02/25/2010

February 25, 2010

Mental Health Action Team

Meeting Minutes

Time of Meeting: 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

Location of Meeting: Center for Urban Population Health

Present: Gabriela Diéguez, SSCHC;  Katherine Valentyn, Council for the Spanish Speaking;  Stephanie Calloway, Proyecto Salud;  Peter Hoeffel, NAMI-Greater Milwaukee;  Abraham Calleros, UMOS;  Trishla Shah, Disability Rights WI;  Tina Rivera, UMOS;  Melissa Waldo, SSCHC.

Announcements

  • MHA Community Partner Award Luncheon December 8, 2009 – Katherine provided an explanation of why we received the award.  The Action Team took a picture with the award to be posted on the website.  In the near future, it might be important to obtain a picture with someone from MHA.
  • Request IT department at your work place to add link to MLHC on their website.
  • April 13th training with Mental Health Task Force.
  • March 13th training on changes in long term care services.
  • Core/El Centro has a men’s workshop March 10th and March17th.

Update on meeting with Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division

At the end of September, a group of the Action Team members met with Jim Kubicek to share concerns about services provided to Spanish speakers.  The meeting was for less time than expected.  Mr. Kubicek suggested talking about concerns with all the directors of services.  Since then, it has been very difficult to coordinate a second meeting.  Last week Mr. Kubicek’s secretary Althea provided some tentative dates, but is still waiting for clarification from Mr. Kubicek.  Katherine will do a meeting wizard invitation to check for availability for Action Team members.

In order to prepare for this meeting, we need more information about services, and we need guidance in how to focus our concerns.  Barbara Beckert from Disability Rights WI has agreed to have a meeting with us on March 11th at 10:30 a.m. at Core/El Centro.

Katherine shared information that Leslie Davis shared with her about a recent event involving a Latina woman, Glendale police and Milwaukee County Behavioral Health.  Peter requested details about this issue in order to use as information when approaching Glendale police department for CIT training.

Future Leadership on Action Team

  • Terrie García has served as Co-leader of the MHAT and is now stepping down.  She will continue to be involved in the MHAT.  Thank you very much for all your work, Terrie!
  • Katherine provided information on how the MLHC is organized and the need to have a Co-leader now who will then step into the role of Leader of the Action Team in January 2012, when Katherine rotates off.

Review of MHAT goals and objectives

  • “By Dec 31st, 2010, MHAT will outline and make recommendations to the Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division to advocate and ensure Latino patient rights.”  Approved.
  • “By March 1st, 2010, MHAT will develop and submit a Spanish resources bookmark to Mental Health America of Wisconsin for future publication.”  Approved.
    • Gabriela will follow-up on the bookmark.
  • “By Dec 31, 2010, MHAT will establish and market a speakers’ bureau for Latino mental health advocacy in Milwaukee.”  Approved.
  • “By Dec 31, 2010, MHAT will establish a Spanish WarmLine with MLHC health promoters as the primary staff.”
  • Peter raised some questions that will guide work with the WarmLine: Where will it be located, who will be contact, is there a stipend involved…  We need clarification about who can staff WarmLine.  Peter explained that currently it is staffed by self-identified mental health consumers.  Group agreed to change goal to leave open possibility that it might be staffed by other people not only health promoters.
  • Peter updated group on contacting Our Space in regards to peer support specialists.  Joan Lorenz explained that they have one bilingual peer support specialist available for work.  JL will keep us updated on next training to recruit Spanish speakers.  Peter also shared information on how Wisconsin has started a certification process for peer support specialists.
  • During next meeting we will have WarmLine as an item for discussion.
  • “By July 31, 2010, MHAT will provide guidance and recommendations to the Community Based Behavioral Activation for Latinos Depression project.”
    • Approved, but the date needs to be changed to July 2012.  This is an ongoing process until research projects ends July 2012.

Other business

Mental Health Task Force meeting will be March 9th.  Martina Gollin-Graves was elected as part of the steering committee and will be a permanent member representing MHAT.

Next Meeting

Thursday, March 25, 9:00-10:30 a.m., at the Center for Urban Population Health.

Minutes submitted by Gabriela Diéguez.

The mission of the Milwaukee Latino Health Coalition is to increase the health and well being of Latino communities by organizing power for social change.