CESSA - Region 6 Committee Meeting Approved Minutes 03/20/2023

Community Emergency Services and Support Act (CESSA) Region 6 Advisory Committee

Meeting Minutes - March 20, 2023 - 1:30-3:00 PM via Zoom

Meeting Minutes - Approved by Members 04/17/2023

  • Welcome and Call to Order
    • Meeting called to order at 1:30 pm by Dr. Kurt Bloomstrand
  • Open Meetings Act
    • Members were advised that the meetings are subject to the Illinois Open Meetings Act.
    • Meetings are recorded and you have the option to switch your camera off if you choose to.
    • A copy of this recording and minutes will be posted to the Illinois Department of Human Services/Division of Mental Health Open Meetings Page.
    • All participants are muted to reduce interference of background noise.
    • Please make note of the raise hand feature. Appointed Committee Members wishing to contribute to the discussion will be asked to raise their hand and then will be unmuted to speak. Public members will raise their hand and comment during the public comment section to provide input.
  • Roll Call
    • Attendees:
      • Via Zoom: Lisa Rhodes, James Russell, Allan Axelrod, Dustun Rhea, Megan Cambron, Andrew Quarnstrom, Greg Chance, Jeffrey Kiesling, Steve Bennett, Dustin Heuerman, Amy Marley, Melissa Pappas, Jennifer Brown, Betsy Smith, Michael Smith, Ursulla Idleman, Michelle Nelson, Allison Brown, Peter Eckart, Caitlin McGlone, Steve Peters, Jack Pugh, Sheryl Baumeister
      • Absent: Lt. Cory Koker, Jeffrey Ray, Clay Curtright, Dr. Scott Pasichow, Joe Burton, Shelley Peelman, Dillion Kircher
      • Public Attendees: Matt Henson
  • Approval of Minutes
    • No comments/corrections to 02/27/2023 Minutes
    • Motion to Approve February Minutes made by Andrew Quarnstrom, seconded by Sheriff Dustin Heuerman.
    • Motion approved by all members present.
  • Introduction to the Interim Risk Assessment Matrix and Toolkit, Part 1
    • The matrix tool is a way to structure the conversation about how we match the right dispatch with the right kind of crisis response. Level 4 (Emergent Risk) the dispatch decision is we're sending out law enforcement. Level 1 (Low Risk) are the calls that can usually be resolved on the phone or with a mobile crisis unit. The area the committee will focus on will be Level 2 and Level 3 to formalize a standard approach for response times and dispatch response types for the region overall, and/or for sub areas within regions, taking into consideration current available resources and circumstances to respond to behavioral health/mental health crisis. o Word document copies of the "Toolkit Interim Risk Level Matrix For Use By PSAP" was distributed by email to all committee members with review within the meeting.
  • Member Discussion/Questions
    • Kurt Bloomstrand: Is this matrix going to be incorporated into the existing canned CAD systems? Is the state meeting with different CAD vendors to work on that at a high level?
      • Yes, they will have to be translated into a number of different CAD systems.
      • We don't know if national vendors will change their implementation of software, but they'll create customizations for local levels.
    • Kurt Bloomstrand: So, the main thing we need to focus on is the response type and the response time regionally the state has already put forth. Based on the area of our region that may not have those resources changing, correct? We have 21 counties in Region 6, so we'll need a worksheet for each one.
      • The toolkit represents a national best practice by expertise in Illinois. We encourage you to recognize there's been some useful research done, but you of course have the power to test that in your own region.
      • In some cases, there isn't going to be an alternative response besides what's available through the 590 program. The more and different kinds of responses that are available in a particular PSAP the more capacity to provide a response that is responsive to the different kinds of crisis in your community.
    • Kurt Bloomstrand: During the co-chair meeting today, it got brought up how is the flow from 911 to 988 or from 988 to 911 going to happen? The state is still trying to figure that out. How are the 988 operators going to know that they have a level 4 emergent rick that they need to send directly to 911? It might be helpful to develop a subcommittee with the people who are very familiar with this.
    • Betsy Smith: The subcommittee is a good idea. One thing to remember is we have so many different areas that have so many different resources or levels of response available to them within one PSAP. 12 different police departments and 24 different fire departments and at least two different EMS departments. How are they all going to respond differently depending on the jurisdiction? And sometimes even the time of day, if it is a volunteer department, what do they have available to them? We need to consider that, it's not just the PSAP level, it's going to be much more granular than that when we get down to the nuts and bolts.
    • Andrew "Andy" Quarnstrom: There's so many variables and there may be some counties that have a broad stroke one size fits all options. Looking at Champaign County, there are many different levels of response that really would have to be addressed, even at a greater local level. A subcommittee makes sense. There are different response models at each level, can we as a PSAP choose an alternative response model? Do we have that autonomy, or do we have to follow the requirements?
      • My understanding is that it is our job to figure out the response type of who's responding and that will change based on each county, right down to the zip code. Very small to very large throughout the county it's up to us to what assets are being deployed and how long they have to get there.
    • Steve Bennett: In my area, Coles County, our PSAP also covers Moultrie, our 590 covers 5 counties and that's hundreds of square miles and they don't have the staffing. A level 2 has a 30-minute response time, is that physically go to the scene or a response phone call? If that does happen, where they go to the scene with EMS and protocol requires only to release the patient to a higher level of care? With the lack of EMS resources, we can't have them waiting for 590 to get there.
      • Yes, there would need to be a protocol change for EMS to not do something and allow the 590 partner to do something. It's going to be individual based on county, so we could say 30 minutes in person or on the phone.
      • The 590 would be for lower acuity calls and on the higher acuity calls when EMS would be involved, the decision would need to be made to go to the hospital. If they don't, appropriate protocol channels would be allowed to clear and hand over to the 590 for them to handle.
    • Steve Bennett: We talked about each of the PSAP integrating into the CAD system or specific dispatch policies, I'm not sure the PSAP can be responsible for payment on that. Will those systems do that on their own or help out?
      • The understanding is that the CMD codes through vendors would stay the same. What is changing is the local response based on those individual codes which would have to be updated in the system. It will be quite a bit of work to get that done and train all the employees.
    • Kurt Bloomstrand: So, right now, one subcommittee to work on the deliverable of figuring out the response type and response time for each PSAP for the level 2 and level 3 categories of the risk matrix. Mental health providers included to speak to their resources. Tentative members of the committee: Andy Quarnstrom, chair, Clay Curtright, Jennifer Brown, Betsy Smith, Melissa Pappas, Megan Cambron, Allen Axelrod, and Ursulla Idleman. The committee will be finalized after confirmation from Peter Eckhart on the number of members to remain below OMA requirements.
  • State Updates
    • Crisis Response Landscape Scan - There were a number of different questions to address regarding this toolkit, but it should be out this week.
    • Six Month Sprint Plan - We are behind because it is really hard work. We've added a couple of new staff people, but the work is really about how you make it happen in your regions, how we help you move things forward.
  • Public Comment - None
  • Next meeting will be April 17, 2023, from 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM
  • Adjournment
    • Motion to Adjourn made by Andrew Quarnstrom, seconded by Jack Pugh.
    • Meeting adjourned at 3:00 PM