Minutes of…Meeting to Discuss Policy Council
Details Date: April 30, 2008
Time: noon
Place: County Government Center, 385 N. Arrowhead Ave., 5th Floor Magda
Lawson Room, San Bernardino
Attendees • Rick Arden, Juvenile Probation Department
• DeAnna Avey-Motikeit, Department of Children’s Services
• Margaret Beed, M.D., Department of Public Health
• Ryan Berryman, Human Services Legislation and Research
• Jennifer Cannady, Public Defender – Juvenile
• Mary Lynn Clark, Inland Regional Center
• Amy Cousineau, Children’s Network
• Chris Gardner, Public Defender – Juvenile
• Rosa Gomez, Department of Behavioral Health
• Ron Griffin, Preschool Services Department
• Linda Haugan, Human Services Administration
• Carolyn Tillman, San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools
• Mike Markel, County Counsel
• Patricia Nickols, Community Action Partnership
• Allan Rawland, Department of Behavioral Health
• Robin Sherman-Young, Family Court Services
• Honorable Marsha Slough, Juvenile Court
• Lisha Smith, 5th District Board of Supervisors
• Rebecca Stafford, Children’s Fund
• Steve Couchot, Transitional Assistance Department
• Beatriz Valdez, Grants Coordinator – CAO
• Kathy Watkins, Human Services Legislation and Research
• Sue Taylor, Children’s Network
• Tammy Williams, Children’s Network
Meeting Judge Slough welcomed everyone and self-introductions were made. A
purpose motion was made to approve the agenda by Mary Lynn Clark and
seconded by DeAnna Avey-Motikeit. A motion was made to approve the
minutes by DeAnna Avey-Motikeit and seconded by Rosa Gomez.
Topics The table below identifies the topics discussed in the meeting and the person
discussed who led each discussion.
1
Topic Discussion Leader
Welcome and Introductions Judge Slough
Approval of Agenda Judge Slough
Approval of March 2008 Minutes Judge Slough
Children’s Fund Report Rebecca Stafford
Children’s Network Report Amy Cousineau
Update of DCS Self-Assessment DeAnna Avey-Motikeit
Team
California Blue Ribbon Response All
Other Announcements All
Public Comment All
Actions
Topic Who is Responsible Deadline
Sue Taylor will share a Sue Taylor
PSA on Safely
Surrendered Babies.
Volunteers for the Tammy Williams to
Safely Surrender contact the volunteers
Babies subcommittee and set-up a meeting.
will be; Allan Rawland,
Margaret Hill, Dr.
Beed, Rosa Gomez,
Rebecca Stafford, Amy
Cousineau, Chris
Gardner, Debbie
Cifelli-Harris, Sue
Taylor, and the R.N. at
San Antonio
Community Hospital.
Rick Arden was asked Rick Arden and Amy
to do a presentation on Cousineau to schedule.
the Gateway Program Rick will ask Brenda
for an upcoming Policy Perez to speak on the
Council Meeting, since topic.
it could be a valuable
resource.
2
Key points: The following highlights were given:
Children’s • Children’s Fund Board is partnering with Youth Alternative Solutions
Fund Report Program at Loma Linda University by donating $9,000. The program is for
the 16 to 24 year age group to reduce the risks of drugs and alcohol abuse.
The program runs for nine months.
• Children’s Fund is also working with the Coroner’s Office through a
Penitentiatry Program on Drug abuse and reimbursing the parents $150 per
child as they complete the program.
• Children’s Fund Board also approved $15,000 donation for the Central
Valley and West End START Centers for therapeutic interventions.
• Judge Slough mentioned she recently toured the Central Valley START
Assessment Center and was very impressed.
• Another program that is taking place for the youth is the Friday night 10
p.m. M.D. to ER program. Children sign a contract that is involved in this
program.
Key points: The following highlights were given:
Children’s • Amy reported that Children’s Network just celebrated the 10th Annual Shine
Network the Light on Awards Breakfast. Six foster youth were given a mini
Report scholarship fund by Children’s Fund and Children’s Network. Dr. Fischer
was honored as the Lifetime Advocate.
• You will all be getting an invitation soon for the Strategic Planning Session
on June 30, 2008, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Lunch will be served. Tammy is
working on securing a location now.
