ALASKA
PSYCHIATRIC INSTITUTE
A Public In-patient
Hospital Serving Alaska’s Community Mental Health System
2900 Providence Drive Anchorage, AK 99508 A Department of Health
& Social Services Agency
Phone:
907-269-7100 Fax: 907-269-7251 Division of Mental Health &
Developmental Disabilities
MEMORANDUM
DATE: February
28, 2000
TO: All
Interested Persons, Providers, Mental Health Advocacy Organizations,
the
Alaska Mental Health Board, and the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority
FROM: Yvonne Chase
Chairperson
API
Governing Body
SUBJECT: Notice of Solicitation for New
Public Members to the API Governing Body
This memorandum is written to advise you that the Governing Body of the Alaska Psychiatric Institute (API) has adopted substantially revised bylaws, including revisions to the section of the bylaws that describe the make-up of the Governing Body. These changes to the Governing Body’s membership have been made to open the hospital to more involvement from the community, generally, and to more mental health consumers, specifically.
In
addition, the changes were adopted as a part of the ongoing work being done by
API and its Governing Body in response to the API Quality Assurance Committee
report and DHSS Commissioner Perdue’s subsequent policy memorandum on the
report.
The
changes adopted by the bylaws will be fully implemented in June of this year,
allowing for a period of transition from the present make-up of the Governing
Body to the reconfigured board.
The
purpose of this notice is to solicit interest in service on the API Governing
Body. As you can see from the attached
sheet, while the number of members has remained the same (11), the
configuration of Governing Body membership has changed. As a result of the bylaw change, there are
now a total of six public member seats; further, three of the six public member seats will now be held by consumers of
mental health services.
The bylaws have been written generically. While the bylaws provide that three of the public members are consumers, the bylaws do not specify gender, race, or place of residency. However, it is the stated sense of the Governing Body that there is a preference for primary consumers, but secondary consumers (family members) are certainly welcome to apply for membership. In addition, with respect to family members of consumers, please know that the Commissioner, in her memorandum implementing the API Q A Report, indicated that at least one of the three consumer members she appoints to the Governing Body will be the parent of an adolescent consumer.
Under these scenarios, then,
please be aware that the Governing Body is currently seeking to fill a total of
five public member seats on the Governing Body, with three of those five seats
to be filled through the appointment of two primary consumers of mental health
services and the parent of an adolescent consumer.
The
other two public members may come from any field of endeavor, although the
bylaws state affirmatively that “the membership of the Governing Body should be
representative of Alaska’s indigenous and diverse population.” In
addition, you should be aware that the Governing Body is looking for rural
representation from within its new members, including the consumer
members.
I
am writing to ask your assistance in recruiting interested and qualified
persons to serve as public members on the Governing Body.
Please share this memorandum with any individual you believe would be interested in serving as a public member on the Governing Body or whom you believe would be an asset to the API Governing Body.
Any person interested should submit a letter of interest, explaining their interest in API and inpatient treatment issues. All letters of interest must be received no later than April 14, 2000.
Prospective members should know that the Governing Body meets approximately six times a year for half-day meetings, although some meetings last a full day. An informational packet is available for persons interested in appointment to the Governing Body. This packet includes:
·
a
copy of the API Quality Assurance Committee Report, entitled “Transforming
API: A New Vision of Alaska’s Mental
Health System”;
·
the
policy memorandum from Commissioner
Perdue implementing the report’s recommendations;
·
the
most recent (1997) API annual report (we are little behind!);
·
the
outdated (but presently being revised) API Strategic Plan; and
·
a
copy of recent board meeting minutes.
Copies of these documents, as well as a copy of the amended bylaws, are available from Shannon Carpenter at API (call 907-269-7106 or use Email at Shannon_Carpenter@health.state.ak.us).
The
Governing Body, at its next regularly scheduled meeting on April 21, 2000, will
provide an opportunity for persons interested in serving on the GB to talk with
present Governing Body members about their interest in serving on the board and
will be available to answer any questions a candidate might have about service.
Page
Three – February 28, 2000
At
this same April meeting, the Governing Body will review all the letters of
interest received from persons interested in serving on the Governing Body and
make its recommendations for appointments to Commissioner Perdue.
The
Commissioner has agreed to act on these recommendations by the end of May, so
that the new members may attend the June 23rd meeting of the
Governing Body. The June meeting will
include orientation for all newly appointed members, and will include all
present and/outgoing members, in addition to the new members, in order to
provide for an orderly transition and give outgoing members an opportunity to
share their views and meet their replacements.
To recap, here is what a candidate for a vacancy on the Governing Body needs to know:
·
A
letter of interest must be submitted by anyone interested in appointment to the
API Governing Body; the letter of interest should explain the person’s interest
in serving on the board and specifically state to which of the five vacant
seats the person seeks appointment (3
public/consumer seats, 2 general public seats); rural residency, gender, and
race would also be of value, if a candidate is willing to share that
information in the letter.
·
The
letter must be received at API no later than 4:30 p.m. on April 14, 2000.
·
An
opportunity for candidates to speak with the Governing Body will occur during
the April 21st Governing Body meeting (this can be done in person or by
telephone); participation in this session is not mandatory and is only offered to
assist interested persons in learning more about Governing Body membership.
·
Recommendations
for appointments to the board will be made by the Governing Body on April 28th,
with Commissioner action on appointments expected by June 1.
If
there are any questions regarding these matters, please do not hesitate to
contact myself (269-4607), any other member of the Governing Body, or Shannon
Carpenter or Randall Burns at API.
Present Membership New Membership (Effective July 1,
2000)
1. Yvonne Chase, Chair Ms. Chase’s seat, presently a seat
identified for a
State Employee Member State employee, will now become a public member
(907-269-4607) position; Ms. Chase will vacate this
position after
the transitional Governing
Body meeting in June
2. Nettie Scott, Public Member This
seat will become vacant, as Ms. Scott’s second
(907-258-3973) term will expire in June; it remains
a public seat
3. Mim Chapman, Public Member This
seat has become vacant, as Ms. Chapman is
resigning; it remains a public seat
4. Vacant, Public Member This seat became vacant in December,
with the
resignation of Scot Wheat;
it remains a public seat
5. Helen B. Andon, Public Member Ms.
Andon will continue in this public
seat; her
(907-729-3513) present terms expires 9/30/2001
6. Jane Barnes, API Director of Nursing Ms. Barnes’ position, presently a seat for a member
(907-269-7190) of
API’s clinical staff, will become a public
member seat after the transitional June meeting
7. Susan Humphrey-Barnett, This
seat remains a position representing
the
representing the Alaska Mental Health interests of the AMHB,
but the Board needs
has expired
8. Wayne McCollum, representing the This
seat remains a position representing
the
Alaska Community Mental Health interests of the ACMHSA;
Mr. McCollum’s
(907-456-9746)
9. Karl Brimner (DMH&DD Director), Mr. Brimner sits on the Governing Body as the
Commissioner’s Designee Commissioner’s designee; the
Commissioner’s
(907-465-3370) seat
(or a designee) will continue on the GB and Mr. Brimner will continue to
represent Commissioner Perdue on the Governing Body
10. Terry Osback, M.D., API Medical Dr. Osback has a seat on the API
Governing Body
Director (907-269-7150) as
the API medical director; he will
continue
serve
in this position on the Governing Body
11. Randall Burns, API Chief Executive Mr. Burns has a seat on the API
Governing Body
Officer (907-269-7105) as
the API CEO; he will continue to
serve in
this
position on the Governing Body