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October - December 2005 Quarterly Report

California Network of Mental Health Clients
Contract # 05-75352-000
Quarterly Report
October - December, 2005

KEY ADMINISTRATIVE/MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES:

• Through additional funds from the Department of Mental Health (DMH), staff negotiated a month to month contract with the landlord to expand the office space by (approximately) 1000 square feet. A Contract modification between DMH and the CNMHC was needed to accomplish this.
• As the annual Conference, the Client Forum 2006, grew closer, staff time planning for the Conference increased exponentially. This included writing mini grants for support from Protection and Advocacy Inc. and Services Employees International Union, and working closely with the Conference Coordinator on all aspects of the Forum.
• Staff continued to provide administrative and program support for all of the CNMHC Projects.
• Staff continued to work collaboratively with other mental health constituency groups and policy makers.
• Management staff is the chief participant in the Recovery Consortium, a project of the National Empowerment Center (NEC.) Staff worked collaboratively with other consortium members to develop a manual on statewide consumer run advocacy groups that will be published by NEC with SAMHSA support. She met with the other consortium members in monthly teleconferences.
• Staff worked with Trilogy Integrated Resources (the company that manages the Network of Care) to redesign the CNMHC Web Site. Discussions are under way for Trilogy to become the CNMHC Web Site provider/manager.

KEY BOARD ACTIVITIES:

• The Personnel Committee met to discus the status of the COEC (California Outreach and Education Collaborative) CNMHC Coordinator position, given the insecurity of the COEC Project. Other personnel issues were discussed.
• A joint Nominations/Executive Committee met to review the nominations and select the recipients for the Howie the Harp and Public Service Award - both traditionally given at the Client Forum.

PROGRAM ACTIVITIES:

Client Forum 2006

• A two day on-site Forum Planning Committee meeting was held, at which workshops/Institutes were selected among submitted proposals, the schedule of events was decided, and a walk through with hotel staff was conducted to trouble shoot any possible problems with the flow of the Conference.
• The registration Booklet was developed and mass mailed, as well as put on the CNMHC Web Site.
• Mini grants for operational support and client scholarships were written and received.
• Invitations to key note presenters and other dignitaries were sent.
• A flier was e-mailed to all county mental health departments advertising the Client Forum 2006 and its relevance to MHSA training.
• The schedule for the specific workshops/Institutes was finalized and distributed through e-mail and fax.
• Food menus were reviewed and selected.
• Registration and Invoicing was on going.

Cultural Competency Project

Background: The CNMHC has joined with 3 statewide advocacy organizations to form the collaborative California Outreach & Education Collaborative (COEC) offering MHSA Educational Forums to select counties for identified underserved community populations. The organizations are the Mental Health Associations of CA, National alliance of Mental Illness-CA, and the United Advocates for Children of CA. The CNMHC component of the COEC is called, CA. Client Diversity Outreach and Inclusion Team (CA Clients DO-IT)

This quarter activities focused on preparing for the initial Educational Forums scheduled for November and December, including outreach, material development, and coordination of efforts. In additional to the activities listed below were multiple communications (electronically and by phone) and meetings between CNMHC Executive Director and CA Clients DO-IT Coordinator.

Fresno event

• The DO-IT Coordinator participated in a strategy meeting with representatives from CBOs serving the South-East Asian populations in Fresno in conjunction with County Department of MH Director and staff (Oct. 12, 2005)
• Participated in one COEC teleconference and two in-person meetings with all collaborative partners to prepare for Fresno event
• Had three teleconferences with Fresno CA DO-IT members
• Collected and copied CNMHC & COEC materials for Fresno event
• COEC event for Fresno (November 12, 2005)

San Diego event

• Participated in a strategy meeting with Hispanic community leaders and County MH staff for San Diego Educational Forum. Two CA Client DO-IT members were in attendance and the Coordinator was on teleconference.
• Team members attended three additional planning meetings for San Diego event
• Participated in two COEC teleconferences for San Diego event
• Held two teleconferences with CA Client DO-IT members
• Had presentations reviewed by Blanca Deleon and Rosie Guerrero (CA Clients DO-IT members) for delivery in Spanish
• COEC event in San Diego (December 20, 2005)

