuum of Care. Juty 10, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 9 Minutes recorded — not yet approved 1X. STAFF REPORT Mr. Saver said that he received a call from an Advisory Board member from Metropolitan Family Services (MFS) about a new concept that they are implementing. He said that he was invited to "Let's Do Breakfast" on Wednesday, July 23. Members of their Board ►►ill be meeting with com- munity representatives and funders in a "getting to know you better" breakfast format to discuss community- issues and concerns. and the broader community contest within uhich MFS works. `there will also be a short presentation from one of the agency's clients. Mr. Saver reported that the Naomi Ruth Cohen Charitable Foundation is beginning the planning for the 2004 Community Mental Health Conference nest June. lie said that he has been invited to be a participant on the Conference Steering Committee that «-ill be meeting at the end of]uly. The theme of the 2004 conference will be depression in children and adolescents. Mr. Saver distributed information regarding the final authorization in the State Budget for mental health and developmental disability programs in HB2716. He said that a cost of doing business in- crease of4% was signed for a number ofprogram lines. In addition, the proposed 1.5% reduction in the State's Budget was not adopted for most programs. The picture is still not clear about the amount that agencies will be receiving in their 2003-2004 State funding, and will not be until the ac- tual contracts are delivered to the agencies. Contracts are going to initially be sent to the agencies with last year's funding as a contract amount. There will also be a 2% holdback of money until the State is more certain of its revenue stream late in the year. 1t is not yet clear how the State ►►rill han- dle those arrangements. . The contracts are being written with the original figures in the budget. Mr. Saver ►►ill be meeting with a representative from Evanston Northwestern Health Care Network Psychiatric Senices to fund out if there are any changes. Mr. Saver grill be meeting with Karen Vrough during the next few POP-0— weeks. Mr. Saver said that the Evanston Community Foundation (ECF) recently announced that they had received a five-year grant from the Grand Victoria Foundation. The grant has several phases, and some match requirements that will provide general operating support and assistance in helping the foundation develop its endowment in targeted areas. He said that he was told the grant was also to help ECF develop its infrastructure and be better staffed. He distributed copies of the press release. _ Meeting adjourned at 9:15. Respectfully submitted, Joan M. Barott Secretary WW� July 10, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 10 Minutes recorded — not yet approved EVANSTON MENTAL HEALTH BOARD MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, AUGUST la, 2003 Members Present Susan Canter. Randy Walker, Victoria Kalish, Gill Ktulee, Jane Grover, Linda Laatsch, and Carol Sittler Presiding: Jane Grover, Chair Staff: Harvey Saver, Joan Barott Community Representatives: Sandra Stumme (Metropolitan Family Services): Alexander Brown (Housing Options); Sandi Johnson (North Shore Senior Center); Martha Amtson (Child Care Network of Evanston); Brooke Weese (Medill School of Journalism); TH. Milford T. Eaves, Mark Tendan (BE -HIV) Ms: Graver called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. 1. INTRODUCTIONS AND COMMUNITY COMMENTS Ms. Grover welcomed the community representatives and asked that they introduce themselves. II. REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF JULY 10, 2003 MINUTES After no comments, Ms. Grover said the July 10, 2003 minutes were accepted as presented. III. INTENSIVE AGENCY REVIEW: BEHIV Ms. Grover welcomed BEHIV's representatives to the table: Mark Tendan, Board President; Milford Eaves, Director of programs; and TH, an agency client. Ms. Grover said that BEHIV is one of the six new agencies the MHB is funding this year. She said that the MHB wanted to know more about BEHIV's mission, the agency itself, and the people it serves. Mr. Tendan said that he has been involved with BEHIV for four years, and been the Board President for 2'/2 years. BEHIV was his interest in getting more involved with the Evanston community. Mr. Tendan said that he has been accepted into this year's Leadership Evanston class. TH said that she has been a program member of BEHIV since 1992, when she vas diagnosed with AIDS. She said that she was an Evanston resident, and was referred to the agency by a hospital. She reported that BEHIV has been very valuable and a great hrlp to her in many %trays. Mr. Eaves said he has been working at BEHIV since December 2002, and is excited about some of their new initiatives. He reported that he has clinical oversight over the direct services of case man- aging persons, the alternative therapies, and mental health services. He said that BEHIV's other August 14,2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page t Minutes recorded — not yet approved branch focuses upon prevention. The agency is in year 2 of new initiatives with prevention, working with people svho have been diagnosed positive for HIV and AIDS. He said that he has been pulling the programs together and finding ways to collaborate internally. Mr. Eaves continued that BEHIV has four program coordinators who oversee housing, prevention, direct sen-ices, case management services, and a mental health team consisting of two therapists. This fall there %will be changes coming in both the agency's funding and direction. Currently, BEHIV is the only AIDS agency that is focused on Evanston. Their services also reach into Rogers Park and the North Shore communities. Ms. Grover said that the agency's reports indicate th. t most of their Evanston clients take advantage ofthe case management services. She asked why that was the case, as opposed to the all of the other services. Mr. Eaves said that the majority is case managed, but some receive massage therapy and art therapy. Ten Evanston residents receive massage therapy, and seven are in the mental health counseling. The latter is the longest running AIDS support group in metropolitan Chicago. Kalish asked about the agency's support groups and how in%olved their clients are with them. Mr. Eaves said BEHIV offers two groups, a Couples Group and the Positively Gay Support Group. The Positively Gay Support Group is a closed group. Both groups cover a full range of issues, e.g., mental health, issues ranging from the stigma associated with HIV and AIDS, relationships, loss, and medication adherence. The Mental Health Team deals with all of the mental health issues. Mr. Eaves said that these could be significant because the profile of HIV and AIDS is that they are still a crisis and an epidemic. He said that many people in the community think that HIV and AIDS are no longer "a big deal." They think that the crisis is over because people are living longer with the dis- ease and people are healthier. However, because people are living. longer, they need more supportive counseling and case management services over a prolonged period. Ms. Laatsch asked about BEHIV's referral base, and asked whether there were more than they could handle as a group. Mr. Eaves said that most of the referrals for direct services come by way of the AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC). Some of the referrals for services are in-house and come from BEHIV's Prevention Office when they come across a person who is positive. In response to Ms. Laatsch,Mr. Eaves responded that there are one to four referrals per month, but the activity runs in cycles. He said that, while there are 20-22 people from Evanston being served by BEHIV, the agency's entire caseload is 178. Their clients stay in the program in a range of three to nine years. Once they get them hooked up with the support services, they tend to stay for a long period. With support services. many of these are clients who %«ll work again or go to school, and will be able to live independently. Ms. Canter asked about the Prevention Program. Mr. Eaves said that these programs vary, and are for high -risk groups, where the incidence is higher, and targeted groups.. The high -risk groups are women who have high -risk partners and African Americans. The targeted groups are for men having sex with men (MSM), youth, and MSM Latino males. He said that it is difficult to identify the MSM Latino males because many of them refuse to identify themselves. BEHIV does community outreach and presentations in hopes to get to all of these individuals. Sometimes testing is tied to the provision of information at events like health fairs in the community. They provide street outreach in Rogers Park, Edgewater, and Uptown. BEHIV has people in the streets distributing condoms and safe sex August 14,2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 2 Minutes recorded - not yet approved kits, with strong prevention messages that BEHIV has created. Ms. Canter asked TH whether there had been major changes in the program since her initial in- volvement with BEHIV, and whether it continued to meet her needs. She said that she has been with BEHIV since 1992. During that period, she said that she has gotten better and moved on. A couple of times she moved out of state. When she has gotten sick, BEHIV was always there for her. You can always return to the program when you have the need. TH said that they have always met her needs, and have never let her down. Ms. Kalish asked whether the agency has a specific catchment area. Mr. Eaves said that there is none. Some agencies provide specialized groups that they will not let people out of their area into. Anyone can access any of BEHIV's services. The only exception is services funded by the City of Chicago, which are restricted. The agency will also try to link: a client with a provider in their area if the client chooses to be affiliated somewhere else. However, from their experience many of their clients will go out of the way and commute to get to BEHIV`s services. Tendan said that BE111V stands out as a very strong agency in the area. BEI 11V was established `~ by a group of churches, the Women's Club, and other organizations in Evanston, and is in town be- cause of the community. You will not find this in other places. The agency Board expects BEHIV to survive. Mr. Tendan continued that too many AIDS -related agencies have been encouraged to go away because of funding streams. The AFC, a large metropolitan funder, seems content to only have a limited number of agencies providing services. Mr. Saver pointed out that early last winter, there was information that the agency was considering a merger or being taken over by another agency. The agency's Executive Director reported to the MHB at the January 2003 meeting that BEHIV stopped one of these pursuits because there was not a good fit between the two agencies. He asked what has changed with BEHIV since that time. Mr. Tendan stated that BEHVt' has a better picture of itself now. In April. BEHIV started a Board Development Program with a grant and they received. They have been working through a strategic planning proc- ess that they hope to be able to unveil sometime in the fall. Mr. Tendan said that AFC would like to see BEHIV merge with other organizations, but the Board of Directors firmly disagrees with this. Mr. Tendan stated that BEHIV's goal is to stay in Evanston and become more marketable. They have been working through the strategic planning process every month, and are looking very care- fully at why they should exist in Evanston. They are ending up more committed to Evanston that everbefore. He added that BEHIV believes they are the only ones who understand how to operate in Chicago, and understand this community and the North Shore. In months to come, they believe that BEHIV's mission for the North Shore and Evanston will take a different turn than what they provide in Chicago. Like all of the other agencies, BEHIV used to follow the money. In the past, this has got. ten them in trouble in to ing to accomplish their mission. The Board has agreed to go back to their original mission to figure out what they really want and should be doing. There are several new Board members, and the group is very strong. Mr. Tendan reemphasized that the Board is committed to Evanston and what they are able to do best. The planning process has been painful and difficult, and there have been many initial disagreements. His news for the community is that the agency is regrouping. They should be able to report on their plans in late October. August 14.2003 Yental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 3 Minutes recorded » not yet approved Mr. Eaves commented that giving for AIDS programs is down. Even so, BEHIV will continue to provide services to Evanston. even those for which they do not have direct funding. As an example, they have an educational outreach person who has served over 1000 students at ETHS and NWU over the last year. BEHIV also has two bi-lingual staff. While the agency has taken some cuts in funding, they have not changed the work that they do. and have no plans to do so. Mr. Eaves said that he thought people have confidence in BEHIV. The numbers that they serve may not be tremendous, but the work is tremendous. Mr. Saver asked how, many people in Evanston who are HIV -positive or diagnosed with AIDS are being seen by BEHIV. Mr. Eaves said the latest county surveillance data would indicate they are probably serving 2%- 5°10 of those in the county. The specific numbers for Evanston he does not have. Nevertheless, many people in the surveillance data have been tested but do not return for their results. Those who tested positive are living with the disuse and are not even aware of it. Mr. Eaves commented that in some suburbs there is not an acknowledgement of HIV/AIDS as part of their community. I le said that he believes there is a need for more testing in the suburbs. Ms. Sittler asked whether N«1S has a program. and whether BEI IIV sees any of their students. Mr. Eaves said BEHIV does do testing at N«'U. They collaborate with the university's programs, and link their HIV -positive individuals with BEHIV's direct services. He stated that Ken Papineau, Di- rector of Northwestern's Health Education Services has set up some volunteers to work with BEHIV. Mr. Papineau does some large presentations for the students that BEHIV assists with. Ms. Grover asked whether most of the agency's funds were for direct services and prevention. Mr. Eaves said yes. Ms. Grover asked whether that would still be their priority if they received an addi- tional 5100,000. Mr. Eaves said that they would still put it towards direct services, because that is where the need is. Mr. Tendan added that this is especially the case with things that people will not fund the agency for, like housing assistance. In response to Ms. Kalish, Mr. Eaves stated they BEHIV is able to receive funds from the AFC for the Housing Assistance Program (HOPWA funds), and discussed how they help people access hous- ing assistance funds. Mr. Krulee asked whether BEHIV has encountered any resistance or problems with their neighbors in their ovm housing program. Mr. Eaves said in their Safe Start Program they have long-term relationships with landlords and can return there with no trouble. This program takes persons with mental health problem who are living with HIV; some are dual diagnosed with sub- stance abuse problems. These individuals receive intensive case management and home visits daily to weekly. There are 12 persons in this program. The number of case managed clients is 23; 13 are male and 10 are female. Their age range is 30-56. Their total case management component is 150 people. Ms. Walker pointed out that the agency`s information indicates that they only serve three people from Evanston in the individual counseling services. Ms. Sittler asked why BEHIV was serving an increasing number of young women. Mr. Eaves com- mented that the youth population, in general is one of the largest growing at -risk groups. So much of the information from CDC indicates that this is particularly the case with young females. Part ofthis is a result of information overload. Young people don't get the information, though, young enough. By the time that they do get it and understand it. it is often too late. Currently, the trend in preven- tion messages is frequently abstinence -based. He said that abstinence messages do not work. August 14,2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 4 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Mr. Eaves concluded the agency's presentation by saving that BEHIV is revising their initial plans that were reported earlier to the,IHB. BEHIV is moving some services to Roger Park, and combin- ing some direct services with prevention activities. Ho« ever. they are not going to move any services for Evanston residents. He emphasized that Evanston residents -will continue to be served in Evans- ton for counseling and case management. They are looking for new space, but will not be moving from Evanston. Mr. Tendan thanks the,iHB for their devotion to the issues of the Evanston community, and for the commitment to BEHIV. The MHB members thanked BEHW's representatives for their presentation. IV. AGENCY ACCOUNTABILITY Family Focus. Ms. Kalish reported that John Turner, Center Director, has announced that will be leaving by the first week in September. John Fried land, from the agency's administrative offices, will be the Interim Director. PEER Services. Ms. Laatsch spoke •kith Kate Mahoney, Executive Director. Because of budget cuts, PEER lost 1 FTE adult staff counselor. The person was seeing 30 clients. That caseload will be split up among the remaining counselors. Currently they see 180 clients, but the new staff person that is hired «ill be part-time, so they will have to decrease the number of adults that they will be able to serve. Ms. Mahoney also reported that they are having plumbing problems in their building. PEER's Outreach Program has developed a new initiative. They are working with the Police De- partment to change the focus of the resources being used in the =65 schools under the DARE Pro - grain. They will be implementing Project Alert. This new outreach effort will combine PEER's expertise working with young adolescents with that of the Police Department's in the schools. This is a one-year trial. They have applied for a federal grant to do this, but will attempt to implement a more limited version with their current resources even if they are not funded. There was a brief discussion about the history of the DARE Program nationally, and the lack of out- comes that was achieved in numerous evaluations of the program. Mr. Saver pointed out that one- two years ago the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation committed several million dollars to a multi- year project to retool the DARE Program. He said that, from some initial reports, some of their pro- gram is going to incorporate social nouns marketing techniques. Ms. Laatsch commented that the National Institution on Drug Abuse did a national survey with college students and determined that 30% of college student, at some point in time, can be diagnosed as alcohol abusers. Child Care Center of Evanston. Ms. Canter said following the Board's last meeting, she setup an appointment and went with Helen Roberts Evans to visit some of her agency's licensed child care homes. They were interesting and all very different. Ms. Canter spoke with several of the providers and found their information to be very informative. Some of the homes are Early Head Stan. Some of the homes also benefit from childcare scholarship funds from the MHB Housing Options. Ms. Walker reported that she attended Housing Options' open house at their new =_ home at Kirk and Asbury. The occupants moved into their home yesterday. Ms. «'alker said she _ met one of the new occupants, and found the house to be lovely. From the audience, Alexander August 14,2003 Mental Health Berard Meeting Minutes page 5 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Brown, Executive Director of Housing Options. reported that the neighborhood opposite seems to have settled down. Fifteen people from the neighborhood anended a special 2-hour Open House for the neighbors. Several neighbors came by specifically to see the improvements made in the house. Mr. Brown said that several neighbors stopped by to look around and told him that they did not like the situation, but resigned themselves to it. Ms. Canter said that she also stopped by and thought that the home was very attractive. SHORE. Mr. Krulee told the MHB that he has been assisting SHORE's Vocational Program to in- troduce computer -assisted instruction and computer stations to their program. He is reviewing soft- ware that might fit in to their program, and is helping them to do an assessment of their software needs. He added that he has found a wealth of information and resources at the National Lekotek Center in the Civic Center, V. UPDATE ON MENTAL HEALTH CONFERENCE PLANNING Mr. Saver reported that he participated in the first steering committee meeting of the Naomi Ruth Cohen Foundation's mental health conference for June 2004, It is held in conjunction with Beth Emet Congregation. The committee provided input to the organizers and suggestions for topics and for speakers. He said that he would be involved with one or two more planning sessions as the con- ference is being organized. This next year, the focus will be depression in children and adolescents. Mr. Saver said, based upon earlier discussions, the MHB was again sponsoring the event in 2004, and would be providing assistance with local visibility. Mr. Saver said that Housing Options submitted a request to the Mental Health Board to be a sponsor for a Mental Health Conference. The conference is being proposed for October 2004. He said that Housing Options identified an opportunity to submit a proposal to Janssen Pharmaceuticals for their consideration. Housing Options is submitting the request. They have invited three agencies to be sponsors of the conference. He said that the prospectus was in the Board packet. F Alexander Brow rt, Housing Options, said that the proposal is being submitted with the idea that the organizational members or partners would provide the structure. The grant funding would actually _ enable them to plan and convene this conference. Mr. Brown said that if the foundation funds the conference, it would be up to the partners to determine how to spend the money and what type of support to provide for it. In the event that the funding is not available, it will not be possible to plan the conference. Ms. Walker moved and Mr. Krulee seconded a motion to agree to sponsor the mental health conference that is being proposed by Housing Options. Motion approved E unanitnously 7 aye — 0 no. _ VI. UPDATE ON LEGISLATION Moving Persons with Disabilities out of I1NIDs and into Community -Based Supportive Housing. Mr. Saver briefly discussed State Representative Hamos's bill to move dollars from the state budget _ line for IMDs to a budget line to provide community support services and supportive housing in the =- August 14,2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 6 Minutes recorded -- not yet approved community. The intent of the bill was to help move people who were in IMDs to begin to transition to community living. The bill ultimately passed both houses with large majorities. However, Gov- ernor Blagojevich vetoed the funding authorization to implement the changes. He said that he has been told that this is an issue that dill be taken up in the legislative override session in the fall. Children's Mental Health Act of 2003 (ChIHA). Nfr. Saver referred to material in the packet. He said that the legislation was introduced to direct the State to create a system to meet the mental health needs of children from birth to age 18. The system is to provide coordinated programs for preven- tion, early intervention and treatment, and the resources are to come from the Office of Mental Health and the Illinois State Board of Education. Mr. Saver said that the initial motivation to adopt the Mental Health Board Referendum in Evanston in 1969 was out of a concern for the same range of services for the same population. He added that Project SEED overlaps, in a small way, the intent of the CMHA with its focus on the social and emotional developmental aspects for 3-5 year olds. He reported that the Legislature passed the legislation, and the Governor signed it into law just last week. Evanston's Legislators, Rep. Julie Hamos and Rep. Elizabeth Coulson, were two of the Chief __Sponsors of the CMHA in the House. The MHB directed that a letter be written to each of them ex- ptasing appreciation for their leadership on this initiative, and to Governor Blagojevich for signing the bill into law. 4% Increase/2% Hold Back/Who's on First. Mr. Saver said that the final budget for state -funded DD and MI programs has been a little bit difficult to track this year. It is also a very concrete picture of the financial difficulty the State is having in the current budget. He said that in talking with some of the agency directors, they were still trying to determine what their allocation from the State was going to be for FY03-04, how much of it they were going to actually expect to receive, and when their payments would start. He said that, as best as he has been able to tell, the initial allocation of an approximate 1.5% reduction for these programs was overturned for all of the DD programs and only some of the MI programs. All of the DD and MI programs were voted a 4% increase. Then the budget office directed DHS to %•rite their contracts with a 2% "holdback" of the entire allocation. These are funds that will not be paid out to the agencies until such time that the State decides that their revenue projections for the year are figures that they can reasonably be expected to attain. This means that Agency X was restored 1.5%, got a 4% increase, and is then having 2% of the total allo- cation "held back;" the result will be a 1.92% increase over their FY02-03 allocation. This is much better than the 1.5% reduction that was introduced in the proposed budget, but may make it difficult to plan around. VII. CHAIR REPORT Ms. Grover said that she has no word from the Mayor's Office regarding the appointment of ninth MHB member. She %till contact the Mayor's Secretary before the next MHB meeting to determine the status of an appointment/ The September 11, 2003 MHB meeting will be at the Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago, 828 Davis Street, in Evanston. August 14,2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 7 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Vill. STAFF REPORT Legislative Forum. Mr. Saver said that s small committee is working on the fall legislative forum on mental health issues. In addition to MHANS, the League of Women Voters/Evanston agreed to sponsor the forum. It has been difficult finding a time over the summer for the planning group to meet. However, all of the dates have been identified that the Evanston legislators are available. Project SEED. Ms. Canter commented that at the last Community Advisory Council meeting, Greg O'Donnell provided a good report on the program activity. It appears that the project is starting to roll. They already have one parent group running, and another one will be starting soon. Tow more groups are planned for early in the fall, with one of those in Spanish. The project ccill begin to train the first group of classroom teachers in September, and start to implement the in -classroom part of the training in early October. Because of some of the approvals that have been needed before start- ing there, the project may not be able to implement the classroom in #65 until fall of2004. Ms. Can- ter said that Project SEED has been receiving a lot of publicity in all of the local press. Mr. Saver --added that Marian Casey. from A.S.K., included information for parent groups in her newsletter that . --..4wtts xnt out to her tUU parent members. kle sari that, chile the classroom groups will not be in 465 first thing., parents who have kids in their early childhood programs could participate in the parent groups right away. During the first round of training, they cell train twelve classroom teachers, eight of whom are from Child Care Center of Evanston (CCCE). Initially, the classroom component ,%&ill be implemented in CCCE and the YMCA. Schedule for Funding Hearings. Mr. Saver said he would send out in the next meeting packet in- formation soliciting the MHB's availability and agency interest for the funding hearings in October. He reminded the Board that the October 9 meeting would be for a proposal review for three agencies. After the meeting, the Board cvill review the remaining proposals to identify issues and concerns for subsequent hearings. Meeting adjourned at 8:50 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Joan M. Baron August 14=3 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 8 Minutes approved EVANSTON MENTAL HEALTH BOARD MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2003 Members Present: Susan Canter, Randy Walker, Victoria Kalish, Gill Krulee, Jane Grover, Linda Laatseh, Carol Sittler and Anne Gauthier Presiding: Jane Grover, Chair Staff: Harvey Saver, Joan Barott Community Representatives: Pam Thomas (Evanston/Skokle Valley Senior Services), William Kolen (Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago) Ms. Grover called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. at the offices of the Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago, $28 Davis Street, Evanston. I. INTRODUCTIONS AND COMMUNITY COMMENTS Ms. Grover welcomed the community representatives and asked that they introduce themselves. Ms. Grover welcomed Anne Gauthier, the newest member to the MHB. Ms. Gauthier gave a brief over- view of her professional history, and experience in the field of substance abuse. il. REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF AUGUST 14, 2003 MINUTES Ms. Grover commented the August 14, 2003 minutes were accepted with minor changes presented by the MHB. III. INTENSIVE AGENCY REVIEW: LEGAL ASSISTANCE FOUNDATION OF METROPOLITAN CHICAGO William Kolen, Supervising Attorney for the Evanston Office of Legal Assistance Foundation ofMetro- politan Chicago (LAFMC), joined the MHB. Nis. Grover said that LAFMC is one of the six new agencies the MHB began to fund in FY03-04. She reviewed the purpose of the agency review and explained that it was not a budget hearing, but an opportunity for the MHB to find out more about the agency's mission, programs, and the people it serves. Mr. Kolen said that LAFNIC provides legal representation in civil actions for low-income and elderlyresi- dents of Evanston, the northern suburbs, and the north side of Chicago. The office is staffed with 2.6 FTE attorneys, himself, and an Office Manager and an Intake Specialist. Mr. Kolen said he has been in the LAFMC office for more than twenty years, and is a long-time resident of Evanston. Mr. Kolen added that he works in conjunction with many of the Evanston agencies, which makes his job so fulfilling. September 11, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page i Minutes approved LAFMC is the only civil Iegal service provider that makes the civil legal system accessible to people who are lore income. Mr. Kolen gave examples of appropriate cases, and said that they are involved with do- mestic relations cases, public benefits representation, and housing cases, e.g., housing conditions, evic- tions, lockouts, and subsidized housing. LAFMC also handles bankruptcies and education -related cases. I Mr. Kolen said that LAFMC receives funding from State government to work with all seniors. They are supposed to represent anyone over 60, regardless of income, but they are supposed to focus on the most needy. For the population over 60, they are funded to serve Evanston as well as the rest of Suburban Cook County. LAFMC also provides Ombudsman services for nursing home residents in all of Suburban Cook County except for Evanston..\Ir. Kolen said that LAFNIC does not provide any services forcrimmial mat- ters, and does not handle personal injury lawsuits, or Workers Compensation cases. They also do not han- dle any cases where a private attorney could receive contingency funds for their representational work. LAFMC sets as a priority the neediest clients, and those whose cases are related to shelter and/or well- being. The agency typically represents defendants, but in family law the office is often representing the pe- titioner. The Evanston office is only one of seven LAFMC offices serving metropolitan Chicago, Mr. Kolen said that LAFMC publishes their priorities on their website. The types of cases are available for the public to see. They have just finished updating their docket, which is also available on their website. This is information about significant cases and projects that LAFMC has accomplished in the period July 01, 2001 - December 3I, 2002). Ms. Grover asked whether any one is sent to another LAFMC office from Evanston. Mr. Kolen said that the downtown Chicago Office of LAFMC is also available to serve Evanston clients. There are additional resources available to serve the Evanston community as a result of a merger in 1999 between his initial agency, the Cook Count}, Legal Assistance Foundation, and the Legal Assistance Foundation of Chicago, a larger metropolitan Chicago organization. He said that the merger resulted in staff with more expertise and specialized skills and resources to respond to the presenting issues. As an example, Mr. Kolen discussed a case of a mortgage foreclosure for an Evanston senior, where the larger organization was able to provide the specialized expertise that was unavailable in the local office. Ms. Canter asked how clients find LAFMC. Mr. Kolen said that information about LAFMC is on every Public Aid notice and Social Security notice that is sent out. It is also posted at Courthouses. He added that referrals are provided from agencies in the social services network. Referrals are also coordinated from the downtown office, and are made by private lawyers to LAFMC. Ms. Kalish asked whether there are other private attorneys who do pro bono work with the agency. Mr. Kolen said that LAFMC has two private attorneys who are involved doing pro bon work out of the down- town office. There are also retired attorneys who work out of the Evanston office. Mr. Saver asked about LAFNIC's current relationship with the Evanston Community Defender. Mr. Kolen stated that they do not do the same types of legal work. On occasion, both agencies will be working with the case or the same family, but they will be working on different issues. They will also refer civil legal matters when there is a criminal matter involved. Ms. Grover asked whether some of their legal interventions are getting at the tip of the iceberg requiring additional interventions. Mr. Kolen said that his office works with Metropolitan Family Services in those types of cases, and the referrals seem to go both ways. They also get involved with that agency on elder September 11, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 2 Minutes approved abuse cases. LAFNIC also helps Y.O.U. on some domestic violence issues, and works with all of the social smices agencies in town on their clients' legal matter. Those cases they try to respond to the same day. Ms. Grover asked about the caseload of the agency. Mr. Kolen said that the agency has somewhere in the range of2300-2500 clients every year. Approximately 500-5-50 are from Evanston. But these numbers in- clude cases where the attorney is only providing simple advice, as well as those that require hours ofrepre- sentation. his. Laatsch asked how long after an individual walks through the door before LAFMC is able to start working on the case. Mr. Kolen said that LAFMC has no waiting list. If the case is trulyand emer- gent need, then they hook them up more quickly. This is particularly the case when support services are needed from other agencies. Ms. Walker asked whether LAFMC ever turns down clients. lair. Kolen said that the only time a person might be turned down is when an individual presents a problem that is not within LAFMC's priorities. He added that they try to use their limited resources so that they get the biggest bang for the buck. Ms. Gauthier asked whether the work flow in the LAFMC office was cyclical, and when they were the busiest. Mr. Kolen said that the work load and number of cases is more quirky than that. However, they have al- ways been available to respond when they are needed. LAFNIC has referred clients, in some instances, to the Human Relations Commission for assistance with housine related matters. Mr. Kolen discussed several Evanston cases as examples of ways that the agency gets involved and is able to resolve cases. He indicated that they have had a number of cases where they had to represent individuals with either a mental health diagnosis or a mental disability. In response to his. Grover's question, Mr. Kolen commented that if there was no LAFMC office in Evans- ton, Evanston's low income population would probably have to go to the downtown office. However, with the office in the community, it is more likely that people are going to get served. Mr. Kolen pointed out that Evanston dollars from both the MHB and CDBG have helped keep an Evanston office open for LAFMC. The agency receives more funding from the City of Evanston than from any other community. The larger agency has regularly considered additional consolidation among its field offices, but Mr. Kolen said he has been able to argue for the local office because of that funding. He said that he has had a major concern that, if people have to go elsewhere, many low income individuals will respond to it as an additional barrier and not get the legal representation to which they are entitled The MHB members thanked Mr. Kolen for his presentation and the hospitality of his agency. IV. AGENCY ACCOUNTABILITY Y.O.U. Ms. Kalish said that she had been told that Y.O.U. is beginning discussions with Haven, a youth - serving agency that sen-es New Trier and Northfield Townships. They are exploring the possibility of forming some type of new relationship, and possibly a mereer down the road. There has been some staff turnover, but Y.O.U. is now fully staffed, and ready to go into this new school year. Y.O.U. has been oper- ating a fundraising campaign with a goal of raising S 1.25 million. Ms. Kalish said that their most recent report is that they are close to this goal. Trilogy. Ms. Sittler said she had attended Trilogy's rummage sale. Their clients were very active in help- ing out, and there .vere quite a few of them there. September i1, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 3 Minutes approved Infant Welfare Society. Ms. Laatsch said that she previously noticed a lack of numbers on the agency's Quarterly Narrative Report and, subsequently. other agency's reports as well. There was a discussion about the reporting format that is being used with the agencies. Mr. Saver explained that each agency also submits a monthly accountability report with information about numbers of individuals that are being served in relation to their projected performance measures. He said that the h4HB does not receive the information. but it is reviewed by staff. He said that, while the MHB previously indicated that they did not want to see this on a month -to -month basis, the annual information is aggregated and included in the agency funding proposals each year. Mr. Saver added that, other than ongo- ing reports related to outcome measures, the Quarterly Narrative Reports are providing the information that is requested in the report guidelines. While some are vcry basic and one page in length, others are several pages long and provide considerable details about all facets of the agency and program operations. Ms. Sittler commented that she had not given up on revising a cumulative reporting format for the outcome measures. After several suggestions about ways that the reporting format might be revised, Ms. Grover said that the MHD would discuss the issue at the December meeting. Ms. Kalish and Ms. Sittler agreed to work as a subcommittee to identify what information would be most helpful, and the type of reporting for- mat that would be most informative. Childcare Network of Evanston (CNE). Ms. Canter said that the agency just finished their fiscal and did reasonably welI financially. Ms. Canter said that CNE did extensive fund raising, and killed themselves to get every grant that they could find. In addition, their contributions are up. This year, their budget is bal- anced and there is a small surplus. Metropolitan Family Services (AIFS). Ms. Grover said that she was stepping in as the Liaison with MFS. Until someone is appointed. She said that Ms. Stumme reported that she the agency is seeing more fami- lies that are at risk. Chronic unemployment may be bubbling to the surface with new issues. In addition, a number of parents in their client families are incarcerated; there has been an increase in the number of families that are at risk of becoming part of the DCFS system. Project SEED. Mr. Saver and Ms. Canter provide an update on the progress of SEED. This past summer, the project finally rolled out with full implementation of all of the components of The Incredible Years training. The first parent training group concluded with the parents asking for more sessions and extended training. At this point, the project staff has to move on to the next planned group sessions and there are no additional resources to provide extra training. Mr. Saver pointed out that the additional group. As a result, the parents have decided to meet as a group on their own on a monthly basis, Mr. Saver said that there might be some opportunity in the future to involve enthusiastic parents in the program in other ways. Ms. Canter said that it seems that there are a number of positive things that are happening all at once in SEED and that the marketing efforts are starting to pay off. A second parent group has already begun .and two additional parent groups are starting up in the next week; one group will be for Spanish-speaking parents. In addition, the training for classroom teachers was begun. Initially, they were expecting eight teachers from two early child care sites; fifteen teachers are participating from six centers. Another teacher training is starting up right away. Mr. Saver said that Greg O'Donnell, the Project Director at MFS, reports that he is expecting to start activities in four classrooms at two centers in early October. September 11, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 4 Minutes approved V. PREPARING FOR OCTOBER FUNDING HEARINGS Ms. Grover referred to the information in the Board packet about the upcoming allocation hearings. In re- sponse to a question, Mr. Saver commented that all the agencies had been reminded several times over the summer that tomorrow, Friday, September 12, is the deadline for submission of their funding applications. He said that the work plan is to distribute all of the proposal materials by September 19 to the MHB and United Way members. Mr. Saver added that The Family Institute and St. Francis/Resurrection Behavioral Health decided not to reapply for funding this year. He reminded the Board that 1TSW was reapplying for FY2004-05. The hearings are scheduled for Thursday, October 9, for Infant Welfare/Teen Baby Nursery, Trilogy, and Dimensions. Mr. Saver reminded that Board that the hearing would start at 6:30 P.M. sharp, and that box dinners would be provided so people could come straight from work. Mr. Saver said that he would provide a summary of all the allocation requests, as well as the service statis- tics. He said that, based upon information in quarterly reports, the proposal this year is asking for informa- tion about waiting lists. The Board members provided information about their availability and preferences for the hearings. Mr. Saver reminded the MHB that a quorum would be needed at the November meeting in order to adopt fund- ing allocations. VI. REPORT FROM THE CHAIR Ms. Grover pointed out Lonnie Wiebe's thank you letter to the MHB. She thanked the MHB for the recep- tion and recognition at the May meeting that they gave to Ms. Wiebe at the end of her eight -year position on the MHB. Ms. Grover reviewed the Board's Agency Liaison policy and said that they would look at reassignment of the responsibilities for the next calendar year. She reminded the NIHB that Metropolitan Family Services does not currently have an assigned Liaison VII. STAFF REPORT Mr. Saver reported that he would be in Washington, D.C. attending the SAMHSA grant conference for Project SEED September 19 - September 23. He asked the MHB to leave him email or voice mail mes- sages regarding the funding proposals in the event that anything came up during that period. City Budget Process for FY2004-05. Mr. Saver reported that City staff had received the instruction for the City Budget process. He said that they were given instructions to develop the initial FY2004-05 budget requests with no changes. He said that, in response to the MHB's earlier discussions and questions regard- ing agency allocations, the MHB would have to write a strong rationale and justification if it chose to me- ommend an increase in the total bottom line for Purchase Service funding. After a brief discussion among the Board members, Ms. Grover said that she thought that the Board's proposed total allocations would be at the same level as in FY2003-04. She encouraged the MHB members to be in attendance at City Council and committee meetings where the proposed budget is being discussed. She added that this would particu- larly be the case in the event that there are budget reductions being proposed. She reminded the MHB that September 11, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 5 Minutes approved the overall purchased service funding allocations were reduced in the City Budget by 3.5% in FY2003-04, and 18.5% in FY2002-03. Visions for Tomorrow Psychoeducation Course (YFT). Mr. Saver reminded the MHB about the VFT program that was discussed late last spring. The program was being initiated by the Alliance for the Men- tally III of the North Shore (NANIVINS). The program is a psychoeducation course that is taught over 12 weeks for parents and primary caregivers of kids with brain disorders. The information that is provided also includes information about how to negotiate the school and mental health systems, and how to be an advocate for your child. Mr. Saver reported that 1AM1�'S sent out an announcement that the program has been started and they have facilitators around the state to provide the course. As a result of the discussion at the NIHB meeting, Martha Arntson and her husband sought out and were trained to provide the course, and are available to offer the course. When sessions are offered, they are free, and supported by a grant from the Illinois Office of the State's Attorney General. Community Funding Crisis. Mr. Saver said that they distributed around the table a study by arc/ Illinois about the funding crisis that is being experienced by agencies serving people with developmental disabili- ties (DD) around the state. Arc/Illinois surveyed as many of the agencies working with that population that they could find around the State in order to find what the impact was of cash flow problems as a result of the State's slow -down and delay in their payment to DD contract agencies; how much agencies were being forced to borrow for their operating expenses; the types of credit lines they are having to establish; and what the interest costs were on their borrowing. Mr. Saver pointed out that, to the best of his knowledge, State grants and contracts do not allow for reimbursement for interest costs in maintaining an agency's op- erations. fie added that the report was sobering and painted a rather bleak picture that is probably very similar currently for agencies in a number of different service sectors Mental Health Rally. Nis. Walker reported that she attended that Mental Health Rally that was held at the Thompson Center on September 03. She said that there were many State Legislators that were there, in- cluding Evanston's Rep. Julie liamos and Senator Jeff Schoenberg. Ms. Walker said that there would be another rally in May 2004 in Springfield. That one will focus on the Legislature's consideration of the 2004-2005 State Budget. Nis. Walker said that the Board should try to participate more in these kinds of advocacy activities, and should distribute more information to the Evanston community to try to generate support for state funding. Meeting adjourned 8:50 P.M. Respectfully submitted, Joan M. Barott September 11, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 6 Minutes recorded — not yet approved EVANSTON MENTAL HEALTH BOARD MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, NOV.NIBER 13, 2003 Members Present: Susan Canter, Randy Walker, Victoria Kalish, Gill Krulee, Jane Grover, Louis Ro%vitz, Carol Sittler and Anne Gauthier Presiding: Jane Grover, Chair Staff: Harvey Saver, Joan Barott, Elizabeth Akinw-ale Community Representatives: Pam Thomas (Evanston/Skokie Valley Senior Services); Alexander Brown (Housing Options); Bob Roy (Evanston Community Defender); Chris Baer, Sue Brenner (Childcare Network of Evanston); Sandra Stumme (Metropolitan Family Services); James Sibley (Youth Job Center); Helen Roberts Evans (Child Care Center of Evanston); Jennifer Strugala (UIC Student); Camille Gerwin (NWU ,%Iedill School oCJournalism) Ms. Grover called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. 1. INTRODUCTIONS AND COMMUNITY COMMENTS Ms. Grover %welcomed the guests and asked that they introduce themselves. 11. REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF SEPTEMBER 11, 2003 MINUTES Ms. Grover commented the September 11, 2003 minutes were accepted as presented. Ill. CONSIDERATION OF ALLICATION RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FY04- 05 MH13 PURCHASED SERVICES Ms. Grover thanked the members of the Funding Allocation Committee for their time and hard work in producing the allocation recommendations. She said that the product was very thorough and com- prehensive. Mr. Krulee commended the Committee and said that the logic of the recommendations made sense and %vas well supported. Ms. Canter and Ms. Sittler summarized the recommendations. Ms. Canter said that the Allocation Committee considered the funding request by program. They organized their consideration of re- quests from 29 programs in 18 agencies into three categories. Funding increases for 10 programs November 13, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 7 of a Minutes recorded — not yet approved • Funding maintenance for I6 programs, including 6 programs that asked for maintenance fund- ing for FY04-0_5 • Funding decrease for 3 programs (Two of these programs requested funding reductions, and asked that some or all of the balance of the funds be transferred to another agency program in conjunction with additional new dollars.) Nis. Sittler said that the Committee thought that all of the programs requesting funds %sere valuable programs. However, the Committee was able to make some distinctions, and as a result of the funding reductions in the past two years, there was not enough money available to avoid making some cuts and also provide increases where they seemed warranted. She said that the Committee received no input from other Board members after the hearings. She added that the Committee placed an emphasis upon the follo«ing • Programs serving a very high percentage of Evanston residents; • Programs that emphasized early supports, intervention or prevention services that had contact with families and/or children before more serious problems could develop; • Programs where the MHB funds were providing matching dollars that generated additional support for the program; • Programs where the actual funding request was specific, and the services or activities that the MHB was supporting were clear; • Services that provided clear and specific outcome measures that were quantifiable. Ms. Sittler said that the Committee again recommended strong support forprograms that had a heavy reliance upon MHB funds. Two of the programs were almost entirely supported with local tax dol- lars. She said that the issue has been discussed before, and the Committee is encouraging the MHB to revisit this issue when it considers the Funding Allocation process for 2004. She said that the Committee members thought that it was important to determine whether there should be cap on the percentage of a program's annual budget that the MHB is willing to support, both for start-up and ongoing operational costs. Ms. Canter said that the recommendations included increased funds for several programs. Where that was the case, the Committee tried to provide additional funds for programs that had not regularly been given increases in the past. Ms. Grover asked about the 28% that was identified in the recom- mendations for families and their children in early childhood programs. tics. Canter pointed out that this funding was for Childcare'`etwork of Evanston (CNE), Infant Welfare Society, and Child Care Center of Evanston, and primarily for children birth to 5 years of age. She said that these programs were granted their funding requests, which were the same as last year. She also pointed out that of the total, only $29,900 for CNE's Project Help was in the MHB's budget prior to the funding con- solidation. The remainder, approximately $189,000, had been allocated by the Human Services Committee prior to the consolidation. his. Grover said that if that percentage of the total funding is allocated this year, it is something the Board should look at before the next round of funding hear- ings. Ms. Walker said that she organized the allocations into several large categories. The Allocation Committee recommendations break down into $225,000 for adult, $561,300 for adults, and $42,500 November 13, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 2 of 8 Minutes recorded — not yet approved for Other. She said that the proposed allocations are saying that youth is the priority in the funding recommendations. Ms. Canter stated that there were a number of programs last year that lost their funding from the A1H13 that were adult services. However, there were also a number of programs that served South whose funding was cut quite a bit. Overall, she said that it was her impression that there is still roughly the same level of allocations for categories that ►vas in place prior to the con- solidation. Ms. Canter commented that the Allocation Committee has not formally revised or adopted any funding priorities. The .'%iHB still needs to look at away to incorporate a widerrange of funding priorities. Nis. Canter said that the funding for early childhood serves as prevention and early intervention, and an effective way of stopping more serious problems from developing down the road. There is enough data available to show that interventions at an early level do work. Ms. Sittler said that the Allocation Committee discussed the issues related to priorities at length. There was agreement that the .%IHB needed to Iook at its mission to consider a broader funding fo- cus. Mr. Ro%%itz pointed out that the A1HB already had funding priorities. A number of the pro- grams that were incorporated into the funding stream after consolidation didn't provide the types of intervention services that the Board historically had funded. He said the Board should consider ei- ther adding priorities or looking at way of restructuring the priorities. leis. Grover said that this was an issue for the MHB to revisit over the next nine months. Ms. Walker said that she didn't think that the Board should abandon anything. but rather add on additional priorities. Mr. Krulee said that he was concerned that the MHB continue to be responsive to agencies with the disabilities that were incorporated into the Board's initial mandates under its enabling ordinance. He said that he would not support downgrading those. Nis. Grover said that she would put this issue on a list of items for future consideration for the coming year. Ms. Walker volunteered to work on a committee to begin to consider revised funding priorities. In discussion, the MHB raised concerns about the nature of some of the agencies' outcome measures in the funding proposals. In some cased the measures did not seem to be quantifiable; in otherea5es, the measures only projected a delivery of a certain number of service units, rather than an projected outcome as a result of the delivery of the service. Ms. Sittler said that way in which the outcome measures are reported on in the Quarterly Narrative Reports. Afterdiscussion, Nis. Grover asked Ms. Sittler and his. Kalish to serve as a committee to consider the Board's expectations for outcome measures and the quarterly narrative report format. She pointed out that both of these were listed on the agenda as items for future consideration. The MHB considered the Committee's funding recommendations (incorporated as Attachment A), and the comments and rationale for the recommendations (incorporated as Attachment B), Ms. Sit- tler reviewed the allocations and comments regarding ten programs that were recommended for a funding increase: BEHIV/Educational Outreach; BEHIV/Mental Health; Connections/Entry Point; Evanston Community Defender/Social Work Services; Metropolitan Family Services/Family Ser- vices; Metropolitan Family Services/Family Support and Prevention; North Shore Senior Cen- ter/EvanstonlSkokie Valley Senior Services; PEER Services/Adolescent Treatment; PEER Ser- vices/Youth Early Intervention; and ThresholdsrTransitions. She pointed out that two of these, BEHIV/Educational Outreach and Thresholds/Transitions were new programs being recommended for funding. Ms. Sittler said that Thresholds' program was what used to be NTSW/First Step. The November 13, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 3 of a Minutes recorded — not yet approved MHB, eliminated that funding last year because of concerns, in part, about the future of NTSW. The program had excellent outcome measures and it was very specific as to what services would be pro- vided with the MHB funds. The funding request from Connections was to transfer funding from an- other Connections program to Entry Point. While the Committee did recommend a substantial in- crease, it was not recommending the transfer of all of the funds. his. Sittler also said that the rec- ommendations for the programs for PEER Services and Metropolitan Family Services were what each of the agencies had requested_ Ms. Canter reviewed the allocations and comments regarding sixteen programs that were recom- mended for maintenance program allocations. Six of these requested a maintenance level of funding: Child Care Center of EvanstorvEome Day Care; Childcare Network ofEvanstoafCity Wide Scholar- ships; Childcare Network of Evanston/Services for Children with Special Needs; Infant Welfare So- ciety/Teen Baby Nursery; Trilogy,'Evanston Psychosociai Program; Y.O.U./Youth Development. The other ten programs requested funding increases: Dimensions/MISA Collaboration; Evanston Com- munity Defender/Legal Services; Family Focus/ Pregnant and Parenting Teen; Family Focus/ Pri- mary Prevention; Housing Options/Residential Services; Housing Options/SHIP; PEER Services /Adult Treatment; SHORE: Community Services.'Lois Lloyd Center; SHORE: Community Ser- vices/DD Residential Services; Youth Job Center/Job Readiness. hls. Canter pointed out that a number of the latter group had already received funding increases over the past one or two years. Ms. Sittler reviewed the allocations and comments regarding three programs that were recommended for funding reductions: BEHIVI'Comprehensive Case Management; Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago/Evanston Legal Services; Connections/Substance Abuse Case Manager. Nis. Sittler said that, as was already mentioned, Connections' funding request was to eliminate the fund- ing for this program and transfer it to another of the agency's programs. BEHIV also requested a re- duction in funding for the Comprehensive Case Management program, and to transfer the funds to increase the allocation for one of the agency's other programs, and provide funding for a new pro- gram. The recommendations did provide increased and new funding that were requested, however, not as much as had been requested. The Committee is recommending, however, that funding be eliminated for this program. The program's numbers have been declining overall, and the number of Evanston residents that they are seeing has continued to decrease from the agency's earlier projec- tions. Ms. Sittler commented that the recommendation was to reduce funding for Legal Assistance Founda- tion of Metropolitan Chicago's (LAFMC) local program from S44,000 to S30,000. The agency had requested S50,000. She said that the Evanston program has been seeing an ongoing decrease in the percentage of Evanston residents being provided services, while at the same time that the program is serving a larger population. In the most recently reported year, Evanston residents dccreased from 27% of the service population to 18.9%. Ms. Sittler said that the Committee thought that the pro- gram was providing an important service, but the funding recommendation is consistent with the priorities that were established for developing the allocations. Ms. Gauthier asked about LAFMC's service numbers, and inquired whether there was any independ- ent verification of the figures. Mr. Saver responded that is something that goes on in the monitoring November 13, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 4 of 8 Minutes recorded — not yet approved of contract throughout the year. When the monthly statistical reports are submitted, staff follows up with any figures that are very different than might be expected, or that don't seem to make sense for a program. Sometimes it is a matter of a typo or a clerical error. There have been a few occasions where it turns out there is a problem %%ith the way that the agency is recording or tracking the infor- mation. However, there is no audit of the program's source documents. In addition, when there is something that is very unusual in the statistics provided in the proposals, the figures are compared with the agency's monthly reports. Ms. Grover commented that that the \ZHB's allocation accounts for 15% of the total budget for LAFMC's Evanston office. She said that the reduction for this program was what allowed the con- sideration of increases for some of the other programs. However, she said that she was concerned about a reduction as high as 31 °io. Ms. Kalish asked whether there were any other reasons for pro- posing the allocation reduction. Ms. Canter said that was the main reason. LAFMC is a large agency with other offices. They seem to be getting a larger percentage of the clients in their Evanston office from other locations, while the number of Evanston residents has been changing very little from year to year. She said that the percentage of people being served from Evanston at 18.90;.%vas very close to the percentage the total program budget that was being funded by the MHB, at 15%. As a result, proportionally, a smaller amount of the agency's other funds are having to be spent on the Evanston population. Ms. Kalish commented that LAFMC is an important agency that assists seniors and lower income adults on legal matters. She said that she thought it would be difficult for them to travel to the other LAFMC offices. Mr. Rowitz asked Mr. Saver whether LAFMC would cut or re- duce the number of Evanston people being served. Mr. Saver said that he had no way of knowing, but assumed that LAFMC would not restrict services in their programs to Evanston residents any more than they would to residents from communities that have not agreed to provide them with any program funding. Mr. Rowitz said that LAFMC is a major agency and stands alone in the services that it provides to the community. But every year the Board has to set a priority and decide where the money is going to come from when there are no new funds. Ms. Gauthier suggested reducing the increases to all programs that were proposed for one, and return the balance to LAFMC. That would make the reduction less precipitous. Ms. Canter said that she was reluctant to go in that direction. She pointed out that almost all of the programs requested in- creased funding. The Board is always going to be in the position of making these types of decisions when there is no new funding. if the Board wants to be able to recognize any programs, develop new priorities, or fund anything new, it will have to make some difficult decisions about where the money is going to come from. Ms. Gauthier said that most programs ask for more than they really expect to get. She suggested that the Board look to programs that got what they asked for by way of increases to give something back to LAFMC. Ms. Grover said that she liked that recommendation, and could support restoring some of the 30% reduction to LAFMC. Ms. Sittler said that she thought LAFNIC provides a good service, but the recommendation is not without precedent. Last year, the MHB cut funding entirely for four programs. Ms. Kalish pointed out that LAFMC is a unique service in the mix of programs. Mr. Rowitz said that in the current funding environment, maintenance funding for programs should probably be seen as a positive if it is a matter of taking funds back from the pro- posed allocations. November 13, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 5 of 8 Minutes recorded — not yet approved In response to tits. Grover's question, there was a consensus of the Board to include Thresholds in the funding mix in the coming year, and to have the program services back in the service network. The NIHB discussed several different scenarios to recover money from program increases and reduce the funding reduction to LAFMC. Ms. Gauthier suggested a cap of 3% on increases for any program that received on. Nis. Walker commented that she would be willing to return some amount of money to LAFAIC if it would mean that all of the agencies in the Increase categon, received maintenance funding, with the exception of ThresholdsrFransitions and BEHIV's two programs. She said that she thought it would be more equitable to keep all at a maintenance level to give LAFAIC a break. Nis. Sittler said that she thought the Board should be able to recognize and reward agencies that have done good work and provided good outcomes. She added that she did not like the idea after having heard all of the funding requests to leave everyone at the same level. Ms. Grover agreed and said that the Allocation Committee gave very thoughtful consideration to the issues and recognized some of the important issues for the Board in making its recommendations. At this point of the discussion, it seems that the issue is developing a consensus about some type of formula for recapturing dollars for LAFMC. After discussion, the Board considered three plans: A. Adopt the Allocation Committee plan; B. Adopt the recommendations, but revise the Allocation Committee plan mith a cap of 3% increase for all programs that received an increase. Exempt from the cap BEHIV's 2 pro- grams; Connections!Entry Point; and Thresholdsrrransitions. This would restore $4600 to LAFMC, and reduce the reduction to $9400. C. Revise the proposed allocations with maintenance funding for all programs that received an increase. Exempt from the maintenance cap BEHIV's 2 programs; Connections/Entry Point; and Thresholds/Transitions. This would restore S 10,000 to LAFMC, and reduce the funding reduction to S4900. Ms. Walker pointed out that Thresholds proposal indicated that they were looking for S 15,000 from both the rIHB and the United Way in order to restore a behavioral therapist position. She reminded the h1HB that the agency might not be able to spend the funds in that way that they are being allo- cated if they can not raised all of the funds. Mr. Saver said that the Allocation Committee was con- cerned about that and wrote a very specific recommendation with the funding allocation: "in the event that Transitions determines that it is financially unable to restore the position because of funding limitations, the recommendation is that Thresholds inform the MHB of that decision and meet with the Board to determine what, if any, impact that decision will have upon this allocation." Mr. Saver said that language would also be incorporated into the contract to that effect, and it might result in the Board having to make a decision about the funding later on, if Thresholds is unable to hire the position. He said that he would follow up with Mr. llling to inform him of the Board's rec- ommendation, if it is accepted. Mr. Ro►vitz moved and ibis. Kalish seconded a motion to adopt Plan B. Motion passed 6 aye (Grover, Sittler, Kalish, Rovvitz, Sittler, Canter) — 2 no (Gauthier, Walker). November 13, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 6 of 8 Minutes recorded — not yet approved IV. AGENCY ACCOUNTABILITY Child Care Center of Evanston. Ms. Canter said that she visited more of the home day care sites with Helen Roberts Evans and saw the music program in action. She said that it was great, and had the opportunity to view two different musicians working with the kids. Each home visited had its own individual approach. V. STAFF REPORT Human Services Committee. Mr. Saver said that there had been a heated discussion at a City Council meeting with members of the community raising issues about disturbances in the neighbor- hoods where a significant number of Northwestern students live close to the campus. Much of this has been reported in the press. ;Neighbors complained about loud parties, drinking, and rude and un- civil behavior. One extreme case involved a few drunken football players who tried to break into a home where they thought that there was a party. A Special Task Force comprising City and North- western officials will be meeting at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, November 17. Mr. Saver said it is not clear yet what the agenda «will include, but one of the topics that might be considered is substance abuse, and the prevention of it. He said that he was told that there might be discussion about a keg registration bill. This is something that the MHB had endorsed quite some time ago, in conjunction with the Evanston Substance Abuse Prevention Council. Such a bill would require that any keg sold in Evanston would have to be tagged by the distributor in a way that would identify where it was purchased and who purchased it. The tag cannot be removed, with a fine being imposed if it is. This is a strategy that has been used in some communities as a means to hold accountable anyone who purchases a keg for a party that gets out of control, or where a minor is served alcohol. In response to a question, Mr. Saver said that there is some controversy as to whether this is effective unless it is done on a regional basis. However, it is one of a number of prevention initiatives that communities can undertake at the community or environmental level to deal with the problem. Mr. Saver said that he would attend the meeting and report back to the Board about whether there are any issues raised in which the MHB has a direct interest.. Center for Independent Futures (CIF). Mr. Saver said that approximately 2'/2 years ago the MHB sponsored "A Home of Your Own," a housing forum that looked at the economic, legal, and social service factors that influence housing decisions for individuals with developmental disabilities or mental health issues. One of the presenters, Jane Doyle, was involved in a new organization that %vas assisting families %0th a futures planning model for their older children who had transitioned out of the public education system. These were young people who were not a part of the State's targeted or priority service populations. Typically, they had more independent living, skills, but were still not able to live on their owri as young adults without some support. They had gone through high school with all of the supportive services, and graduated or transitioned into a community where there were no supports. CIF was initially developed by a group of families for their younger family members, as a way of helping them prepare for the future and an active life in community experiences, rather than November 13, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 7 of 8 Minutes recorded -- not yet approved programming. Subsequently. CIF made a presentation to the N1HB about a housing model, a com- munity living option initiative that they were beginning to try to develop. At that time, the NiHB asked the OF representatives to update the Board about their progress. Mr. Saver said that in early September, CIF opened their first living option in Evanston. It is a three -flat, %with one apartment for three women, one apartment for three men, and a separate apartment for community -builder family. The family is available to provide assistance ovemight, and is available early in the morning and at dinner, if it is necessary. Mr. Saver said that he recently met with hay Brant and Jane Doyle, two of the cofounders of CIF, to talk with them about difficulties they have had in trying to find supports and services in the commu- nity for the young adults who are residing in their new living option. Because of the lack of direct state support for this group of people, CIF has put together a very complex and creative funding ar- rangement in order to be able to operate the residences and make available community support for this independent living opportunity. He said that, at some point, the MHB might be interested in hav- ing a presentation about this new program. Meeting adjourned 9:00 PAL Respectfully submitted, Joan M. Barott November 13, 2003 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 8 of 8 2003 MHB Funding Allocation Recommendations for FY04-05 ATTACHMENT A: Page 1 of 2 2003 Agency r MHB Allocation MHB Funding Allocations Funding Proposal I Committee Recommendation (November 13. 