Full Text
DD Subcommittee Meeting Minutes – March 1, 2016 DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES SUBCOMMITTEE OF CORTLAND COUNTY Community Services Board March 1, 2016 1:00 P.M. Room 304 – County Office Building Members Present: Jeff Beal (Chair), Don Noble (Vice Chair), Aaron Baier, Ellen Wright and Liesl Moheimani Members Excused: Jacquie Stegeland, Maria DeRado and Rebecca Costa Others Present: Mark Thayer (Director), Beth Astramskas (OPWDD Regional Office), Megan Crowe (MC ARC), Sandy Ehrlich (Racker Center), Richard Anderson (JM Murray), Harold Baker (Go-Getters), Alexandra Huntington-Ofner (CCMH) and Gail Spitzer (Secretary) Call to Order: 1:02 p.m. by Chair, Jeff Beal MINUTES Agenda Item: Approval of Meeting Minutes Jeff Beal asked for motion to approve Motion to approve minutes of February 2, 2016 made by Aaron Baier, seconded by Ellen Wright. With no further discussion minutes passed unanimously Introductions Richard Anderson, Service Coordinator for JM Murray and Harold Baker, President of the Go-Getters attending / Go-Getters consists of 5 to 7 individuals, working with ATI, ARC, consumer lead, self-advocacy group – accessibility issues; housing, employment, traffic concerns, etc. / not formally affiliated with JM Murray although it provides the meeting place and some guidance / group share stories, frustrations / Harold: group meets on third Monday of the month with changing topics/projects Jeff Beal welcomed and invited them to attend future meeting. Mark Thayer thanked them for attending the meeting and explained the DD Subcommittee purpose and gave some background about the CSB and its’ subcommittees. Don Noble gave some history about the process and how it has changed. Agenda Item: Membership Vacancy Discussion Liesl Moheimani had suggestion – Jeff suggested that anyone interested in joining this Subcommittee should be encouraged to attend Conversation: Liesl forwarded an article “Parent Articulating what DS is” about understanding, acceptance and teachable moments in life - describing opportunities for people with disabilities Agenda Item: Director’s Report (copy provided) Mark Thayer → Personnel vacancies at (Cortland County Mental Health) Clinic → New Electronic Medical Records system – challenging process → Corporate Compliance – OMIG (Office of Medicaid Inspector General) audit 2009 discussed / rebuttal submitted in 2011 / State preparing to forward latest recommendation – many parts of audit questionable; i.e. clerical issues, statute of limitations – Conference of Local Mental Hygiene Directors attorney to meet with deputy director of OMIG → Community – ongoing meetings with hospital (Cortland Regional Medical Center), Jail Services – next class EDPRT (Emotionally Disturbed Person Response Team) March 14 to 18, 2016 (March 16 encouraging providers to attend and explain service) – Beacon Center new agency providing outpatient substance abuse treatment opening soon → Regional – Recommendation for emergency intervention services for adolescents; intended to prevent hospitalizations – possible expansion of Hutchings Crisis Respite Program → DSRIP – March 18 meeting at CRMC, intended to educate and engage; contracting process, projects and opportunities, etc. – more formal invitation will be forwarded → OPWDD updates provided on website, findings of transformational panels resulting from various public forums → State advocacy request – nonprofits require increased funding to compete with Governor’s proposed $15 per hour minimum wage – will exacerbate existing staffing problems Item: Don Noble – 2017 County Annual Plan is upcoming – June 1 deadline – next DD Subcommittee meeting begin discussion of County priorities, needs in future / accomplishments, continued work from last year’s Plan – electronic copy of 2016 Plan provided upon request – Mark asked everyone to review in preparation for next month’s meeting / Don asked agency representatives if senior citizen population ability to receive service is identified as a problem – who tracks, who serves; Aaron Baier, Access to Independence has been working more with Office of the Aging – discuss again ---PAGE BREAK--- DD Subcommittee Meeting Minutes – March 1, 2016 - 2 - Agenda Item: Agency Reporting Pre-meeting Results Jeff Beal Group met before this meeting to discuss the statistics reported by agency representatives – discussed simplifying form and possibly reporting quarterly, rather than – there are new services not being reported and services no longer provided that should be removed / it would also be helpful for representatives attending meetings report relevant barriers which affect the County and successes verbally rather than writing narratives / Beth Astramskas will work with OPWDD representative to report how many access the Front Door (FD), how many are successful and what services are they trying to attain from Cortland County – the idea is to better understand activity in this County and make interpreting the form easier for anyone – what are the “valid” reason applications for service are denied / Jeff: this information would result in data qualifying as a ‘needs assessment’ Sandy Ehrlich: if someone tries to connect Eligibility Clinic or the FD, with service needs from OPWDD and are unsuccessfully, requiring a follow-up call, Cortland agency staff would be able to help, if that follow-up is not made Beth Astramskas: OPWDD contact schools try to determine number in students who will be graduating and may need services; also reach out to MSC’s at agencies / some school districts are better at reporting than others – try to prepare Don: begin to draft form to use for next meeting Agenda Item: Updates – Schools, Agencies, State Representatives Aaron Baier – Coalitions created as a result of Annual Plan (i.e. Housing): Judy O’Brien mentioned creation of an employment task force – agencies collaborate on a employment level; he would like to be part of that / Richard Anderson: It is looking favorable that the State may allow the continuation of the Workshop although it changes regularly – Judy can provide updates Agenda Item: Proposed Presentations for future meetings: SUCCC, etc.) Mark Thayer: consider special projects relating to specific issues; i.e. FD, residential services – what data would help understand the problem, chose one topic for a certain amount of time, without trying to capture multiple issues at a time Jeff Beal – Invite people to talk about programs for developmental disabilities (SU recreation program, BOCES program at SUNY Cortland, etc., Tim Davis from SUNY Cortland athletic program for people with disabilities) make suggestions and contact Gail to add to Agenda Other: Anyone needing help voting in the general election can contact Ellen Wright – ideas how to get people out to vote Agenda Item: Adjourn Chair, Jeff Beal asked for a motion to adjourn the meeting → Motion made by Ellen Wright, seconded by Aaron Baier – 2:32 p.m. meeting adjourned Next Regular Meeting: Tuesday, April 5, 2016 – 1:00 p.m. NOTE: All approved minutes are available upon request - Gail L. Spitzer [EMAIL REDACTED] [PHONE REDACTED] (Posting to website currently unavailable)