governor s commission on senior services · 15/10/2012 · staff: rebecca arce, max brown, ... juan...

GOVERNOR’S COMMISSION ON SENIOR SERVICES Meeting Minutes December 10, 2015

3406 Cherry Avenue NE, Keizer, OR Fort Rock Room 123

and 676 Church Street NE, Salem, OR

Large Conference Room

Members Present: Jonathan Bartholomew, Victoria Blachly, Suzette Boydston, Jim Davis, Ken Dudley, Elaine Fiesen-Strang, Representative David Gomberg (phone), Joseph Greenman (phone), Paul Krissel, Ruth McEwen, Nancy Pierce, Keith Putman, Charles Richards, William Schmidt, Kathleen Schonau, Catherine Skiens, Laurie Slye, Judy Strand, and Kenneth Viegas Members Absent: Lee Po Cha Guests: Dani Ledezma and Mike McCormick Staff: Rebecca Arce, Max Brown, Yvonne Fleming, Julie Jacobs and Ann McQueen Others: Penny Clifton, Juan Guzman and Leroy Patton

CALL TO ORDER Meeting was called to order at 3406 Cherry Avenue NE, Keizer, Oregon, at 9:40 am by Judy Strand. Introductions were made by all in attendance.

GOVERNOR’S PRIORITIES Dani Ledezma, Human Services Policy Advisor to Governor Brown, spoke on behalf of the Governor congratulating the Commission for organizing and sponsoring the Oregon White House Conference on Aging and the good work that the Commission is doing. Dani said that the Governor continues to be a champion of the Commission.

Governor’s Commission on Senior Services Meeting Minutes December 10, 2015 2 | P a g e

Dani reviewed some of the Governor’s successes in the last legislative session:

$40 million was allocated for new affordable housing, particularly in rural areas and for people who are entering into services with the Department of Human Services (DHS) and people of color who have been displaced.

$20 million was allocated to connect affordable housing with mental health services.

Legislation was passed in regard to policies and maintaining a strong level of funding at the DHS level. Among those funded were many APD programs.

Some of the Governor’s priorities for 2016 include:

How do we ensure that people are thriving in Oregon?

How do we ensure that all areas of the state are economically resilient?

How do we support innovations and infrastructure?

How do we ensure and restore trust in government by ensuring that it is transparent and accountable?

Advocacy for education systems from the “cradle to career.”

Ensure equity and social justice in terms of disparity in incomes as well as affordable housing.

Dani also said that the Governor has asked DHS to think about moving into the future and proactively communicating with the legislature in terms of services for older adults. Are stakeholders actively engaged in our conversations? How do we make sure that the policy intent and policies themselves align with the future financial sustainability in all of our programs? Is everyone in our communities accounted for? Communities that take into account the social assets and capital of older adults fare better across the country. The Governor wants to make Oregon a place where older adults and all of the assets that they bring to communities are celebrated. The Governor is interested in the work that is being done around the workforce and retirement security. How do we build up for the future? The Governor encourages and supports healthy aging practices and behaviors. The Governor is concerned about affordable housing. A Housing with Services Task Force is meeting and studying different housing models and how services can be brought to folks who are aging in place where they are and making sure that we are walking a good line between innovation and ensuring that consumer protection is in place. Oregon and its metro areas are known for


having a high degree of design, and the Governor believes that Oregon can be a leader in how we integrate universal design with affordability including the use of wood product innovations to create affordability as well. How do we think about intergenerational opportunities? The Governor is known as a staunch advocate for children and families. Strong families are built across generations. When you think about the delivery of services, some of the best innovations can be around and go back to a more intergenerational focus and approach. How do we ensure that behavioral and mental health services are available and that there is a statewide system for these services that is robust? Dani said that it is the Governor’s hope and expectation that the Commission would continue its robust conversations about policies and continue to make recommendations. Dani said that the Commission helps the Governor crystalize the direction where we want to go in Oregon, and she hopes to have further contact with Judy Strand and reassures us that this is the beginning of that conversation. Representative David Gomberg asked if when looking over the horizon into 2017 when the budget environment changes dramatically (in large part because of the Supreme Court’s decision on the Department of Labor ruling(DOL), are we going to be able to continue these priorities, this focus, and this momentum, or are we going to have to throttle back? And as a follow-up to that, how do the proposals to increase corporate taxes, which will affect our budget, fit into our long term planning for housing affordability? Dani said that in looking across all of the areas of human services and housing into 2017, it really behooves us to start thinking now where we can find cost savings by looking at alignment. For example, Margaret Vanvliet, Director of Oregon Housing Services, is challenging the housing industry to think about how to create modest affordable units and to look to partners to provide those services. Dani said that that one of the things that has created some increased costs in the development of affordable housing is that in the underwriting, we have tried to add all of the extras, like services and even developer fees. And Margaret, with the Governor’s encouragement, is trying to connect with the industry, to say that you may not be best suited to provide the services, that we are not funding enough in