2003) ; Current Funding Requested Change �Proposed Funding � Proposed Change Funding Proposed Change AllocationlRequeste S$ i % Ss % Proposed[- ss I % Agency I Program FY03-04 FY04-05 Change Change FY64-05 Change Change FY04-05 Change --Change" BEHIVrGcrngrehensive Case Management (Note 1) 59.3oG S5,OOO : (S4.380) -46 7°% SO ($9,380) -100 0°% SO ($9.380) -1D0°% BEHIV,V--dW Health S2.320 $7.500 S5.180 223.3% S3.000 S680 29 3°% S3.000 S6BO 29% BEHIVI F-I;.=tlonal Outreach $0 S7,500 , $7.500 NA S5.000 S5,000 NIA S5.000 $5.000 NIA BEHIV Total $11.700 1 $20.000 S8,300 ._. _... 70.9°% $8,000 (S3,700) -31.6°% $8,000 (S3,700) -32°% 1 Child Care Center of Evanston/Home Day Care f S18,5DO S18,500 r SO ° 0.0% 518,500 $0 0. 0 °%[ S18,500 $0 0% 2 -CNEI Seances for Children with Special Needs S29,9DO S29,900 SO 0.0% $29.900 SD 0 0°% $29,900 $0 0°% CNE I Ctt Wrde Scholarships S100,B00 S10O.800 S0 0.0°% $100.800 $0 0.0°% S100.800 $0 0% Childcare Network of Evanston Total $130,700 $130,700 . SO 0.0% $130,700 $0 0 0°% $130,700 $0 0°% 3 Conne�:ms I Substance Abuse Case Manager (Note 1) S7.300 SO ($7,300) -100.0°% SO (S7,300) -100.0°% SO ($7,300) -100°% Connectms I Entry Point $21.000 S29,000 $8,000 38.1°% $26,000 $5,000 23 8°% S26,000 $5,000 24°% Connections Total $28,300 $29.000 , $700 2.5°% $26.000 ($2,300) -&1% S26,000 (S2.300) -8°% 4 Dimensions AAISA Collaboration $61,000 $64,Q00 53,000 4.9%1 ^ $6t,000 SO 0 0°% S61,000 $0 I 0°% 5 .ri.- _... ... - • ---- - — ---._._ - - -. _ Evanston Commune Defender I Social Work Serve-•_-. ces 518,200 525.30D 57,100 39.0°% S19,700 51,500 8.25b $18,800 5600 3°% Evanston Community Defender/ legal Services S27,800 $38.700 $10,900 39.2% $27,800 $0 0.0°% $27,800 SO 0% Evanston CommunityDefender Total $46,000 S64,000 $10,000 39.1% $47,500 $1,500 3.3% $46.600 $600 1% 6 Family Focus / Primary Prevention $16,900 S17,700 S800 4.7% $16,900 SO 0.0°% S16,900 SO 0°% Family F=s I Pregnant and Parenting Teen S25,100 $26,400 , S1,300 5.2°% $25,100 $0 0 0 % $25,100 $0 0% Family Focus Total $42,000 S44,100 1 $2.100 5.0°% $42,000 $0 0.0°% $42,000 SO 0°% 7 Housing OnionsIResidenliatServices S10,800 S12,000 S1,200 11.1% S10,800 SO 0,0% $10.800 SO 0% Housing 0:,—jons I SHIP S11.600 S13,000 : $1.400 12.1°% S11,600 $0 0.0°% $11,600 $0 0°% Housing Options Total $22,400 $25,000 $2.600 11.6°% $22,400 SO 0-0'% $22,400 $0 0°% 8 rwised IIMV2003 104.05allocalion_rinall: U:thly DocumtntstALL0CATE0prsad ShartxWHB ProG9I%t03 FNarutpai 2003 MHB Funding Allocation Recommendations for FY04OS ATTACHMENT A: Page 2 of 2 2003 Agency MHI3 Allocation MHB Funding Allocations Funding Proposal Committee Recommendation iNovember 13, 2003) Current Funding I Requested Change Funding Proposed Change Funding Proposed Change Altocation Requestec(--SS % Proposed SS -'T %- Proposed SS 7■ Agency I Program FY03-04 FY0405 Change I Change FY04-05 Change Change FY04-QS Y Change ­ Change Infant Welfare Society I Teen Baby Nursery S80.000 1 S80.OD0 so 0 0 t S80.053 so 0 0%6 $80,000 so 0% 9 LAFUCI Evanston Leqal Services - - S44.000 I S50.000 1 S6.000 1 13 6ICI S30.003 l (S14,000) -31 8% $34,600 (S9.400) -21% 10 Metro Family Services I Family Support and Prevention S85,000 $87.524 S2.524 3 0 % S87.-%3 S2.500 2 9% $87.500 $2,500 3% Mew Family Services I Family Serrates S8.200 S8,487 S287 3 5%6 S8 500 S300 3 7% S8,500 S300 3°% Metropolitan Family Services Total $93,200 . $96.011 $2,811 3 0% $96.000 $2,800 3 0% $96,000 $2,800 3% 11 NSSC I Evanston/Skokie Valley Senior Services- S31, 900 539,500 57.600 23.8°!� 235.0fYJ 53,100 - 9.7°� $3 - 2,900� . - 31.000 ... _ . . 3% 12 - - - - — _ NTSW (Thresholds Transitions) h o - 50 S15.a00 l S15,OQa NA 510.00Q - Si0,000 _ WA 510, 000 S 10.000 NIA 13 s . - -- _..... _ .. _ . _ �� _ 1 _ PEERSernces/AdolescentTreatment $12.400 $14.000 S1.600 12.9% S14,000 $1.600 129% S12,800 $400 3% PEER Sefv-.ces IAdult Treatment $38.400 S39.400 S1,000 2.6% S38.400 Sa 0 0% $38,400 so 0°% PEER Servr_es I Youth Early Intervention S21.000 $22,000 S1,000 4,8% $22.000 S1,000 4 8% $21.600 S600 3% PEER Services Total $71.800 $75,400 $3,600 5 0°% $74,400 S2,600 3 6% $72,800 S1,000 1% 14 ._ - . —..- - SHORE Community Services / Day Programming- S20,700 $21.700 S1.000 I 4 8 °% 520.700 $0 0 0'% 520,700 SO 0% SHORE Ur munity Services / DD Residential Services S22,300 $23,800 i S1.500 6.71A $22.300 $0 0 0% $22,300 so 0% SHORE: Community Services Total Trilogy I Evanston Activities Program Youth Job Center/Job Readiness ... Y.O.U. I Youth Development TOTAL $43,000 $45,500 $2,500 5.8°% S43,000 SO 0 0°% $43.000 S6.a00 s6.a00 SQ 0.0%r S6,0001 $o - - 0 0% s6,000T S8.0001 S90.4001 518.000t 510.000I 125.0-A S8.Oa0 S90.400so 0.0�%1 S90.4QQ - - — $01 0 0%+ 38,0001 So 0%r_S90,400j- 3828,900 S91i,111 582,211 9.9`G $828,900 -o SO OA%I $828,900T NOTE 1. A reduction from the FYU0344 program allocation was requested In the agency's FYOA-05 funding proposal. The request was made to the MN8 to consider shifting the funds to other agency programs S0 0% 15 so 0°% 16 $01 _ 0°% 17 S0 0% 18 so rinsed 12n7i7p03 t04-G5&Wcabon_fma4- U Wy Doc urnentzALLOCATE15pread SheeftWHB Process= Hearings% N1HB PROGRANI FUNDING ALLOCATION RECONINIENDATIONS FOR FY04-05 ATTACHNIENT B: Page I of S Agency/Program I Funding Recision Comments and Rationale BEHIV/Comprehe Elimination of funding. The request was for a reduction of funds. The program has been seeing a shrinking nsive Case number of individuals and declining numbers of Evanston residents. There is a significant negative variance from the Management agency's own client projections The service projections for the proposed year 04-05 are a further reduction from the service projections that were incorporated in the FY03-04 contract with the MHB. BEHIViMental increase funding. This is a small program that is providing an essential intervention for individuals who are Health diagnosed with HIV and the members of their support network. The program has an important role in assisting individuals to avoid isolation in the community. The MHB wants to encourage the agency in its efforts to expand its funding sources for this program. The Board would also like to be kept up-to-date on the agency's efforts to develop collaborations with other Evanston agency service providers to expand the impact of these program services. BEHIW Recommendation to fund in response to a new program funding request. The program will also be training and Educational involving clients to provide prevention -related information. The recommendation is to support this type of outreach as Outreach a way of providing better access to prevention and service -related information for the target population. The MHB wants to be kept informed of the types of techniques and approaches that are being used to distribute the program message in the Evanston community, the types of services that BEHIV staff is providing directly, and the information that is being provided by the trained clients. The agency is encouraged to seek additional funds to support the services from other communities, as well. Child Care Center Grant the funding request. Maintenance funding. MHB funds support the largest portion of the 25% local match of for the contract with 1DHS for the program. The funds enable the agency to provide important administrative and Evanston/Home supportive services to home day care. The funds are for specific targeted expenditures, so the MHB has a specific Day Care picture of what services are being supported. CNE/ Services for Children with Special Needs CNE / City -Wide Scholarships Grant the funding request, Maintenance funding. The program services were begun several years ago in response to an initiative from the MHB. The program is providing a primary prevention and early intervention function in the lives of kids as a way of avoiding later problems. This is something that the MHB is happy to support. The funds support specific targeted expenditures. All of the funds are being spent upon services for Evanston families and children. CNE has continued to provide more extensive services in this program than they have expected in their projections. Grant the funding request. Maintenance funding. Services are for a predominantly Evanston population. These funds are essential to enable families that no longer qualify for IDHS support and cannot afford full fee at childcare centers to receive partial scholarships for day care. In effect, the dollars are able to match the families' contribution to the cost of day care, thereby making it affordable. The funds support specific targeted expenditures. All of the funds are being spent specifically upon services for Evanston families and children. Updated Thursday, December 18, 2003 MHB PROGRAM FUNDING ALLOCATION RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FY04•05 ATTACHMENT B: Page z of 5 Agency/Program Funding Decision Comments and Rationale Connections / Grant the funding request Eliminate funding (per the agency funding request). Substance Abuse Case Manager Connections ! Increase funding. The program is a very responsive and effective service in the community. It is the only program Entry Point that is engaging and reaching its clients in this way. The program provides a service not only to the client population, but also to the downtown area and the entire community. MHB funds play an important role in helping the agency to win HUD matching funds, Overall City funding for the program has increased significantly in the past three years. Dimensions MISA Maintenance funding. This is a unique program that was developed in response to an earlier MHB initiative. At this Collaboration point, there are no other services in Evanston to serve individuals with a dual diagnosis of mental illness and substance abuse. The entire service population is Evanston. The MHB has provided increased funding, but the expectation was that the program would begin to become more financially independent of local funds. We hope to see the Dimensions collaboration undertake more fundraising to support this program starting this next year. Evanston in Increase funding. g. This is a unique service and one that does not appear to be provided by any other counseling Community service in town. The program reaches out to very poor families and their kids. The services seem to have had a Defender / Social positive impact on helping kids who are in trouble avoid a second contact with the courts. The MHB wants to support Work Services efforts to assist young people at the earliest possible point, and before they become more involved with the courts. Evanston Maintenance funding. Legal services are at the core of the agency's mission. Their reports about the impact of their Community services seem to support the special focus of law and social work as integrated interventions. From the agency's Defender / Legal report, there has been a decrease in the demand for the legal services. and the agency has been having difficulty Services meeting its own projections. The MHB wants to support this program as a part of an integrated approach to working with this population, but encourages the agency to actively solicit additional resources and pro bond legal support. about this program from the MHB. The are�o providing increased m agency .. as be .. o Family Focus_ .... Maintenance -.p � g- population h been responsive to comments Primary g Y p g emphasis upon working with the schools and Prevention parents about special needs of the youth in their program. in addition, the program is making available a range of alternative activities to support kids at an early stage as they make the transition through the teen years. The agency is applauded for its use of nerr and more extensive outcome measurements to monitor program performance. Family Focus 1 Maintenance funding. The service population is 100% Evanston. These are valuable services in keeping kids Pregnant and connected to the Evanston community as they work through the issues of their own childhood as they are learning Parenting Teen about their role as parents. This service is significant because it has an impact not only upon the teen moms, but also upon their babies. Mai/ taro indistinguishable. other than one program Hance funding. The service population is almost entirely Evanston- The request for funding for services for Housing Options both programs is m is permanent housing and the other is transitional Updated Thursday. December 18, 2003 MHB PROGRAM FUNDING ALLOCATION RECONINIENDATIONS FOR FY04-05 ATTACHIMEN"C ii: Page 3 of 5 Agency/Program Residential Services & SHIP Infant Welfare Society / Teen Baby Nursery LAFMC/ Evanston Legal Services Funding Decision Comments and Rationale housing. MHB funds support social work and case management services for both programs. The Committee noted that this agency received additional funds last year and has received additional support from the MHB when it has been possible. Both programs provide a high quality service and do an excellent job of enabling people to maintain a life in the community. The agency has consistently shown outcome measures that demonstrate their ability to keep people from being hospitalized. The agency is moving ahead and responding to the changing needs of their clients and the community for supportive housing. Grant the funding request. Maintenance funding. The service population is 100% Evanston. This is another program that provides prevention and early intervention services. This program provides important early childhood support for babies, as well as critical support for teen moms to complete their education. The program's retention figures for keeping the young women in school are impressive. The agency is to be commended for being very aggressive in raising and providing new funding to make available more intensive clinical support and assistance to the moms and their kids. Their initiative is in recognition of new and emerging problems that have developed, as the moms have gotten younger. The Board wants to support these efforts. Decrease fundin program is seeing a marked decrease in the _ - g. The p g ram gpercentage of Evanston residents being provided services at the same time that it is serving a larger population. In the most recently reported year, Evanston residents decreased from 27% of the service population to 18.9%. Metro Family Grant the funding request, Increase funding. The program is providing aggressive outreach services to help families to overcome barriers to obtaining help. The Board wants to continue to support services that are made Services / Family available in clients' homes and the community. This is an important service providing support for families to stay out of Support and the DCFS system. Last year, the program served almost twice as many client families as they had projected. Prevention Metro Family Grant the funding request. Increase funding. The program has experienced a significant fundingfstaffing reduction. Services / Family The MHB wants to support the funding request to enable the services that are targeted to multi -problem families to be Services maintained at the highest level. The Board wants to encourage the program to maintain its flexibility in reaching out and meeting with its clients, and provides leadership in the community in working with other agencies. This program has regularly been exceeding its projections by a significant amount. NSSC / increase funding. This is a well -run agency that consistently has provided a high quality service, including home Evanston/Skokie visits to make their services more accessible. The proposed program funding increase recognizes an increase in the Valley Senior need for services for seniors. Services -- -' NTSW r _. y.__.- MHB, fundn Recommendation to fund a new program request. The program that is being funded is a new one far the MHB, as However. therequest. two -agency g Board had a 19- ear fundinghistorywith one of the agencies prior to a result of a two -onto Updated Thursday, December 18, 2003 M11B PROGRAM FUNDING ALLOCATION RECO,IN'1tiIENDATIONS FOR F N*04-U:5 ATTACIINIENT B: Page 4 of S Agency/Program I Funding Decision Comments and Rationale (Thresholds last year. The future of the agency was in question and there were concerns about the MHB's funding. Thresholds, Transitions) the applicant agency, is bringing services to the program site that are more state-of-the-art in providing day support for people with persistent mental illness. The agency is also providing more extensive services for this population in the community. The funding request was for support for the position of Behavioral Therapist that was cut from the budget earlier. The program proposal indicated that additional funds would be necessary to fund this position. The Board would like to be of greater assistance in restoring the position. however, budget limitations make that impossible. In the event that Transitions determines that it is financially unable to restore the position because of funding limitations, the recommendation is that Thresholds inform the MHB of that decision and meet with the Board to determine what, if any, impact that decision wilt have upon this allocation. PEER Services / Increase funding. The program has grown steadily. The agency has been very responsive by expanding these Adolescent program services in a larger geographic area to respond to the growing need. While the percentage of Evanston Treatment clients has been diminishing, the actual number of Evanston adolescents served has continued to grow at a fast pace. The agency has been contending with limited resources by using full fee clients to aid in the expansion of the program services. At the same time, it has been joining in partnerships with a number of schools and youth -serving organization in order to provide more direct access to adolescents wsth substance use problems. The MHB wants to support the clinical engagement of this group as early as possible as a way of helping them avoid more significant problems in the future. PEER Services / Maintenance funding. The program continues to be consistent and of high quality. There is sound attention paid to Adult Treatment outcome measures in monitoring the quality of the program services. The program has regularly been running a waiting list, and the Board wants to avoid reducing the resources available to the population at the point they have decided to seek assistance. PEER Services / Increase funding. The service population is 100% Evanston. The MHB is supporting early intervention to engage Youth Early adolescents and youth before problems begin. The program is working with kids before they have gone beyond being Intervention inquisitive or experimenting with drugs, and helping them avoid the need for treatment services. The agency continues to provide leadership in prevention and early intervention services in Evanston, and is helping to expand the initiatives in these areas. PEER Services has been aggressive in bringing outside funding to the community for prevention activities, and is initiating changes in the way that the community responds to youth substance use and abuse. SHORE: Maintenance funding, The program continues to provide a high quality service for one of the MHB's mandated Community target populations. The services in Evanston are unique and the only agency that is working with the 0-3 population Services 1 Lois and adults who are severely involved. These services are essential to enable these individuals to remain in the Lloyd Center community, and remain close to the members of their families. The Committee noted that this program received additional funds last year and has received additional support from the MHB whenever possible. In light of this, the Board would like to provide additional funds but budget constraints make rt impossible this year. Updated Thursday. December 18, 2003 MHB PROGRAM FUNDING ALLOCATION RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FY04-05 ATTACIIMENT B: Page 5 of 5 Agency/Program Funding Decision Comments and Rationale SHORE: Maintenance funding. The program is the only current provider of residential services for persons with Community developmental disabilities in Evanston. The services are also extended to individuals who need assistance to Services 1 DD maintain their own home. This is critical in keeping the program participants in their own community. The program Residential has a waiting list that never seems to get any smaller with the premium on housing for people with special needs in Services the community. Even so. the agency does an excellent job of identifying and meeting its outcome objectives. The ` Committee noted that this program received additional funds last year. Trilogy / Evanston e g program is providing a valuable and creative service to ess fnvolved Activities enabletpe people with mental t remain and avoid isolation in the community. This is an inexpensive Program program that is supporting individuals to reAearn how to take advantage of everyday activities around the area, and to become more comfortable and confident to take care of themselves. The funds are for specific targeted expenditures, so the MHB has a specific picture of what services are being supported. Maintenance funding.agency diversify ' programs ways. It has been Youth Job Center/Job C r1Job more broadly serving an older and a large age span, At he same time, the Evanston g population g g service population Readiness has been shrinking, both in terms of numbers and percentage of the entire agency. The recommendation is to ... specifically fund the program services for youth, e.g., through the original YJC services, ETHS Outpost, and the Youth Mentoring Program. This group comprises approximately 80% of the Evanston service population at YJC. Y.O.U./ Youth Grant the funding request. Maintenance funding. Y.O.U. is providing essential services for youth in the south part Development of town. They are providing important community functions in working with the middle school population in lunchrooms during the day, as well as in after -school programming. The agency has also been able to follow up with kids when they reach ETHS. The MHB wants to encourage the agency to continue to invest in the assessment of their outcomes and would like to be kept informed about how the information from their most recent evaluation is being used in their programs. Updated Thursday, December 18. 2003 Minutes recorded — not yet approved EVANSTON MENTAL HEALTH BOARD .MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, JANUARY 08, 2004 Members Present Sue Canter, Victoria Kalish, Linda Laatsch, Louis Rowitz, Anne Gauthier, Gil Krulee. Randy Walker Presiding: Sue Canter, Vice Chair Staff: Harvey Saver, Joan M. Barott, Elizabeth Akinwale Community Sara Christensen (PEER Services); Sandi Johnson (North Shore Senior Center); Martha Arntson, (Childcare Net►vork of Evans- ton); Karen Wertymer (Metropolitan Family Services); Alexander Brown, (Housing Options) Mr. Saver reported that Nis. Grover was ill and would be unavailable for the meeting. Sue Canter, the Vice Chair, called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. 1. INTRODUCTIONS AND C01iNMUNITY COMMENTS Ms. Canter welcomed the guests and asked that they introduce themselves. [I. REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF NOVEMBER 13, 2003 MINUTES Ms. Canter commented that the November 13, 2003 minutes were accepted %vith minor corrections. III. UPDATE ON ESAPC STRENGTH IN NUMBERS CAMPAIGN AT ETHS. SARA CHRISTENSEN, COMMUNITY PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR, PEER SERVICES Sara Christensen, Community Program Development Coordinator at PEER Services, ,joined the MHB. Ms. Christensen presented an update on the Evanston Substance Abuse Prevention Council's (ESAPQ social norms marketing campaign (SNM), Strength in Numbers, at Evanston Township High School. Ms. Christensen gave a brief history of the campaign. It kicked off at ETHS in No- vember 2001. Before that, the ESAPC had spent about one year planning the campaign and develop- ing community partnerships that would be essential in implementing it. Ms. Christensen said there is research that has shown that scare tactics in substance abuse prevention have not been working effectively to reduce teens' use and abuse of substances. There is a growing January 08, 2004 Mental health Board Meeting Minutes Page 1 Minutes recorded — not yet approved bank of data that is demonstrating that one of the major factors for teenagers in their decision about whether or not to use is their perception of what the majority of their peers are doing. The SNh1 campaign has been conducting surveys for the past three years that show that there is a large percep- tion among ETHS students that the majority of their peers are using. At the same time, parallel data is showing that, based upon self report. the majority of their peers are not using. SNM strives to change this misperception and make students' perceptions more accurate. The preliminary research being done through student surveys at the end of each school year is showing that by providing accu- rate information to the student body tile misperceptions are being changed, and ETHS students are self reporting that there is an increase in their choosing not to use. Ms. Christensen explained that the SNM campaign is targeted towards those teen who have already chosen not to use, or who may have experimented but not vet made a decision one way or the other. The campaign is reinforcing and supporting their positive choices. (his. Gauthier joined the MIM at 7:45 p.m.) The first year of funding was from the Evanston Community Foundation, in addition to a grant from the Evanston Lighthouse Rotary Club, and substantial funding from the Evanston Health Department through the Tobacco Settlement Fund. In year three, funding is still being received from Rotary; funds from the Tobacco Settlement are still being received, but are less readily available in the State. The second year, a significant grant was provided by the Chicago Community Trust. Ms. Christensen said that this past October. ESAPC received notification that it had been awarded S 100.000 grant from the Office of National Drug Control Policy, and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. These dollars %%ill provide significant ongoing support for continua- tion and expansion for SNIM. In addition. the Grant is renewable for up to five years, provided that the program is meeting its outcomes and submits a credible grant renewal application. tics. Christensen reported that in addition to SNNI, the grant will enable the ESAPC to implement a nwnber of complementary community prevention programs: • ProjectALERT. All District 65 sixth grade students will receive Project ALERT, an evi- dence -based SAIvIHSA model program. This will replace DARE in the middle schools, and 965's resources will be used for this program. In addition, the Police Department's school liaison officers %ill be involved with the implementation of the program. Project Alert is a research -based pro- gram, which is eleven weeks long. It focuses on the prevention of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and inhalant use. Booster sessions will be given in follow-up to students when they are in seventh grade. as well. Similar to SNM, this program also emphasizes that most kids choose not to use. • Fanzilles That Care: Guiding Good Choices. This is a parenting program aimed towards parents of children in grades 4-8. The program will be conducted the first year in conjunction with families at two Evanston churches. • Alcohol Compliance Checks. This %rill be done through the Evanston Police Department. January 08, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 2 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Grant funds will enable the EPS to double its alcohol compliance checks. • Sewer Education Training. This is an educational and training tool for sellerstservers of alcoholic beverages in Evanston to serve responsibly. check identification, and stay within the law. Nis. Christensen said that SNN1 is an ongoing campaign. it is attempting to target influences in dif- ferent areas of ETHS students' lives. Ads and information are the basis for disseminating the mes- sages of the campaign. She said that SNM has had ads regularly in all of the papers serving the Evanston area; in the ETHS Booster Book that is used as a routine source of information by parents and students; and between movies on all screens at the Century Theater. In addition, extensive mar- keting materials are used and distributed broadly to students with the relevant messages, e.g., on pens, post -it -note pads; computer mouse pads; water bottles. tits. Christensen distributed an exten- sive amount of marketing items for the N1HB to review. In addition, she said that posters are being put up regularly throughout the school. She said that there are also a number of them around City Hall. She said that it is difficult to keep the messages fresh. so she uses student focus groups to as- sist in reviewing her materials text to see how they react to the posters. These are changed regularly. Ms. Christensen distributed a number of posters for review. Ms. Christensen said that the Evanston SNNI campaign has had good visibility. She said that she had been presenting at national conferences about social norms marketing. in addition, Evanston's cam- paign and materials are posted on a national SNM web page and PEER Services' web page. Ms. Christensen said that she is regularly fielding calls from a number of communities' middle schools and high school that are looking for technical assistance and consultation about getting their own campaigns started. In response to a question. Ms. Christensen said that this past year there vas again a reduction in stu- dents', parents' and teachers' misperceptions about the number of ETHS students who choose not to use. She distributed a number of comparative graphs that demonstrated the impact of the campaign over the first two full program years. The campaign regularly- surveys parents about the messages that they are giving to their children, as well. So far. the SNNi campaign has seen greater change in stu- dents choosing not to use tobacco than alcohol. However, there has been an ongoing decrease in use by self report of the students each year. There is a noticeable change based upon the age and grade of the student. She said that they know that use is going to go up as students move from 9`h grade through 1 ?th grade. But so far, all of the campaign's results have been going in a positive direction for the measures that are being tested. Mr. Saver pointed out that, as best as can be determined, the ES aPC's SNM campaign was the sec- ond one in the country that targeted a high school population. initially, the approach was being used exclusively with binge drinking in colleges. He complimented Nis. Christensen for all her endeavors and leadership for ESAPC with the campaign. He added that there has been a big costs savings for the campaign because 1`is. Christensen is developing, testing and printing all of the posters and graphics from her computer. The ESAPC purchased a good color printer and licensed software for her to use. January 08, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 3 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Ms. Canter commented that SNXI looks like a great campaign. She asked what they are hearing from students about the initiative. tits. Christensen said that there are still mixed results. The kids have a harder time believing the alcohol messages that the ones that target tobacco. The campaign is not trying to say that kids are not using alcohol. But it does acti,�ely report the protective behaviors that they are usinc. There seems to be a split between kids who think that the campaign is supportive of their positive choices and others who find the alcohol messages hard to believe. She said that she wants to start individual conversations to talk with kids about their concerns related to the campaign. Sometimes in focus groups, a very strong, opinionated student can talk over students who are less assertive. As a result, their issues and concerns are not being attended to. In response to Nis. palish, Nos. Christensen said that the survey is administered every May for stu- dents at ETHS. The survey was developed by the Center for Prevention and Research and Develop- ment (CPRD) at the University of Illinois. CPRD scores the surveys and provides all of the analysis of data. During parent -teacher meetings at the school, sun•eys are also administered to parents who are at the school. The student surveys are completed during Home Base period, and they are returned in individuals envelopes to tr), to ensure privacy in the responses. Nis. Christensen said that they are getting a 95°6 response rate in the return of the surveys. but the valid sample of useable data is smaller. Mr. Ro%vitz said it would be interesting to compare «hether the data about the behavior of seniors has changed or declined over the past three years. He pointed out that while the expectation might be that the rate of use will increase from 9th to 12" grade. it would be important to know whether the overall level of use by 12"` graders had dropped. \ls. Laatsch said that it might be useful to also compare the data, year by year, for the same group as they move through ETHS. Mr. Krulee asked whether students at ETHS are aware of the help and treatment options that are available to them. NIs. Christensen said that information would not be available through the SNM campaign. However, the information is made available through the Student Health Clinic and Stu- dent Assistance Services. In addition, PEER Service; is at the high school two days a week to give assistance to kids with substance abuse concerns. In addition to prevention efforts, PEER has an Adolescent Treatment Counselor available at ETHS. Mr. Saver pointed out that service is one that the MHB funds. The Mental Health Board thanked its. Christensen for her presentation. IV. CONSIDERATION OF 1IHB PROPOSED OBJECTIVES FOR FY2004-2005 Mr. Saver reviewed the proposed objectives and ongoing activity measures for the MHB for the coming fiscal year. lie said that these were compiled from discussion with the Executive Committee; ongoing activities; and issues that the MHB raised during the allocation process this past fall. January 08, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 4 Minutes recorded — not yet approved In response to a question, Mr. Saver commented that Nfental Health Services is responsible, on be- half of the Director of Health and Human Services for licensing Residential Care Homes. The meas- ure had not been reflected before in the projections for work activity• for the office for the year, how- ever it is not anew activity. Mr. Saver pointed out that the MHB's Agency Liaison Policy identified anon zoing amount of activity for the MHB members in having contact with their respective liaison agencies. He said that he added an Activity Measure to reflect this in the MHB's goal area for agency monitoring. Again. this is not a new activity but a first attempt to monitor activity to which the MHB had made a commitment. In response to \fr. Krulee..fr. Sayer said the projection for that measure might be low. It was based upon a projection of four direct contacts per year by each Board member for each of the 18 NNIHB-funded agencies with which they are the Liaison. He said that if the MHB wants to incorporate this measure, some simple way will have to be devised to monitor the measure. Ms. Walker asked about the objective to provide community -wide educational presentations. Mr. Saver described the range of presentations that have been done in the past two years, e.g., Aging Well. dental Health Conference, legislative forum. This past year, there were also two professional workshops that were done in conjunction with the C&A LAN. He added that there might be an op- portunity to do one with the LAN in the coming year on suicide. and that there are two groups that have spoken with him about their interest in developing a forum or issues related to developmental disabilities. In response to \Is. NValker, Mr. Saver added that generally these are largely staff activ- ity. However, with both the legislative forum and Aging Well, there was participation from Board members in planning and putting on the event. Mr. Krulee asked about the outcome measure to update and develop the MHB's directory ofcotn- munity services as both an online resource and a hard copy. He provided an overview of the earlier development of the director), and said that he has already been working with the City's Information Systems Division (IS) to try to get the information in a searchable format on the City web page. Things slowed down considerably when the City's webmaster took another position; the Director of IS has agreed to make the directory a priority to move ahead when the new webmaster starts em- ployment with the City. Mr. Saver said that he thought that the project was doable within the fiscal year, but there are a number of formatting issues that have to be gone through first. He pointed out that he is hopeful that they will be able to move ahead while Ms. Akinwale is doing her placement so she can assist with some of the initial updating of information. In the interim, she is working with the City's Office of Public Information to develop information that is going to be put on the NIHB's section on the City %vebsite about the NIHB-funded programs. This will not be a directory of mental health and human services in Evanston, but rather a listing of the programs that the MHB is support- ing with local tax dollars. This will market and help provide visibility for the services that City funds are purchasing for the community. There will be an agency description and contact informa- tion for all 18 agencies, with a description of each funded program, a link to the agencies' web pages -- if available — and a link to email the agency directly. The MHB discussed the objectives and the activity measures in terms of what absolutely had to be January 08, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 5 Minutes recorded - not yet approved done. Mr. Rowitz commented that he didn't think the ,%IHB should spend a lot of time reinventing the v.-heel. He said that he thought the list of objectives was activities that the Board should be doing an way. and that the list did not have anvihing on it that was unreasonable. He pointed out that sev- eral were ongoing, and one was being performed by staff already. He pointed out that the objectives related to accountability and performance monitoring were important. They are a part of the MHB's stewardship of local tax dollars, and were necessary to enable the MHB to know that the dollars are being spent in an appropriate and responsible manner. In response to a question about staff activity and Board activity, \1r. Saver commented that after the Board agreed upon the objectives and measures he would work with the Chair to put together a Work Plan for the near that identified where the areas of activity were broken out in terms of Board, staff, and both working together. He said that the areas of staff activity were all things that he could com- fortably commit time to in order to accomplish: many of them, e.g., contracts, were activities that had to happen. In response to concerns about the objectives where the Board had responsibility, the staff role was to provide technical information. support and ongoing assistance. 14c said that the NIHB would have to be willing to participate in these and provide direction to staff about what they are looking for, e.g., the objective for reporting outcome measures, to undertake them and provide some direction to staff. his. Laatsch moved and Mr. Rowitz seconded a motion to adopt the proposed MHB objectives for FY2004-2005 as presented. Motion approved unanimously (7 aye -- 0 no). V. PROPOSAL FOR CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH ADVISORY COUNCIL Mr. Saver reviewed the federal grant from SANIHSA for Project SEED. The grant itself is being implemented in conjunction Metropolitan Family Services (MFS). The purpose is to provide mental health prevention activities targeting children ages 3-5 and their families who are enrolled in Evans- ton's public and private child care centers. hir. Saver commented that this funding stream is the federal government's first attempt to support programs that are in the area of prevention for early childhood mental health issues. He told the Board that Greg O'Donnell will be at the February meet- ing to provide an update on the services. now that all of the components of The Incredible Years pro- gram, the deliverable for the grant, have been implemented. Mr. Saver said that one of the functions of the grant was to develop a Community Advisory Council (CAC). The CAC role is to advise the project. provide ongoing strategic planning efforts; and work with the City and NIFS to implement the program in a manner that recognizes the needs and com- plexity of the entire community. He reviewed the goals for the CAC from the Board packet: t. Expanding community capacity through implementing a research -based prevention and early intervention program; 2. Building Iinkages among stakeholders and providing outreach to the broader community around the principal goals of Project SEED January 08, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 6 Minutes recorded — not yet approved o Expansion of local services that produces outcomes on the individual, family, system and community levels. o Develop leadership among consumers. and provide broader training of both consum- ers and service providers around early childhood mental health issues. 1. Dissemination of the program outcomes and provide a basis for sharing evaluation findings re- garding benefits to the target population and the community at large. 4. Assist in planning and seeking sustainable financing for these prevention efforts. The CAC is to include parents, interested community representatives, stakeholders who are commit- ted to early childhood mental health programs, members of the minority community, community leaders, and service providers that work with pre-school children and their families The CAC was formed last May and has had a number of meetings. Mr. Saver said that, in the proc- ess, it seemed that the CAC was initially developed with a focus that was too narrow initially to ac- complish some of the goals related to the development and support of a strong mental health preven- tion focus and message in the community. In response to a question, Mr. Saver said that he is going to meet with the partners to the implementation of Project SEED with the City: MFS, School Dis- trict 65's Early Childhood Programs, Childcare Network of Evanston. He indicated that his interest is in reorganizing and expanding the CAC. but it is something that he was planning on doing in con- cert «ith the partners in Project SEED. Mr. Saver indicated that he spoke Nvith the Executive Committee about the possibility of the CAC also serving in an advisors- capacity to both the grant -funded project, as well as to the Mental Health Board around early childhood mental health issues. The latter would complement the Board's role in its state enabling legislation and the City Ordinance as the local mental health authority. In response to a question, Mr. Sayer said that there is nothing that limits the MHB in appointing its own advisor}• committees or tasks forces around issues. Mr. Saver pointed out that the MHB previ- ously had done this with a Substance Abuse Task Force (SATF) that met for three years. The Task Force studied and made recommendations related to data that was generated in community focus groups that were held in conjunction %%ith the Evanston Community Health Advisory Board. He said that Mr. Rowitz facilitated the focus group process. and later chaired the SATE. The other members were from the community and from agencies; they served in an advisory capacity to the NIHB around three major substance abuse priority areas. The RFP and the funding for the Dimensions program was a direct outgrowth of the SATF process. Mr. Rowitz commented that a more direct connection between the MHB and SEED might be benefi- cial, especially because it is a City grant. He recommended that the Board consider a task force model if it wanted to pursue the CAC. Fie suggested that one MHB member could serve either as chair or co-chair of the group. Ms. Gauthier said that she liked the idea of having direct access to this type of process. Mr. Rowitz said that he thought that if this project was done correctly it could January 08, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 7 Minutes recorded — not yet approved serve as a model of funding for children's mental health programs in general. Mr. Row•itz com- mented that the Board could explore what the relationship might be by meeting }ointly with the part- ners to see what the best way might be to increase the collaboration between what SEED and the MHB's role. There was a consensus of the Board to have Mr. Saver begin to explore the possibility of an expanded CAC in an advisory role with the Board. VI. AGENCY ACCOUNTABILITY There were no Agency Liaison Reports or comments on the Third Quarter Agency Quarterly Narra- tive reports. Ms. Canter reported that she represented the \,IHB at the annual meeting of the Day Care Action Council of Illinois (DC ACI) on December 3 at navy Pier. She said that the City of Evanston was presented an Action for Illinois Children award from the DCAC1 in recognition of the w-ay that the community worked to address the needs of families and their kids as it relates to child care and early childhood education. Mayor Morton accepted the award for the City. Ms. Canter said that Evanston was well represented. Awards were also presented to Childcare Network of Evanston. the NIHB, the Evanston Community Foundation, and Evanston/Skokie School District 965. fir. Saver said he thought that. From the articles and press about the event, the awards that were given to the commu- nity were largely a tribute to the work of the Early Childhood Collaboration. Agency Liaison Assignments Ms. Canter reviewed the,iHB's Board -Agency Liaison Guidelines and reported that they indicated "The liaison will serve no more than one year with a single agency." She said that it was time to de- velop new assignments. Sir. Saver reviewed the current list of Liaison assignments. A4s. Canterwent around the group in order to allow members to select their assignments for 0.1-05. The assignments reflected the list of agencies that will be funded in FY04-05. Mr. Saver said over the next few days that he would check with Board members that were not at the meeting to work out their assignments. He reported that he would send out the list is after it is updated, and updated contact information for the MHB and the agencies. The same packet will be sent to the :\il-iB as well as the funded agencies by the middle of the fallowing week. VII. FUNDING PRIORITIES: INITIAL DISCUSSION Based upon the MHB's comments during the allocation process, Mr. Saver said that he spoke with the Executive Committee about how the MHB wanted to begin the development of funding priorities for FY05-06. As it was discussed during the last allocation process, the priorities would need to in- corporate the mandated populations and services that the MHB had originally been charged with as January 08, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page a Minutes recorded — not yet approved the local mental health authority. as well as the broader range of social and human service funding that became the AIHB's after funding consolidation. He said that he was asked to put together an overview of how funds have actually been allocated in the recent past. Mr. Saver reviewed the two packets that were provided in the Board packet. There were no estab- lished and agreed upon funding criteria or priorities that could be used to review all of the programs, so he developed two separate profiles He said that the information was somewhat arbitrary in the selection of populations and service categories. but they were used only to enable the Board to see funding trends over a short period of time in an organized fashion. He added that, absent any mutu- ally agreed upon categories, he used some funding; categories that had been used by either the City or the MHB as a way of organizing the funding. Mr. Saver pointed out to the MHB that the information was intended only to be used as a means of understanding the funding history before beginning to work on the development of funding priorities for the future. Because there was not an agreed -upon list or any consensus where any one program might fall, some of the categories were very broad. As a result, a number of programs were included in more then one funding area. That is why the fund- ing totals by category added up to more than 100%, Mr. Saver said that there were very few programs funded that the MHB had identified as separate priorities before the funding process and that the agencies responded to, Both Dimensions and CNE's Services for Children with Special Needs were in response to an RFP that the Board had de- veloped. In addition. the Board invited Trilogy to apply for funding for their Psychosocial Activity Program after they were not able to fund the agency's application for one of the RFPs, Mr. Saver reported that, in its earlier years, when there was, relatively speaking, more funding avail- able and the funds were more stable. the ail IB actually provided the impetus and funding fora num- ber of programs that were community priorities. He added that, more: recently. one model the MHB used was to identify priority areas and allocate funds to each of those areas. Agencies would apply for program funds based upon those funding priorities. However, «,hat this typically meant was that agencies figured out how to describe their ongoing programs in terms of the priorities, rather than developing a new program for one of the priority areas, or asking for funding in one of the priorities for a program that was not previously funded. Mr. Saver said that, given the Board's recent funding picture, unless there .vas a separate, dedicate pot of money put aside for a new priority or emerging issue, there would not be much financial incentive to develop a new program for Board funding. Mr. Sayer said that a review of the past three years MHB funding in the reports indicates that there has been some variation by catezory from year to year, but not much change. In addition, he pointed out that what appears to be an MHB priority for funding cannot be accepted at face value. For ex- ample, the funding category for Children for FY03-04 reflected an allocation that was 28%, or ap- proximately S240.000. of the of the \11413's total allocation of S828,900. However. this is more re- flective ofthe funding history that the Board inherited when the City and MHB funds were consoli- dated two years ago. All but S29.900 for CNE's Children with Special Needs program was specifi- cally for day care services, and all of that money was initially under the City's funding. January 08. 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 9 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Mr. Rowitz discussed the general funding categories that were being used. He said that he thought one emerging issue that the MHB might want to consider was post -traumatic stress disorder. This has been a larger issue post Septemberl 1. and for people serving in the military and returning from battle zones. He said that these are issues that are not being adequately addressed in the communit►. He said that the ;viHB might want to consider looking at issues for Veterans in the future, but he said that the NlliB would need to take a look at the size of the population in the community. Ms. Laatsch commented that the ti1HB was not funding services for seniors at a level similar to other age groups. The comment was made that this is probably reflective of the types of proposals that the Board re- ceived. It also does not reflect services that are provided to seniors at agencies that are not specifi- cally identified as senior providers. There was a consensus to hold any further discussion about pri- orities until Ms. Grover returned. VIII. REVIE«' OF CONTRACT POLICY GUIDELINES FOR FY2004-2005 Mr. Saver said that the MHB's Administrative Procedures require the `IHB to annually review and reaffirm or revise the Contract Policy Guidelines (Guidelines), and adopt them for use with Purchase of Service Agreements for the coming year. He said that there are no staff recommendations for changes in the Guidelines. but that he was waiting to get information from the City's Risk Manage- ment office about whether there were any changes that they wanted to recommend about the Guide- lines. He recommended that the discussion be held until the February 12 meeting. IX. PROPOSED CITY BUDGET FOR FY2004-2005 Mr. Saver distributed the City Manager's Budget Message from the proposed FY04-05 Budget. He said that the budget included no reductions or expansion of services or personnel. As a result, the proposed Budget includes the MHB's proposed allocations with no reductions. He said that the mes- sage reflected that the Budget was being affected by a reduction of state revenues, and a significant increase in health insurance premiums, and an increase in the required funding for the Police and Fire pension systems. Mr. Saver said that the proposed Budget was submitted by the City Manager to the City Council, and at this point the process has to be completed by the end of February. He dis- tributed the calendar of the current budget workshops and said that there would be a public hearing on Monday, February 2.a X. REPORT FROM THE CHAIR Ms. Canter said that in the absence of the Chair there was no report. January 08, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 10 Minutes recorded •- not yet approved XI. STAFF REPORT Continuum of Care Funding. Nfr. Saver reminded the MHB that Claire McCarthy Peterson, Chair of Evanston Task Force on Homelessness (TFH). made a presentation to the MHB in February 2003 about the TFH and the Continuum of Care (COC) funding process that is administered through HUD. He said that in HUD's process, the TFH is central in developing documents for and making recommendations to HUD for funding. In December 2003, HUD announced that all of the proposals submitted through the Evanston TFH last spring were recommended for funding. The funding will not actually start until agencies go through a technical budget submission process. Evanston agencies were allocated approximately S931,000. The following programs are being funded this round: • Connections/Entry Point was given $336.922 for three years of renewal funding for a street outreach program. The NIHB provides some of the local match funding for this program. • Connections for the Homeless was awarded S315,596 for a new, permanent supportive housing program for four chronically homeless individuals. • Connections for the Homeless was awarded S 137,293 over a period of three years for partial funding of Evanston's new Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). Connections will be the system administrator for the community. The HhIIS is mandated by Congress for any community that is receiving federal dollars for homeless programs. • The Evanston/North Shore YWCA was awarded S 141,303 over a period of two years to ex- pand an existing transitional housing program for women who are victims of domestic vio- lence and their children. Bus Accident. Mr. Saver reported that on January 2, one of Rimland Services' vehicles, a passenger bus, was involved in a traffic accident at the corner of Main and Fowler around 3:00 p.m. He said that the bus was carrying a number of individuals with autism from Rimland's programs, as well as their attendants. hfr. Saver said that he spoke with Rim land 's director who indicated that none of their consumers or staff were seriously injured. All the passengers were transported and examined at local hospitals, and discharged by 7:00 p.m. that evening. He indicated that he didn't have any addi- tional information at that point, but he said that he was told that the driver was ticketed and there was some indication that there might have been a malfunction with the brakes. 2004 Mental Health Conference. Mr. Saver said that planning is well under way for the June 6 Mental Health Conference on child and adolescent depression. He said that the Steering Committee viewed a video that was produced dr. Fred ;Miller, Chair of ENH's Department of Psychiatry. He said that it was a very well done and provocative discussion with four adolescents about theirdepres- sion and suicidal behavior. The video will be shown at the conference as a part of the keynote pres- entations. In addition to larger discussion groups, there are also 14 breakout groups in the afternoon. This year, the Evanston Review has agreed to be a sponsor of conference. In addition, he said that Evanston Cable will tape a number of the presentations for presentation on Evanston Cable. January 08, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 11 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Changes in State Mental Health System. Mr. Saver said that he is beginning to tract: changes that are being planned in the Department of Human Services for the way that services are funded. So far, the details have been sparse, but DHS plans to start issuing RFP's for some of their functional ser- vice areas. And there is going to be a shift in the funding process from grant funding to a purchase of service model at Medicaid rates. The latter is being proposed to enable the State to draw down more Medicaid funding. He said that he would regularly update the MHB as information is a\,A- able, and as it affects the Evanston community. Meeting adjoumed at 9:10. Respectfully submitted, Joan M. Barott January 08, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes page 12 Minutes recorded — not yet approved EVAi\STON MENTAL HEALTH BOARD I1IEETI`G MINUTES THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2004 Members Present Jane Grover, Sue Canter, Victoria Kalish, Linda Laatsch, Louis Roydtz, Anne Gauthier, Gil Krulee, Carol Sittler, Randy Walker Presiding: Jane Grover, Chair Staff: Harvey Saver, Joan M. Barotl, Elizabeth Akimvale Community Karen Vroegh (Mental Health Association of the North Shore): Melissa Segars (Medill Student); Martha Arntson, (Childcare Net- work of Evanston); Greg O'Donnell (;Metropolitan Family Ser- vices); Helen Roberts Evans, (Child Care Center of Evanston) Jane Grover called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. I. INTRODUCTIONS AND COti111UNITY COMMENTS Ms. Grover welcomed the guests and asked that they introduce themselves. IL REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF JANUARY 08, 2004 MINUTES Ms. Grover stated the January 08, 2004 minutes were approved as sent. . III. UPDATE ON EVANSTON PROJECT SEED. GREG O'DONNELL, PROJECT DIRECTOR, METROPOLITAN FAMILY SERVICES Greg O'DonnelI, Project Director of Evanston Project SEED (Strengthening Early Education and Development), joined the MHB. He thanked the M1113 for inviting him back to update the informa- tion he provided about Project SEED last spring. He indicated that, since that time, the)' have imple- mented all phases of the program, and have had a lot of success. SEED is a program of Metropolitan Family Services (NIFS). The City of Evanston applied for and received a grant from the federal Sub- stance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and subcontracts with MFS to implement the program. Mr. O'Donnell gave a brief history of Project SEED. This project is implementing all three compo- nents of The Incredible Years (TIY) program in early childhood programs for children who are 3-5 years old, and their parent. Mr. O'Donnell said that he and his staff are trained to implement parent groups and training; training for classroom teachers in the early childhood settings; and working and partnering with the classroom teachers to implement TIY in the classroom. Mr. O'Donnell said that SEED focuses on early childhood development and is attempting to help February 12, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 1 Minutes recorded — not yet approved with social and emotional skills. and help with problem solving and school readiness. They started in classrooms at the YN 1CA and at Child Care Center of Evanston. They are in each classroom three times a week. The classroom component, the Dino program. is about five months long, and they will be completing the first classroom cycle in the next n6o weeks. The program is implemented with life size puppets, and songs and activities in conjunction with the teachers in circle and small group time. They have been receiving a very good response from the parents and teachers. who have been com- menting about the behavioral improvements that they are noticing. Mr. O'Donnell reported that they are planning to expand into the Reba Early Learning Center in April 2004. And they have been working with School District #65 in order to be able to start imple- menting SEED in the Head Start classrooms next October. At the present time, he said that he and his staff are working with approximately 80 kids. They are working to increase the number of class- rooms in the next round to six. As they become more familiar and comfortable with the program, they are going to work to increase the number of classrooms that they can engage at one time. The Parenting Program has been going on since last May. It is done in the evenings for 2 hours at a time, and it is conducted over 12 weeks. The project tries to eliminate all of the barriers for parents to participate, so free child care and complimentan• dinner is provided — for both kids and parents. SEED has a structured format with training tapes and written materials with examples. The focus is upon child management skills, and making better positive use of the time that parents spend with their kids. The discussion is about issues that the parents bring up themselves each week, and the format is primarily driven by the parents. In addition. many of the interventions are through parents helping parents. Thcy share ideas and issues, and talk about how some of the strategies that they have been discussing are actually working out. Mr. O'Donnell said that the parenting, groups are being run in both English and Spanish. At the pre- sent time there is a waiting list of parents, so he is looking for creative ways to reach more people. The groups are team lead with two of the SEED staff. However, in the future they might train and have parents co -lead groups if they have already been through a group. That way, they %vill be able to run up to twice as many groups at one time. Mr. O'Donnell said that the first parenting group that started last May was so well received that the parents asked for more time and wanted to keep going. As a result of the resource limitations and the need to star up more groups, that %vas not possible. So the parent group decided to continue to meet on their own. Mr. O'Donnell said that he visits with them once a month for some follow-up. The Teachers Workshop is the third part of the program. Mr. O'Donnell said that this is a four -day = . workshop where they train the classroom teachers in classroom management skills and the imple- mentation of TIY. There are incentives for the teachers to take part because they are given a stipend, meals and CEU's. They are working with teachers from allover Evanston. The teachers have been very enthusiastic about the training. They have also indicated that it is providing them with an op- portunity to talk with each other about dealing with issues in their schools. There is normally not much time to do that regularly at the schools, given all of the kids that they have to deal with, and then having to deal with the parents as pickup time. fir. O'Donnell pointed out that five of the SAMHSA grantees were funded to implement the TlY program. However, it seems that Evanston is _ the only one that chose to implement all three components. Most of the other grants are to imple- ment the classroom component only. February 12, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 2 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Mr. O'DonnelI said that 111FS is hosting a breakfast on March 12 for funders and foundations. It will focus upon the value of prevention with early childhood. It will also provide an opportunity to begin to market SEED to the funding community with an eye to sustainability of the program when the grant is over. Ms. Canter asked how many of the participants were single moms. Mr. O'Donnell said that most of them are. In the first group conducted for Spanish-speaking families, the morns banded together and decided that they would make an extra effort to get a number of their husbands at the groups. Ms. Grover asked how they decide which kids to focus on in the classrooms. Mr. O'Donnell said that they are not looking at individual kids for the program and the training. They do not have some kids getting special social/emotional skill development in a classroom and others not, so they are not pulling kids out for an intervention. The program was set up to be universal, and it is being offered generally. However, certain child care centers are being targeted based upon the grant requirements. Ms. Grover asked whether there were any parts of the curriculum and the TIY program that he did not like. Mr. O'Donnell commented that they have a challenge because, in theory, TlY relates to the 3-5 year old group. However, the curriculum seems to be targeted more towards kindergarten. He said that he was working with the originator of TIY to figure out how to shift parts of the program around while still staying true to the TIY model In response to Ms. Canter's question, Mr. O'Donnell said that, at the end of the grant, MFS hopes that there will be some way for TIY to be continued by the community. Mr. Saver pointed out that he and Mr. O'Donnell are already in the process of putting together the federal grant application for Year 3 funding. He said that, as a result of a slow start-up in year 1, he expected that there would be funds that would roll over into a 4u' year after the grant period concluded so that the program could continue for an additional six months. The Mental Health Board thanked Mr. O'Donnell for his presentation. IV. COMMITTEE REPORT ON PROPOSED QUARTERLY REPORT FORMAT Ms. Sittler referred to the materials in the packet. She said that the subcommittee was trying to put together a reporting format that would aggregate the outcome data in one place, and in a more struc- tured and consistent way for all of the agencies. They were trying to eliminate some of the redun- dancy in the information that is provided. She said that they also wanted a form that would require more quantitative information about progress rather than vague statements like "on track." Ms. Sit- dersaid that all of the versions that are being presented reflect information about all four quarters on one page. She complimented Ms. Akinwale for taking all of the committee's input and developing three draft models. Ms. Akinwale presented and described the three models. She said that the tables and areas for in- formation would expand to accommodate both data and text in the reports. The final report that will be used will be provided to agencies in an electronic format so that the information can be placed on computers. February 12, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 3 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Mr. Rowitz said that the subcommittee might want to consider incorporating another component from a reporting format called a "logic model." He described it and said that it ties services to objec- tives and numbers to the objectives. He said that the drafts do not tell you ,.There you are at the be- ginning of the year as a baseline for the objectives. The "logic model" provides you with a chart to set up your programs but shows what you are inputting into the program. what occurs during it, and where you are at the end. , The MHB discussed issues related to various reporting formats. Ms. Sittler said that the subcommit- tee would consider the issues and consider hogs the form might be further modified. Ms. Sittler said that each of the models would incorporate the narrative guidelines that arc currently being used for the quarterly reports. Ms. laatsch said that she thought hfodel B in the packet would allow comments about each objec- tive. Ms. Kalish said that Model A looked like it would be easier to follow the progress of all of the objectives for one program together, \Nithout having to page around. There would also be room for comments about the program's objectives on the same page. Ms. Sittler said the subcommittee wanted to pilot the model that is agreed upon with several agencies testing it, before implementing the final model with all of the agencies. Nis. Walker said that if this is something that the MHB is going to implement, this will give the MHB an opportunity to find where the weak links are in the report format and to address. Mr. Krulee moved and M. Kalish seconded a motion to adopt Model A, and to modify the model based upon a trial run first with several agencies. Motion passed unanimously (9 aye — 0 no). Nis. Grover recommended that the subcommittee identiR, three Agencies to work on the trial run of the agency quarterly reports. After discussion «ith agencies that were present, there was an agree- ment to start the trial with Childcare Network of Evanston, Child Care Center of Evanston, and Evanston/Skokie Valley Senior Services. tits. Grover asked what the timing was of implementing a revised quarterly report format. Mr. Saver said that the fourth quarter report for the current year is due by the second week of March. The first quarter report for FY04-05 won't be due until the end of June, so there is some time to test the model, maize revision and train agencies about what will be expected in the new report. Ms. Grover commented that one of the subcommittee's recommendations addressed Board member accountability and would involve each of the MHB members more in the consideration of quarterly reports. Ms. Sittler said that the analysis of each ofthe quarterly reports should be the responsibility of the Liaison to that agency. They would be responsible for reviewing and commenting on those reports, as well as anything unusual. so that the MHB could be brought up to date. Ms. Sittler moved and Ms. Laatsch seconded a motion that each Agency Liaison be responsible for read- ing their Liaison Agencies' Quarterly reports and highlighting points of interest to the MHB. Motion grassed unanimously (9 aye -- 0 no). Mr. Saver said that he would update the Board's Agency Liaison Guidelines to reflect the decision. Ms. Sittler said that the subcommittee, vas also recommending an issue that was raised by stuff. She said that the Purchase of Service Agreements require agencies to work with the EMHB to inform the community regarding the services supported with local tax dollars. They are supposed to document that funding is received from the Evanston Mental Health Board in such things as advertisements, February 12, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes page 4 Minutes recorded — not yet approved information about special programs or services, annual reports or brochures. She said that the MHB never set up a way to monitor this. his. Sittler said that the subcommittee is recommending that the funded agencies be required to attach to their quarterly reports information about their services being supported buy local tax dollars. In respons: to a question, IAr. Saver said that the MHB added the clause to contracts about seven -eight years ago. Some agencies have done this as a matter of course; some agencies overlook it or forget it because it is something that doesn't get emphasized. The MHB added the clause, similar to what the United Way requires of its funded agencies, to help communi- cate and develop support for the types of services that are supported with local funds. The otherside of that is that tits. Akinwale is developing materials for the City's web page about each of the MHB- funded programs and agencies. Their will be contact information, as well as a link to each agency's wcb page and their email, if it is available. in a consensus decision, the NIHB agreed to the sub- committee's recommendation about adding a reporting criterion to the quarterly report format. V. AGENCY ACCOUNITABILITY Agency Liaison Reports Housing Options, Mr. Krulee said that he visited Housing Options' new home on Dirk and visited with the residents. Everything seemed to be going smoothly, and the residents talked about enjoying living there. his. Canter said she also visited home and it was beautiful. She said that the women living there were excited to show people around, and appreciated all of the personal touches that were provided for in preparing the apartments. In response to a question, Mr. Saver pointed out that there were two separate living units in the building, one three -bedroom and one with a single bed- room. Each has its own kitchen and bathroom facilities, and a direct entry from the outside. The Kirk site does not fall under the classification of Residential Care Home in the City's Zoning Ordinance. PEER Services. Mr. Krulee said that he had spoken with Kate Mahoney and would be meeting with her in the next week. Metropolitan Family Services. 