[00:00:05]
[CALL TO ORDER]
AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION MEETING.AND, UM, CHAIR WALLACE IS NOT ABLE TO BE WITH US TODAY, SO AS VICE CHAIR, I'LL SIT IN HIS CHAIR.
AND, UM, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
REQUESTS FOR PUBLIC SPEAKERS? HEARING NONE.[1. Approve the minutes of the Public Health Commission Regular Meeting on July 10, 2024.]
AGENDA ITEM ONE, WHICH IS APPROVAL OF MINUTES.IS THERE, UM, A MOTION TO APPROVE MINUTES FROM JULY 10 MEETING? SO MOVED.
IS THIS WHERE I CAN, RIGHT, EXACTLY.
ARE THERE ANY DIRECTIONS, COMMENTS, OR OTHER OTHERWISE IMPROVEMENTS YES.
COULD I BE ADDED TO BEING PRESENT? IT'S EXACTLY.
IN THE DISCUSSIONS ON THE MOTION, AND SHE SAID, CARA SAID THAT PLEASE ADD HER AS THE ATTENDEE OR ONE OF THE ATTENDEES FROM LAST TIME.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS? CORRECTIONS, IF NOT ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
[2. Discuss the presentation on opioids given to the Travis County Commissioners.]
IS A DISCUSSION OF THE PRESENTATION ON OPIOIDS GIVEN TO THE TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, WHICH IS, UM, A FAIRLY, UM, SIGNIFICANT DOCUMENT THAT WE'VE RECEIVED, COMMENT OR RATHER, UH, COPIES OF, AND ALSO A SYNOPSIS OF SEVERAL PAGES.UM, ARE THERE THOUGHTS AND DISCUSSION ITEMS TO BRING FORTH? I FEEL LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF THOUGHTS, BUT I GUESS IN THE SCOPE OF OUR WORK, WHAT ARE WE ABLE TO DO WITH THIS INFORMATION? BECAUSE IT IS QUITE A BIT.
SO I THINK I'M KIND OF CURIOUS, LIKE, BASED UPON THIS, WHAT IS WITHIN OUR REALM OF RESPONSIBILITIES AND POWER TO BE ABLE TO TAKE THIS INFORMATION AND CREATE ACTIONS WITH IT? SO I'M OPENING THAT QUESTION UP.
YOU ARE, I WANTED TO INTRODUCE LAURA AND COURTNEY LUCAS, WHO ARE HERE FROM OKAY, PERFECT.
COURTNEY LUCAS AND LAURA PTU ARE HERE FROM TRAVIS COUNTY HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THE PRESENTATION THAT WAS GIVEN A COUPLE WEEKS AGO.
UM, I THINK, I MEAN, YOU GUYS MIGHT HAVE SOME SUGGESTIONS.
YOU, YOU ALL HAVE, UM, YOU ALL HAVE HAD SEVERAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC INPUT.
YOU WANNA TELL 'EM A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT AND HOW YOU'RE WORKING WITH THE CITY? MM-HMM.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING US HERE THIS AFTERNOON, AND PLEASE INTERRUPT IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AS I RAMBLE ON.
UM, SO ONCE, UH, THE, IN 2022, MAY OF 2022, A PUBLIC HEALTH DECLARATION, UH, WAS, UH, ISSUED BY THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT, AND THAT BEGA BEGAN OUR WORK AROUND OPIOID ABATEMENT.
AND COURTNEY AND I HAVE BEEN WORKING COLLABORATIVELY WITH OTHER INDIVIDUALS ACROSS, UH, THE COUNTY, UH, AS WELL AS THE CITY OF AUSTIN AT AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH AND THEN CENTRAL HEALTH TO ADDRESS THE, UH, OPIOID, UH, OVERDOSE AND DEATH CRISIS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, DURING THE YEARS OF 22, UH, THROUGH 23, WE'VE HAD QUITE A FEW COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES WHERE WE WENT OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY, MET WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE IMPACTED BY THE OPIOID CRISIS, FENTANYL, UH, INDIVIDUALS IN RECOVERY, UH, INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE ACTIVE USERS, FAMILY MEMBERS WHO LOST LOVED ONES TO GET THEIR INPUT AND, AND GUIDANCE AROUND HOW WE CAN ADDRESS, UH, OPIOIDS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, AND FROM THAT INFORMATION THAT WE RECEIVED, WE PUT TOGETHER A, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THE COURT APPROVE FOR INVESTMENTS, UH, UTILIZING BOTH, UH, OPIOID ABATEMENT FUNDS AND THEN, UH, GENERAL FUND DOLLARS FROM, UH, THE TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONER COURT HAD ALLOCATED.
UM, I DO WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT BECAUSE, UH, OPIOID SETTLEMENT DOLLARS COMES TO VOTE TO GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES.
SO TRAVIS COUNTY RECEIVES OPIOID ABATEMENT DOLLARS, THE CITY OF AUSTIN DOES AS WELL, AND CENTRAL HEALTH.
SO IT BECAME REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE HAD A STRONG COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIP ACROSS ALL THREE GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES AND THAT WE WORKED, DUPLICATING OUR WORK OR STEPPING ON TOP OF EACH OTHER AS WE DID THE WORK.
UM, AND SO, UH, UH, CASSIE DE LEON AND STEPHANIE HEALTHMAN WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, UM, FACILITATE A MONTHLY MEETING
[00:05:01]
WHERE ALL CRITICAL INDIVIDUALS COME TOGETHER, REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE COUNTY, COURTNEY AND MYSELF.UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE OTHER CITY FOLKS, AND THEN WE HAVE CENTRAL HEALTH, AND WE TALK ABOUT WHAT OUR EFFORTS ARE, WHERE WE'RE INVESTING.
UM, WE TALK ABOUT SHARED SPACE, UH, IN THAT INVESTMENT AND HOW WE CAN COLLABORATE IN THAT WORK.
IT'S BEEN AN INCREDIBLY VALUABLE CROSS, UM, ENTITY ENGAGEMENT, UM, AND REAL, REAL RESOURCE RICH.
WE'VE LEARNED FROM EACH OTHER'S WORK, UM, AND BEEN ABLE TO IMPROVE OUR WORK.
SO WANTED TO ASSURE THE COMMISSION THAT WE HAVE A STRONG COLLABORATIVE ENGAGEMENT ACROSS THOSE ENTITIES TO, TO MINIMIZE THE DUPLICATION.
UM, WHEN WE HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY, UM, THERE WERE SEVERAL AREAS, UH, WE KIND OF HAVE A LAUNDRY LIST OF AREAS OF INVESTMENT OR, UM, AREAS OF FOCUS THAT THEY WOULD RECOMMEND.
UM, IT'S A LITTLE LONG, BUT I'LL READ THROUGH IT FAIRLY QUICKLY.
UM, ONE WAS THE, UH, INCREASE TO MEDICATION ASSISTED TREATMENT, INCLUDING INJECTABLES.
W CAN TALK MORE ABOUT WHAT THAT IS SPECIFICALLY, AND DR.
