Illinois Opioid Remediation Advisory Board
Workforce Development and Infrastructure Working Group
March 11, 2024
Virtual Meeting Held Via Zoom
Meeting Minutes
Workforce Development and Infrastructure Workgroup Members
Blanca Campos, Community Behavioral Healthcare Association (Chair)
Chelsea Laliberte Barnes, Wolf Pack; Live4Lali
Angie Hampton, Egyptian Health Department
Kristin Hamblock, Rosecrance
Theressa Perdieu, CEAD Council (DBA Hour House)
John Horsely, Kenneth Young Center
Mila Tsagalis, DuPage County Health Department
Lora Passetti, Chestnut Health Systems
Chris Schaffner, JOLT Harm Reduction
Dr. Trenton Fedrick, Habilitative Systems, Inc.
Michelle Saddler, Kittleman and Associates
Tom Wright, MD, Rosecrance
Angel Cruz, Peoria County Sheriff's Office
Jen Nagel-Fischer, The Porchlight Collective, SAP
Bessie Alcantara, Alternatives, Inc.
Welcome and Roll Call
Sue Pickett, PhD of Advocates for Human Potential, Inc. (AHP), facilitator, welcomed the group and roll call was taken. All members were present except for Chelsea Laliberte Barnes, Chris Schaffner, Dr. Trenton Fedrick, and Dr. Tom Wright. Quorum was established.
Review and Approval of January 8, 2024 Meeting Minutes
Ms. Campos called for a motion to approve the January 8, 2024 meeting minutes. John Horsely made a motion to approve the minutes. Lora Passetti seconded the motion. All members present voted in favor of approving the minutes. The motion passed.
Chairs Meeting Update
Interim Statewide Opioid Settlement Administrator (SOSA) Jim Wilkerson, Ms. Campos, and Dr. Pickett gave an update on a recent meeting of the IORAB Working Group Chairs. At the January 18, 2024 IORAB meeting, there was discussion about working groups' role in the recommendation review process and a request for greater transparency in the review process.
In response, the Chairs, Dr. Pickett, and the SOSA met and discussed strategies to increase working groups' involvement in the recommendation review process. Going forward, the Chairs and SOSA will meet as needed to review recommendations that have been sent to the Office of Opioid Settlement Administration (OOSA). Chairs will decide which recommendations are relevant to their working group; these recommendations will be sent to the respective working group(s) for review before they are presented to the IORAB. Ms. Campos noted that all working groups should continue to develop new and innovative recommendations.
Priority Recommendation for the IORAB
Ms. Campos shared that Mr. Wilkerson had an idea about how to strengthen the recommendation supporting training and supervision for the behavioral health workforce. As future recommendations for settlement funds are reviewed, paid field training experiences will be added, when appropriate, as an additional component. The training and supervision recommendation draft was revised to reflect this. These paid field training experiences would be encouraged, but not required. The recommendation was revised to reflect this change. The revised recommendation reads: 1) Provide funding to support paid training /field training experiences, scholarships, and the expansion of dedicated supervision (when not reimbursed or funded by Medicaid or other state funding sources).These training experiences should include but not be limited to entry-level and early career clinicians, peer support specialists, harm reduction providers and individuals working toward licensure or certification within a SUPR licensed or funded organization. 2) Field training experiences should also be considered and funded by, where appropriate, each proposed recommendation approved by the Steering Committee.
* A working group member asked for clarification on the recommendation review process. Dr. Pickett said that working groups or other entities make recommendations, which are forwarded to the OOSA for review. As determined by the Chairs, the recommendations will
go through additional reviews by working groups. Recommendations are presented to the IORAB; the IORAB reviews, discusses and votes to use settlement funding for the recommendation. IORAB-approved recommendations are sent to the Steering Committee. The Steering Committee votes to approve the recommendation and send to the Attorney General for certification.
* A working group member expressed concern that previously approved recommendations were not reviewed by the working groups. Dr. Pickett and Mr. Wilkerson confirmed that working group review is a new process. Mr. Wilkerson said that there can be discussions about Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) for approved recommendations that have not been released to determine if paid field training could be added. He also noted that as NOFOs are three-year opportunities, as appropriate, paid field training can be considered and added in future years.
* A working group member asked for clarification about the revision to the recommendation. Mr. Wilkerson said that the original recommendation would provide paid field training through a new NOFO. With the revised recommendation, paid field training experiences will be part of all new recommendations for settlement funding, as appropriate.
* A working group member asked about the difference between organizations that are licensed and funded by Illinois Department of Human Services Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery (IDHS/SUPR). Mr. Wilkerson said that some organizations are licensed, but not funded, by SUPR. There are also organizations that are both funded and licensed. Others are funded but not licensed. For example, SUPR doesn't have the legal authority to license a gambling-only program. The working group member asked for clarification regarding whether faith-based programs could receive funding. Mr. Wilkerson said that it depends on the NOFO and the program. The NOFO should be reviewed for information about eligibility for organizations. If a license for the program is required, the organization would need to have or obtain a license.
* Ms. Campos called for a vote to approve the revised recommendation supporting training and supervision for the behavioral health workforce. Lora Passetti made a motion. Angel Cruz seconded the motion. All members present voted in favor of approving the recommendation. The motion passed.
* Ms. Campos stated that the recommendation will also be discussed at the Access & Equity Working Group meeting and will be considered by the IORAB in April. She encouraged the group to bring new ideas forward at the next working group meeting.
Public Participation
* No members of the public attended the meeting.
Adjourn
* Ms. Campos thanked participants and adjourned the meeting. The next meeting of the Workforce Development and Infrastructure Working Group is Monday, May 13, 2024 from 11 am-12 pm.