1'.1s. Canter reported that she met with Sandra Stumme and some of her staff and received a good orientation to the agency's programs. She said that she also had the op- portunity to see how the life-size Dino puppets were used by the SEED program. She said that she planned to attend MFS's community board meetings every other month. SHORE. Ms. Canter said that she met with Gerry Gulley at SHORE and Debra Braun, Director of their day programs on Church. She plans to visit some of the program sites in the near future. Child Care Center of Evanston. Ms. Canter said that. while she was no longer the Agency Liaison, she finished her tour of CCCE's daycare homes with Ms. Roberts. She said that it was interesting seeing the developmental therapist working at play programs with both the kids and the daycare pro- viders. Infant Welfare Society. Ms. Grover said she met with Kathy Shearer and Mary Lee Swiatiowiec at the Teen Baby Nursery. They reported on the success of the therapeutic play groups with the teen February 12, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 5 Minutes recorded — not yet approved mothers working with their babies. Already. they have been seeing an increase in the levels of at- tachment. They want to increase the capacity of this program. Ms. Shearer said that their space is rather constraining for the types of services that they want to provide, and they need new, expanded space. Currently. they rent space from Family Focus. They are serving only 509110 of the teen parents in Evanston. They are seeing the motivated young moms, but they are going to begin to do more out- reach to teen mothers who are not in school or who have their babies in unlicensed homes. They are beginning to focus more on pregnancy prevention, something that they haven't done before. Evans- ton has been seeing teen mothers who are getting pregnant at 13 and 14 years of age. They want to begin to focus their efforts on the middle schools, and are trying to increase their private donations to expand this part of their program. V1. CONSIDERATION OF INIHB PROPOSED WORK PLAN FOR FY2004-2005 Mr. Saver presented the MHB's proposed Work Plan for FY04-05. He said that it reflected the areas of involvement that the MHB has been discussing, the objectives that the Board adopted for the year and activities that are recurring in the Board's work. He pointed out that, given the discussion about the new quarterly reporting format. he thought that the MHB needed to begin to review the instruc- tions provided in the funding proposal format for performance outcome measures. Mr. Saver said that if the A1HB is going to change the way that they monitor the quarterly objectives and their ex- pectations for the information provided, it is going to be important that the agencies provide that in- formation when they write their proposals. The objectives in the proposals are what staff incorpo- rates into the purchase of service contracts. He suggested that the Board review the information at the next meeting and give direction to a subcommittee to revise or develop language for the proposals. He said that the funding proposal format will be distributed July. Ms. Walker suggested that the MHB incorporate activity into the Work Plan to develop itself in areas that it funds. She said that she thought it made sense for the MHB to look at substantive issues re- lated to new trends in the field, where agencies are headed in the future, and how programs are as- sessed for effectiveness. The presentations could be put on over the next seven months, right up to the funding hearings in the fall. Mr. Rowitz said that he is going to be involved in putting on a week long summer institute the last week in June 2004 on the mental health aspects of bioterrorism and disaster planning, and how peo- ple respond to them. He said that he would speak to the director of the center that is putting on the institute to see if some training might be able to be put on for the NIHB. Mr. Krulee suggested that his. Grover and Mr. Saver develop a schedule oftrainings for the Board's consideration. Ms. Grover asked Board members to email their suggestions to Mr. Saver and they will work on arranging some presentations within the next several months. In a consensus decision, the MHB adopted the proposed Work Plan for FY04-05, «7th the added ac- tivity of MHB development. February 12, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 6 Minutes recorded — not yet approved VII. REVIEW OF CO`'TRACT POLICY GUIDELINES FOR FY2004-2005 Mr. Saver said that staff is not recommending any changes for the Contract Policy Guidelines for the FY04-03 contracts. He reported that the City's Legal Department reviewed the Guidelines and rec- ommended two specific changes that are included in the materials he distributed that evening. The first was that the section that provides that the Evanston Mental Heath Board may waive its respon- sibility for payment of any bills or expenditures that are received 45 days after the Iast day of the month in which the services are provided be moved under the section "Termination and Other Rights of the Funding Source". In addition. the City is now requiring that all of its contracts incorporate a clause that requires the vendor to identify a person who as a contact for any issues having to do with insurance and indemnity issues. IIr. Saver commented that the latter issue is similar to what is al- ready required in the agency contracts in relation to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Ms. Grover asked whether there were any clauses or information in the Guidelines that are no longer useful or out of date. Mr. Saver said that he thought the entire Section 5, Definition of Terms, no longer seemed to hold much meaning for the contracts or the way that the MHB reviews programs. That information used to relate back to the funding process and information required in the funding proposals about the definition of service terms. However, the agencies now provide that information in a different format so the section seems to have lost its importance. Ms. Grover suggested that the section be eliminated from the Guidelines. There as a consensus to include that to the recommended changes in the Guidelines. Ms. Canter moved And Ms. Kalish to adopt the recommendations for changes in the Contract Policy Guidelines as amended. Motion passed unanimously (9 aye — 0 no). VIII. ADVOCACY ISSUES Certification of of HB Funds for Medicaid. Mr. Saver reported that, at the end of December, the statewide Mental Health Board association negotiated a contract with the Department of Public Aid (IDPA) that would allow the certification of the expenditure of any local, public funds for Medicaid IDPA is the State Medicaid Authority. He said that it was explained to him that the arrangement would allow any local governmental unit to directly certify its expenditures with IDPA — any portion or all of its funds -- for the State's Medicaid Plan. IDPA would agree that, if all of the requirements for Medicaid are met, then it «ill certify the expenditures to the federal Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMMS) for Medicaid reimbursement. CLAIMS would then reimburse the local governmental unit for the 50 cents on every dollar of its eligible expenditures. The local governmen- tal unit would then be free to do whatever it wanted with the reimbursement, including paying for something else entirely; reducing its overall budget expenditures; setting up a special, targeted fund for new initiatives; or paying for additional Medicaid services. Mr. Saver said that this arrangement might provide an opportunity for the MHB to leverage additional dollars with some of its program allocations to fund additional services. However, this is a new initiative and there are a lot ofunan- swered questions. He said that he %%-as particularly interested in any documentation and monitoring requirements that might be a part of this, as well as whether there was any financial risk involved for February 12. 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 7 Minutes recorded - not yet approved the local governmental unit. He said that he thought it would take some time to understand whether this might provide an opportunity for the Evanston NIH13. He reported that he was going to follow up with the State's Medical Sen•ices Program to find out how they are vie%ving this initiative. He also said that he was going to try to participate in planning meeting to discuss this issue with a num- ber of other public fenders, and %vas going to contact another 708 Board that is interested, and appar- ently preparing to quickly move ahead to test out the certification process. Reorganization of the Department of Human Services. Mr. Saver reported that Senator Jeff Schoenberg introduced Senate Bill 2281, which would reorganize the Department of Human Ser- vices (DHS). DHS was created about six -seven years ago under Governor Edgar. At the time, a number of the State's code departments and their functions were combined to provide better access to services, elimination of duplication of effort, more coordination, and cost savings, and the ability to have a single point of entry into the state's human service system. He added that, at that time, it appeared that the overriding concern was making sure that the state's TANF population was having direct access to supportive services (e.g., mental health counseling, substance abuse treatment) that they needed to enable them to move off of the state's welfare roles and become gainfully employed. Mr. Saver said that Senate Bill 2281 proposes to amend the Civil administrative Code of Illinois and the Department of Human Services (DHS) Act; create the Department of Community Disability Health Care and the Department of State Facilities for Developmental Disabilities and Mental Health; rename DHS as the Department of Social Services and Welfare; transfer programs from DHS to the Department of Community Disability Health Care and certain other programs to the De- partment of State Facilities for Dc,-clopmental Disabilities and ,Mental Health. The latter would sepa- rate institutional services from community services for persons with DD or NIL In addition, if adopted it could have an impact upon a numberof the programs that the N11413 funds. Mr. Saversaid that the bill has not yet been considered. but that he would update the NIHB with additional informa- tion as it becomes available. Maximizing Accountability and Excellence (i<1AX). Mr. Saver said that this item is a follow-up to the discussion at the January Board meeting regarding changes in the State's identification and fund- ing of certain services. He said that Illinois is preparing to put out for bid a number of functional = services request for proposal. Initially, the State has identified approximately S64 million The fund- ing for these services will then be paid on a unit cost arrangement to reimburse expenses, rather than on a grant -funded basis. The contracts will be performance -based, unlike the current grant arrange- ments. The RFP will require that the applying agency provide more extensive information about out- =--_ come measures. He said that one motivation for the RFP and the reimbursement under an estab- lished rate is to enable the State to draw down more Nledicaid dollars. Mr. Saver reported that Illi- nois is one of the states that have been least successful in drawing down the money that is potentially available to it for Medicaid reimbursement. This has been a major theme of advocacy efforts by community agencies for several years as they have tried to grow the pot of funds for community ser- vices. Mr. Saver said that the State has indicated that the initial round of RI -Ps is going to be used to pilot the new system and work out any problems. One of the first services that tivil I be put out for bid un- _ der the initial RFP is Screening, Assessment, and Support Services (SASS). The program is for575 e families, children, and adolescents for communit)!-based screcrririgs, assessments, andsuppor- February 12, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes page 8 Minutes recorded — not yet approved tine services to maintuinyouth in the least restrictive settings. " For Evanston, that is currently being provided by Kenneth Young Center, a community mental health center in Elk Grove Village. Ken- neth Young Center is the SASS provider for the eleven townships in the north and north%vest suburbs ofCook County. From conversations at meetings to introduce the revised SASS process, Mr. Saver said that it appears that this go -round the State is going to be looking to fund SASS services for con- siderably smaller geographical areas. Mr. Savcr discussed the MHB's authority in its enabling legislation under the Illinois Community Mental Health Act to review and comment on applications for state grants to provide services in Evanston, lie said that if the %,IHB was in agreement, he was going to request that, on behalf of the MHB, the State share copies of any proposals that are submitted to provide SASS services in Evans- ton. He said that staff and one or two MHB members could meet with those agencies that are apply- ing for the Evanston area. and review their plans to serve the community. In response to a question, he said that the UP had not yet been released so he wasn't aware of any of the particulars at this point. Ms. Grover asked if the MHB was obligated to review and comment. Mr. Saver responded that it was the Board's option at this point. There was a general consensus that Mr. Saver should fol- low up to see how the MHB might get involved with the review and comment for SASS. IX. REPORT FROM THE CHAIR Ms. Grover reported that she attended the City's Budget Hearing and spoke on behalf ofthe MHB's allocations. She said that she thanked City Manager Crum for not recommending any reductions fort the MHB's funds this year. At the hearing, Alderman Feldman complimented the MHB on their commitment to and work on behalf of those who are not heard. Ms. Grover reported that the City Council has to pass a balanced budget by February 28, and they hope to do this by the Monday, Feb- ruary 23 City Council Meeting.. Ms. Grover said that the Human Services Committee will be meeting Monday, February 16 and the Board will have an opportunity to report to the Committee about their allocations and their activities since the last time they reported to them. The MHB will be presenting recommendations for the al- locations that were approved in November for FY04-05. Ms. Grover distributed an update on the backgrounds of all of the Mental Health Board members. Ms. Grover extended a dinner invitation to the MHB members so that they could spend some time together away from the discussion about funding and policy and issues. The date %%ill be announced. Ms. Grover reported that the first terms of Ms. Kalish, Ms. Canter and Ms. Sittler are due to expire this year. She said that she valued their participation and hoped that they would accept another term of appointment from the Mayor's Office. Mr. Rowitz commented that the Evanston Community Health Advisor, Board is proposing the Evanston Clean Air Ordinance to eliminate smoking in all workplaces in Evanston. He invited the Board to attend the hearing in front of the Human Services Committee on Monday. March 1. February 12, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 9 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Ats. Grover commented that the Center for Independent Futures will be providing a program update at the March Board meeting. They moved into a house on Harrison Street in the past year with their first residential part of their programs. X. STAFF REPORT City Budget. Mr. Saver said that there have been very few changes in the budget from the way that it %%as originally proposed, There arc two new• staff positions which have been added for considera- tion. One is a building inspector that will have a special focus on problem buildings in areas that have been of concern for neighbors between Emerson and Noyes, and Sheridan and Ridge. This is an area that the City and Northwestern have been discussing together. In addition, the City is adding another attorney. Center for Independent Futures. Mr. Saver said he would be meeting with the agency prior to their presentation at the March 11 meeting. They are interested in submitting a pre -application letter to the MHB so that they might be considered for funding in the 2004 funding process. Mr. Saver stated Bob Roy from the Evanston Community Defender was gleaning his old, old files and came across a bit of h1HB archival information that he brought by for the Board's information. Mr. Saver distributed a copy of the 1975 MHB information pamphlet, describing the Board's activi- ties and the agencies that were funded at that time. Meeting adjourned at 9:1 5. Respectfully submitted, Joan M. Barott February 12, 2004 Mental Health Board Meet}ng Minutes Page 10 IF Minutes recorded — not yet apprcved EVANST01 MENTAL IIEALTI1 BOARD MEETING MIN, UTES THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 2004 Members Present Jane Grover. Sue Canter, Victoria Kalish. Linda Laatsch. Louis Rowitz. Anne Gauthier. Gil Krulee. Carol Sittier. and Randy Walker Presiding: Jane Grover. Chair Staff: Hare•ey, Saver. Joan ,\I. Barott Community Sandra Stumme (Metropolitan Family Services); Pam Thomas (Evinston/Skokie Valley Senior Services); Martha Arntson, (Childcare Network of Evanston); Karen Helfrich (Trilogy - Evanston); Jane Doyle. Jeff Boarini, Laura Nlin Proctor, Kevin Schneider (Center for Independent Futures) Jane Grover. Chair, called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. I. INTRODUCTIONS AND COINIMUnITY COMMENTS his. Grover welcomed the guests and asked that they introduce themselves. If. REVIEIV AND APPROVAL OF FEBRUARY 12, 200a MINUTES Ms. Grover stated the February 12. 2004 minutes were approved as distributed. III. UPDATE ON CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT FUTURES. JANE DOYLE, EXECUTOR DIRECTOR The MHB welcomed Jane Doyle (Executive Director), Jeff Boarini (Board member). Laura Min Proctor (Administrative Assistant). Edith Rivera (Intern). and Kevin Schneider (consumer) from Center for Independent Futures (CIF). Nis. Doyle reported that she had originally made a presentation to the hIHI3 about 21/- years ago, and had earlier been a presenter in the Board's Housing Forum. She said that she was invited to provide an update on CIF's housing model, and that she was also requesting to be considered in the Board's fall 2004 allocation process for FY05- 06. Nis. Doyle said that CIF's dreams and ideas that she initially reported have no►v become reality. She introduced the members of CIF who accompanied her. Mr. Boarini is a family member of CIF's Community Living Options, a consortium of 45 families working together to find affordable and supportive housing for their family members with disabilities. He is a CIF Board member and a parent of a nineteen -year -old with a developmental disability. Mr. Schneider is a resident at the Harrison Apartments, CIF's first housing units. Ms. Proctor is a staff member who works with Ms. Doyle full time. Edith Riviera is an intern from Northwestern University. March 11, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 1 Minutes recorded -- not yet approved Ms. Doyle said that CIF was developed to plan. create and sustain life for their family members with disabilities in the comntunit%-. 1 hey found that there %%ere no current models that were available for them in the existing sv sterns. To that end, CIF has created, developed. and piloted many products and sen-ices to reach their mission. CIF helps families to b; Agin to plan earl%. and look at five major areas of planning: legal issues for the person over the course of their life: financial planning; needs for support provisions over a period of time; appropriate and affordable housing; and, building relationships and support network around the individual with a disability. Ms. Doyle said that the funding in the State of Illinois for social sen-ices has been flat or continually decreasing. As a result. CIF has to find new ways to fund and provide services in order to meet the needs of their members. tics. Doyle said that CIF thinks that they have found a way as a ne"v housing model to meet the needs in the State of Illinois. but the need in the communhy is much greater than the ability to respond. CIF has been fortunate that Community Lining Options has begun to come together, but it has not provided any resources to support the agency's infrastructure. or personnel. Nis. Doyle said that CIF is hoping the AJHB will be able to the agenc} create these. Mr. Boarini spoke about CIF's vision for housing. About three years ago they initiated that component of their agency with the formation of Community Living Options (CLO). He said that was how lie came to be acquainted with CIF. It was comprised of families who were banding together to cooperatively explore and create affordable and sustainable housing for their family members. They have been working together to develop nets housing options in Illinois. Their first house was opened last summer in a tree -flat on Harrison Street in northwest Evanston. Three men live in the first floor unit. three women live in the second -floor unit: and a family of "community builders" who support the six residents live on third floor. This past month a group of families involved with CLO banded together to jointly purchase a building on Chicago Avenue. The building has six apartments. Five young adults who have developmental disabilities will live in two of the units beginning June, 2004. The other units will be rented to people who are currently living there, or to individuals who apply for an available space through the open market. _ Ms. Doyle introduced Ken Schneider. a resident at the Harrison Street home. Mr. Schneider said that he is 27 years old, grew up in Evanston. graduated from EI IS in 1995, and had been living at Harrison for six months. He said that lie has been employed with Dominick's grocery store for the past eight years. Mr. Schneider explained the difficulty lie had moving away from home, and that he missed his family. However. now he likes having his own individual room and his two roommates. Ms. Gauthier said that C1F's letter of inquiry indicated that there were two major objectives for the CLO staff position for which the agency is proposing to seek funding. She asked how the coordinating functions were currently being implemented. Ms. Doyle said that, from the very beginning, she has been unpaid in organizing CIF. She has also squeezed in the role of the CLO Coordinator, with Nis. Proctor doing the background and administrative work. In addition Paul Arntson from NWU has helped facilitate the community organizing process to build community among the families, and provide support that will be sustainable. CLO has grown so quickly that it now needs a staff person to handle the tasks separate from the rest of the CIF structure. Ms. Sitiler asked whether CIF provided job assistance for Mr. Schneider. Ms. Doyle said that he March 11, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 2 Minutes recorded — not yet apprcved already had one for quite a long time before ? . act involved with CIF. \lost of the energy has been going in to de%elopin;. housing. CIF can provide resources to direct parents for things like that. but CIF is unable to take on job development and iob finding,right now. \Is. Doyle added that most of the members in the Harrison Street home either have jobs. or do volunteer work. fir. Boarini said that within CLO a group has begun to meet recently to help with job assistance for the members. CLO is still very grass roots. however. and they are backing into things like that. Ms. Canter referred to the minutes from the meeting 2' _ years ago %%hen .%ls. Doyle presented to the M1113. She complimented CIF on the progress that they made in that time. INIs. Grover asked what the catalyst that moved CIF forward. his. Doyle said that it was the Harrison Street home. CIF had to learn as they pushed forward into the next phase. She commented that in a relatively short period of time, the number of families meeting monthly gent from 16 to 30 to 38 to old. They worked hard to pull things together. CIF developed its products and services to support and sustain families. And taskforces have been created to address issues that are in front of them. AIs. Laatsch said that the Harrison Street home was purchased by an investor. She asked whether that was the model that CLO %vas going to use. fir. Boarini pointed out that the first three -flat was purchased by a private investor and that happened eight months prior to individuals moving in. They had 65 volunteers working towards that. They worked hard in pulling together the community. The second building was purchased by a group of families who banded together to invest in the purchase. OF is casting out a lot of lines and is experimenting with a number of different models. In the future, the people who live there might purchase their own homes. Nfr. Boarini commented that they have been in communication with development companies for new construction as this may be the best way to go. However. there is nothing definite about that vet. GIs. Doyle said that they need other models for families who cannot afford the investment cost. CIF has been advocating with the Stare about opening up the Medicaid Waiver Programs for individuals for monies for support services. They hope to be able to offer scholarships or financial support for people whose families don't have sufficient resources. However. at the present time none of the additional resources are available. At present, the residents can use some of their government support funds for rent. food. and support services. Ms. Walker asked who the Community Builders were. Nis .Doyle said that some people refer to them as RA*s. They are available to provide support .%,hen it is needed, and to build a Community Among the people living in each home. Mr. Krulee asked whether she was talking about developing a sense of community in the neighborhood. INIs. Doyle said that is a large part of the idea. CIH had a large open house before the opening and it was well attended by the neighborhood. In addition, the neighbors had a block party the following week and all of CIF's members were invited. There has been a lot of interaction %with and %%urmth between the residents of the Harrison House and the neighborhood. They are thinking of sponsoring a community service day and a neighborhood cleanup day. Ms. Laatsch asked whether CIF was applying for funding from the United Way, Ms. Doyle said that they arc just starting to search for funding. They applied to the Evanston Community Foundation and Root -?-Fruit locally. They are also researching other grant opportunities. March 11, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 3 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Ms. NValker asked %%he're the ylfIB funds would be applied if the Board decided to include CIF in the funding process. Nis. Dole said that CIF has been de%eloping bit by bit in putting programs together. In a %a\. it has been the opposite of many organizations that first develop the structure then develop the serice:�. CIF now needs someone to coordinate the CLO activities and tie everything together. NIs. Proctor said that the funding would cover overall needs, o\crsee the operations. document the process needed to open a CLO residence, explore other affordable housing options. facilitate the monthly meetings with parents. and implement outreach and education. Ms. Sittler asked x\hether there were any similar housing models. GIs. Dole said that CIF is working with an idea that was developed by working and consulting with an agency in Massachusetts. That agency has served as mentors for the start-up of CLO and has a good consulting model that CIF would like to use with other communities. Ms. Kalish asked whether people who enter CIF come with their own supports. Ms. Doyle said that CIF is not prepared to offer that. CIF does not administer medications or provide social work services. Individuals and families make those arrangements themselves, when necessary. However CIF does provide referrals to families. Mr. Sager asked whether CIF is looking at development only in the Evanston community. Ms. Doyle said that she is from the community and loves the community. Approximately 45% of the families are from Evanston. However, there are people from other communities who have gotten involved with CLO from other communities, and are looking to CLO to eventually help them develop something in their own community. She said that CIF is not feeling bound by Evanston. Ms. Gauthier asked why CIF had not requested funding from the State. Mr. Boarini said that the only way to begin to qualify for State: funding would be to qualify for providing additional services for residential that CLO does not plan to provide, e.g., directly providing supportive services. In addition. the funds from the State just are not there. In terms of having a model that is sustainable. the State's funds can be eliminated. Ms. Doyle said that CIF's advocacy is for money to follow individuals. However. the State funds agencies and programs. and the money does not follow the individual. As a result. State funding often means that an individual has restricted choices. Ms. Walker asked whether CLO's rents were based upon fair market rate. Ms. Doyle said that they have to be careful. The rates are not subsidized. They are based upon Social Security requirements and based upon the investor. CLO is fortunate; to have a benevolent investor, so the rates may be a little bit below market rate. The acency has a 5-year contract. but the,. are able to renegotiate. Ms. Sutler asked for the profile of CLO's 45 families. Nis. Doyle said that some families have more than one child that they are planning for. One grandmother brought her 12-vearold grandchild to the group; some siblings brought their family member. She said that there is a range of ages involved. Some younger families arc already planning for the future and for transition — 500,o of the kids are younger than 2l . The oldest person is 40. The unifying factor is that none of the individuals have ever lived on their own. In response to Ms. Grover, Ms. Doyle said that 65% of CIF's projected revenues are from fees for services. and 351.o from grants and fundraising. The operating budget for this year is S259,000. It has almost doubled in one year. March 11, 2004 Mental health Board Meeting Minutes Page 4 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Mr. Krulee asked %� hat the budget iyent towards. and whether the money raised will supplement services for people. Ms. Doyle said that the funds are not supplementing care. The fees for services are paid direct]% to scr- ice providers. The service provision matches the salary of the service providers. CIF"s fundraising goes for the infrastructure of the organization. Ms. Doyle added that CIF is developing products for families and planning documents to assist them. They need support for the development costs. These %%ill be able to be used by families, schools and agencies who are working on transition issues. The organization has a «hole line of products that are being developed to assist people. even if they are not interested in getting involved with CLO. NIs. Grover thanked \is. Doyle and the CIF representatives for their presentation. W. AGENCY APPLICATIONFOR FUtiDING CONSIDERATION Ms. Grover said that, per the NiHB's policies, the Center for Independent Futures (CIF) is requesting to be considered in the Board's Funding Allocation Process in fall 2004. She said that, as an agency that has not previously requested funding, the \1HB must agree to CIF's participation. She reminded the Board that a cote to consider a proposal from CIF does not guarantee funding, but onlyoffers the agency an opportunity for a full hearing. In a consensus decision. the N11I13 agreed to permit CIF to submit a proposal for the 2004 allocation hearings. In response to a question. Mr. Sayer said that staff would be sending CIF the funding proposal in July, along with all of the other fintded agencies. Staff responsibility will be to provide technical assistance, answer questions, and walk CIF through the process. He added that this fall there might be a need to modif`• the Board's Thursday funding hearing in October because there %vill be two additional agencies to be heard outside of the Saturday hearings. N'. AGENCY ACCOUNTABILITY Liaison Reports Y.O.U. Nis. Gauthier said that she met with Don Baker. fie reported that he will be taking a 3- month sabbatical this summer. He founded and has been %%ith Y.Q.U. for 29 years. At the request of his Hoard, Mr. Baker will be looking at succession planning for the agency's future. The State of Illinois recently awarded Y.O.U. a Title 11 Delinquency Prevention grant in the amount of S235,000 per year for three years. In the past. Y.O.U. tried --corking with individuals who had been arrested, in conjunction with the Stale's efforts to mainstream. However the effort was not eery successful. The grant will allow Y.OX. to do quite a bit with more individual case management for each youth. It wail[ be at a cost of approximatcly $2,000 per person. Connections for the homeless. Ms. Gauthier reported that she met with Will SundbIad. He explained their new program that is being funded by HUD. They «ill be starting a new permanent housing initiative for Evanston families. It is for women with children, with at least one child under 6 years old. The program and specifies that the women rill have to participate in job training, be actively seeking employment. and will not be able to have any additional families or friends moving in to their housing unit. The last point is always a challenge in programs Iike this, and can create its own problems. March 11, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 5 Minutes recorded - not yet approved BE HIN'. \Is. Walker said that she attended the agency's Board meetin__. She said that she was impressed with the agency's tt ork. "I'he Safe Stan Program. a liarm reduction model was discussed at this meeting. They are planning "Cabaret BEHIV,"which %till be held \lay'_2 at the Unitarian Church. BEHIV's Board has begun marketing "honey" (^ from the Ill%*) for a fundraiser. The agency recently hired a part-time grant wriser,%ho has helped BEHIV significantly in submitting new funding proposals. Youth .lob Center. tits. Sittler said that she met «ith Jim Sibley and was introduced to the aecncv's programs. YJC is located in a small, 2-story house on Church that is packed full with staff and training spaces. One room has 10 computers for training. YJC' major programs areas are job placement, the Strategic Corporate Alliance program, job internships, and the out -of -school youth career program. The agency has six staff members. and operates outposts at ETHS and at the Illinois Job Service one stop site. They also have two major summer programs: Summer Tutors, and Youth Internships. Mr. Sibley reported that Ben and Jem-s ice cream store is slowly developing; they hope to be able to have 30 kids per year being trained through the program. Their Walgreen's Customer Training Program is enabling them to train six kids at a time in the cash register and sales, and customer service. Because the agency space is very confined, the Board is trying to raise money to renovate and reclaim the attic space for use. GIs. Sittler said that Mr. Sibley reported YJC is looking for a Spanish-speaking counselor because they are not able to serve that group effectively right now. Update on Revised Quarterly Report Format Ms. Sittler said that the subcommittee met and made revisions to the Quarterly Reporting Form based upon the Board's comments. She said that the subcommittee discussed how they would test the format with the three agencies that were identified at the February meeting. She added that, prior to having all of the agencies use the revised form. the Board was going to have to do some kind of training to respond to questions and make the Board's expectations clear. Mr. Saver said that, due to a family emergency. Ms. Akintvale was not able to complete the revised reporting format for the meeting. fie said that. based upon the Board's discussion about requiring more substantive information regarding the outcome objectives in the Quarterly Report format. he decided to change the reporting year for the report. Previously, the report %%as submitted based upon the contract year of March -February. However, the monthly Accountability Reports and data have a]ways been submitted based upon the agencies' fiscal year of July -June. This was based upon an agreement among the local community funders %%ith the agencies so that statistics would not have to be kept and reported based upon several fiscal years. Mr. Saver said that the Quarterly Report will now be submitted for the same reporting period as the Accountability Report. It will provide a better picture of each agency's accomplishments and outcomes for the period around which they plan. It will also directly tie the outcome reporting to the statistical reports, Mr. Saver said in the interim, the subcommittee that is revising the Quarterly Report Format %till be testing out the new form with three agencies. The remaining 15 agencies will use the current quarterly report guidelines for the period March-N-lay. and will submit their reports in June. The first quarter that the revised reporting format will be used will be July -September 2004, and the reports %vill not have to be submitted until October. This will give the subcommittee additional time in an orderly way to make final revisions, get additional input from the Board. and train the agencies March 11, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 6 Minutes recorded -- not yet approved on the use of tite new form. VI. REVISION OF AGE\CV FUNDING PROPOSAL Ms. Grover reviewed the materials in the packet regarding revisions to the Ml-IB funding proposal. Mr. Saver said that the packet with the funding proposal is typically sent out in the middle of July, with the proposals expected to be returned at the end of he second week of September. In response to questions, he indicated that this wvould be the time to consider incorporating information about what the Board is looking for by way of outcome objectives from the agencies. He said that the structure of the proposal, the format and the budget forms have largely remained unchanged for the past five years. Last year, one question was added about %waiting lists. Mr. Saver indicated that the directions for the proposal are written to require a consistent format from each agency. From year to }ear, each agency submits a proposal that is generally consistent with their proposal the year before. However. across the different agencies that is not always the case. lie said that lie noticed this past year several agencies left out budget farms or omitted sections from their narrative. That was wh}• the Board received several additional, supplemental forms and sections this past year, after the}- received the proposals. Mr. Saver responded to a question about technical assistance provided to agencies for completion of the proposals and said that he had always made himself available for questions or to review and comment on a draft. There are not Litany agencies that ask for that kind of assistance. Generaily. there is a request for it if the agency is shifting its funding request, or if aspects of their proposal or funding request were criticized the previous year. Ms. Grover asked whether there were any suggestions for changes in the narrative format. There was a lengthy discussion about the possibility of revising the nature of the funding request in the proposal. The Board discussed the possibility of requiring that the funding request be specific and identify what the dollars would actually be spent upon; making the goals, objectives and outcome measurements more specifically tied to the funding request; and, making allocation decisions in a more quantifiable manner. Several concerns were raised about how the Board can be assured that the MHB funds are actually being spent upon services for people from Evanston. Mr. Saver pointed out that the majority of the funding requests are for general operating expenses of the funded program. He said that this past } ear it was helpful for the Allocation Subcommittee when they ww,ere developing funding recommendations. He said that it was his impression that this might have had a positive impact upon some of the decisions. In some cases, agencies submitted requests that were more specific and identified a specific item for funding, e.g., scholarships for day care; a portion of a staff person's time. The information about what each funding requests was for was provided to the Board in one of the summary spread sheets during the consideration of the allocation recommendations. However, in most cases the amount of money that the Board provides for a program helps fill in the holes and rounds out the budget. This is particularly advantageous for agencies that receive State funding from DHS. Typically, the State holds each agency accountable for all of the program's services, but the State is only providing community mental health and developmental disability agencies about 67-70°,00fthe cost ofcare. Unrestricted fundsgenerallypay forprogram costs that the primary funders are not willing to pay for, but are integral to the operation of the program. ;fir. Saver said that if the MHB wanted to change the directions for the types of March 11, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 7 Minutes recorded — not yet approved funding requests it %%ould receive it should also consider how that will affect other pans of the proposal. and the types of data that %wants to have reported. The MHB identified t%%Ll specific questions to be incorporated in the funding; proposal natnative: • Flow will you demonstrate that NIFIB funds %%ill be used for services for Evanston residents only? Do you provide services to individuals who reside outside of Evanston? If so. do you receive funding from those individuals' communities? - N15. Grover asked for suggestions about changes in the proposal format for language related to outcome measures. She said that this would be the time to begin to incorporate language that addresses the concerns that the Board has been discussing about the objectives that are submitted to it. Mr. Saver reviewed the language and directions for outcome measures under Agency Performance in the funding proposal guidelines. Nis. Sittler said that the agencies should be presenting outcomes that are %vritten with strategies about how the outcomes will be achieved. Ms. Laatsch suggested that the directions also incorporate examples of good outcome objectives measures. Ms. Laatsch volunteered to develop draft language to revise the instructions about outcome measures in the Agency Performance section. Nis. Grover asked the Board to submit any suggestions for changes in language in the Funding Narrative to ,%Ir. Saver, and said that he would organize a redline version of the proposed edits for the Board's consideration. VIL ADVOCACY ISSUES SASS RFP, Mr. Saver reported that he received a response from DMH Children and Adolescent Division regarding; the Board's request to review and comment on responses for the statewide RFP for SASS services. Fie said that the initial release of the RFP was delayed for a period of time. DMH's Network Manager for the \Nletro C&A Network responded to the inquiry via e-mail that he thought the best way for the ';IYIHB to get involved would be to follow up on the RFP and contact likely providers in the area to either try to coordinate a process or offer a letter of reference to the proposals that seemed to be the strongest. The Manager said that the RFP was being rolled out statewide, so DNII-I was not going; to try to include all the local 708 authorities in the process. fir. _ Saver said that lee had been in touch with a few organizations that seemed to be likely to respond to the RFP for the Evanston area, however, so far he hasn't heard of anyone that is expressing interest in this area yet. - Mr. Saver distributed information regarding HB5077, a bill that would require mandatory keg registration across Illinois. The bill would require retailers to attache; a tab or engraving with an identification number to even keg that they sell. The purchaser's name and identification would be required at the time of purchase. In addition, the purchaser would be required to sign a statement acknowledging; that they understand that misuse of the keg, e.g., providing alcohol to minors at a party, could result in civil liability or criminal prosecution. The bill would make it very difficult for someone to provide a keg for a party for underage drinkers, or a party that got out of control, and not be held responsible. Mr. Saver said that approximately 10-11 years ago, the 111H13 and the Evanston Substance Abuse Prevention Council were trying to get support for keg registration bill for Evanston. == At that time, the effort died out because activity spurred by the alcohol lobby in Springfield would March 11, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes page 8 Minutes recorded - not yet approved have made a local kec bill me:anineless. in addition. it became clear that implementing a keg registration bill community 1-y community was a nice. symbolic _-esture in terms of a prevention message for the community. But it was not going to have any im act in a community like Evanston. There was only one distributer of kegs in to«n. All that sorneQne needed to do who was going to provide a keg to a part}. %%as go across the border to several adircent areas in Skokie. or across Howard Street to Chicago. \tr. Saver said that he was told that the renewed interest in a keg registration law was spurred by the events that occurred last spring in relation to Glenbrook North High School. At the event that was in the news. a mother purchased a keg for the kids who took part in the hazing incidents. In response to a question. \Ir. Saver said that if the MI-113 were to support 14135477, then at each step of the legislative process. advocacy letters from the Board would be sent to Evanston's legislative delegation to support the bill. Ms. Gauthier moved and Nis. Sinter seconded a motion lore the NIHI3 to endorse and advocate for HB5077. Bill passed unanimously (9 aye 0- 0 no). Senate Bill 2281. Mr. Ro«7tz said that he had heard Senator Schoenberg's bill to reorganize the Department of Human Services was not going anywhere. and %ems not going to be reported out. 41r. Saver said that he would check on the status and report back to the Board. MAX Initiative..\ir. Saver provided an update about the State's 'MAX Initiative. He said that, consistent ,vith \ir. Rowitz's comments earlier in the meeting. the competition for State funding was going to become more competitive, and some of the agencies that the Board funds might stand to lose either service contracts or revenues for the services that they provide. The statewide organizations that the M1413 has memberships in have been ver-- outspoken and supportive of the State taking steps to capture more \ led icaid reimbursement. Ho -%ever. they are raising substantial concerns about reimbursement rates from the State being inadequate, cash flow problems developing. and people being made ineligible for services under the ne%% plan. By one estimate from CBHAI, there could be a 33°; loss of services in the fee-for-s:rvice system that is being discussed. In addition, the Administration is proposing to funnel the Medicaid reimbursements being funneled back into the State's General Revenue Fund, rather than going into dedicated finds that could be used for additional services. what is in effect currently. MT. SX�er said that the Legislature is considering a bill that would slow the \IAX process down and require that an impact assessment be made of the first round of RFPs that will be for a total of about S64 million in services. it would also require that any problems that develop be worked out before there is a second round of RFPs under the MAN initiative. in response to some of the concerns, the Administration made a commitment to speed up the State's process in paying the bills to human services providers. but there is nothing binding. This is particularly a concern with problems that the State has had in making payments. And while the State is proposing during the changeover to provide funds upfront to tic agencies to help with the cash flow issues, these funds %+ill be a liability that will have to be paid back. The concern that is being raised is that this will create cash problems later on. \Sr. Saver said that there were several or the RFPs that were already released. The C&:A Network \tanager indicated that the RFP for SASS was embargoed for a short period as some additional issues are worked out. The RFP for Pre -Admission Screening services for persons with mental illness %%as also held up and will be released later. He added that the Board %%ill probably begin to get some idea of the local impact of the MAX Initiative during the fall allocation hearings, if there are any programs that receive funding through the initial RFP process this spring. Do The Right Thing Campaign. Mr. Saver reviewed materials in the packet about the Do the March 11, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 9 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Right Thine Campaign in Springfield_ He said that, for se%.ral years, the \t1113 endorsed and signed onto the Campaign. It has been in operation for the past 3-6 years. and is comprised of number of statewide advocacy groups like arc Illinois and the Statewide Independent Lh ing Centers of Illinois. 'The coalition has done an extreme!y effective job of keeping their issues visible in the Legislature even thought here has ven- little nevv money. Last year. they were effective in corking with key Legislators to get increases for a number, of DD and N11 programs, rather than the cuts that were initially projected in the Governor'{ proposed 2003-2004 Budget. Nfr. Saver said that are, one of the N11413's membership organizations. is again soliciting endorsements and supporters for the Campaign. In a consensus decision. the %1HB agreed to be one of the supporters for the Do The Right Thing Campaign. Vill. REPORT FROM THE CHAIR Ms. Grover said that she had no report. She said that she would advise the Board later about the date of an NfHB members get-together/getting to know you home dinner. IX. STAFF REPORT Project SEED. Mr. Saver reported that the grant renewal proposal for the third funding year of Project SEED was submitted to SAMHSA. He said that it is a noncompetitive renewal process, so the assumption is that ilia grant \%ill be renewed, barring any unforeseen circumstances. He added that, based upon the delay in the grant start-up, the Project is expecting to be able to use any unexpended funds from ilia 3-year grant on a fourth year in order to continue to provide and implement all of the measures that were in the original grant. Mr. Saver said that on Friday, Niarch 12. Xletropolitan Family Services' Community Advisory Council was hosting a Funders' Breakfast. The focus of the breakfast will be to discuss early childhood mental health prevention and the SEED Program. This will be one of many steps to finds resources to sustain SEED after the federal funding is gone. Board Development. Nlr. Saver said that he received a number of items from Board members as suggestions for educational items for Board development. He said that, based upon the Board's discussion at the February meeting, he is planning a schedule to begin in April of one 30-miute presentation at the beginning of each Board mecting through September. Black Kats Wrestling. Mr. Saver said that a new. youth wrestling program. Black i:ats Wrestling, made a presentation at the ESAPC meeting. The program is working with kids starting as young as eight or nine. «'bile the program is clearly trying to be a feeder for the high school wrestling program, they -will be focusing upon more than just sports. They are also staking a claim to work on prevention issues and healthy development. Mr. Saver said that many of the sports programs in to%tim also cite these as goal areas, however. this is the first time that he has come across one that has built in intentional time to do somethine in those areas. In addition to the athletic component, they have some after -school activities or study halls provide support for their participants with their homework. They also plan to provide prevention activities and curriculum related to sexual activity, pregnancy March 11, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 10 Minutes recorded — not yet approved prevention, substance abuse prevention. and delinquency issues. Mr. Sa%,cr said that they are talking with groups like the ESAPC and the Youth Officers at the Police Department to find help with training materials and curriculum. CHADD. Mr. Saver said that he had recently met with am Evanston woman %rho is starting a local chapter of Children and Adults with Attention-Deficitff4.%peractivity Disorder (CHADD). CHADD is a national organization that provides education, advocacy and support for persons %vith AD/HD. Meeting adjourned at 9:00. Respectfully submitted, Joan NI. Baron March 11, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 11 Minutes recorded — not yet approved EV AINSTON MENTAL HEALTH BOARD MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, APRIL 08, 2004 Members Present Sue Canter. Victoria Kalish, Anne Gauthier, Gil Krulee, Lou Ro%itz, and Randy Walker Presiding: Sue Canter, Vice Chair Staff: Har--ey Saver, Elizabeth Akinwale Community Sandra Stumme (Metropolitan Family Sem ices); Pam Thomas (Evans- ton/Skokie Valley Senior Services); Martha Arntson, (Childcare Net- work of Evanston); hate Mahoney (PEER Services) Sue Canter, Vice Chair, called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. 1. INTRODUCTIONS AND COMMUNITY COMMENTS Ms. Canter welcomed the guests and asked that they introduce themselves. II. REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF INIARCH 11, 2004 MINUTES Ms. Gauthier moved and 11r. Krulec seconded a motion to approve the minutes of the March 11, 2004 MHB meeting as amended. Motion approved unanimously. III. BOARD DEVELOPMENT: NVRAP-AROUND SERVICE PLANNING. TANA PAUL, METROPOLITAN FAMILY SERVICES. C&A LAN WRAP- AROUND COORDINATOR The MHB welcomed Tana Paul from Metropolitan Family Services (MFS). Ms. Paul said that she has been employed in Family Support and Prevention in Evanston since 1986. initially, she worked for Family Counseling Services (FCS). She stayed Aith MFS after FCS merged with the agency in 1996. She said that she is a Senior Social Worker in the program, however she also provides super- visory backup for the Elder Abuse Program. Ms. Paul; said that she is excited about her work Mth the Wrap Around Screening Committee of the Child and Adolescent Local Area Network (CRA LAN). The Evanston C&A LAN serves only the Evanston community. The Committee is made up of a group of community professional who work well together, and are very knowledgeable about resources in and out of the area. LAN's and the %rap around process were started by DCFS and the IL State Board of Education. DCFS gave fund- ing to each local LAN called flexible funding. These "flex funds" were to be used for non-DCFS clients who were not already enrolled in the s}stem. Initially, the way the funds were to be spent was very flexible. However, as the program progressed, DCFS began to require more structure and guide - April 08, 2004 Mentat health Board Meeting Minutes Page 1 Minutes recorded — not yet approved lines. From the beginning. DCFS has allocated 521.600 a year to the Evanston C&A LAN for the flexible funding program that is a part of the wrap around plan. DCFS required that LANs receive training and learn how to do the wrap around plans for kids and their families. DCFS provided the initial training. Locally, the LAN trained agency professionals and school personnel about how to access and make use of the process. The C&:A LAN's Screening Committee reviews the information and develops a wrap around plan in conjunction with the family. This Committee does not start with an existing package of services that is offered to a family, with the requirement that the family fit into the "package." Rather, the Com- mittee reviews information that is brought to them by families and their facilitators about what the family needs. A facilitator could be anyone who the family chooses, e.g., a friend, an agency staff member, or a teacher. In addition, a client family can have anyone that they want to have on their Child and Family Committee to help provide the details of their situation. The family can bring any- one in their life to the table that cares about them. Ms. Paul discussed the planning process for the development of the wrap around plan. She passed out information from DCFS about the areas or life domains that are considered in developing a wrap around plan. In looking at each of these life domains for a family, the Committee talks about the strengths and weaknesses that the family has. They also consider the needs that the family has in each of those life domain areas. Ms. Paul said that it is the "needs areas" that the Screening Committee addresses, and for which the flexible funding can be used. The first step is that the Committee reviews plans that facilitators and families bring to them about the family's needs. In effect. the plan and services are brought to and "wrapped around- the family, instead of taking the family to an agency's services. The task of the Committee is to review the tentative plans, make suggestions and provide feedback and advice about the recommendations. The Committee first considers, if possible, what resources are available oral - ready exist within the community or agency's structure. The Committee can spend money when something else is needed from the flexible funds in order to help implement the wrap around plan. The Screening Committee can approve up to $2,000 per family without the approval of the C$A LAN Steering Committee, Isis. Paul cited a number of items that the flex funds have been used for, e.g., air conditioning, hearing aid, wheel chair. Ms. Paul provided an example of one case where the Screening Committee assisted an individual who did not wish her own family's involvement, but included on the Child and Family Committee a number of individuals who were involved with her special needs child. On occasion, the Committee has also been able to provide information about resources to other professionals who are working with difficult cases. Ms. Paul said that the Screening Committee meets once a month and hears between 4 and 6 plans. In the event that the plan calls for an expenditure greater than 52000, that has to be approved by the C&A LAN Steering Committee. A liaison is assigned to each plan that is brought before the Screen- ing Committee, and quarterly reports are provided about the progress. Ms. Paul said that there is only $140 left in the account this year, but the LAN submitted a supplemental request for S5000 with the possibility of getting funds that other LANs are not using. Ms. Canter inquired as to how long the average family is involved. Ms. Paul said that the case is not time limited. The average time for an open case is about one year. However, the Screening Commit - April 08, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 2 Minutes recorded — not yet approved tee -Mll not fund an ongoing expenditure like a phone bill month -to -moth. They may provide the start-up expenses. but the family and the Committee would need to rind other ways to help pay for the ongoing operating expenses. Nis. Canter asked who was responsible for accessing what the family needs after a plan is agreed upon. his. Paul said that the Child and Family team decides how to divide up and help access the services. In response to a question as to where most of the referrals come from, Ms. Paul said that it might be a school social worker, Y.O.U., Metropolitan Family Services, or a child care provider. It is not lim- ited to those, however. An agency is most often the Iead as a facilitator, and they generally approach the family with the suggestion that a wrap -around plan might be the best way to get additional help. Ms, Kalish asked whether the financial activity report that was distributed is reflective ofthe average number and level of funding who receive wrap -around. his. Paul said that it was very typical. Ms. Gauthier asked whether there was extensive training provided, or was the Committee bootstrap- ping the process. Ms. Paul said that in the late 90's. DCFS provided training for people who were going to go through the process. The members who were going to do the wrap around planning had to be trained at different levels. Afterward, the CRA LAST did big trainings in the community to help them get started with how they could access the services for their clients. She said that the proc- ess has been high -quality, effective and very energetic. The Mental Health Board thanked Ms. Paul for her presentation. IV. TREATMENT ON DEMAND ADVISORY REFERENDUM Kate Mahoney, Executive Director of PEER Services, joined the MHB. Ms. Mahoney reported that there is a movement in Illinois spearheaded by Congressman Danny Davis and the Illinois Alcohol and Drug Dependence Association (IADDA) which is to get an advisory referendum on theNovem- ber 2004 ballot. The ballot would ask voters to respond to what is being called a Treatment on De- mand Referendum. The referendum is stated as the following: "Should Illinois State Government provide adequate funding for comprehensive and appropriate substance abuse treatment forany llli- nois state resident requesting services from a licensed provider, community -based organization or m medical care facility within the state?" Ms. Mahoney said that there are people are working diligently to get a petition signed to get the ref- erendum approved for placement on the ballot. It %%ill require 35,000 signatures. Ms. Mahoney said that she was asking the MHB as a 708 Board to serve as ambassadors for the referendum in the community. Once the measure is on the ballot, it «ill provide a forum for discussion about the issue. The goal, ultimately, is for the State to see substance abuse treatment funding as a priority. Based upon previous budgets, as well as the proposed FY04-05 State Budget, it is not currently. Ms. Ma- honey asked if individuals on the MHB would help get some petitions signed, as well as any addi- tional assistance they might be able to provide. She distributed the petition forms and provided in- structions for the referendum process. April 08, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 3 Minutes recorded — not yet approved In response to a question., Ms. Mahoney briefly discussed Roosevelt University's study about the in- crease in the use of heroin in the arm and especially in the Cook County suburbs. She said that she wasn't prepared to speak to all of the issues that evening, but reported that her agency is seeing a bigger increase in the northern part of their service area than in Evanston. What they are seeing is people both inhaling and injecting. his. "Mahoney said that she would send the NIHB some informa- tion about the report. V. AGENCY ACCOUNTABILITY Agency Quarterly Narrative Reports Housing Options. Mr. Krulee said that the agency made a very successful move to their new office space on Florence. It is a nice place and a big improvement on their office space on Central. This new location is also closer to Housing Options' homes and housing units. He said that Alexander Brown, Executive Director, reported that the arrangements at the Kirk House have been working very well since some of the initial difficulties they encountered with the neighbors. So far, they have not received any complaints. Mr. Krulee said that Mr. Brown expressed some concerns for the future. The agency may need to raise the rents on their units in the future, but, due to the economy, the agency is uneasy about this, In addition, Housing Options is anticipating that some of their clients are beginning to move into the age bracket where they will need more assisted living that what is cur- rently available. Mr. Krulce said that Mr. Brown, who normally attends the NfHB meetings, will be unable to for some time because he is going to graduate school for a Master's degree in business management. Dimensions. Mr. Krulee described his orientation to the Dimensions program. He said that Kate Mahoney emphasized their attempts to move individuals in the program on to 12-step programs. Ms. Mahoney said that she was expecting some repercussions in Dimensions from cutbacks at Evanston Northwestern Healthcare and Resurrection Behavioral Healthcare at St. Francis Hospital. Thresholds Transitions. his. Kalish reported that the agency is a newly funded one, so there is no 4`s Quarter Report from them. She said that they distributed information about a Legislative Forum that will be held April 14 at Loyola University in Chicago. The supporters are agencies such as 4Cs, Trilogy, and Thresholds, and the sponsors are: PMental Health Association of Illinois and Legal Aid. She said that Peter Illing, Director of Transitions, encouraged people to attend to show support for the elimination of cutbacks in the mental health budget. Evanston/Skokie Valley Senior Services. Ms. Kalish said a new case manager has been added to the Evanston Community Care Program. The income eligibility ceiling rose for the program from S 10,000 to S 12,500, so the agency is expecting more Evanston residents to be eligible. The agency is e sponsoring a seminar on the Medicare Prescription Drug Program on May 10 at the Levy Center. They are collaborating on this program with the City of Evanston and the Suburban Area Agency on Aging. Pam Thomas, Program Manager, said that they will have case managers available at the pres- entation to assist people in filling out their application forms. Y.O.U. his. Gauthier said that the agency's quarterly report is impressive with the range of things April 08, 2OD4 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 4 Minutes recorded — not yet approved that the agency is doing. She said that she spoke «•ith Don Baker, Executive Director, who indicated that Y.O.U. is still workine with 30 kids at ETHS who %vent through their middle school program. Emergency housing is still an issue. Mr. Baker reported that this past quarter the,. had nine your peo- ple who they had to place who were out of their dw 0 ings with no place to sleep. A couple of them were placed in Arlington Heights in a shelter. The Y.O.0 staff drove them back and forth to school in Evanston so that they could keep up. The agency successfully raised Sl .5 million in their cam- paign before the target date of June 2004. Connections far the Homeless, Ms. Gauthier reported that in the past quarter, 38 clients came through Entry Point. Twenty of these clients «•ere from Evanston. The agency had good outcomes in helping people increase their income and find jobs. Eight people moved from the shelter into perma- nent housing. The shelter staff attended voter registration training and they have registered clients to vote. The agency noted that the number of people who report substance abuse issues and a severity of drug use have increased. Trilogy. Ms. Walker commented that Trilogy is continuing to offer special activities and opportuni- ties several times a month for their members. BEHIV. Mr. Walker reported that BEHIV is continuing to offer therapy to both individuals and groups, and has been able to maintain the same level of services. SHORE. his. Canter said that SHORE met or exceeded all of the goal areas for both the Early inter- vention Program and the Developmental Training Program for specific outcome measures in their quarterly report. The same is true of the Residential Programs. SHORE is considering opening a cof- fee bar at the Niles YMCA as a new supported employment site. Like many other DHS-funded agen- cies, SHORE is struggling with the fee for services proposal, and is concerned that this might result in a reduction of services and a delay in the receipt of their state income. 