these housing deals, but you have to, on the institutional level, connect with the service providers and think about programs and models that align services with housing because there are countless studies that show that once folks are supported and stabilized in housing, you actually see cost savings to other systems. So I think it behooves our offices, in partnership with the legislature, to think about how do we as state government focus on those cost savings and to figure out how we increase our purchasing power. We are starting to have some tough alignment conversations, and I think that is where we have our best opportunities. I think though that in terms of the level and the amount of production that we need to create a stable infrastructure to affordable housing that will continue throughout 2016 and even into 2017. Commissioner Ruth McEwen asked if we have affordable housing and it is not accessible, what use is it to seniors and people with disabilities. Dani said that’s the place where we have to get more creative in terms of design. I think that we have got to push our industries to think about how do we incorporated universal design which allows for accessibility into all projects. Speaking about the affordable housing industry, there are many places where we are pushing industry to think about how do you produce more housing from an economic standpoint; how do you serve folks with more and more needs; and on the design front, how do we think about our population and the physical needs and layouts of those designs. Throughout the state we have an uneven capacity in terms of housing developments and part of that is the capital markets, where people are funding, and what types of projects that they will fund. I think there is an opportunity for the legislature and Governor’s office to think about how to partner with lenders to show the need and financial viability of projects outside of the I-5 corridor. That is a significant challenge. Commissioner Judy Strand asked when you talk about partners, as a person who represents non-profit ones, if the conversation is going outside of the shifting of that cost to the non-profit sector in the sense of partnership where non-profits who are raising money to survive have a stable funding stream, particularly because the services that that sector offers are far more cost effective than government services, but our struggle is having that stable funding source so that we can maximize that cost efficiency and effectiveness And I have never heard that


conversation within the aging and physical disability community, yet, go outside of the actual traditional way that has been done for many years. Dani Ledezma said that at this point looking into 2017, we have to manage a conversation that looks at how we are currently spending funding for services and where we can get better results. Dani thinks what helps us with the conversation is that we are all aligned on the outcome that we want and if we can co-design what models, what innovations are getting us better outcomes, that’s the way we should be driving toward those outcomes, and I think that there are certainly non-profit models, government models, and institutional models that fit that bill. We have to really focus in on the triangle of cost savings, better outcomes, and serving more people. Commissioner Jim Davis said that he has a couple of concerns that are very similar to what Representative Gomberg was saying. Senior advocates, senior disability advocates—our primary issue is defending our model—the community based long term care system in the state is the best in the nation. The Governor has been a very strong advocate for our system, but now we are starting to look at budget holes that could be immensely significant and impact the APD budget in amazing ways. We want to make sure that the Governor continues to give us strong levels of advocacy to defend and protect our model system which is very critical. Regarding the whole argument about finding cost efficiencies—we are already looking for them, and we are very cost effective. What we need is the Governor’s advocacy. Jim added that the second point that he wanted to make is about seniors and disability, mental health, and addictions. A task force made significant progress and came out with recommendations. As a result of the task force, Oregon has 25 specialists for seniors with disability and mental health and addiction issues out in the field all over the state, but it is like they are going to war without weapons because they don’t have adequate services or adequate funding. For years it has been seniors with mental health and addictions problems and people with disabilities who have been ignored; now we are starting to tap into the system that has ignored these populations, and we need some real support, real service funding, and service dedication to these populations. So we are hoping that in these particular areas, we hope we can get some strong support from the Governor.


