CESSA - Region 8 Committee Meeting Approved Minutes 04/17/2025

CESSA - Region 8 Committee Meeting Approved Minutes 04/17/2025

Time - 1:30-2:30pm

Zoom Meeting

  • Welcome/Roll Call
    • Lori Carnahan opens the meeting at 1:32pm.
    • Lori Carnahan read the instructions regarding the Illinois Open Meetings Act.
    • The group was informed that the meeting was being recorded.
    • Attending: Lori Carnahan, Dr. Steve Graham, Shannon Hartnett, Eric Metcalf, Austin Gibbs, Daniel Manning, Mark J. Puknaitis, Scott A. Spinazola, Jason Arres, Jean DeCaro, Sibil Kuruvilla, Sarah Wiemeyer, Corinne Swiatek, Jim Moldenhauer. We have a quorum.
    • Absent: Candace Gunby, Matthew Buckley, Todd Rountree, Sydney Talavera, Jillianne Chuffo
  • Approval of the Minutes (Action Item)
    • We have minutes to approve from January.
    • Motion to Approve: Jim Moldenhauer
    • Second Motion: Jason Arres
    • No changes noted.
    • All were in favor of approving the minutes with no objections.
    • Minutes were approved.
  • State Updates
    • The new DMH Crisis Community Programs Administrator is Allie Lichterman.
    • Jessica Atassi shared an overview of federal funding updates from the past couple months. On March 24th, IDHS received an email from SAMHSA announcing that certain grant funding had been terminated effective immediately, including funding for COVID initiatives and some for 590/MCR teams. The state is not certain of the full effect and is working to mitigate these effects. Illinois has joined other states in litigation and the court issued a temporary restraining order, which allowed funds to continue. 590/MCR teams involved in CESSA have a braided funding approach, so the affected funds were not a part of its long-term funding solution.
    • SB2500, which extends the CESSA deadline for two years, passed the House unanimously and is now in the Senate. We will share more details later.
  • Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of SB2500
  • Pilot Updates
    • Total Response (formerly PowerPhone) Pilot Updates
  • All 9 pilot sites officially launched as of late February, continuing to meet weekly with the UIC Behavioral Health Crisis Hub and the Statewide 911 Administrator.
  • Pilot activities:
  • Troubleshoot and problem solve implementation issues
  • Working with Total Response Implementation Team and the UIC Behavioral Health Crisis Hub Data Manager to refine data collection processes and trouble-shoot reporting issues
  • Reviewing case studies and hypothetical scenarios to enhance TC training opportunities
    • Feedback from Region 8 Total Response Pilot Sites
  • Jim Moldenhauer shared that the pilot launched at the end of February. So far they have had 2 transfers to 988, one for resources for an adult son and another person who was in crisis. Most calls are still having police or EMS respond. There have been no major issues so far. Jim would like to see continued education for everyone and more feedback from 988.
  • Delores Temes shared that the Addison Consolidated Dispatch Center is at the 9-month mark of the pilot. They transfer about 5 calls per week to 988 and have been using some of the PowerPhone and Total Response scripts. Dispatchers have adapted well and receive coaching when needed.
  • New 988 transfer disposition codes were created. Supervisors are getting weekly reports and have added verbiage to their call scripts. They reviewed new protocols for suicidal ideation, which they have found really helpful. They have also created their own training for dispatchers on how calls can be transferred.
  • Only a couple problems have popped up so far. These include phones not being programmed correctly and staff not using preprogrammed buttons for transfers. Those staff were retrained.
  • Lori asked how many calls go to mobile dispatch currently. Delores was unsure but agreed that it would be helpful data to have.
    • Priority Dispatch Updates
  • Pre-Test began with four sites March 3; Completed March 31st
  • Weekly meetings
  • Finalized and tested updates to IT systems
  • Tested creation of reports and reporting
  • The Pilot launched April 1st
  • 3 sites ready to go on 4/1
  • 7 sites will launch in the next few weeks
  • 1 site has an undetermined launch date
    • Priority Dispatch Pre-Test and Pilot Preparation
  • Pre-Test and Pilot Preparation Activities:
  • Pre-test reporting on the number of possible Level 1 mental health calls eligible for transfer to 988
  • PSAP-led demos on technical integration of 988 transfers and reports set-up
  • Conversations with EMS Medical Directors and other parts of the dispatching system
  • Development of internal policies/procedures within the PSAPs
  • CESSA training completion for the telecommunicators
  • Meetings with MCRT teams assigned to Priority Dispatch PSAPs
  • Update to 988 Centerstone re: Pilot Start Date
    • Flow Charts
  • 911 to 988 Transfer for Priority Dispatch
  • 911 to 988 Warm Transfer for Priority Dispatch
  • 988 Receipt/911 Warm Transfer
    • Final Priority Dispatch Pretest & Pilot Sites
  • West Suburban Dispatch had to pull out of the pilot. Region 8 will not have a pilot site. We will have to rely on other pilot sites for their data.
    • APCO Update
  • Completed review of protocols and recommended changes to protocols
  • Discussed reporting needs with the vendor
  • Confirming sites-will likely be four for both the pre-test and pilot
  • Subregional Committee Updates
    • Total Response
  • Jim Moldenhauer shared that the group met last month for the first time. It was an introductory meeting, including a discussion of concerns from law enforcement, such as how to reroute calls back to 911 from 988 if necessary. They will meet again in May.
  • Jim asked if there's been any MCRT response since the pilot began. Sibil shared that Pillars had mentioned in a recent meeting that they hadn't gone out yet.
    • Priority Dispatch
  • As West Suburban Dispatch will not be participating in the pilot, Corinne Swiatek will be reaching out to other regions for data. The committee had their first introductory meeting was introductory and shared information.
  • She shared feedback from Cook County, whose co-responder model includes iPads. When first responders showed up with iPads, they noticed folks became agitated.
  • Jessica shared that the pilots should wrap up in July.
  • Sarah Wiemeyer noticed that some representatives might be on the incorrect sub-regional committee. She will follow up.
  • Frequency of meetings and schedule for the rest of the year (Action Item)
    • Proposed meeting schedule
  • No meeting in May. Meet in June (end of fiscal year) and plan for ongoing schedule for FY25.
    • Discussion
  • Committee was in favor of waiting until June, which will give subregional committees time to meet.
    • Motion to Approve: Jason Arres
    • Second Motion: Jim Moldenhauer
    • Motion approved.
  • Next Meeting Date:
    • June TBD
  • Public Comment
    • NA
  • Adjournment (Action Item)
    • Motion to Adjourn: Jason Arres
    • Second Motion: Corinne Swiatek
    • The meeting was adjourned by Lori Carnahan at 2:13pm.