'pis. Canter said she %vas given a tour through the Lois Lloyd Center. The programs at that site have done very well to have practically no staff turnover in their paraprofessional staff. While she %vas visiting the Center, all of the participants were engaged. Nis. Canter said that she also viewed the agency's Morton Grove training center, where they perform a lot of paid assembly tasks. Ms. Canter said that SHORE is providing a nice continuum of care across all of their programs. They are able to move people from site to site when there is a need for a shift to a more appropriate level of services. h1<etropolit2n Family Services (`IFS). ,Nis. Canter said that MFS's report indicated that they met or exceeded all of the projections for their outcome measures. The larger agency and the local office are struggling with the fee for the service and request for proposal process for the SASS crisis ser- vices to evaluate a child's need for hospitalization. They are expecting that, in FY2005, the UP %ill apply to children and adolescent mental health services and in FY2006 to adult mental health. She said that Sandra Stumme, Executive Director, thinks that this is going to have a negative impact. Ms. Canter said that Ms. Stumne reported that agencies have a choice about whether to submit a proposal for this. However, if they do not apply and want to continue to provide the services they ,Mll have to rely on operating funds from other sources. Nis. Canter commented that hiFS is in the process of determining whether they will apply for the April 03, 2DO4 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes page 5 Minutes recorded -- not yet approved SASS program. NfFS is also considering making application to provide SASS in Evanston. She said that this implies that they have some choice in the matter, but thought that the agencies would be re- quired to submit. She asked Mr. Saver if he had any clarification on that issue. Mr. Saver commented that this issue is related to the Board's discussion over the past few months on matters related to the Governor's MAX Initiative in the proposed State Budget. He reminded the Board that he Governor`s budget message this year was delivered with a number of expressed con- cerns related to a lack of trust in the jobs being performed by not -for -profits, and human service agencies taking state funds and not doing the job effectively. There is strong emphasis in the pro- posed budget on the State being, able to drawdow-n more Medicaid reimbursement for the services that are DHS funded. He said that previously the Board discussed some of the concerns that agen- cies have expressed about receiving insufficient or less funding to cover their costs. He commented that an article he read quoted one of the Governor's staff that he thought that that agencies are going to have to understand how to get better organized, and have to learn to do more with less. Currently, there is approximately S64 million in program services that have been identified for allo- cation this coming budget year through a request for proposal process, and under fee for service payment arrangement. lvir. Saver said that agencies that have been providing SASS services for a significant length of time have developed a significant set of skills and organizational structure to implement SASS, They are now going to be evaluated in a competitive pool when they submit a proposal to provide SASS for a specific geographic area. He said that he has talked with several agencies that are considering submitting a proposal to provide SASS, but they are waiting fora reply to many of their questions before deciding whether to submit their proposals. The concern about submitting proposals at the present time for SASS without the ans►vers seems to stem from the appli- cation in the RFP process. He said that he as told that an agency that submits the proposal and is se- lected cannot decide to take a pass on becoming the provider. The accepted proposal becomes a con- tract and the agency is bound to provide the service, Mr. Saver said that NIFS is currently a SASS provider in several other areas that they serve, but locally the SASS provider is Kenneth Young Cen- ter in Elk Grove -Schaumburg. He said that he was informed that the agency was in the process of developing a financial analysis to determine the areas that they could afford to be the provider for SASS, given the information that they currently have. Update on Revised Quarterly Report Format Mr. Saver reported that the actual reporting year for the quarterly report will be changed. Agencies will begin to use the new report format after it is finalized beginning with the quarter July -September 2004. The reporting year is being revised to reflect a reporting year of July -June, which is consistent with the year that is being used to report on monthly accountability data for the performance meas- ures in the agency contracts. Ms. Akin%Nale reviewed the working draft of the revised quarterly reporting format. The MHB re- quested changes in language in the report guidelines and clarification of the issue "Recognition of funding." The Board asked that Ms. Sittler review the draft one more time before beginning to use the form with the three agencies going through a trial run with the form. April 08, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page a Minutes recorded - not yet approved VI. RE%ISION OF AGENCY I` UNDING PROPOSAL Draft Revisions of Agency Narrative. Mr. Saver presented Working Draft #2 of the budget pro- posal narrative. The said that base upon the Board's earlier input, the original Section 2 was elimi- nated; however many of the individual items that were in that section were absorbed elsewhere. Ms. Walker requested that the language in question 1.3.6. regarding accessibility of services be changed to refer to `'accessible to people with disabilities." Mr. Saver commented that two questions were incorporated as a result of the issues that were raised at the March Board meeting. One question had to do with the extent that Evanston funds are actually being spent on an Evanston population. The other asked about funding received from other commu- nities when if the program provides services to indir6duals who reside outside of Evanston. Mr. Saver said that Section 3 Agency Performance was reorganized and more specific language was in- corporated that requires information about objectives that are outcome -focused. He said that Ms. Laatsch marked up and made a substantial number of edits, and Ms. Grover also made revisions. Mr. Saver indicated that he thought the Board's intention of wanting client -focused outcome meas- ures, rather than objectives that reported on units of service or process measures, should be much clearer. He added that the Board will need to consider how they want to present the changes to the agencies when the budget process kicks off, and whether they want to provide some orientation for the agencies about their expectations. in response to `is. Canter, Mr. Saver said that the proposal usually is distributed by the middle of July; however, it could go out as late as the end of that month. The MHB accepted the proposal revisions and asked that a clean copy be presented for a final re- view at the Nlay Board meeting, with all of the editing and comments removed. Mr. Saver said that at the March Board meeting, the Board discussed additional information that it wanted to be able to consider regarding the funding requests. He said that there is already quite a bit of information that is available. He added that every year summary spreadsheets incorporate some of the information, however, you it has to be looked for it in several different places. He said that in response to the Board's request a summary overview of the funding proposals in the fall could incor- porate on one spreadsheet the following for each of the funding requests: program funding request to the MHB; total program budget; % of the program budget that us being requested from the MHB; total population served by the program: number of Evanston residents served by the program; %of population served that is Evanston residents; brief narrative description of the program funding re- quest; nature of the request (e.g., general operating, staff salaries, scholarships, etc.); and, whether MHB funds leverage or match funds from other funders. Mr. Saver said that at the March meeting the MHB also discussed wanting to have more specific in- formation about the nature and purpose of the funds that agencies are requesting from the Board. There was also discussion about requiring restricted funding requests rather than requests for general operating expenses. Mr. Saver said that the 2003 Allocation Subcommittee found it very useful to have requests that were more specific about what was actually going to be purchased and provided with MHB funds. He said that it was his impression that the information might have had some small effect upon the process. Mr. Saver said that if it is still the NIHB's intent to get more specific infor- mation about the funding request, the CDBG funding proposal that is used by the City's Planning Division has a format that is used to collect this information in their funding process. He referred to April 08, 2004 Mental health Hoard Meeting Minutes Page 7 Minutes recorded — not yet approved forms attached to the Board packet. Their proposal has budget forms similar to the ones that the MHB employs, i.e.. total agency budget, program budget for each funded program. In addition, they have a budget form that requests a breakdown about ho%v the requested funds will actually be used. They also require specific information about any staff position that is funded in the request. The MHB engaged in discussion regarding the issue with several agency directors who were present. Concerns that were raised included the following: the more that agencies have to commit to using dollars for specific line items or positions rather than as general operating funds, the more restrictive and limiting the allocation becomes: unrestricted funds are able to be used for operational expenses that no one other funding source has funded, but they are still critical in providing program services; tracking the use of restricted funds is more costly and time consuming from an accounting perspec- tive and an auditing prospective; agencies should be held responsible and accountable for outcomes and performance measures, and for the appropriate expenditure of funds for each program., without having their hands tied in what those funds pay for. In response to a question from a Board member. Mr. Saver said that staff would not have the ability, at this point, to keep track of the expenditure of restricted allocations if the MHB was looking for documentation of the actual use of funds. In the discussion about restricted allocations, Mr. Rowitz commented that it is the MHB's responsibility to provide funds that support program services for Evanston residents. He said that it was his sense of the Board's stewardship of local public funds that he is less concerned with any "profits" or specific expenditures than with the fact that the funds have created change, i.e., supported specific outcomes for people or for the community. Mr. Ro►vitz said that as a Board the 1\IHB likes what the agencies are doing, but wants to see that their dollars are making a positive difference for the citizenry. Ms. Walker said that she as concerned that a requirement that all allocations be restricted would po- tentially force agencies to change their focus. She asked whether the new quarterly report format %%w going to enable the Board to see the kinds of things that Mr. Ro%vitz was referring to. Mr. Saver said that during the first year that would probably not be the case, unless a number of agencies modi- fied the objectives contained in their contracts. '*ir. Saver said that would be an option. However, he said that the Board earlier decided to accept whatever objectives %sere incorporated in the 2003 funding proposal. Mr. Rowitz commented that the problem with this is that some agencies' objec- tives are to see a certain number of people while using a certain treatment protocol ore methodology. Their outcome is literally that their protocol has been applied to the projected number of people. They do not project an outcome for the services or describe what happened. tits. Canter said that per- haps the MHB might hold off on the change in the quarterly report. In the short term, they could "re- fresh it" and begin to help agencies to think about new ways to write their objectives that might be more productive for their use in planning future projects, and enable them to learn something differ- ent from their objectives. Mr. Rowitz said that at the end of all of the discussion, he thought that the MHB wanted to know at the end of this year whether the MHB's expenditures have improved the quality of life for some people living in this community. VIII. APPOINTMENT OF NORAIINATIN'G COINEAUTTEE Mr. Saver reviewed the MHB's Nominating Committee process. He said that MHB officers for the April 08, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 8 Minutes recorded — not yet approved 2004-2005 year would be nominated for consideration at the May MI-IB meeting. The MHB will vote on the nominations and elect officers at the June meeting. The elected officers will then take office at the July meeting. Nis. Canter commented that Ms. Grover has served as Chair for three consecutive years and is not eligible to be nominated again. Ms. Canter appointed Mr. Krulee and Ms. Walker to be the Nominating Committee. VIII. COMMUNITY EDUCATION Mr. Saver reported that he is preparing to work N%ith a group of agencies to sponsor a one -day Family Support Network (FSN) Conference. FSN is very closely tied to arcAllinois, and is a strong propo- nent of the "Do the Right Thing Campaign", which the MHB recently voted to endorse and support. The mission of FSN is to "unify individuals with disabilities and their families to advocate for fund- ing, services, and community resources that strengthen and support the individual and the family di- rectly by responding to their individual needs and empowering them to live in their own homes." The one -day conferences are training tools the organization uses to develop and train consumers and families about working together to grow and improve services for people with disabilities in Illinois. Mr. Saver said that the conference would fall under the MHB's goal area of community education. The conference will provide advocacy -related training about the state's programmatic and funding issues, and help them to understand how to articulate their own needs and present them to legislators and other decision makers. Mr. Saver said that he was approached by Bonnie Dohogne, a staff person at Childcare Network of Evanston and the mother of a son with a disability, about working together on the conference. He said that there is a very interested and receptive group in Evanston that wants to work on this together. At the suggestion of a local legislator, the group %vill be looking at having the conference on a Saturday in November after the general election and before Thanksgiving. This will make it more likely that legislators might be available to attend. So far, Center for Independent Futures, A.S.K., SHORE, and Childcare Network of Evanston have expressed interest. Ms. Do- hogne is also trying to get participation from the special services divisions from the school districts.. He extended an invitation to Board members that might be interested in assisting in the planning of the conference. IX. CHAIR REPORT Ms. Canter said there was no report from the Chair due to Ms. Grover's absence. X. STAFF REPORT Training for Police Department. Mr. Saver said that he recruited Trilogy's Emergency Mental Health Services (EMHS) division to help put together training for the Police Department's in-service training sessions. The focus of this session will be working with people wrath mental illness in the community, and knowing the resources that are available to provide assistance. Six training session will be provided. Approximately 100 officers will go through the training. April 08, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 9 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Mr. Saver said that he is also arranging three training workshops during the in-service training for the staff of the Public Library on seniors, mental health/mental illness, and homelessness. Volunteer Recognition. Mr. Saver reported that Claire McCarthy Peterson, long-time Chair of the Evanston Task Force on the Homeless, was just recognized by the North Shore Chapter of the Illi- nois National Association of Social Workers. She was awarded the NASW's Citizen of the Year award for someone who %N-as making a difference. 5" Annual Aging Well Conference. Mr. Saver said the flyers for Aging Well should be in the mail at the beginning of next week. In addition, the conference registration information is also on the City website. Wednesday, May S, there will be a film festival at 7:00 p.m. at the Evanston Library. The conference, itself, will be on Friday, May 7 at the King Home. Mr. Saver reported that he was appointed to serve on the Public Message Work Group that is helping to develop the report to the Legislature and the Governor for the Illinois Children's Mental Health Partnership. Meeting adjourned at 9:45 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Harvey Saver Assistant Director April 08, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 10 Minutes approved EVANSTON Ih1ENTAL HEALTH BOARD I%IEETIN'G MINUTES THURSDAY, ,NIA't' 13, 200a Members Present Sue Canter, Carol Sittler, Victoria Kalish, Gil Krulee, and Randy Walker Presiding: Sue Canter, Vice Chair Staff: Harvey Saver, Joan M. Baron Community Sandra Stumme (Metropolitan Family Services); Pam Thomas (Evans- tonlSkokle Valley Senior Services); Sue Brenner, (Childcare Network of Evanston) Ms. Canter called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. 1. INTRODUCTION'S AND COIIPIIUti'ITY COMMENTS Ms. Canter welcomed the guests and asked that they introduce themselves. II. BOARD DEVELOPMENT: PSYCHOSOCIAL REHABILITATION. SUE SHIMON, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,IVILPONVER Ms. Walker introduced Sue Shimon, Executive Director of WilPower. Ms. Shimon was invited to speak with the MHB about psychosocial rehabilitation and a clubhouse model in working with people with men- tal illness. Ms. Shimon said that family members of adults with serious mental illness who lived in the northern sub- urbs started WilPower in 1989. They realized that in order for their family members to get a satisfactory package of services necessary for them to live independently outside of the family home; they would have to leave their community. This would probably mean going to an IMD in Chicago, which was unsatisfac- tory for the families. Ms. Shimon said that while the Josslyn Center was operating at full force and pro- vided traditional community mental health services, they did not provide rehabilitation and supportive housing did not exist in the area. They were successful in obtaining seed money from the State DMH to start a new program. The name WiIPower is derived from Wilmette and Power. Through July 2001, the agency contracted the management of the program and its support to Thresholds. Thresholds managed the clinical and business affairs. After 15 years, the Executive Service Corps helped WilPowcr strengthen its organizational struc- ture and become independent. At the beginning of the sixteenth year, Ms. Shimon said that she was hired to be the executive Director. From the beginning, WilPower was familiar with the traditional psychiatric centers and services, but wanted to provide what they thought would be a more appropriate packet of services as a complement to psychiatric treatment and therapy.. They researched and agreed upon psychosocial rehabilitation (PSR). Ms. Shimon said that PSR was started in the 1960's, with the movement of people from mental institutions May 13, 204 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 1 of 8 Minutes approved back into the community. Ex -patients were meeting each other on the steps of the New York Public Li- brary. They were developing fellowship and informal support. They encountered members of Jewish women's group who helped them to develop support. Out of this, a program, Fountain House, developed that was consumer oriented and focused. his. Shimon related her own experience providing support for persons with mental illness at Fountain House. She said that the initial model for psychosocial rehabilita- tion (PSR) grew out of this model. Ms. Shimon said that in PSR the relationship between helpers and the people getting service should be as normalizing as possible. There is a minimum of distinction between staff and the program's members or consumers. Program staff has no badges and no white lab coats. The way that all of the people dress that arc involved with the program is up to them, but it is not a measure of one's value or role. Ms. Shimon said that the core values of PSR are the following • Normalized roles and relationships • Eclectic approach • Prevention of hospitalization • Build upon strengths rather than focus on weaknesses • Potential for growth • Deep commitment and strong belief • Goal achievement Ms. Shimon reviewed materials in her handout. She said that there is a flatter structure in a PSR program than in more traditional clinical programs. It is essential that the program members feel from the staff that they have a potential for growth. Flawing mental illness and having had some lack of success in their past does not mean that the members have no potential for success and recoveryin the future. The program staff uses a practical and pragmatic. They fully support the idea that important benefits come from therapy and from other clinical treatment. However, in PSR, the workers role is to help the program member deal with the here and now, and the issues that are immediately in front of them. The staff doesn't try to proc- ess the issues through talking, but rather work on concrete helping them with problem solving and resolu- tion. They help the individual to stabilize their situation in very concrete ways. Nis. Shimon said that in using PSR WilPower tries to teach people by doing activities with them, whether it is accompanying them to register at the Social Security office or cleaning bathrooms at the program center. PSR has staff look hard at the strengths of their members, and at specific outcomes. It is verygoal focused, i.e., where are they now and where do you want them to go. PSR would have you actively work with other agencies, family members, and generic services as a pan of a comprehensive support package. The idea is that no one entity can help the person alone. WilPower incorporates the PSR model by involving its pro- gram members in the service planning process, and tries very hard to have the members assist in running their program. Underneath the entire PSR model is treating people with respect and dignity. Ms. Canter asked for a description for the way an average client might work their way through the program elements at WilPower. Nis. Shimon said that last year WilPower served 190 people; 60% were men. The majority of them have schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorders. The balance have are either bipolar or have depression. About 50% have had a substance abuse problem. The average age of the members is the late 30's, but in the past year they have begun to see many more young adults. Some of the members have been at WilPower since the beginning of the program. Many have gone to some college; some have been married and divorced; 30% of them worked during the year. May 13, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 2 of 8 Minutes approved WilPowees office is in Northfield, and that is inhere they provide the clubhouse approach to their services. Nis. Shimon said that WilPower gets referrals from Turning Point. losseIyri Center, private therapists and psychiatrics, Elgin Mental Health Center. families, townships, and other program members. Many of the people indicate that they would like to learn more about their illness in order to manage it, and to avoid a rehospitalization. A large number of people are looking for resources to assist them with living independ- ently. Ms. Shimon said in the initial engagement phase when a person starts getting involved with WilPower, they establish a service schedule with the members to implement the PSR approach. Groups come in the morning and afternoon to receive education about medications and symptoms so the individuals can man- age their illness. There are leisure groups that are more social in nature and provide enjoyable activities. One of the devastating aspects of mental illness is that people become isolated, so they try to help the indi- viduals address that. There are also process groups that deal with problem solving and skill building to help the individuals progress in their recovery. WilPower has their members participate in daily work crews by pitching in to help keep the clubhouse go- ing. They do maintenance, shopping, cooking, cleaning, and other meaningful activities. It provides the members with a sense of pride with haying accomplished a job well done, helps them build stamina, and temporarily distracts and distances them from their own problems. A significant part of the service plan at WilPower is working and job coaching. The "team" will help people finds a job. After they are hired, the job team provides support with job coaching and supported employment. Ms. Shimon added that Wil- Power also assists individuals who are seeking to return to college or trade schools. Ms. Shimon commented that WilPower has 43 staff. Half of them are in the agency's residential program. The balance of the staff is in the PSR and employment activities. The agency manages 33 slots for housing; there is one house each in Glencoe, Wilmette, and Morton Grover, and two homes in Skokie. In these homes there are 20 slots that are funded through the State's CILA. Program, five are funded through pri- vate pay, and eight are funded through HUD grants. In response to Mr. Saver, Ms. Shimon said that the HUD -funded program was funded through the north suburban Cook County Continuum of Care process. The funding is for people who are homeless and men- tally ill. In response to Mr. Krulee, Ms. Shimon explained that stated that Housing Options and WilPower are col- legial agencies. Housing Options provides housing specifically for Evanston residents, while WilPower serves residents who are in the north and northwest areas of Cook County. In response to other Board members' questions, Ms. Shimon said that WilPower residents have no time limit on their stay with the agency. This «•as a decision that was made in the very early days of the agency bi its board. Ms. Shimon commented that WilPower now has their first scattered site project of six apart- ments. She said that people living together with others has such strong potential to provide a tremendous supportive environment. Mr. Saver said that in the past, DMH had difficulty determining how to work with and recognize a club- house or drop -in center model. It didn't fit under any of the state's clinical protocols. He asked whether WilPower was having any trouble conforming to the DMH's requirements in their clubhouse or PSR pro- grams. Ms. Shimon said that when the State adopted PSR, they were pleased that it was the focus of Wil- May 13, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 3 of 8 Minutes approved Power. However, they noticed that there were significant difference between the State's idea of PSR and what WilPower does. She said that she is comfortable thinking that the agency is operating within the State's guidelines and their rules. Ms. Shimon reported that WilPower's Board of Directors fully supports the idea of upholding the PSR pro- gram model. This is a recover- movement that is lead by people who are recovering themselves. The un- derlying principle is that people who are affected much have much more to say about how it should be done. The Mental Health Board thanked his. Shimon for her presentation. III. AGENCY ACCOUNTABILITY Ms. Canter asked Pamela Thomas from Evanston/Skokie Valley Senior Services to report on the b's An- nual Aging Nell Conference, and her agency's recent Medicare forum. Ms. Thomas said that this year was the largest attendance for Aging Well, where there were approximately 140 attendees. The first speaker was Bo Price, a community activist and youth mentor, who is well known in Evanston. He resides at Jacob Blake Manor. Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky also provided a keynote. Both proved to be big draws for the event. Ms. Thomas reported that there were ten breakout sessions, and from what she has heard, so far, everyone received positive comments. The four MHB members who had attended liked the range oftop- ics presented. Ms. Kalish and Mr. Saver commented that there was more diverse group who attended this year, and that there were significantly more men. Ms. Thomas said she was requested to speak on a forum held at the Levy Senior Center regarding prescrip- tion drugs and the new prescription drug cards. She said that this is a huge issue and people arc confused about it because it is very complicated. Nis. Thomas said she presented with Nancy Flowers, Lang -Term Care Ombudsman. There were approximately 70 - 75 attendees. Ms. Thomas said she had staff available at the presentation to help them complete "Benefits Clteck-up." It is an online program in which you provide all of your background information and it gives you a personalized overview of all of the benefits forwhich you are eligible. The web site for the program is www.BencfitsCheckUp.org. Ms. Canter thanked Ms. Thomas for her input. Liaison Reports BE HIV. Ms. Walker reported that Cabaret BEHIV would be Saturday, May 22. She said that she planned to attend the event, which should be a nice fundraiser. Metropolitan Family Services ( IFS). Sandra Stumme, Executive Director indicated that MFS was is- sued a cease and desist letter about the use of the program name Project SEED. This is the Cityand MFS's partnership that is funded by SAINiHSA. An attorney sent a letter noting that Project SEED is a copy- righted title for a program in California that provides educational and mathematical skills for older chil- dren. They have to now come up with a new program title. Ms. Stumme said that if any MHB member has a suggestion, that they should contact her. May 13, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 4 of 8 Minutes approved Human Services Committee. tits. Canter reported that the MHB recently had their discussion with the Human Services Committee (HSC). She said that she. Jane Grover, and Harvey Saver were in attendance. Ms. Canter said that it had been a very positive discussion. The members of the HSC asked a number of questions about what differences are being made in the community by the Board's funding allocations to community agencies in the community. She said that it was similar to the issues the Board had been rais- ing about outcome measures. The HSC was very complimentary about the work that the MHB has been doing. IV. QUARTERLY REPORT PROCESS Ms. Sittler referred to the MHB packet. She said that earlier that evening she met with the three agencies that will be using the pilot Quarterly Report Form through June. There were a number of comments the representative raised about the form that is in the packet, and they will be incorporated into the evaluation and feedback process in using the farm. Ms. Sittler said that Mr. Saver would provide the submitted re- ports for the Board to decide whether it seems to be providing the kind of information that is being sought. The MHB made some final recommendations about revisions to the form that will be incorporated before the form is distributed to the three agencies: Child Care Center of Evanston, Childcare Network of Evans- ton, and North Shore Senior Center. Als. Sittler said that after the Board gives final approval to the form after the test phase, a training will be provided for all of the agencies at the same time regarding haw to use it. V. 11HB 2004 FUNDING ALLOCATION PROCESS Hearing Schedule. Mr. Saver asked the MHB for direction on how to go about arranging the schedule for the 2004 funding hearings. He said that this fall there would be five agencies rather than three that will be reviewed by the NIHB at its October meeting. This will requite an additional one hour and 20 minutes. He asked whether the Board wanted to continue to also have a review of proposals that evening that would be presented at the Saturday hearings in light of the additional proposals that would be reviewed. He said if that were the case, the Thursday meeting would run from approximately 6:00-10:15 p.m. There was a consensus of the Board that the discussion during the proposal review was important and pro- vided valuable information for consideration during the agency hearings. There was a discussion about several options that the Board could consider in arranging the schedule. Mr. Saver said he would develop the calendar for the allocation process and would use the input to provide several different options that the MHB could consider at the June meeting. In response to a question, Mr. Saver explained that the turn around time to get the proposals to the Board members was necessary in order to checkout and ensure that the proposals were complete. Last year, sev- era] agencies omitted budget forms, outcome measures, orportions of the narrative. He said that the MHB indicated that it would not review those proposals until they were completed, so they have to be returned to agencies for completion. Final Draft Revision of Agency Narrative. Mr. Saver said that he included in the packet a copy of the final version of the Agency Narrative. He said that it was a clean copy and omitted all of the redlining that May 13, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 5 of 8 Minutes approved was in the previous version. He reviewed the language of the new section on program outcome measures and said that there would still need to be some examples of good outcome measures incorporated. Mr. Saver said that, based upon the Board's previous discussion, there were no changes to the budget forms. The only thing that is revised is the reference years. This rear, the forms will be available on the City web page for downloading, and they will include formulas where necessary. Summary Information about the Proposal Funding Request. Mr. Saver presented a summary spread- sheet with data that will summarize all of the information specific to the consideration of the funding re- quest. Fie said that the information has always been available, but it has been found in several different forms. The MHB agreed that the form would be of use and suegested some additional information that they would like to review. Kickoff for the Proposal Development Process. Air. Saver asked whether the Board wanted to provide a kickoff of some type of training for the proposal process this fall. He said that he thought this would be important this year as a way of dealing with the Mob's increased concem about the type of outcome meas- ures that are being submitted in the proposals. He said that he thought that if the Board did not want to pro- vide the training, the alternative would probably be staff responding to each agency's questions as they come up. He said that he thought that this would be the case, given the amount of time the Board has spent discussing and revising what it is that they are looking for in this fall's proposals. Every agency that reads the Board minutes or attends the meetings will be aware of that. In response to a question, Mr. Saver said that he thought one-on-one trainings between the Agency Liaison and their agencies might be problematic and lead to some inconsistencies this first time around with the new language in the proposal. Therc was a consensus decision among the Board members to have an initial kickoff for the proposal process. Several Board members and staff will address and answer questions regarding the 2004 funding proposal. Ms. Sinler said that depending upon the timing, it might be effective to combine the proposal kickofTwith a training about the new Quarterly Report form. VI. NOMINATING COMINIITTEE REPORT Mr. Krulee said that he and Ms. Kalish served as the Nominating Committee for Board officers for 2004- 2005. They nominated Sue Canter for Chair and Randy Walker for Vice Chair for the period to begin July 2004. Mr. Krulee reported that the election would be at the June meeting, at which time additional nomi- nations could be made from the floor. VII. CHAIR REPORT Ms. Canter said because Ms. Grover was not present there was not a report from the Chair. She said that Ms. Grover would contact the MHB members about a new date for a Board dinner at her home. VIII. STAFF REPORT May 13, 2004 Mental Health hoard Meeting Minutes Page a of a Minutes approved Mr. Saver reported that, while there doesn't seem to be much progress in the development of the FY04-05 State Budget, plans seem to be moving ahead with the MAX Initiative and fee for service (FFS) arrange- ments. He said that the reports that he received from one of the M[IB's membership organizations is that the Division of Mental Health has been informing the State Legislature that there is an agreement with the mental health agencies about the details for the startup of the FFS. However, the trade agencies involved in the negotiations have been reporting that this is not the case. They indicate that there are some basic prin- ciples upon which there is some agreement. Mr.. Saver said he received information from CBHAI that in- dicated there are three phases that are going to be introduced in rolling out FFS for those programs that have been targeted. It will be initiated with the developmental disability agencies starting July 1. In addi- tion, there has been agreement that a significant portion of the new Medicaid reimbursement that comes to the State for DD services will be reinvested into sen-ices. Initially, the proposed Budget was built with all new Medicaid match fund reimbursing the General Revenue Fund. The substance abuse programs will also start FFS July I. However, this part of the initiative will include a loan and payback to assist programs with some of the initial cash -flow problems that are projected. An advance will be paid to the agencies. 'there will be a reconciliation process for the advance, which will mean that programs could be running short in the out months when they will be expected to give back I/I3`sof the advance each month. Mr. Saver provided an update on the Family Support Network training. This will be for consumers and their parents or family members. It is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, November 13, Mr. Saver said as an initiative of the local, SANIHS A -funded early childhood mental health prevention pro- ject (the project previously known as SEED), the planning is moving ahead for the fall conference on childhood mental health prevention. He said he has been meeting with member of Metropolitan Family Services Advisory Council, the United Way, the Evanston Community Foundation, and the Childcare Net- work of Evanston. That date has tentatively been scheduled for Saturday, November b. He encouraged any of the Board members who might be interested in participating in the planning to speak with him about it. Mr. Saver said that they had concluded the last sessions of training with the Police about working with people with mental illness. He said that, as a result, Trilogy's Emergency Mental Health Services (EMHS) line has already started receiving quite a few new referrals and call -outs to assist the Police officers. One outcome from the training is that Sgt. Bob Mayer from the EPD Community Problem Solving Team in- vited the EMHS staff to come out on several ride -along. They would like to begin to develop steps with Trilogy to identify individuals on the street with whom both group are familiar and have regular contact. They would like to see whether there is anything that can be to help these individuals out in a proactive way. Mr. Saver reported that Dr. Fred Miller, Department Chair of ENH's Department of Psychiatry will be pre- senting at the June 10 MHB meeting. Mr. Saver said that he has recently learned some very limited infor- mation details about some psych programs closing at ENH. In addition there is a program that is going to be joining with ENH that will be doing some community -based programming with persons with severe and persistent mental illness. Mr. Saver reminded the 1411B to submit their registration or the June 6"' Third Annual Mental Health Con- ference on child and adolescent depression, which the Board is sponsoring. It will be held at Beth Emet the Free Synagogue. Mr. Saver said that a part of the keynote proceedings for the conference will e a viewing of video that Dr. Miller from ENH has produced. It is teens talking about their own experiences with de- pression and suicide. He said that he thought it was a stunning video and was very thoughtfully done. May 13, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 7 of 8 Minutes approved Mr. Saver reported that he has been invited to be a participant in a statewide working forum to develop the plan for the Illinois Children's Mental Health Partnership. It v6 ill be convened on Friday, June 17. Mr. Saver reported that he met with the City's Web Master who is beginning to develop the architecture and structure to turn "This Might Help" into an electronic, online directory. The target date to turn on the directory with update information is this fall. Mr. Saver added that there might be an opportunity to have an intern from Northwestern University this summer to assist with updating and preparing the database. He added that he would also have him assist with the development and planning for the two fall conferences that are under way. Meeting adjourned at 9:00. Respectfully submitted, Joan M. Baron May 13, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 8 of a Minutes approved Members Present: Presiding: Staff. - Community Representatives: EVANSTON MENTAL HEALTH BOARD MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 2004 Sue Canter, Carol Sittler, Victoria Kalish, Jane Grover, Randy Walker Jane Grover, Chair Jay Terry, Harvey Saver, Joan M. Barott Sandra Stumme (Metropolitan Family Services); Pam Thomas (Evanston/Skokie Valley Senior Services); Martha Arntson, (Childcare Nehvork of Evanston); Karen Vroegh (Mental Health Association of the North Shore); Meredith Grif- fith, Karen Helfrich (Trilop--Evanston); Dr. Fred Miller, MD (Evanston North- western Healthcare) Sue Canter, Vice Chair, called the meeting to order at 7:10 p.m. 1. INTRODUCTIONS AND CON11MUNITY COMMENTS Ms. Canter welcomed the guests and asked that they introduce themselves. Karen Helfrich, outgoing Program Manager for Trilogy Evanston thanked the MHB for their support dur- ing her tenure with the program. She introduced Meredith Griffith, who will be replacing her. Ms. Canter indicated that the approval of the minutes would be deferred until there was a quorum present. II. BOARD DEVELOPMENT: UPDATE ON DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY AT EVANSTON HOSPITAL. DR. FRED MILLER, CHAIR, DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY, EVANSTON NORTHWESTERN HEALTHCARE Dr. Fred Miller, Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at Evanston Northwestern Healthcare, joined the MHB. Dr. Miller said that there are now three sites for the Department of Psychiatry's services through Evanston Northwestern Healthcare (ENI-1): Evanston Hospital, Highland Park Hospital, and Glenbrook Hospital. Ile referred to materials that were provided in the MI-IB packet. Dr. Miller reported that Evanston Hospital has an adult inpatient psychiatric unit. At this point, all seven- teen beds are full all the time. He said that people occupy some of the beds for a very long time. This has largely been the result of the State of Illinois' mental health facilities no longer being willing to take any- one who has funding. They are also pushing all of their funded agencies to work to deflect as many people June 10, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 1 Minutes approved as possible from the state mental health centers. In addition, there are fewer private psychiatric beds in the nearby vicininy than there were two years ago. Dr. Miller said that their inpatient unit would take any indi- viduals. (Jane Grover joined the meeting at 7:25 p.m., and assumed the role of Chair.) Dr. Miller said their Bridges Program serves children who have psychiatric problems. The Adolescent Bridges Program, for ages I I-17, and the Bridges Early Childhood Program, up to ace 10, meet the behav- ioral, mental, emotional, social and developmental health needs of the child or adolescent. The program staff also responds to their clients' family issues. The program provides individual, family and group coun- seling, as well as crisis intervention. In addition to medication management and individual and family treatment, the Bridges Programs offer intervention and support in the home, school and larger community, including staffing at Evanston Township High School. Three social workers and a psychiatrist provide the The Community Psychiatry Program is a long-standing program at Evanston Hospital. It has gone through a number of changes over time. Historically, a number of the programs were funded previously by the MHB for work with persons with severe mental illness, i.e., Access, Refocus, and Crisis Intervention Ser- vices. Dr. Miller said at these programs went through changes they became the Phoenix Program. It offers medication management, therapy, crisis intervention, and case management services. They have a full time case manager, social worker, nurse and two psychiatrists. Phoenix also had a Dialectical Behavioral Ther- apy program (DBT) that was funded primarily with rehab dollars. The program was for persons who had problems typified by their inability to control emotions, or borderline personality disorders. The program is in jeopardy as the State begins to focus upon fee -for -services as a means of funding programs. It was al- ways a struggle to keep the program going because the performance measures from the program were not what the State wanted. Dr. Miller reported that ENH has been successful in recruiting a new program that is moving to Evanston from the University of Chicago. The Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation is a nationally well-known pro- gram that is headed by Dr. Patrick Corrigan. The center's focus is in providing psychosocial rehabilitation (PSR), and helping other places to set up PSR programs. The center also does research through a consor- tium that is researching the impact of stigma on mental health treatment. The new services will be coming to town as of July 1. Dr. Miller said that they would be taking over the rehab portion for ENH. Dr. Miller added that the new center %vilI be bringing their PSR services into community settings, rather than into hospital based clinic space. Dr. ~filler read the following statement about the Supported Services Programs that was provided by Dr. Corrigan: "Based n research at our Center and that of our nationwide colleagues, the Supported Services Programs will combine cutting edge principles and strategies of recovery -based rehabilitation to help adults with ps),chiatric disabilities or with co-occurring disorders to achieve their life goals. 77ieseprinciples include: First person -led sen ice teams in which the person has primary control over goal identification; June 10, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 2 Minutes approved • Rapid placement into settings that help the person achiere these goals; • Ongoing and communitti--based support and skills training �o help the person achieve and maintain these goals; • Ongoing community -based assessment of program success; and • Inclusion of all support stistems (e.g.. parents, spouses, children) that the person deems important for achievement of his or her goals. Specific services include supported housing. emplo -ment, education, and healthcare. " Dr. Miller said that he was delighted that the new service line would be providing teams based in the com- munity to help people. Dr. Miller said that a decision was made to specialize in inpatient care at Highland Park. They have a 12- bed adolescent and young adult unit that runs very full during the school year. This unit used to be located at Evanston Hospital. There is also a partial hospitalization program for adults and adolescents, and a sepa- rate program for eating disorders. The Chapman Center for chemical dependency, also previously at Evanston Hospital, is now at Highland Park_ Dr. Miller said that there has been a shifting around of services at ENH, but no major turn -around or changes with their current programs. The Catalyst Program earlier became the DBT Program in a merger. Those staff will migrate to ENI-I's psychiatric programs at Highland Park Hospital. Ms. Kalish asked how the new programs services as of July I would dovetail with the services that people are currently receiving from ENH. Dr. Miller said that all of the DBT clients have terminated care. They might be eligible for the new PSR approach, but the new program will have to get grounded before they can receive care from that program. Ms. Canter asked what the biggest changes had been over Dr.Miller's tenure of six years with ENH Psy- chiatry. He responded that things make a lot more sense now: ■ The Catalyst Program was eery big, but the staff was seeing eery few patients; the numbers were never what they were expected to see for their DHS funding. Now they have people who know how to do rehab type of work. There are shorter lengths of stay for the inpatient unit. The state hospitals are being ruthless about not willing to take on new admits. At the same time, the inpatient units are saying they can't do an}7hing else for the individual. Chicago Read MHC and El- gin MHC will not take them because their total census has been cut. Ms. Walker asked what options a person has who gets in to the inpatient unit, and no one else will take them on in one of the State facilities. Dr. Miller said that they stay in ENH's Inpatient Unit, and that no one is turned out, even if they are not funded. lie added that the staff does look for other ways that these indi- viduals care can be funded. Dr. Miller commented that what is going on with the State mental health cen- ters is another approach to deinstitutionalization, and it is happening very quietly. It is happening because June 10, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 3 Minutes approved the State facilities are keeping such a tight control on the front door, and trying to move people out more quickly. Ms. Walker commented that seventeen beds in the inpatient unit sounds like a relatively small number, given that Resurrection at St. Francis closed their unit. In Evanston alone. the need for inpatient beds arises from Albany Care, Greenwood Care, and Housing Options, not to mention how many people who are un- diagnosed and in need of treatment. She asked whether there was a possibility of ENH expanding its inpa- tient unit. Dr. Miller said that %vas not very likely. ENII is notable to provide service to cover what the State cannot or will not do. 13e added that, already, they are expecting that the State DMH will be paying less for services under the proposed fee -for -services arrangement. All of the mental health programs will have to be billing additional services to MRO, which is going to require the expense of an additional billing process. Dr. Miller commented that ENH's decision to have a separate inpatient location for kids has worked out very well. Ms. Sittler asked whether there is any flexibility from insurance companies in paying for inpatient stay. Dr. Miller said that was not the case, and things are getting tighter. As an example, he indicated that 28-day social detox programs essentially no Ionger exist. Detox is being handled as a very short medical procedure in a medical bed. Currently, the average length of stay that the insurance companies authorize is approxi- mately 5 days. Ms. Sittler asked whether there was any possibility of getting any additional flexibility from CRMHC. Dr. Miller said that already the facility would not take anyone who has funding. They have to be able to find inpatient care in a private psych hospital. Mr. Saver asked whether Dr. Corrigan's entire unit from UniversityofChicago would be moving to Evans- ton. Dr. Miller said that all of the personnel would be coming. The institute will be located at 1033 Uni- versity on the north edge of what used to be Research Park in Evanston. The Mental Health Board thanked Dr. Miller for his presentation. Ili. REVIENV AND APPROVAL OF APRIL 08 AND :1IAY I3, 2004 AIINUTES Ms. Grover stated the April 08, 2004 minutes were approved as sent. After comment, Ms. Grover said that the May 13, 2004 minutes were approved with minor corrections. IV. AGENCY ACCOUNTABILITY Liaison Reports June 10, 2004 Mental health Board Meeting Minutes Page 4 Minutes approved Thresholds Transitions. Ms. Kalish said that she spoke with Peter Illing, Program Director. He indicated that July l there is going to be a program shift. Currently, a person comes into the program under PSR. If they want vocational training, that can be provided later on. The change will permit their members to have a choice of PSR or a Vocational program. They think that this will enable them to move people along more quickly into jobs. if possible. Mr. IIling also reported that Thresholds is going to be one of the 30 test sites for the State of Illinois in implementine the fee -for -service process. The agencies involved will be held harmless financially as they work through the new system. tics. Kalish said that Mr. Illing reported that the agency has not yet done anything about the Behavioral Therapist position that the MHB is funding. The agency is being very cautious because the level of State funding is very much up in the air, and they are not able to get a firm fix on what will happen to their PSR program. Evanston/Skokie Valley Senior Services. Ms. Kalish reported that the North Shore Senior Center re- ceived a 2-year grant for S140,000 from the Retirement Research Institute. The funds are for a multi- cultural health initiative, and will enable the agency to hire staff to assist with the growing Assyrian and Russian populations in their area. The Evanston office is losing two supervisors by the end of June. One is moving out of state. The other will be a "home dad," and will be in the office one day a week. Trilogy. Ms. Walker said that she Meredith Griffith, the new Program Manager at Trilogy Evanston. BEHIV. Ms. Walker reported that "Cabaret BE HIV" was May 22. She said that the fundraiser was terri- fic. John Ames indicated that BEHIV was recently awarded a grant from the CDC that may be for as much as 5400,000, renewable for five years. BEHIV was asked to move their office space in the location on Ridge across the hall. The agency thinks that this will work to their advantage. Ms. Grover reported that she spoke with mark Tendam, BEHIV"s Board President. He said that BE HIV grossed approximately 530,000 from the fundraiser, and netted about 520,000. The event also enabled them to add significantly to their list of current donors. Metropolitan Family Services {`IFS}. Ms. Canter said that she attended MFS's May Community Advi- sory Board Meeting. Like many other aeencies,,`iFS is struggling with the State's fee -far -service initiative and the budget issues. To counteract the possible problems associated with this, theyhave been very active in fund raising, and are trying some new strategies. AIFS is hoping to start a new program on gang preven- tion in Skokie later in the year. It will be dependent upon fundraising. Ms. Stumme reported to the Advi- sory Board that there will be a conference in the fall on social and emotional learning and development in young children, in conjunction with the SANJUISA grant for Project SEED. MFS is working with the Childcare Network of Evanston, United Way, School District n65, Mental Health Board, and Evanston Community Foundation to plan the forum. Sandra Stumme, Executive Director of NIFS, reported that Project SEED was ordered to stop using that name by the attorney for another program by the same name. It was a trademark infringement. She said that the program was renamed Reach, Learn, and Grow. June 10, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 5 Minutes approved Quarterly Report Process. Ms. Grover invited Pamela Thomas, Evanston/Skokie Valley Senior Ser- vices, and Martha Arntson. Childcare Network of Evanston, to the table to discuss their use of the pilot Agency Quarterly Report fori-n. She indicated that Helen Roberts -Evans from Childcare Center of Evans- ton, the third test site, was unable to attend MFIB meeting tonight. Nis. Arntson said that she liked the new form and the formatting. Both she and his. Thomas commented on some aspects of the form that were dif- ficult to use, and made suggestions about changes that would make it more straightforward to enter data. Ms. Thomas also said that the row for the entry of the actual outcomes was confusing as to where data for each quarter was to be entered. Ms. Arntson said that she liked the section for the narrative being shorter and confined to one page. Mr. Saver said that the length of the narrative, as before. was still up to cite agency. There area number of trig- ger questions with examples for each agency to respond to. but they are still free to structure their narrative with the information that is most important for them. However, there are no page limits, at this point, on the narrative. Ms. Kalish suggested that the narrative be reorganized so that the questions are adjacent to the agency response. There was an alternative suggestion that all of the instructions and unnecessary text be incorporated on a separate sheet of instructions to clean up the report form. That way, there would be a structured section for the report on outcome objectives and comments, and a narrative section that each agency would structure based upon their report each month. The Board discussed whether to ask the agencies to retain the comments about their objectives and the agency narrative from quarter to quarter. Ms. Canter said that it might be useful to be able to look back at earlier comments or issues while reading a subsequent quarterly report. Ms. Sittler said that it might be too much information and too much repetition from quarter to quarter, so the report will begin to look cluttered with old information. She said that she thought the most important information to carry forward was the numbers and percentages for the outcomes. Ms. Sittler asked the agency directors whether there would be significant changes in the narrative when it is filled out three months later. Isis. Arnston commented that, even now, she reports if the agency received financial commitments for new funding in writing. She also reports who the new directors are at the various centers. and Iegislative issues or changes in the big picture of early childhood programming. She said the ori]y reason that she repeats issues from one quarter to the next is if it still is a major issue. The NIHB decided to consider whether the comments and/or the narrative should be carried forward from report to report after they reviewed the second use of the test format. Ms. Thomas said that she thought that the new form would work well. She said that she particularly liked the format being electronic. She thought it would be beneficial to see the outcome results for each of four quarters, and the aggregated outcome results for the year on a single page. She commented that the new format was about the same in case of use as the old format. However, she said she thought it was easier to read and understand. Iris. Thomas said that she thought her agency had useful program outcome measures. She suggested that it might be useful for the \iHB to be prepared to provide input to some of the agencies that have more difficulty in developing their measures. ibis. Thomas said that one problem that she noted was the requirement that agencies provide samples of agency and/or program brochures, reports, articles, etc. in which MI B funding is highlighted. Because the report is electronic and is being submitted elec- tronically, it will not be possible to submit the examples together with the report. Mr. Saver recommended June 10, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 6 Minutes approved that the report simply provide an annotated roster or list of where and how the Board's funding was empha- sized. Separately, each agency could send in examples if they chose to. Ms. Grover thanked Ms. Thomas and Ms. Amston for their input and assisting the MHB to test the new quarterly report form. V. lIHB 2004 FUNDING ALLOCATION PROCESS Hearing Schedule. Mr. Saver said that the materials have been prepared and the electronic budget forms have been updated for the 2004 allocation hearings. He referred to the options presented in the Board packet for the allocation review schedule. He said that he was prepared to distribute all of the materials to the agencies no later than the week of July 19. The due date for the proposals will be Friday, September 10. The MHB reaffirmed that no proposals could be submitted late, and were not to be accepted after the deadline Mr. Saver said that the MHB would separately review frvc agencies, and hear proposals from 14 agencies in combination with the United Way. The hearing date for the MHB-United Way hearings is Saturday, Oc- tober 23. After a discussion of the options presented in the packet, the MHB agreed upon the following: • On Thursday, October 7, the 1iHB will review all of the proposals and discuss strengths and weak- nesscs, issues for clarification. and new funding issues for each of the proposals. The agencies will be invited to sit in and listen to the discussion, and the issues will be communicated to the agencies prior to their respective hearings to enable them to prepare for their hearings. Ms. Grover asked that each proposal be assigned to 3 Board members to read for the review, and to lead the discus- sion. Each Agency Liaison will be assigned to the proposal for their own agencies. • On Thursday, October 14, the NIHB will conduct hearings for the ftvc agencies that are applying for funding only from the Board. Mr. Saver said that the hearings would take approximately three hours. In response to a question, Mr. Saver said that Center for Independent Futures would be pre- senting at this hearing. • On Saturday, October 23, the MHB and the United Way will convene the combined hearings. Kickoff for the Proposal Development Process. The MHB decided top to present a kickoff forthe agen- cies for the 2004 allocation process. This will provide an opportunity to discuss the Board's concerns about the projected outcome measures that presented in the proposal narratives. Board members will also be able to review the revised directions for outcome measures that are in this year's proposal format. Mr. Saver said if that were the case, it would also be a good opportunity to introduce the agencies with the new format for reporting outcome measures in the Agency Quarterly Report, as well. In discussion, the Board determined that the meeting would not be mandatory. However, the agencies would still be responsible for the materials and information that would be covered. Mr. Saver said that he June 10, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 7 Minutes approved would send all of the materials out in advance. Nis. Grover asked that a memo be sent to the agency direc- tors advising them to pay special attention to the language requested for outcome measures and to encour- age them to attend the kickoff meeting. VI. BOARD DEVELOPMENT Mr. Saver said that the Board had already had four separate presentations for Board development at the monthly meetings. He asked for feedback about the organization, and solicited additional suggestions for upcoming meetings, if the Board wanted to continue the schedule. Ms. Walker said that she appreciated hearing about programs and issues without always having to consider funding considerations. She added that she thought a focus for future presentations should be best practices in the human services field. There was a consensus to resume the presentations after the fall hearings. Mr. Saver said that, in response to a request, he has a presentation arranged for September on standards for substance abuse and dual diagnosis (MISA) treatment. The NIHB requested that the video There's No Such Thing as Crazy, produced by Dr. Fred Miller, be reviewed at the July meeting. VII. ELECTION OF OFFICERS Ms. Grover thanked Ms. Kalish and Mr. Krulee for serving on the Nominating Committee. Ms. Kalish reviewed the Nominating Committee's report for MHB Officers for 2004-2005 that was deliv- ered at the May meeting. She asked for additional nominations, but there were no additional nominations from the floor. Nis. Kalish moved and %fr. Krulee seconded a motion to accept by acclimation the nomination of Sue Canter as Chair and Randy Walker as Vice -Chair for the Mental Health Board's 2004-2005 program year. The motion passed unanimously (5 aye -- 0 no). VIII. REPORT FROM THE CHAIR Ms. Grover asked if the NiHB members wanted to meet in August 2004. By consensus, the Board agreed to cancel the August meeting. Ms. Grover congratulated Ms. Sittler and Nis. Kalish, who have been reappointed to the MHB for a second term. IX. STAFF REPORT Mr. Saver reported that City Manager Roger Crum is retiring at the end of June. He said that there is a re- ception for the community for Mr. Crum on June 14 in the City Council Chambers, 5:00-7:00 p.m. June 10, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 8 Minutes approved Mr. Saver said that Housing Options reported that they are going through a transition with their clinical support services. He said that Alexander Brown, Executive Director, told him the agency had been getting increasing pressure from the State and from accreditation agencies to look at bringing all of the clinical support services in-house. Currently, and since the agency's inception. those services have been contracted out to other providers. Thresholds is now the only provider that is delivering those services. Mr. Saver said that Housing Options' Board went through a lengthy assessment process to determine whether they wanted to assume the responsibility for the clinical and supportive services. Recently, they agreed that they would bring the services back in-house. They decided that the agency had matured enough, and had the capacity and knowledge to expand into a clinical provider, as well as a housing provider. Mr. Saversaid that he was told that Thresholds agreed, for the purposes of continuity, to allow all of the staff currently employed in the Housing Options project to transition to work directly for Housing Options. There will be a 6-month transition period, with the changeover to happen January 2005. Mr. Saver reported that the Mental Health Board's section of the City's web page now has a listing for all of the Board's funded programs. The listings have a description of the funded services, and a hotlink to email the agency or go directly to its web pane. The site was set up to highlight the services that are being provided for the community with local tax dollars. Mr. Saver commented that a volunteer from Northwestern University will be doing an internship with the office this summer. He will be updating the information in the This,%fiehr Help directory, and organizing it as an online, searchable resource. The timeline for having it available is by this Fall. Mr. Saver said the intem will also be helping organize the Family Support Network conference and the conference on early childhood mental health prevention. Mr. Saver reported on the Third Annual Mental Health Conference on June 6. He said there was a very strong response to the event on child and adolescent depression. There were about 150 people registered in advance, however over 300 people attended the event. There was also a strong turn -out by Evanston agen- cies in providing information tables for participants. The conference next year will be held June 5, 2005, and the focus will be depression in adults and seniors. Mr. Saver said that the MHB has been invited to serve on the Steering Committee again. Mr. Saver said that on Thursday, June 17, there will be an assembly of the Illinois Children's Mental Help Partnership from 12:30-5:00 p.m. He indicated that the event will brine together people who are working on a number of task groups to develop the design and plan to implement the Children's Mental Health Act. The presenters will be providing information about programs and statewide systems in other locations as a way of providing direction for Illinois' planning activities. Mr. Saver distributed information from Tom Jager at the United Way regarding their2004-05 allocations. He said that Mr. Jager indicated that, as a result of some of the cost savings from the larger, metropolitan United Way reorganization, locally there was an additional S84,000 available this year. June 10, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 9 Minutes approved Mr. Saver said Mr. Jager has invited the MHB to the Annual United Way Meeting on June 16, at 7:30 p.m. at the Evanston Ecology Center. Mr. Terry commented that he has been involved with a new planning process in the past few weeks, Mayor Morton, has undertaken an effort to try to coordinate all the soup kitchens and the volunteer efforts in those food sites that are directed towards the homeless in Evanston. Her main concern is that there be more than food provided at the sites, and that there be some hope in changing the lives and outcomes of the persons who visit the soup kitchens on a daily basis. Mr. Terry said that he and Alisa Dean have been involved in the meetings. In response to a question, Mr. Tern• said there are 12 soup kitchens in Evanston. Mr. Terry reported that one of the chairs of one of the Evanston social services agencies introduced him to the book beeeinv for Chanee by Roger Eggers. fir. Eggers established the central soup kitchen in Wash- ington, D.C., and has also served as interim director of Washington, D.C.'s United Way. He said that the book was thought -provoking book, and raised some good questions about the entire social service industry, funding of services, and some of the assumptions about why we do what we do in social services. He said that he had books ordered for the MHB members. After they are distributed he said that it might be inter- esting to be able to site down together to discuss some of the issues that are raised. Meeting adjourned at 9:00. Respectfully submitted, Joan M. Barott June 10, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 10 Minutes recorded — not yet approved EVA`STON MENTAL HEALTH BOARD MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, JULY 08, 2004 Members Present: Sue Canter, Carol Sittler. Victoria Kalish, Jane Grover, Gill Kruiee. Linda Laatsch, Ann Gauthier. and Randy Walker Presiding: Sue Canter Staff: Haney Saver, Joan M. Barott Community Representatives: Alexander Brown (Housing Options); Pam Thomas (Evans- ton/Skokie Valley Senior Services); Helen Roberts Evans, (Child Care Center of Evanston); Peter Illing (Thresholds/Transitions); Jane Doyle (Center for Independent Futures) Ms. Canter called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. 1. INTRODUCTIONS AND COMMUNITY COMMENTS Ms. Canter welcomed the guests and asked that they introduce themselves. II. REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF JUNE 10, 2004 MINUTES Ms. Grover moved and leis. Kalish seconded a motion to approve the minutes of the June 10, 2004 minutes with corrections as noted. The minutes were unanimously approved S aye-0 no. III. RECOGNITION OF JANE GROVER, COMPLETING THREE TERMS AS CHAIR OF THE h1HB Ms. Canter recognized Jane Grover for her hard work and dedication on the MHB as Chair for the previous three years. She said that she was glad that Jane would remain on the MHB. as a member. Ms. Canter said that during Ms. Grover's term in office, the Board achieved the following accom- plishments: consolidation of human services funding N%ith the MHB's funding; careful reviewing and editing, annually, of the INiHB's forms and contracts; supplement the agency funding process %vith a preliminary proposal review by the Board prior to the hearings; initial discussion and work to incor- porate meaningful outcome objectives into the quarterly reports and funding proposals; continued development of the Board's relationship with the Human Services Committee; tackled the first ma- jor funding cuts for the Board's purchased service agencies in the MHB budget; heightened the Board's visibility with the City Council in the budget process; provided increased advocacy and edu- cation on behalf of the MHB's budget and the populations served with local tax funds; completed the initiatives begun under Lonnie Wiebe, while she was Chair, to develop and adopt the MHB's revised housing policy; and, sponsored a very successful community legislative forum on mental health is - July 08, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page i Minutes recorded — not yet approved sues. Ms. Canter said that the N,1HB .vas very grateful and fortunate to have benefited from Ms. Grover's leadership. She presented her with a gift from the Board as a commemoration of her ser- vice as Chair. a shirt boldh emblazoned with the City of Evanston logo. IV. BOARD DEVELOPMENT: THERE'S A70 SUCH THINGAS CRAZY (VIDEO PRODUCED BY DR. FRED MILLER, CHAIR, DEPARTMENT OF PS1'CHIATRV, EVANSTON NORTHNVESTERN HEALTHCARE As a part of the Hoard Development series, the MHB viewed and discussed a video produced by Dr. Fred Miller, Chair of the Department of Psychiatry, ENH. The video "There's No Such Thing as Crazy" was developed as part of an educational program for schools to target issues related to the stigma of mental illness. The video is a documentary in which teens talk about their experiences with depression, and bipolar or obsessive -compulsive disorder. V. ORIENTATION MEETING FOR 2004 FUNDING HEARINGS Ms. Canter reported the orientation meeting for the 2004 funding hearings would be Wednesday, July 20, from 1:00-2:30 P.M. She said that she hoped that a representative from each agency would be able to attend to go over the new Agency Quarterly Report Form, and changes that had been made in the funding proposal related to outcome measures. Ms. Grover and Ms. Sittler said that they would also attend to assist with the Board's orientation for the agencies. The MHB discussed the nature of the information that would be provided to the agencies at the meeting, and convened a small work group to plan the Board's presentation. In response to a question, Mr. Saver reviewed the changes in the narrative format in the 2004 funding proposal. Hs said that the budget forms have remained unchanged fir three years, except for updat- ing column headings. 