January 14, 2010 -- Special Hearing Committee

SPECIAL JOINT HEARING COMMITTEE MINUTES

MHB/NAMI SF

Wednesday, January 14, 2010

1380 Howard Street, 5th Floor

6:00 p.m.

Present: James Shaye Keys, Chair; Tom Purvis, MHB Member; Lara Arguelles, MHB Member, Gifford Boyce-Smith, MD, NAMI SF Chair (by telephone)

Meeting called to order at 6:20 pm by James Keys.

1.0  PLANNING FOR JOINT HEARING BY MENTAL HEALTH BOARD AND NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS.

1.1 Review of items accomplished at the January 7, 2010 meeting.

The Sunshine questions were reviewed and will be sent by NAMI to Dr. Katz. Next, the outline of the hearing prepared by Dr. Boyce-Smith was reviewed.

1.2  Continue development of hearing focus and potential speakers

1. Opening Statement: A City in Peril: 5 minutes

MHB will give opening statement stressing the severe reductions in inpatient psychiatric bed capacity and outpatient services. These cuts are a threat to public safety and expose the city to increased costs in crime and homelessness, while failing to provide humane treatment and the hope of recovery to residents with mental illness. When services are cut we end up paying higher costs in our hospitals, streets, and jails.

2. The Front Line: High Cost of Cutting Mental Health Services

a.) Report from front line physicians at San Francisco General Hospital: 10 minutes

It was suggested that three speakers be invited to speak to this issue. James Keys, Giff, Karen and Valery will connect with the Physicians Organizing Committee to obtain the speakers. They are currently preparing a list of speakers. Speakers would focus on message that reduction in beds and services is increasing demand, decreasing available inpatient and discharge treatment services and placements, and resulting in poor health outcomes and increased safety issues. Suggest that your speaker(s) touch on bullets below or other relevant info:

• Inadequate number of psychiatric inpatient beds--impact
• Inadequate discharge placements--outcomes/impact
• Inadequate staffing--impact on safety
• Increased transfers for out-of-county crisis care--outcomes/impact
• Increased times SFGH is on diversion and unable to admit crisis patients

b.) Report from Police Department: 10 minutes

Dale and Pam will follow up to get a speaker from the SFPD.

Focus on impact on police department of inadequate psychiatric inpatient capacity and community mental health services.  Suggest that your speaker(s) touch on   bullets below or other relevant info:

• Adequacy of current psychiatric inpatient and outpatient capacity and impact on police crisis calls
• Adequacy of current assessment and placement capacity for persons with serious mental illness and impact
• Impact on police and individuals with mental illness when SFGH is on diversion

c.) Report from Jail/Sheriff/Behavioral Health Court: 10 minutes

Suggestions for speakers were Sheriff Hennessy, Judge Mary Morgan, Jennifer Johnson, Public Defenders office, George Jurand, Sheriff’s department. Giff will speak with Judge Morgan; Fred Martin will speak with Sheriff Hennessy, MHB will talk with Jennifer Johnson.

Focus on impact on jails of inadequate psychiatric inpatient capacity and community mental health services.  Suggest that speaker(s) touch on bullets below or other relevant info:

• Inadequate inpatient and outpatient placement capacity impact on jail overcrowding and public safety
• Impact of undiagnosed and untreated mental illness on jail milieu, staff and inmate safety, health care costs, workers' comp costs
• Need for additional Behavioral Health Court capacity, jail diversion programs, and increased treatment capacity from perspective of impact on jails

d.) Report from Homeless Shelters: 10 minutes

Jennifer Friedenbach was a suggested speaker. She is very knowledgeable about the impact of the cuts on people with mental illness who are homeless. Mr. Keys will contact her. 

3. The Front Line: The Hope of Recovery: 10 minutes

Report on what is working well in mental health treatment and could be enhanced to reach more people in need. Might use speakers from Citywide Case Management, the NAMI In Your Own Voice group. NAMI will follow up on names mentioned below and Mr. Keys will ask Belinda Lyons with Mental Health Association for names.

• Describe success stories from PEER-TO-PEER, BHC, Case Management efforts. Ask Thomas Jefferson to speak.
• Describe how supportive housing with case management saves lives and can produce full recovery. Examples from Conard House.
• Describe success story of a patient discharge from SFGH who is well managed, closely followed and achieves recovery. 

Mr. Keys will follow up with getting a room at City Hall for the hearing at 6:00 pm, Thursday, February 25, 2010.

Mr. Martin suggested that we need a tight story for the media, hard hitting with facts, statistics and strong presenters. Presenters should make calls to the media.

1.3 Public Comment

No public comment.

2.0  ADJOURNMENT

The meeting was adjourned at 8:00 pm.