San Francisco event

• Participated in a strategy meeting with Hispanic community leaders and County MH staff for San Francisco Educational Forum. One CA Client DO-IT member and Coordinator in attendance.
• Team member participated in one additional planning meeting for San Francisco event
• Held two teleconferences with CA Clients DO-IT member
• Participated in one in-person meeting about San Francisco event with COEC partners and one teleconference with San Francisco Hispanic community leaders
• Developed CA Clients DO-IT brochure into Spanish translation by Blanca Deleon of Los Angeles (CA Clients DO-IT member) to be formatted and printed by CNMHC
• San Francisco event scheduled for January 19, 2006

Public Education and Policy Project (PEPP)

• The PEPP held four (4) teleconferences of its sub Committee, the Client MHSA Implementation Team.
• The Client MHSA Implementation Team produced A Client Involvement Survey to assess the overall question: Did clients/survivors have substantial and effective input into their local Community Services and Supports Planning Process?
• The Client MHSA Implementation Team coordinated a presence at the two MHSA Oversight and Accountability Commission (OAC) meetings this quarter to provide clients with maximum and meaningful involvement in MHSA processes and decision-making. Clients had a visible presence through identifying shirts, buttons and at the Public Mike. Staff communicated individually with OAC personnel and members for the purposes of education and promoting client inclusion.
• The Client MHSA Implementation team also coordinated a presence at DMH sponsored MHSA Stakeholder meetings in Sacramento and Los Angeles.
• The PEPP produced and distributed to an advocacy mailing list of over 200 individuals as well as self-help groups throughout the State two News Alerts. Both were CNMHC efforts to include clients in the MHSA planning processes: one soliciting applications for scholarships to DMH sponsored Stakeholder Meetings; the other soliciting interest in serving on the MHSOAC Committees.
• The Client MHSA Implementation Team selected clients to recommend for specific MHSOAC Committees and sent the recommendations to the MHSOAC.
• In accordance with our goal to aggressively assure that clients are represented at all levels of the mental health system, the CNMHC has provided the client perspective in many venues. Following are a selected few:
• Sharon Kuehn, Carole Ford, and others represented the clients' perspective on recovery, client and family member employment, peer training programs for employment as providers, and person centered services at regional MHSA trainings conducted by CiMH;
• Kathy Trevino gave a presentation on Napa State Hospital at the Adult Services Committee of the Planning Council.
• Sally Zinman presented at:
  Trieste at Berkeley Conference at UC Berkeley, focusing on the democratization of psychiatry in Italy, and similar movements in other countries as well as in California
  Best Now, a consumer developed employment training program for consumers to work in the mental health system and self help programs, on the History of the Consumer Movement.
• Delphine Brody was a formal presenter on a Community Services and Supports panel at the November MHSOAC meeting.
• Delphine Brody and Blanca de Leon were appointed as members of the Community Services and Supports sub Committee of the MHSOAC.
• Karen Zimmer, a CNMHC Board member from the Far North was appointed to serve on the Women's Mental Health Council.
• Many CNMHC Board Members, members, and staff went to and presented at the annual national consumer/survivor Conference entitled Alternatives 05. Sally Zinman, Dave Hosseini, Linford Gayle, and Jay Mahler were all key note presenters at different plenary sessions. Many others, including (but not limited to) Sharon Kuehn, Blanca de Leon, Delphine Brody, Gitane Williams, Nancy Thomas, presented at workshops/Institutes.
• The CNMHC continued to collaborate with the Services Employees International Union (SEIU) on an Education and Training Partnership. Two teleconferences were held to consolidate themes that arose from the two employment focus groups held in Oakland and Los Angeles.
• The PEPP continued its collaboration with Protection and Advocacy, Inc (PAI) and People First of California on the California Memorial Project. The Coordinator left his position, and the CNMHC temporarily appointed a client familiar with the CMP to assume the Coordinator's duties on a temporary basis. Key activities of the CMP Coordinator follow:
• Developed a visual Board Display using Historical documents and fact based information about the California Memorial Project and displayed the Board at Napa State Hospitals 130th Anniversary event.
• Conducted video interview s with four (4) clients/survivors who were involved in the earlier years of the Client Movement.
• Began the process of editing the aforementioned interviews and including them in an existing video montage of previous interview footage.
• Continued developing a working relationship with the Peer Self-Advocacy Unit of Protection and Advocacy, Inc. and California People First to ensure a seamless sharing of information.
• Collaborated with the Peer Self Advocacy Unit of Protection and Advocacy, Inc. in responding to incidents of findings of remains of possible state hospital patients of the grounds of the former Stockton State Hospital. This included the issuance of a press release and working with former CMP Coordinator Frank Smith who was interviewed on Capitol Public Radio regarding this issue.
• Facilitated 3 teleconferences with members of the CMP regarding various CMP related tasks.
• Scheduled and participated in a meeting with the Model Restoration Plan Team members to discuss progress and have input on the final design submissions for the Restoration of Napa State Hospital cemeteries.
• CNMHC Executive Director attended a meeting with Senator Chesbro's office regarding the progress of the restoration of Napa State Hospital's cemetery.