41r. Saver said that, at the meeting, he would also provide the agencies with additional resource information about outcome measures. Mr. Saver reminded the MHB that they requested proposals be received earlier this year so that would have time to go through their prelimi- nary read of the funding proposals prior to the October 7 Proposal Review meeting. VI. AGENCY ACCOUNTABILIY It i Update on Thresholds FY04-05 Contract. Peter Illing, Program Manager of Thresholds Transi- tions, joined the 411113. He said that he was asked to come to discuss the status of his agency com- pleting the contract with the MHB for FY03-05. Mr. filing provided the MHB with an update on the Thresholds Transitions' contract situation for FY2004-2005. Mr. filing described the set of local ac- tions and some statewide actions that converged to create a confusing situation. Mr. Illing provided r a quick overview of the merger between NTSW and Thresholds, which was completed October 1, 2003. He said that an initial funding request, under the banner of N'T'SW, was made to the MHB in coordination with a similar request to the Evanston United Way. Both funders were asked to fund half of a new Psychosocial Rehabilitation (PSR) Specialist position. However, while NTSW had For - been_ a United Way agency, Thresholds was not. As a result, the funding request was able to be con- — _- July 08, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 2 Minutes recorded — not yet approved sidered by the NiHB. but there was no action taken on the request from Thresholds. The MHB did provide a S10,000 allocation to Thresholds Transitions for the position. Mr. Tiling continued that in February 2004, Go;•error Blagcjevich announced his budget plan for the State's FY04-05. Subsequently, and slowly, details about how it would impact mental health se %ices were communicated to the agencies. There was a significant statewide reduction proposed in PSR services. The cut, if adopted, was going to result in a S91.000 reduction in the Transitions program budget, which represents 3 FTE staff positions. This obviously had an effect upon the decisions and planning around creating a new position in the Transitions program. Mr. Illing said that by late May, the proposed cuts became more definite, even though a budget had not yet been adopted. In planning for the upcoming fiscal year, starting duly 1, a vocational position was held open, and the agency did not move right away on the NIHB grant -funded position. In addition, Thresholds adopted a budget that assumed a lower level of funding, and had a very clear reduction plan in the event that they actu- ally received the anticipated cuts. However, at the same time, the plan reaffirmed and established the PSR position in the program that they promised to create, in part, with the MHB funds. As a result, Mr. Illing said that he has been given the go-ahead to fill that position and complete the contract with the Board. Mr. Illing said that Thresholds is waiting from the State for the final word on the reduction. But the reduction plan is going to go ahead. They w5l] have to reduce the current members that they serve at any one time, from about 60 to 50. The major reductions for Transitions will have to be in other re- sources, transportation, and management and administration costs. Mr. Illing said that they also will implement an Individual Placement and Support Model for voca- tional placement. This is a stand-alone service component. It was researched and developed to meet the needs of the target population that is just looking for assistance in finding a job, and going to work. Thresholds has a number of individuals who seek assistance to obtain work, and that is all that they request. The new model gill enable them to continue to serve a reasonable number ofpeo- ple. The individuals will get fewer services, but they will receive the services that they have actually requested. Mr. tiling said this model works, and is consistent with emerging paradigms of how ser- vices will be delivered. The MHB thanked Mr. Illing for his presentation, and said that they looked forward to hearing his program's proposal in October. Agency liaison Reports (Board Member Reports) Y.O.U. Ms. Gauthier said that she attended the Y.O.0 Board Meeting. She reported that The Cam- pus Kitchen at Northwestern University is providing the kids in the agency's summer programs a free lunch. The agency is planning volunteer lunch and study hall sessions, back to back, at the high school this fall for kids who have been coming through their program. Y.O.U. staff will meet with them so they use their time constructively. Ms. Gauthier said that she was told that Y.O.U.'s recent capitol campaign raised S 1,360,000, 10% over their goal. During the summer, several of the kids in their summer program are going gratis to the Northwestern Sports Camp. Y.O.U. is trying to reach the Latino community more effectively. July 08. 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 3 Minutes recorded not yet approved Connections for the Homeless. Ms. Gauthier said the agency currently has fifteen board members. They are adding seven new positions to the board. The are looking for African Americans, women, and individuals with marketing and development background. She said that the agency reported that their board donations are at 100%; every one of the board members has donated to the program. Staff has been asked to donate one days pay. Connections is having their 20`s anniversary, and Kraft Foods is donating 51 5,000. North Shore Senior Center. Ms. Kalish commented that she attended the agency's board meeting. She heard a number of reports, met their board members, and got a feeling for what NSSC is doing. Ms. Kalish said that she then attended the Associate Board dinner Evanston Skokie Valley Senior Services. She said that both meetings were very informative. BEHIV. Ms. Walker said "Cabaret BEHIV" which %-as May 22, brought in a little less revenue that what was expected. She referred to the article about BEHIV's new grant that was included in the packet. Trilogy. Ms. Walker said that she attended TriIog%-'s board meeting. She said that they appear to have a large number of people who are active on their board, and who work on their committees. The agency was reviewing their annual budget. They rn iewed theirconcems about the State's movement to fee for services and a possible reduction in ser%ice. and what it might mean for Trilogy. SHORE. Ms. Canter said that she met with Kate Jesko and visited Shore Homes East. She thought that it %= a wonderful, homey and comfortable place. There is a nice lounge and garden, and the rooms are comfortable and very personal. Ms. Canter said that she also visited the Creative Visions for Mental Health Art Show, which is at the Open Studio Project on Sherman and Main. It is cosponsored by NIHANS. The show is open to July 20, and she encouraged the MHB to attend. Metropolitan Family Services. Ms. Canter said that she received an e-mail today from Metropoli- tan Family Services. The Healthy Families and Teen Reach Programs are not in the State's tempo- rary budget. There %vas concern that they might not be incorporated into the FY04-05 when it is fi- nally adopted. Ms. Canter provided two phone numbers; one in Springfield and one in Chicago, for individuals to call demonstrate their support for the programs. Quarterly Narrative Report. Mr. Saver commented that the quarterly narrative reports for the "quarter" March -June 2004 will be available next --veek and will be forwarded to the MHB members. He said that these would be the last reports presented with the older report format. Revised Quarterly Report Process. Mr. Saver said that the final format for the new agency quar- terly repot was revised to incorporate the changes recommended at the June MHB meeting. He said that staff is preparing to send the reporting forms and instructions to the agencies in preparation for the kickoff later in the month. July 08, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 4 Minutes recorded — not yet approved VI1. REPORT FROM THE CHAIR Ms. Canter said that she would like to have a discussion about Beeeine for Chance. which staffdis- tributed to the Board. The Board discussed having an informal book review sometime later in the summer. ifs. Canter said that she would check calendars and set up a time for the informal discus- sion. Ms. Canter said that she has begun to look at her priorities as Chair. She indicated that she wanted to Board to begin to consider its funding priorities after the 2002 funding consolidation. She added that re%isions for Board policies and procedures, and the By Laws should be considered. Ms. Canter said that the MHB's orientation packet for new Board members needed to be revised. Ms. Canter said that she thought that the Board should maintain the relationship with the HSC that Ms. Grover de- veloped. She said that she thought the MHB should be represented at every HSC meeting, and that she planned to attend as many of their meetings as she was available. VIII. RECOMMENDATIONS FROM EVANSTON ALLIANCE ON HOMELESSNESS: 2004 CONTINUUM OF CARE Mr. Saver discussed the Continuum of Care (CoC) process in which the Evanston Alliance on Homelessness (previously the Task Force on Homelessness) makes recommendations to HUD each year about funding under the Super NOFA funding for programs for persons who are homeless. The CoC describes all of a community's services and supports that might prevent first-time homelessness or recurring homelessness, as well as a long-term strategy for eliminating homelessness. Mr. Saver said that Evanston is one of Illinois' 17 CoC jurisdictions. He indicated that Chicago and Evanston are the only stand-alone communities that do their own CoC. All the other CoC groups are organized on a county or multi -county level. The Alliance is the coordinating body that is responsible locally for developing the community's strategy to address the issues of homelessness in Evanston. This includes the following: developing a network of housing opportunities and support services for persons who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless; researching and writing Exhibit I for Evanston; and reviewing and ranking all the funding proposals that are submitted for homeless ser- vice funding requests to HUD from Evanston each year. Mr. Saver explained the AIliance's process to develop the recommendations to HUD for the Su- perNOFA funding. He distributed and discussed the funding criteria that the Alliance uses in re- vie«ing the proposals and explained that there are other criteria that also come into play when the priorities are developed. For example, Congress has mandated that 30% of all dollars spent nation- ally under this particular funding title must be allocated for permanent housing for people who are homeless. As a result, HUD offers an incentive bonus if a proposal for a new permanent housing proposal is ranked 91 by a local continuum. Mr. Saver said that typically the grant awards from HUD are for three years, so every three years there are a number of proposals that the Alliance has to re- view for renewal funding. Mr. Saver reported that in this year's application process, there were four proposals for SuperNOFA July 08, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 5 Minutes recorded -- not yet approved funding that were submitted by three agencies. Three of the proposals were for three -}ear renewal funding for existing programs; one proposal was for a new permanent housing program. %Ir. Saver said that, in addition to the funds that are in the funding requests. each of the agencies also provides a significant amount of matching funds for essential supportive services that are not eligible expenses under HUD. He gave as an example the Entry Point Program from Connections, where the MHB money provides from of the required matching funds. Priority Project Amount Ranking Description 9 Housing Options S354.835 (`cuIunding) Pathma)splus. Permanent housing for 8 adults who have severe and persistent mental illness, and who are homeless 2 Connections for the Home- S351.000 I (Renewal funding) Hilda's Place. Transitional housing less for 36 homeless individuals 3 Housing Opportunity Devel- S53,251 (Renewal funding) Claridge Apartments. Operating opment Corporation funds for permanent supportive housing for 7 homeless individuals uho have disabilities. 4 Housing Options S250,680 (Renewal funding) Claire House/Ganey House. Perma- nent supportive housing for I0 individuals uho have se- vere and persistent mental illness, and who are homeless at the time of intake. 2004 SuperNOFA Request ! S1,009,766 1 Mr. Saver commented that the Alliance and the agencies would not know until December 2004 or late January 2005 what decisions that HUD makes about the programs that it will agree to fund. He added that in past years, the MHB has sent a letter of endorsement to HUD, as a letter of support. He asked if this was something the MHB wanted to do this year. NIs. Grover moved and Ais. Lastsch that the NIHB send a letter to HUD to support the recommendations of the Alliance for 2004 SuperNOFA funding. IX. STAFF REPORT Mr. Saver reported that the Legislature's consideration of the State Budget continues to be bogged down. He said that Mr. Ming provided some of the state funding issues that are being dealt with in his Thresholds contract update. As a result, the Legislature is still in session. While there are some memoranda of understanding that have been released for funding for programs serving people -%%ith mental illness or developmental disabilities, nothing is final until the budget is actually adopted. Mr. Saver discussed to the attachment "The Power of the Brain: Raising an Emotionally Healthy Child". He said that the planning for the conference is continuing. The conference will be held No- vember 06, 2004, from about 8:30 a.m. —12:30 p.m. at the Evanston Civic Center. The conference is being planned and sponsored by the Metropolitan Family Services Community Board, Evanston Mental Health Board, Childcare Network of Evanston, United Way of Evanston, Evanston Commu- nity Foundation, Evanston/Skokie School District n65 and Mental Health Association of the North July 08, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 6 E Minutes recorded — not yet approved Shore. The event is being supported in part under the SANIHS A grant for Reach (previously known as Project SEED) for early child mental health prevention. the partnership of the City's Department of Health and Human Services and Metropolitan Family Services. Mr. Saver indicated that there are opportunities for Board members to participate on the planning group, if anyone is interested and available. Mr. Saver said that the Board is fortunate this summer to have Nick Ortiz, a volunteer from North- western, assist with updating an online version of the "This Might Help Directory". Mr. Ortiz has been assisting with the development of a directory structure for the City's web page, and actively pursuing the agencies in the current directory to update their data. He has been formatting the infor- mation so it %tilll be compatible with an electronic model. In addition, Mr. Ortiz has been helping provide staff support for the Family Support Network Con- fercnce scheduled for November 13 at the Civic Center, from 8:30 a.m. — 3:00 p.m. Mr. Saver said the conference will focus upon teaching consumers with developmental disabilities and their parents or support group self -advocacy skills, and the ability to identify- and articulate for your own needs and issues. It will also teach people the value of a family support services model. The conference supporters are still in formation, but it is currently being co -sponsored by the Evanston Mental Health Board, City of Evanston's Special Recreation Services, Childcare Network of Evanston, Evanstort/Skokie School Districts 165 and 4202, Center for independent Futures, SHORE, Answers for Special Kids (A.S.K.), and the North Shore Special Education District. State legislators are being invited as adjunct faculty to provide feedback to people about their model presentations. Mr. Ortiz has been contacting all the state legislators from New Trier. Evanston, and Niles Townships, the tar- get area for the Family Support Network Conference. In response to a question, fir. Saver said that the budget for the event is being cobbled together similar to the way that Aging Well is put together, with each of the sponsors providing something that they can afford; everyone is responsible for the mailing costs to their own memberships and mailing lists. however. In addition, one agency has a small balance in a grant that has to go for some community education efforts like this. Given that the event is for a good portion of the day, some of the members of the planning group are soliciting do- nations for food. Mr. Saver said that he received a confirmation from Dr. John Durburg to participate in the Board Development process at the MHB's September Meeting. He %%ill be discussing treatment standards for substance abuse and dual diagnosis. Meeting adjourned at 9.03 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Joan M. Baron July 08, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 7 Minutes recorded — not yet approved EVANSTON MENTAL HEALTH BOARD MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 09, 2004 Members Present Sue Canter. Carol Sittler, Victoria Kalish, Jane Grover, Gill Kruiee, Linda Laatsch, Ann Gauthier, and Randy Walker Presiding: Sue Canter Staff: Harvey Saver Community Meredith Griffith (Trilogy); Sandi Johnson, Pam Thomas (North Shore Senior Center); Sue Laue {Mental Health Association of the North Shore Ms. Canter called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. I. INTRODUCTIONS AND COMMUNITY COMMENTS Ms. Canter welcomed the guests and asked that they introduce themselves. II. REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF JULY 08, 2004 MINUTES Ms. Gauthier moved and Air. Krulee seconded a motion to approve the July 8, 2004 minutes as amended with a minor correction. Approved unanimously 8 aye -- 0 no. in. BOARD DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS FOR ADDICTIONS AND MISA TREATMENT. DR. JOHN DURBURG, DEPARTMENT OF ADULT PSYCHIATRY, EVANSTON NORTHWESTERN HEALTHCARE. Ms. Canter welcomed Dr. John Durburg, from ENH's Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Durburg said that he has been working full- time in psychiatry, and has extensive background in running addiction programs in addiction psychiatry. A lot of his work has been working with impaired professionals. He indicated that he has background in family therapy and systems theory, as well. Dr. Durburg said that he is part of the senior attending staff at Evanston Hospital and consults with Hazelden. However, he is not representing either of them in his presentation. Dr. Durburg said that there has been substantial change in the past fifteen years in the way that addiction treatment is being delivered. Therapeutic programs used to treat everyone the same. You could keep someone inpatient for treatment and insurance would pay for it. But now, 85-90% of treatment is provided with "outpatient" or "intensive outpatient" services. Dr. Durburg said that a part of the change in the system is driven by healthcare management, which is primarily interested in cost rather than outcomes. But there is no evidence that a full continum of September 09, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 3 Minutes recorded — not yet approved care works best with everyone. The type of setting that the patient is in is important, but managed care organizations have a "failure first" attitude. Managed care gives a higher level of care only when an individual fails at a lower level of care. Dr. Durburg said that there was no one way of care that is going to fit everyone for complicated substance abuse issues. So clinical staff has developed flexible ways of evaluating individuals in order to be able to manage their care more effectively, and to place them initially in care that will be most appropriate for them. Now there are care Ievels, and different types of outpatient and residential services that are available. The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) has developed a book that is becoming a bible for placement criteria; levels of detox; levels of social support; and treatment for addiction, dual diagnosis. This is a more intelligent way of pursuing some of these patients. Dr. Durburg continued that the most important thing that helps people get better is front line clinicians. There is no substitute for competent professionals. Dr. Durburg said that he has helped to develop exam questions for ASANI that certifies physicians in various specialties not just in psychiatry, who have become interested in the field of addiction. The exams measure knowledge and the criteria are standardized to enable professionals to become accredited. However, there is no direct way to actually measure for competence. Ultimately, any program that is effective will have these competent people, and will incorporate individualized treatment plans, group skills, educational components, and psychological and psychiatric evaluation. In addition, it is critical that all good programs are connected to a 12-step program. It is tried and true, and there is not good substitute. AA is egalitarian and has the crucial components for a program — they accept you wherever you are at. In group, you can speak or not speak, and move at your own pace. The essence of this intervention is fellowship, i.e., the addiction is replaced with people. Dr. Durburg said that, as a general rule in dealing with people with mental illness and substance abuse issues at the same time (MISA), these are complicated, multi -factorial, multi -dimensional issues. Most believe that there is a biological or genetic connection in many of these cases, with body chemistry going awry at some level. The people come from all walks of life and situations. So what are needed are different levels of assessment to really figure out where the person is. In treatment they no longer talk about denial, but readiness for treatment. They try to stick with the individual to help them get more ready for treatment for their addiction. The recidivism rate for these individuals with both disorders is very high. Increasingly, individuals are being seen with multiple problems as the rule rather than the exception. Dr. Durburg said that it is difficult to get mental health counselors and substance abuse counselors with different philosophies to work well together. But a MISA client has the simultaneous need for both. When it comes to working with the person with serious mental illness (SMI), it very difficult to place them in a program that ti;7ll be able to help them. They need a more flexible, motivational approach in order to get them to engage. Dr. Durburg said that the recidivism rate for MISA is greater than 54%. But better outcomes can be achieved if there are social supports, jobs, and assets that enable a person to be motivated to continue them to remain in the treatment program. There are many factors that contribute to the outcomes, but staff that work with them every day and who stick with the MISA clients are what ultimately September 09, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 2 Minutes recorded — not yet approved make the difference. Dr. Durburg indicated that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is now being introduced into programs for the MISA dual diagnosis population. The therapist tries to discover what the individual's thinking system and core beliefs are, and challenges them to change the way that they see things. This is instead of dealing with the client on a purely emotional, talking therapy level that is based upon the idea that the more emotion you express the better you get. Ms. Walker asked what was available for the person with serious mental illness who has an addiction and has Medicaid. She said that she has been having difficulty finding something for a client. Dr. Durburg commented that Haymarket House can handle that and deals with a lot of people who have desperate needs. He added that Haymarket %kill accept persons with no funding source. They may not be able to accept the person who has active psychiatric issues. Ms. Walker commented that for many programs the admissions criteria are very extreme. Dr. Durburg responded that it is very difficult for a person top set clean and sober and deal with their addiction if they have too much money or too little money. Mr. Krulee asked whether programs in the field have mechanisms for recognizing where program strengths are for each agency. Dr. Durburg said that it happens informally a lot. For example, they might have a person who is an addictions counselor and is very active in pastoral counseling, or has good group skills, or is good with trauma. When these people are found in clinical settings, you try to make use of their skills in the best way that you can. There is an attempt to formalize this process. They are trying to educate from the top down in various levels of expertise. He added, however, that there is no substitute for working with a lot of people with different skills over time. Dr. Durburg discussed some specific cases and the difficulty or finding an appropriate place for the individuals. Ms. Grover asked whether specialists are being trained in medical schools. Dr. Durburg said that was the case. There is credentialing for addictive medicine and addiction psychiatry. However, there are not enough professionals with a bigger picture of both mental illness and substance abuse as a co- occurrine disorder. Ms. Canter thanked Dr. Durburg for taking the time out of his day, and providing the MHB with an interesting presentation on issues related to MISA. NEXT STEPS. Ms. Canter commented that she thought the board development activities at the MHB meetings had been very helpful. She said that they provided the MHB with the opportunity to find out more in-depth about topics that they were not ordinarily exposed to, and were under their areas of concem. She said, however, that MHB has a number of additional things to do as a board. She said that she thought that if the Board was continuing to be interested in board development it should be on a less -than -monthly basis in order to be able to spend more time on some of the Board's other goals. Ms. Canter said that the Executive Committee was recommending that board development activities occur on a quarterly basis. She added that, when it is needed, the MHB can also increase the number of presentations. She asked whether there were any Board members who would like to work on planning future board development programs. fir. Krulee, Ms. Walker, and Ms. Sittler September 09, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 3 Minutes recorded — not yet approved volunteered to work with staff to develop a plan for this. Ms. Grover suggested that, in addition to polling the Board for suggestions, the committee consider looking at issues that will be raised during the allocation hearings for further investigation. Ms. Canter said that the Executive Committee was recommending that there should be some standing committees to focus on areas in the work plan that needed more attention. These could change each year with the election of officers. One committee that the MHB already has is an Allocations Committee, however not it convenes only in the fall to develop funding recommendations. Ms. Sittler asked what other responsibilities this committee might take on. Ms. Canter said that the committee would continue to be most active after the funding hearings, when the allocation recommendations are developed. In addition, this committee could also be responsible for developing communications with the Human Services Committee a couple of times during the year about how agency programs are using City funds, and what impact they are having; reviewing and developing funding priorities; evaluating and revising the proposal format. Ms. Canter continued that she thought one of the most immediate priorities was to consider the Board's structure in relation to its funding policies and priorities. These have not been revised or reconsidered since the funding consolidation two years ago. While this would not be a standing committee, it would be a working group that would develop and make recommendations to the entire Board. Ms. Grover recommended that Ms. Canter turn this into a standing policy committee, with the funding policies as the first priority. Ms. Canter said that she also thought that an MHB should consider a planning retreat with a facilitator to help pull together ideas about the Board's policies and structure. She will bring this up after the allocation process is completed. IV. DISCUSSION ABOUT NIHB 2005-2006 OBJECTIVES Mr. Saver commented that the Executive Committee asked him to put together information about Objectives for the New Year. He said that these would be incorporated into the MHB's FY2005-206 budget submission. Mr. Saver reviewed the objectives from the current year and the Board's 2004 Work Flan. In response to a discussion about the goal area of Community Education, Mr. Saver said that the current year the MHB has been involved with four conferences. In addition to the upcoming ones scheduled for November 6 and November 13, the Board participated on the steering committees for the sixth Aging Well Conference, and the Child and Adolescent Depression Conference with the Naomi Ruth Cohen Foundation. He added that there was some hope that a legislative forum could be organized on mental health issues sometime before the Spring 2005 Legislative Session. In addition, the MHB agreed to participate with Housing Options in planning a conference if the funding had come through from a foundation. However, he has been advised that the agency did not receive funding for this conference. Ms. Laatsch said that she thought the current Work Plan was too ambitious. She said that she wanted more time to visit her Liaison sites, rather than have extra meetings or commitments. She said that she wanted to spend more time with what the agencies are doing. Ms. Canter said that a number of the items on the plan are things that are planned and carried out by the staff, with direction and input September 09, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 4 Minutes recorded — not yet approved from the Board, e.g., community education, advocacy, contract development and monitoring Ms. Canter continued that the activities related to the review and allocation process are essential to the mission of the Board and are a joint effort. She said that together the Board has to undertake the issue of funding priorities. The MHB has been familiar with the new funding structure since consolidation, and has to develop a new consensus about funding priorities in order to be good funders. Ms. Walker and .v1s. Grover spoke on behalf of revising policies and procedures a priority. Ms. Gauthier commented that anything new needs to be incorporated into the fact that the group is still a Mental Health Board under State law and City statutes. This has to be addressed as the MHB looks at their funding priorities. There was a consensus that the Board begin to look at funding priorities after the allocation process is completed in November. Ms. Saver was asked to provide some samples of funding criteria and funding guidelines as the basis of an initial discussion at the December meeting. Ms. Kalish suggested that one way to begin to develop and identify a more comprehensive sense of community needs is to have a community focus group. This discussion will be placed on the agenda for the January 13, 2005 meeting. V. AGENCY ACCOUNTABILIV Agency Quarterly Narrative Reports (March - June, 2004)1 Liaison Reports Y.O.U. Ms. Gauthier said that the agency's report provided a comprehensive review of their behavior modification program and their activities. They sponsored a very creative "shadow day where 8`h graders are provided an orientation to ETHS and high school life by former Y.Q.U. participants. The America Reads Program funded twenty students to work as tutors and mentors for different schools, to assist kids with reading. They had only one site for their summer program due to a lack of funds. Before the participants went to Great America they had a lock -in of 80 kids and 8 staff. Their family night barbecue attracted 110 people. including dads. The agency has two new programs: • Title Ii Delinquency Intervention Program that is being done with Community Defender; • In grade schools, P, 4", and 5"' will come to the program after school for assistance with school work. This is for Title I kids who are not performing up to standards. Connections for the Homeless. ifs. Gauthier reported that she shadowed the Entry Point workers. She discussed some ofwhat she saw, and where the staff are encountering people who are homeless. They are averaging two people a week in the Library. Access to Care has been encouraging clients to register to vote. They have been helping people to get access to medical care, and linking people to existing services. This past quarter, the program only met 2 of their 4 objectives due to a loss of staff. In addition, two suburban shelters closed so they did not have places to send people. Evanston Skokie Valley Senior Services. Ms. Kalish reported that the agency received a grant from the Retirement Research Foundation for multicultural health initiative. They have already positions for the grant. They hired a full-time community case manager to work with an Assyrian population primarily in Niles, Evanston and Maine Townships, and a part time Russian health educator. September 09, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 5 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Grandparents Raising Grandchildren is collaborating with Family Focus. The Evanston Community Foundation and the Women's Club of Evanston have given funding to help support this program. . BEHIV. Ms. Walker said that the agency now is marketing their "honey products" (from the hive) online, e.g., tee shirts, candles, honey. They are also marketing their ticket sales for fundraisers through the internet. September 18. BEHIV is participating in the Aids Run and Walk. Beginning; this year, every agency that stands to benefit from the event must have their own team presence, so BEHIV is looking for people to participate with them. Trilogy. Ms. Walker reported that the Evanston office has had some significant staff changes, including the Office Manager, but they are continuing to do very well. Ms. Walker said that their reports indicate that they are doing an excellent job of getting people to turn out for social and cultural activities, and no just for meals. SHORE. hls. Canter commented that SHORE continues to meet or exceed their projections for their outcome objectives. One of SHORE's initiatives this past quarter was to open Cafd SHORE at the Leaning Tower Y. Individuals from the Shore Training Center are working there to serve people at the coffee and snack bar in the lobby of the building. Metropolitan Family Sen-ices. %Is. Canter said that Metropolitan met or exceeded most of their outcome objectives. The few that were not met were for specific reasons. They have been downsizing their staff to try to continue to reduce program costs. MFS is also gearing up to be one of the agencies in the state's trial process in implementing the fee -far -service billing procedures for their Mental Health Program. Ms. Canter reported that she joined the conference committee and is representing the MHB in planning the November 6 Power of the Brain conference. The conference is jointly being planned by the MHB, Metropolitan Family Services, the Mental Health Association of the North Shore, the Evanston Community Foundation. School District 465, and Family Focus. Ronald Kotulak, reporter for the Chicago Tribune and author of the book, "Inside the Brain" is the keynote speaker. There will be 12 different breakout sessions %,.ith nine topics. Ms. Canter reported that the \,IHB would be assigned new Liaison responsibilities in January. She said that she would propose a new process for making the assignments. Review of Agency Orientation Meeting for 2004 Funding Hearings. Ms. Canter reported on the July Orientation Meeting for the 2004 allocation process. She said that 15 of the 19 agencies had been present. She, I Is. Sittler, Vis. Grover, and Mr. Saver were present, and presented information to the agencies regarding the changes in the quarterly reporting format and the budget proposals. A major emphasis %vas placed upon the identification and reporting of outcomes measures for each of the NIHB's funded programs. Ms. Grover said that she thought it had been a comprehensive presentation. Ms. Canter commented that, as a result of the training, there were a number of agencies that contacted staff to discuss their current objectives. She said that she thought _ the response was very positive, and the people present asked a lot of questions to try to understand the changes. September 09, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 6 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Preparation for the 2004 Funding Hearings. his. Canter went over the schedule for the 2004 allocation process. For the preliminary proposal review on October 7. she suggested that the Board review the agencies in alphabetical order. Five minutes «ill be spent reviewing each of the proposals. Each of the proposals is being read by three Board members so the Agency Liaison will take the lead on each review while the two other Board members will add in anything that is omitted. After the MHB has been through all the agencies, the Board can then discuss whether there are any standing questions to be addressed to each of the agencies. Ms. Grover commented that she is hoping the process will give her What specific issues to look for in the proposals, as well as where there seem to be deficiencies to consider. Ms. Canter reminded the MHB that the October meeting would begin at 6:30 p.m. and five agency proposals would be reviewed. A box dinner will be provided for everyone so that the Board can work straight through. VI. REPORT FROM THE CHAIR Ms. Canter commented she would like to have the MHB be on the Human Service Committee's agenda for the December 2004 meeting. By that time the Board will have developed funding recommendations and %will be able to report on the allocations to the Committee. VII. BUDGET UPDATE Mr. Saver reported that the Budget Office was initially projecting a flat budget for FY2005-06. In the department kick-off meeting. they directed managers to submit a no -increase budget. However, they indicated that if something new or expanded was needed that it be submitted, but it would have to be justified extensively. Mr. Saver said that it is still too early to know details, but initially the Budget Office is not talking about any kinds of reductions. In response to a question, Mr. Saver said that some of the court suits are coming closer to a settlement. As they occur, there is concern about whether there is going to be any effect upon the City budget during the year. VIII. STAFF REPORT Mr. Saver reported on the development of the Illinois Children's Mental Health Plan (ICMHP). He said that the draft will be going to the Governor in the fall. He said that he is working with a Review Committee for the Public Awareness Committee for the planning group to identify and select a marketing group to develop the social marketing plan for the ICMHP. The Review Committee broadly sent out RFPs for proposals for the three year, statewide marketing plan that .%ill focus on the reduction of stigma about kid's mental health services, and will provide information about the services available to respond to needs. Mr. Saver reminded the MHB that the Family Support Network Conference will be November 13. The one -day conference for individuals with disabilities and their families %vill provide information and knowledge about current support programs in the area, and the limited resources that are September09, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 7 Minutes recorded — not yet approved available for family centered services. The conference will also train participants to -effect constructive changes through communication and advocacy with policy makers. Mr. Saver said that state legislators from Evanston, Niles, and New Trier Townships have been invited to serve as adjunct faculty in order to discuss issues in policymaking and pro%ide input to the attendees about how to make their case. He said that the planning committee will be mailing out registration brochures, and the City %trill have registration page on the City web page. Mr. Saver reported that it is taking more time than originally projected to update the on-line community services directory. Nick Ortiz, the intern from Northwestern University this past summer, did an excellent job of organizing and implementing the process to get the current listings updated. However, the responses from the agencies have been coming in very slowly. Only about 50% of the program updates have been received, so far. In addition, the City staff person that they have been working with to develop the structure and architecture for the online resource has been pulled away from time -to -time for some other priorities. Meeting adjourned at 9:15 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Harvey Saver Assistant Director September 09, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 8 Minutes recorded — not yet approved EVANSTON MENTAL HEALTH BOARD MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14. 2004 Members Present Sue Canter. Carol Sittler. Victoria palish. Jane Groper. Gill Krulee, Linda Laatsch. Randy Walker. Lou Rowitz Presiding: Sue Canter Staff: Han•ev Saver. Sara Schmitt Community Representatives: Meredith Griffith. David Daskovsky. Bill Fischer (Trilogy); Kathy Shearer. Erica Anderson, Rita Allison. Mary Lee S%%iato%%iec (Teen Baby Nurserv/Infant Welfare Society); Carolyn Ellis, Kate Mahoney (Dimensions); Peter filling, Noel Jackson. Andy Anderson (Thresholds/Transitions); Jane Doyle, Laura -Min Proctor, Jeff Boarini (Center for Independent Futures) GIs. Canter called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. I. INTRODUCTIONS AND COMMUNITY COMMENTS Nis. Canter welcomed the guests and asked that they introduce themselves. II. AFFORDABLE HOUSING CAMPAIGN Nis. Grover reported that she had been in touch with the Executive Director of Interfaith Housing Center of the Northern Suburbs (ICHNS). She said that ICHNS was organizing a campaign to have organizations and individuals to sign on to an ad in support of the development of affordable housing and the formulation of an affordable housing plan by April 1. 2005. Ms. Grover moved and GIs. Kalish seconded a motion for the Mental Health Board to Agree to add its name to a full -page signature ad to be published in the Pioneer Press on October 28 that reads as follows: "Illinois Las, requires affordable housing plaits br April 1, 200S, front municipalities ivith less than 10 percent affordable housing. 11'e support the efforts of north suburban communities it -Ito are striring to comply ivith the lalt- to ensure that those st*o ivork in these communities can line there, and that long -titre residents can remain with their fantilies. lVe also support north suburban communities with greater than 10 percent affordable housing in their efforts to address a housing market that is increasingly pricing out loin- and moderate-inrome residents. Providing affordable (housing is the right thing to do. " Motion passed unanimously (8 aye — 0 no). September 09, 2644 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 1 Minutes recorded — not yet approved III. AGENCY ALLOCATION BEARINGS T he ,%IHB conducted a proposal revie«• and funding hearings for the five agencies thatwere asking for funds only from the Board. Presentations were made by the followinc agencies requesting funds from the Mental Health Board for FY2005-06: • Teen Baby Nursery/Infant Welfare Societ% • Trilogy Evanston Office • Dimensions • Thresholds Transitions • Center for Independent Futures Meeting adjourned at 9:45 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Harvey Saver Assistant Director September 09, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 2 Minutes recorded — not yet approved EVANSTON MENTAL HEALTH BOARD MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2004 Members Present Sue Canter, Carol Sittler, Victoria Kalish, lane Grover, Gill Krulee, Linda Laatsch, Ann Gauthier, Louis Rowitz, and Randy Walker Presiding: Sue Canter, Chair Staff. Harvey Saver, Joan M. Barott, Sara Schmitt Community Meredith Griffith (Trilogy); Sandi Johnson, Pam Thomas (North Shore Senior Center); Chris Baer, Martha Amston (Childcare Net- work of Evanston); Sandra Stumme (Metropolitan Family Ser- vices); Helen Roberts Evans (Child Care Center of Evanston), Wil- liam Kolen (Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chi- cago); Laura -Min Proctor (Center for Independent Futures); Tom Jager (Evanston United Way) Ms. Canter called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. I. INTRODUCTIONS AND COMMUNITY COMMENTS Ms. Canter welcomed the guests and asked that they introduce themselves. II. REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF OCTOBER 11, 2004 MINUTES Ms. Gauthier moved and leis. Kalish seconded a motion to approve the minutes of October 11, 2004 as delivered. Motion approved unanimously (9 aye-0 no). III. CONSIDERATION OF ALLOCATION RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FY05- 06 MHB PURCHASED SERVICES Ms. Canter thanked the Allocation Sub -Committee of Carol Sittler and Randy Walker, with the as- sistance of staff, for all the hard work and effort that was put in developing the allocation recommen- dations. She said that, from her own experience, she knew that it was not an easy job. Mr. Saver reviewed several changes that were to be made in the Sub -Committee's allocation recom- mendations. He said that the total allocation available for FY05-06 is $828,900. Ms. Grover complimented the Sub -Committee and said that the report gave a very good feel for the work that %vas done. She asked about the process they used in developing the allocation recommen- dations. November 11, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 1 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Ms. Walker said that she and Ms. Sittler could provide an overview of some of the major considera- tions. BEHIV. Ms. Walker reported that BEHIV Mental Health Services was maintained at 53000, its cur- rent level of funding. While there are not many Evanston persons served, the program provides a vital intervention that is consistent with the original charter for the MHB. In addition, the program does provide client -centered outcome measures that emphasize an important area for its clients. After the changes the agency went through Iast year. the agency is only providing Mental Health Services out of its Evanston office, while the remainder are provided out of its Rogers Park office. Nis. Walker said, on the other hand, BEHIV*s Educational Outreach program is being recommended for 52000, a reduction of S3000. The program served a significantly smaller number of Evanston people in 03-04, and only about 50% of the number that they projected. This happened at the same time that the program doubled in size. The program's objectives were primarily a report ofperform- ance and process measures, and did not reflect outcomes. In addition, BEHIV was requesting that 21 % of its budget be funded by the NIHB, and a total of 36% by the local community, while only 6- 7% of its clients in 03-04 were from Evanston. The MHB wants to ensure that Evanston dollars are used for Evanston people, so the Sub -Committee capped the program's allocation at approximately 6% of the program budget, which was S2000. Ms. Grover commented that it appears BEHIV has been doing eery well. They have an energetic and driven board that has been very active. They have been successful in tapping into new resources. For the relatively small amount of money that the MHB provides to the agency, she said that she thought it might be spent on another agency that is having more difficulty raising funds. She sug- gested letting BEHIV continue to succeed without the Board's funding. They could return to the MHB the following year if it turns out that they need the funding. The Mental Health program might be core funding, but the numbers are declining and it does not appear that the), saw any new clients from 02-03 to 03-04. She said that she was not sure that the Board was getting their money's worth out of the allocations, and that the allocation seems to be merely ceremonial funding. She added that BEHIV can easily make up the funds that the MHB is providing and the total of 55000 can be put to better use. Mr. Rowitz said that most of the program allocation recommendations were for maintenance fund- ing, or small changes of 5300-700. He said that he was not sure how much time should be spent on areas of little change. He suggested that the Board focus its attention on the larger areas of concern, which were for 5 or 6 agencies. The dependent upon how those discussions went, it might be neces- sary to consider in more depth the maintenance allocations. Ibis. Sittler said that she was in agree- ment and thought the MHB could use its time best by not focusing upon maintenance allocation rec- ommendations, but areas of change. She said that the Board should keep in mind that some of the requests were for match funding that was necessary to get other funding. In response to Ms. Canter's question, his. Sittler said that she thought the major areas of focus should be upon BEHIV, Center for Independent Futures, Evanston Community Defender, and Thresholds Transitions. There was a general consensus of the MHB that they concurred with the majority of the program allocation rec- ommendations and that they would discuss the programs identified for concern. Referring to his. Grover's earlier comments about BEHIV, Ms. Walker commented that the Sub - November 11, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 2 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Committee's original allocation was not to fund Educational Outreach for all of the reasons already identified. The program received a substantial grant from another source so they may not have as much need. However, she said that the Sub -Committee recommendation was to provide even sym- bolic funding for dealing with HIV and AIDS. Outreach in the community is important and even a small amount of funding was something important to support prevention. Ms. Gauthier said while the program only served 6% of its population from Evanston, that was still a lot of people. She added that she thought the program does a "bang up job" with that they do. Ms. Sittlersaid, however, that the number has been dropping significantly and any more than 52000 seemed like it %vas going to be funding outreach efforts to other communities. Nothing about the agency's presentation indi- cated otherwise. Ms. Sittler added that there are other agencies that are also doing outreach in Evans- ton, and are reaching a broader population, e.g., the Health Department, Care Point. Ms. Grover pointed out that the Outreach Coordinator seemed to be effective in what he reported upon and was focused. She said that she suspected that the Evanston numbers dropped so much be- cause of he was doing so much in a large area in other communities. tits. Canter said that drop was probably because one person was trying to cover such a broad area. Ms. Grover pointed out that the current year the %IHB was funding less that 1 % of the total; agency revenues. With their revenues going up it will be an even smaller percentage. She asked whether there was away to support and endorse an agency program without actually providing funding. The Board would need to be able to demonstrate in some way that it supports the agency's mission and its purpose. However, in tight budget times, given BEHIV's size and their apparent success in fund- raising, perhaps $2000-5000 is too small an amount to give to them to expect much "bang for the buck", especially when it means not being able to fund a program that is having more financial diffi- culty that might be able to make better use of it. Ms. Walker said that the Mental Health Services program is something that the Board should be funding because of its original mission. The services they provide out of their Evanston office are very important and helpful. She said that she would support moving the fund for Educational Out- reach to provide additional funding for the mental health functions. Ms. Walker added that in review it appears that the Educational Outreach program till survive without the MHB funds; the same is not true for Mental Health Services. Center for Independent Futures (CIF). Ms. Sittler reported that the recommendation was to allo- cate S 10,000. CIF had requested $30,000 a year for a two-year period. Mr. Ro«7tz commented that CIF has already been doing amazing work in the short amount of time they have been trying to de- velop housing for their program members. He said that this is a new housing program that is worth funding, even if S 10,000 is not a lot for housing. He said that the MHB's Housing Policy and its mis- sion make this something that is important to get a start in the community. Ms. Laatsch said that she had concern about the lack of diversity in the initial clientele. Nis. Grover commented that it costs $25,000/year to support one of CIF's residents with a developmental disabil- ity in a home, versus what the cost would be to institutionalize that person in Illinois. She said that the funding request was for a Coordinator to organize and develop the administrative growth of Community Living Options (CLO). She suggested that the MHB, instead fund a placement for someone who does not fit into CIF's demographic profile. Their current residential group is only November 11, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 3 Minutes recorded — not yet approved 30% lower income. Seventy percent are also identified as Iow incorr;e, but these young adults have the support of family and their family's resources. Ninety-four percent are white. Ms. Grover rec- ommended that the Board fund a partial scholarship for a low income minority individual. Mr. Rowitz said that CIF has a group of parents who are spending all their time volunteering using their personal resources to get the housing going. They said that CIF needs the support to set up the administrative component. So far, it has all been provided by volunteer time. They are just starting and doing very well, however they are limited by what they can do without additional support. Mr. Saver commented that the N1HB is spending public tax dollars. The Board's Contract Policy Guidelines require that the programs not discriminate based upon a whole host of issues, including race, income, and marital status. He said that he thought an allocation that required the agency to es- tablish a scholarship for a low-income minority individual would be problematic. He added that he did not know whether there would be any housing units developed by CIF in the coming year, which would make it difficult for the agency to spend the money on a scholarship for a new unit. Ms. Canter commented that Illinois is 47`s in the nation in providing this kind of support for adults with developmental disabilities. There are no other resources available from the State in CIF's pro- grams, as there are in some other programs that the Ml-IB also supports. She asked if someone wants to start this type of housing and do a good job, what else can the MHB do but support them. Ms. Canter stated there are already two residents out of 12 people in the residential the program that are receiving some type of subsidy for their housing already, as the agency is getting off the ground. Mr. Rowitz said that they are just starting makes the MHB even more important. They have to have the administrative support to accomplish the agency's projected outcomes. Nis. Walker said that so far the only people who have been able to get in to CIF's housing are those who have advocates or parental support. his. Kalish said that she didn't have a problem with that be- cause they have been doing what they could with very little support for now. There is no way the way the MHB can project where they will be as they continue to develop. Mr. Rowitz added that many times middle class families are excluded from all the other programs because they had too many resources, even though they are not wealthy. The parents of CIF got together and had to create an organization so that they could get services for their children, too, if the young adults in their fam- ily would have an opportunity to live independently of their family. Mr. Rowitz said that an alloca- tion from the MHB to CIF, at this point, shows confidence and faith in the program. He said that he thought this was appropriate. The MHB has a discussion about their expectations for diversity in programs that they fund. In re- sponse to a question, Mr. Saver said that if this was an area of concern, the Board could write report- ing requirements into the purchase of service contract about the agency's activity to increase diver- sity in their program. There was a consensus to do this if the program is funded. Ms. Grover reviewed the description of the staff position that would be supported with the MHB funds. She said that the agency was asking for $30,000 and wanted to know whether they would be able to do anything with S 10,000. The comment was made that this happened,.ti7th Iast year's alloca- tion to Thresholds, which received only 300.0 of the funding requested from the MHB and United Way for a new position. In that case, the contract specified that the funds had to be used exactly as it November 11, 2004 Mental health Board Meeting Minutes Page 4 Minutes recorded — not yet approved %vas requested, rather than for general operating expenses. If a position was not going to be able to be funded, the agency had to come back to the Board to discuss what they would propose as an alter- native use of the funds and receive prior approval. The MHB directed that a similar stipulation be written into a contract with CIF. Thresholds Transitions. 1Xis. Walker said the Sub -Committee was recommending a S 10,000 aIloca- tion for Thresholds. the same as the current allocation. She said that the Sub -Committee wanted to continue this funding because the program is serving persons with severe and persistent mental ill- ness, an important population in the 4\IHB's initial charter. She reported that there was some con- cern because the number of Evanston indi%iduals served went down over the past year. However, this occurred while NTS«' was going through the completion of its merger with Thresholds, and the policies and procedures for the program were becoming more thoroughly integrated into Thresholds. Ms. Walker added that there have been some changes in the way that the State has been funding pro- grams, and the kind of criteria that were being used for eligibility. She said that several people who she works with at WilPower used to participate at NTSWfFhresholds Transitions but had to with- draw from the program because of these changes. Ms. Walker also said that Thresholds reported that they are trying to do more outreach to increase their Evanston numbers, particularly with Greenwood Care and Albany Care. Peter Illing reported at the agency hearing that there seemed to be some mis- understanding about the availability of their programs after the transition period/ Ms. Walker asked Mr. Saver about Thresholds contract and their current standing with reporting. Mr. Saver said that the agency did not want to sign a contract until they could determine what the impact was going to be with major cuts to State funding for psychosocial rehabilitation services. The Board's funding was going to require that MHB funds be spent specifically on a Behavior Therapist position and Thresholds wanted to be sure that they would be able to do that. As a result, Mr. Illing reported to the MHB at its duly meeting that they were prepared to move ahead. The contract began in July 2004, rather than March. Mr. Saver said that the agency is being very slow in starting up their billing and reporting. Mr. Rowitz commented that he found Thresholds Transitions proposal difficult to evaluate, as it was the same as last year. He said that he was concerned about how effort was put into fund raising. Ms. Canter commented that, aside from the merger, she Iiked the changes that have been made dur- ing the last couple of years with this program. They have become more state-of-the-art in their ap- proach, and they are offering a more comprehensive continuum of services, encouraging self - advocacy, providing a whole range of opportunities for their members. They appear to be moving in the right direction. \1s. Walker said that some of these changes might have created the loss of some of their members. Some of the people at the program might have wanted only a sheltered workshop and could not get that in a program with a PSR approach. Evanston Community Defender. Ifs. Walker reported that the Defender did not ask for funding for Social Work Services this year. Current year funding for the program was $18,800. Instead, the agency requested that all of the agency's current funding - $46,600 - be provided to Legal Services, plus an additional S 17,400. The total funding request was for $64,000. The Sub -Committee is rec- ommending an allocation of $32,000, a S4200 increase. Ms. Walker said that this was the largest increase recommended for a currently funded program. November 11, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 5 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Ms. Grover said that she hated to see this agency take such a big hit in its bottom line. With such a small budget, it is not insignificant. She said that the Defender found it easier to raise funds for So- cial Work Services as a result of their new contract arrangement with Y.O.U. She said that when she spoke with fir. Roy, he thought that the funds would be transferred to the Legal Services program. The Sub -Committee's recommendation would be a net loss to the agency of $14,000. Ms. Grover commented the Evanston Community Defender total budget is S 160,000, which is one of the small- est agency budgets that the MHB supports. Mr. Rowitz said that the M1113 would have to decrease some other agencies' funding in order to pro- vide even more additional funds for the Legal Services program. his. Walker said that the MHB was under no obligation to allocate and transfer all of the money for Social Work Services to the Legal Services program, simply because that was the agency's preference. She continued that when the Sub -Committee began to review the allocation requests, it was looking at each program, rather than agency totals. That meant that the funding for the social work functions was available to use for whatever programs the MHB placed as a priority. She commented that there were several concerns about the Legal Services program. Even so, approximately 25% of the Social Work Services funding was directed to the Legal Service Program. Ms. Canter said that the first time that she heard about the Defender programs, she thought it was a good idea for the Evanston community. However, she indicated that she thought the agency did not appear to be very well organized. She said that she did not think that they had made concerted efforts to raise funds on their own, or solicit contributions. She indicated that she thought the work that the Defender does is important. On the other hand, with a tighter organizational structure they would be able to do more fundraising on their own. The 111-113 has this expectation of other programs. Ms. Grover said that the Defender's board is less than enthusiastic and not organized for raising funds. However, they serve a population that is 95% Evanston residents. The struggle an agency like the Defender or LAFMC faces is that their sen•ice in different that social work services or other counseling services. Their jab is to solve problems for people while trying to maintain quality. Nis. Walker emphasized that the Defender's Legal Services program received the largest increase in dol- lars and percentage for of the currently funded programs. At the same time, their client base seems to be failing. In response to a question, Mr. Saver said that last year, Mr. Roy indicated in the 2003 hearings they were having difficulty in meeting their service projections for the Legal Services Program. Their ser- vice projections have been 130-I35 people per year. Last year they served 141 persons. In 2003- f 2004, that number dropped to 80 persons served by the program. He said that has no information as to why the Legal Services numbers are falling off. Ms. Grover commented that the immediate im- pact of less funding for the Legal Services Program would mean fewer attorneys and even fewer people being seen. Ms. Walker said that the reduction was for the entire agency, but the program is All being recommended for an increase. Ms. Canter asked Ms. Sittler and Ms. Walker to review each of the Sub -Committee's individual pro- grarn allocations, line by line (see attachment for Allocation Summarv). November I1, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 6 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Ms. Canter asked the MHB if there were any other considerations or changes to make in the alloca- tion recommendations. his. Laatsch said that she wanted to keep the levels as they were proposed. Mr. Rowitz said the Allocation Sub -Committee did a wonderful job in carrying out its mission. I Is. Grover moved that the N1HB move the full BEHIV' allocation of S5000 to the Evanston Community Defender's Legal Services Program. She said that it was time to let BEHIV go. If the agency has been so successful in raising funds, they should have no problem making up a small re- duction that is less than 1 % of their total budget. She added that the funds would have a bigger im- pact at the Defender. The motion died for lack of a second. Mr. Rowitz recommended that BEHIV receive the allocation being recommended by the Sub - Committee with a stipulation added. He said that a letter should be sent to the agency informing them that the MHB will be watching them closely over the next year, both in terms of where they are going and how many Evanston residents are provides services. He said that he thought BEHIV should be put on notice that there needs to be more involvement,- ith Evanston residents in the Men- tal Health Services program, and significantly more educational activity with the Evanston commu- nity or the agency will lost its funding next year. There was a consensus of the Board to communi- cate this message to BEHIV. Ms. Grover moved and Mr. Rowitz seconded a motion to Adopt the FY05-06 funding allocation recommendations and rationale as presented by the Allocation Sub -Committee. Passed unanimously (9 aye — 0 no). Ms. Walker commented about the allocation process. She said that she thought there was too much subjectivity in the proceedings. She said that the NIHB should spend the coming year developing its funding objectives. She said that Board has to align its mission with the reality of the earlier funding consolidation in order to provide more direction to the Allocation Sub -Committee. Ms. Canter said that she thought the MHB was moving in the right direction through some of the re- visions in the reporting process, and an insistence upon receiving measurable outcome objectives from the agencies. She said that at the December meeting the Board will begin to look at Ms. Walker's concerns. Mr. Saver said that in September he was asked to provide at the December meeting several examples of funding criteria for the MHB to consider as it looked at reorganizing its own criteria. The Board identified several additional issues to be considered in context of funding criteria: capping a percentage of a total program budget that the `►IHB would fund; administrative costs as a percentage of the budget. Ms. Canter commented that the funding issue will need to be a big project for the MHB in redefining funding criteria and looking at ways to be more objective in making funding decisions. She said that a major portion of the agenda at the December MHB meeting «ill be spent framing the issue. IV. AGENCY ACCOUNTABILIY Liaison Reports November 1Z, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 7 Minutes recorded — not yet approved BEHIV. Ms. Walker said that she had attended BEHIV's board meeting, at which they discussed the search for a new Executive Director. The position has been posted. They are also talking about in- ternal restructurings, having an Assistant Executive Director, and looking for a Director who is more oriented towards development. She said the agency is thinking it might take several months before they bring on a new Director. Ms. Grover said that she liked the way that the new quarterly report forms were working out. There was a general discussion about the forms. Ms. Gauthier mentioned the quarterly reports from agencies that were not in the packet. She asked Mr. Saver which agencies did not turn their reports in and why. Ivir. Saver said that the MHB had ail of the reports that had been submitted in their packets. He said that, so far, they had not received re- ports from Dimensions, LAFMC, PEER Services, Thresholds Transitions, and Youth Job Center. He indicated that he did not know why the reports were not submitted on time, and indicated that Ms. Barott regularly leaves messages for those agencies that have not submitted any of their vouch- ers or reports — generally the last day that they are due. This year, staff have been trying to expedite the reporting process a bit by converting the billing and reporting process to a paperless, electronic format, so things are being emailed to the office. In response to Nis. Gauthier, Mr. Saversaid thatall reports and bill are due no later than 30 days from the last day of the reporting period. Mr. Saver suggested that, in addition to staff, the Liaison to the agencies that are late can also contact them and express their concern about the matter. Ms. Canter said that this would be a discussion item on the December agenda. Ms. Canter said that she will organize a process for making new Liaison assignments at the Decem- ber Board meeting for 2005. She asked everyone to submit their prioritized Iist of Liaison assign- ments for the agencies from which they have not already been assigned. She asked Mr. Saver to send out a list of previous Liaison assignments to the 1YiHB. V. REPORT FROM THE CHAIR Ms. Canter commented that she is hoping the MHB %ill be on the December Human Services Com- mittee's agenda. She said that she wants to provide the Committee with a report about the allocations for FY05-06, talk about the Board's work in revising its monitoring and accountability process with funded agencies, and provide an update on the Board's activities. Ms. Canter reported that the Power of the Brain Conference on November 6 went off very well. She said that there were about 1.10 parents and early childhood care providers in attendance. She said that the event was a huge success, and a lot of work. The 10 workshop presentations were excellent and very well received. Ms. Canter said that, as she had already mentioned, there will be a December Board meeting. She indicated that she wanted to use that time