Minutes of the Executive Committee Meeting
April 16, 2004

Members Present:  Drs. Barton, Danielson, Emmons, Fassler, Kalibat, McMains, and Weker; and Jessa Block, VMS.

Minutes:  The minutes of the March Executive Committee Meeting were approved. The minutes of the VPA Annual Spring Meeting were amended to include information about the presenters at the workshop on Psychiatry Challenged by Disaster and Terrorism. Lewis Josephson, Ph.D. is the Assistant Commissioner for Child and Adolescent Services at the New York City Department of Health and Hygiene. Anthony Ing, M.D. is chair of the APA Committee on Psychiatric Dimensions of Disasters. Jeff Toorish is President of Message Strategy Group in Maine. The minutes as amended were approved.

Announcements: 

1.         The VPA will hold a Risk Management Seminar for Psychiatrists, to be presented by Neil Mickenberg, Esq. on Saturday, May 22, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (including lunch) at the Equinox Resort in Manchester. Those interested in attending may contact Jessa Block at the VMS.

 

2.         A Media Training will be held on Saturday, June 5 from 9 a.m. -12 noon to enhance the abilities of VPA members to interact with the media. Jeff Toorish, media consultant and former television and newspaper correspondent, will conduct the training. The tentative location for the training will be the Mist Grill in Waterbury. Breakfast and lunch will be served.

Reports: 

No reports were presented.

Old Business:

1.         VPA Membership:  Dr. McKay has submitted his resignation as chair of the Membership Committee. The Executive Committee expressed its appreciation of his work. Dr. McMains agreed to assume that role following the end of his presidency term next month. The Executive Committee will focus on this issue at its next meeting.

2.         Extending the Medicaid Formulary Exemption for Medications for the Severe and Persistently Mentally Ill:  Ms. Block reported that the legislature will take up this bill during the next 1-2 weeks.

3.         Ritalin:  Several APA members as well as other physicians met with Representative Lisa Kirker about her proposed legislation concerning prescribing of Ritalin to children. The participants recounted their success in educating Rep. Kirker as to the underlying issues. Her proposed legislation is not moving forward.

4.         NAMI presentation at UVM: The UVM branch of NAMI has requested that the VPA provide some funding support for a program this May. It was moved, seconded and passed that the APA make a donation of $100.

New Business:

1.         Legislative Update: Ms. Block presented the following actions of interest:

a.    Budget Bill: Sec. 141 would establish a commission on funding of community-base developmental and mental health services. This measure would set up a study commission to visit the structure and funding of these services in a comprehensive fashion. It has passed out of the House and is being considered by the Senate.

b.    Strategic Plan for Mental Health Services: An as-yet-unintroduced act to develop a strategic mental health plan, and to create a legislative oversight committee to oversee development and implementation of that plan. Its future is uncertain.

The Executive Committee perceives that the essential phenomenon behind these global bills is that governmental expenditures on mental health services in Vermont have increased significantly over the past decade, while the availability of services has diminished. It is likely that in one guise or another, the legislature will set up a study committee to study this trend and other aspects of the mental health system in Vermont in comprehensive fashion (including the role and future of Vermont State Hospital). The Executive Committee discussed the importance of the VPA participating in any such study.