Dani responded that Jim’s point was well taken and with regards to mental health, Oregon just doesn’t have the robustness that we could have nor that we should have. However, the Governor cares about mental health and how we bring it into alignment with other systems. Commissioner Nancy Pierce asked how we know what other agencies are doing in terms of cross-overs because the goals that they made for seniors in the state of Oregon was in the 70s when there was a Housing and a Senate Committee on Aging, and Housing doesn’t have one anymore. We saw what happened with the White House Conference on Aging nationally; it was a disappointment. So I would like to continue to push the Governor to acknowledge housing and mental health are very complex and intertwined issues and that we are interested in more issues than just those within DHS. Dani said that Nancy’s point was well taken and that the team within the Governor’s office and its policy advisors work very closely together and that the Governor oversees all boards and commissions which provides her with an opportunity to reflect the diversity and demographics of the state in those appointed. Governor Brown attends all of the major staff strategy sessions and there is talk about the importance of the boards and commissions reflecting the diverse populations of the state so we all have been charged with trying not to think of the usual makeup of our boards/commissions, but really challenging ourselves.

10:40 am - Due to a conflict in room reservations, the Commission meeting was moved to 676 Church Street NE, Salem, Oregon, where it reconvened at 11:25 am.

COMMISSION BUSINESS Guests and Thank You to Paul Krissel Guests were welcomed and Commissioner Paul Krissel was recognized for his partnership, expertise, and leadership of the Commission; Paul is leaving the Commission due to family and other commitments in retirement, but he will still


continue to work with the Aging Workforce Workgroup – just not as it’s convener/leader.

Agenda Motion was made to accept the agenda as written and the change of meeting location. Seconded and unanimously approved.

Meeting Minutes Motion was made to accept the minutes from the October 8, 2015 Commission meeting. Seconded and unanimously approved.

Meeting Packet Ann McQueen reviewed the meeting packet and noted that she added page numbers to the packet. The packet was accepted by general consensus.

STRATEGIC PLANNING – WORK PLANNING Conference – September 2016 Ann McQueen reported that the Commission has $4,000 to spend on a conference in 2016 and asked the Commissioners if they wanted to host a conference on their own or partner with another board/commission. There is also a possibility of getting some funding from APD, but she cannot commit to that at this point in time. Ann also referred the Commissioners to a list of “Conference Questions” in the packet that should be answered when deciding to host a conference. Suggestions and comments from the Commissioners and staff followed:

Hold a conference in 2016 and follow-up on the four areas that were discussed at the 2015 OWHCOA including key issues that the Commission is focusing on. Provide a presentation and discussion about caregiver respite, family caregiving supports, and training.


Showcase the work that the Commission has done in the past up to the present. Include work done by workgroups and advocacy efforts. (Create a timeline of the Commission’s work/advocacy.) Training for family members in urban and rural areas who are not connected to any resources that would help them if the occasion arose that they were needed to become caregivers.

Hold the conference at a time when candidates who are running for state offices and chair people from other committees could attend to be educated on issues of concern to seniors.

Present a panel of Commissioners to speak about the top issues that were recommendations from the 2015 OWHCOA that the Commission feels are very important going forward in the next legislative session. Alert candidates to the time that this panel discussion would be held.

It was suggested that a conference in the future reflect what has been done in the past where a wide range issues were looked at and recommendations for the next legislative session were formed as a result. The conference should allow for open discussions and recommendations. It should be a very grass-roots effort and involve a large number of people, even 200 or more such as attended the 2015 conference.

It was suggested that a legislative luncheon be held where a panel of Commissioners speak to the legislators on issues of concern to seniors as it may be easier to talk to them as a captive audience than at a conference.

The questionnaire is a great way to start this conversation, but it could be much better dealt with by a subcommittee to get the legislatures’ attention and to focus on pushing forth legislation that the Commission is advocating for.

In talking about capacity issues, there was a big push for attendance this year, but the Commission originally proposed that the year after a conference would be the year to follow-up with the issues and recommendations brought forth in the preceding year.