WACHS, MAYBE I'LL PAUSE AND YOU CAN JUST EXPLAIN WHAT MEDICATION ASSISTED TREATMENT IS AND INJECTABLES ARE IF YOU WANNA JUMP IN.
UM, SO THERE'S A, UH, CURRENTLY PROGRAM THAT'S, SORRY.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE A MEDICATION ASSISTED TREATMENT PROGRAM THAT'S VERY SUCCESSFUL THAT PEOPLE, UM, IN THE COMMUNITY ARE ENROLLED IN.
UM, AS OF OUR LAST COMMUNICATION FROM THE PROVIDERS THAT ARE PROVIDING THAT, UM, THERE'S NOT BEEN A WAITING LIST SITUATION, SO THAT'S GOOD.
UM, THERE IS A LONG-ACTING INJECTABLE MEDICATION THAT'S AVAILABLE.
UM, IT'S VERY EXPENSIVE, UH, LASTS FOR A MONTH AND TREATMENT IS USUALLY FOR NINE TO 12 MONTHS.
AND WE'RE, UM, LOOKING INTO WAYS THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO FUND THAT, UM, GOING FORWARD, UM, PARTICULARLY FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE TRANSITIONING FROM INCARCERATION, UM, INTO BACK INTO, UM, THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
SO, UM, MORE TO COME ON THAT AS WE DEVELOP THAT PROGRAM.
W UM, SENSE OF HOW MANY PEOPLE WOULD BE IN THAT PROGRAM AND THOSE KINDS OF PROGRAMS. THANK YOU.
I JUST, I'M ALWAYS WONDERING KINDA LIKE HOW BIG OR, YOU KNOW, AS YOU TELL US THINGS, HOW MANY AND ET CETERA.
SO I JUST WONDERED ACROSS THE COUNTY AND CITY.
SO THERE ARE FOUR ENTITIES IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT ARE, UM, PROVIDING, UM, MAYBE FIVE MEDICATION ASSISTED TREATMENT, UM, THREE OF WHICH ARE PROVIDING METHADONE TREATMENT.
SO METHADONE HAS, YEAH, IS HAS A SPECIFIC, UM, FDA REQUIREMENTS, UM, AROUND THE, UH, AND DEA REQUIREMENTS AROUND DISTRIBUTION AND UTILIZATION OF METHADONE.
UM, SO THERE ARE ONLY THREE ORGANIZATIONS IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT CAN PROVIDE METHADONE.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER, UM, UM, MEDICATION ASSISTED TREATMENTS SUCH AS SUBOXONE CAN BE PROVIDED, UM, UNDER THE CARE OF A PHYSICIAN WHO HAS THE RIGHT CREDENTIALS AND TRAINING TO DO SO.
AND THERE ARE MULTIPLE LOCATIONS WHERE THAT CAN BE PROVIDED.
COMMUNITY CARE, UM, HAS, UH, OUTLETS FOR THAT, UM, AS WELL AS OTHER, UH, INDEPENDENT PROVIDERS IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, SO FOR THOSE THAT HAVE LIMITED RESOURCES AND ACCESS, UM, COMMUNITY CARE WOULD BE ONE LOCATION.
INTEGRAL CARE WOULD BE ANOTHER LOCATION.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE, UH, COMMUNITY MEDICAL SERVICES, UH, IS A LOCATION, OUR COMMUNITY, AND THEN ADDICTION AND PSYCHOTHERAPY SERVICES, BECAUSE I CAN NEVER REMEMBER THAT TOO.
WAX, AM I FORGETTING ANYBODY ELSE THAT WE WOULD WANNA HIGHLIGHT? BUT I THINK THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT, THAT ARE THE PRIORITIES THAT ARE DISPENSING.
THIS IS A BIT OF A CONVERSATION, OBVIOUSLY THE COMMISSION'S TRYING TO LEARN.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE COMMISSION WANTS TO DO IS LEARN, SO THEY COULD MAYBE MAKE SUGGESTIONS FOR THINGS, BUT OTHER THINGS THAT WE MIGHT DO IS ASK QUESTIONS THAT HELP US PROBE, AND AT THE SAME TIME CHALLENGE YOU TO GET THE INFORMATION YOU MAY NOT HAVE.
SO FOR INSTANCE, MM-HMM,
NOW MAYBE THEY, MAYBE THEY'RE, MAYBE THEY'RE RARELY THERE, BUT I JUST WONDER ABOUT THE DATA THAT SAYS HOW EFFECTIVE IS THAT IF YOU'RE ONE OF THOSE PATIENTS GETTING THE MAT, DOES THAT, DOES THAT, IS THAT A HUNDRED PERCENT, YOU KNOW, OR 10 90% EFFECTIVE IN PREVENTING AN OVERDOSE? JUST WONDERED.
SO A LOT OF WHAT YOU'RE ASKING IS, UM, NOT GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE AT THIS JUNCTURE, BUT WE CAN GET THAT FOR YOU.
[00:10:01]
DATA, UM, BECAUSE IT'S BEING, BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE BEING TREATED AT VARIOUS, UM, FACILITIES AND DIFFERENT ENTITIES IS NOT IN A CENTRAL REPOSITORY AT THIS POINT, RIGHT.WHICH IS WHAT MAKES THE CARE COORDINATION PIECE THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON SO IMPORTANT.
AND AGAIN, THERE MAY BE OTHER REASONS WHY IT'S DIFFICULT, PRIVACY REASONS, FOR INSTANCE, BUT, BUT, YOU KNOW, AS A CARE SYSTEM WAS JUST WONDERING ABOUT IT, HOW WE, YOU KNOW, KEEP SCORE ON HOW EFFECTIVE IT'S, YEAH, I THINK THAT, AND DR.
WS, I YIELD TO YOU AT ANY POINT, BUT I, I THINK WE FIND THAT MA MEDICATION ASSISTED TREATMENT IS A VERY CRITICAL, UM, TREATMENT MODALITY THAT CAN BE VERY SUCCESSFUL FOR INDIVIDUALS.
UM, I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR PERCEPTION REGARDING MEDICATION ASSISTED TREATMENT IS INJECT, UH, YOU NEED TO THINK OF IT LIKE INSULIN OR LIKE, UH, MEDICATION FOR, UH, HEART TREATMENT.
IT IS SOMETHING THAT IS A MAINTENANCE MEDICATION, UM, FOR, UH, A PUBLIC HEALTH, UH, YOU KNOW, ADDICTION, RIGHT? AND SO IT IS SOMETHING THAT INDIVIDUALS NEED ACCESS TO OVER THE LONG TERM.
UH, SOME INDIVIDUALS MAY TRY TO TAKE OFF THE MEDICATION, BUT SOME MAY BE ON IT FOR YEARS TO COME.
AND THAT'S A VERY ACCEPTABLE WAY TO MANAGE, UM, A HISTORY OF THE DRUG ADDICTION.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE UNDERSTAND THAT LONG-TERM FUNDING FOR MEDICATION ASSISTED TREATMENT IS, UH, AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT.