for the MHB to begin to discuss and frame the issues around the structure of the MHB and funding priorities. She asked that the Board Development committee meet between now and the beginning of the New Year to begin to plan additional Board educational events. Given the Board's earlier discussions, based upon the MHB's work load this November 11, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 8 Minutes recorded — not yet approved coming year the activities will be on a less frequent basis. Ms. Canter reported that the Illinois State Board of Education, -vas requesting review and comment on new Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Standards for schools statewide. They are also looking for agencies and groups to endorse the standards. These were developed in concert with the Illinois Children's Mental Health Partnership (ICNIHP). She said that kir. Saver was working on the Public Awareness Committee of the ICMHP and had Mr. Saver provide a short background on the State Plan that is being developed. Mr. Saver added that, from Evanston, Helen Roberts -Evans from Child Care Center of Evanston, and Sue Laue, Director of the Mental Health Association of Evanston, are also working on different committees that are developing standards and curriculum. Ms. Roberts - Evans was invited to provide background about the work of her committee in developing early childhood programming with SEL related to mental health prevention. She said that locally the Early Childhood Collaboration has also been successful in working with School District #65 in de- veloping and having adopted SEL standards for the District. Ms. Grover suggested that the standards be sent via email to Board members to review. Ms. Canter asked that anyone who had comments should submit them to her as soon as possible so that she can submit the Board's comments and re- sponse to the SEL standards. VI1. STAFF REPORT Mr. Saver reported that this Saturday, November 13, the Family Support Network Conference will be at the Civic Center. Approximately 60 people have pre -registered. He said that the Planning Group is expecting a couple of State legislators to serve as "faculty" and to discuss how to advocate within the legislative process. Family members from New Trier, Evanston, and Niles Townships will be attend- ing the meeting. Mr. Saver reported that planning has begun for the Seventh Annual Aging Well Conference, which will be May 2005. In addition, this year the Fourth Annual Naomi Ruth Cohen Mental Health Con- ference, scheduled for June 5, 2005, will focus on depression in older adults and seniors. Meeting adjourned at 8:45. Respectfully submitted, Joan M. Barott Secretary November 11, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 9 Minutes recorded — not yet approved EVANSTON MENTAL HEALTH BOARD 4NiEETING 4iINUTES THURSDAY, DECEMBER 09, 2004 Members Present Sue Canter, Carol Sittler, Victoria Kalish, lane Grover, Gill Krulee, Ann Gauthier, and Randy Walker Presiding: Sue Canter Staff: Harvey Saver, Sara Schmidt Community Meredith Griffith (Trilogy); Pam Thomas (Evanston/Skokie Valley Senior Services); Chris Barr, Martha Arinston (Childcare Network of Evanston); Sharon Campbell (Center for Independent Futures) Ms. Canter called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. I. INTRODUCTIONS AND COh14NIUNITY COMMENTS Ms. Canter welcomed the guests and asked that they introduce themselves. II. REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF SEPTE�NiBER 09, 2004 AND NOVEMBER 11, 2004 MINUTES Ms. Grover moved and Mr. Krulee seconded a motion to approve the September 9, 2004 min- utes with minor corrections. Approved unanimously 6 ayes — 0 no. Ms. Grover moved and Ms. Kalish seconded a motion to approve the November 11, 2004 min- utes as delivered. Ms. Grover commented that she thought the minutes very accurately reflected the Board's allocation discussion that evening. Approved unanimously 6 ayes — 0 no. Ms. Canter suggested that the MHB should hold on to their proposal packets until after the City Budget is adopted at the end of February. III. FUNDING PROCESS AND EVALUATION CRITERIA Ms. Canter said that the MHB's goals for the coming year include the following: the funding process and the funding evaluation criteria; revising the Board's guidelines and priorities in relation to fund- ing consolidation; and, continuing the MHB's board development process. Ms. Canter said that information about the funding process and evaluation criteria is included in the packet. There are a number of samples of rating scales and proposal evaluations that the MHB has used in the pass. She said that Ms. Walker and Ms. Sittler will be working on this project as a con - December 09, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 1 Minutes recorded — not yet approved tinuation of the work they started on the Allocation Committee. Mr. Saver reviewed and explained the various packets of funding criteria and evaluation tools. He discussed how each of them was developed and how they were employed by the various groups in- volved. He said that each of the sets of criteria were reaiiy a concrete statement of values about what was considered to be important in the funding process. He pointed out that while the examples are ►witten and adopted on paper, many of the criteria are the same issues that Board members and the Allocation Committee referenced this year when they were discussing their o%Nm personal considera- tions in developing program allocation decisions. Mr. Saver added that the development of the funding criteria and was only part of the job. Probably equally important was the development of decision making rules to use with the information that re- sulted from their implementation. He said that when the MHB had previously used some of the models during the funding process, they never relied solely upon a number that a program received in making an allocation. Ms. Canter commented that the MHB needs rating criteria and a scale that everyone can grasp. She said that there could be some scheme that considers points to be awarded for information that must be in the proposal. She said that she liked the weighted scores that were used in several of the mod- els. In response to questions, Mr. Saver said the funding criteria that have been used in the past were dis- tributed with the funding proposals. They provided very clear-cut criteria, and highlighted what the MHB thought to be the important information in the process. He added, however, that did not al- ways ensure that the proposals that were submitted actually were responsive to those issues. Ms. Canter said that it is those types of issues that a scale should emphasize. The items need to be some- thing that all can follow, and all can agree that it is either in the proposal or not. Ms. Walker suggested that Board members review and keep information from Egger's book in mind as this project develops. IV. FUNDING GUIDELINES AND CRITERIA POST CONSOLIDATION Ms. Grover commented that it appeared that there was going to be some overlap between the com- mittee that is considering the MHB priorities and the committee looking at funding/evaluation crite- ria. Ms. Canter said that the committee that is working on the funding guidelines post consolidation would be Jane Grover and Ann Gauthier. Ms. Grover and Mr. Krulee talked about the need to consider the MHB's mission in the incorpora- tion of new funding priorities and guidelines. Ms. Grover commented that when you look at the MHB's Mission Statement and By Laws it is reflective of a Board that is much different than how things have evolved after the funding consolidation. She said that the committee will need to con- sider what the 708 Board requirements are; how the funding consolidation affected, or should affect, the MHB's priorities; and how does the MHB continue to be a 708 board as it works on clarifying its expanded horizons. December 09, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 2 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Ms. Grover continued that the %IHB's mission statement might need to be changed. She said that this was anticipated during the consolidation process. Ms. Grover said that she has been doing re- search an the legal status of the 708 board and its implications for the committee's task. ,Ms. Grover said that the MHB might also need to revise its By Laws to bring them up to date. Ms. Canter said that both of the committees %%-ill begin to meet afterthe New Year and be prepared to provide an initial report by the February meeting. V. AGENCY ACCOUNTABILIV Liaison Reports Thresholds/Transitions. Ms. Kalish said she spoke Aith Peter Illing who told her that they have been flooded with requests from the Evanston community recently. They have begun to do outreach at senior facilities that have persons with mental illness Iiving there. They have been talking to the site managers about having those individuals come to visit and find out about their services. The lar- ger organization is opening an empowerment/social/recreational program that is being organized and run by clients for clients. The kick-off for this program is this weekend at Lakeview near Diversey in Chicago. It %%7I1 be open Fridays through Sundays. Thresholds has brought on a Chief Clinical Offi- cer to assist in standardizing their programs. Evanston/Skokie Valley Senior Services, Ms. Kalish said that the office is not fully staffed. The North Shore Senior Center is going to have a program that m ill give holiday gifts to 200-300 clients. They are also involved %kith a program that Carson's is sponsoring that this will benefit 100 seniors. Grandparents Raising Grandchildren will be having a party December 18 at Levy Center with food, entertainment, and Santa. SHORE. Ms. Canter said that SHORE won a Community Service Award presented by the Manny Silverman Company. It was an award for service in the community; however the company donated $10 for each person in attendance at this event. Agency Quarterly Reports The MHB discussed the number of Quarterly Reports that were missing from the packet. In response to a question, Mr. Saver said that the First Quarter reports were due no later than October 31. He reminded the NIHB that the reporting year had changed, so the schedule is different than the one the agencies had been using. However, this information was shared with the agencies at the orientation meeting about the new reporting form. Reminders were also sent out to the agencies about the new schedule on three separate occasions since June. Other reporting requirements are usually shared and reiterated with the contract transmittal letter. (Ms. Gauthier joined the MHB at 8:15 p.m.) Mr. Saver was asked to discuss the process for getting reports and information from agencies. He said that the reporting schedule is in the agencies' contracts and, until recently, had not been changed December 09, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 3 Minutes recorded — not yet approved for at least the past 13 years. As a rule of thumb, all information — vouchers, quarterly reports, ac- countability reports -- is due within 30 days after the end of the month for which the information is being submitted. He said that, generally. if information is not end by the due date tits. Barott calls and reminds the agency that the information is late. Ms. Canter asked about the extent to which agencies were timely with their reports. Mr. Saver said that most of the agencies were fairly consis- tent about the time in which they respond. There are several that submit everything within a week to 10 days. The majority are consistently in on time. However, every month there are any where from 2 to 6 agencies that are overdue. Three to four agencies are consistently late. The delay might be a matter of several weeks to two months. Mr. Save %vas asked whether this might bean indication that the agency really did not need the MHB funds. He said that concern has been raised on a number of occasions. However, he indicated that, given the agencies involved, he did not think it was an issue of lack of financial need. Mr. Saver explained the Citv's procedure for processing and paying bills, and the delay between when a bill is submitted and when it is approved by the City Council for pay- ment on the biweekly Bills List. Issues of cash flow at any time during the year might make it less urgent for an agency to need its funds right away. However, this shouldn't have anything to do kith whether an agency is in compliance with the contract reporting requirements. Ms. Walker said that she thought that it was an important issue that the deadlines for the contract re- porting requirements to be enforced. She continued that, other than for special circumstances, she couldn't think of any excuses for being chronically late. She said that she thought it was an issue that the MHB should consider. In response to Ms. Walker's question, Mr. Saver reported that the contract's provisions do provide for the possibility for contract payments to be waived if they are late. These are in the Contract Policy Guidelines. He said that the Board might want to look at that language specifically when they review and adopt the Guidelines for FY2005-2006. He suggested that the MHB might want to consider some language and evaluation criteria around contract compli- ance in the proposal evaluation criteria that the committee will be developing. While it would not have to have a high value in a scale, it would emphasize the N1HB concerns about compliance as one funding criteria. Ms. Canter said that this would be consistent with the comments that were made during the fall allocation process about having more objective criteria as the basis for making deci- sions. Mr. Saver was asked to send a notice to the agencies regarding the MHB's discussion on contract compliance. MS. Grover suggested that, one more time, a reminder also be sent about the deadline for the second quarter Agency Quarterly Report. The MHB ask that this issue be carried over to the January 13, 2005 MHB meeting. Ms. Sittler commented that she had some concerns with the way that some of the Quarterly Reports were being completed. She said that one of the reports had information that stated there %vas 75% success on one objective and 78% success with another objective. She said that the Board %%as look- ing for the raw data the outcomes were based upon, as well, e.g. 3 out of 4, when the report format was revised. Ms. Sittler asked Mr. Saver to send a note in the Ietter that is being sent to the agencies about reporting. She asked that he send a reminder about the guidelines for the reporting. Agency Liaison Assignments for 2005 Ms. Canter collected the Board member information about Agency Liaison assignments. She aid December 09, 2004 Mental Health Soard Meeting Minutes Page 4 Minutes recorded — not yet approved that she would distribute the new assignments at the January meeting. VI. BOARD DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE Nis. Canter said that Randy Walker and Gil Krulee would be developing the agenda and calendar for board Development. Mr. Krulee distributed a list of issues for the MHB to consider about possible topics and functions for the Board development. He said that the MHB can look at information about what is not being provided in the community, like a needs assessment; informational presentations; or training about requirements in the Board members' roles. Mr. Krulee said that the Committee will be looking for the priorities of the MHB. There was a consensus among the MHB to start with presentations. Several Board members sug- gested the folloAdrig list of presentation topics to consider: sensory integration with autistic kids; Le- kotek; domestic violence issues; gay teens and mental health issues; speak with the social workers at the school districts (ghat are the issues in the schools and what are they doing about them); Police Department's role in response to mental health crises; whether and how does the faith -based com- munity respond to mental health concerns; homelessness. Ms. Walker said that she thought the Committee was charged with the responsibility to plan a Board Development calendar that was less intense than what was done in the past year. She said that she thought they would be aiming to have the first session at the March MHB meeting, and then once every quarter after that. VIL CONSIDERATION OF COiNIMUNITY FOCUS/DISCUSSSION GROUP PROCESS Ms. Canter asked whether the MHB was interested in sponsoring community meetings or discussion groups about the mental health and human services needs in the community. She said that this was an issue that was raised during the allocation process. Ms. Walker said that the MHB should first de- termine whether any of that information is currently available through other sources in the commu- nity. Mr. Saver reported that that the CDBG staff did a community focus group recently to generate information for the City's Consolidated Plan. He said that he had not yet seen the results of the proc- ess, so he didn't know whether it would pertain to the MHB's interests. He said that he would get a report when it nos available to see what data might be of interest to the MHB. Ms. Grover said that she thought the htHB should put this item on the back burner, given all of the other committee work that is being planned. Ms. Canter said that the issue would be put on hold until it could be deter- mined what is in other reports that are already available in the community. VIII. REPORT FROM THE CHAIR Ms. Canter said that she is hoping to be able to present the MHB's update to the Human Services Committee at its January 03, 2005 meeting. Staff will notify Board members only if there is a change in the schedule or the plans. December 09, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 5 Minutes recorded — not yet approved IX. STAFF REPORT Nis. Schmitt reported on "Brittany's Law." She said that she sent advocacN, letters on behalf of the MHB to Evanston's State Legislators in support of the proposed legislation. She said that the bill was not passed during the November legislative over -ride session. but will be taken up again in January. Ms. Schmitt reviewed the bill's legislative history and said that she would follow it to re- port back to the MHB. Ms. Schmitt said that she attended the CBHAI Winter Conference. She said that she attended a workshop on the State's draft of a three-year, statewide plan regarding substance abuse issues. She said that there were five different work groups looking at the plan: Reducing Stigma and Changing Attitudes; Reducing Gaps in Services; Workforce Development; Accountability; and Connecting Services and Research. Ms. Schmitt said that she had copies of the handouts for the action steps and objectives, if anyone %canted them. A more complete plan mill be posted on the website soon. Mr. Saver said that he attended a workshop at CBHAI's Conference commented on certifying locally generated dollars for Medicaid match. He said that he reported to the MHB on the development of this issue last spring. This initiative would allow expenditures for programs by groups like 708 Boards to be matched by federal IN reimbursement as long as certain requirements were met. If the MHB were to pursue this kind of model, they could recoup S0.50 for every dollar of eligible expenditures. The only program costs that would be eligible, at this point, are those for substance abuse and mental health programs. Any recouping or reimbursement would come back to the MHB as unrestricted funds that could be reallocated for additional programs. Mr. Saver said that he sat in on a discussion by individuals who had been working with IDPA on this proposal for five years. A number of the other 708 boards have been preparing to get this underway in their local communities. Mr. Saver said that there are still a number of issues to consider before determining whether this would be something that would be beneficial for the Evanston community. He said that it is not clear whether it would be cost effective for the board to engage in this new ini- tiative. We will have to determine how much the Board would be eligible to be reimbursed for its program allocations in a typical year. In addition, there would have to be an assessment of the infra- structure costs for the Board'City of Evanston to be able to manage the system and comply with all of the federal requirements. Mr. Saver said he will continue to follow the issue and monitor how it is being rolled with participating 708 Boards. Mr. Saver said there is no timeline on getting involved with this plan. However, there is a real possibility that the State's Medicaid Plan could be capped in the future, and that might eliminate the possibility of adding on any additional expenses not already in place at that time. Mr. Saver distributed a note from Housing Options and Connections for the Homeless to the com- munity in which they announce that they are beginning to explore whether a merger between the two organizations would be viable. Mr. Saver said that he was told this is only a preliminary discussion and not a commitment beyond that, at this point. In response to hir. Krulee, Mr. Saver said that there are other agencies in Evanston that work with families and individuals who are homeless, e.g., Care Point, First Base, Home Base, Evanston Ecumenical Action Council, and CEDA. He said that Y.O.U. and Family Focus work with homeless youth. December 09, 2004 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 6 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Mr. Saver commented on an article in the Evanston Review that day regarding Teen Baby Nursery and the coordination of their services --r1th activity at Family Focus. Meeting adjourned at 9:05 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Harvey Saver Assistant Director December 09, 2004 Mental Health Hoard Meeting MInutes rage 7 Minutes recorded — not yet approved EVANSTON MENTAL HEALTH BOARD MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, JANUARY 13, 2005 Members Present Sue Canter. Gill Krulee. Linda Laatsch, Louis Rowitz, and Randy Walker Presiding: Sue Canter Staff: Harvey Saver. Joan M. Barott, Sara Schmitt Community Representatives: Meredith Griffith, Eric Johnson (Trilogy); Pam Thomas (Evanston Skokie Valley Senior Services); Martha Arntson (Childeare Network of Evans- ton): Helen Roberts Evans (Child Care Center of Evanston); Tucker Wilder (Housing Options); Jane Doyle, Laura- Min Proctor (Center for In- dependent Futures) The meeting was convened at 7:00 p.m. Ms. Canter announced that, in the absence of a quorum, she was going to rearrange the agenda items so that issues that required a vote could be considered later in the evening, after a quorum was present. She said that she would call the meeting to order at that time. I. INTRODUCTIONS AND COMMUNITY COMMENTS Ms. Canter welcomed the guests and asked that they introduce themselves. 11. AGENCY ACCOUNTABILIY : Agency Liaison Assignments Ms. Canter referred to the list of 2005 Agency Liaison assignments in the packet. Mr. Ro,.tititz ex- pressed concern that he might not be able to take on two agencies this time. Ms. Canter suggested that he see whether another MHB member might be able to take on an additional, assigned agency. She pointed out that she and his. Gauthier already have three assignments each. Ms. Walker said that this has also been a concern for her, from time to time. She said that the Board discussed the possibility that there might be too many agencies to manage in the Liaison process when it was considering the funding consolidation issue. She said that it might be time to reconsider whether or not there is a need for additional Board members. Ms. Canter recommended that Board members contact the agencies with which they are the new Li- aisons and introduce themselves. She suggested that they talk right away about what would be the best way to stay in contact. She also reminded them to let their old agencies know about the change, as well. She suggested that would be a good time to discuss what would be the best way to maintain contact. Ms. Canter also asked Mr. Saver to send the information about new Liaison assignments to the funded agencies right away. January 13, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 1 Minutes recorded — not yet approved (Ms. Laatsch joined the Board at 7:15 p.m.) Nis. Canter declared that a quorum was present and called the meeting to order at 7:15 p.m. Follow up on Contract Compliance Issues Mr. Saver revie%ved the information that the Board asked be sent to agencies to remind them about the contract requirements and deadlines for reporting. lie said that the previous week he was also asked to respond to an inquin• from an Alderman,.ti-ho was concerned that the most recent Bills List had a number of payments for MHB-funded agencies that were months behind. lie said that both the Board and the Alderman raised similar concerns about whether agencies needed the funding if they were not concerned about getting paid in a timely way. Mr. Saver said that the issue might be more one of cash flow at any given time. He indicated, however, that the additional concerns the MHB raised had to do with contract compliance. Mr. Saver said that he had been asked to report on the status of bills and reports being submitted through the end of December. He said that, generally, everything was in on time thispast month, and all of the agencies had caught up with ghat needed to be submitted that was outstanding. There were two bills that were late several days. However, one vas sent by fax and the off ce's fax machine had been down for over one week. The sender did not receive an error message. The other had been emailed, it "bounced back" to the sender who had been out of the office at the end of the holiday pe- riod and was unaware the documents had not been delivered. Ms. Canter said she thought that it was positive that the MHB got a Quick, timely response from the agencies on this matter. Mr. Saver commented that there %vas a quick response to the letter the MHB send out about compliance. Mr. Saver said that he is going to arrange that all billing and reporting be able to be done electroni- cally for the new contract scar. He said that it should make it easier for the ageneics to be timely, and not have to worry about some of the problems «nth the mail that happen from time to time. III. REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF DECEMBER 09, 2004 MINUTES Air. Rowitz moved and Nis. Walker seconded a motion to approve the December 9, 2004 min- utes with minor corrections. Motion passed unanimously (5 aye — 0 no). IV. FY2005-2006 FUNDING ALLOCATIONS Request for Funding Shift From Center for Independent Futures. Mr. Saver reported that, sub- sequent to the MHB's allocation meeting, Center for Independent Futures (CIF) submitted a request that the MHB reconsider the agency's funding allocation of $10,000 for FY2005-06. He said that the letter and a job description are enclosed in the Board packet. — January 13, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 2 Minutes recorded - not yet approved Mr. Saver reported that CIF requested that the %1HB shift the program position that is being recom- mended for funding in the agency's Community Living Options (CLO) Program. They requested that the MHB's allocation be shifted from the CLO Partners Coordinator position to the CLO Com- munity Living Coordinator position. The agency indicated that their priority for the CLO staff posi- tions changed since their proposal was originally submitted. As a result of a staff turnover in the Community Living Coordinator position, there was both a need and an opportunity to make a .5 FTE position into a full-time position. Mr. Saver said that he was told the responsibilities of the Partner Coordinator are being picked up as part of the work the Executive Director is doing. He added that Jane Doyle, CIF's Director, told him that the requested change reflects greater emphasis is the agency is now placing upon direct work with their clients as the program is expanding. In addition, the Community Living Coordinator will help develop futures planning tools and products that the agency is using with parents of teens and young adults who are not yet ready for residential place- ment. Mr. Saver said that his staff recommendation was to approve C1F's request. He indicated that it was a budget neutral move. In addition, the move is responsive to concerns that were raised during the Board's allocation session. The Community Living Coordinator position will work more directly with the CLO programs' members who are in the housing services than the Partners Coordinator po- sition Air. Rowitz moved and tiir. Krulee seconded a motion to shift the Center for Independent Fu- tures' FY05-06 allocation from the CLO Partners Coordinator position to the CLO Commu- nity Living Coordinator position. Ms. Canter said that she supported the request. She added that she spoke with leis. Grover, who was ill with the flu, and she indicated she thought the shift was more in keeping with the goals of the MHB. Motion passed unanimously (5 aye -- 0 no). V. REVIEW OF COI'TRACT POLICY GUIDELITNES FOR FY2005-2006 Mr. Saver said that the.\SHB's Administrative Procedures require the AiHB to annually review and reaffirm or revise the Contract Policy Guidelines (Guidelines), and adopt them for use %Kith Purchase of Service Agreements for the coming year. Mr. Saver reviewed the revisions and deletions thatwere made by the MH13 for F)'2004-2005. He said that over the past three years the MHB made a number of changes to make the Guidelines applicable to the consolidated funding process. In addition, last year the Corporation Counsel's office provided two changes that needed to be made as a result of City Council's directive about City contracts. Nis. Laatsch commented that with all of the changes that have been made to simplify the document and clarify several issues, she didn't see any need to make revisions for the coming year. Ais. Walker moved and Nis. Laatsch seconded a motion to adopt the Contract Policy Guidelines for FY2005-2005. Motion approved unanimously (5 aye — 0 no). Vi. PROPOSED CITY BUDGET FOR FY2005-2006 Mr. Saver said that the.\iHB's recommendations for program allocations were incorporated into the City Manager's Proposed Budget with no changes. He said that the Budget was presented to staffas a maintenance budget. with 2% increase over the current year. He indicated that the executive summary of the document is in the packet. January 13, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 3 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Mr. Saver reviewed the Budget Hearing. fie said that the formal Public Hearing was scheduled for Monday, February 07, at 7:00 p.m. tits. Canter commented that. in the past. Jane Grover anended the Budget Hearings and also provided comments on behalf of the Board. Ms. Canter said that NIS. Grover asked whether the Board wanted someone to monitor the budget proceedings this year. tits. Grover offered to represent the Board at hearings. The Board agreed that it would be important to have one or two representatives attend the meetings where the Budget was being discussed. his. Canter said that she would speak with Ms. Grover to see who might be available for the Public Hearing. Nis. Canter encouraged the other Board members to attend the Public Hearing, as well. Vll. BOARD DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE Ms. Canter introduced the topic and commented that the MHB had previously generated a few ideas for board development activities. She facilitated a discussion about additional areas of interest. Ms. Canter suggested that the Board particularly consider topics in those areas that the MHB has been addressing in other areas, e.g., community collaboration, outcomes. The Ml-lB generated the follow- ing list of additional topics for the Board Development Committee to consider: • Discussion with agencies that the MHB does not talk to much, but have complementary areas of involvement (Commission on Aging, Evanston United Way, Mental Health Association of the North Shore); • Discussion with the school districts about how they collaborate or work with community agen- cies; • Logic model that is being used in the Metropolitan Chicago United Way's funding proposal; • Talk with the Evanston Police Department about some of their involvement «7th human ser- vices issues; • Talk with a panel of social workers from both Districts 1't67 and #202 about the non — educational needs of children in the schools; • Emergency preparedness and persons with disabilities. Ms. Walker suggested that board development emphasize best practices, trends and unmet human services needs, with a particular focus upon the consumers of services, rather than hearing from other boards and agencies that do similar things. She said that would be much more useful in un- derstanding issues in the field, and what is going on in the community agencies. tits. Canter re- ferred the input provided by the ti1HB to the Board Development Committee to develop recom- mendations and report back to the Board. VIII. REPORT FROM THE CHAIR Ms. Canter reported the following: "Brittany's Law" finally passed both houses of the State Legislature earlier in the week. Ms. January 13, 2005 Mental HeaM Board Meeting Minutes Page 4 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Schmitt prepared letters to send to the local State legislators to thank them for their active sup- port for the bill. In response to a question, Ms. Canter said that the law will enable kids with disabilities and who are receiving special services to graduate with their class without losing their ability to receive special sen ices. after that they %vilI be able to continue to receive their vocational and life skills trainine and their education until they are 21. Ms. Canter said the ability to graduate is so important to these young people. • The Mental Health Association of the North Shore announced that they will be honoring Mr. Saver for his contributions to the community and the field ofinental health at their 4e anniver- sary annual benefit on May 01. 2005. at the North Shore Country Club. • She, Gil Krulee, Jane Grover, Haney Saver and Sara Schmitt attended the last Human Services Committee (HSC) to present the `1HB's proposed allocations, goals and accomplishments. The HSC members were complimentary of the Board's work and deliberations, but raised a number of questions about the saute issues that the MHB had considerable discussion about regarding allocations for BEHIV and Evanston Community Defender. Based upon the experiences of some of her constituents in the V' Ward. Alderman Tisdahl was highly complimentary of two of the agencies that the MHB is recommending for funding: Center for independent Futures and Trilogy's Emergency Mental Health Sen•ices Team. • At the end of the HSC meeting, the Committee discussed Jay Terry's report on youth services (enclosed in the Board packet). This was developed in response to AIderman Jean Baptiste's reference to the HSC to review the history of the City's role in youth services over the years. Some of the discussion focused upon the many services in the city that are available for youth, and the idea that many youth do not take advantage of these services. The Aldermen consid- ered a recommendation that the Summer Youth Employment Program be considered for more support and be extended to an all year program. Alderman Newman suggested that this be re- ferred to the Human Relations Commission. Ms. Canter said that she offered the assistance of the MHB, to the extent that it would be appropriate, in looking at the issue. JX. STAFF REPORT Mr. Saver reported the following: • ENH's Center of for Psychiatric Rehabilitation is having an open house January 19 at their new facility. • At the December MHB meeting, the question was raised about whether or not to convene community discussion groups or some type of focus groups about community human services needs. The MHB decided to postpone that until they had information about what other needs assessments had been done in the area recently. Mr. Saver said that the Community Develop- ment Block Grant have data from work they did to develop the City's Consolidated Plan and he will be reviewing the information to see if there is data that is of use for the Board's considera- tion. In addition, Tom Jager at the Evanston United Way has data from the needs assessment that the United Way of Metropolitan Chicago had done for the region. Mr. Saver will be meet- ing with Mr. Jager to review the data and see where there are opportunities for the MHB and UWay to work together in the use of the information. January 13, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 5 Minutes recorded — not yet approved • Ms. Schmitt gave an update on the Vh Annual Aging Well Conference. She has made arrange- ments with the Evanston Public Library to showcase issues regarding older adults and mental health issues in May. which is Older Adults Month. These efforts are also being coordinated with the planning for Naomi Ruth Cohen Mental Health Conference on June S. which will be about depression in adults 50 years and older. Meeting adjourned at 8:20 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Joan M. Barott January 13, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 6 Minutes recorded — not yet approved EVANSTON MENTAL HEALTH BOARD MEETING.MINUTES THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2005 Members Present Sue Canter, Jane Grover, Gill Krulee, Linda Laatsch, Anne Gauthier, Carol Sittler, Victoria Kalish, and Randy Walker Presiding: Sue Canter Staff: Haney Saver, Joan Barott, Sara Schmitt Community Meredith Griffith, (Trilogy); Pam Thomas (Evanston/Skokie Valley Senior Ser- vices), Martha Amtson (Childcare Network of Evanston); Helen Roberts Evans (Child Care Center of Evanston), Sarah Curry Ms. Canter called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. 1. INTRODUCTIONS AND COMMUNITY COMMENTS Ms. Canter welcomed the guests and asked that they introduce themselves. 1I. REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF JANUARY 13, 2005 MINUTES Ms. Gauthier moved and Mr. Krulee seconded a motion to approve the January 13, 2005 minutes with minor corrections. Motion approved unanimously 7 ayes — 0 no. III. STREET LIGHT BANNER CAMPAIGN. IRENE DOYLE SANDLER, CO-CHAIR. NORTH SHORE HIGH SCHOOL DENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION WORKING GROUP, A1EN TAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION OF THE NORTH SHORE (AiHANS) Irene Doyle Sandler joined the Board and referred to materials in the Board's packet. The MHB agreed to a request from MHANS to participate as a local partner in a campaign to display street light banners in communities along the North Shore during May, which is National Mental Health Month. The proposed banners have a theme of reducing the stigma of mental health. MHANS is currently preparing to submit their application locally to City Public Works staff for the authorization to proceed. Local bannersponsors will be solicited after the City of Evanston has provided approval to mount and display the banners. Ms. Grover moved and Mr. Krulee seconded a motion for the MHB to • endorse and cosponsor the campaign, and solicit local support; • provide a letter of support for the application for City ap- proval, and join with MHANS in any meetings with the appropriate City staff; • authorize the pur- chase of two banners with the ;dental Health Board's name as a campaign sponsor at the cost of $150 for each of the sponsor banners; and • in conjunction with the MHANS, develop and request a Mayoral proclamation in support of Allay as Mental Health Month, and for the streetlight banner campaign. Motion approved unanimously 7 ayes — 0 no. IV. AGENCY ACCOUNTABILIY The MHB members provided Liaison reports and reviewed their agencies' Second Quarter reports February 10, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 1 Minutes recorded— not yet approved for the period October — December 2004: PEER Services. During the quarter, the agency reported failing a bit behind on their outcome objectives. However, they are still on track for the aggregate results for the year. In the Adolescent Treatment Program they are seeing a 3:1 ration of boys to girls; however the girls tend to be much sicker. The Adult Treatment Program is serving 90 people, 65 of whom are on methadone. Trilogy. In evaluation reports, staff are reporting more improvement in projected individual outcomes than are the program's members, and have been seeing greater improvement. The local office has been able to increase their caseload from 20 to 35. Many of these are people who were on the waiting list. They have expanded the additional capacity by putting a substantial amount of paper work on computer, which has enabled them to save time. ThresholdstYransitions. The report is has not yet been received. Family Focus. During an agency visit, the agency reported having a 26-year-old grandmother that they are working with. (Ms. Walker joined the MHB at 7:20 p.m.) Center for Independent Futures (CIF). The agency is very enthusiastic about obtaining funding from the MHB and is actively preparing to start the contract. They are planning their second annual fundraiser, and are projecting to raise $8,000. They received a S5.500.00 grant to continue education programs. CIF has been invited to convene a workshop with Evanston To%vnship High School for parents whose kids are in- volved in or planning for transitional services. Mr. Saver reported that ETHS and CIF requested that the MHB also sponsor the workshop. In a consensus decision, the MHB agreed to cosponsor a workshop with ETHS Special Services and CIF for parents of high school students who have children in transitional services at ETHS. The workshop will be held ]March 15, and will prepare parents and provide them with tools for "futures planning" for their family members who Are "aging out" of mandatory services. Youth Job Center. The agency sold the Ben and Jerry Ice Cream Partnershop to a private venture. The new owners have agreed to use some of the agency's clients in the business, E Childcare Network of Evanston. A significant portion of the budget is from federal funds for Head � _ Start. The projections are that next year's allocations will be flat with no increase, which will cause a sig- nificant hardship. Housing Options. The agency reports that they are going through a successful transition with their new service delivery model. They are now their own direct provider of mental health supportive services and do not contract that out any longer. The quarterly report shows they are meeting their outcome projections. Their annual benefit will be this weekend at the Women's Club of Evanston. HUD approved their request for a $350,000 grant which will pay 75% of the cost for the first three years of the Pathways Plus Program that will provide permanent supportive housing in scattered site apartments to eight adults who have severe FSk and persistent mental illness and are homeless. Housing Options and Connections for the Homeless con- tinue to actively discuss the possibility ofa merger, but no decisions have been made. The agency has insti- February 10, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes page 2 Minutes recorded — not yet approved tuted new computer programs for efficiencies %%ith billing and record keeping. They are now accepting pri- vate pay clients, but they would have to pay 100% of the cost. Infant Welfare Society. Teen Baby Nursery has been meeting its projections for outcome objectives. The program has been seeing more pregnant teens that are middle school -age. One girls was not yet 13. This is becoming a more pronounced problem. They have begun to look at how to coordinate and problem solve with other Evanston agencies that provide pregnancy prevention programming to younger teenagers, e.g., YWCA, Y.O.U., Family Focus. At the same time, they are seeing fewer older teens that are getting preg- nant. Staff reported the following - In addition to Housing Options, all of Evanston's proposals to HUD for the McKinney Homeless funds were approved, totaling approximately S I million. The grant for Hilda's Place for 36 home- less people for transitional services was a renewal. The Claridge Apartments was also renewal funding for seven units for people who are homeless and have disabilities. New funding was ap- proved for Connections for the Homeless for a Homeless Management Information System. • Contracts are being prepared much earlier this year. Based upon the Board's directives last spring, more time and attention is being paid to ensure clearer program outcome measures. Ms. Kalish commented that many of the quarterly reports should have been more closely proof read. In ad- dition, it appears that agencies are not being consistent in the way that they complete their reports. Ms. Canter asked Board members speak to their agencies regarding these matters. In response to a question, Mr. Saver reported that this most recent reporting period, only one Agency Quar- terly Report was significantly late. Three reports were received one or two days late. Two agencies were late submitting their vouchers and accountability data. There has been considerable improvement in the timeliness of the agency reports. V. STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS Board Development. Ms. Walker reported that the Committee reviewed the list ofactivities that the MHB brainstormed and expressed interest in for Board Development activities. From those, the Committee rec- ommended the following topics for the schedule: • Evanston Police Department's role in response to mental health crises; presentation in conjunc- tion with the Emergency Mental Health Services team at Trilogy about how they collaborate on these issues. • Discussion with social workers from either ETHS or from both ETHS and #65 - possible panel presentation %vith a focus on issues related to cognitive disabilities, mental health, and substance abuse in the schools that social worker get involved in; how do they work and collaborate with community agencies? • Gay teens and mental health issues • Role of the faith -based community in responding to mental health concerns (small panel) Ms. Grover moved and Ms. Kalish seconded a motion to adopt the Board Development Committee's recommendations for the FY2005 board development schedule. Motion approved unanimously S ayes — 0 no. February 10, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 3 Minutes recorded » not yet approved Funding Priorities. The Committee is reviewing documents to determine what needs to be revised and updated to bring them into line with current operations. Several of these have not been reviewed for some time. In addition, the funding consolidation three years ago has forced some changes in the way the MHB acts as a funder. Funding Criteria. Ms. Sittler reviewed the Committee's charge. She had Board members complete two sheets identifying positive and negative criteria that they personally use when considering and reviewing funding proposals. VI. REQUEST FROM ANSWERS FOR SPECIAL KIDS TO CO-SPONSOR A WORKSHOP ON IDEA Mr. Saver reported that Marian Casey, Executive Director of Answers for Special Kids (A.S.K.), requested that the MHB cosponsor a forum about the reauthorization of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Edu- cation Act (IDEA) of 2004. The reauthorization will take effect July 1, 2005. In a consensus decision, the MHB agreed to cosponsor a workshop scheduled in Iate spring. to provide information to parents of students who are thought to require special services about their rights and responsibilities under IDEA. VII. REPORT FROM THE CHAIR Ms. Canter discussed the City Council's Public Hearing on the proposed Budget. She distributed a copy of an article from the Evanston Round Table in which Isis. Grovers testimony was cited. V11I. STAFF REPORT A new program, Anne's Home, is opening February 14. The program is designed as a survivor treatment center to help college students who are survivors of rape. Health and Human Services will be having a Health and Community Services Fair Tuesday, July 12, at the YMCA. The goal is to promote healthy behaviors and resources for healthy living, and to make available a broad range of physical and behavioral health and community services, at no charge, to the citizens of Evanston. The spring issue of City Highlights will have an article on about Trilogy's Emergency Mental Health Ser- vices Team, and how to access services. Meeting adjourned at 8:45. Respectfully submitted, Joan M. Barott Secretary February 10, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 4 Minutes recorded — not yet approved EN'ANSTON MENTAL 14EALTH BOARD MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, MARCH I0, 2005 Members Present Sue Canter. Gill Krulee, Linda Laatsch, Ann Gauthier, Carol Sittler, Victoria Kalish, and Randv %Valker Presiding: Sue Canter Staff: Harvey Saver, Joan hi. Barott. Sara Schmidt Community Representatives: Meredith Griffith, (Trilogy); Pam Thomas (Evanston/Skokie Valley Sen- ior Services); Martha Arntson (Childcare Nehvork of Evanston); Helen Roberts Evans (Child Care Center of Evanston); Tucker Wilder (Hous- ing Options); Sandra Stumme (Metropolitan Family Services) Ms. Schmitt. Canter called the meeting to order at 7.00 p.m. I. INTRODUCTIONS AND COMMUNITY COMMENTS Ms. Canter welcomed the guests and asked that they introduce themselves. Pam Thomas, Director of Evanston'Skokie Valley Senior Services, distributed an invitation to the Board for workshops on Coping with the Stress of ?Mental Health. II. REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF FEBRUARY 10, 2005 MINUTES Ms. Walker moved and ilir. Krulee seconded a motion to approve the February 10, 2005 min- utes. Motion approved unanimously S aye — 0 no. III. AGENCY ACCOUNTABILIY Agency Liaison Reports The MHB members reviewed their Liaison reports and provided the following information: Family Focus. Sandra Hill, the Program Manager indicated that the age of girls that they are seeing who are getting pregnant is getting younger, 13-14 years old; the age of the men who are getting them pregnant is getting older, 20-30 years aid. his. Hill reported concerns about transition for their young people after high school, and gaps in the available services. She suggested having a commu- nity symposium for the community to discuss this. Family Focus's benefit this year will be at the Levy Center. March 10, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 1 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Y.O.U. Don Baker, Executive Director, reported that the agency is participating for a second year with School District65 in their 21 s' Century Learning Center Grant. They are working in three of the =65 schools. Y.O.U. now has 70 student volunteers from NNVU. Center for Independent Futures. The agency's "Love Fest" fund raiser at Lincoln Park raised S10,000. CIF was featured March 10 in a full -page article in the Evanston Review. Jane Doyle, the agency's Executive Director, attended a conference in Springfield about home ownership for people with disabilities. BEHIV. The agency's new Executive Director is Brad McLaughlin. BEHIV will be one of two beneficiaries of the 2005 AIDS Ride during the first week of June. hls. Grover reported that she is signed up to participate in the ride. Housing Options. Housing Options had a very successful benefit February 12, raising $55,000. They are planning a new fundraising endeavor to pay down some of their mortgages and reduce in- terest payments. HUD approved Housing Options' proposal for a S350,000, three-yeargrant that will pay for the Pathways Plus Program. This will provide permanent supportive housing in scattered site apartments for eight adults in Evanston who have severe and persistent mental illness and are home- less. Alexander Brown, Executive Director. reported that the agency's shift to being a service pro- uder continues to go smoothly. Teen Baby Nursery. Kathy Shearer resigned as Executive Director. The agency is currently con- ducting a search for the position/ Ms. Canter reported that Lou Rowitz submitted his resignation from the Board to the Mayor. She said that until a new Board member is appointed. Mr. Rowitz's Liaison responsibilities have been temporarily reassigned. his. Grover will work with Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago, and leis. Canter will work with ,Metropolitan Family Services. The Board discussed how to publicly recognize and thank Mr. Rowitz forhis role on the Board for almost seven years. his. Canter said an invitation would be sent to him to attend a future MHB meeting for the Board members to say thank you. Mr. Saver said that Mr. Rowitz's work schedule had him out of town for the March and April meetings. He indicated that he might be available for the May meeting. Purchase of Service Agreements. Staff reported on the additional work that was necessary this year to assist the Board's community purchase of service (POS) agencies to develop outcome objectives and measures for their FY05-06 contracts. Mr. Saver said that this was in response to the Board's development of a new agency quarterly reporting format, and a major emphasis upon out- come measures in the funding allocation process this past year. his. Schmitt reported that a bit more than half of the agency contracts for FY05-06 had already been completed. She said many of the agency proposals had originally included good outcome objectives. There were a number that needed additional work in order to comply with the MHB's expectations about client -centered out- come measures that reflect the impact of their programs and the work they were doing with their eli- March 10, 2005 Mental health Board Meeting Minutes Page 2 Minutes recorded -- not yet approved eats. In response to the Board's request. his. Schmitt said that she would send each of the Board members a copy of the Purchase of Sen-ice Agreement for each of their Liaison agencies. Survey About Quarterly Report Mr. Saver said that the agencies will continue to use their cur- rent Quarterly Report format until July 2005. At that time. their new outcome measures will be in- corporated into the forms. \ir. Saver said that the Board members had indicated that they were satis- fied with the format, but were concerned that several agencies were not filling it out correctly. He reported that staff would follow up with those agencies where it appeared that there was a misunder- standing about some of the reporting features. He said that the AiHB had initially indicated that they wanted to solicit feedback from the agencies about the use of the new form, and whether there were any problems in using it. There were several suggestions discussed about how to get the informa- tion. The Board decided to survey all POS agencies and solicit their feedback about the utility of the revised quarterly reporting format, and any difficulties that they are experiencing in using the form. They asked staff to send the agencies a few questions about the reporting format that could be incor- porated into their 3`4 Quarter report. The information will be reviewed in May prior to making any decisions about editing the form for the next year. IV. STANDING COWNUTTEE REPORTS Funding Policies Committee. The Board received the report and initial recommendations from the Committee regarding revisions to the MHB's By Laws and mission. These were necessary as a result of the agreement in 2002 between the Human Services Committee and the Mental Health Board to consolidate all of Evanston's human services funding in the General Fund under the MHB's allocation process. Ms. Grover reported that the Committee is developing language that is consistent with the Board's current role and actual procedures. The MHB gave tentative approval to the Com- mittee's initial recommendations for revisions to the mission and purpose under Section II of the By Laws. Ms. Canter thanked Ms. Grover and Ms. Gauthier for their work on the issue. Ms. Grover said that the Committee has several other sections that will need to be reviewed before the entire document is ready for consideration. She complimented Ms. Schmitt in coordinating all of the Committee's ideas and putting them into shape for the recommendations. Funding Criteria and Assessment. Ms. Sillier referred to the list of evaluative items that were in the packet. She described the Committee's process to develop discrete categories out of the roster of criteria that the Board developed during the February meeting. She said staff organized the larger list into categories of roughly similar hinds of issues, initially, in order to see how much duplication there was in the list of criteria. ;fir. Saver pointed out that some items were negative and some were positive. He said that he would be organizing and collapsing the items — positive and negative -- into a single subject, e.g., geographic area served. Ms. Sillier said that the Committee will be paring down the list and making the structure of the criteria more uniform. She said that they are planning to have the final list of criteria ready for final review and adoption for the fall allocation hearings. Ms. Gauthier commented that she %vas surprised to see several comments about "agency participation in MHB meetings" as a positive value. Ms. Walker said that she had served on the Allocation Committee. She commented that after the March 10, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 3 Minutes recorded — not yet approved conclusion of the funding hearings, it would also be helpful to the members of the Allocation Com- mittee to receive some written feedback or comments from all of the Board members about their im- pressions, prior to deliberating on the allocation recommendations. There were several suggestions from the Board about some type of survey that each Board member could complete during the hear- ings they attend. Ms. Canter recommended that the Committee look at a structure and tools for implementing the cri- teria that is relatively simple, in order to get everyone to use it. She suggested that the Committee consider a criterion related to "responsiveness", i.e., the agency's response to recommendations or suggestions from the MHB or the City during the year, if there were any. Ms. Grover asked the Committee to took at the issue of administrative costs as a percentage of the budget as a separate cri- terion. V. EVANSTON ETHICS ORDINANCE Mr. Sager reviewed the packet of items in the packet related to the amended Evanston Ethics Ordi- nance. He discussed its applicability to the Board members. Mr. Saver said that City administrative staff and managers had already received training in the changes in the Ordinance. City departments will be providing training to all of the rest of the staff that are in the union. Mr. Saver answered several questions and said that if there are questions of a more technical nature or issues that need clarification, Board members should call or email him and he %vill get a response from the Law Department. The MHB requested that they receive training in the Ethics Ordinance when it becomes available. VI. REPORT FROM THE CHAIR Ms. Canter reported that she and Mr. Saver attended the last two Human Service Committee meet- ings where the issue of youth services in the community was discussed at length. She described the discussion and said that day's Evanston Revien, included an article that provided a good summary about the issues and the discussion. She distributed a copy. Ms. Canter said that there were two ma- jor points of the discussion: (1) the need for a full review of youth services in the city, the identifica- tion of all of the service providers, and an assessment of what they are doing; and (2) whether there is a need to increase the position of Coordinator of the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) from part-time to full-time. The City Managers Office recommended that a full assessment of youth services initially be done before making a decision as to whether or not there was a need to expand the SYEP. M<s. Canter said that the full Council will be considering the issue on Monday. In re- sponse to a question, Ms. Canter explained the SYEP to the MHB members. Ms. Canter distributed an article from the National Association on Down Syndrome newsletter about Brittany's Law. Ms. Canter said that she had the opportunity to review a scrapbook from the initial developmental March 10, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 4 Minutes recorded — not yet approved years of the MHB. The articles from the Evanston Review go back to the beginning, in 1969. VII. STAFF REPORT A communication from Housing Options was distributed about a clinical training institute that they have organized. Mr. Saver pointed out that Ms. Walker is one of the presenters. The itiHB is hosting a workshop for parents of school age children with special needs about prepar- ing for the transition process after high school is over. The MHB is sponsoring the event on Tues- day, March 15, with Center for Independent Futures and ETHS's Department of Special Services. MHANS received approval from the Cite for the Street Light Banner Campaign. In addition to agreeing to locally cosponsor the initiative, the MHB purchased two banners for the campaign. Mr. Saver distributed additional information to community agencies soliciting their participation. A kickoff and ceremony are being planned for May, which is Mental Health Month. Mr. Saver met with Tom Jager from the United Way (U%V) to discuss the needs assessment data that had been compiled by the Metropolitan United Way for the region. The Board agreed to meet with some members of the United Way's Evanston sub -region to review needs data provided by the Re- gional UW about the community. Mr. Jager will try to have a consultant meet with both groups at this exploratory meeting to identify how the information might be used in developing local funding priorities. The Advocacy Committee of the Evanston Substance Abuse Prevention Council has been meeting to discuss some of the issues related to underage drinking in Evanston. They are looking at local ordi- nances and fines that are currently in place and considering whether there is a need to make recom- mendations for changes that would be provide a positive benefit for prevention efforts. Ms. Schmitt commented that she tried to establish what the incidence was of underage individuals who had been seen in the ENH. St. Francis and Rush North Shore Hospital emergency rooms for alcohol related issues. She found out that those hospitals do not keep track of that kind of information. Meeting adjourned at 8:45. Respectfully submitted, Joan M. Barott Secretary March 10, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 5 Minutes recorded — not yet approved EVANSTON MENTAL HEALTH BOARD MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, APRIL la, 2005 Members Present: Sue Canter, Gill Krulee, Ann Gauthier, Carol Sittler, Randy Walker Presiding. Sue Canter Staff. Harvey Saver, Joan M. Barott, Sara Schmitt Community Representatives: Meredith Griffith, Eric Johnson (Trilogy); Pam Thomas (Evans- ton/Skokie Valley Senior Services); Martha Arntson (Childcare Net- work of Evanston): Helen Roberts Evans (Child Care Center of Evanston); Karen Vroegh (Mental Health Association of the North Shore); Sandra Stumme (Metropolitan Family Services) Ms. Canter called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. She said that with only four people the MHB could not conduct formal business until one more Board member joined the meeting. I. INTRODUCTIONS AND COMMUNITY COMMENTS Ms. Canter welcomed the guests and asked that they introduce themselves. II. BOARD DEVELOPMENT: "RESPONSE TO MENTAL HEALTH CRISES IN THE COMMUNITY." The Mental Health Board was joined by Sgt. Robert Mayer and Officer Lloyce Spells from the Evanston Police Department's (EPD) Problem Solving Team (PST), and Eric Johnson, Program Manager of Trilogy's Emergency Mental Health Services Program. Mr. Saver discussed the training that Trilogy and the MHB provided for the Polices Department one year ago regarding emergency mental health services and resources for the community. He said that the Board Development Com- mittee arranged a discussion about the EPD engages mental health issues in the community, and Trilogy's role in working with them. Officer Spells said that historically the EPD has been dealing with mental health crises foryears, es- pecially within the core area of the City. There are a disproportionate number of calls that are from the business district than other areas. However, there had not been an effective protocol for the way that Police officers were to respond to people with mental health issues. Most of their encounters had been %ith criminal trespass, or a suspicious activity or person. In 1999, the EPD did develop a protocol for how their officers were to respond to these individuals, and what their options and re- sources were. Officer Spells continued that after the training that was provided by Trilogy, they have been working much more closely with the EMHS than previously. He said that they have a much better idea about what the capacity of EMHS is and how long it will take them to come out to assist with a crisis if they are called. April 14. 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 1 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Sgt Mayer said that in the past the EPD has dealt with EMHS when there have been specific calls for assistance. It was mostly reactive. In the past seven or eight months, they have begun to be much more proactive with individuals that seem to have some mental health issue. PST has been going out with both EMHS and EntrvPoint into areas of the city where there have been numerous complaints about people who appear to have some challenging behaviors. The officers go out on "ride-alongs" with staff from both programs and try to be proactive in engaging these individuals and referring them to services that might be able to help them. The Police Department has found this to be a very successful approach in utilizing it with other community issues in the past. (A1s. NValker joined the 1%1HB at 7:15 p.m. A quorum was established.) In response to a question, Officer Spells said that Police officers have always responded to calls re- garding a possible mental health issue. However, they typically don't have as much time to spend with a person as do members of the PST. Sgt. Mayer commented that the patrol and beat officers have a protocol to follow during their shift. Previously, the protocol directed that the officers would assess the situation and for a non -criminal matter, if the individual was a danger to themselves or others, they would call the Fire Department to transport the person to an emergency room at a hospi- tal for evaluation. For a criminal offense, the individual would be taken into custody. With the new protocol, the EPD is able to call in Trilogy's EMHS to do the assessment. This is only the case, however, where the individual of concern seems to be a danger to themselves or others. Sgt. Mayer said that if it is a patrol officer that is the first respondent, they will try to link the person with the PST. Sgt. Mayer added that they could use more time and staff from Trilogy in Evanston. Some- times, because of the distance involved, EMHS is not able to respond quickly enough. However, working with Trilogy has been a great partnership_ Mr. Johnson discussed the work that his EMHS staff has been doing with the EPD. He said that they have been getting additional access and exposure to a new group of clients in Evanston. They are typically refractory to treatment, have a dual diagnosis, or have no insight to their mental illness. It has been an opportunity for the crisis team to make inroads with people they would otherwise not have contact with. This relationship has given them access to clients who were previously invisible to them. Mr. Johnson and Officer Spells discussed several cases and issues that PST and ENfHS worked on together. Officer Spells said that as many opportunities that they can get, they try and let people in the community know what other resources are available in the community, and what they can else that they can do to help. He said that the members of the PST distribute materials that are developed by the Mental Health Board and the Dept. of Health and Human Services in order to direct people to support services and to let people in town know what types of services can make use of volunteers and support. Sgt. Mayer reported that the PST, Trilogy and EntryPoint are going to do an orientation in the fall for NWU students. They would like to encourage people to have a consistent response to issues like mental issues and to panhandling in the community. The Police Department, along with Evmark and the Chamber of Commerce, will soon be implementing a new informational campaign related to panhandling in the business districts. This was a campaign that %vas developed and implemented, ini- tially, several years ago. April 14, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 2 Minutes recorded — not yet approved In response to Mr. Krulee's question, 'INIr. Johnson and Sgt. Mayer talked about how EMHS works with Northwestern's Police Department, as well. Officer Spells said that the issue is one that the PD works with in the courts, as well. He said that he thought the Court system needed more options related to what they can do with a person with a men- tal health problem. There needs to be more education with the courts about better solutions with these kinds of cases, but the court is overwhelmed already. And they do not see the person when they are in crisis, as the Police do. But the PD may not have as much sway in making recommenda- tions as does an agency like Trilogy after doing an assessment or evaluation. They may be more ef- fective in working with the Police in court in recommending that a person needs more help. Mr. Krulee asked whether the EPD has to work with Aldermen on these types of issues in the com- munity. Sgt. Mayer said that is a source of many referrals or complaints, so they must work very closely with them. Mr. Saver asked what the effect of the new working relationship has had on EMHS's operations. Air. Johnson reported that they now have access to clients who were previously invisible to them. They did not know how to find them or to get to them. The relationship with PST has allowed them to become more integrated into the Evanston community, and that was unexpected. Mr. Johnson added that his unit has a no -decline policy with the Evanston Police —when they get a call they have to go out. He said that prior to the training last year, he didn't think the EPD knew who EMHS was or what they really did. Now, they are getting to know each other and how they work. Sgt. Mayer said that his staff now knows how the people from EMHS are going to respond and work. He said that he liked the styles that many of their staff uses in engaging people. Mr. Johnson continued that EMHS's volume in Evanston has gone up quite a bit, but it is not yet overwhelming. The EPD offi- cers seem to be sharing with each other by word of mouth when there are successful experiences with EMHS. E1vfHS has two people on call 2417. They are all on the north side, but it could take 25 minutes in high traffic for a team to get to a call, dependent upon the location in town. Typically, the response time has been around 20 minutes. The Mental Health Board thanked Sgt. Mayer, Officer Spells, and Eric Johnson for their presenta- tion. III. REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF MARCH 10, 2005 MINUTES Ms. Sittler moved and Mr. Krulee seconded a motion to approve the March 10, 2005 minutes with mirror corrections. Approved unanimously (5 aye — 0 no). IV. AGENCY ACCOUNTABILIY Agency Liaison Reports. The MHB members reviewed their Liaison reports and provided the following information: Dimensions. Carolyn Ellis, Program Manager, indicated that the program was not constrained by April 14, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 3 Minutes recorded — not yet approved issues related to managed care. They are able to provide their clients with the supports that they need without funding restrictions, and can stay in touch with them as long as they need it. The program had a very successful Holiday Party, and is considering the initiation of a family component to their program. They have been providing an ` .k-k" meeting on site in order to train their clients to prepare for AA meetings in the community. Family Focus. The agency had a recent fundraiser at the Levy Center that was well -attended. They honored Helen Roberts Evans, Director of the Child Care Center of Evanston, and Will Sundblad, Director of Connections fore the Homeless. Housing Options. Ms. Canter provided 4is. Grover's report. The agency is still considering a pos- sible merger with Connections for the Homeless. They have had a second meeting about the matter, however, there have been no decisions reached. his. Grover reported that she was told that there are no strong arguments either way at this point. Another meeting is scheduled for later in April; a deci- sion will be made at that time as to whether to continue to consider the matter. Housing Options is conducting a 2-hour tour of their homes on Friday, May 13 at 1:00 p.m. Center for Independent Futures. Nis. Canter provided his. Grover's report. The agency has been very aggressive in conducting fundraisers. They are having 3 in the first four months of 2005. They are trying to broaden and diversiA- their donor base with distinctly targeted fundraising activi- ties. The "Love Feast" fundraiser at Lincoln Park raised $10,000. The second one is apolitical sat- ire performance that will be held in downtown Chicago on May 19. They have a goal of S 15,000 for this one through corporate sponsorships. They are hopeful about being able to expand their opera- tions through these efforts. CIF recently signed a contract for a third residential component. They purchased 6 condominium units at the new Roszak Development near downtown Evanston. The units should be available in 2006. CIF is also in the process of renovating the residences at 926 Chi- cago Avenue. Teen Baby Nursery. The agency has a candidate that they are considering for the Executive Direc- tor position.. They are hoping that they can have the position filled in May. Survey about Quarterly Reports. tits. Saver reviewed an email that was sent to the Board`s funded agencies. He said that that he solicited feedback the MHB requested about the new quarterly reporting format. Any comments or recommendations that the agencies provide will be reported at the May meeting. V. STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS Funding Criteria and Assessment. Ms. Sittler reported that the Committee is continuing to refine the draft criteria. She said that their goal is to narrow down the list to a fewer number of general categories for the ranking criteria. They are also developing a model assessment form that they will propose Board members use to rank each program funding request x pith the criteria. The information will be provided to the Allocation Committee after the funding hearings in the fall to assist in the al- location process. April 14, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 4 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Funding Policies and Guidelines. Ms. Gauthier reported that the Committee is completing the draft of revisions to the By Laws for the Board's consideration. She added that lane Grover is also devel- oping an updated history of the HB, and has been researching it through a number of different sources. Ms. Gauthier said that the Committee is considering different ways that data can be gathered or developed for use with funding priorities. Mr. Saver reported that the Evanston Health Department is periodically required by DPH to convene a major planning process for the community. This year the Evanston Process for Local Assessment ofNeed (EPL kNN) will also have an assessment component for behavioral health issues. He said that Jay Terry is interested in having the MHB assume responsibility for this part of the process. Mr. Saver said that it %vould probably consist of some type of discussion groups or focus groups with a targeted audience. This will probably take place in early October 2005. VI. APPOINTMENT OF NOMINATING COMMITTEE Mr. Canter reviewed the MHB's process for electing officers annually. She said that MHB officers for the 2005-2006 year would be nominated for consideration at the May MHB meeting. The MHB will vote on the nominations and elect officers at the June meeting. The elected officers will then take office at the July meeting. Ms. Canter appointed a Nominating Committee of Ms. Kalish and Ms. Sittler. VII. REPORT FROM THE CHAIR Ms. Canter reported that she is anticipating that Lou Ro«ntz «11l be able to attend the May MHB meeting in order for the Board to thank him for his 7'/z years of service. Ms. Canter presented the letter that the MHB agreed to send to Alderman Feldman upon his retire- ment from the Council. She said that he has been a good advocate for mental health issues, and was previously the City Council's Liaison to the Board: "Dear Alderman Feldman, " We are writing to congratulate } ou on the successful completion of your long, productive Alder - manic career. The members of the Evanston Mental Health Board tUHB) si-ant to thank you for your many years of ongoing support and encouragement in our response to the mental health needs of the Evanston communin!. "During your tenure as an active participant as the .4ldermanic Liaison to the dfHB, you provided the Board with good counsel and encouragement in furthering its mission. Pren members oflhe Board identified a number of quality ofcare concerns in Evanston's long term care facilities, you ivere instrumental in assisting the MHB to develop and have adopted nrany of its recommendations related to mental health issues in the City's Long Term Care Ordinance. "You also helped the Board to shape and craft its strong recommendations about including Residen- lial Care Homes in the rewrite of the City Zoning Ordinance. Their adoption brought the City's Or - April 14, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 5 Minutes recorded -- not yet approved dinance into compliance ivith federal lativ. Moreover, they ensured th.: t individuals with developmen- tal disabilities and mental health issues would be able to live as a pars of— rather than apart from — their oivn community. "On the City Council, you it -ere a strong advocate far the concerns ar..i considerations of the MHB's constituents— Evanstort's populations with special needs. The City Council made a decision in 1999 to eliminate the allocation for Evanston Hospital's Department of Ps 6 _ niatr•. Ybu fought for and se- cured the Board's ability to hold on to the majority of those funds —15' c of the total local tar dollars that it -ere available to purchase mental health services, 11lien the .