It is a good idea to have legislators involved, but the Commission was reminded that Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) around the state are doing the exact same thing by inviting legislators into their sessions, and we don’t want to “reinvent the wheel.” Other groups are also setting up meetings with the legislators. Commissioner Judy Strand asked if there is a small group of Commissioners who would like to focus on the conference issues, and if so, what kind of direction and parameters should be given them?

Given staff’s time limitations, Ann McQueen asked that a conference be no larger than the 2015 conference and that the Commission consider securing some outside help. She also recognized that having a high-profile conference like the last year’s, gave the Commission a lot of attention that it didn’t have before, and events like this add to the validity of the Commission’s work.

Ann also added that she would like to see a balance in the different ideas of those chosen on the subcommittee. There is also a time commitment which would entail monthly phone calls and probably biweekly calls once it gets closer to the conference. In addition, if a committee member cannot be present for a phone meeting, recognize that decisions will be made by those present.

Judy then asked for the Commissioner’s opinions about the focus and purpose of the conference.

Commissioner Keith Putman added that the Lewin Group has been contracted to study the sustainability of DHS with the objective of limiting it to a 10% increase. Keith feels that you cannot limit it to a 10% increase without cutting services or eligibility, especially when the population will go up by more than that amount. The Commission will cope with whatever recommendation that the Lewin Group comes up with and how we want to present our view to the legislature, remembering that voting on their recommendation will occur after our


meeting. This focus alone is broad enough to keep the Commission busy. Commissioner Ken Viegas commented that after reviewing the October 8 meeting minutes that it brought to his attention his concern for “focus” within the Commission’s priorities. Ken would like to support the notion that the Commission comes to grips with some things that we think are a priority and that we do it as a Commission, not as individuals. Ken has felt uncomfortable at times when he attends meetings or other events as a Commissioner, and he has no guidance from the Commission. Ken felt like the Commission should take a position on issues, and after deliberation, we as individuals would give support to that. That is not the case as we are now organized. Ken would like to set some priorities rather than taking up issues as they arise. He believes that the Commission has an obligation to do some evaluation of the various needs that we see and prioritize them because as it has been stated, we are going to see some reductions and what we see has been stated to be an easy 10%. We don’t have a research unit which is deplorable and are acting blind because of a lack of funding for research and only have our beliefs to make decisions on. Ken would like to see that the focus that the Commission generates is based on our best information—priorities. Then after that, we could help with the concern expressed about the 10% reduction that we are going to face in budgeting. Ann McQueen responded to Ken saying that the Commission has two staff people (Rebecca Arce and herself) who are happy to assist with research. Once the Commission defines its “priorities,” policy briefs could be produced. Ann also feels like there is a lot of research out there, though maybe not research dedicated to Oregon, but peer reviewed research that Rebecca/Ann could find that the Commissioners would be comfortable with. If more research is needed, perhaps funding would allow the Commission to do some research on its own. The Commission could also come up with a model position paper that the Commissioners could hand out or refer back to when questions arise.


Commissioner Viegas added that researchers always start with existing research rather than reinventing it, and the people who have the time and ability to research need to be able to say that the research has been solidly based.

Commissioner Judy Strand concluded that if the Commission decides to go with Ken’s suggestion which is different from Jim’s that it needs to first talk about what the Commission’s priorities are and what the Commission has been supporting for the last two years that relate to these priorities and bring those back to the whole group to make a decision on before going forward. One thing that the Commission can do now is 1) review the work that has already been accomplished, 2) review the priorities that have already been established, 3) review the policy recommendations that have been made, 4) review the policy brief, and 5) review the input that has been given to the legislative committee and other committees. After reviewing all of the items listed above, the Commission could then decide what is missing and what is critical going forward. The Commissioners were asked to think about what their priorities are for a discussion later in the meeting.

UPDATE ON DMV/ACCESSIBLE PARKING Commissioner Ruth McEwen said that the brochure issued by Driver and Motor Vehicle Services (DMV) on the rules and regulations for using an Oregon Disabled Parking Placard have been updated to better educate people who have been issued the placards. Ruth thanked the Commission for its support of the work involved in bringing this about.