UM, AND PART OF THAT IS WORKING WITH CENTRAL HEALTH.
SO THAT MAP IS EXPANDED TO INCLUDE MEDICATION ASSISTED TREATMENT, UM, FOR ALL INDIVIDUALS THAT RECEIVE MAP AND THAT PROCESS WITH CENTRAL HEALTH HAS BEEN STARTED AND IT'S BEEN VERY, UH, SUCCESSFUL.
AND THEY CONTINUE TO LOOK AT HOW THEY CAN EXPAND.
SO NOT ONLY DO WE WANNA INCREASE ACCESS BY HAVING MORE AVAILABLE IN OUR COMMUNITY, BUT WE ALSO NEED TO THEN HAVE A FUNDING SOURCE THAT FOLLOWS THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
BECAUSE THE ONE THING THAT WE DO KNOW ABOUT MAT IS THAT IF AN INDIVIDUAL STARTS USING MEDICATION ASSISTED TREATMENT AND THAT'S PULLED AWAY FROM THEM, THEN THEY'RE AT INCREDIBLY HIGH RISK OF AN OVERDOSE AND POTENTIAL DEATH.
SO WE DON'T WANT GAPS IN COVERAGE.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE PEOPLE CAN CONSISTENTLY ACCESS THEIR MEDICATION OVER TIME AND THAT THEY DON'T LOSE FUNDING, UH, FOR THAT.
I JUST HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT IF, UM, A MAT CLINIC IS RECEIVING THESE DOLLARS, ARE THERE REGULATIONS THAT THEY THEN HAVE TO FOLLOW? BECAUSE THAT IS AN ISSUE.
IT'S LIKE, I'VE HEARD IT BEFORE.
IF SOMEONE STARTS USING ANOTHER DRUG, SOME PEOPLE WILL STOP GIVING MAT SERVICES, UM, NOT ALLOWING THEM TO DO METHADONE TREATMENT ANYMORE.
SO LIKE, IS THERE HARM REDUCTION FRIENDLY GUIDELINES TO THOSE RECEIVING THESE DOLLARS? YEAH, THAT'S A TOUGH ONE, AND IT'S, AND IT'S A REALLY EXCELLENT QUESTION.
UM, SO METHADONE HAS SOME VERY STRICT FEDERAL DEA GUIDELINES THAT YOU DON'T GET TO CHOOSE TO IMPLEMENT OR NOT IMPLEMENT AS A PROVIDER OF METHADONE, OR YOU'LL LOSE YOUR LICENSE TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES.
AND, UM, METHADONE HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE THE SIXTIES, I BELIEVE.
UM, AND SO SOME OF THE PROTOCOLS AROUND METHADONE HAVE NOT BEEN UPDATED FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
UM, AND THERE ARE SOME CHALLENGES ABOUT ALIGNING HARM REDUCTION PRINCIPLES TO, TO METHADONE AT TIMES.
UM, BUT I, WHAT I, WHAT WE DO WHEN WE WORK WITH THOSE ENTITIES AND ORGANIZATIONS, UM, IS TO ENCOURAGE, NOT OBVIOUSLY REMOVING THE METHADONE, BUT BRINGING IN HIGHER LEVELS OF SUPERVISION SUPPORT, ENGAGEMENT, AND OVERSIGHT WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE HAVING DIFFICULTY MANAGING THEIR MAT TREATMENT, UH, WITHIN AN ALIGNMENT OF THEIR RECOVERY PLAN.
UM, THEN MOVING ON IS THE SUPPLY OF NALOXONE.
UM, AND SO I THINK IF YOU, UM, GOSH, IN THE END OF APRIL, WE SAW HOW INCREDIBLY BENEFICIAL IT WAS IN OUR COMMUNITY TO HAVE ACCESS TO NALOXONE AND TO HAVE IT AVAILABLE FOR OUR EMERGENCY RESPONDERS, OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND OUR COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION.
SO MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE A SUPPLY OF NALOXONE AVAILABLE IN BOTH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH AND THE, UM, THE COUNTY HAVE BEEN WORKING, UH, DILIGENTLY TO ENSURE A CONTINUOUS SUPPLY IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I THINK THOSE EFFORTS, UH, SHOWN UP WHEN WE HAD, UM, THE OVERDOSE, UH, THAT HAPPENED BACK IN THE END OF APRIL.
UM, THEN THERE'S A REAL STRONG, UH, INTEREST IN INCREASING TREATMENT BEDS, UH, FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UM, LOOKING AT, UH, EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGNS TO EDUCATE AND REDUCE STIGMA AROUND SUBSTANCE USE.
UM, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE, UM, INCREASED FUNDING FROM THE METHADONE ACCESS PRE AND POST OVERDOSE CARE, UM, BEING ABLE TO INCREASE CAPACITY FOR PEER SUPPORTS, UM, AND THEN BEING ABLE TO, UH, PROVIDE BROADENED SUPPORT FOR NOT JUST THOSE THAT ARE IMPACTED BY AN OVERDOSE OR AN OVERDOSE DEATH, BUT THE FAMILY MEMBERS AS WELL.
[00:15:01]
SOME OF THE AREAS WHERE THE COMMUNITY ASK US TO FOCUS IN ON SERVICES.UM, COURTNEY WILL JUST OUTLINE REAL QUICKLY, UM, HOW THE COUNTY HAS INVESTED THEIR FUNDS.
UM, AND AGAIN, IT'S A LEARNING ACT, SO PLEASE INTERRUPT THIS, OR IF THERE'S SOMETHING WE'RE NOT ANSWERING, PLEASE LET US KNOW.
SO THE COUNTY HAD AN INITIAL DISBURSEMENT OF FUNDS BACK IN MARCH OF 23.
IT WAS A LITTLE OVER $1.47 MILLION.
AND THEN OF THAT, UM, WE WENT TO THE COURT, UM, IN AUGUST OF THAT SAME YEAR, AND THEY ALLOCATED $860,000 WORTH OF THOSE FUNDS TOWARDS A YEAR OF NARCAN.
UM, WE ALSO REALLY HEARD THAT PEER RECOVERY WAS NECESSARY.
SO WE HAVE A TWO YEAR INVESTMENT WITH COMMUNITIES FOR RECOVERY AND THEN METHADONE AGAIN.
SO WE HAVE TWO, TWO YEAR CONTRACTS, ONE WITH COMMUNITY MEDICAL SERVICES AND ONE WITH ADDICTION AND PSYCHOTHERAPY SERVICES.
AND THEN WE SET ASIDE MONEY TO DO SHARP'S COLLECTION KIOSKS, AGAIN, HEARING FROM, UH, PROVIDERS THAT THEY NEEDED A, A WAY TO DO SAFE DISPOSAL.
AND THEN THE COURT, AS PART OF THEIR PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS DECLARATION, SAID THAT THEY WOULD REIMBURSE THEMSELVES FOR EXPENSES THAT WERE MADE PRIOR TO RECEIPT OF THE ABATEMENT FUNDS.
