CESSA - Region 6 Committee Meeting Approved Minutes 04/17/2023

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

Meeting Minutes - April 17, 2023 - 1:30-2:24 PM via Zoom

Meeting Minutes - Approved by Members 05/15/2023

  • 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, Lt. Cory Koker, Andrew Quarnstrom, Greg Chance, Steve Bennett, Clay Curtright, Jennifer Brown, Betsy Smith, Ursulla Idleman, Michelle Nelson, Shelley Peelman, Peter Eckart, Caitlin McGlone, Steve Peters, Irene Wadhams, Sheryl Baumeister
      • Absent: Jeffrey Kiesling, Dustin Heuerman, Amy Marley, Melissa Pappas, Dr. Scott Pasichow, Joe Burton, Michael Smith, Jack Pugh, Dillion Kircher
      • Public Attendees: Brenda Hampton, Gabriela Vo, Nathan Shotton, Samuel Jones
  • Approval of Minutes
    • No comments/corrections to the 3/20/2023 Minutes
    • Motion to Approve March Minutes made by Andrew Quarnstrom, seconded by Greg Chance.
    • Motion approved by all members present.
  • Landscape Survey and Risk Matrix toolkits
    • 7 Landscape Surveys remain outstanding. Once all are received, the deliverables of resources will be figured out and presented at our RAC for approval and then to the State Advisory Committee for their final approval.
    • A question was posed to Peter Eckhart regarding our appointed member number to confirm how many members can meet in a work group. There is a discrepancy between 22 or 24 members. Peter will send an updated roster to confirm. In addition, he clarified that expert consultants could participate in the work group. They are not part of the approval process, so they would not count as a member.
    • Andy Quarnstrom provided an update on the work group progress stating they have received about 2/3 of the surveys. Their plan is to summarize all the data into one spreadsheet to share and divide amongst themselves PSAP's to follow up with who haven't responded. They will also confirm what they have received is accurate. The key thing is making sure all the data is accurate and easily accessible. Should have a final report to submit May 15th.
  • Member Discussion/Questions
    • Allan Axelrod: Clarification on the scope, are we looking for region wide decision making on the risk matrix or is there going to be local variation based on resources?
      • The latter, there could be different responses based on the availability of resources. Region 6 has a lot of rural counties, and those variances will be documented. Response will be based on location, right down to zip codes.
  • State Updates
    • The Importance of Lived Expertise: Review of the presentation provided at the state level displaying the stereotypes and myths surrounding mental health and developmental disabilities, so we have an understanding and are cognizant of such things.
    • Six Month Sprint Plan: Review of the Calendar of Deliverables, Peter Eckhart added that anyone can attend the subcommittee meetings, you are welcome. All those meetings are posted. Lots of work being done on training requirements. About 40% of the PSAP's have responded to the training survey. We've had our first training and have another one coming up.
  • Questions from the Committee
    • Allan Axelrod: If we as committee members want to attend the training, is it possible to request that? If so, how would we go about that?
      • Great question, and I don't know the answer. Let me find out if they are open to other members of the community. Right now, they are principally focused on the professional responsibilities of different parts of the crisis continuum. Information will be forwarded to Kurt and Lisa.
    • Betsy Smith: Have you seen anything from the state committees, are people moving through the calendar of deliverables in the way it is listed? Are there agencies that are actually approving and assigning dispatch protocol changes at this point? Any progress on the script that will be used in the software system to process medical calls?
      • We are right there with the other RAC's. Some of the RAC's began the information gathering on their own without waiting for guidance. A lot are doing what you are doing with small work groups. No one has gotten to the point of making a decision about ratifying or revising any of the guidance that shows up in the interim level of the risk matrix. I think that is going to happen in May. The final determination about dispatch protocols and standards will happen with each emergency system medical director.  Before the SAC and RAC were formed, meetings took place with the three primary vendors and were told they could not adapt their system to a local response. They really don't do that at the state level. We do know they have all been working on accommodating calls to mental health and crisis. There is some change in their national approach to system development. We have returned to those conversations now that we know a lot more and have a better idea of what the issues are. They are primarily located in the protocol and standards subcommittee. The way the software is configured isn't going to change nationally.
  • Public Comment
    • Gabriela Vo: Offering to assist in the work group as a 988 representative for Region 6.
      • Andy Quarnstrom will reach out to her if questions arise.
  • Next meeting will be May 15, 2023, from 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM
  • Adjournment
    • Motion to Adjourn made by Lt. Cory Koker, seconded by Jim Russell.
    • Meeting adjourned at 2:24PM