Region 6 Planning Board Meeting
July 16, 2014
AGENDA ITEMS PRESENTER(S) DISCUSSION
Call to Order
The meeting was called to order on Wednesday, July 16, 2014, at 1 p.m. by Irene
Cheyne, board chair.
A moment of reflection was provided by Sharon Herbert.
Attendance
Present:
Tommy Allen
Carroll
Angela Craig
Henry
Amy Kuhns
Henry
Sharon Herbert
Fayette
Irene Cheyne, Chair
Fayette
Jim Risher, Vice Chair
Henry
Robert Andrews
Randolph
Lee Hubbard
Clay
George E. Carriker
Upson
Janet Wyche
Troup
Conference Call:
Sher?londa Walker
Talbot
Lavonne Harn
Houston
Cathy McGill
Crisp
Absent:
Sheila Mallory
Butts
Teresa Collins
Meriwether
Katherine McHan
Lamar
Glynda King
Pike
David Kitchens
Sumter
Edward Barnwell
Muscogee
Geraldine Jackson
Spalding
Mary Jo Page
Marion
Julia Chibbaro
Carroll
Tiffani Stacy
Muscogee
Jackie Begg
Fayette
Sandra Smith
Coweta
Keith Brown
Heard
Bill Sawyer
Schley
Joni Jones
Taylor
Neydi Belmonte
Coweta
Claudette Boelter
Harris
Dave Miller
Troup
Teresa Collins
Meriwether
Frank Dunford
Muscogee
Marilyn Roberts
Spalding
Ashley Ballard
Peach
DBHDD Staff:
Chris Newland
Behavioral Health-Regional Services Administrator
Valona Baldwin
Developmental Disabilities-Regional Services Administrator
Lawonna Parks
Behavioral Health Executive Secretary
Tandra Dickerson
Medicaid Eligibility Specialist
Melinda R. Brooks
Regional Planning Board Support Services
Natalie Prater
DBHDD Aging Specialist
BUSINESS ITEMS
Opening Remarks
Irene Cheyne
Board members and DBHDD staff were welcomed.
Personal Introductions and Special Welcome
All participated
Everyone in attendance introduced himself/herself. A special welcome was
extended to Janet Wyche, new board member from Troup County; Melinda Brooks,
new DBHDD regional planning board support services; and Natalie Prater, new
DBHDD aging specialist.
Distribution of DBHDD Region 6 Orientation Booklet
Changes to Orientation Booklet
Kudos to Melinda
Melinda Brooks
Ms. Brooks distributed a Region Six DBHDD Planning Board Orientation booklet.
She developed this booklet under the direction of Michael Link. The contents of
the booklet are:
? Planning Board Overview
? Planning Board Members & County
? Planning Board Roster
? Region Six Office Roster
? Providers
? NOW/COMP Waiver Application
? Family Support Application
In review of pages 8-10 of the booklet, the following changes were made:
Janet Wyche: Add cell number 404-663-0950
Amy Kuhns: Delete 706-957-0014; replace with 770-957-0014
Tommy Allen: Delete 678-664-0323; replace with 404-435-7704
Robert Andrews: Add cell number (preferred contact) 229-732-7602
Sharon Herbert: A dot after Sharon should be added to her email address. Her
corrected email is Herbert.Sharon.30215@gmail.com
Irene Cheyne: Add cell number 509-929-6849
In review of page 11 of the booklet, the following change was made:
Valona Baldwin: Delete office number 706-604-7805; replace with
706-565-3692
Board members expressed their appreciation to Melinda for the booklet. Board
members were encouraged to bring the booklet to future meetings to note other
changes. A suggestion was made to place the booklet in a binder, so that
materials can be added.
Review of Minutes from May 14, 2014
Meeting
Irene Cheyne
Minutes were emailed to board members prior to the meeting and distributed at
the meeting. Board members were asked for changes. No changes were suggested.
Robert Andrews moved that the minutes be accepted as written. Seconded and
passed.
Filling Board Vacancies
Janet Wyche
Ms. Cheyne announced that new board member Janet Wyche has volunteered to chair
an effort to recruit board members to fill the eight existing vacancies. Ms.
Wyche requested that a description of board member duties be prepared and that
board members help identify potential candidates.
Role of Region 6 RPB
Irene Cheyne
The board reviewed the ?General Information Overview? on pages 4 and 5 of the
orientation booklet. After review and discussion a summary was presented:
The Region 6 Planning Board connects local communities to the Georgia State
Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities to improve the
lives of people with mental illness, addictive diseases, and/or developmental
disabilities throughout the 31 counties of Region 6.
Introduction of Aging Specialist
Natalie Prater
Natalie Prater, the new Region 6 Aging Specialist, was introduced. Ms. Prater
has a ten year background with the Area Agency on Aging. Ms. Cheyne asked Ms.
Prater to look into ways to address the problem of primary care physicians in
rural areas referring patients only to nursing homes rather than an array of
community residential options.
Suggestions for Strengthening the RPB
Irene Cheyne
At the May RPB meeting, board members met in groups to discuss ways to
strengthen the board over the next 12 months. The 23 suggestions shared in May
were presented at this board meeting via a written document titled ?Suggestions
for Strengthening the Region 6 Planning Board.? These suggestions were also
posted on flip charts around the room. The suggestions were subdivided into six
categories:
(1) interface with community, (2) DBHDD communication, (3) board communication,
(4) planning process, (5) Region 6 communication, and (6) specific need areas.
The board reviewed the suggestions and added eight new ones. At the end of the
discussion, board and DBHDD staff each identified five preferences using
colored dots. The results of this prioritization exercise will be emailed to
board members.
Provider Update
Chris Newland
Valona Baldwin
To encourage more communication between board members and providers within each
county, Mr. Newland and Ms. Baldwin will develop a list of providers for each
county. Mr. Newland stated he would have the lists for our September meeting.
