Will County Public Health & Safety Committee met June 7.
Here is the minutes provided by the Committee:
I. Call To Order / Roll Call
Chair Judy Ogalla called the meeting to order at 9:06 am
Attendee Name; Title; Status; Arrived:
Judy Ogalla Chair Present
Donald Gould Vice Chair Present
Gloria Dollinger Member Present
Mark Ferry Member Present
Debbie Militello Member Present
Beth Rice Member Present
Laurie Summers Member Present
Also Present: M. Johannsen.
Present from State's Attorney's Office: K. Meyers.
II. Pledge Of Allegiance To The Flag
Mr. Ferry led the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
III. Approval Of Minutes
1. WC Public Health & Safety Committee - Regular Meeting - May 3, 2018 9:00 am
Result: Approved [Unanimous]
Mover: Mark Ferry, Member
Seconder: Laurie Summers, Member
Ayes: Ogalla, Gould, Dollinger, Ferry, Militello, Rice, Summers
IV. Miscellaneous Reports
1. Sunny Hill Nursing Home Updates - April 2018
(Sunny Hill Nursing Home Updates - April 2018)
Ms. Halverson invited everyone to the 50th Anniversary at Sunny Hill on June 23rd from noon to 4:00. Staff members will be honored, including one with 46 years of service. Parking will be available at the Health Department.
V. Old Business
1. Opioid Update
(Dr. Kathleen Burke)
Dr. Kathleen Burke stated the State task force has presented their final report and it coincides with our initiatives and focuses on harm reduction with Narcan and Naloxone. As part of our Wellness Program I offered Narcan training to employees. Some departments took advantage more than others. I received good feedback from those taking the class. I was disappointed with the number attending from ADF; but it was immediately following a holiday. The training gives our employees education and Narcan. Last weekend we had four fentanyl related deaths in the area due to overdoses. We are trying to get the word out this is dangerous and to get people to treatment. We are working hard to remove barriers to treatment. We are meeting to increase the number of police departments with the Safe Passage Programs. These programs are offered because Family Guidance Center and AMT Counseling has partnered with us to facilitate getting people into treatment and it is working effectively. I had a uninsured person wanting to go into a medication withdrawal program at Chestnut. Chestnut took him, but he tested negative for opioids; because Chestnut does not test for fentanyl. It is a separate test and it costs more money. Fortunately, the acting medical director made an exception and allowed this person to stay. We need medical programs to be able to test for fentanyl.
Mrs. Summers asked what can we do?
Dr. Burke responded I want people to understand fentanyl is a crisis and anyone with a substance use program should be testing for fentanyl. It is the drug killing our kids.
VI. Other Old Business
VII. New Business
1. Update on the YESS program at the Joliet Township High Schools
(Assistant Principal Jo Wooten from Joliet West)
Ms. Jo Wooten, Assistant Principal of Joliet West explained the YESS Program at Joliet Township High Schools. We made changes this year to add an accountability portion and determine if our services are having an effect on our youth. We added a behavioral health team. Any teacher or staff member can now refer a student to the behavioral health team. Students go through a screening board, who sends out surveys to staff members regarding that student and issues they are seeing in the classroom. The screening is a baseline. Our internal staff members meet weekly and our outside partners attend monthly. The team makes a comprehensive or whole child approach in referring them to services. Services offered at the high school include; anger management, stress and coping, loss and grief support groups, teen parenting, support of undocumented to navigate the world, brother to brother for African-American men struggling academically or emotionally, Tiger Club for students transitioning from other high schools or had difficulties in 8th grade. We also have empower me and achievers group for post- secondary and we offer healthy relationship programs.
Ms. Michelle Zambrano stated this year we had four interns providing individual counseling at Joliet Central and three interns plus two full times employees providing individual counseling along with groups for transgender kids at both campuses. We serve 80 clients at Central and 90 at West. We see students who are depressed and struggling with family issues they bring to school. Wwe try to help them resolve that so they can succeed in school. We have the typical behavioral health issues, depression, psychosis and anxiety. This school year we saw a lot of anxiety and panic attacks.
Mrs. Ogalla asked do the students stay in the program all four years?
