Region 6 Planning Board Meeting
Wednesday March 11, 2015
Present:
Irene Cheyne, Board Chair
Fayette
Lavonne Harn
Houston
David Kitchens
Sumter
Jim Risher, Vice Chair
Henry
Sandra Smith
Coweta
Simi Barnes
Muscogee
Mary Jo Page
Marion
Geraldine Jackson
Spalding
Edward Barnwell
Muscogee
Beverly Garland
Muscogee
Tommy Allen
Carroll
Glenda King
Pike
Conference:
Marlene Rozell
Meriwether
Dave Miller
Troup
Sher?londa Walker
Talbot
Absent:
Sheila Mallory
Butts
Julia Chibbaro
Carroll
Betty Cason
Carroll
James Robert Andrews
Randolph (resigned)
Neydi Belmonte
Coweta
Jackie Begg (resigned)
Fayette
Keith Brown
Heard
Joni Jones
Taylor
Amy Kuhns
Henry
Tiffani Stacy
Muscogee (resigned)
Frank Dunford (resigned)
Muscogee
Bill Sawyer
Schley
Janet Wyche
Troup
Janet Wyche
Troup
Sharon Herbert
Fayette
Lee Hubbard
Clay
Katherine McHan
Lamar
Marilyn Roberts
Spalding
Betty Cason
Carroll
Angela Craig
Henry
Cathy McGill
Crisp
DBHDD staff:
Lawonna Parks
Behavioral Health Executive Secretary
Chris Newland
Behavioral Health ? Regional Services Administrator
Guests:
Richard Garland
Muscogee County guest of Beverly Garland
Jan Harp
Guest from Upson County
AGENDA ITEMS
PRESENTER(S)
DISCUSSION
ACTION
Call to order Irene Cheyne, Chair A moment of reflection was provided by Geraldine Jackson
Opening Remarks Board members, DBHDD staff, and guests were welcomed.
Personal Introductions and
Special Welcome
All participated
.Everyone in attendance introduced himself/herself shared something about
themselves
with the attendees. Irene Cheyne requested that all individuals share one trait
they want to improve on and develop further.
Distribution of Meeting
Information Folders
Lawonna Parks
Lawonna distributed folders packets containing:
1. The 2016 Annual Plan Priorities
2. The 2017 Annual Plan Strategies
3. The DBHDD Renewal Strategies
Review and Correction of Minutes from March 11, 2015
Irene Cheyne
Minutes from March 11, 2015 were reviewed without any corrections needed to be
done. MSP to accept those minutes.
Video presentation:
Ted Talks
Discussion on education in living with Autism?Science and Lived Ex experience.
Beverly Garland
Jim Risher
Board member name??
David Kitchens
Sandra Smith
Video Presentation: Autism?what we know (and what we don?t know yet).
Beverly presented the extreme need to begin work with Autistic individuals as
soon as possible. Ideally around age 6. She cited and gave an example of a
non-verbal child entered into the system and that he was denied Speech classes
in school because he wasn?t verbal. That situation is often the case and that
need must be addressed. Parents need to be certain that the schools are
following the proper guidelines for need. Beverly suggested that members of the
RPB should look at joining the National Autism Network to look at what can be
done that will make a difference. Individuals with Autism can be reached but we
will have to get to them with different methods than is used by the general
public. Her son is active in all activities in Muscogee county and is well
known in Columbus. She stated that parents need training for effectively
parenting the Autistic child.
Jim gave valuable information concerning his personal experience with Autism
disorder with his son (now 46 years old). He displayed all the classic symptoms
and still isn?t verbal, has ritualistic behavior, has a seizure disorder
(controlled with medicine) and as a toddler walked on his toes. Jim desired his
son to be in a group home about 10 years ago which let them to the Medicaid
waiver. Unfortunately he had to file a lawsuit to get his son put on the
waiver. His son was put into a program called South Metro in Forest Park, GA.
Today he is in a personal care home in McDonough Ga. With 3 other men and is
doing well.
