HomeMy WebLinkAboutMH Provider Meeting Minutes 03-11-22Mental Health Provider Meeting
Friday, March 11, 2022
MH 1 3/11/22
MEETING MINUTES
Welcome & Introduction
This meeting was held via Google Meet. Jim Gilbert confirmed which providers were in attendance
prior to the beginning of the meeting.
Provider Announcements & Updates
≠ Keystone Human Services – Cali Newcomer
Keystone Human Services is still trying to fill staffing vacancies. Assessments continue to be
completed for potential residents. Referrals for assessments can be sent to Keystone Human
Services.
≠ Occupational Services, Inc. (OSI)– Gabby Snider
OSI is looking to hire additional direct support staff due to accepting new referrals for the
vocational rehab program, supported employment, and the supporting individuals
transitioning to employment success (SITES) program.
≠ Healthy Communities Partnership (HCP) – Karen Johnston
HCP just started the season of Go Girls Go. It is a positive empowerment and physical
activity program for girls. The program is in one (1) school in Waynesboro, four (4) schools
in Chambersburg, and one (1) school in Mercersburg. There are thirty-one (31) girls
enrolled in the program at Chambersburg Middle School. The other schools have fourteen
(14) to sixteen (16) girls enrolled in the program. There will be a Go Girls Go race on May
14, 2022.
HCP is looking to hire individuals for some brand new positions.
≠ Laurel Life Services – Dee Santiago
Laurel Life Services is hiring for vacant positions. Services are being provided to individuals
and there are waitlists at all levels.
≠ Mental Health Association (MHA) – Barry Munch
The Leadership Academy is starting but individuals are still being accepted this week.
Individuals can reach out to Barry or Catriona Lunsford if interested in joining the
Leadership Academy.
≠ Service Access & Management (SAM) – Stephanie Lawson
Case managers are back out in the field meeting with individuals five (5) days a week. New
referrals are being accepted at this time.
≠ Pennsylvania Counseling Services (PCS) – Nichole Fortney and Katie Marshall
PCS is still experiencing staffing issues and is currently hiring. Katie Marshall is currently
filling in for Franklin Family Based services. The expectation is that the position will be
permanently filled sometime in April.
≠ WellSpan Behavioral Health Case Management – Steven Petrosky
There continues to be a high number of behavioral health individuals needing inpatient care
coming through the emergency departments. WellSpan continues to work on maintaining
Mental Health Provider Meeting
MH 2 3/11/22
high volumes while dealing with staffing issues. Things are starting to get better as the
COVID numbers drop in the area.
Standing Agenda Items
≠ Tuscarora Manage Care Alliance (TMCA) Update – Brad Coccagna
TMCA is now fully staffed with the hiring of Catya Bookhamer as the Planning and
Development Director in January. Catya is taking over the reinvestment programs for
TMCA.
≠ PerformCare Update – Kourtney Griggs
Any guidance received dealing with the suspension of regulations coming to an end will be
communicated with network providers as it is received.
≠ Community Resource Spotlight: Strengthening Families Program – Karen Johnston
with HCP
The Strengthening Families Program is for parents and children between the ages of ten
(10) and fourteen (14). This age group is considered the transitional years. If searching for
information about this research and evidence based program, make sure you enter ten (10)
to fourteen (14) as part of the search criteria. There are other Strengthening Families
Programs out there but they are not all evidence or research based.
The skills building program helps strengthen parenting skills, family strengths, and to
prevent teen substance abuse and other behavior problems. It is not a parenting program.
The program helps delay the onset of first experimentation with alcohol and tobacco.
Agency Recognition
The program has received the Annie E. Casey Foundation Family Strengthening Award. The
program is recognized by many different agencies including:
o Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
o Substance Abuse in Mental Health Services Administration
o Center for Substance Abuse Prevention
o 4-H Program of Distinction
o National Institute on Drug Abuse
o US Department of Education
Features of the Program
The program prepares families for the transition from the tween years to the teen years. It
focuses on the transitional periods for children including going from elementary school to
middle school. Parents and youth learn together. There are videos that describe the
interactions followed by a practice time. The program includes fun and interactive user
friendly materials. The program is used cross-culturally and has been rigorously evaluated.
The curriculum is for any family not just families that have been identified with problems.
Families learn from each other about strengths.
Program Format
The program does not usually accept nine (9) year olds. Children who are the cusp of
fourteen (14) or fifteen (15) will be vetted to determine if they can join the program.
Ideally, the goal is to have a cohort of ten (10) to fourteen (14) year old children in the
program.
Mental Health Provider Meeting
MH 3 3/11/22
The program is designed for seven (7) to ten (10) families but in a virtual format the
number is reduced to five (5) or six (6) families. The maximum number of families in a
virtual format would be seven (7). Cameras must be on the whole time when participating
in the program virtually. It is a seven (7) week program with each week consisting of a two
(2) hour program. The program culminates with a graduation. Booster sessions can be
offered but there hasn’t been a need to do so in previous cohorts.
