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NEXT MEETING OF HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE WITH MYSTIC VALLEY MENTAL
HEALTH ASSOCIATION BOARD AND STAFF JUNE 15 (Monday) at 8 P M IN
ROOM G 15 MEETING ON RFPs ' SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 22 at 8 P M IN RM G 15
Minutes , Human Services Committee , June 1 , 1987
Present Harvey Lowell, Chairman; Seymour Mandel; Sheila Martin ;
Jan Eustis ; Sylvia Perlman; Marion Shepp; Renee Cochin ;
Leonora Feeney Robert Cole , Area Director, Mass Department
of Mental Health; Steve Baran, Human Services Coordinator
Robert Cole was asked to explain events leading up to dissolution of
the Department of Mental Health Partnership Agreement with the Mystic
Valley Mental Health Association and his appreciation of mental health
planning for future services to Lexington residents
REPORT
Dr Cole has been in office since January, had been asked to take the
position prior to the death of his predecessor in the position , Ernie
Cook , but after Ernie Cook had his heart attack He began by under-
taking a systemic review even though there were policy issues that had
not been decided A two-day session was held with consultants and
program directors A report was issued containing the reactions of
the program directors to the report during the first week in March
Dr Cole agreed to send a copy of the report and asked for permission
to return to the Committee in the company of Connie Dineen , Lexington
area board representative , to specifically discuss the report
WITHDRAWAL OF MYSTIC VALLEY MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION FROM THE PARTNERSHIP
AGREEMENT
A few days after the report was issued MVMHA sent Dr Cole a letter
requesting a "workable partnership agreement" Dr Cole failed to
understand what was involved since the letter seemed to treat the
relationship with the State as if a contract had been drawn up around a
specific program whereas the nature of the partnership agreement was
different involving 30 paid positions Dr Cole clarified that
revenues obtained from services of partnership clinicians were used
to buy property , pay overhead and pay non-State clinicians in ways
stipulated by the State The State Area Director delegated responsi-
bilities to the MVMHA Director
While it is possible for the Clinic to bill Medicaid,the kinds of
patients that the Commonwealth deems in need of priority treatment
tend to be basically indigent and with no third party insurance
While attempts were made to negotiate around MVMHAs ' concern , it was
soon apparent to Dr Cole that the negotiations might not have a
successful outcome from his point of view and that it would be necessary
to choose bidders for the partnership clinic agreement
Mystic Valleythen was asked to
Y present a plan along with Community
Partnerships Corporation and the Center for Mental Health and Re-
tardation Services (Met-Beaverbrook) in Watertown Three DMH area
directors were brought in to make the selection , and the Center for
Mental Health , Paul Coty, Director, was awarded the contract
Minutes of Human Services Committee , 6/1/87 , p 2
PREVIOUS PROBLEMS WITH SERVICES PROVIDED BY MVMHA
MVMHA has had relationship problems with the Area office
and elsewhere The Lexington school system Special Ed program has
not made referrals over the years The DSS Area Director reported
that of 26 children hospitalized in the last year nonehad been seen by
MVMHA MVMHA had a problem in responding to mental health crises
DMH MANDATE
The major issue , commented Dr Cole , the DMH mandatewhich is to
serve those with major mental illnesses including a generation of
younger chronically mentally ill adults who have never been hospitalized
The needs of this population have been increasingly well represented by
the Alliance for the Mentally ill It is estimated that there are
between 150 and 275 chronically mentally ill adults in the local
cachment area This population as well as severely disabled children
who have been overlooked 1y many mental health clinics
will be prioritized in the furture with special reference to devising
housing programs allowing them to continue in their own communities
Waiting lists of severely disabled children and young adults who have
turned 22 and awaiting housing is a problem waiting to be addressed
ORGANIZATION OF SERVICES
Dr Cole said, "We hope to meet the general need without turning
anyone away , but the priority will be on children with major disa-
bilities " This comment was made within the context of a discussion
on how clients will be served in the future and the future dis-
position of services We can look forward to clinicians who
had exclusively been using psychotherapy to make a transition
into prevocational , day activity and clubhouse programs The
philosophy governing how services would be organized is that of the
Balanced Service System and Community Support System
DMH administrative oversight organization had yet to be worked out ,
and it remained to be seen whether the three area boards for the
Concord, Mystic Vally and Metropolitan Beaverbrook areas would remain
intact, but every effort would be made to encourage local participa-
tion for each of the eighteen towns in these areas
Joan Macula, Director of Department of Mental Health Services to
Adolescents and Children,would continue to be concerned about the
"heavy end of child guidance" , but there was a possibility of
more reorganization going on beyond the split between DMH an$ DMR
with respect to children through an integration of services to children
now being provided by the separate agencies DMH , DYS , DSS , OFC
and DPH
At the case level we can look forward to a heavy emphasis on case
management (6 case managers are currently being hired for Mystic
Valley) with responsibility for counting cases , writing ISPs , tracking,
inputting computerized data with a combination of cliniclfan j
4.- amcl
therapeutic functions Respectfully Submitted, Stephen Baran--