CAPE MAY COUNTY
MHADA BOARD MINUTES
MARCH 29, 2010
5:00 pm

In Attendance:

Dr. George Ackley           Greg Speed
Tom Maletto                    Dave Helfand
Rhoda Piccirilli                Pat Devaney
Donna Groome                Sharon Modzelewski

1. Call To Order
The meeting was called to order by Donna Groome in the excused absence of the Chairperson.

2. Approval of Minutes
A motion was made by T. Maletto, seconded by R. Piccirilli, to approve the last meeting minutes of the MHADA Board.  Motion carried.

3. Reports and Correspondence

a. DMHS: Dave Helfand reported on the following:
Governor will release a booklet tomorrow that will provide detail to his budget message, especially the budget reductions. In DMHS there have been some “direct” elimination program cuts, but none in Cape May County. In Atlantic County, 2 programs have been impacted.  In general, Partial Care has been impacted by expanding the counselor/client ratio from 12- 1 to 15-1 so 1 FTE in the program will be reduced and the rate will be decreased from $77 per day per person to about $74. Greg Speed did offer that the Medicaid regulations state that the ratio is 1 -10 for didactic psycho education which is the preferred method for adult learning so the rate reduction may be challenged in the future. Dave also reported that in ICMS the regulations now state that the client has to be followed for 18 months; the new proposal will be for 12 months which will result in a reduction of about $30,000 to each ICMS provider.  Also in General Assistance, the cash stipend will be eliminated. This could impact MH clients who have pursued GA for the cash and the medical benefits. Although the medical benefits remain, the fear is some will not be motivated to pursue GA designation if they do not receive the cash allowance.  In the end, this could impact ICMS programs that depend on Medicaid reimbursement to meet their budget targets.  Dave also reported that the $6,000 that was provided to the counties for Board support is eliminated in the budget. The good news is that Olmstead is funded at the requested amount of 9.2 million annually which results in 324 residential placements.  Hagedorn Hospital will be closing and 278 people will be moved. 100 of them are non CEPP (Conditional Extension Pending Placement). This has caused concern in the community, especially in the northern part of the state.  Dave also reported that the Governor’s budget does reflect a merger between DMHS and DAS which will develop during the year and be implemented next year. Finally Dave reported on the law that requires no more than a 24 hour hold in the ER.  This has been put on a limited time frame of 18 months due to the difficulty of implementation.  OP Commitment continues to be discussed for phase in.

b. DAS:  In the absence of an A/D Coordinator, Pat Devaney stated that:
1. There are no substantial state reductions to the county allocation from DAS.
2. The county plan update format is in process and will have to be submitted between May and July of 2010.
3. The state is implementing a financial eligibility target for all DAS funded slots. They have found that without these criteria, people making $80,000 have been given DAS slots (not in Cape May County). The County has expressed concern for OP/IOP adolescent services which, to date; have not been based on income. The county has always wanted there to be as few barriers as possible to teens receiving services, but the state is going ahead with the inclusion of family income with youth eligibility. CCS will track the impact of this policy in the hopes of turning it around at a later date.

c. GCADA:  Sharon Modzelewski reported that the Letter of Agreement was received March 9^th.  Part of the Agreement packet was “Important Message” from Mary Lou Powner asking for increased consistency and improvement in the oversight and accountability of the Alliances, such as obtaining fiscal and programmatic information on a regular basis and conducting field visits.  Counties that submit quarterly reports without Municipal Alliance activity will not be reimbursed for coordination until such time that adequate reports are received. CMC responded with concerns regarding the 1^st quarter report timeliness and our requirements for valid documentation. GCADA has added three new quarterly forms (two from CMC) and a site visit form.  GCADA contracted with a private firm to audit County Alliance fiscal information.  Seven counties will be audited each year over a three year period.  Cape May County’s audit is scheduled for April 8^th and 9^th.  GCADA is replacing the annual Summit will a series of regional public forums for the direct participation of the Municipal Alliances to strategize and lay the groundwork for strengthening the Alliances. GCADA is anticipating that the southern region’s forum will be scheduled prior to the summer in Gloucester County.

4. Old Business

a. Pat Devaney reported on membership and the difficulty recruiting, especially since the office is short staffed. Several members are up for reappointment so Pat will report to the Board at the next meeting.

b. Greg Speed reported that CCS is participating in the discharge efforts under Olmstead and has recently taken 4 discharges: 2 will go into Goshen and 2 will go into the apartment program.

5. New Business

a. CASS Minutes: the minutes of the CASS meeting held on March 8, 2010 were distributed.

b. PACADA Minutes: the minutes of the PACADA, held on 2/4/2010 were distributed.

c. Recognition Awards: At the next meeting, a decision must be made as to who the awardees could be for 2010.

d. Budget Impact: see above

e. IDRC:  Pat reported that the 2009 IDRC closed out with a surplus for the first time in many years. CCS has placed the excess funds ($35, 624) in an account in case there is a deficit in the years to come.

6. Public Response
There was no public response.

7. Adjournment
The meeting was declared adjourned by Donna Groome at 6:10 PM.