AND SO THEY DID THAT WITH A LITTLE OVER $403,000, BUT THEN DECIDED THEY DIDN'T WANT TO TAKE AWAY FROM THE, THE AVAILABLE FUNDS.
AND SO ALSO DID, UM, AN ALLOCATION FOR OF $575,000 TO, TO SET ASIDE SPECIFICALLY FOR OPIOID REMEDIATION.
WE, UM, THE COUNTY RECEIVED A MUCH SMALLER SECOND, UH, DISBURSEMENT IN APRIL OF THIS YEAR, A LITTLE OVER $287,000.
AND WE WENT BACK TO THE COURT AND, UM, EARLIER THIS YEAR TO AUTHORIZE, UM, OPIOID ABATEMENT FUNDS TO SUPPORT THE EXPANSION OF THE, OF THE SANTA MARIA RESIDENTIAL PROGRAM FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN TO TRAVIS COUNTY.
THEY ARE CURRENTLY IN HOUSTON.
AND SO ALL OF THAT IS FALLING UNDER THE CONTINUUM TO ADDRESS THE OPIOID OVERDOSE AND DEATHS.
SO THE COUNTY CURRENTLY HAS A LITTLE OVER $605,000, UM, AVAILABLE TO SPEND, UM, IN, IN SOME OF THESE EFFORTS.
THANKFULLY, UM, WE KNEW THAT THE, LIKE, LIKE THE LONGEVITY OF FUNDING WAS GOING TO BE HELPFUL.
SO FOR THE CONTRACTS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT IN TERMS OF PEER RECOVERY AND METHADONE, THOSE ARE CONTRACTS FOR FY 24 AND FY 25.
SO WE HAVE FUNDING COMMITTED FOR THEM FOR TWO FULL YEARS.
AND THEN ADDITIONALLY, WE, UM, SWITCHING, THANK YOU.
ADDITIONALLY, WE APPLIED FOR AND RECEIVED, UM, A BURN DISCRETIONARY COMMUNITY, UH, PROJECT GRANT FOR $932,000.
UM, AND THAT GRANT WILL HAVE TWO COMPONENTS.
ONE IS EMBEDDING PEERS IN THE, UH, COUNTY, UH, DRUG COURTS, AND THEN, UM, CREATING AN EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT PEER-BASED SUPPORT PROGRAM.
SO HAVING PEERS IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM FOR INDIVIDUALS THAT PRESENT WITH SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER, SUBSTANCE USE RELATED ISSUES, OVERDOSE, UM, AND THEN HAVING A PEER ENGAGED WITH THEM IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM TO HELP THEM DISCUSS HARM REDUCTION PRINCIPLES, UM, CONCEPTS ABOUT POTENTIALLY RE UH, RECOVERY JOURNEY, WHEREVER THEY ARE IN THEIR MOMENT, AND HOW WE CAN SUPPORT THEM MOVING FORWARD.
SO THAT IS, UM, UNDER DEVELOPMENT AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE IMPLEMENTATION BY, UH, OCTOBER 1ST.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN ON THAT AGAIN, POSITIVE INTERRUPT, BUT SURE.
PETER, I WONDER, I WONDERED IF YOU CAN HELP US UNDERSTAND WHAT A PEER IS.
THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION, AND I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT DESCRIBING THAT TO BEGIN WITH.
SO, PEERS ARE INDIVIDUALS WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE IN THE AREA.
SO THEY'RE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE GONE THROUGH THEMSELVES A PERIOD OF ADDICTION, SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER, UH, INDIVIDUALS THAT MAY HAVE EXPERIENCED HOMELESSNESS ALONG WITH, OR AS A BYPRODUCT OF THEIR SUBSTANCE USE, UM, MAY HAVE BEEN INCARCERATED FOR A PERIOD OF TIME.
AND SO WHAT THEY BRING TO, UM, THE EXPERIENCE IS THEIR OWN JOURNEY.
HOW THEY MOVE FROM WHERE THEY WERE TO WHERE THEY ARE NOW, UM, HOW RECOVERY HAS CHANGED THEM.
UM, AND THEY'RE ABLE TO THEN RELATE DIRECTLY TO THAT INDIVIDUAL, UH, IN A PLACE, IN A WAY THAT A PROFESSIONAL MAY NOT BE ABLE TO, RIGHT? SO THEY, IT, IT IS A VOICE OF, UM, I KNOW I'VE SEEN PEERS INTERACT, AND WHAT I SEE IS THIS JUST SUCH A GENUINE EMPATHY FROM TO THAT PERSON BECAUSE OF THEIR OWN EXPERIENCE.
AND THEY CAN REALLY BE HEARD IN WAYS, UM, THAT DON'T FEEL AS JUDGMENTAL, UM, AS QUESTIONING.
UM, AND IT CAN ALLOW THEM TO CREATE A SPACE WHERE THEY CAN CONNECT AND REALLY THINK FORWARD ABOUT WHAT,
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WHAT DO I WANT GOING FORWARD? UM, THE IDEA BEHIND THE PEER IS TO GO AT THE PACE OF THE INDIVIDUAL.SO SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER AND SUBSTANCE USE TREATMENT IS A PATH OF RECOVERY.
EVERYBODY GOES ON THEIR PATH INDIVIDUALLY IN THEIR OWN WAY.
UM, SOME PEOPLE, UM, CAN MOVE FASTER THAN OTHERS.
SOMETIMES IT TAKES SEVERAL MISSTEPS BEFORE YOU FIND YOUR RIGHT PATH THAT IS YOURS.
AND SO A PEER STAYS WITH YOU THROUGH THAT PROCESS AND REALLY, UH, ENGAGES WITH YOU AT YOUR OWN PACE AND HELPS YOU FIND THOSE SUPPORTS AND SERVICES THAT ARE MOST MEANINGFUL TO YOU.
AND SO THEY'RE, UM, PEER RECOVERY SPECIALIST.
SO HHSC AT THE STATE LEVEL HAS A PROGRAM TRAINING AND PROGRAM THAT, UH, PROMOTES THE CERTIFICATION.
UM, AND THEN YOU'RE A CERTIFIED PEER.
UH, SO THAT MEANS YOU ONE, UNDERSTAND THE ROLE OF A PEER, YOU UNDERSTAND THE RESOURCES IN YOUR COMMUNITY, UM, AND YOU UNDERSTAND HOW TO USE YOUR EXPERIENCE TO SUPPORT OTHERS WHILE STILL MAINTAINING SOME LEVEL OF BOUNDARY TO MAINTAIN YOUR OWN, UH, MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS THROUGH THE EXPERIENCE.
'CAUSE IT CAN BE SOMEWHAT TRIGGERING.
SO WE REALLY WANNA HELP INDIVIDUALS STAY GROUNDED IN THE WORK.
I'M INVITING, AGAIN, THE, JUST ANYBODY TO ASK QUESTIONS, AND I'M SORRY IF I'M ASKING MORE QUESTIONS, BUT I'LL JUST FOLLOW UP TO SAY, YOU KNOW, IN A TYPICAL, UM, DRUG COURT EXPERIENCE, I WONDERED HOW DOES THAT LOOK? DOES THE PEER MEET 'EM IN COURT? OR THE JUDGE SAYS, PLEASE COME OVER HERE AND HERE'S A PEER OR WHATEVER.
