Minutes for January 16, 2003

Meeting Location:  Radisson Hotel, St. Paul

Present:  Lois Johnson, Karen Larson, Mark Eggen, Janiece Duffy, Sharon Johnson, Bryan Jensen, David Hancox, Ann Zick, Roseann Faber, William Bauer, Bradley Westerlund.

Absent:  Connie Lee Berg (excused), Cory Heit (excused), Phyllis Coppess (excused), Linda Lingen (excused), Clarence Jones, Mary Pennington.

Call to Order, Introductions:  The January 16, 2003 meeting of the Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC) was called to order at 9:05 a.m. by Lois Johnson, vice chair.  Introductions followed. 

Approval of December 2002 Minutes and January 2003 Agenda:  In the December minutes, an error was made in ACT’s name.  In addition, the newly elected chair of the state Rehabilitation Council was reported incorrectly.  Revised December minutes will be e-mailed to Council members and other recipients.  Janiece moved, Mark seconded, that the December minutes be approved as revised.  The motion carried.  There were no requests for additions to the January agenda.  It was moved, seconded and carried that the January agenda be approved as written.   

Orientation Training:   Lois announced that orientation training for SILC members will be conducted after the 2003 appointments are made by Governor Pawlenty.  Last year’s appointees are encouraged to participate. 

State Rehabilitation Council Update:  Lois reported that there has been no SRC meeting since the December SILC meeting.  The next SRC meeting will be held on January twenty-second. 

State Rehabilitation Council for the Blind Update:  Roseann reported that the SRCB has not met since the December SILC meeting.  The next SRCB meeting will be held on February 1. 

Developmental Disabilities Council Update:  Ann reported that the Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities Annual Program Performance

Report was submitted electronically to the federal government in December.  Hard copies of this Report will soon be printed.   A marketing flyer announcing the DD Council’s publications and web site additions is ready for printing. 

The beta testing of the DD Council’s new e-learning course will be finished in the next 2 weeks.  The Stories of Leadership book will be available online in January.  The DD Council received a printing donation from the private sector for 2000 additional copies of the Partners Stories of Leadership book.  The next meeting of the DD Council will be February 5.

MACIL Update:  David reported that the Minnesota Association of Centers for Independent Living held its annual directors’ retreat in December.  The directors discussed the past year’s successes and other matters including 211 implementation, CMS grant materials, and the video on nursing home relocation.  There is also a housing component to the CMS grant, and a survey instrument will be developed to determine housing needs.  Field-testing of the survey will be conducted in one county with refinements to follow.  The legislative session was also a major topic.  Strategies were discussed, and a new legislative packet will identify Centers as part of the solution. 

121 Project Update:  Due to Connie’s absence, there was no report. 

Review of SILC By-law Amendment:   All Council members received a print or Braille copy of the proposed amendment in the January packet.  The existing by-law; Section 4.2 Terms of Office; was read, as was the proposed amendment.  Bryan expressed his concerns surrounding the proposed change to the existing term limit.  Discussion followed and was concluded with Sharon’s point that removing term limits for officers does not prohibit others from seeking nominations and appointments.  The proposed amendment shall be voted on during the April 10, 2003 SILC meeting. 

IL Needs Survey:  Steve Scholl summarized the various stages of the survey’s development, with the result being the framework in the January packet.  Steve reported that Bill and he had reviewed the framework and agreed that it was too general and missed the point of the IL program.  The survey will not be administered without input from stakeholders, service-providers and consumers.  

It was asked if the draft framework had been pared down to an eight minute survey.  The answer was yes.  Steve briefly discussed field-testing, and reminded everyone that there would doubtless be something in the survey that would have to be cut.  It was asked if the present framework would be dropped.  Steve replied that the recurring themes are in the present framework, but the goal would be to find the most relevant issues in each category.  It was also asked when the survey would be in its final form.  Steve answered that he would like to submit the framework to the Survey Center before May.  It will then depend on the Survey Center’s schedule as to how quickly the survey will be conducted.  Based on a comment from Karen, Steve stated that he wanted to remove the “importance” questions; similarly, “status” questions would be dropped.  Lois requested copies of the “brainstorming” documents.  Bill will mail these materials to interested SILC members.  In response to another question, Steve stated that the “brainstorming” group provided statewide representation.  It was stated that a new group is being formed to review the framework, and a date will be set for some time in February or March.  In addition, a “focus group” of consumers will be formed to review the survey prior to its implementation.  The revised survey should be completed in April, and the consumer “focus group” could be in place by that same month. 

Steve will provide an update during the April meeting.

In Absentia Appointments:  In that Janiece and Karen were elected to officer positions in absentia, Lois asked both whether they accepted these appointments.  Karen agreed to again serve as secretary, and Janiece accepted the position of treasurer. 

