SSAC Health and Wellness Committee Minutes

Social Services Advisory Council Health and Wellness Committee

February 08, 2023 1:00 PM

Webex Video Conference

MEETING MINUTES

Committee Members in Attendance: Maria Joy Ferrera (Co-Chair), DePaul University School of Social Work; Ireta Gasner, Start Early; Angie Hampton, Egyptian Health Department; Dr. Dan Lustig (Co-Chair), Haymarket Center; Dulce Ortiz, Mano a Mano Family Resource Center; Debbie Pavick, Thresholds; Loren Simmons, YWCA Metropolitan Chicago; Sandy Tiania, Healthcare Service Corporation

Committee Members Not in Attendance: Yesenia Lopez, Cook County Commissioner Alma Anaya

IDHS Staff in Attendance: Kari Branham, Senior Policy Advisor; Taneka Jennings, Deputy Director of Legislative Affairs; Felix Rodriguez, Deputy Director of Community Programs of the Division of Mental Health (DMH)

Welcome/Introduction and Roll Call

Co-chairs Dr. Dan Lustig and Maria Joy Ferrera welcomed everybody in the meeting.

Instead of roll call, attendance will be recorded based on the participants in the video.

Review & Approval of Previous Meeting Minutes: October 26, 2022

No changes were suggested. Member Angie Hampton moved to approve, seconded by Member Debbie Pavick. The Committee voted unanimously to approve the October 26, 2022 minutes.

DMH Bureau of Community Programs Presentation and Q&A

Deputy Director Rodriguez provided an overview about the Bureau of Community Programs under DMH as well as their current work on the Asylum Seekers.

  1. With the change in the structure within the Bureau, are there any implications for contracting or is there a need to re-submit an application for funding?
    • No. The whole process is not impacted by the change. Reports will also still be submitted to the same inbox and the same people will be doing the same processes. Nothing new or different should be expected because the contracts are still the same. The change is only internal to the Bureau.
  2. Are frontline providers and mental health practitioners getting compensated just like the medical professionals responding to the asylees? Can IDHS provide clinical supervision and consultation for social work with regards to children who need to go to school but are experiencing severe and complex trauma narratives?
    • DMH will be looking into the Governor proclamation that relaxes the GATA requirements on direct funding or grants to providers of mental health services. DMH is also working with UIC on training people who work with the asylees and with other universities that are able to provide some sort of support.
  3. Member Loren Simmons suggested tapping the victim services resource.

Approval of Committee Charge

  • Edit to the introductory sentence: "The Health and Wellness Committee will lead its work with a focus on health equity inclusive of racial and gender identities and abilities. It will…"
  • Edit to bullet point 3: "Gather ideas to promote health equity and equitable access to health services and supports…."
  • Co-Chair Dr. Lustig commented that all committees should have a bullet point related to workforce because it is a challenge for every organization and for people accessing services.
  • Member Loren Simmons moved to approve the Committee charges seconded by member Sandy Tiania. The group unanimously approved the Committee charge with all the changes made.

Committee Priorities for 2023

  • Keep track on the asylum seekers as well as immigrant mental health as an ongoing priority for the committee.
  • Integration of assessment for substance use and mental health for Charge 1 e.g. assessment required by SUPR to get a SUPR-funded service and the assessment required by HFS to get a mental health service, there's a lot of overlap between the two assessments and sometime people need both services from both agencies
  • Focus on two charges and provide a couple of specific recommendations under each to be discussed in the next meeting.
  • Align recommendations in what DHS might be working on or anticipating on doing
  • Create a shared document where members can input their recommendations
  • Kari to research if working offline (using a shared document) is subject to OMA and if the priorities of each committee can be shared between committees
  • The group will keep working on the priorities once they know if they can work offline on a shared document

Adjournment:

Member Pavick moved to adjourn, seconded by Member Simmons. The Committee voted unanimously to adjourn at 2:35 PM.