I JUST WONDER IF YOU COULD DESCRIBE THAT FOR A MINUTE.
AND THE SAME FOR THE EMERGENCY ROOM.
HOW DOES THAT WORK? DO WE CALL 'EM IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND SAY, HEY, I'VE GOT A PATIENT HERE, IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND, AND THEY THEY'RE DOT, DOT, DOT.
OR HOW DOES THAT USUALLY WORK FOR BOTH OF THOSE E ECOSYSTEMS? SO, UM, SO WE'RE EMBARKING ON NEW PROGRAMS, RIGHT? SO WE HAVE AN IDEA OF HOW THEY'LL WORK, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA BE PREPARED TO UPDATE, REVISE AS WE GET FEEDBACK AND EXPERIENCE.
BUT WITH THE PEERS IN DRUG COURTS, WE'RE LOOKING AT BOTH A CRIMINAL DRUG COURT AND A CIVIL RIGHT.
AND SO THE CIVIL HAS TO DO WITH FAMILIES INVOLVED IN THE CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM, RIGHT? SO THEY'RE, UM, INVOLVED IN, BECAUSE OF CONCERNS THAT THEIR SUBSTANCE USE LED TO A, A RISK OF ABUSE OR NEGLECT TO THEIR CHILDREN.
UM, AND THOSE PEERS WILL ENGAGE INITIALLY WITH THE PARENT.
UM, FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, WE RECEIVE A, A REFERRALS, NOT ALWAYS, BUT REFERRALS FROM THE HOSPITAL, RIGHT? SO AN INFANT THAT IS BORN OR NEWBORN THAT IS BORN DRUG POSITIVE, A PEER MAY ENGAGE IMMEDIATELY IN THE HOSPITAL WITH THAT INDIVIDUAL.
AND THE IDEA AGAIN, IS, UM, TO REDUCE THE SHAME, REDUCE THE STIGMA.
SUBSTANCE USE IS A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS.
IT ISN'T SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE A BAD PERSON IF YOU HAVE THAT.
AND SO WE WANNA REDUCE ALL OF THOSE AND HELP A PERSON FIND THAT PATH FORWARD SO THAT PEER ENGAGES RIGHT AWAY AND THEN FOLLOWS THEM INTO THEIR TREATMENT EPISODE AND PROVIDE SUPPORT TO THEM THROUGH THEIR TREATMENT EPISODE.
UM, IN, IN A CRIMINAL DRUG COURT, THE, UM, SETUP WILL BE, UM, THE INDIVIDUAL WILL MEET WITH THEIR PEER AFTER THEY'VE BEEN, UM, AFTER THEY JOIN AND ENROLL IN THE CRIMINAL DRUG COURT, THE PEER WILL BE HELPING THEM NAVIGATE RESOURCES AND SUPPORTS.
WE'LL HELP THEM, UM, PRIORITIZE THE ORDERS OF THE COURT, UM, HELP THEM COMPLETE THE PROGRAM, BUT ALSO BE AN ADVOCATE FOR THEM IN THE COURT SYSTEM, RIGHT? MAKING SURE THEIR VOICE IS HEARD, HELPING THEM, UM, HELP THE COURT BEING EDUCATED ON THEIR INDIVIDUAL'S RECOVERY PATH, LOOKING AT THE ORDERS OF THE COURT AND HOW REALISTIC THAT IS FOR THAT INDIVIDUAL TO ACTUALLY COMPLY WITH.
SO CREATING SOME BALANCE AND SPACE WITHIN IN THE CRIMINAL COURT.
UM, SO IT'S A COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIP, UM, IS WHAT WE'RE ENVISIONING FOR THE EMERGENCY ROOMS. WE'RE, UM, LOOKING AT A POTENTIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SOBERING CENTER WHO HAS 24 7, UH, SERVICES SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
AND HE WAS ALREADY GOING INTO THE EMERGENCY ROOMS TO SUPPORT INDIVIDUALS.
UM, AND SO WE WOULD BE ADDING TO THEIR STAFF WITH PEERS WHO WOULD THEN GO IN AND IT WOULD BE JUST LIKE YOU SAID, THE, THE EMERGENCY ROOM WOULD CALL, THE PEER WOULD MOVE OVER TO THAT SPACE, UM, MEET WITH THE INDIVIDUAL IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM, STAY WITH THEM, RIGHT? SO SOMETIMES INDIVIDUALS NEED TO BE IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM FOR A PERIOD OF TIME, AND THE DOCTOR REALLY WANTS THEM TO BE THERE UNTIL THEY CLEAR MEDICALLY, RIGHT? BUT THEY, AS SOON AS THEY'RE FEELING A MOMENT BETTER, THEY'RE READY TO GO.
AND SO THE PEERS CAN HELP WORK MAYBE ON ENGAGING THEM, PROVIDING THEM SUPPORT, HELPING THEM STAY THROUGH THEIR MEDICAL TREATMENT THERE, AND THEN HELP MAKING A PLAN FOR THEIR EXIT.
WHERE ARE THEY EXITING TO AFTER THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT? WHERE DO THEY NEED TO GO? WHAT KIND OF SUPPORT? AND THEN THE PEER WILL HELP NAVIGATE THEM TO THAT RESOURCE.
SO IN THE EMERGENCY SETTING, I'LL JUST CLARIFY, DID YOU SAY THAT WOULD BE SOMEONE WHO IS, IS, UM, WHO WOULD BE CALLED IN IN 24 7 KIND OF THING AND IS AVAILABLE.
AND SO WE DON'T HAVE A, DID YOU SAY DIGITALLY AVAILABLE OR NO, IN PERSON.
SO WE WON'T HAVE ENOUGH FUNDING TO HAVE 24 7, 7 DAYS A WEEK OR 24 7 PEERS AVAILABLE, RIGHT? AND SO WHAT WE'LL BE DOING IS LOOKING WITH THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT ON THE DATA, WHAT ARE PEAK TIMES, PEAK HOURS, AND THEN WE WILL BE ABLE TO,
[00:25:01]
UM, STAFF 24 DURING THOSE PEAK HOURS.I'LL JUST MAKE THE COMMENT THAT IT'S NOT A COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER, BUT I IMAGINE THAT IS A VERY POWERFUL IDEA TO HAVE AN ALLY WHO YOU CAN TRUST, WHO CAN BE YOUR SHEPHERD IS THE WRONG TERM, BUT YOU KNOW WHO YOU CAN BE HELPER THROUGH A PROCESS.
AND, UM, YEAH, WE'D LOVE TO SORT OF FOLLOW THAT ALONG.
I THINK YOU SAID YOU'RE LAUNCHING OCTOBER, SO YOU'LL HAVE DATA MAYBE BY THE END OF THE YEAR OR SOMETHING TO SAY HOW MANY THIS AND THAT HAPPENED, WOULD BE VERY EXCITED TO FOLLOW IT ALONG.
