CESSA - Region 8 Committee Meeting Approved Minutes 10/17/2024

Community Emergency Services and Support Act (CESSA) Region 8 Advisory Committee

Meeting Minutes - October 17, 2024 - 1:30-2:30 via Zoom

Meeting Minutes - Approved by Members 01/16/2025

Welcome and Call to Order (Roll Call)
- Lori Carnahan opens the meeting at 1:32pm.
- Attending: Lori Carnahan, Shannon Hartnett, Candace Gunby, Austin Gibbs, Ryan Klavohn, Mark J. Puknaitis, Scott A. Spinazola, Todd Rountree, Jason Arres, Jean DeCaro, Sarah Wiemeyer, Sydney Talavera, Corinne Swiatek, Jim Moldenhauer. We have a quorum.
- Absent: Eric Metcalf, Kent A Adams, Matthew Buckley, Sibil Kuruvilla Jillianne Chuffo, Jessica Robb.
Open Meetings Act
- Lori Carnahan read the instructions regarding the Illinois Open Meetings Act.
- The group was informed that the meeting was being recorded.
Approval of the Minutes from previous meeting
- We have minutes to approve from September.
- Motion to Approve: Jason Arres
- Second Motion: Jim Moldenhauer
- No changes noted.
- All were in favor of approving the minutes with no objections.
- Minutes were approved.
State Updates
- Mandatory training courses are available. They need to be completed by the end of the calendar year. https://OneNet.Illinois.gov/MyTraining
  - DHS recommends checking your Spam folder if you have not seen the account activation email. If you haven't received any emails besides the one that the hub sent in September, please email jasmith5@uic.edu
- FCC has allowed geo-routing by county for 988 calls. It works well in Illinois, except for Cook County. There are two 988 lifeline centers that will cover Cook now.
RAC Membership Updates
- Dr. Cichon is retiring and will be stepping down as Chair. Originally the Chair needed to be an EMS director, but legislation no longer requires this. Lori Carnahan is happy to continue as Co-chair or move into the Chair role. If anybody on this committee is interested or if you know someone who would be a great fit for either position, please email Lori and Krista.
Pre-Test and Pilot Updates
- The Pre-Test is still happening and will finish this week or next. As soon as it finishes and analysis is done, data will be shared for review. Cicero is the PSAP Pre-test site in our area and Pillars is the MCRT agency.
- 988 Crisis Counselors Pilot Trainings
  - CESSA DMH Requirements
    - Illinois Emergency Crisis System
    - National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) Cultural Awareness
    - The Power and Importance of Language
    - Respectful Interactions and Working With Individuals who have Developmental Disabilities or Autism Experiencing a Behavioral Health Crisis
    - Respectful Interactions and Working With Individuals Experiencing a Behavioral Health Crisis
    - Developing Community Relationships
- MCRT Pilot Trainings
  - CESSA Requirements Currently Met Through Healthcare Family Services
    - De-escalation
    - Crisis Safety Planning
    - IM CANs
  - CESSA DMH Requirements
    - Illinois Emergency Crisis System
    - National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) Cultural Awareness
    - The Power and Importance of Language
    - Respectful Interactions and Working With Individuals who have Developmental Disabilities or Autism Experiencing a Behavioral Health Crisis
    - Respectful Interactions and Working With Individuals Experiencing a Behavioral Health Crisis
- 911 PSAP Pilot Trainings
  - CESSA DMH Requirements
    - Illinois Emergency Crisis System
    - National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) Cultural Awareness
    - The Power and Importance of Language
    - Respectful Interactions and Working With Individuals who have Developmental Disabilities or Autism Experiencing a Behavioral Health Crisis
    - Respectful Interactions and Working With Individuals Experiencing a Behavioral Health Crisis
- Pilot trainings next steps
  - Majority of trainings for the pilots have been created
  - We will send an announcement when they are available and how to access.
Subregional Committees (SRCs)
- Definition and Responsibilities
  - Ensuring that changes in protocol vendor script result in alternative dispatch decisions where possible.
  - Ensuring that other CESSA policies are implemented with consideration for local communities' realities.
  - Leveraging communities' strengths, assets, and limitations in response variability.
  - For example, in accordance with the Interim Risk Level Matrix, an SRC can coordinate dispatch decisions based on local resources.
  - Response adjustments will rely on data provided from the Landscape Analysis and the Mobile Crisis Response Team Response Time study.
- Membership
  - SRCs will mainly consist of non-RAC member CESSA "champions".
  - Champions are representatives from PSAPs, Law Enforcement, Fire, EMS, MCRTs, social service organizations, advocacy agencies, and grassroots organizing communities.
  - Champions are working, or are willing to get started working, to bring together the necessary groups of people to implement CESSA.
- Membership Requirements
  - Membership of all SRCs, at a minimum, shall include:
    - Representatives of the 9-1-1 PSAPs
    - Representatives of the EMS Medical Directors Committee, as constituted under the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act, or other similar committee serving the medical needs of the jurisdiction
    - Representatives of law enforcement officials with jurisdiction in the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Regions
    - Representatives of both the EMS providers and the unions representing EMS or emergency mental and behavioral health responders, or both; and
    - Advocates from the mental health, behavioral health, intellectual disability, and developmental disability communities
- Roles
  - SRC Chair is a PSAP Administrator
  - Co-Chair selected by the SRC
  - Recorder (responsible for maintaining OMA compliance) selected by SRC:
    - Agenda posted to CESSA website
    - Meeting schedules posted to CESSA website
    - Meetings recorded and posted to CESSA website
    - Quorum (business and vote)
    - Minutes maintained & posted (transcript of recording)
    - Open for public comment
- Formation
  - Established at the discretion of the RACs with flexibility on composition and timing
  - Geographic location, vendor type, and readiness to change are factors to consider
  - Incremental, phased approach
  - Multiple PSAPs with the same vendor and overlapping coverage areas can work together as a single SRC
  - Will evolve from working on implementation activities to reporting on quality assurance
- Basic Steps to forming SRCs
  - RACs assess readiness and necessity for SRCs in their regions
    - The PowerPhone pilots will form the first SRCs
  - RACs and local champions solicit volunteers to join SRCs
  - RACs confirm membership of the SRCs and communicate OMA requirements to the members
  - SRC meeting information is posted publicly according to OMA guidelines
  - SRC meetings begin on a rolling basis
- Timing and Next Steps
  - RACs can begin to discuss the need for SRCs in their October and/or November meetings. PowerPhone pilots will be the first SRCs. Other vendor-related groups that are already organizing will be able to become SRCs.
  - Next Steps
    - October and November 2024: RACs begin process of identifying PSAPs/communities who may benefit from the creation of subregional committees
    - November 2024: The Hub provides technical resources for RACs and SRCs, including implementation guidelines
    - November and December 2024: SRCs may begin convening after following basic steps
- Technical Resources
  - The UIC Behavioral Health Crisis Hub will provide:
    - SRC Implementation Readiness Guidelines
      - CESSA amendment language
      - SRC charter
      - SRC meeting agenda template
      - OMA requirements
    - Subregional Monthly Report Template
    - Updated list of PSAPs by vendor types
- Discussion
  - Questions for your RAC to consider related to SRCs:
    - Who are the champions within our region?
    - Who is already organizing and collaborating in a way that will lend well to the creation of an SRC?
    - How will we get the word out to our region there is this new opportunity to bring local-level CESSA work into a more official structure?
    - Comments
      - Sarah Wiemeyer asked what support and direction the chair would get in order to communicate between the subregional groups and other groups. She asked if we should reach out to Priority Dispatch to get involved.
        
