IPAC Strategic Planning Meeting

Present: Liz Mueller (10/24 only), Jennifer LaPointe, Jim Sijohn, Helen Fenrich, Colleen Cawston, Doug North, Phillip Ambrose, III, Bob Brisbois, Sharri Dempsey-Febus, Julie Jefferson, Garnet Charles, Trudy Marcellay, Cindy Trokey

Colleen introduced Julie Jefferson, the new Regions 4/5 Manager.  Julie told us about herself and then the rest of the group introduced themselves to Julie. 

IPAC Bi-Annual Report

AIHC had provided a report of accomplishments.  Liz requested a similar report for IPAC.

Subcommittee Matrix Updates

IPAC Subcommittees have met on days separate from IPAC for the past three quarters.  It works well aside from the difficulty in getting some matrix updates.  The ESA Subcommittee doesn’t meet as a group and Bob expressed difficulty in getting reports from other meetings the committee members attend.  TANF WAC Development is the committee’s current primary task; the next meeting is November 6th at Port Gamble/Little Boston.

Subcommittees are IPAC driven, and IPSS staff manage the matrices. At the end of each meeting, Colleen reiterates the topics identified during the meeting for the next agenda. 

After some discussion, Colleen agreed to present to Blake Chard, Deputy Secretary, a set of subcommittee guidelines, with the intent that Blake pass the guidelines to the Assistant Secretaries for their staff to use.  Agendas should be limited to a few priority issues identified by the subcommittee body.

Items included in the guidelines are:

• Subcommittee agendas will be based on the matrix, will be distributed no less than two weeks prior to meetings, and will include directions, background information and parking permits, if necessary;
• Materials will be ready before the meeting begins; and
• Draft minutes will be distributed no later than one week after the meeting. 
• The meetings will be co-chaired by the IPAC Delegate and the highest ranking DSHS employee from the division.  Subcommittee co-chairs will begin meetings by identifying the purpose of the meeting.  The co-chairs will set ground rules, such as setting aside time for questions and referring issues not on the agenda to an upcoming agenda or discussing them under “New Business”. 
• Colleen will discuss this at the December Tribal Liaison meeting. 

The intent of subcommittee meetings is to have tribal and DSHS representatives meet and work out issues.  Service providers should not attend the subcommittee meetings. 

The three HRSA matrices will be consolidated into one matrix. 

A number column will be added to the matrices.  Completed matrix items will be moved to a separate document .  Completed items from all of the subcommittees will be included in the IPAC Annual Report and in IPAC packets.  Each item will identify the names, positions and Administrations of the responsible persons. 

The IPAC and AIHC Chairs should recognize Helen Fenrich as Chair of the HRSA Subcommittee, identify the role and responsibility of the chair and pass that information to Doug Porter and Doug Allen.  Helen relays information between AIHC and IPAC and is supported by both committees in her role as chair.  Liz will ask Marilyn Scott to join her in writing a letter of support for Helen. 

There was also discussion about false rumors, one being that HRSA staff are to work with IPAC and not AIHC. 

The IPAC Executive Committee will meet with the AIHC Executive Committee to discuss their roles and synchronize distribution of information to clinics and health plans.  Many issues are common to IPAC and AIHC, which necessitates partnership and representation at each other’s meetings.

The group discussed the subcommittees and matrices one by one, prioritized issues and discussed processes to address them.  The Children’s Subcommittee priorities include ninety-nine forms in development, background check requirements of the Adam Walsh Bill and how to fund them, CPS intake and ICW weighted caseloads.  Also listed are Braam Oversight Panel’s ongoing work and website, rate inequities between individual case managers and offices, and two items referred to the HRSA subcommittee.

The ESA priorities include the TANF Basic Food and Medicaid pilot at Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, Tribal TANF WAC development (the next meeting is November 6th at Port Gamble / Little Boston) and Tribal IV-D access.  Items transferred to other committees include no cost background checks, and accessing title XIX Medicaid.  Accomplishments listed are access to ACES, tribal determination of child care eligibility, Tribal representation on ESA advisory committee, further development of Vocational Rehabilitation, IPSS participation in tribal TANF negotiation, Assistant Secretary to attend at least one ESA Subcommittee meeting and DCCEL transferred to Department of Early Learning. 

