Bo Co Coalition Minutes of August 2

Bourbon County Inter-Agency Coalition

General Membership Meeting Minutes

 

August 2, 2023

 

 

1. Welcome:  21 members representing 15 agencies attended.  Billie Jo noted that she would forward messages from Megan Rogers, Safehouse Crisis Center, and Sandy Haggard, RSVP, who were not able to attend.  Sandy is needing volunteers to help with the August 17 and 18 Red Cross Blood Drive to be held at Buck Run Community Center; contact her at 620-432-0422 or shaggard@neosho.edu.

 

2. Member Introductions and Announcements:

• Rachel Carpenter, LHEAT: The transportation program through SEK CAP will launch in Fort Scott/Bourbon County on August 28 on a three day per week schedule.  Please complete the online survey to ensure hours that will provide for the greatest needs.  HBCAT will have a children’s business fair on September 30 at the Farmers’ Market.
• Tammy Alcantar, Crawford County Health Department: Prenatal classes will be starting on Monday, August 7, at the Crawford County Health Center, 410 East Atkissson, Pittsburg.
• Elizabeth Schafer, CASA and Pioneer Kiwanis: These organizations are always in need of volunteers.
• Megan Rogers, Safehouse: Megan was not able to attend, but sent her information through email.  Members can also access www.safehousesek.org.
• Stephanie Herring, Family Resource Center: Stephanie works with families in their homes to help them find the resources they need.
• Heather Shepherd, CHC SEK Community Health Worker: Heather will be working in USD 234 spending two half days in each building.  In cooperation with SparkWheel, she is conducting a clothing and backpack drive from August 2 through August 16 to help provide essential items to schools.  For more information contact Heather at 620-704-8109.
• Amy Hagan, CHC SEK Community Health Worker: Amy conducts home visits to help with resources and applications.
• Lea Kay Karleskint, K-State Snap Education: She is the liaison between the food program at CHC and K-State. The “Families Eating Smart and Saving Money” class will be held in Chanute beginning next week. September’s program will be “Food Equals Health” which stresses that anyone can improve himself by eating better; this class requires a referral from a PCP.
• Lindsey McNeil, COPE: Lindsey primarily works with the homeless.  At present in Fort Scott, we have seven homeless people living on the street and ten others who are couch surfing.
• DeeDee LeFever, Greenbush Community Liaison: DeeDee matches needs with resources.  At present, autism testing in most places is several months away.
• Megan Smith, CHC Family Resource specialist: Megan works mostly with pregnant individuals.
• Shanna Willey, CHC: Shanna provides in-clinic help finding resources and completing various applications, etc.
• Patty Simpson, FSHA: – Still taking applications but the waiting list for all size units is 3-6 months.
• Tori Lewis, Mental Health Center: Tori works with the homeless and those about to be homeless.  The Center is working toward having a housing specialist in Bourbon County.
• Kathy Romero, Angels Care Home Health: At present they have 180 patients; 40 are in in Bourbon County. A strength of their program is the Behavioral Health program.
• Travis Wilcoxsin, Angels Care Home Health: Reminded members that they cannot take patients that have Medicaid as their primary insurance.

 

3. Program:  We were privileged to have two excellent programs.  First, Cynthia Tucker with Loving Grace explained that Loving Grace is a home that aims to embrace every woman with the love of Christ to educate them with the tools they need to succeed and live an empowered life.  Loving Grace is located at 1408 Euclid Avenue, Joplin, MO 64801.  The facility works with 18-24 year old women and has the capacity for eight young women.  The program lasts from 18 to 21 months and provides save housing, educational assistance, career guidance, personal coaching, professional counseling, case management and meals.  For more information call 417-218-8255 or peruse the website at https://lovingrace.org.

 

April Jackson, Addition Prevention & Recovery Resources Director with Thrive Allen County, gave a brief overview of the SEK Substance Misuse Prevention Coalition.  The coalition’s mission is to provide leadership and share expertise in reducing morbidity and mortality associated with SUD/OUD in our communities by strengthening the capacity of collaboration for prevention, treatment, and recovery resources.

 

Since September, 2021, the Coalition has served 14 residents at the SEK Recovery House.  The Recovery House is only for males and has only five beds, but the Coalition is working on purchasing property to expand the program.

 

The Coalition will be offering the newly grant funded six-week class, “Smart Recovery,” beginning in September.  April also encouraged members to attend the conference in Kansas City which will include author Trish Luna who wrote “Lambi Learns About Addiction.  For more information on these things contact April at april@thriveallencounty.org or call 620-380-6823.

 

April then described how to tell if a person is suffering from a drug overdose and distributed and demonstrated how to administer Naloxone for overdose prevention.  Naloxone is certainly needed due to the amount of Fentinol on the streets and is now approved for OTC distribution.  April is available to give the full Naloxone training to those who wish to complete the course and obtain certification.

 

4. Open Forum:  Nothing further came before the membership; when the September program is confirmed, it will be announced.

 

 

5. Adjournment:  The next General Membership meeting will be September 6.