MH&R
BOARD of
—
July 15,
2008 —
|
Present: |
Steve
Lippert Kenny
Baughman Jude
Hammond |
Barbe
Limpert Steven
Prentice Margy
VanLerberghe Ann
Duez |
Pam
McGlothlin Leroy
Sizemore Robert
Warner Eric
Zgodzinski |
|
Office Staff: Excused: Absent: Guests: |
Kirk
Halliday Debbie
Kelley Marlene Boas Marsha Mruk Marty Williams |
Bill
Kimberlin Tracey
Scher Henrietta Whelan |
Beth
Williams Barbara
Hemphill Gerald Plassenthal Bob Kasayka |
|
|
|
|
|
PUBLIC
HEARING ON CALENDAR YEAR 2009 BUDGET
Steve
Lippert, Chair, called the Public Hearing on the Calendar Year 2009 Budget to
order on July 15, 2008. Beth Williams
reviewed the Board’s budget (revenue and expenses), and called for any questions.
Copies can be viewed at the Erie County Auditor’s Office, Ottawa County
Auditor’s office, or by calling the Board office.
Robert
Warner moved to close the public hearing on the Calendar Year 2009 tax budget,
Eric Zgodzinski seconded, motion carried unanimously.
The
Public Hearing adjourned at 7:15 p.m.
The Mental Health and Recovery Board of Erie and Ottawa Counties met on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 at the Sandusky Artisans in Sandusky, Ohio. Steve Lippert, Chair, called the meeting to order immediately following the Public Hearing.
Introduction of Guests — The Board
welcomed the newest members of the board; Ann Duez, Jude Hammond, and Margarita
VanLerberghe. Each new member individually read the Oath of Office and welcomed
as members of the Mental Health and Recovery Board.
Approval of Agenda — Kenny
Baughman moved the agenda be approved as presented, Pam McGlothlin seconded; motion
carried unanimously.
Secretary’s Report — Sue Kane
moved to accept the Secretary’s Report - Minutes of the June 17, 2008 meeting.
Bob Warner seconded; motion carried unanimously.
Executive Director’s Report: Dr. Halliday reported on the
following:
a) Monitoring Reports – no
questions asked. b) Monthly Update as follows:
1. The Ohio
Association of Behavioral Health Authorities has appointed a Futures Group to
provide information to the Ohio General Assembly on the development role of
local boards. This will be a major policy formenting group whose purpose is to
insure consumer focus system of community behavioral health services in the State
of Ohio. Debbie Kelley has been selected as a member of this group which will look
at long range planning. This will put her in a good position to articulate our
local interests, which is a significant piece for us.
2. MR/DD
Funding Request (see hand-out), a further response was received from
Mr. Plassenthal stating what he feels are the legal basis for his position.
This letter will be referred to our Board Solicitor for an analysis and report
back. A response will be issued at that time. The context of the previous
letter sent to board members concerns what is the dividing line between the
responsibility of mental retardation and developmental disabilities and the Mental
Health and Recovery Board. This is an area that we have been told by officials
in the State has been determined in the O.R.C., with additional communication
from Beth Downey of the Toledo Campus of the State Mental Hospital System. Individuals
who have moderate or severe mental retardation are individuals that are the
responsibility of the mental retardation and developmental disabilities system.
Primarily because the mental health system does not have the expertise to
effectively treat these individuals. The issue of community services has been
the difference of opinion between Dr. Halliday and Mr. Plassenthal.
3. The
issue of cost-shifting arose, and as budgets tighten many have to look at other
sources for funding. The fact is our primary legally-mandated mission is to
serve two populations who do not receive locally-determined funding from anyone
else. These are persons with severe chronic mental illness, and persons in the
general population who have need for mental health and addiction services, but
who cannot afford to pay for them. As other systems come to us to help them
meet their own legal mandates, we always need to weigh these requests in the
context of our own responsibilities to populations which have no where else to
turn for help but from the Mental Health and Recovery Board. If we fail to help
the former, then we aren’t doing our legally-mandated job.
Marsha
Mruk, Director of Firelands Counseling and Recovery Services, presented the
board with information on services to the MR/DD population as well as Habilitation vs. Rehabilitation. A hand-out
was provided with Chair approval stating the difference between Mental Health
and Mental Retardation from a funding perspective. Firelands bills under the Rehabilitation guidelines. This refers
to measures used to restore individuals to their best function levels. The
emphasis is on the restoration of a
functional ability. These individuals receiving rehabilitation services must
have had the capacity to perform the activity in the past. If they never had
the skill, you cannot rehabilitate them. On the habilitation side, the focus is
on acquiring new skills. When Medicaid is looking at services, they are looking
at the plan of care, and the ability to show
progress in a reasonable amount of time. Scrutiny is on right now for the Behavioral
Health Care System. Typically, providers are not serving the MR population in
their clinic settings, and beyond slight mental retardation other arrangements
have been made.
An
additional hand-out was also shared with the Board on the FY08 Services to the
MR population in Firelands service area by county as stated below.
