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As always, thank you for taking the time to review and engage with the most recent happenings of this Faith Based Dialogue.  

Adult/Older Adult Behavioral Health Services

Faith-Based Dialogue and Planning Group

April 30, 2013

Meeting Minutes

Present

§  Barile-Simon Amelia- County of San Diego/HHSA Central/South

§  Bowser, Pastor Cornelius- Charity Apostolic Church

§  C., Juanita-Community

§  Garcia, Piedad- Assistant Deputy Director - Adult/Older Adult Behavioral Health Services 

§  Fisher, Anita- National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

§  Grobett, Hannah – San Diego Organizing Project

§  James, Jennifer-Harder+Company Community Research

§  Magana, Cristina- Harder+Company Community Research

§  Maxwell, Kristina, Admin Analyst – Adult/Older Adult Behavioral Health Services 

§  Monroe, Beverly-House of Metamorphosis

§  Ramage, Jolie-CoSD

§  Sharp-Underwood, Lynn – San Diego Gang Commission

§  Stoups, Myrtz-Community

§  Vilmenay, Ann- County of San Diego/HHSA North Coastal/North Inland

§  Watson, Daphyne- Mental Health America

Welcome and Introductions

Piedad Garcia welcomed participants and facilitated introductions. Following introductions, she introduced staff from Harder+Company and San Diego Organizing Project; contractors who will be coordinating all activities related to the Faith Based Dialogue Planning Groups and Forums. The objectives of this meeting are to review the work done by this group and to transition the planning process from general planning to develop a targeted learning agenda with faith leaders.

Updates (Where we are, Our achievements, Where we’re going)

·   Achievements to date

·         A forum theme has been developed after round of edits and input from participants. The proposed theme reads: To educate and identify mental health and substance abuse prevention and early intervention resources and strategies between faith based congregations, the County of San Diego’s Behavioral Health Services Division and community leaders to improve wellbeing and access to services in the African-American and Latino community.

·         The Central forum is planned for the 2^nd week of September. The forum agenda and process was developed by input from these meetings (see Central Forum Agenda). Key elements to the Central forum include a blend of speakers representing faith based and providers, small break out session to encourage dialogue, and resource tables for participants to access and disseminate information.

Introduction of Phase 1 and 2
Jennifer James introduced the proposed approach of Phase 1 and Phase 2 Central Planning Groups. A key element of this engagement is to recognize that this is the beginning of the conversation and that the motivation is to continue to work collaboratively past the September forum. There are no expectations that issues identified via this process will be solved by the September forums.

·         Phase 1 includes the work done by the current Planning Group participants, which centered on the forum theme, site selection, and forum day agenda and process.

·         Phase 2 aims to engage faith based leaders in order create safe space for them to identify their needs, priorities, and opportunities to address the behavioral health needs of faith based communities. A four-meeting engagement structured is proposed. The conversations and learnings from Phase 2 would inform the content for the September forum.

Meeting	Purpose- Phase 2 Planning Group with Faith Leaders	Who else attends
May	·         Develop shared understanding of forum’s purpose ·         Discuss how to talk about mental health in the faith community	Faith community leaders only BHS representative
June	·         Identify what  are the key faith community MH concerns  ·         Set the learning agenda	Faith community leaders only BHS representative
July	·         Learn about id’d key concerns from invited speakers ·         Identify what learnings (and how) to share at forum ·         Discuss forum recruitment strategies (and begin)	Key topic speakers BHS representative
Aug	·         Learning about id’d key concerns from invited speakers ·         Identify what learnings (and how) to share at forum ·         Review and refine forum format ·         Continue forum recruitment	Key topic speakers BHS representative

o   Discussed rationale for focusing on faith leaders and reviewed draft list of faith leaders to be recruited. Participants recommended additional faith leaders to the draft list.

§  Meeting times for the Phase 2 Planning Group were proposed monthly by Harder+Co. However, the group suggested that these be held every other week.