Session Format
There is a family style meal for everyone during the first half hour of the live sessions. This
is a cornerstone of the program since it encourages family meal times and family gatherings.
The cohort is split into a parent and youth group after the family meal. Parents will learn a
concept that is being mirrored by the concept the youth are learning. There is a facilitator
for the parent sessions and two (2) facilitators for the youth session.
Parents and youth come together for the second hour for a family session. The concepts are
blended followed by a facilitated family discussion. All three (3) facilitators are part of the
family discussion.
Virtual sessions consist of a group on a Monday or Tuesday from 6:00 P.M. to 7:15 P.M.
Cameras must remain on and parents are not supposed to be in the background during the
youth session. The same goes for the parent session, no youth should be present or in the
background. The parent and youth session runs from 6:00 P.M. to 8:30 P.M. with a break at
7:15 P.M.
Cori Seilhamer mentioned the challenge of adjusting the curriculum to match different
reading levels and abilities of participants in a virtual format. It is not possible to offer one
on one support during the virtual session.
Program Activities
There are lectures, videos, and discussions with the families. Families from Waynesboro,
Greencastle, Mercersburg, and Fannett-Metal have participated together in the virtual
sessions. This was not the case for the live sessions. Children from different school districts
have been able to interact due to the virtual sessions. Part of the program consists of
learning games and family projects.
Risk Factors
Risk factors are any circumstances that may increase the likelihood of youth engaging in
risky behaviors. The aim of the program is to reduce risk factors and increase protective
factors. Exposure to risk factors has a cumulative effect over time. There are different risk
factors for different age groups. It is desirable for prevention to occur before the first onset
of risky behavior.
Protective Factors
Protective factors are any circumstances that promote healthy youth behaviors and
decrease the chance that youth will engage in risky behaviors.
A child’s temperament, dispositions, and skills may cushion the effects of adversity or
stress. The child’s environment is very important when developing protective factors. The
Mental Health Provider Meeting
MH 4 3/11/22
level of support, discipline, and supervision all play a role. The goal is to balance out the risk
factors with the protective factors.
Topics of Parent Sessions
There are a lot of good topics discussed as part of the program. A popular topic is love and
limits. It balances out if parents give a lot of love or a lot of limits for situations. The topics
include how to interact with children, building relationships, how to listen, and how to
protect their child from alcohol and drug use.
Topics of Youth Sessions
Youth learn comparable materials to the sessions for parents. The first thing in every
session is teaching the children to compliment each other. The kids in the cohort get to
know each other and start giving each other real compliments including I like to see you
smile or I like how much you laugh. The youth start to build confidence with the
compliments and build an understanding of their own wealth. A popular activity is building
a treasure map illustrating their goals and dreams. In the live sessions the parents are
brought in and asked to pick their child’s treasure map. The parents learn things about their
child for the first time.
Cori Seilhamer really likes the family tree exercise. It is really interesting to watch the
family create the family tree. Each family member is given a branch to list their strengths
and learn what other family members view as their strengths.
Published Results
The effects of the program have been very positive. Youth that completed the program have
a vastly lower lifetime alcohol usage without parental permission compared to the control
group. Lifetime drunkenness was much lower for youth that completed the program.
The prevalence rate of alcohol use without parental permission is 40% with the control
group having an average age of experimentation beginning at fourteen (14) years old. The
average age of alcohol experimentation for youth that completed the program is seventeen
(17) years old. The statistics show that the age of experimentation for cigarette use, lifetime
drunkenness, and marijuana use is also higher for youth that complete the program.
Youth who complete the program show increased level of engagement as they transition to
middle school as well as a higher rate of graduation and overall academic success. There is a
decrease in aggressive behaviors for youth that have experienced Strengthening Families.
Parents who experience Strengthening Families started to use more positive discipline with
their children. Females who complete the Strengthening Families program experience
lower levels of depression and anxiety from the ages of ten (10) to fourteen (14) years old
compared to the control group. There are some outcomes related to mental health for this
program.
Benefit-Cost Analysis
The Strengthening Families program comes in at a lower cost than similar programs. The
program at the maximum number of families, sessions, and individuals will cost
approximately $8 per family. The program is recognized worldwide and not just nationally.
Youth Statements
Youth testimonials included the following statements:
Mental Health Provider Meeting
MH 5 3/11/22
o “I learned my parents love me.”
o “I learned how to solve problems.”
o “I learned how to deal with peer pressure.”
o “I learned how to talk to mom and dad.”
o “I learned that my parents have stress too.”
o “I learned to do more things together.”
o “I learned consequences when I get in trouble.”
Providers who are interested in learning more about the Strengthening Families Program
can contact Karen Johnston at kpjohn.hcp@gmail.com. A virtual spring cohort is being put
together and currently there are four (4) families signed up for the program. There needs to
be six (6) families to offer the program in the spring. A $25 gift certificate is provided to
every family that participates in the program.