County County
Population FY08 Total Service
For
Comparison Account_________
Huron
County 59,801 $56,100.50
Sandusky
County 60,997 $37,516.25
Wyandot
County 22,471 $8,780.60
Seneca
County 56,705 $52,272.47
Erie
County* 77,323 $353,667.17
*Includes
shared funding agreement of $124,300.00
4. Budget
Update Report (included in packet): Good News - the budgetary assumptions
that have been previously made by staff have been found to be accurate. This
would mean that there is no unusual likelihood of there being program cuts or
further “belt-tightening’ for fiscal year 2009. Dr. Halliday requested that the
Board re-consider its decision to not allow his staff the same level of
cost-of-living adjustment allowed by all other governmental agencies in Erie
and Ottawa Counties this year, which is 2-3% instead of the allowed 1%, exempting
himself from any further salary increase for this year. The Executive
Director’s salary should be considered separately from the rest of the staff as
it is in every other governmental body in both counties, in this case by the board
itself. Dr. Halliday proceeded to review past discriminations against mental
health employees, and stated that those persons who provide the treatment and
care for persons with mental illness are somewhat discriminated against. The mental
health care providers should receive the same consideration as county
employees. This issue will be brought to the table again at the August board
meeting.
c) Program
Division Report (included in packet); 1. The Big Brothers and Big Sisters
application for prevention certification under ODMH is ready to go. 2. Bayshore
Counseling was awarded the Capable Families Grant. 3. NAMI was awarded
certification by the Department of Mental Health, hence staff will move ahead
on the contracting process for consumer and family support activities. 4.
Bayshore Counseling is working with staff of the Family and Children First
Council, Wraparound, Help Me Grow, the Health Department and others to develop
a referral process, eligibility criteria and program parameters for the
expanded short-term, home-based intervention program for parents of young
children. 5. We have begun working to restructure our adult system of care consistent
with the Stages of Change Model as previously discussed. 6. The Board Annual
Planning Cycle was presented to the Board for review and will be included in
the August or September meeting agenda for presentation and deliberation.
Consent
Agenda:
Ms. Williams presented an overview of the consent agenda items.
Resolution No. 07-2009-01: WHEREAS: The attached Consent Agenda has been
reviewed for appropriateness and compliance with Board Policies; therefore Kenny
Baughman resolved the Mental Health and Recovery Board of Erie and Ottawa
Counties approve the business contained in the Consent Agenda. Eric Zgodzinski seconded. Roll call vote as follows: Kenny, yes; Ann, yes; Jude, yes; Sue, yes; Barbe,
yes; Pam, abstain; Steven, yes; Leroy, yes; Margy, yes; Robert, yes; Eric, yes;
and Steve Lippert, yes. Resolution carried.
Resolution
No. 07-2009-02: WHEREAS: The Mental Health and Recovery Board
of Erie and Ottawa Counties, a member of the Taxing Districts Committee formed
by the City of Sandusky in accordance with the Land Reutilization Program
pursuant to the Ohio Revised Code to represent the interest of Sandusky as a
taxing district, support the request to establish the fair market value of
abandoned and vacant tax delinquent nonproductive property acquired and sold by
the City of Sandusky through the Land Reutilization Program as
required by the Ohio Revised Code.
The
Land Bank Committee has established the fair market value as follows:
1. The
sale price of a buildable vacant lot, in which an adjoining property owner
shall purchase for yard expansion purposes only, shall have a fair market
value of five hundred dollars ($500).
2.
The sale price of a non-buildable vacant lot, in which an adjoining property
owner shall purchase for yard expansion purposes only, shall have a fair market
value of one dollar ($1.00).
The
Taxing Districts Committee agrees with the fair market value as established by
the City of Sandusky’s Land Bank Committee which shall be effective for twelve
months beginning June 1, 2008 and ending June 1, 2009, at which time the Taxing
Districts Committee shall review the state of the current real estate market
and adjust the fair market value accordingly.
BE IT RESOLVED: The Mental Health and
Recovery Board of Erie and Ottawa Counties approve the fair market value stated
above; therefore Kenny Baughman resolved the Mental Health and
Recovery Board of Erie and Ottawa Counties approve the business contained in
the above stated Resolution Number 07-2009-02, Leroy Sizemore seconded. Roll call vote as follows: Kenny, yes; Ann, yes; Jude, yes; Sue, yes;
Barbe, yes; Pam, yes; Steven, yes; Leroy, yes; Margy, yes; Robert, abstain;
Eric, yes; and Steve Lippert, yes. Resolution carried.
Resolution No. 07-2009-03:
THEN AND NOW CERTIFICATE
It is hereby certified
that both at the time of the making of this contract or order and at the date
of the execution of this certificate, the amount of $5,500 (Maximum)
required to pay this contract or order has been appropriated for the purpose of
this contract or order and is in the treasury or in the process of collection
to the credit of the MH&R Board Fund free from any previous
encumbrance. Account Number 74601 8300 530000, Vendor Number 1123,
Name: Vernon Sales, Description: Ottawa and Erie County Fair Give
Aways, Date: 07/15/08, read by Kenny Baughman, affirmed by the
MH&R Board Chair, Stephen N. Lippert. Roll call vote as follows: Kenny, yes; Ann, yes; Jude, yes; Sue, yes;
Barbe, yes; Pam, yes; Steven, yes; Leroy, yes; Margy, yes; Robert, yes; Eric,
yes; and Steve Lippert, yes. Resolution carried.
