988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Workgroup
Meeting Minutes- November 09, 2023 - 2:00-4:00 pm via WebEx
Meeting Minutes - Approved by Members 12/14/2023
Workgroup members: Rep. Guzzardi/Rep LaPointe, Rep. Haas, Sen. Fine, Sen. Bryant, Stephanie Frank, Ashley Thoele, Kristine Herman/Kati Hinshaw, Shawn Cole, Matt Pickett, David T Jones, Dana Weiner, Dr. Adam Carter, Lori Carnahan, Megghun Redmon, Jen McGowan-Tomke, Allison Wollert, Kelsey DiPirro, Emily Legner, Hugh Brady, Dr. Mary Roberson, Chris Shaffner, Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III, Hong Liu, Brenda Osuch, Gerald Lott, Pooja Nagpal, Brenda Bahena, Dr. Lorrie Jones, Amy Watson, Karen Leavitt-Stallman, Niya Mona, Jonna Cooley, Ulonga Gladney, David Albert, Lee Ann Reinert, Roberta Allen, Ryan Rollinson
Agenda
- Welcome and Call to Order
- Roll call and approval of minutes from September 14 meeting
- Recap of September meeting on Technology for Handoffs
- Sharing of Resources and Communication - 988 Workgroup Members
- Metrics and Evaluation
- The National Perspective
- Currently Collected 988 Data in Illinois
- Discussion - Action Items
- Public Comment
- Adjournment
The meeting was called to order by Director Albert at 2:02 pm.
Director Albert reviewed OMA official notices and regulations.
Roll Call and Approval of Minutes:
Present: Representative Haas, Kristine Herman, Matt Pickett, David T Jones, Dana Weiner, Chris Baldwin (abstain), Lori Carnahan, Megghun Redmon, Jen McGowan-Tomke, Allison Wollert, Emily Legner, Hugh Brady, Brenda Osuch, Pooja Nagpal, Brenda Bahena, Mike Duffy, Dr. Lorrie Jones, Amy Watson, Karen Leavitt-Stallman, Dr Valencia Williams, David Albert, Lee Ann Reinert, Roberta Allen, Danielle McQuay
Absent: Representative Guzzardi, Senator Fine, Bobby VanBebber, Shawn Cole, Dr. Adam Carter, Dr. Mary Roberson, Chris Shaffner, Hong Liu, Gerald Lott, Niya Mona, Jonna Cooley, Ulonga Gladney, Ryan Rollinson
Minutes from 10/12/23 approved by all present members unless otherwise indicated.
What actions regarding oversight and sustainability should be considered for inclusion in the Workgroup Action Plan? (Slido poll)
- Funding
- Long term / stable funding structure
- Consistency of user experience
- Gaps in crisis response services including mobile crisis responses
- Measuring quality and connection to resources
- Measuring quality of data distributed to 988 call centers from the sate about required resources (590 team info, ect)
- Protection of the funding stream from future state budget cuts
- Clearly developed oversight plan
- Universal technology across the crisis spectrum
- Adequate, well trained work force
- Accessibility
- Coordination MH/SUD and quality
- Measuring quality of care with emphasis on user experience
- Consider implementing a 988 cell phone tax or other sustainable funding mechanism
- Flexibility of providers to utilized staff across the crisis continuum
- User experience and linkages between points on the crisis continuum
- Create a public facing dashboard with metrics on system function
- Pipeline / training for crisis work
- Fund workforce capacity expansion
- Additional taxes to be used towards increasing workforce across the continuum
- Perhaps combine 911 and 988 phone surcharges to make it one charge for emergency services
In what ways is oversight important to the 988 system? What are some mechanisms that would support oversight?
- Dana Weiner: Something like a dashboard that we all can see. So anyone could see the health of the system.
- Hugh Brady: A regular schedule with subject matter hearings discussing the progress or lack thereof.
- Lorrie Jones: Feedback from the users. We need some mechanism to get feedback from the public and that they are aware of it.
- Chris Baldwin: Qualitative data in addition to quantitative data. It's easy to get caught up in the numbers. Ensuring there is a space for more qualitative data to fill in the space that numbers alone cannot satisfy.
- Hugh Brady: Some built into the system, regular reporting. So every 10th caller would get a satisfaction survey. Agencies could have a semi-annual survey on how they think things are going with multiple choice and open-ended questions.
