3/19/2009

Minutes* for MLHC Mental Health Action Team

March 19, 2009

Members who were present:  Leslie Davis, Gabriela Dieguez, Carmen Pine, Andrea Garr, Nancy Rodriguez, Stephanie Calloway, Ruth Ann Belknap, Meaghan Schroeder, Luke Waldo, Katherine Valentyn, Terrie Garcia (via conference call)

  • Nancy Rodriguez and 2 colleagues were present at today’s meeting to introduce the new Program at United Community Center “Nuevo Amanecer” which has just opened and is designed to be a (bilingual) Depression Clinic for seniors, providing screening and case management. They welcome referrals. No insurance needed.
  • Other members gave pertinent announcements.
  • Members of this team are encouraged to use our e-mail list to send announcements to each other re: community events, opportunities, etc. which relate to community mental health matters.  Also, announcements can be sent to Katherine or Terrie before the meeting, so that the details can be printed as part of the agenda.
  • Mental Health Association of America, Wisconsin could be a good potential connection to our work and they should be informed about the MLHC. Their community outreach coordinator will be invited to the next Team meeting. Their website looks impressive and they have a link to Spanish-language mental health resources (names of 4 private practitioners) which we may be able to expand/link. Leslie is following up.
  • Members are eager to get information collected from agency interviews. Members are asked to type and send to Katherine Valentyn (katherine.valentyn@gmail.com), who will begin to distribute as they are available.
  • Members agree that the process for interviewing agencies still needs refining, particularly as it relates to staff training/licensure status and how many have ability to speak Spanish.
  • Gabriela reported on Casa Romero, their continually updated website and their various spiritual groups including with mothers, and on Marquette Univ. Counseling Center having no Spanish speaking services.
  • Carmen from UCC has graciously agreed to step up and interview “Community Care for the Elderly.”  Other members volunteered to interview other agencies (see attached document for listing of agencies and who is responsible for the interview).
  • Reminder that if an agency has no accommodation for Spanish speakers, we do not need to pursue interviews.
  • Again today, we revisited the question of an appropriate name for our action team. We reached an agreement that in spite of our “holistic” and “positive” or “non-medical model” perspective, we should be straightforward about our emphasis on mental health. We agreed that it should sound appropriate in both languages and wondered if we couldn’t at least substitute “Emotional Health” for the term “Mental Health” for Spanish language.  Officially, for now, we decided to adopt the name:  Mental Health Action Team.

*missing information but submitted respectfully and humbly,  Leslie Davis

Next meeting:

Thursday, April 23, 2009

9:00-10:30 a.m.

Center for Urban Population Health