%51B presented its proposal to the Human Services Committee for an essential new program to serve peal le with co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders, you provided critical support ar.,d intervention in helping the Board to be successful in obtaining its approval. It %vas a service the. mane in the community had expressed concerns for several years about it being a serious unmet recd. You enabled to Board ro shepherd it to realty. "The members of the Evanston .Mental Health Board truly apprecia.e your contributions to the Evanston community, the Evanston Mental Health Board, and its constituents. Yoit have our grati- tude and respect, and our appreciation for your guidance and dedicated service to the goals and mis- sion of the Evanston ,Mental Health Board "We u sh you tisell in your retirement and hope that the coming years bring you good fortune, good health, and happiness. " Ms. Canter said that she attended the workshop "Transition Planning: Preparing for Life After High School." The educational event was sponsored by Center for Independent Futures (CIF), Evanston Township High School, and the MHB. CIF provided information about some of the tools that they have developed to assist families in the transition process. In addition, Community Alternatives Unlimited provided a substantial amount of information for parents of high school kids who are near the point of transitionine out of entitlement services in the high schools. lets. Canter said that the ma- terials were very good. The attendance, approximately 25 people, etas not as large as was expected. However, from her experience she thought that it vas difficult and took a lot of work to get parents to begin to focus on and plan for this issue in advance. Ms. Canter reminded the MHB about the 400' Annual Meeting of the Mental Health Association of the North Shore on Sunday, May 1. She said that they would be hocoring and giving an award to Mr. Saver for community service. Vin. STAFF REPORT Mary Lee Svdatovviec, previously the Director of Infant Welfare Society's Teen Baby Nursery and Teen Parenting Services, is now the Director of Early Head Stan at the Childcare Network of Evans- ton. State Representatives Hamos and Colson are sponsoring a local forum for the Speaker ofthe House regarding the State Budget. It will be April I8 at the Wilmette Village Hall at 6:30 p.m. Ms. Schmitt has been following up with each of the funded agencies regarding their two, previous quarterly reports. This has been to ensure that there will be more consistent use of the form when it is April 14, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 6 Minutes recorded — not yet approved submitted to the Board. The MHB is co sponsoring and working on a number of upcoming community education activities: Mav is Mental Health Nlonth. The Mental Health Association of the North Shore (MHANS) will un- furl banners reading: "Mental Health is for Everyone," on Thursday, May 5. Mayor Lorraine Morton is designating May as mental health month in the city, coinciding with a national designation spon- sored by many mental health organizations, including NIHAIr'S' parent organization, the Mental Health Association in Illinois. The MHB is also helping 1NIHANTS to sponsor the banner campaign and the kickoff event. Mayor Morton will speak at the MHANSBoard anti -stigma mental health banner kickoff event and issue the proclamation on Thursday, May 5, at noon in Fountain Square. Singer Gaia Tossing will perform "I Am More," which she wrote to promote anti -stigma. The two banners that the MHB purchased will be hung in Fountain Square and along Green Bay Road. A workshop on the Reauthorization of IDEA. "Laws Regarding Special Education Are Changing: How Will They Impact You and Your Child?" attorney Matt Cohen «ill be speaking about this comprehensive piece of legislation that directly affects children, parents and educators for children who receive special education services. The workshop,.,.ill be on Saturday, . fay 14, 9:30-11:30 a.m. in Room 2202 at the Civic Center. A¢ina Well Film Festival. There will be a presentation of two award ►inning films: "Aging In America" and "Backseat Bingo. " On Sunday, May 1, 3:00-5:00 p.m. at the Levy Senior Center, 300 Dodge Avenue. 7th Annual Acina Well Conference. Friday, May 6, 8:00a-1:00p at the King Home, 1555 Oak Street. There will be 2 breakout sessions during the day. The keynote address will be a discussion with Delores Holmes, Alderman (elect), and Jay Terry, Director, Department of Health and Human Services, about "Changes in Evanston: The Impact on Older Residents." Closing remarks will be provided by Robyn Golden, President, American Society on Aging about "Aging America: The Na- tion's Hot Issues. " Fourth Annual Community Mental Health Conference about overcoming the stigma of mental ill- ness. The conference is being held on Sunday, June5, from 12:45 to 6 p.m., at Beth Emet Synagogue in Evanston, 1224 Dempster St. The theme of the 2005Community Conference is "Depression in Adults 50 and Over: Prevention and Treatment."Dr. Gene P. Cohen, Director of the Center on Aging, Health and Humanities at George Washington University, will be the ke}mote speaker. Participants will also be able to attend one of a group of 14 small discussion groups. Meeting adjourned at 8:25 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Joan M. Barott Secretary April 14, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 7 Minutes recorded — not yet approved EVANSTON MENTAL HEALTH BOARD MEETING 11INLTES THURSDAY, MAY 12, 2005 Members Present Sue Canter, Gill Krulee. Ann Gauthier, Carol Sittler, Jane Grover, Linda Laatsch. Randy Walker, Vicki palish Presiding: Sue Canter, Chair Staff: Harvey Saver, Joan M. Barott. Sara Schmitt Community Dr. Louis Ro«7tz; Evette Napei (Medill School of Journalism); Pam Thomas (Evanston/Skokie Valley Senior Services), Sue Ann Glaser (Childcare Net- work of Evanston); Helen Roberts Evans (Child Care Center of Evanston); Sandra Stumme (Metropolitan Family Services); Tucker Wilde (Housing Options) Ms. Canter called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. I. INTRODUCTIONS -UND COMMUNITY CO.NL VIENTS Ms. Canter welcomed the guests and asked that they introduce themselves. II. RECOGNITION OF RETIRING BOARD MEMBER: LOU RONVITZ On behalf of the MHB, Ms. Canter recognized Lou Ro«1tz for his years of dedicated service on the MHB. She presented Air. Rowitz with a gift from the Board as a token of appreciation. Nis. Canter then read the fol- lowing Resolution of the Evanston Mental Health Board of May 12, 2005 into the record: ' 7nereas, Lou Roiritc sensed as a ,Member of the E1 anston .dental Health Boardfar almost eight years; and '%7jereas, Lou Rouritz has provided the Evanston Mental Health Board ivith a broad perspective and national focus in helping it to revietiv a)td revise its operating procedures and governance structure as a local mental health authority; and, "IFhereas, Lou Ro}rit_ has organi_ed aiid facilitated numerous conrmtmin, focus groups and dis- cussions to broaden the Evanston .Mental Health Board's understanding of the community's hu- man service needs; and, "ff7tereas, Lou Rou-itz has provided the leadership for the Evanston Menial Health Board's three-year, community review of local substance abuse issues and needs that resulted in the Board's broader understanding ofprevcntion programming. and the development ofthe Dimen- sions program. " Nair, therefore be it resolved, that Lou Rowitz is applauded and commended for his enduring and ongoing contributions to the physical and behavioral well-being of the members of the Evanston community, and is hereby unanimously extended the gratitude and the respect of the Evanston ,Mental Health Board for his leadership and dedication. " May 12, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 1 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Nis. Grover said that it had been a pleasure to serve with Mr. Rowitz on the NIHB. She said that he brought to the Board a high degree of professionalism, and raised and deepened the level of the Board's discussions. Ms. Grover said that she remembered Mr. Rowitz's questions and observations during meeting and funding hear- ings. She thought that they were more informative and educational than the answers that they solicited. She added that Mr. Rowitz drove the Board members to ask additional questions. Ms. Grover thanked Mr. Rowitz for helping her with her won steep learning curve when she joined the MHB. The Board adjourned for a brief celebration in honor of Mr. Ro%itz. III. REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF APRIL 14, 2005 MINUTES The MHB reviewed the April 14, 2005 minutes. Ms. Gauthier submitted several edits. Ms. Grover moved and Nis. Laatsch seconded a motion to approve the April 14, 2005 minutes as corrected. Motion sip - proved unanimously (8 aye — 0 no). IV. AGENCY ACCOUNTABILIY Agency Liaison ReportstAgency Quarterly Reports Youth Job Center. Ms. Kalish commented that the agency has still not turned in their quarterly report. From her discussion with the agency director, the agency closed the Ben and Jerry PartnerShop. They established a debt consolidation loan with the Illinois Facility Fund that is supposed to stretch out their loan repayment schedule. This will not inhibit their cash flow quite as badly. Two longtime staff recently left Mr. Sibley will replace both of the counselors, plus add on some staff time to one of the programs. YJC received an S8,500 grant for one year from Chicago Community Foundation for board development and strategic planning sup- port. The Workforce Development Contract was renewed for the out -of -school South program. and additional funds were granted to add a mentor. They received a two-year, S65.000 grant from the Grand Victoria Foun- dation for the Strategic Corporate Alliance Program, which serves the older population (S35.000 I" year; $30,000 2n3 year). They have begun selecting and screening students for the Summer High School Tutor Pro- gram. Like many other agencies, they are expecting to be hit by a 25° b increase in their health insurance this summer. Evanston Community Defender. The agency's quarterly report has still not been received. Trilogy. Ms. Gauthier said that Meredith Griffith, the Program Manager, %wanted to attend the Board meeting but is involved with a family and friends event for Trilogy's members at the time as the meeting. The agency is reporting that their outcome measures are still showing that clients are reporting less success than staff is reporting about the same individuals. They tend not to see as much of their own progress. Recently they have had high staff turnover with two resignations. One person has already been replaced. With the chance going on, the clients are responding well to the situation. As a part of their programming, they re trying to have some evening coffee events where staff are not present. They want the members of the program to became more fa- miliar and comfortable interacting with their peer group. PEER Services. Ms. Mahoney has provided some new material to Isis. Gauthier regarding their Methadone Program. Nis. Gauthier will organize this and share major points with the Board. PEER Services now has of - May 12, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 2 Minutes recorded — not yet approved fice space in Glenview to better serve youth in their Adolescent Treatment Program who are from larger ser- vice community, including New Trier. Glenview, and Skokie. Skokie teens also go to the Evanston office for treatment. A number of the people who have come to town for appointments have been complaining about the difficult• in finding parking. Child Care Center of Evanston. CCCE is having an open house on Saturday, May 14, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. Center for Independent Futures. Jane Grover reported that CIF is having a Comedy Night on Thursday. May 19. They have already sold six tables to corporate sponsors. CIF purchased a third residence near down- town Evanston. They will be using 6 condo units in the new Roszak Development. CIF already has four fami- lies committed to the project, and two others have expressed strong interest in it. One of CIF's staff partici- pated on a panel at GIenbar School District in Glen Ellyn in DuPage County. She reported her surprise at how much can be done with housing models in the community for young adults with disabilities. DuPage does quite a bit more, but they have substantially more resources than Evanston. However, they have post -high school students who are transitioning out of formal education living in housing units similar to what is avail- able in Evanston for 35 year olds in housing like the Community Living Options. She reported that DuPage has a transportation problem for their students who are thing to get to many available to jobs; Evanston has the transportation, but jobs are difficult to find for these young adults. BEHIV. Ms. Grover reported that BEHVt"s Cabaret is Saturday, May 21 at the Unitarian Church. It will fea- ture performances by two of the agency's long-standing clients. both who are Evanston residents. BEHIV «ill also be involved with the Ride for AIDS. They have 17 Evanston residents registered to take part. Courtney Reid has been promoted to be the Director of Programs. BEHN's Board of Directors is continuing to develop their strategic plan. It will be made available to the N1HB when it is completed. Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago. Ms. Grover commented that LAFMC is slightly behind in their objectives for the year about clients being served. However, they are far ahead of their projec- tions assisting individuals with applications for Township General Assistance. They have hired a full time attorney who is bilingual. nos. Grover described two recent, difficult cases in which the agency assisted a sen- ior with a pending foreclosure, and a domestic violence case. Infant Welfare Society. Ms. Canter reported that I\VS's Board Chair, Tracy Poe, said the agency has hired a new Executive Director who will be starting soon. Their accomplishments in all of their outcome areas are going ven, well. Teen Baby Nursery was recently accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children in January, 2003. The partnership with YOU for the Pregnancy Prevention Program is also going well. Housing Options. Ms. Canter reported that the results of agency's outcome measures are right on the mark - per projections. She was advised by Alexander Brown, Executive Director, that the merger that was being discussed with Connections for the Homeless will not take place. They will be haying a tour of one of their housing units on Friday, May 13 at 1:00 p.m. Metropolitan Family Senices. Isis. Canter commented that INIFS is at or near all of their benchmarks for their outcome objectives. They are working with Management Training and Marketing Smices to reorganize their centralized systems and scheduling. reduce management staff, and reduce failed appointments in orderto generate more revenue. They have recently repainted and carpeted their office. The Evanston office is con - May 12, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 3 Minutes recorded — not yet approved tinuing to improve their fundraising, and recently completed a Board training manual to assist them with ap- proaching potential donors. Nfs. Canter reported that she and Mr. Saver were again working with members from MFS's Advisory board to develop and plan the Second Annual Brain Conference. Ms. Kalish commented that earlier in the evening she had attended Trilogy's Family and Friends meeting with her daughter. She said that one of Trilogy's clients who was a speaker and also works at Trilogy originally entered the "system ' through Connections for the Homeless. Subsequently, he entered one of Housing Op- tions living units. And then he got connected to Trilogy for supportive services. She said that he was very together, was now going back to school, and was proud of his accomplishments. Ms. Kalish said that it was gratifying to see the way that components of the community service network can sometimes work together. She added that she was pleased to be able to see how the MHB funds were being used in that way. Survey Feedback about Quarterly Reports Ms. Schmidt reported that there had been only two responses to request for feedback from the funded agencies about the use of the new Quarterly Report format; Housing Options and Child Care Center of Evanston re- sponded. Both responses were positive, and did not identify any problems. Ms. Schmitt said that it appears that there are not difficulties using the reporting format, and that staff have no recommendations for changes. Pam Tomas, Evanston/Skokie Valley Senior Services said that she had submitted some comments that must have been missed. She said that she thought the report was fine to use, but she had a number of questions about the directions. Mr. Saver said that he had already sent a response to her questions in answer to her email, and would send the information again..Ms. Thomas said that she thought it would be very helpful if the Board were to provide feedback to the reporting agencies about the information that is provided in the nar- rative. She added that she would be interested in knowing what more the Board might like to hear about re- garding her programs. V. STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS Funding Policies and Guidelines By -Lanes. The Committee presented a complete mark-up of revisions to the MHB By Laws. There wus extensive discussion about sections that referred to the Board's areas of funding. In response to Ms. Grover's comments, Mr. Saver said that a complete rewrite of the By -Laws has not occurred since 1986. However, they were reviewed from time -to -time and have been amended several times in the past 20 years. Nis. Grover said that the Committee worked on proposing changes streamlining the organizational structure in relation to how the Board's environment has changed since the By -Laws were first written, e.g., the role of staff, funding priorities and populations. Article 1 was changed as it reflects how the MHB conducts the business of the Board. Ms. Gauthier pointed out that the references to the Board's funding areas seemed to have changed since the Board reviewed recommendations two months ago. Site said that she was concerned that funding for persons with or having risk of emotional and mental disor- ders, development disabilities, and substance abuse problems is the language that the Board is currently using. even though it funds a larger array of programs since the Funding Consolidation. She said that she thought that language excluded a number of programs that the MHB also currently funds. She said the proposed language seemed to be about a narrow purpose of the Board. She discussed some of the May 12, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 4 Minutes recorded — not yet approved t3Ws of programs that had been included in the initial draft that had been reviewed. Ms. Grover com- mented the By -Laws are intended to be broader framework. Nfr. Saver said that he agreed and thought that some of the initial language tried to incorporate only types of programs that are currently funded. It would have the effect of limiting any programs that the MHB might choose to consider for funding in the future. He commented that the substitute language that attempted to also include broader human services categories under the Board's funding areas, as well. However, the language cited was directly from the language in the City Code for the Mental Health Board, as well as the statutory Ianguage for mental health boards in the Community Mental Health Act. He expressed concern that if the Board were to eliminate that Ianguage it would be inconsistent with the City Code, and the Board would also no Ionger be functioning as a 708 Board. He said that that there did not appear to be the same kinds of problems by expanding the funding focus by adding some broader language to encompass additional funding cate- gories. Ms. Walker said that she was concerned about eliminating the funding categories that have al- ways existed for the Board because they have always been priorities and to eliminate them would dilute the major mission of the Board. In response to a question, Mr. Saver said the language about the types of populations are in the By -Lags does not require the Board to necessarily fund any single program just because they serve one of those groups. The Committee will make additional revisions corresponding to the Board's feedback. A clean copy will be presented for the Board's consideration at the June meeting. Prior to a final vote to adopt the By -Lags, they «ill be submitted to the Law Department for a review. Funding Priorities. leis. Grover reviewed the information in the Board packet related to funding priori- ties. She said that the Committee has raised the question about what to do with the priorities once they are established. The Committee also wants to know from the Board as to whether they will be useful and how they might be used.. She said that they have been considering a possible framework. his. Canter commented that when she was on the Allocation Committee there was a structure that was used. She said that the information was helpful in considering possible allocations. Ms. Grover said that set of priorities %%as narrower and that the issues have become more involved since the Board's funding became consoli- dated with what was the Human Services Committee funding. There was discussion about priority areas helping solidify the picture of where an agency fits into the array of services that are being funded. Ms. Grover said that initially the model would allow the MHB to have a better understanding of the types of programs that are funded and the types of populations that were being supported. She added that the funding priority categories would enable the NIHB to have a more concrete understanding of what the universe for funding is and what does not fit in the Board's mission. Based upon the discussion, the Committee will bring back revision for consideration at the June meeting. Funding Criteria and Assessment • Funding Proposal Revisions. The Board reviewed the proposed redline changes for the 2005 Funding Proposal. There was a consensus that the revisions made sense and made the proposal format easier to understand. A clean copy will be presented to the Committee for a final review. and then to the MHB at the June Board meeting for final approval. • Funding Criteria and Evaluation. Ms. Sittler discussed the model that is being developed for funding criteria to use to evaluate funding requests. Mr. Saver said that the draft assessment tool was incomplete and ivas an example of how the criteria might be ranked. He pointed out that some of the criteria that the Board had discussed earlier he tried to operationalize with a definition. That % ill be important so each of the Board members understands each of the criteria in the same way. He said if the model is one that the Board wants to use, there is a lot of work that N ill need to be done to come up with appropriate assess- ment areas and titles. lair. Saver continued that he thought the current list of criteria was much too long May 12, 2065 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 5 Minutes recorded — not yet approved to make the tool useful, and that there was quite a bit of overlap. Ms. Lantsch suggested that there be less ranking required from each Board member, and that the list of criteria be shrunk in some %vay. Mr. Saver said that criteria could be used to elaborate and spell out each of the assessment areas, e.g., professional- ism, responsiveness. The ratings would be done on each of the category areas and not on each of the cri- teria within the categories. Ms. Laatsch suggested limiting the categories to be rated to 6 to 10 areas. Nis. Grover suggested that 2 criteria be added to the list the Committee developed: MHB funding as a percentage of the agencies program revenue, and program administrative costs as a percentage of pro- gram budget. Mr. Saver discussed how the ranking information would be collected. He said that a pro- gram's score would be based upon the average of each Board members ranking of that program. The date utill be summarized and provided to the Allocation Committee for their deliberations. 2005 Calendar for Funding process. Ms. Canter asked that this item be carried over to the June 4 agenda. Mr. Saver pointed out that the October MHB meeting and hearings for five agencies %rill need to be resched- uled due to Yon Kippur. his. Grover suggested that the Board's allocation presentation to the Human Ser- vices Committee be added to the MHB's calendar for the allocation process. Vi. REPORT OF NOMINATING COMMITTEE Ms. Kalish said that he and Ms. Sittler served as the Nominating Committee for Board officers for2005-2006. They nominated Sue Canter for Chair and Randy Walker for Vice Chair for the period to begin July 2005. Mr. Canter reported that the election would be at the June meeting, at which time additional nominations could be made from the floor. NrII. AUGUST MEETING After discussion, the MHB decided that there would not be an August 2005 meeting. VIII. REPORT FROM THE CHAIR Ms. Canter reported that she and Ms. Kalish, Ms. Sittler, and Ms. Grover attended the MHANS Benefit and Awards Presentation, at which Mr. Saver was honored. She said that she enjoyed the event and thought that it ttiw very well done. She also complimented Mr. Saver on his presentation and remarks upon receiving the award, and suggested that Board members get a copy of his comments. Ms. Canter said that she and several Board members attended the kick-off ofthe Mental Health Banner Cam- paign that the MHB cosponsored with MHANNS in Evanston. It was in Fountain Square, which was sur- rounded on all four corners by agency banners. One of the MHB's banners is at the corners of Davis and Sherman Avenue. The vent was very festive and accompanied by music that dealt with stigma reduction. Mayor Morton read a resolution proclaiming May as Mental Health Month in Evanston, and introducing the banner campaign. Ms. Canter said that she thought that people were noticing the banners, particularly people who are not involved with mental health issues. MHANS indicated that the MHB was one of the first munici- pal groups that signed on to the campaign. They used that support to pitch the campaign for others to partici- pate in the Banner Campaign from other North Shore communities. The banners will be on display until June. After that they will be given to the organizations that purchased them for their own use. MHANS hopes to May 12, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 6 Minutes recorded — not yet approved have the banners mounted every near around the same time, to highlight May as Mental Health Month. IX. STAFF REPORT Mr. Saver reported that he would be at a SAMHSA grant conference in Washington, D.C. the first week in June. SAMHSA recently issued a "no -cost extension' for Project Reach, Grow and Learn (formerly Project SEED). The grant was scheduled to expire June 30, 2005. As a result of a late start-up with the grant in Year 1, SAMHSA has authorized the continuation of the grant program for up to one year, or when the pint funds run out. Mr. Sager said that he and the Metropolitan Family Services staff think that they %vill be able to extend the grant program through the end of the next school year, based upon current spending patterns. Ms. Canter commented that this program is currently in a large number of classrooms. Saturday, May 14, the MHB, with Center for Independent Futures and Answers for Special Kids, is co- sponsoring a workshop on the 200-5 Reauthorization of IDEA. Mr. Saver and Ms. Sittler reported on the Vh Annual Aging Well Conference. The conference %vas a success and well attended. There were more people wanting to attend than the official capacity, but roam %%'as made available for everyone. The conference ke}mote "us a discussion with Alderman Delores Holmes and Jay Terry regarding "Changes in Evanston: The Impact on Older Residents." Tom Jager, Executive Director of the Evanston United Way for 25 years, %till be retiring after 25 years of ser- vices on June 30. Mr. Saver thanked the MHB members who were present at the MHANS award ceremony and who had sent him notes and extended kind %words to him about the award. Mr. Krulee pointed out the article about the award in the Evanston Roundtable article. He thanked the MHB for lovely plant that they gave to him, and said that he has a central place picked out for it in the landscaping at his home, if only the weather would comply and provide some warmth for the planting. Meeting adjourned at 9:05 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Joan M. Barott Secretary May 12, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 7 Minutes recorded -- not yet approved EVANSTON 1IENTAL HEALTH BOARD MEETING MINUTES THU RSDAY, JUNE 09, 2005 Members Present Sue Canter, Vicki Kalish, Gill Krulee, Ann Gauthier, Carol Sittler, Jane Grover, Randy Walker Presiding: Sue Canter, Chair Staff: Harvey Saver, Sara Schmitt Community Representatives: Pam Thomas (Evanston/Skokie Valley Senior Services); Martha Arntson (Childcare Nehvork of Evanston); Helen Roberts Evans (Child Care Cen- ter of Evanston); Sandra Stumme (Metropolitan Family Services); Mere- dith Griffith. David Daskovsky (Trilogy/Evanston); Megan Kashner(Infant NVelfare Society of Evanston) Ms. Canter called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. I. INTRODUCTIONS AND COMMUNITY COMMENTS Ms. Canter welcomed the guests and asked that they introduce themselves. II. BOARD RECOGNITION Ms. Canter said that there were two people that the MHB wanted to recognize that evening. She said that this was Vicki Kalish's last meeting. While Ms. Kalish had not officially resigned yet, she re- cently sold her home and was getting ready to move to California. its. Kalish had been on the Board for 6 years. The MHB will miss her thoughtful consideration of issues and her attention to detail. The h1HB could not respond formally until Ifs. Kalish formally submitted her resignation; however she was expecting to move just after she closed on her home. The Board would respond after Ms. Kalish finally confirmed her plans. The NfHB wished Nis. Kalish well and thanked her for all of her hard work and her endeavors on behalf of the Board. NIs. Canter recognized Sara Schmitt, a graduate intern from the University of Chicago SSA program, who worked with fir. Saver this past year. Ms. Canter said that she had gone above and beyond in supporting the MHB with its work this year. The Board appreciated her work and appreciated that she was capable of doing so much. The NIHB thanked Ibis Schmitt and wished her well in complet- ing her graduate studies. his. Canter presented Ms. Schmitt with a gift from the Board. III. REVIE`N' AND APPROVAL OF MAY 14, 2005 1IINUTES 1Is. Gauthier move and I1Is. Kalish seconded a motion to approve the May 14, 2005 minutes as June 09, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 1 Minutes recorded — not yet approved delivered. ?*lotion approved unanimously (7 aye — 0 no). IV "EjV917R0jVJ1EYVT.4L STR.-ITEGIES FOR SUBSTANCE ABUSE PREVENTION: DE4L11VG WITH L DER4GE DRlAKLVG." EVANSTON SUBSTANCE ABUSE PREVENTION COUNCIL (ESAPC) The following individuals joined the Board to represent the ESAPC: Sara Christensen, Community Program Development Coordinator. PEER Services; ?Mary Senn, Project Coordinator of the ESAPC: and Dr. Donald Ziegler, American Medical Association and member of the ESAPC Advocacy Committee. Ms. Christensen said that the ESAPC has a number of prevention programs that are being supported by a federal grant. She provided information about those. Recently, one of the concerns has been the issue of underage drinking in Evanston in Evanston. his. Christensen commented that while they have a lot of programs in place to address the issue, the ESAPC Advocacy Committee is beginning to look at how the environment is having an impact upon youth's decisions. Environmental preven- tion approaches deal with complex relationships between an individual, the community in which the person lives, and the influences in that community that have an effect in shaping that person's behav- ior— in this case, their decision to choose to use. Ms. Christensen provided as an example a situation where there are strong prevention programs in the schools that encourage non-use among youth. She asked what the impact would be upon that youth when they walk home and encounter drug dealers on the corner; they go to a community festi- val and it seems like everyone is walking around with a beer; they are able to obtain alcohol from their own parents; some of their friends' parents are «illing to allow alcohol to be consumed in their homes; and they are able to obtain alcohol from friends, or from stores that do not closely check identifications. Ms. Christensen continued that an environmental approach to prevention would complement rather than conflict with the messages and education programs that youth are already receiving. This ap- proach emphasizes environmental interventions, rather than programs and interventions for individu- als and groups. Environmental strategies address the external influences that youth encounter: norms, availability, and regulations. Ms. Christensen said that dealing with "norms" is to address the social aspects of acceptability of use in the community. As an example. she pointed out that the Strength in Alumbers Campaign at ETHS is attempting to impact norms by making alcohol use less acceptable by increasing social disapproval of use and making non-use more acceptable. "Availability" addresses how much of ones resources are required to obtain illegal substances. In the case of alcohol for minors, limiting outlet locations and density, developing age restrictions, price increases, and server/seller training would all tend to limit availability and youth access to alcohol, which would help to decrease use. Ms. Christensen said that "regulations" address legal and systematic aspects of acceptability. For June 09, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 2 Minutes recorded — not yet approved example, after the Vietnam War. minimum drinking age laws were changed to 21 in a number of states. When those restrictions went into effect in those states, research shoved that youth alcohol use decreased, as did accidents caused by drinking and driving. Strategies in dealing with regula- tions would include server liability. controls on advertising and promotions. keg registrations, and zero tolerance laws. Ms. Christensen said that there were a number of benefits to working with an environmental preven- tion approach: they have a broader reach upon all members of society, than do educational programs for individual interventions that target however many kids in a program: programs like minimum purchase age can have a more immediate effect than educational interventions; they can increase community coordination; there are potentially more substantial effects and a bigger change; and, they are cost effective. Ms. Senn said that as the Advocacy Committee has looked at the issue of underage drinking, they have focused on three major environmental strategies to pursue. First, BASSETT training should be mandated. It is now voluntary.. The training educates servers and sellers to sell alcohol responsibly, to recognize fake ID's, and to know not to "over serve" a person. Currently, the Council through the grant is helping to support the Police Department in making this training available. Second, the current Liquor Code is a hodge podge that has not been updated or changed for many years. The Advocacy Committee spoke with the City staff person for the Liquor Commission about its concerns. A4s. Senn said that they were told that there are a number of changes that are antici- pated to be proposed for the Code. One concern would be to prohibit youth who are of a certain age from being in establishments whose major purpose is to sell alcohol after certain hours. And third, make establishments, and not just the sellers, more responsible for serving alcohol to un- derage youth. Currently, the seller is the only one who gets a ticket it there is a violation. Ms. Canterasked how prevalent it was in Evanston for families to make alcohol available to teens, or to not be concerned about underage drinking. Nis. Christensen said that overall alcohol is the most abused drug in the nation. That certainly seems to be the case in Evanston. There seems to be more acceptance among teens. as well. The only concern is wilt the issue of drinking and driving. Most parents do not encourage or permit underage drinking at home, However, from surveys that the ESAPC does at the high school, there is about 10-20°,0 of parents who have reported that they will provide alcohol to kids in their homes. They feel that they are teaching responsible drinking bybeing at their homes. However, there is still risk. involved. And. too frequently, they are making alcohol available not only to their own teens but also to the friends of their teens. Ms. Canter asked whether the parents were aware that they are still liable if someone were to call the Police to report or complain about parents swing. his. Christensen said that the ESAPC helped de- velop a Prevention Guide with local laws and ordinances. This was distributed to all of the ETHS parents. But sometimes the lays are not enforced. There may be a warning issued, or the alcohol might be poured out. But there are no consequences for the teens or parents involved. When they are not enforced, it unfortunately sends a message to everyone that it is okay. Ms. Grover pointed out that it would be helpful to have some guidance provided for parents about June 09, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 3 Minutes recorded — not yet approved how to talk among themselves about his issue, establish norms, and understand what would be a healthy approach to the issue of alcohol with their kids. She said that parents need to agree about what is not accepted in anyone's house, and they need to know what to expect from the parents of their kids' friends. In response to a question about local enforcement. Nis. Christensen pointed out that the Liquor Ordi- nance currently permits restaurants that serve alcohol to have "18 and over" nights. Underage youth can come in and listen to music and dance. Typically, these places are no longer serving food after certain point. Dr. Ziegler said that the Council would like the Liquor Ordinance to say that these places that are primarily serving alcohol not be able to admit a person under 21 to come in after a certain time, maybe 10:00 p.m. The underage youth are not given something like a wrist band when their identification is checked. The band is %vhat would enable them to purchase alcohol. However, too often someone of ace can purchase a drink and rive it to someone who is not of age. This is dif- ficult to keep track of. Dr. Ziegler added that anymore. fake IDs have become more sophisticated and more difficult to identify. A fake ID allows them to easily get a drink. Ms. Sittler asked whether much of the underage drinking in Evanston was by college students. Ms. Christensen said that the ESAPC grant has enabled the EPD to double the number of compliance checks in establishments that serve alcohol. However. there is not much good data in town about how much is going on. Dr. Ziegler said that 60-70° o of college students are underage for drinking. So %while they may not have access through establishments, they are still able to access alcohol at house parties where no one is making any pretense of checking identification. Nlr. Krulee com- mented that the Northwestern Police and Evanston Police have been working together regarding house parties where there is underage drinking. \XVU, has had a task force that has been meeting for some time about a number of issues that relate to students' behavior in the community. Dr. Ziegler talked briefly about how the Evanston environment has changed very dramatically and become more receptive to alcohol sale and use. Some of this has come with the major development and new restaurants in the downtown area. He said that an environmental approach is particularly appropriate in trying to deal with some of the results of greater availability in the community. Ms. Senn commented that the members of the ESAPC Advocacy Committee had a brief meeting ear- lier with Pat Casey, who staffs the City's Liquor Control Board. The Committee shared with him some of their concerns. Mr. Casey said that he had already been considering many of those issues as they relate to the local ordinances. and was anticipating the development of amendments and revi- sions to the Liquor Control Ordinance. XIs. Christensen said that she expected that any changes would require a community hearing at some point in the future. The public hearings would be for community input and response. She asked that. when the time comes, the NiHB members. individu- ally and as a local Board, attend and testify at these hearings. and work with the ESAPC in moving this forward. Nis. Gauthier said that she appreciated what the ESAPC,,,.-as doing. She said that from her perspec- tive this was a major issue in Evanston, and that she thought there was a lot to do to change the so- cial norms about underage drinking: in this community. She encouraged the members of the board to stay in touch with this issue. ,tune 09, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 4 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Ms. Canter thanked the representatives of the ES APC for their presentation and asked Mr. Saver to keep the MHB informed as this issue developed. IV. STANDING CONUMITTEE REPORTS Funding Policies and Guidelines Committee. Nis. Grover reviewed and presented the Final Draft of the By -Laws revisions. She pointed out several small punctuation changes in the document. Ms. Schmitt said the current version being considered included comments and revision that she incorpo- rated from the last Board meeting. Nis. Grover thanked his. Schmitt for all of her wort: in keeping the Committee organized. and keeping track of all of the different versions of the revisions during the review process. It'IS. Sittler moved and Mr. Krulce seconded a motion to approve the Final Draft version of the By -Lair revisions with minor revisions for transmittal to the Corporation Counsel for their review. Grover clarified that the By -Laws would comeback to the Board for fi- nal consideration and a vote to adopt after receiving the Cite Attorney's comments. Motion ap- proved unanimously (7 aye — 0 no). Funding Criteria Committee Funding Allocation Schedule. Mr. Saver presented a revised copy of the fall MHB Allocation Proc- ess. Mr. Saver pointed out a conflict of the Board's regularly scheduled October meeting with Yom Kippur. That is the meeting when the Board would normally have their hearing with agencies only applying for MHB funds. N1r. Saver presented several scheduling options. his. Grover commented that she would not like to have that 5-agency hearing any earlier because it would be too soon after the Board's preliminary proposal review. There would not be sufficient time to get the information from the Board's discussion in that review to the agencies. Ms. Canter said that there might be a bet- ter flow to have both hearincs in the same week. After discussion, the Board aurced to reschedule the October N11­lB meeting on the evening of October 20. Ms. Canter reviewed the schedule: Pro- posal Review Thursday October 06: hearing for 5 agencies Thursday, October 20: MHB-United Way hearings Saturday, October 22. Ms. Canter said that she also would be appointing 2 members to serve as the Funding Allocation Committee and develop allocation recommendations for the No- vember 10 Board hleetine. In response to a question Mr. Saver reminded the Board that he would provide them with a schedule for the proposals they would each have to review in preparation for the October 6 Proposal Review meeting. As was done last year. every proposal will be assigned to 3 Board members to prepare comments for that meeting. Mr. Saver added that any new members appointed to the N1HB might be starting during the beginning of the allocation process. The Board would need to think about how to orient any new members to the process. Adoption of Funding Proposal Guidelines. The Committee presented final revisions for the proposal format for the 2005 allocation process. Mr. Saver pointed out the few additional changes that were made subsequent to the comments made at the last Board meeting. Fle indicated that the proposal did not have any way in its current form to get information about administrative costs. This was one area that the Board indicated they wanted to incorporate into the funding criteria that are being de - June 09, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 5 Minutes recorded — not yet approved veloped. In the 2004 allocation hearings, this was a question that %vas asked of all of the agencies. However, it was not clear from the discussion that even• agency was including the same costs. He said that there would have to be some additional information included in the proposal to get consis- tent information from each agency. if the Board were to include information related to administrative costs as a funding criterion. After discussion about some options. his. Grover asked whether the N1HB could ask for each agency's most recent federal IRS Form 990 in the. Agency Documentation section. Mr. Saver suggested that could be most easily accomplished by requiring page 1 of the Form 990, which has a section that breaks out the total agency budget into program, administrative, and fundraising costs. There %vas general agreement to do this. Nis. Grover moved and his. Kalish seconded a motion to adopt the final draft of the 2005 funding proposal format with minor correc- tions. Motion approved unanimously (7 aye — 0 no). Funding Criteria and Assessment. Nis. Canter said that the consideration of funding criteria for the 2005 allocation process is being postponed until the July MHB meeting. Y. AGENCY ACCOU\TABILIY Agency Liaison Reports Trilogy. Meredith Griffith, the Program Manager, is resigning to attend school. Ms. Griffith said that said she would stay on until her replacement has been found, and she could assist in the training of a new person. Child Care Center of Evanston. NIs. Sittler attended the agency's Open House on hiay 14 for the agency's Garden Party. CCCE secured a Chicago Botanical Gardens Grant to develop a new garden at the back of their central building that is lovely. Center for Independent Futures. CIF is having an Open House Sunday. June 12 at their new Chi- cago Avenue location. Their May 19 Comedy Night grossed S20,000. BEHIV. BEHIV's Cabaret held May 21 netted $20,000. although it did not reach the agency's goals. They are planning to exhibit some of participants work from their Art Therapy Program for a fund- raiser. There will be an AIDS Walk in downtown Chicago in September. They have a large number of students who are going to participate on behalf of BEHIV. particularly from New Trier High School. BEHIV is findina more and more students in Evanston who are looking for the opportunity to talk about HIV prevention and AIDS awareness. The Ride for AIDS had 88 riders, in comparison to 50 riders last year. The Ride raised over S80,000. Pledges keep coming in, and they hope for over $90,000. BEHIV will get close to 506o of the total of the proceeds. Nis. Grover reported that she was one of the riders who covered the entire 120 miles in 2 days. Childcare Netivorlt of Evanston. Mr. Krulee visited Martha Amston and Chris Baer at CNE. One concern they have is how to provide additional activities to get parents more involved with their children. They have identified a program but are not sure how to provide the staff support. June 09, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 6 Minutes recorded -- not yet approved North Shore Senior Center. The agency has been expanding and getting more invested in com- puters in order to be able to do required reporting, and to do it simply. The agency reports that they must do their reporting on time. but they have been finding it increasingly expensive anymore to try to do it by hand. Mr. Krulee reported that he attended the 4th Annual Community :Mental Health Conference spon- sored by the Naomi Ruth Cohen Charitable Foundation. This year's topic was Depression in Adults 50 &: Over. He said that it was very well done. and raised a lot of discussion about issues that do not seem to be being well responded to. Mr. Saver said that there were several Board members who at- tended or were participating. He said that he was planning on having the,\11JB be a sponsor of the conference again, next year, unless the Board thought otherwise. He said that he was representing the N1HB on the Conference Steering Committee. The conference in 2006 will be dealing with de- pression in adults who are older adolescents through 50. Ms. Sittler reported that she attended a community meeting regarding Albany Care. The meeting had been organized by Office Lloyd Spells and the administration at Alban%-. She said that there were not many people in attendance from the community, perhaps 10 people. Jar Terry, Nancy Flowers, and Sara Schmitt were also present from the City's Department of Health and Human Services. Nis. Sit- tler said that it had been a good meeting. but a little tense at times. The meeting was called because there had been some complaints from Albany's neighbors regarding the behavior of some of their residents in the surrounding community. The facility's Director, Dennis Tossi, commented on the requirements for residents to reside at Albany Care. He said that they were very selective and did not take pedophiles or individuals who were abusing substances. However, he pointed out that Albany's residents have the same rights as everyone else, and the facility is not these individuals' parents. Mr. Tossi pointed out that if there was an individual who was having impulse problems in the commu- nity. Albany could have a review and get medical restrictions, if necessary. to have them stay inside. Ms. Sittler said that the Officer Spells encouraged people to call the Problem Solving Team if there are any problems. N�'hile the EPD gave vm clear directions and suggestions. some of the neighbors sounded very reluctant to call and get a person in trouble. Teen Baby Nursen,. Nis. Canter introduced ,Megan Kashner, Infant Welfare Society's new Execu- tive Director. Housing Options. The agency has started a new capital campaign to pay off some of their mort- gages. Last year, (lie agency paid more than $20,000 in mortgage interest. This money could have been used to provide additional programming. They are hoping that some of their long-standing con- tributors will assist in their needs with substantial contributions. Dr. Fred Miller, Chair of Psychiatry at Evanston Northwestern Healthcare, is newly appointed to on their Advisory Council. Human Services Committee. Nis. Canter said that at its June 6 meetina. Human Services Commit- tee reviewed the submission of the 2005 SuperNOFA application to HC: D by the Evanston Alliance on Homelessness. It is also on the N11-IB's agenda this evening. The Committee reviewed and ap- proved the allocations for the Emergency Shelter Grant Program (ESGP). She said that Youth Job Center had originally received funds last year from the ESGP, but reported that they had difficulty in attracting persons who are homeless for employment assistance and training under their program. As June 09, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 7 e Minutes recorded — not yet approved a result, they turned the funds back to the City for the corning year. This freed up approximately S11,000, which was reallocated. Almost all of this was reallocated to Fresh StarifFirst Base at the Fisher Memorial A.M.E. Church. ,Metropolitan Family Services. NIFS's Ad, isory Council has been working hard for additional funds over the past year. This year the.: have exceeded their fund raising goals. Contract Billing and Reporting. Mr. Saver referred to the h1H13's discussion at its December 2004 meeting regarding contract compliance for the submission of monthly and quarterly reports, and monthly vouchers. He said at that time the h-11­113 sent a very detailed reminder to all of the funded agencies about contract requirements and the MHB's expectations. In response to a ques- tion, Mr. Saver said that in all cases, the monthly accountability form with the request for payment is due no later than the end of the month following the month of delivery of service. Similarly, the quarterly report is due no later than the end of the month following the end of the last month in the reporting quarter. Mr. Saver said that he had been asked to provide an update about this issue. fie said that there were 6 agencies that were "late" the first month after the letter had been sent to the agencies. In the cur- rent fiscal ycar, there were a number of agencies that were "late" -- anywhere between 5 days late and still not having turned anything in -- in submitting material for the month of March. Mr. Saver said that two of these agencies have still not submitted reports and vouchers for either March or April. He asked the h114B for direction in following up with this issue. In response to ills. Grover's ques- tion, Nir. Saver said that all of the agencies are familiar with the requirements. They information about the billing process and its timing has not changed for over 20 years; the requirements are pro- vided in the contract; the requirements for submitting bills and reports is distributed with the forms every year; and, agencies are often reminded when they are late. In the case of the 2 agencies men- tioned presently, neither has called to otter an explanation, and both have ignored reminders. In re- sponse to his. Walker. tilr. Saver said that the Contract Policy Guidelines include language permit- ting the hll-113 to choose to not pay a bill if an agency is not in compliance with the contract. In addi- tion, the Guidelines provide that "The (Mental Health Board) may waive its responsibility for pay- ment of any and all bills for expenditures rec.ii ed over 45 days after the last day of the month in which the services were provided." This is the case currently with the 2 agencies. but it could have had an elicct upon 5 additional agencies for the month of March. Ms. Canter vontmented that if an agency does not ask for money. then why should the NlHB be giv- ing it to There are other agencies vvho would be interested in receiving the Board's funding. She asked \\ hether the N11-113 could reallocate anv anencv's fiends that had not been requested at the end often .iseal year. her, Sneer said that would not be possible because the Board can only pay for services actually delivered under contract ~within the fiscal year, and not after it is over. If, in some say, the w.oney is not actually spent or encumbered, then it is lost to the Board. He said he would look into v;hether it was possible for the ti1HB to reallocate funds if it determined that it was not go- ing to pay A bill because it was submitted extremely late. Nis. WaNz..-r said that she thought the hiHB should begin to consider this kind of information, as well, wh.i it develops its funding criteria for consideration during the allocation process in the fall. The !+IH:,' discussed the issue of agencies that are chronically late in submitting bills and data. The June 09, . _.E Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page a Minutes recorded — not yet approved discussion emphasized the following: do agencies need NIHB funds if they are not submitting their bills on time; the credibility of the monitoring process is weakened if data does not come in promptly; agencies must comply with all contractual responsibilities. Ms. Grover said that she thought the NIHB should immediately begin to exercise the permissive terms in the contract about not paying bills that are submitted too late. Nis. Gauthier said that she thought the Board should give the agencies one last warning before invoking the terms of the con- tract to not pay a late bill. GIs. Walker said that is sounded as if agencies had been notified in the past. She said that she thought another warning would send the wrong message, and that the MHB should notifi, a]I of the agencies immediately that it was going to begin to enforce the clause about not paying bills that are not submitted in a timely manner. Ms. Grover moved and Ms. Walker seconded a motion for the NIHB to begin to exercise the clause of the Contract Policy Guide- lines that permits the Board to waive its responsibilih• for payment of any and all bills for ex- penditures received over 45 days after the last day of the month in which the sen-ices were pro- vided. Motion adopted unanimously (7 aye- 0 no). Ms. Canter asked that Agency Liaison be informed about this situation in the future. The MHB re- quested that they be provided with a quarterly report about issues related to contract compliance. VI. CHANGES AT INIF,TRO CHICAGO PSYCHIATRIC FACILITIES Mr. Saver reported about po:;sible changes and reductions at the Metro Chicago, state -operated psy- chiatric facilities. He referred to materials in the Board packet and said that there has been little con- crete information about any specific changes that are being considered. He said that his contact at CBHAI told him that there «as an expectation that the State -svould be issuing some specific guide- lines for this to happen. However, as recently as this week there is nothing that has been published He said that there has been quite a bit of discussion about the closure of Tinley Part: Mental Health Center (i1 FIC), and selling o:'the property for development in that community. Air. Saver said that he was told the allocation fur the Tinley Park facility in the currently proposed State Budget for 05- Ob is lu,:ated in a facility tran-Itional budget line. This is instead of a specific line item allocation for Tinley Paris. In the event flint Tinley Park was to be closed, this would provide more flexibility in moving the funding around i�)r other services. Additionally, the State is reducing inpatient beds at Chicago Read AMHC. The State is also talking about plans to have people in Metro Chicago who need inpatient treatment to first be screened at Madden A-iHC, in the southwest area. This could be extremely burdensome and problematic forany- one from Evanston. The State has also been considering how to send people needing mental health treatment to the Cook County Hospitals, and about making better utilization of the community hospitals. Mr. Saver said that the Cook Count%- Board of Commissioners has already reacted eery negatively to this idea. Cook Count' Board Chair Stroger has been very vocal against this, as has Commissioner Suffredin. Mr. c:..•er added that Evanston Hospital inpatient unit has already been running pretty close to full regulai;y. And there has been already been an attrition of community psychiatric beds in the area in recent years. At this point, it does not appear that there have been any concrete plans put in place for June 09, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 9 Minutes recorded — not yet approved what would be a eery likely shortage of beds. hir. Saver said that he would keep the MHB informed of any information regarding this issue as it becomes more concrete. VII. RECONIAIENDATIONS FROtiI EVANSTON ALLIANCE ON HOMELESSNESS: CONTINUUM OF CARE Mr. Saver said that due to the lateness of the meeting, the submission of the Evanston Alliance on Homelessness to HUD for the 2005 SuperNOFA funding process: could be held off and considered at the MHB's July meeting. VI II. ELECTION OF BOARD OFFICRS FOR 2005-2006 Ms. Canter thanked Nis. Kalish and tits. Sittler for serving on the Nominating Committee. Ms. Kalish reviewed the Nominating Committee's report for ?VlHB Officers for 2005-2006 that was delivered at the May meeting. She asked for additional nominations, but there were no additional nominations from the floor. Nis. Kalish moved and Air. Grover seconded a motion to accept by acclimation the nomination of Sue Canter as Chair and Randy Walter as Vice -Chair for the Mwital Health Board's 2005-2006 program year. The motion passed unanimously (7 aye-0 no). IX. REPORT FROM THE CHAIR Ms. Canter stated she had nothing to report. X. STAFF REPORT Mr. Sayer said that due to the time he would submit his staff report to the MHB via entail within a day or two. Meeting adjourned at 9:35 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Haney Saver June 09, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 10 Minutes recorded — not yet approved EVANSTON MENTAL HEALTH BOARD MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2003 Members Present Sue Canter, Gill Krulee, Ann Gauthier, Carol Sittler, Linda Laatsch, Randy Walker Presiding: Sue Canter Staff: Harvey Saver, Joan M. Barott Community Representatives: Pam Thomas (Evanston/Skokie Valley Senior Services); Chris Baer (Childcare Network of Evanston); Alexander Brown (Housing OptIons), Willis Francis (Trilogy/Evanston); Megan Kashner (Infant Child Welfare Society); Sue Laue, Karen Vroegh (Alentai Health Association of the North Shore); Erschel DeLeon (Links/Pride Youth) Ms. Canter called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. I. INTRODUCTIONS AND COMMUNITY COMMENTS Ms. Canter welcomed the guests and asked that they introduce themselves. II. REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF JUNE 09, 2005 MINUTES Ms. Gauthier move and Ms. Walker seconded a motion to approve the June 9, 2005 minutes as de- livered. Motion approved unanimously (bfg aye -- 0 no). III. BOARD DEVELOPMENT: AiENTAL HEALTH ISSUES FOR GAY AND LESBLAN TEENS Erschel DeLeon, Program Director of Pride Youth, joined the Board. She said that Pride Youth is a program of LINKS North Shore Youth Health Services in Northfield. The organization provides a range of health smices for young adults. Ms. DeLeon said that Ll KS has a medical clinic for birth control, prevention education, and community education. They have volunteers who are knowledge- able about major teen issues, including suicide, rape, and substance abuse. Ms. DeLeon said that Pride Youth provides weekly support groups for 13-18 year old gay and les- bian teens, or those teens who are questioning their sexuality. She discussed the challenges that many of the group's participants face -- harassment, verbal and physical violence, and a sense of iso- lation. She said that the teens who participate also have to struggle with and come to terms with other people's issues and concerns about homosexuality. July 14, 2005 Mantas Health Board Meeting Minutes :sage 1 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Nis. DeLeon said that the members of her groups are an invisible minority. Given the nature of anti- discrimination laws, she described homosexuality and "the last thine you can still discriminate against." Depending upon the community or the county in Illinois, many laws do not yet prohibit harassment for sexual orientation. Ms. DeLeon said that her groups are focused on helping teens to figure out who they are in relation to sexual orientation; how to deal with homophobia and negative language that people use to discuss them and describe them; and providing a supportive group to help them deal with the lack of support in their families and schools. As a result, there are also a number of these young people who are dealing with depression as well as substance abuse issues. Ms. DeLeon said that many of the issues begin in the middle schools. These young people don't necessarily identify with the labels gay or lesbian, but they are being teased. They begin to realize, at that point, that they are not comfortable with the heterosexual role identity that most of their class- mates are experiencing; they are not thinking about members of the opposite sex; they begin to pull inside and find it difficult to make friends. Ms. DeLeon said that Pride Youth helps kids to talk about issues by making available trained volun- teers and teen peers for supportive counseling. Some of the young people come to the group when they are 13 and then stay until they go to college. The groups help them to figure out who they are, how to move on in their lives, and how to deal with homophobia and negative language. Many of these kids are victims of verbal violence. There used to be more physical violence, but more recently homosexuality has become more accepted in society, and in the media. She continued that in the past 10 years Pride Youth has been seeing more kids who come out and tell their parents at an earlier age. This is especially the case when they are closer with their families. Ms. DeLeon said that she has been seeing more of this with 13 and 14 year olds. Generally, theyare not fitting in to what their peers are doing, are searching for acceptance, and looking for people to care forthem. The program is helping them come to terms with themselves, to feel accepted as being okay, and to learn a language that makes it easier to talk about their lives. Pride also offers a support group, Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, that meets in Glenview once a month. Ms. Canter talked about the variety of schools along the North Shore from which Ms. DeLeon is see- ing people in groups. She asked whether she saw any relationship between the level of diversity in the school and the extent to which there was more acceptance for teens who were dealing with their sexuality. Ms. DeLeon said that she thought that was the case not only for gay and lesbian teens at the schools, but for other minority groups at the schools, as well. She added that she has seen more understanding and acceptance that has come from areas where there was a higher level of income. However, more recently she said that she has seen young people becoming more conservative and less accepting that a few years ago. Mr. Krulee asked whether he would have any recourse as an adult if he were gay and was fired be- cause of that reason. MS. DeLeon said that she thought it would be entirely dependent upon a par- ticular county's laws. And at that, she said that she has seen the employer find another pretext for the firing anyway. Ms. Sittler asked what the environment was like at ETHS for gay and lesbian teens. MS. DeLeon July 14, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 2 Minutes recorded — not yet approved said that the school had a Gay/Straight Alliance groups that had been a support. It was And is open to all kids at the school. In recent years it was much more active and there was strong student leader- ship that kept it going. However, she is hearing that students have not been real involved more re- cently. Ms. DeLeon said that she has heard from members of her groups now is that the climate at ETHS is not very comfortable for gay and lesbian youth. Typically, school groups are more active when the teachers are more supportive. Ms. Canter thanked Ms. DeLeon for her presentation, and for making her time available for the ltiiM. IV. STANDING CONMUTTEE REPORTS Funding Guidelines and Criteria. Mr. Walker asked Mr. Saver to review the materials in the Board packet about the Funding Criteria model being proposed by the Committee. He summarized and said that the Committee initially solicited input from all MHB members in developing criteria. The Committee initially looked at what types of information and data MHB members said had al- readybeen influencing their decisions in the consideration of funding proposals, both positively and negatively. That information was used to develop a list of criteria for the Board's feedback and con- sideration forthe 2005 funding process. Mr. Saver said that the Committee presented the Board"ith several drafts of criteria, each that provided greater cl ari fi cad on. Finally, the Committee incorporated the Board's feedback from the May MHB meeting to develop six separate scales that each incorpo- rated multiple criteria. At that time, the Board thought that there were too many individual criteria that would require an assessment. The MHB requested that the assessment process be simplified and that there be no more than six or seven separate categories for review. Based upon that feedback, Mr. Saver said that the Committee is recommending an evaluation tool for the Board's consideration. The MHB will use it to provide each agency program a score that is the average of all Board members' scores about how well the program meets the funding criteria. The score will be made up of information that is about both the overall agency, as well as information that is specific to each the programs that is requesting funds. Mr. Saver continued that the Committee is proposing criteria that are organized as follows: there will be 6 categories, and each Board member will rank every program by giving that program a ranking for each of the categories; the sum of the scores for the 6 criteria will result in a combined, Final Score for each program, as well; each of a program's scores will be the average of the sum of all of the Board member's rankings for that cate- gory; each of the categories will have a "weight" that will determine its impact upon the calculation of the Final Score. Ms. Laatsch commented that she thought the assessment criteria were good and well thought out. She asked where all of the assessment information would come from. Ms. Walker said that all of the information for the ratings will come from each Board member submitting program assessment forms. Mr. Saver said that he would design the forms after the NIHB reaches agreement and adopts the funding criteria that will be employed. Ms. Laatsch said that she was concerned about the amount of work that was going to be involved July 14, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 3 Minutes recorded — not yet approved with reviewing all 19 proposals and completing an assessment form on each of 27 programs. She suggested a process similar to what was used last year in the Preliminary Proposal Review meeting, where Board members specialized and prepared for 5 or 6 proposals. She added that focusing as a primary reviewer on a limited number of proposals might result in more accurate scores and a better understanding of the proposals. The MHB had a discussion about the work load involved in preparing for the funding hearings, as well as completing the rating forms. Mr. Saver responded to a question and said that the MHB al- ready knows holy many agencies it will receive proposals from in 2005. Any new agencies inter- ested in making application would have had to speak with the .