NAME: Executive Committee –MINUTES
DATE:October 1, 2014 / Time:
10:00 a.m. to Noon / Presiding:
Deborah Megaro / Recorded By:
Shauna Moses
PRESENT: Mike Armstrong, Anthony DiFabio, Deborah Hartel, Manny Guantez, Deborah Megaro, Cheryl Marks Young
Staff: Shauna Moses, June Noto, Julia Schneider, Debra Wentz
AGENDA ITEMS/ISSUE / DISCUSSION / ACTIONS TAKEN/OUTCOME / TIMEFRAME / WHO’S RESPONSIBLE
Approval of the Minutes from the August 6, 2014 Meeting / N/A / The minutes were approved. / N/A / N/A
Board Goals / Deborah highlighted the goals that the Board identified during the Retreat in July 2014
Deborah reported that the new Board Committees and Practice Groups held meetings that were well attended.
A co-chair is needed for the Adult Mental Health Practice Group. Deborah Hartel recommended Rosemarie Rosati, who was recently promoted to COO of Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care.
Deborah noted that she and Harry Postel, who chairs the Adult Mental Health Practice Group, have been discussing possibly creating subcommittees to address ongoing issues. / [The Board also identified actions related to each goal. The goals and actions are included at the end of this document.]
Deborah will send a reminder to Board members about the need for each of them to participate on one Board Committee and one Practice Group. She welcomes suggestions for increasing participation.
Deborah will call Rosemarie, asking her to fill this role.
No actions were specified. / Not specified
Following this meeting
Following this meeting
Not specified / Board and staff
Deborah Megaro
Deborah Megaro
Not yet determined
Closed Session / The Executive Board went into a closed session. / N/A / N/A / N/A
Upcoming Meetings: December 10, 2014; February 4, 2015; April 1, 2015; June 3, 2015 – all from 10:00 a.m. to noon at NJAMHAA.
Goals for FY 2015
Advocacy
Overall Goal: Secure more access to state legislators, members of the Administration and other influential and affected parties to achieve more impact on their decisions that affect the behavioral healthcare system. General advocacy theme: Keep providers whole until the impact of the new rates is known.
Objectives
Objective / Actions / Time FramesSecure more access to State Legislators and achieve more impact on their decisions that affect the behavioral healthcare system. / 1. Have NJAMHAA hold a large-scale legislative day for members at the State House or nearby in Trenton.
2. Member kickoff/ training to prepare for step 3.
3. Have as many member agencies as willing host legislator events independently or with others in their counties/regions and establish relation-ships with their local legislators so they know them on a personal level and serve as contacts for those legislators. / 1. November or December 2014
2. January 2015
3. Between February and May 2015 with reports shared with NJAMHAA to be highlighted in NJAMHAA Newswire and/or NJAMHAA News
Increase capacity throughout the behavioral healthcare system. / Incorporate into advocacy to State Legislators, State Administration and Policymakers and the New Jersey U.S. Congressional Delegation. / Ongoing
Advocate for issues addressed in NJAMHAA’s policy position papers: Physical and Behavioral Healthcare Integration; Diversion and Reentry from Corrections; Housing; Licensure Exemption; Regulatory Efficiencies / Communicate to the leadership staff in the Department of Human Services (DHS), Department of Children and Families (DCF), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Corrections (DOC) and Department of Community Affairs (DCA). / Continue to hold quarterly meetings with DCF and DHS and seek to hold annual or bi-annual meetings with, DOH, DOC and DCA, as advocacy needs dictate. Also conduct prompt follow-up communications to the departments and provide minutes to NJAMHAA Board members.
Continued on the next page
Advocacy Objectives (continued)
Objective / Actions / Time FramesAdvocate to State Legislators, State Administration and Policymakers and the New Jersey U.S. Congressional Delegation, as well as other influential and affected parties (e.g., Health Maintenance Organizations [HMOs] and other Integrated Healthcare Council members, Pharmaceutical Advisory Council [PAC] members) on providers’ expertise in providing appropriate treatment and case management services and their value to taxpayers and the community by achieving better outcomes and saving money. / 1. Add to the agenda of each meeting with state and federal legislators and policymakers.