RECRUITING FOR GCSS LIAISON TO MEDICAID LONG TERM CARE

QUALITY AND REIMBURSEMENT ADVISORY COUNCIL (MLTCQRAC) Max Brown, APD Policy Analyst, said that he recently became the Staff Coordinator for the Medicaid Long Term Care Quality and Reimbursement Advisory Council (MLTCQRAC). The Council looks at the system of long term services and supports provided by Medicaid in congregate settings: adult foster care homes, residential care facilities, assisted living facilities, and nursing


facilities. In-home care agencies are also part of the purview. During every legislative session, the Council reviews APD’s budget, especially with regard to the reimbursement of long term service and support systems and provides recommendations upon that every two years. A second function of the Council is that during times when the Department changes the reimbursement system to Medicaid in excess of over $100,000, it seeks out advice from the Council on those changes, and the Council provides recommendations on those as well as the effect that the changes will have on the quality of long term care services and supports. The Department then forwards its changes to the Legislative Assembly and if it is during times when the legislature is not in session, it would be forwarded to the Emergency Board, otherwise to the appropriate people with the legislative assembly. Max said that the Council meets on a regular basis (two hours every other month in Salem) to review changes in the long term care service and support systems. The Council is made up of consumers and provider representatives as well as representation from GCSS. At the present time, there is no representative from GCSS on the Council, and Max asked if any Commissioner would be interested in serving. Outside of the two–hour meeting every other month, the time commitment would consist of reviewing materials prior to the meetings. The GCSS representative would be a voting member on the Council. Commissioner Keith Putman and Commissioner William Schmidt volunteered to serve. Upon approval from the Governor’s office, Commissioner Putman will serve as the GCSS representative on the Council. Commissioner Schmidt will serve as a backup to Commissioner Putman.

DISCUSSION OF OREGON CASCADES WEST COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS

(OCWCOG) FUNDING Mike McCormick, Deputy Director of APD, said that he received a letter from GCSS asking about what happened with the funding for the AAA that serves Linn, Benton, and Lincoln counties (Oregon Cascades West Council of Governments—OCWCOG). What happened is a little bit complicated, but when the Agency proposes budgets to the Governor’s office it ultimately becomes the Governor’s


recommended budget and also the Legislature’s, and they adopt certain staffing levels for different classifications. What happened with the adult protective service staff throughout the entire state system, is that it went from 148.31 full time equivalent employees to 150.31. So there was a grand total increase of 2 FTE throughout the entire state. This is despite a growing demographics of people eligible for APS services, despite growing APS investigations, and despite the increasing complexity in the levels of the investigations that are performed. And when you have 150.31 FTE, you have to have a methodology for how those FTE are allocated throughout the state which includes the offices that the state administers, like we do in Clackamas, Ontario, Burns, etc., and the AAA network which is Multnomah, NWSDS, Cascades West, and Lane Council of Governments. And so the formula applied was based upon the volume of completed adult protective service reports. To the extent that an area was completing more reports, they earned more APS staff which then disadvantaged Cascades West more than anticipated and was creating a real hardship for them. We were working on this issue even prior to receiving the letter from GCSS for how we could take 150 staff and tweak it so that Cascades West wasn’t harmed to such a degree. What happened was that the other AAAs pitched in around $500,000 to Cascades West to help prevent Cascades West from taking a cut which then left their remaining gap at $350,000. For a few weeks now, Mike has been negotiating performance standards with Cascades West’s Executive Director in that if Cascades West meets certain bench marks for timeliness for APS responses and completion of reports, then the state will pony up the remaining $350,000 shortfall. That isn’t completed yet, but Cascades West is fine with the general philosophy and approach of that; it is just the underlying details that we are going back and forth on now. A letter will be sent to Cascades West identifying a date when we will take a fresh review of all of their statistics up to date and that will either trigger an additional $350,000 contract amendment or it will not. If they fail to meet the targets, then there will be another three month waiting period, and we will look at their statistics again, and if they have met the targets, we will execute the amendment. Mike feels very confident that this is on track to be worked out fully with a good resolution. Ann McQueen asked Mike McCormick if he could briefly update the Commission on the timeline for the Lewin Group study. Mike said that the legislature wants us to come back and report on sustainability options for APD, DD, and I/DD programs


