The Geneva Mental Health Board met Sept. 13 to vote on a fund resolution.
Here are the meeting's minutes, as provided by the board:
The Mental Health Board is comprised of Geneva residents concerned with the mental health of people with intellectual or developmental disabilities, mental illness or substance abuse.
708 GENEVA COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH BOARD
September 13, 2016
The Geneva Community Mental Health Board met at 7:00 p.m. on September 13, 2016, at Geneva City Hall, Council Chambers Conference Room, 109 James Street, Geneva, Illinois 60134.
Present: Chairperson Shogren, Members Gaines, Hamilton, Hollman, Kautz, Wagner. Absent: Buckley.
1. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL/GUESTS
Chair Shogren called the meeting of the Mental Health Board to order at 7:00 p.m. A quorum was present with six (6) voting members.
2. AMENDMENTS TO THE AGENDA - None.
3. OMNIBUS AGENDA ( OMNIBUS VOTE )
All items listed with an asterisk ( * ) are considered to be routine by the Mental Health Board and will be enacted by one motion. There will be no separate discussion on these items unless a board member or citizen so requests, in which event the item will be removed from the Omnibus (Consent) Agenda and considered in its normal sequence on the Regular Agenda. Motion by Wagner, seconded by Gaines, to approve the Omnibus Agenda. Motion carried by voice vote of 6-0.
4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES/PAYMENTS.
A. *Regular Meeting Minutes of July 12, 2016 – approved by Omnibus Agenda.
B. *Approve Payment to Recording Secretary for Services – approved by Omnibus Agenda.
5. CHAIRPERSON’S REPORT
A. Review Application for Fillable On-line Use – Chair Shogren reviewed the revised on-line grant application that will be posted on the city’s website, noting the revisions made. Board consensus was that Shogren would confirm the funding date as November 9, 2016 and revise accordingly.
B. Review List of Service Providers to Receive Letter explaining Change of Application Process - Chair
Shogren made the members aware that she can actually email the funding letter directly to the service providers; however, she asked members if she should mail the grant application to the following providers since some of them did not apply in the past five years (except for one provider): CASA, Geneva High School, Easter Seals-Fox River Valley; Fox Valley Hospice, Haley’s Playground, Tri-City Health Partnership and Living Well. Discussion followed that while these providers were serving individuals who may be at risk for mental health issues, they were primarily serving another issue. After some dialog, members agreed the chairperson would email and mail out the cover letter, include the above-referenced providers, but add wording to the letter that explains they are receiving the letter because they had received funds from the Geneva 708 Mental Health Board within the past five years.
On another matter, Chairwoman Shogren, reflecting that it was one year since she began serving as chairperson, asked the board to begin focusing on advocacy and education and not just disbursement of funds. She envisioned that advocacy and education could be promoted during the month of May and the board could become a resource/link/sounding board for the community. Some of her ideas included the possibility of compiling a needs assessment of the community, inviting the community to a board meeting, and to list the service providers on the city’s web site strictly for resource purposes. Additional ideas included starting small, such as listing those providers the board funds on the city’s web site, in a brochure, on Channel 10, in the City’s newsletter, or on the back of the utility bills. Interviewing the chairperson in the city’s Business Beat video was another idea as well as collaborating with the Geneva Public Library or having members speak at various service clubs, as suggested by Gaines.
Hamilton suggested that at the December city council meeting the board summarize how it disbursed twice the amount of funds this year and explain how the money was used. She also suggested the board convey to the city council what issues the board was aware of as it moved forward.
6. ACMHAI REPORT
(Hamilton distributes copies of the board’s Arc of the Year and Goals and Mission Statement to members.) Hamilton reported that the new executive director for ACMHAI has “stepped up” the communication among the various state 708 boards, which was a positive. She provided examples on some of the state’s issues and how they were impacting some of the organizations she was involved with, such as the state’s budget impasse, the governor’s interactions with the Republican and Democrat parties; Illinois taxes, the impact of the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, and the expansion of Medicaid and its affect on prisoners released into the community – a savings for the jail but a challenge to housing and find jobs for the released prisoners.
Kane County Health Advisory Board – Hamilton and Chair Shogren reported they met with 708 Inc. Board Exec. Dir. Jerry Murphy regarding Kane County’s Mental Health Advisory Board and its discussion about the county creating a county-wide 708 board and removing the municipal 708 boards. Concerns included that while a new board could be created what if there was no funding? Or would the county’s assistance be balanced among the communities? In speaking with Mr. Murphy, Chairman Shogren stated that Mr. Murphy was encouraging someone from this board to attend the board meetings; however, Shogren felt that until there was an actionable movement, she saw no need to attend at this time. Conversation followed on the process that would have to take place to eliminate this board, i.e., through a referendum. Kautz believed, however, that once there was more providers under the Affordable Health Care Act that provide mental health services in the public sector, the jobs of the smaller mental health boards, such as this board, would become much easier, but she emphasized that the infrastructure and funding was “not there yet.”
7. OLD BUSINESS
A. Review and Vote on Resolution No. 16-01 regarding Funds – Shogren explained the background of the resolution and entertained a motion for the board to rescind Resolution 10-01. Motion by Wagner, seconded by Hollman, to approve Resolution 16-01, rescinding former Resolution No. 10-01. Motion carried unanimously by voice vote of 6-0.
B. Review Dispersal Process of November Funding Meeting – Member Kautz, along with other members, explained the application/grant process for new members Gaines and Hollman. Per a request, the disbursement spreadsheet from last year’s grant funding meeting would be emailed to the recording secretary to distribute to members. Also, the board agreed to hold a mock disbursement discussion in October.
8. OTHER BUSINESS
A. Fox River Valley Initiative – Kautz shared that the summer assembly was well attended with over 400 attendees, including a number of providers. Community issues voiced at the meeting included gun safety, mental health (diverting those with mental illness from the criminal justice system), expansion of housing, access to resources for special education, and access to resources for homeless citizens, to name a few. Kautz summarized the main topics covered at the meeting, one of which included the county trying to create an initiative for mental health so that it impacts persons with mental illness within the court system. She added that many of those county board members that were present at the assembly were in support of the initiative, while the county board chairman, Chris Lauzen, was not present and apparently did not support such initiative. Other highlights of the meeting followed.
B. Discuss Format of Report for City Council in December – For new members, Shogren explained the format the board follows when they report to the City Council in December. This year, Shogren intends to report to the board the actual breakdown of the funds disbursed to the providers. Dialog followed to include a couple of “feel good” case studies for the meeting. Hamilton offered to contact a couple of service providers to provide their stories. Shogren would contact Jeanne Fornari at the City to get on the December City Council agenda.
Shogren asked the recording secretary to update the board’s contact list and to mail it to the members.
9. PUBLIC COMMENTS, MAIL
Correspondence: Renz Addiction Counseling Center and Tri-City Family Services mailed audit letters; Shogren would forward them to the City. In a letter dated 8/22/2016, Elderday Exec. Dir. Tracy Dunn has announced her resignation. A donation letter from Ecker Center was noted. Newsletters were also received from Renz Addiction and TriCity Family Services.
10. ADJOURNMENT
The Geneva Mental Health Board meeting was adjourned at 8:26 p.m. on motion by Hollman, seconded by Wagner. Motion carried unanimously by voice vote of 6-0.
Recording Secretary,
Celeste Weilandt
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