Cori Seilhamer really enjoys the curriculum and how it focuses on parents and children can
work better together to solve issues. The youth get to practice things from a parent’s point
of view. Communication skills are worked on with the program activities.
Jim Gilbert wanted to remind providers to contact him if there is a community resource that
they would like to learn more about at a future MH Provider Meeting. Providers should
submit the name of the resource and the contact person if possible to Jim. If a provider
would like to present as part of the provider spotlight, they should reach out to Jim to be
added to a future agenda.
County Announcements/Information
≠ Psychiatric Admissions Reporting Overview (handout): Comparing October – December
2021 with October – December 2020
The handout was sent out with the meeting agenda. It is the fourth quarter comparison
between 2020 and 2021. There were fewer actual days during the fourth quarter. The
number of individuals and admissions were lower during this quarter. The average length
of stay increased slightly. There were no individuals who were inpatient two (2) or more
times. The Danville State Hospital historical information was included on the handout.
The current census for the Danville State Hospital is nine (9) with two (2) people on the
waiting list. The census will be going down to eight (8) due to the expected passing of an
individual.
o Steven Petrosky with WellSpan Behavioral Health Case Management wanted to
know if the overall number of beds would be decreasing in Franklin County or if a
bed will be coming open. Jim confirmed that a bed would not be opening up based
on a bed cap of five (5) for Danville State Hospital. There are no plans to reduce the
bed cap from five (5). Franklin County has been over the bed cap at Danville State
Hospital for the last several years. Individuals from South Mountain Restoration
needing to go to Danville State Hospital due to psychiatric reasons are included in
the Franklin County census regardless of their home county. Individuals transferred
to Torrance State Hospital from the Franklin County Jail who require longer term
psychiatric care at the Danville State Hospital are also counted in the Franklin
County census.
o Steven would like to continue the discussion at the county and state level about the
state initiative to reduce the number of beds at state owned facilities. There is a lack
Mental Health Provider Meeting
MH 6 3/11/22
of community based programs to help individuals who are waitlisted and in need of
inpatient mental health services. Individuals could be on a waitlist for years for a
bed at Danville State Hospital or Torrance State Hospital. The individuals on
waitlists are occupying beds that are normally reserved for acute care. Jim stated
there was a period of time when there was access to extended acute care at
WellSpan Philhaven and Holy Trinity Hospital. This prevented a lot of people from
needing to be admitted to a state hospital. Access to that level of care is no longer
available.
≠ Reports due since our last MH Provider Meeting:
Audited Financial Report (for FY ending June 30th)
Audit Engagement/Extension Letter (for calendar year ending 12/31)
Progress Report on Outcomes in Appendix A (first six (6) months)
Internal Quality of Service Survey
Quarterly Report of Expenditures (October - December)
≠ Reports due prior to our next MH Provider Meeting:
Appendix A for upcoming fiscal year
Budget Packets (to include Budget/Rate Letter, Staff Roster, Unit Assumptions,
Budget Narrative for upcoming fiscal year – if appropriate)
Quarterly Report of Expenditures (January – March)
≠ Updates from Mental Health staff –
Erin Nye:
The fiscal year (FY) 22-23 contract season is approaching. Providers have received their
Appendix A and Budgets if applicable. An email will be sent in the next couple of weeks
asking providers to confirm who will be signing contracts and receiving executed copies.
The email will be from Erin Nye or Larry Reed.
Jim Gilbert:
Keystone Human Services is still diligently working on staff recruitment for the Forensic
Specialized Community Residence (FSCR).
Kim Lucas:
The next Children’s Resources Meeting is scheduled for April 29, 2022.
The County will be providing funding for summer camps for children receiving mental
health services. There is an application for the summer camp funding this year. The funding
can be used for a camp of the child or families choosing and not just a camp that was funded
in the past.
New Agenda Items
≠ Format for June Meeting – Virtual or In Person?
Jim asked providers for feedback about the format of the next MH Provider Meeting on June
10, 2022. Jim asked for input on whether it should be held virtually or in person.
Karen Johnston with HCP asked for the date of the meeting in order to make sure it does not
conflict with upcoming conferences. Jim confirmed the meeting will be held on June, 10,
2022. Karen suggested a hybrid meeting.
Mental Health Provider Meeting
MH 7 3/11/22
Kelly Goshen with Keystone Behavioral Health and Steven Petrosky with WellSpan
Behavioral Health Case Management prefer a virtual meeting.
Brad Coccagna with TMCA would prefer a hybrid meeting. Brad attended a Drug and
Alcohol (D&A) meeting recently that was offered in a hybrid format. The Zoom meeting was
projected onto a screen for participants not able to attend in person.
The meeting was adjourned.
Next Meeting:
Friday, June 10, 2022 starting at 10:00 a.m. Meeting format is to be determined.
2022 Meetings:
September 9th December 9th
Minutes by Larry Reed