Ms. Zambrano replied we have a number of students who start the program during their freshman year and continue until they graduate. It is up to them and their family.
Mrs. Ogalla asked what happens when they graduate?
Ms. Zambrano answered if they are going to college we research with them whether the college has counseling services. We are in contact with JJC because they provide counseling. If they are not going to college we try to hook them up with local agencies that can help them.
Mrs. Rice asked why is there an increase in anxiety of the students?
Ms. Zambrano responded they are growing up in a different world than we did. When you turn on the TV you see school shootings. We deal with the instability of families. Never, did I worry about my family being able to stay in our home or would I get killed at school.
Mrs. Johannsen asked is this part of their IEP? If it is not part of their IEP, how can you ensure they are receiving the help they need at college? If they are not getting help, they will not complete college. That is more stressful to high school.
Ms. Wooten stated even our IEP, 504 and general education students are open for services at the high school. When the students go to college, we work very closely with them to make sure they report to the counselors at college. The student is an adult at that point and we cannot disclose that information.
Mrs. Johannsen stated they may be adults by age, but many are away from home and their friends for the first time.
Ms. Wooten stated that is when we work with the parents to let them know they have to share this with the college.
Mr. Balich asked are there studies to show why things are so different now than 20 years ago?
Ms. Wooten replied based on my 22 years in education, I think social media has definitely impacted students. The access to information 24/7 and you can’t remove students from their devices. When we were students, if someone was mean to us, we avoided them. Today that is not possible.
Dr. Burke asked what percentage is the population you take care of. When you mention providing services to 90 students, it sounds like a big number, but your schools are very large.
Ms. Wooten answered we have about 3,200 students. The percentage of students receiving support services it is about 2%.
Dr. Burke asked do you run any type of support groups for students in recovery?
Ms. Wooten answered we used Chestnut in the past; they recently backed out. We are now using Rosecrance and refer students to their facility. These are students who are self-reporting, come to school under the influence or the parents report, we work to get them services.
Mrs. Ogalla asked what do you do with students who graduate? Do you make your services available to them?
Ms. Wooten replied at their annual review meetings, prior to graduation, they have a transition meeting for the post-secondary options. We provide information to the students at that time. We hold an annual meeting with the Star program talking with parents. We always tell our students with a 504 or IEP if you share this with your university, you have priority registration and can pick classes at times when you learn best.
Mrs. Ogalla asked do you have programs where the students who went to college come back and talk with the current students?
Ms. Zambrano stated achievers group does that; the college students come back, encourage them and gives them tips.
Mrs. Summers stated you have done a great job and have a wonderful program. It would be nice to see you go out to other schools and share your plan. It is a different world from what we knew.
Ms. Zambrano stated other school districts may not have the YESS program, but they do have other programs. Bolingbrook High School has partnered with one of the hospitals and they bring in the support.
Mr. Gould asked did you begin this program with a grant?
Ms. Zambrano answered we began the project in 2005 with a grant from the Center for Community Concerns who gives us $15,000 for each school year to offset the costs.
Ms. Wooten added we have a partnership with the Park District, Hospice and Rosecrance who does billing to the families when they are providing services. Most of our support groups are done in-house by social workers and counselors. We partner with probation, they see students on-site. We provide space for the partners to meet with our students, because we know school is a safe place for the outside providers.
Ms. Zambrano continued with the Will County program we use interns that are not paid. Some students are identified as Medicaid eligible and we bill them.
Ms. Wooten stated we did lose some services due to the cutbacks in funding.
Ms. Zambrano added students can receive support all year, including during the summer at the Health Department. The 8th grade transition program is available during the summer to get support before the school year begins.
VIII. Other New Business
IX. Public Comment
X. Chairman's Report / Announcements
XI. Executive Session
XII. Adjournment
1. Motion to Adjourn at 9:40 AM
Result: Approved [Unanimous]
Mover: Gloria Dollinger, Member
Seconder: Donald Gould, Vice Chair
Ayes: Ogalla, Gould, Dollinger, Ferry, Militello, Rice, Summers
Next Meeting - August 2, 2018
https://willcountyil.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=12&ID=3018&Inline=True
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