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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010-09-15 Work Session Minutes Minutes of Board of Commissioners’ Work Session Wednesday, September 15, 2010 Page 2 of 7 Pages Ms. Hill said that the State can directly contract, but the County wanted more oversight in the management of the services provided to clients. Commissioner Baney stated that it was important to the County to have more input. Mr. Stiles asked about performance criteria and who provides oversight, and whether the State or the County is responsible. Ms. Hill said that she believes Deschutes County has oversight at some level, with the permission of the State. Commissioner Luke said that mental health services are a State function that some counties administer. There are many contracts through which funding is funneled. The State wants local government to do this and to provide oversight since they do not have that ability. Some beds in the secure facility were lost to the State along with the guarantee that those would be for local clients. Mark Pilliod stated that the State licenses the provider and does some oversight, and the County oversees most of the actual services provided. The State of Oregon writes the provisions of the contract, which the County is not able to change. Commissioner Luke asked if the County decided to not continue the agreement, whether the State could continue it. He was told that they could. Mr. Schneider said that everyone knows the services are needed, but whoever is responsible should site these facilities in a better way. Mr. Stiles asks who is responsible for what happens, and how. No one is questioning the care, licensing and services. The issue is, how did this happen. People are asking why, and he said it is because they can. The best interest of the clients have to be considered. Parking has been impacted. Someone should have met with the residents long ago. However, there is no neighborhood that will embrace the program with open arms. However, they should have been consulted as some of the input might have made a difference. Commissioner Luke stated that even if the County had not been involved, the location would have been used anyway. A lot could have been handled in a better way, however. Commissioner Baney said that the Board did not know the location until after the property was identified due to real estate negotiations. She said that a lot more could have been done ahead of time. She added that an opportunity was missed and is regretful. Addressing the situation in advance helps to stop the fear and rumors before they snowball. The County has done this in the past when siting the Work Center and other County facilities. Minutes of Board of Commissioners’ Work Session Wednesday, September 15, 2010 Page 3 of 7 Pages Commissioner Luke said SB 197 does not just deal with mental health issues, but juveniles and seniors and others. Mr. Stiles said that more work on siting should have been done, in the best interest of the clients. Commissioner Luke noted that additional siting criteria could be added to the law, but that is up to the State legislators. Commissioner Baney referred to the questions about the programs. There might not be clear answers to all of the questions, as the law might need to be interpreted in some cases. Commissioner Luke said that this was an ongoing process that has taken years. The facility that is near the Sheriff’s Office has different clientele. The County was supposed to get a certain number of beds for local clients, but the State decided all beds needed to be available for State use. That caused other ways of serving those clients to be considered. The State is providing funding because the State took away beds that were to be available to the County for local clients. The facilities have to be within the City of Bend with urban transportation and other amenities. Commissioner Luke stated that they followed the law. They did what they were required to do. The requirements can only be changed through the law. It is hard to hear that, but they operate all over the State. He has been in the system and if there is a problem with the law, you adjust the law and not try to go around it. Deschutes County chose to be a partner but the State could have contracted direct. Mr. Stiles said the real question is whether there is a law that would require Telecare to not have a social conscience. Ms. Hill stated that the siting guidelines as established by the State of Oregon were distributed at a community meeting. The County is not allowed to vary from this. Mr. Johnson said that there are three licensed facilities, but there are over 200 special needs housing locations in the County, including transitional housing, Emma’s place, residences for developmentally disabled, seniors and others. Commissioner Baney said that in the future, if Deschutes County is involved, there are things that can be done to create clarity and to obtain more input. Commissioner Luke stated that he feels certain that more communication will be a part of this process in the future. Real estate negotiations add difficulty, as the locations are not identified until the properties are secured. Minutes of Board of Commissioners’ Work Session Wednesday, September 15, 2010 Page 4 of 7 Pages Commissioner Baney said that economic impacts are not considered, as data has not shown that there is a negative impact. Ms. Hill added that this information was provided to the local residents. However, the information is old and the State would have to be requested to do this kind of study. The notification process is not clear, like it is in land use issues. Ms. Hill added that the RFP process was very