\IHB prior to the June Board meeting. Ms. Gauthier said that she liked the process of having everyone providing input to the Allocation Committee through the funding criteria. She added that she thought it was much more democratic and reflective of the way in which the entire Board assessed a program, rather than specializing. his. Walker said that the Funding Criteria were charged with coming up with a model and tool to en- able everyone to provide input to the Allocation Committee process. Otherwise there is very little Board input into the initial funding allocation recommendations. She urged everyone to fill out all of the assessment forms, and not decide to omit filling out some for whatever reason. The process is one that the hiHB had provided input to all along, and the final tool reflected the Board's concerns and input at the May meeting. It depends upon having input from all Board members. Ms. Canter said from her experience serving on the Allocation Committee previously, she thought that the proc- ess would only be enhanced with more content and input from all Board members. The proposed criteria were one way, and an alternative to having every Board member write comments about each program, which would be very difficult for the Allocation Committee to wade through. Ms. Laatsch said that she supported the content of the criteria and thought that they were well de- fined. She said, however, that it might be difficult to complete all of the forms for the process. Ms. Canter reviewed the process and said that the assessment forms do not need to be completed and _ turned in until after the completion of the hearing process in late October. The forms and informa- tion will not be used as tools during the preliminary proposal review in early October. Mr. Saverre- sponded that he would distribute a schedule for turning in all of the information. Timeliness will be important if the information is to be entered into the calculation tables and processed for the Alloca- tion Committee's consideration when it is making its initial recommendations, In response to a question, he said that the sorted rating information would also be provided to the Board, as well as to the agencies when the N1HB considered funding recommendations. = Ms. Walker said that the Funding Criteria would be used as one tool in the Allocation Committee's decision -making process in the allocation of funds. Ms. Canter said that the information for the allo- cations will come from the proposals, from the Funding Criteria, and from the collective information that all Board members have about the agencies throughout the year, e.g., Liaison reports, quarterly reports. Mr. Saver reviewed the categories and weights that were being proposed for the 2005 allocation process: — July 14, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 4 Minutes recorded -- not yet approved Category Weight Responsiveness 10% Program Quality 25% Program Services 25% Organizational Assessment 15% Program Financing 15% Funding Proposal 10% FINAL SCORE 100% lV1s. Gauthier moved and Air. Krulee seconded a motion to adopt the Funding Guidelines and Criteria Committee's recommendations for funding criteria and weights for the 2005 alloca- tion process. Approved unanimously 6 aye-0 no. Ms. Cantersaid that the commented that the fall allocation process might be a bit more difficult this year because the Board is still in need of two board members after the resignation of Mr. Rowitz and MS. Kalish moving out of state. She said that she was hoping that the appointments could be made soon. Mr. Saver said that he would develop the assessment tools for the MHB to considerbetween the July and September Board meetings. They will be distributed for feedback from the Board prior to being put into use. V. AGENCY ACCOUNT.ABILIY Agency Liaison Reports (reports from Individual Board members) PEER Services. Kate Mahoney, Executive Director, provided the following information- The agency has 95 people in treatment; 213 of those are in the agency's methadone program; 33-50% of that group is from Evanston; 75% of PEER's waiting list is for admission to their methadone treat- ment. PEER does regular drug screens, and for the last quarter 60% of their methadone clients were using heroin, cocaine, and opiates. 20-25% of the methadone clients are completing treatment drug free. Ms. Gauthier pointed out that these figures are actually very good for this type of treatment. The agency reported that that they have been a bit more flexible, and are moving people through the treatment regimen at their own pace. While they may see bad drug screens eery early in treatment, they do not exclude those individuals from treatment right away. However, if those individuals stay on drugs, PEER will try to get them to go into residential treatment, instead. PEER has been seeing more people under the age of 25 who are using opiates. For their Adolescent Treatment program, 50% of the population is dually diagnosed. However, with funding limitations there is not enough individual staff time and very limiters time available for psychiatric interventions for these kids. Trilogy. Jim Graham reported that the agency is looking for two consumers of mental health ser- vices to serve on their Board of Directors. Under the new fee for service transition, there are prob- lems that are developing with medications. Medicare will only pay for three prescriptions for psych July 14, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 5 Minutes recorded — not yet approved medications, but some consumers are requiring more than that. Like most other agencies, Trilogy is finding that it has to do a better job ivith documentation. They are considering providing some type of financial incentive for staff that are meeting their goals. The agency is considering setting up a separate Executive Director for the Trilogy Foundation for the purposes of fundraising. They have found that gets in the way of the rest of the programmatic and organizational work. They are work- ing with a consultant on the best way to do it. Mr. Graham announced that he has given his resigna- tion effective January 2006. He will be around and available to assist with the transition. Threshold Transitions. The agency's video crew was recognized by and received an award from the Illinois Rehabilitation Association for excellence in media. They are also beginning fee forser- vice, which started July 1. Staff will be taking courses on recovery and mental illness. Child Care Center of Evanston. The agency bad a very successful benefit at the new Kendall Col- lege location. They have been eery active in fundraising, and are holding a bake sale at the Farmers Market in July. CCCE will be the recipient of the Women's Club Benefit Program in Spring 2006. Currently they are having trouble funding their Roving Reader program. Their budget is in the black for the first time in 5 years. Family Focus. The agency's summer program is in full swing. In the summer, they are operating full day programs for kids 7-14. Family Focus is having a Tag Day on Saturday, July 16. It is for all kids and families to take part in. ESL and GED classes will be offered at the Family Focus Center in combination with ETHS. They have anew group going for foster parents. Their big fundraiser is the Gospel Festival, which will be at the end of summer at the Center. Ms. Hill commented that the biggest problem they are having is kids from the middle school and high school during the summer who are hanging out in the streets. IWSEITeen Baby Nursery. This past spring, two of the teen moms at Teen Baby Nursery gradu- ated from high school and will be attending college in the fall. Half of the teen moms are working and the other half are in summer school. They are doing prenatal groups in collaboration with Fam- ily Focus this summer. Seven girls graduated from the middle school prevention program that is done in conjunction with Y.O.U. lk-letropolitan Family Services. Together, the agency's board and staff made and met a S 15,000 challenge to donate to MFS. They passed their Elder Abuse Audit. MFS hired two new staffposi- tions: Spanish speaking Counselor, and a Management Supervisor. Housing Options. The agency was granted Medicaid Certification for Pathways Plus from the State - of Illinois. They are preparing for their accreditation survey by the national Commission on Accredi- tation of Rehabilitation Facilities, which is scheduled for August 29 and 30. Center for Independent Futures. (Ms. Canter reported for Ms. Grover.) Jane Doyle's mother passed away. A memorial fund in her memory was created to support CIF's Activities Program. CIF has begun research an entrepreneurial activity to develop small business purchasing and ownership as a means to offer employment to individuals with disabilities. They hope to have one open by July 14, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 6 Minutes recorded — not yet approved 2006. Another fundraiser will be held August 06 at Lincoln Park. The agencyes collaborating to out on a free seminar at the Evanston Public Library on Saturday, July 16. Theresa Barnett, a nationally recognized speaker on disability issues and law ,.%ill team up with Morgan Stanley Financial Advi- sors to do a presentation about special needs trusts. BEHIN'. Mr. Saver said that he attended Community Education presentation at ETHS on July 11. The presentation was for the Summer School Health Education classes. One of the local news chan- nels was taping the presentation for broadcast at a later date. He said that it was a very moving and well organized presentation. In addition, one of BEHN's Board members partnered in doing the presentation. She spoke quite openly and graphically about her own long-term experience living with HIV and AIDS, and talked about being in the process of dying with AIDS right now. She en- countered AIDS as a result or a blood transfusion. Temporary Liaison Assignments Ms. Canter commented that with Ms. Kalish leaving the MHB, her two agencies do not have a Liai- son assigned to them. She said that already she and Ms. Grover had additional, temporary assign- ments after Mr. Rowitz stepped down. Until new Board members are assigned, Mr. Krulee volun- teered to take on Youth Job Center; Ms. Gauthier A ill be Liaison to the Evanston CommunityDe- fender. Follow up on Contract Compliance issues Mr. Saver said he was responding to a request from several Board members about specific contract reporting requirements, and the information that is submitted. He distributed copies of the monthly and quarterly billing and reporting forms that are submitted by funded agencies. In response to a question, he said that very little information is required monthly regarding services provided. The information about outcomes is submitted quarterly. Demographic information about the client popu- lation is submitted annually. In some cases, historically some programs have been asked to provide additional information in their monthly reports. Mr. Saver distributed a quarterly report displaying agency compliance with contract billing and re- porting requirements. He said that this was the report that the MHB requested at the June Board Meeting. He pointed out that the chart made clear that bills and reports were submitted in a timelier manner after the June Board meeting. That was when the MHB sent the letter to agencies about the new policy to waive responsibility for payment of bills submitted late, per the terms of the Contract Policy Guidelines. He referred to the letter enclosed in the Board packet. Ms. Gauthier asked about any procedures available for an agency to request to have funds restored, in the event that the MHB did waive responsibility for payment for one of their bills. Mr. Saversaid that the Board's intent at the June meeting was to immediately begin to implement the contract pro. vision to regarding late bills. However, Section 8.1 of the Contract Policy Guidelines required that the Board had to notify the agency(s) in writing at least thirty working days before putting the provi- sions of Section 8.4 to waive responsibility for payment into effect. The Board's letter that was sent was, in effect, the thirty working days notice, rather than a notice of the payment waiver, which was the Board's intent. And the intent was to begin to enforce Section 8.4. So far, there have been no July 14, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 7 Minutes recorded -- not yet approved late bills that have been waived. Mr. Saver continued that the "notice' specified the reasons for which the action was being taken, which was required. The notice also was to spell out "conditions, if any, under which payments may be reinstated." He said that he did not thins; the Board made pro- vision for any such conditions when the policy was adopted. At this point, if a bill is waived for payment the effected agency has no recourse. This might be something that the Board would want to reconsider. Mr. Saver suggested that the tiiHB might want to pay particular attention to all of the language related to reporting, billing and payment when if considers the Policy Guidelines for 2006- 2007, VI. PLANNING LEGISLATIVE FORUM Or MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES. Planning Legislative Forum on Mental Health Issues. hir. Saver reported that he met with Sue Laue, President of the Mental Health Association of the North Shore (MHANS). Ms. Laue asked whether the MHB would be interested in cosponsoring a legislative forum on mental health issues prior to the '06 Legislative Session. In response to a question, Mr. Saver said that he thought the best time for the Board and hiHANS would probably be in January or February, 2006. He pointed out that the last legislative forum that the Board had done was three or four years ago. It was at- tended by about 100 people. In a consensus decision, the IN110 agreed to sponsor a mental health legislative forum In conjunction n•lth the AIHANS. Ms. Walker said that she was inter- ested in helping to plan the event. his. Canter said she would also check with Ms. Grover, who had also expressed strong interest in organizing an event Iike this. VII. RECOMMENDATIONS FROM EVANSTON ALLIANCE ON HOMELESS- NESS: CONTI1N-UU1N1 OF CARE Mr. Saver discussed the Continuum of Care (COC) process in which the Evanston Alliance on Homelessness makes recommendations to HUD each year about funding under the Super NOFA funding for programs for persons who are homeless. The Exhibit I of the submission is supposed to describe: all of a community's services and supports that might prevent first-time homelessness or recurring homelessness, as ~veil as a long-term strategy to eliminate homelessness. Mr. Saver reported that in this year's application process there were five proposals for funding that were submitted by four agencies. Three of the proposals progressed through the project review proc- ess and were ranked for funding in Evanston's submission to HUD. Two of the proposals were for two-yearrenewal funding for existing programs; one proposal was for a three-year proposal fornew program funding. The total funds requested from HUD are S658,293. Mr. Saver said that in addi- tion to the funds that are in the requests, each of the agencies also provides a significant amount of matching funds for essential supportive services for each project. These: were not eligible expenses under HUD's guidelines. This year, the Alliance prioritized and submitted funding requests for the following: Priority I Project I Amount ProgramlDescription July 14, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 8 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Order Connections for the Homeless S 68,646 Q year new funding) Incline. Expansion oft units of per- n- vznt housing for an existing program for persons with diszhili6es and who are chronically homeless. 2 Housing Options S 220,860 12 year renewal funding) Pathways. Permanent housing with supportive services for 8 adults %%ho have severe and persis- mit meta) illness, and who are homeless, in scattered -site apm-tmcnts Connections for the Homeless S 368,787 (2 yearrenc%%al funding) New beginnings. Transitional sup- portive housing with intensive supportive services foryoung, homeless families in 7 scattered -site apartments. 2005 SupertiOFA Request S658,293 I Mr. Saver said that the Alliance and both agencies would not know until about December2005 what decisions that HUD makes about the programs, and what it will agree to fund this year. He added that previously the MHB has submitted a letter of support to HUD for the projects that the EAH submitted. In a consensus decision the l%IHB agreed to send a letter to HUD to support the rec- ommendations of the Alliance for 2005 Super\OFA funding. VIII. REPORT FROM THE CHAIR Ms. Canter pointed out that Vicki Kalish did move out of town subsequent to the last MHB meeting. Her letter of resignation to the Mayor was in the packet. She said that at the September MHB meet- ing Ms. Kalish would be recognized for her work while she served on the Board for over 5 years. Meeting adjourned at 9:15 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Joan M. Barott July 14, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 9 Minutes recorded — not yet approved EVANSTON MENTAL HEALTH BOARD MEETING tiIINUTES THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2005 Members Present Sue Canter, Gill Krulee, Ann Gauthier, Carol Sittler, Linda Laatsch, Doug Geyer, Jane Grover, Randy Walker Presiding: Sue Canter, Chair Staff: Harvey Saver, Joan N1. Barott Community Pam Thomas, Sandi Johnson (North Shore Senior Center); Martha Amtson (Childcare Network of Evanston), Bill Kolen (Legal Assistance Founda- tion of Metropolitan Chicago); Kate Mahoney (PEER Services); Helen Roberts Evans (Child Care Center of Evanston); Bob Roy (Evanston Community Defender); Tucker Wildes (Housing Options); Laura Min Proctor (Center for Independent Futures), Megan Kashner (Infant Wel- fare Society of Evanston; Dr. Louis Rowitz (Evanston Community Health Advisory Board) Ms. Canter called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. I. INTRODUCTIONS AND COMMUNITY COMMENTS Ms. Canter welcomed the guests and asked that they introduce themselves. II. INTRODUCTION OF NEW BOARD \MEMBER: DOUG GEYER Ms. Canter introduced and welcomed Doug Geyer, the newest MHB member. Mr. Geyer gave a brief summary of his educational and professional background. III. EPL AN AND COMMUNITY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH NEEDS ASSESSMENT, DR. LOUIS ROWITZ, CHAIR, EVANSTON COMMUNITY HEALTH ADVISORY BOARD. Dr. Lou Rov-itz, of the Evanston Community Health Advisory Board (ECHAB) joined the Board. He said that the Health Department (HD) and ECHAB have started a year long process of evaluating the public health needs of the community. Every 5 years, ECHAB must complete a local planning document on local public health needs and how the community plans to address local health prob- lems. The planning process and document are referred to as Evanston's Process for Local Assess- ment of Need (EPLAN). Dr. Rowitz pointed out that the plan is mandated by the IL Department of Public Health for the continued certification of Evanston's Public Health Department. Dr. Ro%%itz said that he and Mr. Saver and Mr. Term thought that it would be advisable this year to incorporate information about the community's behavioral health needs, as well. He added that the November 10, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page t Minutes recorded - not yet approved role of behavioral health in the public health arena was something that he mentioned from time to time when he was a member of the N41-113. He said that ECHAB was asking the MHB to sponsor a community process to identify local problems, needs and resources in the behavioral health field. The information would then be incorporated into the EPLAN for the City. This could include in- formation regarding, mental health. developmental disability and substance abuse issues. Mr. Saver discussed several similar community processes that the \IHB has undertaken. He said that approximately seven years ago, he and Mr. Ro%%itz facilitated a similar process for the MHB that in- volved substance abuse issues in the community. The subsequent planning process that was done with the community input resulted in targeting special funds, developing an RFP, and funding a unique, Evanston program for dual diagnosis. This %vas the origin of the Dimensions Program. Dr. Rowitz said that the planning process,.%ill give direction as to what types of public health pro- grams and interventions to promote over the next five to silt years. The MHB's participation would open up the opportunity to have some impact upon what %will be in the final assessment. This process that leads to the accreditation of the HD %vill also encourage partnership for the promotion of a healthy community. Dr. Rowitz explained that there are four tiers to the plan: • A determination of the resources and capacity of the community. In addition to health and behavioral health services, this includes the Police and Fire Departments, as well as all the groups that would work with as a community to improve the health of the public. • Collection of data that is available. • Forces of change. i.e.. what external factors influence the health and behavioral health ofthe community. • Identification of gaps and what is missing. Dr. Rowitz said that fir. Saver facilitated the two community data retrieval hearings for ECHAB, so far. A number of behavioral health issues %vere raised. He added that fire planning process would enable the community to be prepared for what it may have to deal with in the future. Any more it is not just one entity that can do it alone. There has to be community wide involvement. Nis. Canter responded that it sounded like the planning process «-as developing "wrap around services for groups of people and the entire community. Dr. Rowitz commented that some behavioral health issues are not going to be address by the public health community. Unless the N11-113 provides the information about the behavioral health sector for the EPLAN, it is likely that it will not be included in the report. In response to a question, Mr. Saver said that the funding hearings and allocation process, up until now, limited the opportunity to begin to plan this particular component for EPLAN. The office has limited resources as to how much in- formation and materials can be developed. However, he said that he thought that several structured community group meetings would be able to provide quite a bit of useful information. In a consensus decision, the .\IHB agreed to undertake an assessment of behavioral health needs, re- sources, and gaps for the EPLAN.=_= November 10, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 2 Minutes recorded — not yet approved 1V. CONSIDERATION OF ALLOCATON RECONEMENDAT1ONS FOR FY06-07 hiHB PURCHASED SERVICES \is. Canter thanked Ms. Grover, Ibis. Walker, and Mr. Saver for their hard work in developing the allocation recommendations and the rationale. (The Mental Health Board's 2005 allocations and Funding Rationale are available upon request. Contact Joan Barott at 947.866.2919.) Nis. Walker reviewed the Allocation Committee's initial funding recommendations and rationale for each program. This includes 12 programs that were being recommended for increases, 8 programs that were being recommended for maintenance funding, and 8 programs were being recommended for decreases. One program's funding is being recommended for elimination, and one new funding request was denied funding. Ms. Grover discussed the Committee's decision making process. She said that they were aware that there were several programs that were of some concern. The Committee used the funding criteria scores as a means to identify how the Board %vas thinking about each of the programs. (Rating tables are included as an attachment.) The scores were used to develop some broad rules for making the allocations. his. Grover continued that programs whose Final Scores were above 9.0 were to be con- sidered for increases, if the funds were available. Based upon the ratings, these programs met the Board's criteria, and were meeting the \IHB's expectation at a high level. In addition, programs whose scores were below 8.0 were initially considered for reductions. This, however, was used as guidelines and a number of additional factors were also considered, as is reflected in the rationale for the funding decisions. Programs that were rated between 8.0 and 9.0 generally had their funding maintained. Ms. Walker referred to the allocation recommendations and pointed out several programs that were rated very highly. She said that the Committee agreed to "act outside the box" and reward those pro- grams by recommending allocations that were slightly higher than the funding lei -cis that were being requested. The Board identified several programs of special interest to discuss at length. Nis. Gauthier raised concern about the reduction of S 1000 for Dimensions. Nis. Grover responded that recommendation is being made because the program for too long has been almost entirely de- pendent upon the NfHB. In previous rears. the Board has strongly recommended that the agency find additional, outside funding; sources. Last year a very strong message was sent. Nis. Grover said that the S 1000 reduction was to emphasize the point this year. She said that the MHB has been consis- tently urging the program to provide more of their own resources. Ms. Gauthier said that the Dimen- sions request was to increase the salary range for staff that fins not had an increase for several years. Perhaps the N1HB should consider that keeping the funding level flat would already, send the mes- sage. Ms. Grover said that the MHB has been sending the same message to Dimensions for several years. November 10, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 3 Minutes recorded — not yet approved She added that the issue of caps on NIHB funding for programs also applies to several programs. They are recommending that the Board study the issue to determine whether there should be a policy for this in the future. Ms. Grover said that she thought Dimensions was a great program, and the \tHB's rating scores demonstrated confidence in it. However, the scores also indicated that the NIHB thought that it was being handicapped organizationally. The allocation Committee did not %vant to pull the rug out from under the program, but a S 1000 reduction from the MHB should not jeopardize it if there is ad- ditional fundraising to support it. GIs. Grover said that the collaboration of Connections for the Homeless. St. Francis Hospital. and PEER Services %vas essential to create the program. However, all indications are that it is not something that can sustain it. It does not appear that the partners are doing anything to assist PEER Services to maintain it. In addition, there has been some discussion as to how the partnership has actually gotten in the way for Ms. Mahoney of being able to raise addi- tional Hinds. In response to a question, Mr. Saver pointed out that the MHB initiated the idea for a program like Dimensions through an RFP. Given the nature of a program that was going to %York %with both men- tal health and substance abuse issues, the RFP emphasized the need for a collaborative project. Ini- tially, the NIHB was funding 100°N0 of the program. It was initially funded at a level of $58,000 and four or five years ago it was awarded an additional $3000. Ms. Canter commented that Dimensions has received :maintenance funding since that period. She said that she thought it was time for them to begin to use other strategies to develop support. Ms. Groversaid that this might mean PEER formally taking over the program if it would mean that some of the obstacles to raising funds could be eliminated. tics. Laatsch said that the current MHB funding level was at 43°i0 of the program budget. The only other funds that have been made available are those provided by PEER. She said that she agreed that the program was an important one but that it was time to encourage them to do more outreach to bring in additional resources. Ms. Gauthier said that, given the current financing of Dimensions, any cut in funding was too strong a message. Ms. Grover responded that it was not a matter of tinkering with the program. The message is that there is a need for PEER to formally make a move and take over the program to provide greater support and stability. Ms. Grover commented Metropolitan Family Services' (NIFS) Fancily Support and Prevention pro- gram scored very well but was not recommended for a funding increase. She pointed out that 11%of the Board's total allocations %vere going to the program to support 35 families. It is a very worth- while program, but there is a strong recommendation that the parent agency should place a higher priority on the program locally and out of its own resources. Out of its own resources, NIFS funds a significantly higher percentage of their General Counseling program than the prevention program. This is another program that raised the concern about considering funding caps in the future. Ms. Sittler pointed out the Evanston/Skokie Valley Senior Services (ESVSS) was serving a lot of clients and %vas ranked Yd overall in the Board's funding criteria scores. They are also serving many tow income Evanston individuals. The parent organization has also committed to increasing their fundraising a great deal nest year for the needs of the Evanston office. Thee have outgrown their office space and need to hire more staff to respond to the need. Ms. Sittler said that it appeared that November 10, 2005 blental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 4 Minutes recorded — not yet approved the %IHB was allocating a treat deal of funding to programs for children and youth. She said that she wanted to increase the allocation for seniors, even though the recommendation was to give ESVSS a funding increase. GIs. Sittler said that she was concerned about the programs that were being allocated more than they requested. Housing Options is an outstanding program. However, she did not think the MHB could afford to make that kind of gesture right now. Ms. Grover pointed out that the ratings for the Thresholds Transitions program were perplexing. The program fell towards the bottom of program ratings. However, it is not clear why that was the case. 1%fs. Walker commented that it is a top-notch agency and program that is doing excellent work. They have had some difficulty building up their Evanston client base, but they do an outstanding job of motivating and engaging their population of individuals with chronic mental illness. Mr. Saver said that they have been very aggressive in responding to every referral that lie has made there recently. Ms. Walker said that it is difficult to tell the basis for the ratings, but the program is expected to be self-sufficient by the parent organization. They may be being hurt by an affiliation with a very large agency. Ms. Grover said that the Committee is recommending the elimination of funding for Youth Job Cen- ter (YJQ. She said that there is a need for youth job services in the community. However, the agency consistently scored at the bottom of all the funding criteria. Nis. Grover cited the Commit- tee's rationale for its recommendations. In addition, the program's local client base for youth 14-21 years of age has continued to decline for each of the past several years, and has fallen below its pro- tections for the number of Evanston youth to be served. YJC was noncompliant for several months in its contract reporting and billing with the City. and did not comply with the requirements and di- rections for the submission of the funding proposal. As a result, it was difficult to know how to as- sess the program. Ms. Laatsch said that she had a great deal of difficulty trying to find information in the proposal that she was looking for. GIs. Grover said that it appeared to her that the agency %vas in some disarray and having problems. Ms. Grover reviewed the recommendation that Evanston Community Defender/Legal Services be reduced by S 1000. The program fell to the bottom of the funding criteria scores. Ms. Cantersaid the program had a number of issues with contract compliance for several months. Nis. Gauthier said that the reduction seemed reasonable. and noted that the program has also had a declining client base. She said, however, that the new staff seems to be helping to turn things around. Ms. Grover said the program is doing things that no one else is able to provide with school representation and school tru- ancy, particularly as these relate to other problems. The Committee said that it wanted to see the program on more solid footing before continuing on with them. They seem to be at a turning point. The Committee is recommending that the Board meet very soon %%ith the defender's Board to discuss their plans for building assets. their strategic plan, and how they are planning to brine stability to problems with staffing that have occurred this past year. Ms. Laatsch suggested that the allocation for ESVSS be increased. GIs. Grover said that it could be warranted by the scores. Ms. Laatsch said that the funds could come from the four programs that were allocated more than they had requested. Mr. Sayer identified the: following programs: CNE/City Wide Scholarships ($300); Housing Options/Residential Services (5500); Housing Options/SHIP November 10, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 5 Minutes recorded — not yet approved (5500); and Metropolitan Family Services/General Counseling (5255). That would amount to an ad- ditionaI 51755 for ESVSS. bringing their total allocation to 537,255, and increase of 53255. Ms. Walker agreed that ESVSS was a good program, but she said her vote would be to sustain the origi- nal allocations because she liked the ability to reward excellence in a different way. Ms. Canter asked for a straw poll on the change in the allocations for the four reductions and the one increase. The changes were approved. leis. Walker said that she thought the Funding Guidelines and Criteria were very useful as a tool for the Allocation Committee this year. The ratings provided a lot more information and useful input from the Board in a structured way than has been available previously to the Allocation Committee. She said that there was a need to tweak the model and the scoring to provide more distinctions be- tween programs. Nis. Canter said that she also found the model and the rating tools to be very help- ful. Ms. Canter asked Ms. Grover and leis. Walker to revieweach of the Committee's individual program allocations, line by line (see attachment for Allocation Summary). Nis. Grover reviewed all of the allocation recommendations as thev were amended. his. Sittler moved and Nis. Laatsch seconded a motion to adopt the FY06-07 funding allocation recommendations and rationale as presented by the Allocation Committee. Passed 7 aye (Sittler, Grover, Walker, Geyer, Krulee, Canter, Laatsch) — I no (Gauthier). Ms. Canter thanked Mr. Saver for all of his work in developing and implementing the Funding Guidelines and Criteria, and the collection of data, for the Board. V. AGENCY ACCOUNTAHILIY Agency Liaison Selection Process for 2006. Ms. Canter said that it was time to reorganize Agency Liaison assignments for the coming year. She said that Mr. Saver would be sending out information to the Board that identifies each agency %ith which members have already been the Liaison. She asked every Board member to rank order the top three agencies with which they were interested in being Liaison starting in January 2006. She asked everyone to submit their prioritized list of Liaison assignments for the agencies from which they have not already been assigned. VI. REPORT FROM THE CHAIR Ms. Canter said that the I iHB would be on the Human Services Committee on Monday, December 5 to present the Board's allocation recommendations for FY06-07. She encouraged Board members to attend this meeting. Ms. Canter said that she wants to provide the HSC with a report about the allo- cations for FY06-07, talk about the Board's work in revising its monitoring and accountability proc- ess with funded agencies, the Funding Guidelines and Criteria, and an update on the Board's activi- ties. Ms. Canter aeain thanked Ms. Walker and Ms. Grover for all their work with the allocations this fall. November 10, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 6 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Mr. Saver will be sending out an evaluation of the Funding Guidelines and Criteria to the Board to provide input to the Allocations Committee prior to the 2006 funding hearings. In response to Ms. Sittler's questions about the funding proposal, Mr. Saver said that the Committee would be review- ing the contract policy guidelines, issues related to contract compliances. the structure of the funding proposal. and the evaluation of the funding criteria. Ms. Canter reported that the 2"d annual "The Power of the Brain Conference" would be on the fol- lo%ving Saturday. It is expected to have about 150 attendees. Ms. Canter polled the Board and determined that there would be a December Board meeting. It is scheduled for December 8. V11. STAFF REPORT Mr. Saver said that he provided a copy of the League of N%Iomen Voters' This is Evanston in the Board packet. He said that the information is a bit dated, but gives a very good overview and orien- tation about the community structures and systems. Mr. Saver mentioned that the annual report from the Evanston Substance Abuse Prevention Coun- cil's was also included. It provides a good summary of the Council's activities, and addresses some of the issues that the Council raised with the Board earlier in the year. Mr. Saver said that the RFP for a Youth and Young adult Services Assessment was finally released. There %vill be a bidder's conference this coming Wednesday, and proposals are due to the City no later than December 20. Mr. Saver commented on his participation in the Public Awareness Committee for the Governor's Children's Mental Health Partnership. The marketing plan includes implementing a number of focus groups that will be convened around the State to get input from parents about messages that will be used for a statewide social marketing campaign. He said that the marketing consultant has asked us to host one of the groups locally for parents. At this point, the date is not certain. Ms. Walker mentioned that she has a video copy of" unbreakable Minds," a well-done documentary on mental illness. She said if any Board member were interested in viewing it to contact her. Meeting adjourned at 8:50 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Joan M. Barott November 10, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 7 2005 MHB Funding Criteria Scores: Sort by Final Score SORT Organztnal Program Funding I Responsive Program Program Final Category Assessment Financing Proposal Quality Services Score Weight 15% I 15% 10% 10% 25% , 25% 100% 1 Housinq Options I Residential Services f 9.861 9.14' 9.57 9.71 9.57 9.291 9.49 ' 2 Housing Options I SHIP f 9.861 9.141. 9.57 9.71 9.43 9.141 9.42 3 NSSC / Evanston/Skokie Valley Senior Srvcs ' 9.00 9.43 9.57 9.571 9.43 9.431 9.39 ' 4 SHORE:Community Services / Lois Lloyd Center I 9.29 9.00 9.00 9.50 9.33 8.831 9.13 5 Metro Family Services / Family Support and Prevention 9.14 8.71 9.00 9.43 9.29 9.00 9.09 G SHORE.Community Services I Residential Services 9.29 9.00 9.00 9.571 9.29 8.57 9.06 7 CNE / City Wide Scholarships 8.33 9.171 9.00 9.50 9.00 9.171 9.02 ' 8 Connections / Entry Point 8.67 9.001 9.00 9.33 8.67 9.001 8.90 9 Trilogy 1 Evanston Activities Program 9.00 8.711 9.291 9.57 8.86 8.571 8.90 10 CNEI Services for Children with Special Needs 8.33 9.171 9.001 9.50 8.831 8,831 8.89 11 Infant Welfare Society 1 Teen Baby Nursery 9.43 9.001 8.861 9.43 8.711 8.291 8.84 12 PEER Services I Adolescent Treatment 8.00 8.171 8.83 9.33 9.001 9.001 8.74 13 Child Care Center of EvanstonlHome Day Care 9.33 9.33 8.83 9.50 7.671 8.67 8.72 ' 14 Metro Family Services / General Counseling + 9.14 8.71 9.00 9.17 8.671 8.17 8.70 15 Cntr for indpndnl Futures/Community Living Options 9.57 9.29 9.291 7.291 9.29 7.141 8.59 16 LAFMC/ Evanston Legal Services 8.57 8.141 8.291 8.861 8.57 8.711 8.64 l 17 PEER Services / Adult Treatment 8.00 8.171 8.83 8.671 8.83 8.50 8.51 18 Y.O.U. / Youth Development 8.57 8.86 8.71 8.861 8.14 8.14 8.44 19 PEER Services I Youth Early Intervention ` 8.00 8.17 8,831 8.831 8.671 8.33 8.44 20 Family Focus I Primary Prevention 8.43 8.43 8.571 9.171 8.171 8.17 8.39 Printed 12111200E Page 1 of 2 2005 MHB Funding Criteria Scores: Sort by Final Score SORT Organztnai Program Funding Responsive Program Program I r Final Category Assessment Financing Proposal Quality Services Score Weight 15% f 15% 10% 10•% 25% 25°% 100% 21 IBEHIV/Mental Heallh 8.00 8.00 8.00 8.83 7.50 9.331 8.29 22 Dimensions MISA Collaboration 7.29 6.29 8.57 9.43 9.14 8.57 i 8.26 23 Family Focus ! Pregnant and Parenting Teen 8.43 8.43 8.57 8.86 8.00 7.$6 8.24 24 Thresholdsrrransitions 7.71 7.86 8.00 7.71 7.71 8.14 7.87 25 Evanston Community Defender ! Social Work Services ` 5.83 5.831 6.17 8.83 7.83' 8.33 j 7.29 26 Evanston Community Defender / LegaI Services 5.83 5.831 6.17 8.83 7.171 8.50 _ 7.17 27 IYouth Job CenterNouth Opportunity Creation Initialive.4 6.71 6.71 4.57 7.29 5.431 7.001 6.31 Average Rating 8.43 8.36 8.52 9.05 8.53 8.641 8.54I Highest Rating 9.86 9.43 9.571 9.71 9.57 9.43 I� 9.49 Lowest Rating 5.83 5.83 4.571 7.29 5.43 7.00 6.31 Printed 17M2005 Page 2 of 2 2005 MKB Funding Criteria Scores; Sort by Final Score SORT Organztnal Program Funding Responsive Program Program Final Category Assessment Financing Proposal P Quality Quali Services Score _ Weight. 1514 15% 10°% 10•% 25% 25% 100% 1 Housing Options / Residential Services 9,86 9.14 9.57 9.711 9.57 9.291 9.49 2 Housing Options ! SHIP 986 9.14 9.57 9.71 9.43 9.141 9.42 3 NSSC / EvanstonlSkokie Valley Senior Srvcs I1 9.001 9.43 9.571 9.57 9.43 9.431 9.39 4 �SHORE:Comrnunjty Services I Lois Lloyd Center 9,291 9.00 9.001 9.50 9.33 8.831 9.13 5 JMetro Family Services I Family Support and Prevention 9.14 8.71 9.001 9.43 9.29 9.001 9.09 6 ISHO RE:Comm unity Services ! Residential Services 9.29 9.00 9.001 9.57 9.29 8,571 9.06 7 jCNE / City Wide Scholarships 8.331 9.171 9.001 9.50 9.00 9.171 9.02 a Connections / Entry Point 8.671 9.001 9.001 9.33 8.67 9.001 8.90 9 (Trilogy / Evanston Activities Program 9.001 8.71 I 9.291 9.57 8.86 8.571 8.90 10 1'CNE1 Services for Children with Special Needs 8.331 9.171 9.001 9.50 8.831 i 8,83 ; 8.89 11 !Infant Welfare Society / Teen Baby Nursery 9.431 9.001 8.86 9.43 8.711 8.29 8.84 12 PEER Services / Adolescent Treatment 8.001 8.171 8.83 9.33 9.00 9.00 , 8.74 13 Child Care Center of Evanston[Home Day Care 9.331 9.331 8.83 9.50 7.67 8.67' 8.72 14 !Metro Family Services I General Counseling 9.141 8.711 9.001 9.171 8.67 8.171 8.70 1s Cntr for lndpndnt Futures/Community Living Options 9.571 9.291 9.291 7.291 9.29 7.14 8.59 s6 LAFMC/ Evanston Legal Services 8.57� 8.141 8.291 8.86 8.57 8,71 8.54 - 17 1PEER Services I Adult Treatment 8.001 8.171 8.831 8.67 8.83 8.501 8.51 1s IY.O.U. / Youth Development 8.57 8.86 8.711 8.861 8.14 8.141 8.4d 19 ;PEER Services I Youth Early Intervention i 8.00 8.17 8,831 8,831 8.671 8.331 8.44 20 Family Focus / Primary Prevention 8.43 8,431 8.571 9.171 8.171 8.17� 8.39 Panted 12/112005 Page 1 at 2 2005 MHB Funding Criteria Scores: Sort by Final Score SORT Organztnal Program Funding Responsive , Program Program Final Categary Assessment Financing Proposal Quality Services Score Welght 15% 15% 10% 10% 25% 25% 100% 21 BEHIV/Mental Health 8.00 8.00 8.00 8,831 7.50L 9.33 - 8.29 22 Dimensions MISA Collaboration 7.29 6.29 8.57 9.431 9.14 8.57 8.26 23 .Family Focus ! Pregnant and Parenting Teen 8.431 8.431 8.57 8.861 8.001 7.86 8.24 1 24 Thresholdsliransitions i 7.71 7.86 8.001 7.711 7.711 8.141 I 7.87 1 2s 'Evanston Community Defender/ Social Work Services 5.83 5.83 6.171 8.831 7.831 8.33 � 7.29 26 ,Evanston Community Defender / Legal Services 5.83 5.831 6.171 8.83 7.171 8.50 7.17 27 :Youth Job Center/Youth Opportunity Creation Initiative 6.71 6.71 4.571 7.29 5.431 7.00. i 6.31 1 i Average Rating 8.431 8.36 8.52 9.051 8.531 8.54 8.54 ' Highest Rating 9.861. 9A3 9.57 9.71 9.571 9.43 9.49 . Lowest Rating r 5.831 5.83� 4.57 + r� 7.291 _.._._ 5.431 7.001 _ 6.31 Printed 121112005 Page 2 of 2 SUMMARY: Summary of 2005 MHB Funding Recommendations for MHB FY06-07 Agency I Program BEHIV/Mental Hea , BEHIV/ Educatieral Outreach 1 BEH1V Total 2 Cntr for Indpndnt Futures/Community Living Options 3 Chitd Care Center of Evanston/Home Day Care Fc-NFJ Services fcr Children with Special Needs ICNE / City Wide Scholarships Allocation Information j Past Current Allocation Allocation FY04-05 FY05-06 S3.000 S3.000 S5.000 S2,000 $8,000 $5,000 s0 $10,000, $18,5001 $18,6001 $29,900 $29,900 FY06-07 Funding Request MHB recommendations 11.10.05 Requested Change Proposed Change Funding S$ Change °: Change Funding Request Requested Requested Allocation SS Change % Change S1I 1 . i 59,000 300 0°o S5.000 S2.000 66.7% Note 2 (S2,000) -100.0% NA (52,000)-100.0%u S12.000 S7,000 140.0% $5.000 SO 0.0% 515,000 I SS1000 4 50.0%1 $10,000 ; $0 I $19,0001 $500 _2.7%1_ $18,500I _ s0 I S30,200 $300 S100,600 $100,600 S101,800 , S1,000 1.0% $30,200 $300 1.0% $101,800 $1,000 0.0% 0.0% 1.0% 1.0% 4 IChildcare Network of Evanston Total $130.700 $130,700 $132,000 $1,800 1.0% $132.000 _ $1,300 1.0% 5 Connections 1 Entry Point $26,000 1 $2T,000 $29,000 $2 000 7.4 /0 $28 000 00 3.7 h $1,0 • _..... - .. ._0 ._ _ 6 Dimensions M1SA Collaboration S61,000 $s1,000 S63,QOD $2 000 $2,000 � 3.3 /o1 ssD oaa ($1,0 00 1. i1., - 6% ._...._ .__.. - , .. ,._. ... . ,Evanston Community Defender / Social Work Services S18.800 Note 1 S19.200 $19,200 NA SO 50 NA Evanston Community Defender I Legal Services 7 Evanston Community Defender Total family Focus I Primary Prevention Family Focus I Pregnant and Parenting Teen 8 Family Focus Total Housing Options I Residenti2l Services ,Housing Options I SHIP 9 lHousing Options Total 10 infant Welfare Society / Teen Baby Nursery 11 ILAFMC/ Evanston Legal Services $27,800 $32,000 $44.800 S12,800 40.0% $31.000 (51,000) -3.1% $46.600 $32,000 S64,000 $32,000 100.0% $31,000 ($1,000) -3.1% 525,100 $25,500 S27.000 , $1,500 5,9% S25,500 $0 0.0% S16,900 $17,200 S20.000 $2,800 16.3% S17.200 ; s0 0.0% $42,000 $42,700 $47,000 $4.300 10.1% $42,7001 $0 0.0% $10.800 S10,800 S11,800 $1.000 9.3% $11,600 $1.000 9.3% S11.600 $13.000 S141.000 S1.000 7.7% S14,000 S1,000 7.7% $22,400 I $80,0001. I$34,6001 $23.800 S25.8001 $2,000 8.4% $25,800 $2,000 8.4% $80,000 f S8D.000 I s0 I 0.0%1 $80,000 1 $0 1 0.0% $36,00014�S50,000 $14,000I 38.91/61 $36,400 $400 1.1Yo adopted 11.10,05 Page 1 or 2 SUMMARY: Summary of 2005 MHB Funding Recommendations for MHB FY06-07 Agency I Program Metro Family Services ! Family Support and Prevention (Metro Family Services ! General Counseling Altocation Information F- FY06-U7'Furiding Request MHS recommendations 11.10.05 Past Current I Requested Change I Proposed Change Allocation Allocation Funding SS Change % Change Funding FY04-05 FYO5-06 Request lRequested Requested Allocation SS Change % Change S87,500 S87,500 S90,125 S2.625 3.0% S87,500 $0 0.0% S8.500 S8.500 S8,755 5255 3.0% S8.8001 S300 3.5% 12 ;Metropolitan Family Services Total S96,000 S96,000 $98,880 $2,880 3.0% $96,300 $300 0.3%. 13 NSSt; / Evanston/Skokie Valley Senior 5rvcs S32,900 S34,000 1 $40,000 1 $6,000 1 17.6%1 S37,300 $3,300 9.7%. PEER ServicesIAdolescentTreatment S12,600 S12.800 S14,300 11.7% S13.300 S500 3.9% S1.500 PEER Services I Adult Treatment S38,400 S39,400 S40,400 S 1.Or30 2,5% S39.400 SO 0.0% PEER Services! Youth Early Intervention $21,600 S21.600 S23,000 S1,400 6.5%a S21.600 SO 0.0% 14 PEER Services Total $72,800 $73,800 S77,700 $3,900 5.3% $74.300 " $500 0.7% ;SHORE:Community Services I Lois Lloyd Center S20,700 521,000 $22,100 S1,100 5.2% S22,100 $1,100 5.2% :SHORE:Community Services 1 Residential Services $22.300 S23,000 $24.200 S1,200 5.2% S24,200 , S1,200 5.2% 15 ,SHORE: Community Services Total $43,000 S44,000 $46,300 $2,300 5.2%. $46,300 1 $2,300 5.2%. 16,ThresholdsTTransitions $10,000 $10,000I $30,0001 S20,000 1 200.0%1 $9,000 (51,000)1 -10,0%. _ 17 Trilogy/ Evanston Activities Program g $6,00o $60001 , $60001 , $0 0.0%. S6,000 Sol 0.0 %a 18 Youth Jots CenterlYouth Opportunity Creation Initiativ, $8,0001 S8,00or $15,0001 $7,0001 87.5%1 SO 48,0001 -100.0%. 19 Y.O.U. I Youth Development ! $90,4001 $90,4001 $94,9001 $4,5001 5.0%.I $90.4001 $01 0.0% TOTALS 4 $820,900 1 $828,900 I $945,580 ( $117,180 ! I:U%l $829,000 $100 0.0%a Note 1. Evanston Community Defender did not request funds for Social Work Services in FY05-06 and transferred their entire request tol-egal Services. The agency Is again requesting funds for Social Work Services for FY06-07. Note 2. BEHIV is not requesting funds for Community Outreach Services in FY06-07. They have transferred their entire request to Mental Health Services adopted 11.10.05 Page 2 of 2 Minutes recorded -- not yet approved EVANSTON AIENI'AL HEALTH BOARD MEETING MINUTES THURSDAY, DECEIIBER 08, 2005 Members Present Sue Canter, Gill Krulee, Ann Gauthier, Carol Sitdcr, Doug Geyer, .lane Grover, Randy Walker Presiding: Sue Canter, Chair Staff: Harvey Saver Community Pat Blumen (SIR Management) Ms. Canter called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. 1. INTRODUCTIONS AND COMMUNITY COMMENTS Ms. Canter welcomed the guest and asked that she introduce herself. Pat Blumen said that she is a consultant with SIR Management, and had been a colleague and friend of Lonnie Wiebe for more than 20 years. She said that she appreciated the opportunity to attend the MHB meeting to share her feelings about Ms. Wiebe this evening Kith others who had worked so closely with her. 11. APPROVAL OF NOVEMBER 10, 2005 MINUTES Nis. Gauthier move and Mr. Krulee seconded a motion to approve the November 10, 2005 minutes as delivered. Motion approved unanimously (7 aye-0 no). III. MEMORIAL FOR LONNIE WIEBE, FORMER MENTAL HEALTH BOARD MEMBER Ms. Canter said that one of Lonnie Wiebe's sons recently notified the office that she passed away in early November. She died in her sleep at the assisted living facility she moved to two years ago in Durham, NC. Ms. Canter invited Pat Blumen to join the Board and share her memories of Lonnie. Ms. Blumen commented that she had always run into Lonnie around mental health -related issues in the community. Lonnie was a very creative, intelligent, and impassioned woman who felt very strongly about people with mental illness. She described several programs that Ms. Wiebe had been instrumental in having the Mental Health Association of Evanston get started many years ago at Albany Care. The activities brought the residents closer to members of the community. Lonnie .,,as dedicated to the very fiber of her being to mental health issues. She teas an inspiring role model for anyone who believes in the mission of a better life for people who have mental illness. Ms. Grover said that she remembered when she first applied to be on the Mental Health Board December B. 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 1 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Lonnie invited her to meet to discuss the Board. Nis. Grover said that Lonnie very quickly un- derstood that she had no background in mental health. In the course of their discussion, his. Wiebe let her know that she fully intended to educate her and teach her about the subject. She turned out to be an invaluable resource. Ms. Grover was Chair of the Board immediately after Lonnie had been Chair for three years, She described how Lonnie had been very gracious as a former Chair in sharing her knowledge and steering Ms. Grover from behind Ms. Canter read a testimonial to Nis. Wiebe: "I did not Iatou, Lonnie prior to nry appointment to the ,LfHB in 2000. Lonnie x•as chairperson at the time. She became my "mentor" on the Board, filling me in on policy and procedures mid orienting me to work with the agencies. "I quickly came to admire and respect Lonnie's knowledge in the area ofnrental health. In ad- dition she knew so many people in the f eld and could relate the history of all our funded agen- cies and many others as ivell. She was a great resource to the MHB. "To say she was a strong advocate for mental health issues would be a major understatement, Indeed she was passionate about them. A tremendous amount of her energy went into promot- ing and supporting all aspects of mental health. "Lonnie was a very determined person with strong opinions and beliefs. She could never let an Issue pass without asking just one more probing question. MHB meetings often included very lively discussions during her tenure. "Even after she left the Board and moved to NC she granted, and continued to receive, the Board packets just so site could keep up with what was happening. "One last thing ... Lonnie also loved Eva►start and the VHB. 1 know it ivas verydif cult far her to move far away. Those of us on the Board who had the privilege and pleasure of working with her miss her as well. Site was an all-around great board member — active, contributing, and a very special person. " Ms. Sittler said that Lonnie always had so much to say about issues. When she was the Chair, meetings took a lot longer because Lonnie always tried to draw everyone out and into the. discus- sion. Ms. Sittler said that Ms. Wiebe was singularly committed to the mission of the Board. And she was so committed to the field. She had extensive knowledge and background, and all learned from her. She was the epitome of what a Mental Health Board member should be. Ms. Walker recounted an incident several years ago during the Board's allocation process. It was when she was very early in her tenure with the Board. She said that she had been very frustrated with the process and the decisions that had been made about the allocation of funds. She said that she felt very alone in her concerns about services for adults with persistent mental illness. She was discouraged and uncertain about her continued participation with the Board. Lonnie went out of her way to call her after the meeting to give her a pep talk. Lonnie told her that she agreed with her and encouraged her to persist in advocating for her issues. Ms. Walker said that Lonnie changed her view about the Board's process and made her feel okay about continuing her work with the Board. December B, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 2 Minutes recorded — not yet approved Mr. Krulee talked about his contact %vith Lonnie prior to being appointed to the MHB. He ini- tially met her when she got him involved as a volunteer with the Mental Health Association of Evanston. She was helping organize activities with people at Albany Care. These were activities that were not normally thought of as for supportive services -%tiith that population. She helped organize a grade project for the folks at Albany. And she trained volunteers in listening skills so that they could go over to the facility and visit and socialize with the residents, getting them into the community. Mr. Saver said that the comments would be incorporated into the Board's public record and shared with the community. He added that the remarks would also be forwarded to the family. Ms. Canter thanked everyone for their comments. IV. CONSIDERATION OF SUPPORT FOR AN INCREASE IN CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH FUNDING IN FY 07 BY $19.5 MILLION Mr. Saver reviewed materials in the packet regarding the Illinois Children's Mental Health Part- nership (ICNfHP), which was created in 2003 when the Legislature enacted the Children's Men- tal Health Act (ICMHA). The role of the Partnership is to guide efforts to promote and expand children's mental health for kids from birth to age 18. He said that locally, he, Sue Laue from the Mental Health Association of the North Shore, and Helen Roberts Evans from Child Care Center of Evanston have been involved «rith various task groups for the Partnership. Mr. Saver reported that there has not yet been a budget authorization for the activities being rec- ommended and developed by ICMHP. An effort to secure funds in the State Budget last year failed. In order to pursue the work authorized in the iCNIHA, there is a statewide coalition that is advocating with the Governor and State Legislators to increase funding by $19.5 million in FY2007 to "build and strengthen prevention, early intervention, and treatment services for chil- dren, youth and their families." He reviewed materials in the packet about some of the activities that the proposed allocation would support. Mr. Saver recommended that the 1411113 take a position in support of the proposed budget alloca- tion for children's mental health that is being advocated by the statewide coalition. He said that this investment in children's mental health was needed right now to enhance existing services and begin to fill critical gaps. Als. Grover moved and ills. Sittler seconded a motion for the AiHB to support and publicly advocate for the proposed S19.5 allocation for children's mental health services. In response to Ms. Canter's question, Mr. Saver said that this could in- clude letters to the Governor and the local State legislators, letters to the press to encourage oth- ers to also support the allocations, and'or working with other groups to support the issue. Mo- tion passed unanimously (7 oye-0 no). V. CONSIDERATION OF FUNDING CAPS IN FUTURE MHB PROGRAM ALOCATIONS Ms. Canter reported that the MHB's FY06-07 funding allocations included a recommendation December 8, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 3 Minutes recorded — not yet approved that the NfHB consider whether there was a need to develop funding caps on the amount of fund- ing any one program uus eligible to receive. She said that the issue was also identified after the 2004 allocation process was completed. Currently, the \iHB does not have a police about this. She said that the Funding Allocations Committee would be considering the issue and whether there was a need for a Board policy. She said that it was on the agenda in order to begin the dis- cussion, and to provide some initial direction to the Committee. ?GIs. Canter directed the Board to questions raised by staff in the packet. Ms. Grover said that she had always thought that the amount some programs were allocated was lopsided. She said that as a member of the Allocations Committee she found it difficult to con- sider a way to look at evening or leveling the amounts. She referred to the spread sheet that staff provided. Ms. Grover said that one example was Childcare Network of Evanston, which is re- ceiving 15% of the Board's total allocations; 13% is for the scholarship program. She said that if the Board were to adopt a funding cap, she thought it should be something that was phased in and provide agencies that are too dependent on the Board a chance to phase in funding from else- where, if possible. Ms. Canter said that the first question for her was raised by staff in the packet; "What is "broken" that a new policy will fix?" Ms. Canter said that the Board should be very clear about what the outcomes would be intended to be if a new policy on funding caps was adopted. Mr. Krulee said that he was not sure how to respond to the issue of why the level of funding was so lopsided or out of balance. There is a big picture for funding that the Board has not addressed. Ms. Walker said that there did not seem to be a good reason for why there is such an imbalance of funding, -with several programs receiving more than 10% of the total allocation. She added that from year to year it made it increasingly difficult to find room to move funds to other priori- ties, or new programs. Ms. Sittler said that the funding was also heavily weighted to children in early childhood programs. ?sir. Saver pointed out that this was 28% of the total MHB allocation. He added that this was not a priority that the MHB had actively adopted or articulated, but con- tinued to reflect funding patterns were inherited during the funding consolidation five years ago. Ms. Canter said that a funding cap could potentially free up money for new and emerging pro- grams, agencies, or priorities. One thing that the Allocations Committee should consider is whether there might be a cap on the number of years that a program could be funded at a particu- lar threshold level. That might also allow the Board to "stake" a program with more funds ini- tially in getting started. The program would need to know, up front, that the funding level was for a limited period of time. Ms. Canter added that she would not want to "cap" just to do it. Mr. Geyer said that he was still developing perspective on the process. He commented it was difficult for him to understand what the dollars were actually buying for some programs like pre- vention services. Mr. Krulee said that he thought the MHB funds were shoring up some programs and agencies that do not raise a lot of money and don't necessarily push to raise more funds. In the long -run, there might be an over -reliance on Board funding, as a result. Ms. Grover said that it might be December 8, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 4 Minutes recorded — not yet approved creating some fundraising stagnation. There was a general discussion about needing to also look at a number of things in relation to the funding levels: number of people served, level of service intensity, how long individuals or families are being worked with, and the incidence of issues being dealt with. (Ms. Grover left the meeting at 8:10 p.m.) Mr. Geyer said that he thought this discussion was at the basis of everything with the allocation process. It seems that this is the first step in actually considering a Board philosophy of how to spend. Ms. Canter said that the comments Mould be forwarded to the Allocations Committee as they be- gin their consideration of the issue. E VI. AGENCY ACCOUNTABILITY New Agency Liaison Assignments 2006, Ms. Canter reviewed the list of Agency Liaison as- signments for 2006. Everyone was assigned 2 agencies. She said that until there is a full MHB and a ninth member is appointed, 2 Board members would have to take on an additional, third agency. hir. Krulee and Ms. Sittler volunteered to temporarily take on an additional. agency apiece. Ms. Canter recommended that Board members contact the agencies with which they are the new Liaisons and introduce themselves right away. She also reminded them to let their old agencies know about the change, and to pass on any relevant information about each agency to the new Liaison. Ms. Canter also asked Mr. Saver to send the information about new Liaison assign- ments to the funded agencies right away. Agency Liaison Reports Housing Options. Ms. Canter reported that Housing Options will be purchasing a new building at 810 Crain. It will house 18 individuals. 1t will provide I0 bedroom units and one community space. The agency will be closing on the building in January. An information meeting will be held for immediate neighbors sometime next week. Center for Independent Futures. (Ms. Canter pro%ided Ms. Grover's report). CIF raised $19,000 at their November cooking event. They are already planning another fundraiser, "LoveFest 2006," which recruits additional, young supporters to CIF's mission. Their first schol- arship resident moved in 2 weeks ago and is adjusting well to life in their housing. The Commu- nity Life Coordinator is moving into her supervisory role. The agency is talking with Housing '-- Options and considering ways that they might be able to partner. They are considering making application for a capacity building grant together. his. Canter will check into what the capacity building grant is. The New Futures Initiative held its second workshop in November, one month — after the first. CIF is partnering with Illinois Voices and Northpointe (Zion) to apply for a grant December % 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 5 Minutes recorded — not yet approved from the Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities for product development of the Full Life Future Planning Process, a component of their independent living curriculum and tutorials. VII. REPORT FROM THE CHAIR Ms. Canter report on the NIHB presentation to the Human Services Committee on Monday. She was joined by Ms. Walker, Sittler and Grover. They presented the Board's recommendations for funding allocations, as %yell as an overview of the accomplishments during the year. Ms. Canter said that she thought it was a eery positive reception. The comments were largely complimentary about the Board's rationale. The Board was applauded for its thoroughness in its comments. One Alderman raised a number of questions and concerns about the elimination of funding for the Youth Job Center. Ms. Canter said that she was going to try to set up a meeting with the City Manager sometime after the first of the year. She said that the MHB has «-anted to meet with her to introduce the Board's wort: and its future direction. Vill. STAFF REPORT Mr. Saver distributed a summary of the amendments to the Liquor Control Ordinances that were adopted by the City Council in October. The first three Ordinances standardize and increase the fine structure for all liquor violations. In addition, they attempt to limit the availability of alcohol to young people under the age of 21 The fourth Ordinance, 87-0-85, amended and set up restrictions in the sections of the City Code that regulate the "presence of persons under the age of 21 at certain licensed liquor establish- ments." The first restriction restricts a person under the age of 21 from being in any portion of a licensed premise that gets more than 50% of its revenues from the sale of alcoholic beverages during all business hours, unless accompanied by a parent or an adult guardian. The second re- striction prohibits any person who is under the age of 21 from being in a restaurant that has a BI liquor license after midnight, unless accompanied by a parent or an adult guardian. Mr. Saver said that the latter restriction raised quite a bit of concern from students from North- _ western. They have reported that, throughout the year, they have numerous student -sponsored fundraisers at these establishments. He said that he was told that a report from one student group = estimated a fundraiser a week. The student groups have given testimony claiming to raise quite a bit of money for various social causes and not -for -profit organizations, both in and outside of Evanston, e.g., Dance Marathon. The participants in the fundraisers include students who are both older and younger than 21. They have been seeking changes to the restrictions that would permit young people under the age of 21 to continue to attend fundraisers in set -aside, private rooms in the B l licensed establishments, and under certain conditions and restrictions. Various provisions for this are being considered. fir. Saver said that he was told they will be presented at the A&PW Committee meeting on December 12, and then be introduced at the City Council the December B, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 6 Minutes recorded — not yet approved same night. Ms. Gauthier reported that she talked at length with an NNVU student about this issue after an earlier City Council meeting. The student claimed that under the current Ordinance, %vith those under 21 years of age unable to attend fundraisers after midnight in Bl Iicensed liquor establish- ments, they have been less successful raising funds than in previous years. Ms. Gauthier said that, with so little time having elapsed since the adoption of the restrictive policies, she did not think that there had really been enough time to find out ghat the impact would be. She added that she thought there were other ways that the fundraisers could be successful. The MHB asked Mr. Saver to keep them informed as the issue proceeded through the City Coun- cil. Meeting adjourned at 5:35 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Harvey Saver Assistant Director December 8, 2005 Mental Health Board Meeting Minutes Page 7