The Health & Human Services Committee of the DeKalb County Board met on Monday, October 30, 2006, @ 6:00p.m. in the Legislative Center’s Freedom Room.  Chairman Robert Rosemier called the meeting to order.  Members present were Marlene Allen, Eileen Dubin, Julia Fullerton, and Ruth Anne Tobias.  Sally DeFauw and Paulette Tolene were absent. A quorum was present. Others present were Liz Carney, DeKalb County Mental Health Board’s Executive Director.

APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES

          Moved by Ms. Tobias, seconded by Ms. Allen, and it was carried unanimously to approve the minutes from October 2, 2006.

APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

          Ms. Tobias asked if she could speak under Old Business regarding a letter that she received from the Kane County Board Chairman about non-smoking in public places as a regional issue?  Chairman Rosemier said that he needed to address an issue from the Foundation Center under Old Business, too. 

Moved by Ms. Tobias, seconded by Ms. Dubin, and it was carried unanimously to approve the agenda.

MENTAL HEALTH BOARD ANNUAL REPORT – LIZ CARNEY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

          Ms. Carney, Executive Director of the DeKalb County Community Mental Health Board, presented her annual report (on file in the County Board Office and Mental Health Office) for the committee.  She thanked the committee for their ongoing support and thanked Ms. Dubin for her contribution as a member of the Mental Health Board, too.  Ms. Dubin has helped with identifying grants for jail diversion programs. 

          Ms. Carney explained the Capital Projects that they have had over the last year.  She said that they are re-roofing the Ben Gordon Center and that the last time this was done was in 1988.  The bid for repairs came just under $130,000.  The flat roof is has been replaced and when they removed the old shingles they found significant damage to the plywood over the Community Room.  She just received a cost list for this damage and that amounts to $22,700.  This roof is guaranteed for 30 years.  They should be finished soon on this job.

          Ms. Carney also mentioned that the Mental Health Board decided to participate in the new County Building.  Her board appreciated the fact of being able to even look at possible involvement in that project.  The board will be paying a participation fee to move into the new building. 

          She highlighted page 4 of the report that explains a major survey that was taken. The National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) did the survey. It shows that the State of Illinois received an “F” by NAMI for its support for mental illness.  They looked at infrastructure, access for information for people with mental disorders, provision of services and recovery supports.  They found that the State of Illinois is too heavily funded for institutional care and that they need more community services. The National Mental Health Association reports that over a period of a year, one quarter of the population reports symptoms of a diagnosable mental illness, but that many of these cases are mild and will resolve.  Five to seven percent of the population has more significant mental health problems that will require treatment to resolve.  Early identification and treatment of the more serious problems, especially in childhood, is a key to effective treatment and to decreasing the likelihood of the development of other, related problems.

          She said that there is a class action suit right now to try to make the state shift funding from institutional to community–based mental health services.  There are many people living institutional care who could live in a community setting if the proper supports were in place.

          An important feature in mental health care today is the concept of recovery.  This is perspective in driving many initiatives at many levels.  The components of recovery are outlined on page 8 in the packet. 

          Page 11 explains the Grant Year 2006 Expenditures, which shows that Grants to Agencies were at 86%, Capital to Agencies was 3%, Board Personnel was at 8% and Board Operations was at 3%.  Page 12 shows the Grant Year 2006 Allocations by Type of Program (this is going back to their grant year ending of July 2006) shows Mental Health receiving 70%, Developmental Disability receiving 8.5%, Substance Abuse receiving 12.1%, Other at 1.5% and the In-Kind Donation/Rent equaled 7.9%.  This year and in the future, she is noting the in-kind donations for rent that the County makes for the Gordon Center.  It was not done before.  The rent has been recently revalued because for quite a long time it has been for $112,000, is now valued at $206,000.  Page 13 shows Total Clients Served Grant Year 2006, which total 9,187. 

          Ms. Dubin asked if the numbers are going up under the Total clients serviced?  Ms. Carney said that it’s about the same. 