WE'RE EXCITED TO SEE HOW THIS WORKS AND SEE WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE ADJUSTMENTS AS WE GO ALONG.
BUT WE'RE, WE'RE EXCITED TO CREATE THIS OPPORTUNITY, UH, THROUGH THIS GRANT.
AND THEN THERE'S ONE FINAL GRANT THAT WE APPLIED FOR, UM, THAT IS, I NEVER REMEMBER THE TERMS, IT'S THE, OKAY, HERE WE GO.
IT'S THE COMPREHENSIVE OPIOID STIMULANT AND SUBSTANCE USE SITE-BASED PROGRAM, THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
THAT'S PROBABLY WHY I DIDN'T REMEMBER IT.
UM, BUT THAT'S A THREE YEAR GRANT FOR $1.6 MILLION.
AND IF THAT GRANT IS AWARDED, AND WE DON'T KNOW IF IT WILL BE, BUT IF IT IS AWARDED, UM, THAT WILL BE, UM, A PROGRAM WHERE WE'RE DOING, UM, JAIL IN REACH WITH, UM, THE TRAVIS COUNTY JAIL.
UM, WE'LL BE PILOTING THE USE OF INJECTABLES.
UM, WE'LL HAVE PEERS THAT ARE GOING INTO THE JAIL AND SUPPORTING INDIVIDUALS, HELPING THEM DEVELOP THEIR, UM, DISCHARGE OR EXITING PLAN.
UM, WE'LL HAVE A NURSE AVAILABLE TO FOLLOW THEM IN THE COMMUNITY, SO WE DON'T HAVE ANY GAPS IN ANY MEDICATION.
UM, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE CASE MANAGERS HELPING THEM NAVIGATE TO RESOURCES.
SO WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT THAT GRANT IS AWARDED.
UM, AND THEN IF, SO, THAT WILL ALSO BE, UH, STARTED IN OCTOBER.
I AM JUST CURIOUS, UM, REGARDING THE COMMUNITY IDENTIFIED PRIORITIES FOR FUTURE INVESTMENT, WHAT IS THE LIKELIHOOD OF ACTUALLY IMPLEMENTING SOME OF THESE ASPECTS INTO THE PROGRAMMING THAT YOU MENTIONED YOU'RE PLANNING ON DOING? IT IS A, A LONG LIST, BUT, UM, SO THAT'S MY FIRST QUESTION, AND THEN I HAD LIKE TWO FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS.
SO I THINK WE'VE STARTED SOME OF THAT WORK AND WE'RE NOT DOING THE WORK ALONE.
I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO, UM, HIGHLIGHT THAT AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH IS A LEADER IN THIS WORK, ALONG WITH, UM, CENTRAL HEALTH IS STARTING THE WORK.
SO ALL OF US ARE WORKING TOGETHER AND ARE AWARE OF THE PRIORITIES.
I THINK WE'RE BEGINNING, UM, WE'VE INCREASED ACCESS TO MEDICATION ASSISTED TREATMENT.
WE'VE CERTAINLY, UM, INCREASED ACCESS AND FUNDING TO METHADONE.
UM, WE'RE WORKING WITH CENTRAL HEALTH, UM, AROUND THE EXPANSION OF MAP TO COVER, UH, THE METHADONE TREATMENT, WHICH I THINK IS AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT.
UM, I THINK THE GOAL IS TO, BETWEEN THE THREE ENTITIES IS TO, TO ADDRESS ALL OF THEM, UM, AND TO FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER PIECE IS SHIFTING PRIORITIES.
IS IT STILL A PRIORITY? SO WE'RE CONSTANTLY CHECKING IN WITH THE COMMUNITY, MAKING SURE THIS IS WHERE WE NEED TO ENGAGE.
UM, I KNOW THAT THE EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN AND THE REDUCTION OF STIGMA IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT A PH HAS TAKEN THE LEADERSHIP ROLE ALONG WITH TRAVIS COUNTY.
UM, AND, UM, I'VE DONE SOME REALLY, UM, GREAT VIDEOS AND ARE DOING SOME MORE VIDEOS.
UM, THERE'S ALSO A PROGRAM THAT I'D LIKE DR.
W TO HIGHLIGHT, WHICH IS THE NURSES PROGRAM THAT, UM, THAT THEY'RE DOING, DOING WITH THE SCHOOL OF NURSING, UM, WHICH I THINK IS A REALLY CRITICAL PROGRAM.
UM, SO I THINK ALL OF THESE ARE, UM, GOALS THAT WE HAVE.
UM, I THINK WE, WHERE WE FOCUSED IS ON INCREASING THE PEER SUPPORT SERVICES, INCREASING ACCESS TO MEDICATION ASSISTED TREATMENT, AND, UH, THE SUPPLY OF NALOXONE ARE THE AREAS WHERE WE SPENT, WHERE WE'RE FOCUSING OUR, UM, OUR ENERGIES RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND THEN CONTINUE TO EVALUATE AND, AND EXPAND.
SO FROM THOSE PIECES, I, I DIDN'T NOTICE LIKE ADDRESSING SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH.
OBVIOUSLY BEING A PART OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION, THAT IS ONE OF OUR PRIMARY PRIORITIES.
WHAT, COULD YOU GO INTO MORE DETAILS ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS? I WOULD, I DON'T WANNA GO TOO FAR DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE, BUT I'M ALSO VERY CURIOUS OF WHAT POST DISCHARGE LOOKS LIKE FOR CERTAIN PEOPLE, WHETHER IT'S A PURE CONNECTION, IT'S A CHW CONNECTION, AND THEN ALSO THE WRAPAROUND CONVERSATION WITH EMS. ARE THERE CONVERSATIONS HAPPENING IF THERE ARE HOTSPOTS POPPING UP THROUGHOUT THE CITY WITH EMS AND THERE'S A CONVERSATION ACROSS THE ENTITIES THAT ARE SUPPORTING THE, THE, THE FOLLOW-UP CARE.
AND THEN HOW DOES EMS GET INVOLVED WHEN MAYBE THEY'VE GONE TO A SPECIFIC HOME MULTIPLE TIMES? IS THERE EDUCATION OR IS THAT LIKE, EMS IS OVER HERE AND WE ARE OVER HERE.
WE DO NOT, UH, MIX WATERS WITH WHAT WE'RE DOING.
I'M PREVIOUS EMS PERSON, SO ALSO CURIOUS ON THAT SIDE.
WALKS AND, UM, AND AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, BECAUSE WE DON'T DIRECTLY COLLABORATE,
[00:30:01]
BUT THEY ARE WORKING, A PH IS WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH EMSI KNOW ON THE NALOXONE DISTRIBUTION TRAINING.EMS IS A, A INTEGRAL PART OF THE PARTNERSHIP.
THEY ARE PROVIDING NOT ONLY THE TREATMENT IN THE FIELD, UM, AND THE NALOXONE TRAINING TO, UM, VARIOUS INDIVIDUALS.