Community Forums
Irene Cheyne
Ms. Cheyne distributed a list of the upcoming community forums and a draft
press release.
Publicizing the Community Forums
Ways to Communicate Information about Forums
Draft List of Forum Invitees
All Participated
Board members were asked to volunteer to publicize the forum in their service
area. The following board members volunteered:
Tuesday, October 7
6-7:30 p.m. in Cordele
Service area counties: Crisp, Dooly, Macon, Marion, Schley, Sumter, Taylor, and
Webster
No volunteers
Tuesday, October 14
4:30-6 p.m. in Warner Robins
Service area counties: Houston, Crawford, and Peach
Volunteers: Sharon Herbert
TBA, Week of October 20
In Columbus
Service area counties: Muscogee, Clay, Chattahoochee, Harris, Quitman,
Randolph, Stewart, and Talbot
Volunteers: Curtis Hubbard and Robert Andrews
Thursday, October 30
6-7:30 p.m. in Carrollton
Service area counties: Carroll, Butts, Coweta, Heard, Lamar, Meriwether, Pike,
and Spalding
Volunteers: Tommy Allen, Betty Cason, Julia Chibbaro, Janet Wyche, and George
Carriker
Monday, November 3
6-7:30 p.m. in McDonough
Service area counties: Henry, Butts, Fayette, Lamar, Pike, Spalding, and Upson
Volunteers: Jim Risher, Amy Kuhns, Angela Craig, and Sharon Herbert
The board discussed ways to communicate with invitees:
? Internet invitations
? Personal invitations from board members
? Contact other regions to inquire about their contact methods
? Mr. Andrews will contact newspapers in his area and wants other members to do
this as well
? PSAs for television and radio stations
? Contact cable television to advertise at no fee
? Be sure that law enforcement is involved in the forums.
A draft list of forum invitees was presented:
1. Individual and families
2. National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
3. The memberships of 12 Step programs (AA,NA,CA,AL ANON)
4. Veterans groups
5. Courts
6. Providers
7. Housing
8. Media
9. Law enforcement
10. CSB consumers, staff, and board members
11. Public health departments
12. Elected officials
13. Non-profit groups (i.e. Easter Seals)
14. Religious community
Suicide Prevention Presentation
Robert Andrews
September is Suicide Prevention Month. A handout titled ?Suicide Prevention in
Georgia? was distributed.
Mr. Andrews shared with the board a brief history of the collaborative suicide
prevention effort in Randolph County. The effort began after two young women in
the community committed suicide. One element of the effort is to get the word
out about the Georgia Crisis and Action Line (1-800-715-4225). Mr. Andrews
showed the GCAL cards he distributes. Irene will try to get a supply of these
cards for other board members to distribute.
Mr. Newland explained that GCAL is staffed by licensed clinicians that follow a
set protocol when assisting clients. The result of that assessment determines
whether a crisis team will be dispatched.
Update from Mike Link
Valona Baldwin
Chris Newland
Mr. Link was unable to attend today?s meeting and shared with Ms. Baldwin and
Mr. Newland information to be shared with the RPB.
Ms. Baldwin stated that the waiver application is now on-line. Region 5 has
developed a one page tutorial for applying for a waiver, and Region 6 is
developing one with Darlene Meador. I&E representatives are available to
provide waiver application training at local DD transition fairs.
Ms. Baldwin stated that Region 6 has a new behavioral analyst (RBA) and her
name is Beth Foster. Ms. Foster will be meeting with providers to review
Behavioral Support Plans and make recommendations for improvement as well as
collaborative efforts with other regions.
Ms. Baldwin said that Georgia is developing a Human Rights Council that will be
centralized and have two or three representatives from each region. Ms. Baldwin
stated that when a patient is on 2-3 psychotropic drugs a physician will be
necessary to determine efficacy of these medications.
Mr. Newland reminded the board that Mike Link is both the Interim Regional
Coordinator for Region 6 and the Director of Regional Operations for DBHDD
statewide. Region 6 benefits from Mr. Link?s statewide connections.
Mr. Newland announced that DBHDD responded on June 30, 2014, to the Department
of Justice?s (DOJ) most recent evaluation of DBHDD?s progress in developmental
disabilities. The DOJ?s evaluation and DBHDD?s response will be available
on-line.
Mr. Newland updated the board on the vendor selection process for the
Administrative Services Organization (ASO). A contractor is scheduled to be
selected by August 30 and will begin work in 2015.
DBHDD Organizational Chart
Jim Risher
Mr. Risher gave Ms. Brooks a copy of the DBHDD organizational chart that he had
printed from the DBHDD website. A suggestion was made to include the chart in
the orientation booklet.
Behavioral Health Planning and Advisory Council
Amy Kuhns
Ms. Kuhns reported that the BHPAC asked each DBHDD department to submit a brief
written report on its strategic initiatives. These reports have been emailed to
Ms. Brooks. Ms. Brooks will forward them to board members.
Leadership Council
Irene Cheyne
Ms. Cheyne referred to the handout ?Highlights from the Leadership Council
Meeting on June 6, 2014,? distributed in the board meeting packet.
Announcement
Our next meeting will be on September 10 from 1-4 p.m. in the Upson County
Senior Center. The agenda will include information on how board members can
become medical power of attorneys for DBHDD individuals; the need to recruit
medical and dental practitioners who treat individuals with special needs to
our communities; and a presentation on FACTOR, a successful community-wide
collaborative effort that can happen in every county.
Adjournment
Irene Cheyne
The meeting was adjourned at 3:38 p.m.
Minutes recorded and submitted by: Melinda R. Brooks, Region 6 Support
Services.
Attachments
No attachments for this document.