          Ms. Carney highlighted a new pilot program called Equine Therapy.  In conversations with Hope Haven it was identified that the women that are in transitional housing there tend to have problems with setting goals and meeting them.  An equine therapy has been successful with client populations that do not readily respond to traditional therapies, the idea came up to try Equine Therapy.  The Mental Health Board is funding $5,000 to this program and it will include 6 to 7 women in the group.  Ms. Carney and the Board’s administrative assistant, Kathy Ostdick, will be visiting with them soon to see how it is working.  They have been getting good reports currently. Ms. Carney said that there would be an outcome report produced to identity whether or not this program should continue.  The agreement at the beginning of this program stated this is a one-time funding - but having that funding and having to show outcome will be helpful for Hope Haven to get funding elsewhere.

          Some of the topics that her Board’s initiatives for 2006 are Disaster Crisis Intervention Training, which is to train mental health staff for county-wide medication distribution.  Another one is Community Needs Assessment, which is a collaborative project with funding entities, (See Annual Report attached to these minutes). 

          Ms. Carney mentioned that on November 9, 2006, there is going to be a crisis intervention training for some staff of various agencies.  Her board is responsible for providing mental health services if there is a county-wide medication distribution event.  They have about 10 or 11 people signed up already.  The people trained at this event will then be available for medication distribution event, if needed in the future .

          The committee thanked Ms. Carney for her very informative report.

OLD BUSINESS

          Ms. Tobias advised the committee that she had received a letter that day from the Chairman of the Kane County Board regarding regional approach for non-smoking bans in public areas.  Kane County said that they will share draft resolutions.  They are designating February 2007 as second-hand smoke awareness month.  They are asking us to share any information on smoking regulations in the County with them.  Ms. Tobias continued by stating that we have talked about not implementing non-smoking banning in the county because we don’t have any facilities that require that type of thing.  She will be forwarding the information on the City of DeKalb and their ban on smoking that has been recently implemented to Kane County. 

          Ms. Allen said that she does not like smoke, but for the government to tell you what and where you smoke, she does not want it. 

          Ms. Dubin said that we need to look at the health of everyone.  If families won’t do this for themselves, sometimes you have to regulate these things.

          Ms. Tobias said that she feels that you have to make the attempt to regulate to let people know that you are interested in regulating it, because we can’t afford the healthcare.

          Ms. Fullerton asked if the Health Department should get a copy of this letter?  Ms. Tobias said yes and that she will share it with them.

          Chairman Rosemier said that he was updating the committee on eCivis.  He said that the point person that contacted him initially has left the company and that he now is talking to a gentlemen from California.  ECivis does business with only government agencies and their service would cost $15,000 a year.  If we want to sign up non-for-profit organizations it would cost another $5,000 and then we could bring in another 25 agencies who could use their service too..  He thought that if we bring in other agencies that we would charge them.  He did talk to three agencies so far and they said that they would be willing to contribute something.  He feels that it is a good program.  The impression that he got from them was that any foundation that they have - only do business with governmental agencies.  He asked if they have foundations in their database that do business with outside governmental agencies?  They said yes, some of them fund both.  Chairman Rosemier said that this is all that he had and the committee can come back to this later.

          The Foundation Center that Ms. Dubin has been recommending, is  located all over the country.  Chicago does have an office, but is not listed on their website as a central location.  Their prices are considerably less.  They are limited to only doing Foundations.  They don’t do other agencies that eCivis primarily focuses on.  Their basic service only costs $19.95 per month and they do offer other levels.  He then proceeded to show them an Internet Presentation from their website.

          The committee discussed whether or not the County could hire an intern to help research the various foundation grants for the county departments and other non-for-profit agencies in the county.  Chairman Rosemier is going to contact Ms. Lynn Schwatz of NIU to see if they already use this service and if it would be possible of her to give a presentation.  The website on the Foundation Center does have frequently asked questions, too.  He said that Ms. Nancy Castle does teach a class on grantwriting is another source that we could contact.  He said that he would be willing to contact them on this issue and discuss some of the questions that the committee has raised on this issue.

NEW BUSINESS - None

ADJOURNMENT

          Moved by Ms. Fullerton, seconded by Ms. Tobias, and it was carried unanimously to adjourn the meeting.

                                                Respectfully submitted,

                                                _________________________________________

                                                Chairman Robert Rosemier