Board Concerns:
Old Business:
a)
Guardianship
Program (hand-out
provided in packet) reviewed by
Dr. Halliday. The cost of each client is approximately $1500 per year. The
Erie-Ottawa Board’s primary compensated guardian is Linda Van Tine. The client
typically is treatment non-compliant, unmanageable, in an unstable living
arrangement, and frequently in a state of de-compensation requiring inpatient
hospitalization. The Guardian’s work is always guided by the Ohio Revised Code.
Last year Ms. Van Tine reported 38 individuals in both Erie and Ottawa
Counties, with most cases being highly intensive at the beginning and reducing
the need for services as the client stabilized in a least-restrictive
environment.
b)
Mortgage
Information (hand out provided in packet) Beth Williams
reviewed the current mortgage situation, previous rental situation, equity for
the next five years at an interest of 7.9% and capital gain since original
purchase.
New Business:
Communications from Board Chair:
1)
“Growing up Bipolar” article in Newsweek Magazine very well written and
informative. Contact Steve Lippert if you would like to read the full article.
2)
Welcome new Board Members – glad to
have you with us.
3)
We have a board culture that enables
us to encompass both Erie and Ottawa counties, we work together, and we are
able to voice our opinions in a most welcomed way. It’s casual, yet it can be
very much to the point. Speaking up and saying no to something, very much in
place, voting yes, also very much in place. Boardsmanship
is a contact sport, and he challenges all members to visit some of the
various organizations, it will be well worth their time.
Commentary:
Gerald Plassenthal, Superintendent
Erie County Board of MR/DD, a letter dated July 8, 2008 was handed-out to the
board members which he apologized for because initially a copy was to be sent
directly to the board members, and he was unaware that they were not. Mr. Plassenthal
first addressed the issue of “cost-shifting”. Since 2004 the dollar figure
agreement between the Board and MR/DD has remained constant for the last five
years. In that five year span the original twenty people that were served under
that agreement the cost of their services have virtually doubled. In addition
to that there are thirty-seven other people who have been identified as having
severe mental health needs who could benefit from treatment. The only thing Mr.
Plassenthal has asked for within the last two years, and has tried to work out,
is an agreement where we have shared costs, agreements that are very similar to
other agreements that other county boards have. He would be happy to sit down
and discuss this situation at any time. When people with developmental
disabilities also have mental illnesses the stigma for them is compounded even
greater. Mr. Plassenthal has been in the
field for over 35 years, and has heard for 35 years the Mental Health Boards
say that they don’t have the expertise to provide services for people with
developmental disabilities or mental retardation. It is time that we work
together to solve this problem for everybody. Mr. Plassenthal mentioned a
recent case where a client is currently institutionalized who has mild
retardation, and will be released. It will cost $160,000 to make this happen
and this board offered to pay $4,000 of that. Mr. Plassenthal is asking this
Board to develop a fair shared agreement to provide services for people with developmental
disabilities - Thank you.
Tracey Scher, FCRS, Why is the MR
system continually asking us to share funding and there is no offer in return?
Firelands provides very expensive psychiatric care to individuals with moderate
MR and this Board pays the maximum on many of those individuals. If we’re
looking at fair I ask that you look in two directions and consider the cost
that we’re providing and have that shared as well.
Marsha Mruk, Director, FCRS, we
provide a whole level of services and have never come to the MR/DD Board and
said pay your share of the psychiatric services. She is in agreement that it
definitely needs to go both ways.
Firelands
Counseling and Recovery Services have opened a new office in Amherst, (off Rt.
58) on July 1st.
A
new child psychiatrist has started in Erie County two days a week, Tuesdays and
Wednesdays, eight hour days. Firelands is extremely excited and happy about
this. Both announcements will be made in the paper soon.
Henrietta Whelan is pleased to
announce that Bayshore Counseling Services has received their prevention
certification from ODADAS.
Review Decisions Made and Action
— Sue Kane reviewed the actions of the Board.
1.
Robert Warner moved to adjourn the 2009 Tax
Budget Hearing, Eric Zgodzinski seconded, motion carried unanimously.
2.
Ann Duez, Jude Hammond, and Margarita VanLerberghe,
took the Oath of Office and are the newest members to the Erie/Ottawa Mental
Health and Recovery Board.
3.
Agenda approved; motion carried unanimously.
4.
Secretary’s report approved; motion carried
unanimously.
5.
Resolution 07-2009-01, roll call vote -
approved.
6.
Resolution 07-2009-02, roll call vote -
approved.
7.
Resolution 07-2009-03, roll call vote -
approved.
Adjournment — Kenny Baughman
moved the meeting adjourn.
Respectfully submitted,