DeKalb County, Illinois
	Minutes of the COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH BOARD March 18, 2002

Board Members Present:  Norm Gilbert, Patricia Terry, Bob Krogman,, Denny Sands, Sue Franz, Regina Parker and Opal Zitka

Board Members Absent: Maureen Russell and Mary Petruchius

Other Persons Present: Staff: Jerry Lane and Sue Halbrader

The Community Mental Health Board meeting was called to order at 7:30 p.m. by Secretary-Treasurer Opal Zitka.

Mrs. Zitka noted that Newsweek and the AARP magazine feature mental health related articles. Newsweek published an in-depth discussion of schizophrenia, prompted by the Yates murder case in Texas and the popular film "A Beautiful Mind", and AARP dealt with suicide in a feature titled "Hard Questions". The articles were offered for anyone interested in these subjects.

Mr. Lane announced that next Tuesday, March 26, the Symposium on Domestic Violence will be held at Kishwaukee College. Registration for the event is heavy, standing at 90 participants as of today. The Symposium is free and lunch can be ordered. Registration is required for the afternoon session only, due to space limitations.

Mr. Lane distributed flyers for the State Association’s Spring Conference. This year most presentations will be centered on budget problems and the consequences, such as closing state operated mental health and DD facilities. Board members are urged to attend.

Mr. Lane provided a chart showing Illinois’ ranking among the states in per capita income and in mental health funding. Illinois stands #8 in per capita income and 37^th in funding for social service programs.

Mr. Lane commented on an article from Scientific American that deals with neurological development in children. Children’s highly plastic brains are effected by trauma and abuse, causing physical alterations to the structure of the brain. These findings connect child welfare and mental health more firmly than ever.

Mr. Lane and board members discussed the verdict in Texas, life in prison with no possibility of parole, for Mrs. Yates, although the prosecution acknowledged her mental illness. The misunderstandings of what mental illnesses are and how they effect behavior is common throughout the country. Mrs. Frantz commented on the Lemack case in Chicago and the effects of depression without treatment, support, understanding....another woman who will spend the rest of her life in prison. It has come to the point at which saying, "I’m depressed" is viewed by many as an admission of "craziness". Mr. Krogman added that Charles Krauthammer, a very conservative columnist, wrote in the Chicago Tribune today taking a very sympathetic view. Krauthammer may be a retired psychiatrist. His perspective may be helpful in combating stigma. Mrs. Terry pointed out that problems are the worst where two systems interface, i.e., the legal system and the mental health system. People do not understand mental illness and in the end the jury reasons, "She just can’t get off" and, "You’d have to be insane to kill your children". The rationality of the sick person is not the problem, it is the basis upon which they build their thinking. Their original premise is faulty.

To assist Board members in preparing for grant hearings, Mr. Lane provided updated tables of the ratio of 708 funding to other sources of revenue, broken out agency by agency.

 

Mrs. Zitka moved acceptance of the February office claims as submitted; seconded by Mr. Sands. On a roll call vote the motion passed unanimously.

Mrs. Zitka moved acceptance of the February agency claims as submitted; seconded by Mrs. Frantz. On a roll call vote the motion passed unanimously.

Mr. Lane announced the preliminary audited reports from the County were received today. It looks as though the fiscal year, which ended November 30, 2001, shows the Board with more interest income than expected and we have come under budget enough that we may have some monies to assist in sustaining our local agencies during the next year or two while the state budget is in such dire shape.

Mr. Sands distributed copies of an outline for a Firefighter Response to Mental Illness calls agenda. Fire Chiefs are quite interested in the training and plan to vote on when they would like the sessions scheduled this month. Mr. Sands estimated that about fifty volunteers and regular firefighters would attend at each session. The preliminary plan is to hold a morning session at one end of the county and an afternoon session at the other end. The content should cover a range of issues, from dealing with emotional relatives and friends at the scene of an accident to taking care to preserve evidence.

Ben Gordon Center submitted a wish list of some major repair and maintenance needs. Mr. Lane said it may be that we see some capital requests aside from the grant hearing requests.

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