August 22, 2001 Work Group Meeting Minutes
The William S. Cohen Community Center, Hallowell, Maine

Present: Cary Gifford, Dixie Leavitt, Chandra Murphy, Alice Conway, Tonya Labbe, Stuart Bratesman (Muskie staff), Helen Bailey, Ron Welch, Stephanie Crystal, Chris Zukas-Lessard, Christine Bartlett, Lora Perry, Eileen Griffin (Muskie staff), Linda Jariz

Not present: Deb Parker Wolfenden, Tom Bancroft, Drew Bolduc, Margaret Forbes, Jonathan Connick, John Baillargeon, Peter Driscoll, Nat Hussey, Kathryn Kazenski, John Shattuck, Tracy Piantoni, Jane Gallivan

Stephanie Crystal chaired the meeting.

1. Check-in and Roll Call
Members present introduced themselves and explained why they are members of the Work Group.

2. Vision Statement
The Work Group read its vision statement:  “Together in community with equality in rights and dignity, in pursuit of happiness and fulfillment.”

3. Meeting Minutes
The July 25 meeting minutes were approved without revisions.

4.  Report from Workforce Development Subgroup
Lora Perry reported on behalf of the Workforce Development Sub-Group (Lora Perry, Cynthia Sudheimer, Cary Gifford).  The Work Group will consider approval of the Sub-Group’s report at the September meeting.  Work Group members were asked to submit comments on the draft report within two weeks (September 12).

Lora began her report by thanking fellow sub-group members and Stuart Bratesman as staff to the sub-group. 

The sub-group recommends an overhaul of the direct care profession to build respect in the same way teaching and nursing is respected.  Specific recommendations include a public relations campaign, increased wages (on par with a $6/hour increase recommended in Missouri), better recruitment and training, and better trained supervisors.  In addition, the sub-group advocates that strategies be developed to solicit grants and other private funding.  Lora emphasized the need for more supervision and training as care workers make the transition to practicing what they have learned in a classroom. 

The Work Group discussed the report.  Some of the input included:

• The report should recognize the role of consumer directed care and how it will influence workforce.  In addition, the principles of consumer direction should be incorporated into training for direct care workers so that agency-hired workers are more receptive to consumer preferences and needs.  The point was also made that consumer direction and agency-based care should be a choice and that the report should not advocate for only one approach.
• The report should reference a study related to workforce issues for mental health providers.  Ron Welch will forward a copy to Lora Perry.
• The report should reference three pieces of legislation carried over to next year that relate to workforce development issues.  Ron Welch will forward information to Lora Perry.
• The report should reference an initiative undertaken through the University of New England that is attempting to import an approach from Europe and Scandinavia.  UNE is developing a degree program modeled after this approach, with the hope that this new degree program will help to elevate respect for direct care services.

The Work Group discussed the role of pay and benefits and agreed the issues were more complex than just raising pay.   The economy and cultural issues were cited as two other factors that influenced the availability of providers.

5.  Timeline and Public Comment Period
The Work Group considered a change to its planning process.  Last fall the Work Group agreed to split the planning process into two, allowing the Work Group to identify some priorities to be addressed in the first phase, and then address other priorities in a second phase.  The Work Group has talked about housing, transportation and employment as the priorities that need to be addressed in the second phase of planning.  Since last fall several factors have come together to make changing that plan more logical.  First, it has been agreed that any budget request will not go in until next year (and should be no later than June, since that is when departments need to prepare their budgets).  Second, if HCFA funds the Real Choices grant application, the workload for the Work Group will intensify.  Finally, as a result of the Real Choices application, and the drafts of the housing, transportation and employment sections of the plan, it will be possible to produce a plan that is fairly comprehensive. 

Based on these factors, the Work Group agreed to the proposed revision to its timeline as follows:

• Fall.  The Work Group finalizes and publishes a draft plan covering a broad range of issues including housing, transportation and employment.  The Work Group asks for public comment on the draft plan.  The draft plan will include general recommendations, but will not include a lot of detail on implementation or costs.
• Winter.  The Work Group responds to the public comment by putting new good ideas into the plan.  It also finalizes its plan.  At this point, the Work Group can get more detailed about its recommendations and timelines for implementation.
• Spring.  The Work Group develops a budget and timeline for implementing its recommendations for improvement.  At this time the planning process would be complete.  
• Summer & Fall.  Work Group members build public support for the plan.  (Next year will be an election year, with an opportunity to make the plan known to the candidates running for governor.)  Meetings would shift to quarterly rather than monthly, allowing Work Group members to focus on Real Choices sub-group activities.     

The Work Group agreed that a sub-group should be convened to develop a public communications strategy for the public comment period.  The sub-group formed for the legislative briefing will be the core group.  A sign-up sheet was circulated for anyone else that wanted to participate.  Chandra Murphy, Alice Conway, Tonya Labbe, Ron Welch and Stephanie Crystal signed up to participate.

The Work Group also discussed its timeline for completing the plan.  The Work Group set the following goals:

• Begin developing communications strategy in September.  Public comment period will take place in December.
• Coordination and Services Sub-Group will report in October
• The Work Group will finalize all parts of the plan in November.

The Work Group also discussed the difference between presenting the plan as a draft and presenting it as a work in progress.  Members agreed that they felt more comfortable presenting the plan as a work in progress, needing public input to complete.  Based on the experience of the Department of Education, it is believed that this approach will also produce a better response.

6. New Members
Stephanie Crystal mentioned that she had been approached by a mental health advocate who would like to participate in Work Group activities.  Work Group members agreed that no new members would be added at this point in time, unless the new member were needed to represent a population not already represented on the Work Group.

7. Announcements
Chandra announced that she has moved into her own apartment.  She also announced that Speaking Up for Us (SUFU) is holding its annual conference in October at Sunday River.  SUFU has offered the Work Group a table at this conference.  The Work Group agreed that this was a good opportunity to begin its public outreach efforts.  It was agreed that a sign-up sheet would be circulated at the next meeting to allow members to sign-up for representing the Work Group at the table.  Chandra and Alice will also be doing a presentation at the conference on the Olmstead decision.

Alice announced the Governor’s Annual Conference on Housing to be held at the Samoset, September 10.  To get more information call Jody Rawlings at the Maine State Housing Authority (626-4682).  The deadline for registering is August 28.

Stephanie announced that she is organizing a transportation summit to consider ways of bringing fixed bus route transportation to her area (Rumford, Mexico).

8. Subgroup Activity
The Workforce Development Sub-Group has completed its work, except to incorporate the input of Work Group members.  The Service Sub-Group agreed to meet between meetings. 

The Coordination Sub-Group discussed case management issues and the concept of "one-stop" information, referral and intake centers.  The sub-group discussed four general categories of case management:  broad intake; targeted; intensive, and the need to provide some persons with case management services for physical disabilities.

9. Drafting Meeting
A sign-up sheet was passed around for members to sign up for the drafting meeting scheduled for August 29, 1:00 to 3:00.

10. Next Meeting
Agenda items for the September 26 meeting include:  a report from the Office of Substance Abuse Services, acceptance of Workforce Development sub-group draft, and sub-group activities.  The September meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, September 26 from 1:00-to-4:00pm at the Cohen Center.  Helen Bailey is the chair of this meeting.