The Illinois Community and Residential Services Authority met April 14 to appoint a nominating committee.
Here are the meeting's minutes, as provided by the authority:
Call to order
Vice chairperson Harkins called the meeting to order at 9:32 a.m. Authority members, CRSA staff and guests introduced themselves.
Approval of the February 11, 2016 Authority minutes
The Authority reviewed the minutes of the February 11, 2016 authority meeting.
Motion: Gary Seelbach moved and Tony Hoy seconded that the minutes of the February 11, 2015 authority meeting be approved as submitted. The motion carried unanimously.
Staff report
Director Schornagel referenced the following informational handouts:
Staff activity reports for February and March 2016. Director Schornagel informed the Authority that there is only one case at the staff review level currently and that staff continue to monitor the progress of nine children and their families, whose service planning was influenced through the CRSA technical assistance process within the last two years,. Six of these kids are in residential treatment settings, several of whom will probably be stepping down from RTC to their home communities during the next nine months.
Executive order 3 (2016): Governor's cabinet for children and youth: was issued on February 18th. The cabinet is scheduled to meet quarterly. Membership includes all of the CRSA child serving agencies. The cabinet has a strong education center, focus and membership.
Excerpts from the April 5th, State superintendent's weekly message, provided by Michele Carmichael, pertaining to: Online Autism focused resources and ISBE updates regarding PUNS services.
HFS briefing request for CRSA: Director Schornagel informed the authority that he has requested a briefing/ training from HFS to keep pace with HFS-related changes in the system: Administration of the ICG program (which passed to HFS in mid-March); a Medicaid managed-care transition update; and related operational changes to CARES/ SASS services. Director Schornagel invited board members who have an interest to participate in the briefing or have additional questions or areas of interest, to contact him or Mindy so that they may coordinate member involvement in the training. Director Schornagel reminded authority members that staff recently distributed calendar year 2016 ethics training materials to all CRSA board members and alternates by email, specific to appointees and employees of State of Illinois boards. He urged members to take a few moments to complete the training, fill in the acknowledgement of participation form and send, fax or mail it to the CRSA office. He also notified the authority that CRSA staff completed the training in the first week of the first training cycle.
Agency reports
None
Old business
A. CRSA budget updates
Director Schornagel provided CRSA budget updates to the authority. He reminded the authority that the approved FY 15 spending plan was reduced by legislative action from $592,300.00 to $579,000.00 and this reduced appropriation level was sufficient to cover CRSA operational expenditures for FY 15. He added that the CRSA board approved an FY 16 spending plan of $620,000.00 which was subsequently reduced in the Governor's proposed budget to $592,300.00 but has, to date, not been agreed upon by the legislature and the Governor's office and is still pending. He also indicated that the Governor's office has reduced the CRSA requested FY 17 spending plan from the requested $592,300.00 to $579,000.00. Director Schornagel advised the authority that CRSA projected operational expenses for FY 16 and FY 17 could be met at the levels proposed by the Governors' office for those respective fiscal years.
Other
None
New business
A. Appointment of a nominating committee
Vice Chairperson Harkins informed the authority that the executive committee was consulted on the appointment of CRSA nominating committee which is required to convene to recommend a slate of officers for the Authority for FY 17 at the June 2016 Authority meeting. He announced that Chairperson Staton will serve as chairperson of the nominating committee, serving along with Kathy Briseno, Maureen Haugh-Stover and Toni Hoy, all of whom volunteered to participate on the committee.
CRSA FY 17 Meeting schedule
The Authority reviewed the proposed FY17 CRSA meeting schedule for regularly scheduled CRSA meetings as well as for tentatively scheduled (off month) meetings.
Motion: David Elder moved and Robert Bloom seconded that the Authority adopt the proposed FY17 CRSA meeting schedule. The motion carried unanimously.
Other
None
Executive committee report
Vice-Chairperson Harkins reported to the authority on topics discussed at the April executive committee meeting that had not been addressed in earlier agenda items. Among those topics are the ongoing systemic impacts of the statewide budget impasse including CRSA's inability to reimburse staff or member travel expenses, inability to make office equipment repairs and inability to replenish basic office supplies. He noted that the Executive committee also discussed various pieces of proposed legislation which could potentially impact CRSA populations, noting that comparatively few bills are actually being passed thus far in the 2016 legislative cycle.
Open dialogue
Linda Prewitt informed the Authority that CRSA, in conjunction with the department of Human services and the Illinois service resource center are organizing statewide deaf and hard of hearing advocates and providers at 5 video-conference locations on May 18, 2016 to undertake a statewide gaps analysis for individuals with hearing impairment and other behavioral health disabilities and related issues. It is anticipated that a deaf/ hard of hearing behavioral health task force will emerge from the gaps analysis. Linda Prewitt introduced Jessena Williams, the statewide deaf and hard of hearing coordinator with DHS and Denise Bartelheim, DHS regional manager in DHS regions 3 and 4, who have been actively involved in the planning efforts. She also acknowledged the seminal involvement of CRSA members Gary Seelbach and Merlin Lehman, as well as, Dr. Patricia Scherer, the Illinois service resource center and Amy Richards with ISBE.
Director Schornagel commented that CRSA's initial executive director, Gary Seelbach participated in and facilitated similar discussions in the late 1990s as part of the Illinois hearing impairment/ behavior disorder (HI/BD) board for children and adolescents. He added that the recommendations made by the HI/BD board stimulated legislation that improved planning and services to-vulnerable disability populations. He reminded the authority that in recent years, children with hearing impairment in combination with other disabilities have been surfacing with increasing frequency in the CRSA's Technical assistance and dispute resolution process, and that all of them have required coordinated, multiple-agency planning and service delivery, most often to address transition planning needs as they move from the C&A to the adult services realm. Through these collective experiences, the CRSA has become better informed regarding specific service gaps in the system of care for this population. Gary Seelbach praised the agencies and individuals involved in the current statewide gaps analysis for their time, effort and ongoing commitment on behalf of this vulnerable population.
Public participation
DCFS Associate depute director for residential services, Theresa Matthews informed the authority that DCFS, in conjunction with Chapin Hall, Northwestern University and the University of Illinois-Chicago, are in the process of redesigning residential monitoring policies and procedures. She invited CRSA staff and board members to participate in a stakeholder focus group being conducted by video-conferencing on Friday, May 6, 2016.
Comments and announcements
None
Adjournment
Motion: David Elder moved and Gary Seelbach seconded that the authority meeting be adjourned at 10:53 a.m. The motion carried unanimously
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