- Brenda Osuch: The ability for the workers to make that connection. An evaluation of the trainings that are involved, organizations that are implementing 988 have some oversight, that they're listening to the calls after the fact, having an evaluation process for that.
How do we support and build Illinois' 988 system and sustainable future?
What should the state's role be?
- Hugh Brady: The state should be primarily responsible for it, but also do everything they can to get money from the feds.
- Matt Pickett: The possibility of allowing counties or jurisdictions to add taxes in addition to the statewide funding.
- Amy Watson: Investing in creating a pipeline for the workforce. So as we get funding we have the workforce to staff it.
Should the state pass a 988 telecom tax?
Should the state commit GRF funds to fill any federal funding gaps?
- Matt Picket: If we are going to do that, we probably need to get that request in to the Governor's office next week.
- Lee Ann Reinert: I don't think we are making recommendations to the Governor's office at this time. The Action Plan will go to the General Assembly for review for the spring.
How should the state address systems integration with 911 and mobile crisis response?
- Lee Ann Reinert: I think that there needs to be a centralized focus on technology that allows for integration. Right now, it is really complicated. Different laws and regulations. We need to have a really solid plan for thinking through, from a technology standpoint, how these systems are going to talk to each other.
- Lori Carnahan: I think it's so important to be able to begin the integration of all of these systems. Having realistic expectations of how long it will take, how much of a lift it is. Long term its going to be really important to make sure all of that is integrated.
- Chris Baldwin: Our experience as a call center when reaching out to 911 centers or police stations, it seems like there is still a a lot of room left for cultural shift in the 911 centers to fully appreciate how 988 operates. Having opportunities for training, communication, and increasing the buy in, I think the state is the best to help facilitate.
- Pooja Nagpal: I fell like the key to helping all of this, and something that should be prioritized, is cross training. I think there are opportunities to get cross trained with 911 and 988 understanding how each work. But also, EMTs etc. Things are different at all the levels, but I think training is where it starts.
- Hugh Brady: A municipality looked at "what happens when MCRT perceives themselves to be in danger?" So they had a mobile button that if pushed would connect to 911 and whatever car was closest to them would get dispatched for their location.
How should the state address systems integration with other agencies of the state?
- David Albert: This is an area where DMH is actively engaging with other partners, in particular Healthcare and Family Services. That partnership is only going to become more and more important for us to keep working closely together. The work cuts across many state agencies and stakeholders.
- Lee Ann Reinert: There is the opportunity for states to leverage Medicaid to support 988 and other measures of the crisis continuum.
- Kristine Herman: There have been fruitful conversations with the sister agencies on how we work together, maximize federal funding, etc. The partnership with the Department of Insurance is critical for expanding these programs.
- Jen McGowan-Tomke: Within the action plan we may want to elevate a sort of strategy on the phased approach while development is continuing. With the mental health crisis continuum and the vision the state has around building this work, it's important to think about from a communications perspective.
- Hugh Brady: Maybe there would be a way to charge the private insurance companies a fee that could help fund the system. A per head cost per year.
- Matt Pickett: It's doable, it would require legislation. Somebody would have to engage a receptive legislator to introduce legislation that would require coverage.
Possible Recommendations for Action
- Amy Watson: I think there needs to include some funding so that whatever agencies are needing to work out how they're going to track the data we need, have the financial support to accomplish this. That includes technical assistance.
- Pooja Nagpal: Would the communication piece fit in this part of the action plan? As far as communication about 988 and how the public perceives it.
- Mary Smith: That recommendation would probably better fit in another area. Though I can see that there could be some overlap between these areas.
- Lee Ann Reinert: I think that across the board there are ways to work in communication plans. We keep hearing that communication is critical for the success of all of this work.
- Hugh Brady: I would hate to have data collection become the purpose of the system. I would hate to have a 988 call taker to fill out a 15 minute report every time they take a call. It should be automatic and invisible.
- Lee Ann Reinert: We have to find a balance there because some of that data is necessary to make sure funding gets where it needs to. There is an amount of data we need to ensure that we are assisting call takers so that if we need to get additional resources to a person we can. Concurrent documentation - it's what's happening while you take the call.
- Lori Carnahan: I would think we do have the current documentation of how 988 works in the local centers. So I'm not sure we need this recommendation here.
- Mary Smith: It's laid out as a step so when we do the gap analysis we are comparing everything we currently collect.
Public Comment: No hands raised.
Adjournment:
Director Albert adjourned the meeting at 4:18 PM. No contest.
