PARTICIPANTS

Members Present:  Joe Domino, Achilles Malta, Bill Hayes, Chris Farmer, Alycia Williams-Marshall, Al Henson, Art Kale, Nidia Wolf

Staff Present:  Terry Langston

MEETING MINUTES

DECISION/ACTION

• Review of Coalition Plans – Langston, Domingo went over Coalition’s Annual Plans for FY 13. Discussion ensued regarding activities and how specific areas would be implemented. Kale moved to adopt the plan with changes as noted (language changes in goals 2, 3, and 5, supported by Peters.

• Committee Assignments – Peters, Langston shared ideas regarding how to view committee assignments. Langston conducted an activity asking members to put their names next to activities they would like to help implement.

• Marijuana Legalization – Langston distributed 2 articles regarding recent ballot proposals being approved regarding usage of marijuana in four communities in Michigan and several states beyond medicinal purposes. Discussion centered on usage in the Albion community, how best to address the issue, and ways to engage youth and adults in solving the problem. Discussion also included data from the most recent MiPHY Survey. Malta spoke of the need to ensure that training around this topic is provided to the Coalition as well as information shared with community members. He encouraged the Coalition to utilize the services of Ken Stacker, noted expert in Michigan on the medical marijuana as well as marijuana in general.

• Award Program – Langston shared that October Award program was great. He talked about the awards provided including to several members of the Coalition.

• Community Data Forum/Workshop – Langston noted that he was still working on this, looking at schedules and trying to look at potential speakers. The group would like to focus conversation/discussion on MiPHY data as well as other data in the county related to substance abuse. Langston noted he is working to get Dr. Cindy Cook from the Calhoun County ISD, Dr. Kyleen Gray from Venture Behavioral Health. We may be able to include Sara Barnhardt from the Health Department as well.

• CA Changes – Malta shared a memo from Lynda Zeller, Deputy Director, Behavioral Health and Development Disabilities Administration regarding a regional map for CA reconfiguration noting changes are coming, we are just not clear how things are going to change and the timetable. We likely would consolidate with Venture Behavioral Health, one county will loose (in terms of the current counties in our region) and another county will come in. More to come.

• Wolf shared that AHCA will host their holiday benefit ball on November 30, 2012.