        Lori Carnahan said the chair of the subregional committee will be a PSAP administrator. Co-chair would be selected through full committee. There would be a additional subregional committees over time.
      - Jim Moldenhauer shared that he had a lot of concerns, including getting everything implemented on the current timeline, having enough time for training, call times, confusion on the elevator rescue protocol change, and the large number of subcommittees. He also asked for clarification on whether callers could be transferred to 988 if they didn't give permission.
        
        Brenda confirmed that callers must give permission to be transferred to 988. She agreed with Jim's feedback on the elevator rescue protocol change.
      - Scripts will not be generally released to the community, because of proprietary concerns. PSAPS will see them, however.
- Considerations
  - Should we form a new committee or re-establish the Implementation Workgroup to be the first Subregional Committee?
    - Sarah Wiemeyer said those involved in the pre-test need to be included.
    - Corinne Swiatek wouldn't mind staying on and helping. She agrees with Jim's comments. She said we should wait to bring agencies connected with Priority Dispatch in when that pilot is getting ready.
    - Jim Moldenhauer thinks it needs to include every director of PSAPs from region 8 because this affects how they process their calls.
    - Corinne Swiatek agrees that PSAPs need to be involved to make sure different responses aren't occurring throughout the area. She also inquired how information will be explained about pre-test results. Will experts share context with groups that are just getting started?
      - Brenda Hampton said responses will depend on resources available in different counties. That is why the subregional committees are so important.
    - Members discussed challenges of getting changes implemented across the board with so many different organizations with varied resources.
  - Based on our discussion, Lori Carnahan asked the group to send her any names for individuals who should be involved in the subregional committee. This should include those involved in the pre-test and PSAPs. She will send those names to Brenda who will get surveys sent out to them.
    - Jim Moldenhauer will send contact info to Lori Carnahan for PSAP directors.
    - Sydney Talavera is from Pillars and is willing to join.
Summit Planning
- Considerations
  - Schedule Summit during our regular RAC meeting time in November and extend to 90 minutes and provide overview of CESSA and goals for next 6-9 months (still need to finalize location)
    - Sarah Wiemeyer said that if we are going to be establishing sub-committees with non-RAC members down the line, maybe a meeting in November to discuss all this would be helpful. But either is fine.
  - Push Summit to January to have Subregional Committee fully formed and data on pre-test and pilot
    - Brenda Hampton thought January would be fine.
    - Corinne Swiatek also thought January would be better.
  - Combination - schedule virtual Summit during our November meeting and have an in-person Summit/Town Hall in January
  - After discussion, we decided to move the Summit to January.
Next Steps for Committee
- Please reach out to Lori and Krista with names for Chair/Co-Chair.
- Send Lori and Krista any names for the subregional committee. It doesn't have to be a current member.
- If you have other concerns or feedback, please let Lori know and she can pass it on.
Next Meeting Date: Thursday, November 21
Public Comment
- NA
Adjournment
- Motion to Adjourn: Lori Carnahan
- Second Motion: Jason Arres
- The meeting was adjourned by Lori Carnahan at 2:29pm.