SSAC/Health and Wellness Committee Meeting Agenda and Minutes - 10.04.23

AGENDA

Social Services Advisory Council Health and Wellness Committee Meeting

October 4, 2023 @ 1:00 PM

WebEx Video Conference

Join by Phone: 415-655-0002

Access Code: 2634 887 0320

  1. Welcome
  2. Public Participation *
  3. Housekeeping
    • Introduction of Administrative Liaison, Clare Fisher
  4. IDHS Dignity & Pay Act Presentation
  5. October SSAC Meeting Agenda
  6. Membership
    • Transition Planning and Leveraging the SSAC
  7. Adjournment

* If you would like to submit a public comment, please email your comment to Clare.Fisher@illinois.gov by 8:00 AM on October 4, 2023

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; 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; Dulce Ortiz, Mano a Mano Family Resource Center; Dr. Dan Lustig (Co-Chair), Haymarket Center

IDHS Staff in Attendance: Rahnee Patrick, Andy Lossaso, Clare Fisher

  1. Welcome
    1. Angie Hampton welcomed the group and thanked the group for their attendance.
  2. Public Participation *
    1. Clare Fisher confirmed there was no public participation.
  3. Housekeeping
    1. Angie welcomed and introduced Administrative Liaison, Clare Fisher
    2. Clare shared a bit more about herself and excitement to work with the Committee
  4. IDHS Dignity & Pay Act Presentation
    1. Rahnee Patrick and Andy Losasso from DRS introduced themselves, thanked the group for being there, and began the presentation.
    2. Many gaps in employments for people with disabilities. We are not leveraging their talents.
    3. Illinois has 71 work centers that pay piece rate for the labor of people with disabilities.
    4. Illinois Dignity & Pay Act seeks to address this
    5. GOAL: minimum wage and above for people with disabilities by 2026
    6. DHS will make sure that there is payment for competitive employment. DHS would partner across state agencies to phase out this initiative. DHS will also partner with the Subminimum Wage Transition Task Force to provide guidance.
    7. The floor was opened for Q&A
      1. Debbie Pavick: This just makes so much sense.
      2. Angie: Will we have access to those slides? Rahnee will share.
      3. reta: To what extent are you working with partners to design implementation with them? Sounds like you are working on that. I am excited to see this move forward. From a process perspective, this is a great opportunity to bring this to the full committee or feedback.
  5. October SSAC Meeting Agenda
    1. Should we ask to have dignity and pay act presentation? Confirmed there is a level of urgency and moved to include the presentation in the agenda. Considering the Asylum seeker presentation, it could be hard to fit into the agenda.
    2. Loren Simmons: Are there missing agenda items from the last SSAC meeting that we need to add? Clare will ask Kari who was the previous liaison and confirm with the committee.
    3. Ireta: brought up the idea of creating content to discuss that could comply with the Open Metting Act. The new year could be a good time to think about process and deliverables.
    4. Report that HFS could share about Medicaid unwinding
    5. Clare shared that Secretary Dulce Quintero will be present at the next council meeting.
  6. Membership- Transition Planning and Leveraging the SSAC
    1. Clare will share a more formal email, but SSAC memberships majority will expire on December 1st. Members that would like to renew membership, they will need to notify Clare and complete a one-page form.
    2. We have additional vacancies we would like to fill and are open to recommendations.
    3. We will need to vote on a new chair as Chair Bell has transitioned. We will be voting in October.
  7. Adjournment