Community Living Committee
DRAFT MINUTES
Thursday, February 9, 2017
3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Hilton Garden Inn, Cary, NC

Members Present: Kerri Eaker, Caroline Bradstock, Lisa Byrd, Mya Lewis, Christina Dupuch, Joshua Gettinger, Michael Groves, Desiree Peterson, I. Azell Reeves, Vicki Smith, Wing Ng

Members Absent: Peggy Terhune, Sandra Terrell

Staff in Attendance: Steve Strom, JoAnn Toomey, Yadira Vasquez

Guests: Karen Luken, Elizabeth Kahn, Christy Blevins, Paula Coppola, Kate Walton, Corye Dunn, Linda Kendall-Fields, Joyce Massey-Smith

Introduction:

Welcome: Kerri Eaker called the meeting to order and led the group in a brief exercise to help members bring focus to their participation. After the exercise, Ms. Eaker welcomed all members and asked for members and guests to introduce themselves and give one thing for which they were thankful or one of their personal strengths.

Minutes from the November 2016 Community Living meeting were reviewed.

MOTION: Vicki Smith made the motion to approve the minutes as read and Joshua Gettinger seconded the motion. The motion carried.

Fiscal Update:
Council Staff Yadira Vasquez presented the fiscal update and the budget summary spreadsheet of the fiscal years from which all initiatives are funded. The initatives reviewed for the Community Living Committee were “Rethinking Guardianship: Building a Case for Less Restrictive Alternatives”,
“Bridging Practice and Policy: Transitions from Adult Care Homes”,
“Safety and Security: Addressing Sexual Violence and Domestic Violence Against People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities”,
“Medical and Health Homes for People with Intellectual and Other Developmental Disabilities: Coordination, Collaboration and Community”, and “Emergency Preparedness for People with I/DD for Access and Functional Needs”.

Ms. Vasquez also explained the unencumbered balances to be used for future initiatives over the next three years. Ms. Vasquez reminded members that the funds for future years are based on historical allocations, are not guaranteed and are approved for funding one year at a time, and that all contracts have language that specify funding is contigent upon the Council receiving their federal allocation.

Initiative Updates:

The group agreed to move the discussion on the future investments and web-based portal at the end after all contractors had provided their updates.

“Medical/Health Homes” AND “From Planning to Action: Integrated, Collaborative Care for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD)” – Karen Luken addressed the committee members and provided updates on the final activity of the Medical/Health home initiative and the dental clinics. There were many successes in both the Asheville and the Outer Banks dental clinics involving patients as teachers. Ms. Luken then transitioned into the early work of the new initiative, “From Planning to Action: Integrated, Collaborative Care for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities” which includes an RFP that will fund the two pilot programs. Ms. Eaker and the members of the committee thanked Ms. Luken for her leadership on behalf of the Council and this initiative.

“Rethinking Guardianship: Building a Case for Less Restrictive Alternatives” – Ms. Eaker asked Linda Kendall-Fields to provide an update on the guardianship initiatve. Ms. Kendall-Fields thanked Ms. Eaker and the members for their support in this area. Ms. Kendall-Fields then distributed the Year 2 report to the group and directed the members to specific sections in the report and made brief remarks about those highlighted sections. Ms. Kendall-Fields introduced additional guests in the room that are part of the initiative from the Division of Aging – Kate Walton and Joyce Massey-Smith and from the Money Follows the Person Program – Christy Blevins. Ms. Eaker and the committee members thanked Ms. Kendall-Fields and the Division of Aging and Money Follows the Person representatives for their work on this initiative.

“Bridging Practice and Policy: Transitions from Adult Care Homes”- Ms. Eaker asked Cas Shearin from Disability Rights NC to provide an update and deliver the final report on the Adult Care Home (ACH) Transition initiative. Ms. Shearin thanked the group for their investment in the initiative and the members’ commitment to this important work. Ms. Shearin provided members with a copy of the final report from the initiative and the blueprint for transitioning individuals in an ACH to the community. Members were presented with several recommendations on possible options for future initiatives to continue the work started by this initiative. Some of the options could be considered for Council funding and other possibilities would be executed by Disability Rights NC separately. Since there were so many options, Vicki Smith asked Ms. Shearin to give the committee the top two recommendations that the Council should consider for future initiatives. Ms. Shearin indicated the need for intensive case management and possibly following the Money Follows the Person model to allow more people to take advantage of services afforded individuals transitioning out of institutions. The committee members discussed the different possibilities, the issues with the system, low expectations lack of awareness of options as barriers to address. Ms. Eaker thanked Ms. Shearin for her presentation and their work.

Future Investments Discussion
At the conclusion of the initiative updates, Ms. Eaker led the discussion on the top 3 ideas that the members could agree upon to charge Council staff to review and bring recommendations back to the May meeting. After much discussion, the group decided on the following 4 BROAD areas for research for consideration in May:

MOTION: Lisa Byrd made a motion for NCCDD staff to pursue and research the following topics for potential permission to draft Request(s) for Application(s) (RFAs) at the May Council meeting:

1. Intensive Case Management Model – one of the recommendations rising from the Adult Care Home
2. Natural Supports
3. Transportation
4. Affordable Supportive Housing

Desiree Peterson seconded the motion. The motion was approved.
The meeting was adjourned at 5:20 by Ms. Eaker.