________ has a daughter that is autistic. ______ stated that her daughter was
very stressful on her life as well as her husband?s. She feels she is always
the diagnostician and that has put a great strain. She must be engaged in
communication and often feels isolated and alone. At one point she was put in a
room with several 60 year olds while she was 20 years old. She currently is
cared for at home and attends several classes to improve her quality of life.
Diagnosis is always a problem with the Autistic individual.
Questions were presented by David and he ask if was there any programs for
parents to learn the skill needed to help their children? It was answered with
yes but few were available and also there is data driven therapy and is usually
done at home because the school systems aren?t usually cooperative. His next
question was do we need to initiate some type of training
program the schools that were in the area of each of the RPB members? Sandra
shared that when her child was in elementary school that she and some other
parents of Autistic students actually went into the schools to train teachers,
parapros and parents on the teaching the Autistic child. This topic is very
important to the Region 6 Planning Board.
Leadership Council meeting
With Commissioner Berry
And Deputy Commissioner
Fitzgerald
Irene Cheyne
Glynda King
Tommy Allen
Irene, Glynda and Jim met with the Commissioners on February 9, 2015 at the
DBHDD offices at 2 Peachtree in Atlanta, GA. The primary goal of this meeting
was to discuss changes DBHDD is considering to legislation related to the
Regional Planning Boards and Leadership Council Legislation. The DBHDD is
working toward centralization and several members of the DBHDD were in
attendance. The results of the meeting were favorable and lasted well over an
hour with Commissioner Berry. The Commissioner stated that he feels it is
prudent that a follow up meeting be scheduled in January 2016. DBHDD is
proposing legislation to change the name of the Regional Planning Boards to
Regional Advocacy Councils. In the past meetings were every two months to once
every four months, also in contrast to the number of representatives determined
by population (1 per 50,000 pop.) to 2 representative per county regardless of
population (one for DD and one for BH). Irene will be emailing more information
in reference to representatives per county. House Bill-512 can be reviewed
when it is emailed to all RPB members. There are 16 points of interest and if
we go to the State of Georgia website information can be found under House
Bill-512. A major change in the DBHDD is that all Regional Coordinators are
being eliminated and the legislation is to create a Complaint Department. Much
praise was given to Commissioner Berry for continuing the meeting well beyond
the time originally planned and was very supportive and open for discussion.
He stated he wants to improve communication between the Regional Planning
Boards and DBHDD.
2017 Annual Plan Progress to-Date
DBHDD Organizational
Changes Update
Irene Cheyne
Chris Newland
DBHDD staff and RPB Members met in Columbus, GA at the Region 6 office to be
updated on DBHDD Organizational Changes on February 3, 2015 from 2:00 pm until
3:30 pm. The plan that is being used is the plan that was used in 2014-2015
and including updates. The final plan is due for completion on March 21, 2015.
Irene made references to the print out of the Plan included in the information
packets. Irene will see that RPB members are emailed a copy of the report and
another meeting of Members will be taking place in Columbus in April 2015.
MSP to have a Conference Call Meeting on April 15, 2015 to finalize acceptance
of the Annual Plan for 2016-2017. (David Kitchens/Jim Risher).
Chris believes we are making positive changes for the good. Optimism must be
embraced in order to get to transition to administrative services, a redesign
of the Core and the reorganization of the Department itself. The
administrative service in the Region area is Value Options and Beacon Health
are the contracted providers. The Core providers are transitional service
centers with 26 State wide and we contract with other providers. The non-profit
groups to provide a minimum of service. The goal with this is that there is a
higher level of
accountability. We are transitioning to a fee for service payment plan. The
requirements need to provide easy access for high quality care. DBHDD will have
4 new divisions that will be developed and it is expected that this will all be
implemented by November 2015.
Information Updates
Irene Cheyne
Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities needed to find information for
several counties. (IRENE, PLEASE FILL THIS PART IN. WHEN PEOPLE BEGIN TO TALK
CAN WE ASK THEM TO IDENTIFY THEMSELVES? EVEN IF I?M THERE BY THE TIME I
TRANSPOSE IT I DON?T KNOW WHO SPOKE UP). People that volunteered to work with
the counties are:
1. Katherine McHan-Peach County
2. Beverly Garland-- Chattahoochee County
3. David Kitchens-----Sumter
IRENE PLEASE ADD THE INFORMATION HERE.