• Dr. Bruce Perry will be coming to speak in this county on June 25th at the
Norman Feldheym Library. Dr. Bruce Perry is an expert on brain
development and how trauma affects the brain. There will be 200 seats
available. Fifty of the spots will be for foster parents and relative caregivers
at no cost. Professionals will have a small charge of $35. CEU’s will be
available for a separate charge. Foster Parents and relative caregivers will
be given a Professional Growth Certificate. The a.m. (8:30 a.m. to noon) is
the general session and the p.m. will be for professionals to discuss cases.
Amy has a fourteen minute DVD she will share in the next few months.
3
Key points: The following highlights were given:
Update of DCS • DeAnna Avey-Motikeit distributed several handouts on CAPIT/PSSF
Self-Assessment (Child Abuse Prevention Intervention Treatment/Promoting Safe Stable
Team Families) and birth certificate funding.
• There will be less funds available next year for the Kinship Centers since
eleven other counties have joined to get some of the funding.
• The RFP (Request for Proposal) is due May 15th for the CAPIT and PSSF
contracts. DeAnna anticipates sharing more information on June 30th.
• DeAnna shared a PowerPoint on the Self-Assessment and gave a brief
historical background. The Self-Assessment was started in 2001 due to the
legislation AB636.
• The kick off for the SIP (Self Improvement Plan) will be May 12th and
Policy Council members were invited. The time commitment will be
monthly from May through October or November 2008. DeAnna
encouraged the Policy Council members to send a representative from each
agency.
• DeAnna asked that those present give their staffs’ names that plan on
participating to Joyce Jones.
• Rick Arden thanked DeAnna for including Probation Department.
Key points: The following highlights were given:
California Blue • Judge Slough mentioned the responses are due to her by May 12, 2008, and
Ribbon thanked everyone for their responses. If there are many more responses,
Response Judge Slough asked that they be send via e-mail to Tammy Williams
(tttwilliams@hss.sbcounty.gov) so she can make a combined response. The
legislation AB2900 is what the Blue Ribbon report is based on.
4
Key points: The following highlights were given:
Other • Allan stated May is Mental Health month. DBH will be having their 3rd
Announcement annual dinner to share accomplishments. He mentioned there are already
200 signed up and he hopes the event can grow as big as the Children’s
Network Breakfast.
• Allan mentioned the Crisis Response Team will be expanding countywide
to serve families and is run seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day.
• The PEI (Prevention Early Intervention) plans are in the final edit and will
go to the public for a review period of thirty days. Thirteen projects are to
be funded with 60% to go to children’s programs. Rosa Gomez shared a
report on the programs.
• The PEI proposal will be sent to the state in July. Implementation will be
early winter. There will be fifteen million dollars for two years. It is
expected there will be ten to eleven million dollars on a yearly basis.
• Allan stated the third Annual State of DBH would be on June 30th from 2
p.m. to 5 p.m.
• Allan mentioned he would like to see more information out in the
community around the Safe Haven Act for Safely Surrendered Babies.
Senator Brulte and Debbie Cifelli-Harris sponsored the legislation.
• Allan recommended a subcommittee of Policy Council members be formed
to address the Safe Haven Act for Safely Surrendered Babies.
• Amy responded that Children’s Network has been sharing information out
in the community on Safely Surrender Babies.
• Carolyn Tillman will be taking the information back to Margaret Hill to see
how County Schools can respond. She reminded the group that in the
schools it is considered sex education, and you must be very sensitive on
subject matters.
• Rosa Gomez reminded the group it is important to keep in mind cultural
issues, especially the Latina females.
• Some suggested topics for the Policy Council Strategic Planning mentioned
were: Safely Surrender Babies; the legislation AB2138 on topic of High
School Graduation requirements.
• Last Friday Judge Slough and DeAnna Avey-Motikeit attended a
graduation ceremony where ninety-seven foster youth graduated from high
school.
• Linda mentioned that First 5 has been revisiting their Strategic Plan to
strengthen some of their community partners, since their funding from a
smoking tax keeps going down. She invited everyone to the First 5
Commission Meeting on Wednesday, June 4th at the County Government
Center.
5
• Rick spoke about the Gateway Program between Public Defender and the
Inland Regional Center. He stated they are still receiving minors/young
adults. He stated 64 were in JJJ, 34 have come back to the Public Defender
program, and 5 to 6 are still on Probation.
Next Meeting May 28, 2008 at noon, Fifth Floor, Citrus Room, County Government Center,
385 N. Arrowhead Ave., San Bernardino.