in the February legislative session. We recognize that if the Agency does this work, we are not going to have credibility, so we needed to use an external party to objectively look at what our system looks like to be able to offer independent recommendations on how the programs can be modified, if necessary, to create sustainability. So we have contracted with the Lewin Group. In January, the Lewin Group will be writing recommendations, but before they do, they want to engage stakeholders again and use the stakeholders as a sounding board. And then they will take that work and finalize their report and start working on what the presentation to the February legislative session will look like. APD prefers a slower and more methodical process for engaging stakeholders, but we are very fortunate that we were able to get stakeholder participation inserted into a timeline that was very tight. Commissioner Judy Strand thanked Mike for his leadership and for coming again to speak to the Commission.

STRATEGIC PLANNING – WORK PLANNING (CONTINUED) Conference – September 2016 Commissioner Judy Strand asked that the Commission complete their discussion on the 2016 conference. As a starting point, Judy suggested that a conference be held where the Commission start with a high level review of the recommendations from the 2015 WHCOA and the OWHCOA. After that there could be a panel response by the Commissioners to the recommendations that were presented. Additionally, key concerns that need to be considered going forward could be discussed such as the possible 10% cost reduction to services, what is ahead for us in the next five to ten years, and the aging population. At the end of the session, there could be a Q&A session with the Governor and other key leaders to show that the Commission is asking questions and engaging other people in our communities. Commissioner Jim Davis said that this is good, but it does not represent what has been done in past policy conferences. Jim suggested that the major issues that will be coming up in the next legislative session should be discussed at the conference, whether by a panel or otherwise, but the conference outlined above does not allow for the attendees to break up into groups to come up with any recommendations or prioritize issues. This session would be nice, but it does not


allow for an opportunity for the group to set advocacy goals, prioritize issues, and come up with action plans for the next legislative session. Commissioner Charles Richards said that in his terms as a Commissioner that the Commission has had a tendency to go all over the board as we have so many topics to deal with. Charles thinks that it would be better to concentrate on one particular subject, making it the key topic of the conference because the advantage to that is that you can see movement. You will know whether or not you are actually impacting the problem as it stands. Attending a conference where it goes from one subject to another subject, barely touching on one, there is no feeling of accomplishment. Commissioner Judy Strand said that the panel could comment on the priorities that we see as a group and bring our highest priorities forward. It would be different than having a group that comes in set the priorities. She just doesn’t think that GCSS has the band width to do what you Jim was suggesting. She wants to figure out where how the Commission shows its progress and stays true in actions moving forward. Most people don’t know what GCSS does. Commissioner Jim Davis said if this is going to be a Commission event, and not a coalition or collaborative event as I would have envisioned, but groups getting together and the Commission leading the charge as in the past, if this is just a Commission event, then I have no problem with this. It is not what I would envision, but if this is for the Commission to push our priorities, then that is okay. There are two different visions here. We are not going to achieve in the past what we did with these kinds of conferences. Commissioner Ken Viegas said that he would like to second Chuck’s comments primarily because, for any of these groups, it is essentially important to present something where you can show progress. Otherwise, you end up wondering, “What did we do?” I have been in a lot of these groups and have come to the conclusion that the important thing is to prioritize, and to not just speak about priorities, but to take on something that we think we can have some success with. Ann McQueen said that if you are talking about work that the Commission has done in the past to try to highlight, there is a portion of the Commission’s work that has to do with retirement security which relates to what happened at OWHOA and