Discussion of the LC
Meeting with Commissioner
Berry and Staff
Irene Cheyne
Glynda King
Irene provided the group with a handout on the Leadership Council meeting
summary with Commissioner Berry and staff that was designed by Irene Cheyne,
Glynda King and Jean
Logan and Glynda shared the highlights. Commissioner Berry and Deputy
Commissioner Fitzgerald discussed the logic behind the reorganization of DBHDD
operations. This is done to facilitate consistency throughout the State of
Georgia, clarification of roles and responsibilities, and identifiable
accountability. A local presence is emphasized to increase the local and
regional voice accuracy. Commissioner Berry commended the work of the advocates
and affirmed his commitment to advocacy input. The DBHDD website was also
mentioned by the advocates as needing to be more user-friendly.
Center for Advocacy Vision Statement
Irene Cheyne
David Kitchens
Our final handout also supplied by Irene, was read by David. The Vision
Statement for The Center for Advocacy: ?The Center is a concept based on the
belief that citizen involvement is essential to the success of DBHDD?. The
Center is a metaphorical gathering place within DBHDD in which stakeholders are
electronically connected with each other to enable collaboration and
coordination among regional planning boards, quality improvement councils,
community service boards, and advocacy organizations. The goal is to build the
power of community to serve DBHDD in a low-cost, inclusive, and effective way.
Most of the work is done virtually but some groups in DBHDD service will still
meet in person. The Center?s work is prioritized by a volunteer Leadership
Council and supported by paid DBHDD staff. The Center is a place of public
involvement. It?s work may include:
? Volunteer recruitment, placement and training
? Grass roots innovation and natural supports development
? Financial resource development/social marketing
? Model program replication
2017 Annual Plan Process and the Community Forums, the Next Steps
Irene Cheyne
Irene said she was told by Deputy Commissioner Judy Fitzgerald?s office that
the Annual Plan is in flux, and was discouraged from trying to meet with the
staff. We had 210 respondents to the surveys and Irene prepared and passed
handouts on the following:
? 2016 Annual Plan Priorities?Adult Mental Health
? 2016 Annual Plan Priorities?Children and Adolescents with Serious Emotional
Disorders/Addictive Diseases
? 2017 Annual Plan Recommendations?Adult Mental Health
? 2017 Annual Plan Recommendations?Children and Adolescents with Serious
Emotional Disorders/Addictive Diseases
? 2016 Annual Plan Priorities?Developmental Disabilities
? 2017 Annual Plan Recommendations?Developmental Disabilities
? 2016 Annual Plan Priorities?Addictive Diseases (Adults)
? 2017 Annual Plan Recommendations?Addictive Diseases (Adults)
The Board members were asked to break into groups to study the above results
from the Community Surveys and Community Forums. We broke into 3 groups. After
discussion Irene presented a motion to accept this as the adoption of the
Planning Process. MSP. (Approved by David Kitchens, seconded by Geraldine
Jackson & Katherine McHan)
Joint Review and Determination Committee
Irene Cheyne
Irene requested volunteers for the Joint Review and Determination Committee and
there were 3 volunteers: David Kitchens, Beverly Garland and Jim Risher.
New Business
Irene Cheyne
1. RPB informed about NAMI Conference on Saturday, April 25 from 9am
until 5pm.
2. Mercer University DD Advisory Council is looking to stakeholders.
3. DBHDD Leadership Council meeting on Friday, March 27 will be
from 10am until
1:30 pm and will be NOW/COMP participant self-directed
training.
4. DBHDD is working toward a full complement of Region 6 Board
Members.
Adjournment
Irene Cheyne
Our next meeting will be on Wednesday, March 11, 2015, from 1-4 p.m. at the
Upson County Senior Center.
MSP to adjourn the meeting at 4:02 p.m.
Minutes recorded and submitted by Melinda R. Brooks.
Attachments
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