Illinois Opioid Remediation Advisory Board
Access & Equity Working Group Meeting
July 9, 2024
Virtual Meeting Held Via Zoom
Meeting Minutes
Access & Equity Working Group Members
Joel K. Johnson, TASC, Inc. (Chair)
David Gomel, PhD, Rosecrance
Mike Tyson, Take Action Today
Shane Pettigrew, Illinois State Police
Jonnell Benson-Cobbs, DPN, Serenity Treatment and Counseling Center
Tim Devitt, PsyD, Private Practice
Gail Richardson, West Side Opioid Task Force
Debbie Holsapple, Jefferson County Comprehensive Services
Charles Stratton, Department of Human Resources, Sangamon County
James L. Grafton, Administrator, Rock Island County
Diana Bottari, MD, Advocate Aurora Health
Blanca Campos, Community Behavioral Healthcare Association
John Werning, Chicago Recovery Alliance
Mark Mulroe, A Safe Haven Foundation
Christopher Hoff, DuPage County Health Department
Michael Wahl, MD, Illinois Poison Center, Illinois Health and Hospital Association
Matthew Richards, Chicago Department of Public Health
Welcome and Roll Call
Joel Johnson welcomed the group and called the meeting to order. Sue Pickett, PhD of Advocates for Human Potential, Inc. (AHP), facilitator, took roll call. Mike Tyson, Shane Pettigrew, Jonnell Benson-Cobbs, Charles Stratton, James Grafton, Diana Bottari, Blanca Campos, Mark Mulroe, and Matthew Richards were not present. Quorum was established.
Review and Approval of Working Group Meeting Minutes from May 14, 2024
Mr. Johnson called for a motion to approve the minutes. John Werning made a motion to approve the minutes. Gail Richardson seconded the motion. All members present voted in favor of approving the minutes. The motion passed.
Priority Recommendations for the IORAB
The working group reviewed the telehealth recommendation which will be presented to the IORBA at their July 18th meeting. Dr. Pickett shared that the Workforce Development & Infrastructure Working Group suggested that "harm reduction" be added to the list of services included in the recommendation, and then voted to endorse the recommendation. The working group agreed with the addition of harm reduction services to the recommendation.
Discussion:
* A working group member asked if settlement funding could be used for building spaces for telehealth to be conducted. Jim Wilkerson, interim State Opioid Settlement Administrator (SOSA), replied that funding cannot be used to build or make capital improvements or purchase vehicles, but it can be used to lease spaces or vehicles.
* Mr. Wilkerson reviewed a one-page description of the telehealth recommendation that he created and shared with IDHS/SUPR Director Garcia and Chief of Staff Rivera. They recommended that a statement allowing funding for supports for telehealth that are not explicitly described be added to allow for innovative solutions.
* Mr. Wilkerson discussed the need to consider the sustainability of services provided using this funding, which is limited to three years. After this time, the IORAB must reapprove all settlement funding allocation, including for telehealth, and organizations must reapply for itvia a competitive process. Organizations that receive this money should consider additional sustainable sources of funding, including billing Medicaid for services, if applicable.
* A working group member asked if organizations could use these funds to reimburse clients for internet services. Using a reimbursement model would have the benefit that organizations would not have to contract with an internet provider; however, reimbursement may not increase access for all clients. Mr. Wilkerson recommended adding reimbursement of clients for internet services to the recommendation; he will research whetherreimbursement is permissible under the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA).
* A working group member asked about emphasizing that organizations should facilitate same day or immediate access to medication assisted recovery (MAR) within the recommendation. This emphasis might include prioritizing organizations that have policies about filling open appointment slots for people with high need. Dr. Picket added "immediate access to MAR" to services supported by the recommendation.
* Mr. Johnson summarized the changes made to the recommendation including the addition of harm reduction services and immediate access to MAR, the addition of language including other justifiable costs related to telehealth, and specification that funding is available for 3 years.
* A working group member asked for a description of GATA restrictions for the use of funds. Mr. Wilkerson responded that these restrictions are complex. Generally, IDHS/SUPR uses prior contracts to determine how funding can be used and asks for guidance for potential uses with no precedent. There are four common areas where state funds cannot be used:
(1) food, (2) advertising (funds can pay for public awareness campaigns but not for the advertisement of services offered by a specific organization), (3) purchasing vehicles, and (4) purchasing buildings.
* Mr. Johnson called for a motion to approve the revised telehealth recommendation. Debbie Holsopple made a motion to approve the recommendation. Christopher Hoff seconded the motion. All working group members voted in favor of approving the recommendation. The motion passed.
* Mr. Wilkerson stated that he estimates $5 million should be allocated for implementing the telehealth recommendation; he asked working group members for their thoughts.
* A group member asked about the expected number of applicants for the telehealth funding. Mr. Wilkerson responded that he anticipates a maximum of 15 applicants. He discussed that if the state does not allocate enough money for a program, funding can be added. However, if more money than needed is allocated, the funding is "locked up" and will remain unspent. To ensure that money is spent, it is better to allocate a lower initial amount. There is a precedent for increasing the amount of money for a program based on need and interest. Mr. Johnson agreed that $5 million sounded like a reasonable starting amount for telehealth expansion.
Public Participation
A member of the public stated that Indiana had used settlement funds to purchase a vehicle for a mobile MAR unit and asked that the IORAB consider all methods to use funding.
Adjourn
Mr. Johnson thanked the participants and asked for a motion to adjourn the meeting. Michael Wahl made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Tim Devitt seconded the motion. The motion passed. Mr. Johnson adjourned the meeting. The next meeting of the IORAB Access & Equity Working Group will be on September 10, 2024, from 11 AM - 12 PM.