2. Hold a legislative event, as noted above.
3. Continue to illustrate providers’ expertise and effectiveness in NJAMHAA News and highlight these examples in the cover messages that go with the links to this publication.
4. Add agenda item and/or handout of highlights for HMO Council and Pharma-ceutical Advisory Council (PAC) meetings.
5. Increase frequency of writing letters to editors, op-ed pieces and/or press releases. Press releases are posted on the NJAMHAA website and Facebook page and sent to other social media outlets. / 1. Ongoing, as meetings are scheduled
2. November or December 2014
3. Bimonthly (publication is planned for Aug./ Sept. 2014, Oct./ Nov.2014, Jan. 2015, March 2015 and May 2015)
4. Quarterly (The next HMO Council meeting will be October 14, 2014; the next PAC meeting will be October 6, 2014.)
5. Monthly or more often as appropriate for issues.
Advocate to DHS for concerns relating to the Administrative Services Organization and Community Support Services. / Communicate issues (see notes attached) and follow up on these issues being addressed. / Quarterly meetings to be scheduled for September and December 2014 and March and June 2015.
Follow-up letters will be sent to the DHS staff and minutes will be sent to NJAMHAA Board members soon after each meeting.
Continued on the next page
Financial Status
Overall Goal: Reinforce member organizations’ financial viability by securing fair reimbursement rates, and enabling members to increase their revenue and market share.
Objective / Actions / Time FramesAdvocate for adequate reimbursement rates. / 1. Continue advocacy to state departments.
2. Continue advocacy to budget leaders and all in the State Legislature.
3. Continue advocacy to members of the Administration.
4. Continue to write press releases, letters to editors and op-ed pieces. / 1. Incorporate into quarterly meeting agendas and follow-up communications described above; testify at Department budget hearings.
2. Continue meeting and corresponding with State Legislators; testify at Senate and Assembly budget hearings.
3. Continue meeting and corresponding with the Governor’s staff and other key decision makers in the Administration.
4. Monthly or more often as warranted by the issue.
Advocate for contract reform. / 1. Continue to advocate for recommendations of the Red Tape group (convened by the Center for Non-Profits).
2. Add to advocacy and meeting agendas with DHS and DCF Commissioners. / 1. Ongoing
2. Ongoing
Advocate for use of only new funds (not service dollars) for the ASO. / 1. Add to advocacy and meeting agendas with legislators and policymakers. / 1. Ongoing
Find ways to keep specialized agencies alive through alliances. / 1. Continue to educate members about models of alliances to help their agencies survive.
2. Continue to offer training and feature members’ alliances in Newswire and NJAMHAA News. / 1. Ongoing
2. Ongoing
Continued on the next page
Effective Governance
Overall Goal: Strengthen NJAMHAA internally by enhancing the Board’s governance and functioning, recruiting more members and having more members become actively involved.
Objective / Actions / Time FramesEnhance the Board’s governance.
Improve the Board’s functioning.
Get more members involved in NJAMHAA’s Partners in Advocacy (PIA) program. / 1. Increase promotion of the PIA in Newswire, NJAMHAA News, other e-mails and flyers distributed at Practice Group and open Board meetings and conferences.
2. Offer more trainings.
3. Promote members’ advocacy efforts and successes in Newswire. / 1. Twice a month – to include invitations to share reports of advocacy efforts and successes, as well as photos.
2. Quarterly
3. As information is received.
Get more members involved and consistently participating in the open Board meetings and Practice Groups. / 1. Increase promotion of open Board meetings and Practice Groups in Newswire, NJAMHAA News, other e-mails and flyers distributed at Practice Group and open Board meetings and conferences.
2. Get feedback on the new structure and promote the positive feedback and/or suggestions for improvement to be implemented. / 1. Once a week in Newswire with the upcoming meeting dates; every issue of NJAMHAA News; every conference (ad in program book or a separate flyer in the packets). Also, demonstrate how members’ input was incorporated into advocacy and the impact it had.
2. Focus group as part of each Practice Group agenda and/or an online survey in May 2015; share feedback in June and implement changes in FY 2016.
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