·         A revised meeting schedule will be submitted by Harder+Co with the new dates.

o   Harder+Co proposed a process for maintaining the engagement of Phase 1 participants via a web based portal. After each Phase 2 Planning Group meeting, Harder+Co would post notes from Phase2 Planning Group. An email notification would be sent to Phase 1 and Phase 2 Planning Group members with invitation to review the notes and add comments.  

§  Phase 1 Planning Group discussed the desire to continue to hold in-person meetings. The group agreed to hold the next scheduled meeting on May 28, 2013.

Group discussion on Phase 1 and 2 approach and involvement

Participants were in support of having focused effort of engaging faith leaders in the Phase 2 approach. Emphasis was placed on ensuring clarity of purpose when engaging/recruiting faith leaders given that it is the County that proposing this engagement. Caution was expressed in the fact that faith communities are member-driven and the individuals conducting the recruitment/engagement are not part of those faith communities. The group asked that in the messaging there should be clarity about the mechanisms for engaging faith leaders and communities (mode of and size of engagement) and clarity in the expectations of involvement. The following recommendations were made:

·         Allow planning process to be flexible to ensure the process is being successful and responsive to the needs of the faith communities.

·         Clear messaging about the goal of the county in engaging the faith community. Are the goals to promote wellness, focus on prevention/ early intervention, address disparities, identify needs, crisis intervention, improve services by adding resources, or all of the above?  

o   To provide context, Piedad indicated that this planning process has the opportunity to apply for MHSA PEI funds. There are an estimated $15 million available per year for four years. Funds will be confirmed in FY2013-14. 

§  This engagement is an unexplored area for BHS. BHS wants to hear what the faith leaders need, what is working, what are the gaps, and expectations for engagement.

·         The invitation to faith leaders and community has to be real, genuine and appealing.

o   Need something that faith leaders can embrace and be willing to come back to participate

·         Prioritize face-to-face contacts, and one-on-one meetings

o   Include all voices in the conversations regardless of level of infrastructure congregation has to support behavioral health services

·         Ensure process is culturally appropriate and responsive to the populations being engaged

o   Awareness of the role of trauma in the Latino and African American faith communities

§  Domestic violence as a precursor for ongoing trauma and involvement with criminal justice

§  Gang violence

§  Drug use and abuse

o   Consider using cultural brokers to access existing meetings by faith leaders

§  Identify sites where pastors are meeting (e.g., Pastors on Point)

o   Awareness to the idea that non-church members are seen as outsiders

o   Awareness of faith community beliefs/attitudes towards  concern of referring to providers- They have to have a good relationship with the mental health referral service because they fear that the provider’s service may be contrary to the faith community teachings

§  Identify what mechanisms the congregations are using to address mental health needs

§  If encounter resistance this is likely due to the historical relationship and attitudes toward behavioral health services by faith leaders and their communities

§  Level of understanding about the role behavioral health can have in their communities that does not contradict their pastoral teachings (how can behavioral health be a partner to the work being doing by faith leaders to address needs) 

o   Look at existing models of care for working/engaging with faith communities

§  What are they doing that is currently working  and for what issues

Action items

·         Harder+Co email  Roles and Responsibilities to get input on language and clarity

o   Feedback from Group due Monday, May 6, 2013

·         Elements to include in the engagement/recruitment of faith leaders and congregations

o   Begin recruitment for Phase 2 faith leaders early next week

o   Ask a few core questions during the recruitment that will provide information regarding need

·         Identify successful models of faith and BHS collaboration

o   Memphis model?- engagement of youth

o   Superior court judges action teams—why kids come into care?  For African American communities, children are involved due to domestic violence.

§  A plan is being developed for how to address DV for AA communities between Mental Health America and Superior Court

·         Guide the planning and forum with existing practices of models of care

o   The result of the planning and the forum will be a compendium of resources. 

·         Keep the meetings in place for Phase 1 participants

Next meeting for Central Phase 1 Planning Group

·         Tentative: May 28, 2013- 3255 Camino del Rio S in the La Vista room