THEY'RE ALSO GIVING NALOXONE OUT AT THE SCENE WHEN THERE HAS BEEN AN OVERDOSE, UM, INSTIGATING THE BEGINNING OR STARTING THE TREATMENT, THE MAT TRANSFER FOR PEOPLE THAT NEED THAT TREATMENT.
UM, AND THEY'RE ALSO WORKING IN THE COMMUNITY TO, UH, PUT TOGETHER THE DATA ON WHAT THEY'VE BEEN, UM, SEEING OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND WE THEN PUT IT UP ON OUR DASHBOARD.
OUR DASHBOARD NOW REFLECTS THE JUNE NUMBERS, AND WE SHOULD BE GETTING THE JULY NUMBERS SHORTLY.
SO, UM, OUR EPIDEMIOLOGIST THAT'S CHARGED WITH THE SUBSTANCE USE, UH, SURVEILLANCE IS PUTTING THAT DATA TOGETHER AND KEEPING AN EYE ON TRENDS.
UM, AND, AND SO BECAUSE WE HAVE THIS COLLABORATIVE WORKING TOGETHER, UM, WHEN THAT INCIDENT HAPPENED IN APRIL, UM, THERE WAS QUICK COMMUNICATION IN AND AMONGST THE COLLABORATIVE.
UM, THERE WAS, UM, JUST IN TIME TRAINING GIVEN TO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC IN THOSE AREAS WHERE THE OVERDOSES WERE OCCURRING.
AND AS A RESULT, OUR, UM, RESPONSE OR OUR, THE PEOPLE THAT WERE RESUSCITATED WITH NALOXONE DURING THAT THREE DAY PERIOD, UM, WAS 80 PER 80%, AND THE NATIONWIDE AVERAGE IS 60.
UM, SO THAT'S HOW COLLABORATION WORKS AND HOW COLLABORATION IS BENEFITING OUR COMMUNITY.
AND JUST TO SPEAK TO THE COMMENT THAT, UM, WAS MADE ABOUT THE UT SCHOOL OF PHARMACY, WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED A PROGRAM WITH, UM, THROUGH A PH WITH THE SCHOOL OF PHARMACY TO DEVELOP A PROGRAM THAT IS PUTTING TOGETHER, UM, PROVIDER EDUCATION ONLINE, UM, AND ALSO HAS, UM, MEDICAL DETAILING.
SO WE HAVE AN EMT WHO'S WELL VERSED IN SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER TREATMENT AND CARE, WHO'S GOING TO PRIMARY CARE OFFICES AND TO EMERGENCY ROOMS TO TALK TO THE PROVIDERS ABOUT SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER, CARE MANAGEMENT AND PREVENTION, UM, AND WAYS TO LIMIT STIGMA.
UM, AND WE ALSO PROVIDE THROUGH THE WEBSITE THAT'S BEEN DEVELOPED, UM, CME CREDIT HOURS THAT PROVIDERS CAN USE TO APPLY FOR, UM, THEIR DEA RENEWALS, UM, WHICH ARE NOW REQUIRED AS PART OF THE D-A-D-E-A RENEWAL.
SO, UM, THE COLLABORATIVE WORKS BECAUSE, AND, AND WE'VE BORNE THAT OUT IN SOME OF THE RECENT EVENTS THAT HAVE OCCURRED.
WA UH, A PH ALSO IS INVESTING IN, UH, TECH, UM, THE HARM REDUCTION, UM, THROUGH A CONTRACT.
AND SO, UH, HAVING PEERS AND ALSO PROVIDING SUPPORT TO THAT, THAT I THINK HAS BEEN REALLY HELPFUL WITH THE OUTREACH BEING ABLE TO GO OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY.
SO BOTH ENTITIES HAVE, HAVE INVESTED IN THE PEER MODEL, UM, AND SUPPORT, UM, THE HARM REDUCTION ACTIVITIES.
COMMISSIONER POINDEXTER, DID YOU HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS? I'M GOOD.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
AND PLEASE EXCUSE MY IGNORANCE.
UH, JUST TO CONFIRM, WHEN YOU SAY ABATEMENT FUNDS, THAT'S THE SAME THING AS SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT, RIGHT.
AND THEN THAT BRINGS ME TO THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT.
WHERE DID THAT COME FROM? WHAT IS THAT EXACTLY? WHAT'S THE HISTORY OF IT AND WHY ARE WE INVOLVED NOW? OKAY, SO I'M GONNA TRY, BUT I'M GONNA TELL YOU THAT I'M, I DON'T FEEL, UM, AS AN EXPERT IN THIS AREA.
SO, UM, THERE IS A WEBSITE AND WE CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH THE WEBSITE, WHICH DETAILS IT OUT FROM THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE EXACTLY.
BUT BASICALLY THIS IS THE SETTLEMENT FROM THE DIFFERENT, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, WALGREENS, SO THOSE INDIVIDUALS, HOSPITALS, PHARMACIES, DIFFERENT, ALL THE ENTITIES WHERE THEY WERE IN A SETTLEMENT SUIT REGARDING THE OPIOID CRISIS IN, UH, OUR COUNTRY.
AND SO WE ARE PART OF A SETTLEMENT.
SO CITY OF AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY AND CENTRAL HEALTH JOINED THE, UH, SETTLEMENT.
UM, AND THEN WITH THAT, THE DOLLARS ARE ALLOCATED TO THE STATE.
AND THEN THERE'S A SPECIFIC FORMULA THAT IS THEN, UM, FUNDING IS ALLOCATED TO, UH, GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES LIKE THE CITY AND COUNTY, AND THEN THE HEALTH DISTRICTS.
AND SO A PORTION OF THE DOLLARS IS KEPT AT THE STATE LEVEL FOR INVESTMENT.
[00:35:01]
PORTION IS, UM, GONE, IS INVESTED REGIONALLY, AND THEN WE HAVE THE SETTLEMENT DOLLARS THAT COME TO THE, UM, THE COUNTY GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES.AND THE PROJECTION IS THERE'LL BE SETTLEMENT DOLLARS FOR AN 18 YEAR PERIOD OF TIME, UM, THAT WE, WE DON'T KNOW THE AMOUNTS.
AND SO IT COULD INCREASE, I GUESS, IF THERE ARE ADDITIONAL SETTLEMENTS, UM, OR IT COULD, UM, INCREASE OR DECREASE DEPENDING ON, ON, ON SETTLEMENTS AND, AND FUNDS AVAILABLE IF SOME ENTITY GOES BANKRUPT AND THERE'S NO FUNDING.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, UNCERTAINTY ABOUT WHAT THE DOLLARS WILL LOOK LIKE DOWN THAT THOSE SEVERAL YEARS.
BUT RIGHT NOW WE'RE ALL ASSUMING IT'LL MAYBE BE AROUND 250 TO $300,000 A YEAR, WHICH IS A MAINTENANCE LEVEL.
IT'S NOT A HUGE INVESTMENT IN DOLLARS, BUT IT'S A MAINTENANCE LEVEL FOR EXISTING CONTRACTS.
