MD State Drug and Alcohol Abuse Council meeting minutes

Wednesday 4/20/11

3:00pm – 5:00pm

Attendees: Kevin Amado, Lori Brewster, Tom Cargiulo, Kate Dailey, Ann Geddes, Carlos Hardy, Rebecca Hogamier, Kim Kennedy, Thomas Liberatore, Patrick McGee, Glen Plutschak, Kirill Reznik, Gale Saler, Larry Simpson, Pete Singleton, Donald Whitehead, Jr.

Welcome Remarks and Introductions-Deputy Secretary for Behavioral Health, Renata Henry:

  • Renata Henry introduced the new appointees to the State DAAC, Mr. Donald Whitehead and Dr. Ann Geddes.
  • Secretary Sharfstein is still continuing in the role of the Council Chair. Ms. Henry reemphasizes his commitment and focus on public health (inclusive of behavioral health), which is relational.
  • Dr. Sharfstein wants to focus on what we measure as a department (state stats).
  • Laura Burns-Heffner needs names of people who do not want to participate in the council board any longer. Reappointments will take place in July; members must make Ms. Burns-Heffner aware of their position by the end of April.

Approval of minutes-Renata Henry:

  • Renata Henry distributed the minutes from a recent State DAAC meeting and they were approved by the board members.

Behavioral Health and Disabilities Updates-Renata Henry:

  • A healthcare highlights hand out of the new legislations passed was distributed and reviewed.
  • A request was givenfor participants to sign up for the board and/or advisory group for the MD health benefit exchange act of 2011.
  • A need was expressed for a representative from behavioral health to join the state DAAC board.
  • The prescription drug monitoring program is in need of an advisory board.
  • The board is looking for family planning and Medicaid programs’ expansions, and in order to do this, behavioral health must be combined?.
  • 50 million of budget funding will come into mental health services in year 1 (2012).
  • New mental health grouplegislation was passed: medical usage of marijuana can be used as an affirmative defense for a maximum possession of an ounce or less if caught with a defendant.
  • A new legislation passed: certified and/or licensed counselors can now be recertified online; the board is now working on refining the certification requirements.
  • State health improvement planning process: the state public health departmenthas developed a MD state health improvement plan and this can be viewed on the DHMH state website (feedback can be submitted on the site). The press release can be provided by Ms. Burns-Heffner (there are 4 vision areas for this plan). The plan is for the process to be implemented at a local vs. state level.
  • Behavioral health and Medicaid are joining in on a plan to develop health homes due to health care reform. The population to be included in health homes will be centered on patients with long term chronic mental health issues and patients with long term chronic opiate usage.
  • The immigration summit will take place in May.
  • SAMSHA will be sponsoring a smoking cessation summit in May.
  • The Maryland Addiction Directors Committee (MADC) conference and the Mental Health Administration conference will take place in May as well.

ADAA update:

  • Tom Cargiulo gave updates and also explained the initiative of Recovery Net.
  • Recovery Nethelps improve recovery for individuals in residential treatment (a new type of funding provided); it is a change from an acute care model to a chronic disease model (a new complete system change).
  • Juris data and state stat go hand in hand. State stat data was distributedto all council members;the updated data accurately reflects state and jurisdictional levels. This data will also be reviewed by the Local DAAC.
  • Indicators from the state stat data hand out were reviewed and explained (only data entered into the smart system can be assessed).
  • As health care reforms goes into effect, the organization has to get prepared for the influx of new patients and more health care programs will have to be created.
  • Outpatient treatment opposed to residential treatment will probably be in effect in 2014. A strict rehab model will be in place for residential treatment in order for it to take place.
  • College drinking – the organization is starting to look at a statewide perspective in order to use an initiative to prevent binge drinking. The National College Health Improvement Process is a new program in effect (Frostburg State University is the only participant at this time). Interventions can now take place before students enter college; this new initiative was put into effect due to the gathered data concluding that the majority of students with drinking problems have the drinking problems before they enroll in college.
  • Prescription monitoring program-physicians will have the ability to extract a patient’s data and see what they are being prescribed.

Subcommittee updates:

  • Collaboration/Coordination Workgroup – they are looking for new members.
  • A total of 8 agencies responded for the survey of state resources and 2 have sent in their survey information to date. .
  • The strategic planning process is being put in place Updates on accomplishments have been received by all subcommittees. . Feedback from all of the subcommittees on current goals and objectives in the plan needs to be forwarded to Laura by mid-May, and a draft of the new plan should be available by June 15th meeting.
  • Workforce development group-committees meet monthly via conference call. The quarterly summary of accomplishments was presented
  • Prevention (SPF Workgroup) and Criminal (Juvenile Justice Workgroup) also provided their quarterly summary of accomplishments.. All workgroup reports will be sent out with these minutes and posted on the SDAAC website .

Future Meetings: June 15, 2011 at ADAA, and September 21, 2011 TBD held between 3:00 pm-5:00pm.