some work that we have done that we can follow up with. We could go back to those recommendations and pick out one thing from each of those topic areas and focus on that. Then in the afternoon session, attendees could come together around those areas and talk about what is the next step. Ann also added that it is important for the Commission to remember what work is being done outside of this Commission and where you can collaborate. For example, the Commission has put a lot of work into Senate Bill 21 which is based upon APD going out into communities and hearing from the people. That is why the response was so heavy on the “transportation” issue. The recommendations that we got back from WHCOA align quite well with Senate Bill 21, and caregiving was one of those. We could talk about caregiving and/or get into respite. We could talk about transportation. Another issue that could be discussed is retirement security that the Commission’s workforce workgroup has been involved with. Commissioner Suzette Boydston added that she thinks that there are many barriers to any type of health care, mental health care, any services, and how the consumers get there. Housing with services would be the answer to a lot of issues and would eliminate transportation from being the primary issue. Suzette feels that a possible topic to be addressed is “access to services.” After much discussion, the Commission decided that a subcommittee would be formed to plan the framework for the next conference and send out its recommendations to the Commissioners within five weeks. Ken Dudley, Judy Strand, Jim Davis, Leroy Patton, Suzette Boydston, and William Schmidt volunteered to work on the subcommittee. This subcommittee is only assigned the task of submitting a framework for the next conference. Another subcommittee may actually plan the meeting. Leroy Patton added that the Commission should have a “focus” that it follow up on. You can see the footprint where we have been and where we are going. That would mean that we would eliminate all of the side issues that we are trying to solve. The Commission needs a main topic to follow whether it be access, transportation, or whatever we decide it is, and every meeting should address it. Where we going? What have we done? What are we doing? We still need to address the other issues because that is why we are here.


LIAISON REPORTS Oregon Home Care Commission Commission Ruth McEwen presented a “Worker Classification Workforce Development Committee Report” dated November 16, 2015, prepared for the Legislature by the Oregon Home Care Commission (OHCC). Other information/fliers that Ruth shared included the OHCC Registry, Steps to Success, and Worker Training News. Ruth also said that she attended a meeting of the Emergency Preparedness Committee where she received a “Ready Book” prepared by OHCC which includes emergency preparedness measures for seniors and caregivers. Ruth also said that OHCC has made a universal provider number and single entry online application for homecare workers. Commissioner Judy Strand asked the GCSS Commissioners if they would be interested in a presentation from the Oregon Home Care Commission and they agreed that they would. Ruth will give Ann the name of the contact person with OHCC to arrange for that.

Oregon Disability Commission Commissioner Jim Davis attended the latest Oregon Disability Commission’s (ODC) meeting and reported that they discussed parking accessibility for people with disabilities, especially when roads are closed, making access to certain buildings difficult. Other reports were received from the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Services, Council on Developmental Disabilities, Oregon Home Care Commission, Building Code Structures Board, local Advisory Committees, and the State Rehabilitation Council. Jim reported that ODC is interested in having liaison attend GCSS meetings. Ann reported that she had talked with Sherry Stock, Chair of ODC, who will become the liaison from ODC and will attend the Commission’s February meeting.

Long Term Care Ombudsman Commissioner Charles Richards attended a meeting of the Long Term Care Ombudsman and said that they have hired Fred Steele as the Agency Director who is in the process of hiring 70 more staff. The Long Term Care Ombudsman program assists individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities and


mental health conditions with advocacy related to residential care issues. Ann added that Fred will speak to the Commission at the February meeting.

Campaign for Oregon’s Seniors and People with Disabilities Commissioner Jonathan Bartholomew reported that the Campaign for Oregon’s Seniors and People with Disabilities is seeking a representative from the GCSS membership. The “Campaign” primarily speaks as one voice on budget issues and meets quarterly in Tigard. Commissioner Victoria Blachly volunteered to serve and Commissioner Judy Strand agreed to serve as a backup to Victoria.

Membership Update Ann McQueen said that Commissioner Mary Rita Hurley took a job in Washington, D.C., so the Commission needs to elect a member to replace her position on the Executive Committee. Judy asked for volunteers and/or nominees to fill Mary’s position. Commissioner Kenneth Dudley volunteered; Commissioner Ruth McEwen was nominated. Votes were cast; Kenneth Dudley will serve as Mary Rita’s replacement on the Executive Committee. Ann McQueen said that a replacement for Senator Jeff Kruse for membership on the Commission is being considered; a replacement should be announced by the February Commission meeting.

Location of Commission Meeting Commissioner Judy Strand said that the Commission has talked about going to a rural Oregon community to hold a Commission meeting where local people can attend. It was suggested that the meeting also be in a setting with poverty, tribal communities, and cultural diversity. The following cities were rated on these and several other attributes.