large, encompassing the State, with many of the projects to be within Deschutes County. The RFP is published and made available to a variety of providers. Mr. Stiles asked about getting a copy of the RFP and results to show how Telecare was chosen. In regard why the homes are on the east side of Bend, Commissioner Baney stated that it is probably a matter of finding a five-bedroom home at the best price. Mr. Johnson stated that there are two in southwest Bend and one in northwest Bend. Mr. Stiles asked if County staff was consulted regarding the two sites in northeast Bend. Mr. Johnson replied that an effort was made to look at the entire County, but the greatest need is in Bend. The properties were desirable in regard to mental health services being nearby as well. Mr. Schneider said that is might be wise to include things that are not there now. Commissioner Luke said that there are laws to protect certain citizens and what they need. Mr. Johnson gave an overview of the clients to be served and from where they are referred. Ms. Hill said the County beds have to do with avoiding having to do a civil commitment. The County has the ability to place local individuals in this way. They do better when living closer to family and friends. Mr. Stiles brought up the fact that the State is having funding issues in a big way, and this is impacting all programs across the board. The County requires more oversight at the local level but does not provide adequate funding. Mr. gave an overview of how someone is placed. A provider cannot be forced to take in clients, for which the entire mental health history is provided to the provider along with a psychiatrist’s evaluation. They will not trade revenue for safety. Ms. Hill added that they have supervised anywhere from eight to fifteen clients in PSRB. The County has to report back to the PSRB. The first assessment involves more than just filling in the blanks. Minutes of Board of Commissioners’ Work Session Wednesday, September 15, 2010 Page 5 of 7 Pages The County’s situation is different in that it is taking a more active role. Usually the State would have discussions with just the provider. In regard to the draft siting matrix score, the property scored over 40 and the minimum required would be 25. Mr. McChesney said that services to the clients are tailored to their needs. This includes no parking of their individual vehicles on premises. Individuals living in the facility are required to be medication compliant. There are different levels of care and locations depending on the client’s needs. Mr. Stiles asked who is to be contacted if there are problems and the provider is non-responsive. Commissioner Luke said that the County has limited control over Telecare, but Scott Johnson and a Commissioner can be contacted to pursue a response. If the County does not renew the contract, the State can choose to do so but the County would then have less oversight. Mr. Stiles asked if the level of deliveries will subside. Kevin McChesney said they are in the process of preparing the homes for occupancy and equipment is being delivered. They have to get a certificate of occupancy from the City in a week or two, so the actual work being done there should be completed soon. Commissioner Luke stated that he understands that it has not been easy for anyone. Darcy Strahan of the State office asked that comments regarding the draft document be sent to her at darcy-strahan@state.or.us. Pam Marble of NAMI said that she has been to three meetings on this property, and feels that the neighborhood had been shown extreme respect and consideration. She wants her loved one, who has a mental disability, to be able to live in a safe place. Too many people with brain disorders are not shown the consideration they deserve and often are treated as human litter in society and end up having to live in substandard housing. Commissioner Baney said that the process could have been smoother, and there can be better ways to reach out to the community. 2. Consideration of Board Signature of Central Oregon Regional Health Authority and Chemical Dependency Organization Documents. UNGER: Move approval. LUKE: Second. Minutes of Board of Commissioners’ Work Session Wednesday, September 15, 2010 Page 6 of 7 Pages VOTE: BANEY: Yes. UNGER: Yes. LUKE: Chair votes yes. 3. Review of Emergency Operations Plan. Capt. Marc Mills and Don Webber gave a brief overview of the Plan. It is mostly the same information as the previous plan, but there have been changes in format. Nationwide standardization is being encouraged. The Oregon Office of Emergency Management had some funding to allow for this work to be done. The County has monitored this process and with the help of County Counsel, developed the final document. Commissioner Unger asked how the different agencies will work together. Mr. Webber said that the local plans are fairly consistent. The Plan is the overriding document and an agency typically will develop certain criteria for themselves within the major Plan. The Plan acts as an umbrella document since all emergencies are local in nature. Some of the small agencies are still working on their individual plans, such as Black Butte Ranch and Sunriver; and La Pine still needs to develop theirs. Technology has allowed for the equipment used by the various entities to ‘talk’ to each other. UNGER: Move approval. BANEY: Second. VOTE: BANEY: Yes. UNGER: Yes. LUKE: Chair votes yes. 4. Update of Commissioners’ Meetings and Schedules. Commissioner Unger is taking a tour of the Bend watershed on Friday. 5. Other Items. The Board went into Executive Session, under ORS 192.660(2)(e), Real Estate Negotiations, at 3:55 p.m. After the session, the following action was taken.