Agenda Revision:  In that the meeting was running late, Sharon moved, Karen seconded, that the 704 report be moved to 11:15, and committee meetings follow visitor comments.  The motion carried. 

FFY 2002 704 Parts I and II Reports:  Bill provided opening comments on this year’s Part I aggregate and the Centers’ Part II reports.  He reminded Council members that as a 723 State, Minnesota prepares an aggregated report of the Centers’ and the State IL Services (SILS) data.  He summarized the aggregated report as follows:

The FFY 2002 unduplicated consumer count was 6080.  Centers served 3537, SSB 2248, and RSB 295. 

IL goals set and attained were as follows:  self-advocacy/self-empowerment 522/365, or70% attained; communication 1053/906, or 86% attained; mobility/transportation 1074/929, or 86% attained; community services 717/636, or 89% attained; educational 1799/1456, or 81% attained; vocational 433/284, or 66% attained; self-care 3792/3412, or 90% attained; information access/technology 1629/1471, or 90% attained; personal resource management 1618/1275, or 79% attained; other 1826/1602, or 88% attained.  The average for all goals attained in the preceding categories was 82.5%. 

Duplicate Consumer Total:  96,036

Plans Developed/Waived:  Sixty-one percent of all consumers developed an IL plan, and thirty-nine percent waived the development of a plan. 

Age:  under six less than 1%, six to seventeen 13%, eighteen to twenty-two 11%, twenty-three to sixty-four 33%, sixty-five and over 41%, unknown less than 1%. 

Gender:  Female 58%, Male 42%

Race:  American Indian or Alaskan Native 2%, Asian 1%, African American 3%, Hispanic or Latino 1%, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander less than 1%, White 93%. 

Disability:  Cognitive 19%, Mental/Emotional 10%, Physical 19%, Deaf/Hearing Impaired 2%, Blind/Visually Impaired 12%, Multiple Disabilities 36%, Other Disabilities 2%. 

Relocated from Nursing or Other Institutions:  47

Prevented from Entering Nursing or Other Institutions:  225

Community Change Achievements – Goals Set and Met:  Community Integration 84/69, or 82% attained; collaboration 74/51, or 69% attained; educational 41/33, or 80% attained; Housing/Home modification 46/31, or 67% attained; Information Access/Technology 51/44, or 86% attained; Mobility/Transportation 20/19, or 95% attained; PAS 14/14, or 100% attained; Physical/Attitudinal Barrier Removal 57/40, or 70% attained; Vocational 20/17, or 85% attained; Other 82/72, or 88% attained. 

Community Services: (Percentages of total hours documented) Community and Systems Advocacy 20%, Outreach 9%, Publications 4%, Community Education/Integration 10%, Maintaining Registries/Libraries/Data Bases 8%, Collaborations/Networking 13%, Other Community Services 36%. 

Bill thanked the Centers and the SILS staff for their outstanding efforts throughout FFY 2002.  David moved, Mark seconded, that Connie sign the FFY 2002 Part I report as written.  The motion carried. 

Visitors’ Comments:  There were no comments. 

Committee Reports:  Ann reported for the education committee.  Efforts are continuing in arranging a presentation from staff of the Disability Law Center.  There may also be a presentation of the DD Council’s “Making Your Case” e-learning program provided during the June training.  SSB’s Business Enterprise Program may also be a training topic for a future SILC meeting.  Ann reminded SILC members to phone or e-mail her their ideas for training topics, or present their ideas directly to the Education and Advocacy Committee.  Ann reported that, to date, only two suggestions have been offered to the committee.  The theme of this year’s two day training meeting is youth leadership.  It was recommended that the Education and Advocacy members contact Pam Stenhjem.  This year’s training meeting will be June 12-13 in St. Cloud.  Hotel and meeting accommodations have been made at the St. Cloud Radisson. 

Lois announced that the SPIL Committee did not meet this month.

Janiece reported as Chair of the Finance Committee.  The two 03 grant contracts are in place.  To date, Federal funds remain under “continuing resolutions.” 

Announcements, Issues, Correspondence:  Ann announced that she received a call from a representative of the Consumer Survivors Network who is working with the Disability Law Center on an issue.  Any consumer who has been denied access to a Regional Treatment Center should contact the Disability Law Center.  A class action suit may be filed. 

Bryan asked if it were permissible to fax non employee expense reports to the Department.  He was advised that this is acceptable.

Next Meeting, Adjournment:  At 1:30 p.m., Mark moved and Karen seconded that the January meeting adjourn.  The motion Carried.  The next meeting of the SILC will be April 10 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Four Points Midway Sheraton, St. Paul.