Cities/Areas Considered for Commission Meetings

Cit

y/A

rea

Co

as

tal

Cu

ltu

ral

Div

ers

ity

Fre

e M

ee

tin

g

Sp

ac

e

Hig

h N

um

be

r

of

Se

nio

rs

Hig

h S

uic

ide

Rate

Ho

us

ing

Iso

late

d

Po

or

Wh

ite

Pe

op

le

Po

ve

rty

Ru

ral

Tri

ba

l

Ve

tera

ns

Ad

min

.

Bend area X X X

Coos Bay X X X X X X

Cottage Grove X X

Klamath Falls X X X X X

Newport X X X X

Northern Coast X X X X X

Pendleton area X X X X X

Roseburg X X X X X

Through a vote of the Commissioners, Pendleton was chosen as the first choice with Coos Bay coming in second. The April Commission meeting will be held in Pendleton, and the October meeting will be held in Coos Bay. It was suggested that when choosing a meeting place that the economic level of all people in the community be considered.

UPDATE ON STATE PLANNING PROCESS Commissioner Ken Viegas reported that he attended a meeting of the Senior Services Advisory Council, Lane Council of Governments, where they have been discussing ways to have some influence on the development of the structure of areas plans. Ken also attended a State Unit on Aging meeting where the structure of area plans was also discussed. Ken feels that this is a very important issue that the Commission needs to be involved with.


Ann McQueen said that the State Plan Timeline for GCSS involvement in area plans is in the meeting packet on Page 50. Ann encouraged all Commissioners to attend area plan meetings in their local vicinities so that input could be given prior to the plans being submitted to the state. A list of all AAA District Offices including contact names, addresses, and phone numbers were listed on Pages 51 – 54 of the meeting packet.

UPDATE ON VOLUNTEER WORKGROUP Commissioner Judy Strand said that with the resignation of Mary Rita Hurley that the Volunteer Workgroup has dissolved.

UPDATE ON WORKFORCE WORKGROUP Paul and Ann are still trying to connect with Elana Pirtle-Guiney, the Governor’s workforce policy advisor. Several members of the work group have been distributing the group’s policy brief to people they know, and it is still being disseminated.

FINAL COMMENTS AND THOUGHTS Commissioner Charles Richards said that he attended a National Silver Haired Congress meeting in Las Vegas and learned that Commissions in other states are sending out groups of three to five Commissioners into communities to speak with the local residents about any number of issues which makes it much easier than getting a large group together. Commissioner Keith Putman commented that he met with Senator Richard Devlin and discussed the Oregon initiative process, in particular, where the Oregon Constitution prevents two separate concepts from being presented in the same piece of legislation: for example, a bill that enacts and also addresses the financial aspect. Keith concluded from his conversation with Senator Devlin that the legislature is very well aware of this and there is much discussion taking place in the legislature with this issue. Keith assured the Commission that this issue is in good hands and that the Commission can put it to rest.


Commissioner Judy Strand stated that since the Volunteer Workgroup is not active at the present time, that the Commission might want to focus on intergenerational opportunities - that was one of the Governor’s priorities presented by Dani Ledezma in the morning session of the Commission meeting. Judy suggested having a panel presentation at a Commission meeting with various people speaking about their work with different intergenerational concepts. Several suggestions were made by the Commissioners as to who might qualify as a panelist. Ann McQueen mentioned that she is a member of the Steering Committee for Making Oregon Vital for Elders (MOVE) which is a coalition of organizations and individuals united in changing the way Oregonians feel about health and long term care for older adults. MOVE is pressuring long term care communities to becoming more person-centered in their services. MOVE is holding a 10th Year Anniversary Celebration and Education Event entitled, “Issues of Choice and Challenge.” The event focuses on balancing the quality of life with safety and risk. A panel will be speaking that includes Terri Harvath, Vassar Bryd, Ana Potter, Dick Weinman, and Matt Smith. The event will be held on January 11, 1:00 – 4:00 pm, at the Wellspring Conference Center in Woodburn. Ann encouraged the Commissioners to pass the flier information (on Page 55 of the meeting packet) onto others who might be interested in attending. Ann also said that she circulated a schedule of GCSS 2016 meetings which also includes the Executive Committee sessions.

ADJOURNMENT

The meeting adjourned at 2:40 p.m.

governor s commission on senior services · 15/10/2012 · staff: rebecca arce, max brown, ... juan...

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