Self-Help and Regional Project

• A Project Coordinator for the South region was hired. To date, the Central Valley is without a Regional Coordinator.
• The Office of Self Help/ Technical Assistance and Support Project (TASC) continues to supervise the Regional self-help projects. The Director of the OSH held a teleconference with Regional Directors and Coordinator of the South to develop an Action Plan for its Project.
• The Bay Area Report on the Stigma and Discrimination focus groups that were held throughout the Bay Area is near completion. The Bay Area Coordinator presented this report at Alternatives 2005 and the National Association of Rights Protection and Advocacy (NARPA) Conference. She formatted the Report on a CD and hard copy for distribution.
• The Far North raised funds to provide scholarships for Far North clients to attend the Client Forum. The Far North Coordinator sent out a scholarship application letter to CNMHC members in the Far North.
• The Office of Self Help key activities include the following:
  (This Project is funded by a SAMHSA grant; however, DMH provides much in-kind support for this Project and DMH contracted activities interrelate with it.)
• The OSH is planning a 1 ½ day pre Client Forum Leadership Training for 20 selected emerging leaders in their local client communities. Judi Chamberlin and Dan Fisher from the National Empowerment Center will provide the training. Applications for this training were sent to the CNMHC membership, self help groups, and constituency groups. Programmatic and logistical arrangements for the training are on going.
• Two teleconferences of self help groups throughout California were conducted. The second teleconference focused on the subject of client centered or run Wellness Recovery Centers with training provided by representatives of the Wellness Recovery Centers in Stanislaus and Los Angeles Counties.
• The County of Contra Costa is contracting with the OSH to provide technical assistance for Mental Health Consumer Concerns, a self-help program in Contra Costa County.
• The OSH developed, with CiMH, the evaluators of this Project, an empowerment measurement that was pre tested and will be widely disseminated in January. This tool will be disseminated at the same time every year of the Project to measure the development of self help throughout the State and the expected resultant growth in empowerment and the recovery vision.
• The OSH and CiMH are collecting data required by SAMHSA of the Consumer State Network grantees.
• The OSH Coordinator participated in a day long pre Alternatives Institute with the other Consumer State Network grantees throughout the nation and SAMHSA officials. She also presented on a panel addressing stigma and discrimination during this pre-Conference Institute.
• The OSH Coordinator has participated in teleconference meetings of the Values Driven Evidence Based Practices Advisory Committee for CiMH and the Wellness and Recovery Task Force.