The ADSA matrix lists four items, National Indian Council on Aging Conference next September, retaining burial funds related to COPES eligibility, home health care reimbursement for tribal programs, and the sovereignty issue between Port Gamble, Kitsap County and the AAA.  The priorities are Transferring case management to tribes with the resources, tribal elder codes and AAA quarterly tribal meetings.

The three matrices related to HRSA will be consolidated into one.  Matrix priorities are access to mental health resources, services and funding, mental health transformation grant and Government to Government funding for tribal MH services.  Doug responded that Government to Government funding does not require legislative approval.

The Legislative Subcommittee’s matrix priorities are developing a Legislative link and furtherance of bills of interest notification.  Phil will add a third priority, which is a meeting between IPAC and the cabinet setting the priorities for this session. 

One issue for this committee will be the loss of Christine Swanson and Nancy Heath from the Office of Government and Community Relations.  Both positions will be filled but the loss of knowledge and experience will have an impact on the Legislative Subcommittee.

At the next IPAC meeting, delegates will be asked to sign up for at least two committees and committees will be reestablished.  The January packets will contain a list of attendees for each subcommittee’s meetings.  The annual report will identify each committee’s goals. 

The group discussed the process for referring an item to another subcommittee. 

Subcommittee Meeting Guidelines:
The group identified the need for a set of guidelines for subcommittee meetings.  They include timelines for agendas and minutes, as well as what to include with agendas (directions, parking pass, associated documents).

At the January IPAC, delegates will be asked to sign up for two subcommittees and the subcommittees will be reestablished.  Lists of those attending past meetings will be in the packets. 
                          
Naming Administrative Policy 7.01

Robin Arnold-Williams had mentioned to Colleen that the 7.01 Policy is the only one referred to as the number, not the name.  We will make an effort to refer to the policy by name, which is American Indian Policy 7.01. 

Subcommittee Meeting Scheduling

The three committees with set meeting dates are CA/JRA, ADSA and HRSA.  The ESA committee doesn’t meet regularly, but the TANF WAC Development Committee meets every other month.  The date identified for the ESA committee was the Tuesday the week of IPAC from 2:30-5.

The NICOA Planning meeting is the fourth Thursday of each month, except for November, when it is the fifth Thursday due to the Thanksgiving Holiday. 

Meeting Report Form

IPSS will draft a form for reporting IPAC Subcommittee meeting information, which will be based on the form recently developed for internal IPSS use. 

Tribes’ Role with Consultation

The IPAC Annual Report will include protocols and definitions for use in consultation.

American Indian Health Commission page 47

The AIHC 2007-2009 Plan includes a statement that the AIHC and IPAC will request that “the State of Washington provide Tribal leaders and health directors with a mid-year report on the status of implementing the Tribal-specific recommendations from the Washington Comprehensive Mental Health Plan. . .”

Colleen suggested we invite Ken Stark to the January IPAC to meet this requirement, and have Helen report this back to AIHC.  IPAC will request AIHC send a representative to one HRSA Subcommittee meeting per quarter, as well as the January 2008 IPAC meeting.  Colleen will draft talking points for Helen at AIHC and a letter to Marilyn regarding Helen taking the lead for the overview.  This would be clearly identified as an update, not as liaison activities.

IPAC Appointments to Other Committees

The legislature created two commissions requiring tribal representation.  The one related to disproportionality, 1472, will meet November 1.  The other, related to children in foster care whose parents are incarcerated (HB 1422), meets November 7th.  There was discussion about names to promote as potential representatives for each assemblage.  The group decided to approach Melissa Kapomin, Francis Capoeman and Cynthia Castañeda.  The IPAC Executive Committee will meet by conference call Thursday, November 1st, about who to promote for the 1422 committee. 

Reporting Form

Colleen distributed copies of a form IPSS devised for Regional Managers to report information from meetings they attend in the regions.  IPSS will draft an IPAC reporting form based on this form.  Once finalized, IPAC can ask the representatives to other committees to use the form to report to IPAC. 

White Papers

There is no timeline for completion of White Papers.  The updated January matrices and completed items will be compiled into the Annual Report.  IPSS staff and the Executive Committee will meet (in the River Room at OB2) the morning after the January IPAC to work on the White Paper and Annual Report. 

Budget

Colleen will identify a date in January to meet with Blake to discuss the budget.

Jim moved and Helen seconded that we pursue having IPAC meet at the Little Creek facility.  The motion passed.