YOU ANSWERED ALL MY FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS AS WELL.
AND THIS MIGHT BE MORE JUST ABSTRACT AND YOU KNOW, BASED ON WHAT YOU KNOW, SO WE HAD ALL THESE OVER PRESCRIPTIONS AND WHATEVER THAT WAS LEADING TO THIS CRISIS.
NOW WE HAVE THE SETTLEMENT FROM A PUBLIC HEALTH POINT OF VIEW.
ARE THERE ANY THINGS YOU CAN IDENTIFY THAT WAS A WARNING TO US, UM, ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON, THINGS WE SHOULD HAVE PICKED UP ON, THINGS WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT, UH, IN ORDER TO MAYBE TRY TO PREVENT SOMETHING LIKE THIS FROM HAPPENING? AND AGAIN, I'M GONNA DEFER TO DR.
I THINK THAT'S WELL WITHIN HER AREA.
I LOVE HAVING HER HERE BECAUSE I CAN JUST GO, HMM, DR.
I, I THINK THAT WHEN WE LOOK AT THE CHRONICITY AND THE, THE WAY IN WHICH AN INDIVIDUAL CAN, AND ANYBODY CAN, LET ME BE CLEAR ABOUT THAT, UM, END UP HAVING A SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER.
UM, I THINK THAT IF WE LOOK AT THAT AND WE LOOK AT THE IMPACT OF POVERTY AND, UM, CRISIS AND DEALING WITH EMERGENCIES AND THE IMPACTS THAT PANDEMICS HAVE HAD ON FAMILIES AND PEOPLE ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND THEN YOU LOOK AT, UM, THE SCIENCE AND THE CHEMISTRY OF THE USE OF PAIN MEDICATIONS AND HOW, UM, PAIN EITHER MENTAL OR PHYSICAL PAIN CAN BE RELIEVED BY THE SAME THINGS IE OPIOIDS.
THAT AS, AS WE LOOK AHEAD, UM, AND WE LOOK TO THE FUTURE AND TO THE, THE THINGS THAT WE FIND OURSELVES DEALING WITH, UM, IT'S GONNA BE IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT, UM, IDENTIFYING WHERE PEOPLE ARE IN NEED, WHERE THERE ARE RESOURCE GAPS, AND WHERE, UM, INDIVIDUALS LIKE YOURSELVES CAN MAKE DECISIONS TO HELP DECREASE THE PAIN AND SUFFERING OF THOSE THAT WE ARE SERVING.
UM, SO THAT WE CAN LIMIT, UM, THE NUMBERS OF INDIVIDUALS THAT, UM, TURN TO SUBSTANCE USE.
I'M GONNA ADD TO THAT RESPONSE, BEING A PERSON THAT'S STUDYING OPIOIDS DEEPLY RIGHT NOW AS PART OF THE MEDICAID STATEWIDE PAPER PERFORMANCE SYSTEM THAT IS PART OF A HOSPITAL'S WORK THESE DAYS.
AND IF YOU LOOK ON THE CDC, I'M NOT, I'M NOT AN EXPERT, BUT IF YOU LOOK ON THE CDC AND LOOK AT OPIOID CRISIS, YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE'S THREE WAVES OF THIS OPIOID CRISIS.
AND WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FENTANYL WAVE.
SO THE PRESCRIPTION WAVE WAS WAVE ONE STARTING IN ABOUT 1990S, LATE NINETIES.
AND WE WENT THROUGH THAT WAVE.
THE SECOND WAVE, I'M FORGETTING FOR A MINUTE, BUT I BELIEVE THAT WAS A HEROIN WAVE.
AND THE THIRD WAVE, WHICH IS THE SKYROCKETING WAVE IS NOT, YOU KNOW, IT'S THE FENTANYL WAVE, NOT TO TAKE ANYTHING AWAY FROM THE, THE, THE PAIN, THE SUFFERING, AND THE USE OF THAT.
BUT THE FENTANYL WAVE IS, IS KINDA WHERE WE ARE NOW, WHICH IS DRIVING THE, UM, THE NUMBERS TO, YEAH, 70,000 A YEAR MORTALITY OR HIGHER, RIGHT? AND AS YOU LOOK AT THOSE WAVES AND THE, UM, THE EFFECTS OF EACH OF THOSE DRUGS, EACH ONE HAS A HIGHER, UM, POTENTIAL FOR ADDICTION.
AND SO, UM, THAT COMPOUNDS THE PROBLEM.
I WOULD ASSUME, BUT THAT'S NOT SMART TO DO THE SETTLEMENT.
AND GIVEN THAT IT WAS THE PHARMACIES AND HOSPITALS OR WHOMEVER THAT REALLY ATTRIBUTED OR CONTRIBUTED TO THIS, UH, CRISIS, HAVE, DO THEY HAVE THINGS IN PLACE OTHER THAN PROVIDING THESE SETTLEMENT FUNDS THAT, DO THEY HAVE ACTION STEPS THAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO TAKE TO PREVENT THAT FROM HAPPENING AGAIN? 'CAUSE OTHERWISE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE JUST SPINNING OUR WHEELS.
IF THEY DON'T CHANGE THEIR PRACTICES, IT'S GONNA CONTINUE TO HAPPEN.
I, I WOULD, I WOULD SAY THAT, UM, EVERYBODY, IT'S ALL HANDS ON DECK AND THAT OUR PHARMACY CO COLLEAGUES ARE WORKING TO DO BETTER, UM, PATIENT EDUCATION.
UM, AND THERE'S DEFINITELY, UM, I THINK IMPROVED COMMUNICATION
[00:40:01]
ABOUT, UM, WHO HAS THE POTENTIAL FOR, UM, GETTING INTO PROBLEMS WITH MEDICATIONS.UM, AS TIME HAS GONE ON IN THE PRACTICE OF MEDICINE, WE NOW HAVE A SYSTEM BY WHERE WE LOOKED AT THE, UM, PRESCRIPTION, UM, PMP PROFILE OF A PATIENT BEFORE WE PRESCRIBE A NARCOTIC, UM, AND WRITE THAT TRIPLE KIT PRESCRIPTION TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE NOT GETTING PRESCRIPTIONS FROM OTHER INDIVIDUALS TO SEE WHAT THEIR, UM, YOU KNOW, LEVEL OF NEED IS, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
SO AS EACH OF THOSE WAVES HAS GONE ON OVER TIME, I THINK WE'VE, UM, DONE THE A AFTER ACTION DUE DILIGENCE TO TRY AND IMPROVE.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHY WHAT WE'RE SEEING NOW IS LESS, UM, RELATED TO PRESCRIPTIONS BEING GIVEN OUT, UM, AND MORE, UM, THE USE OF, UH, STREET DRUGS.
I THINK ONE SMALL TANGENTIAL THOUGHT TO THAT IS THINKING YOUR OWN MEDICINE CABINET AND THINK ABOUT THE DRUGS THAT YOU HAVE AND WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE BEEN PRESCRIBED FOR MEDICATION FOR, UM, A ROOT CANAL OR, UM, A SURGERY THAT YOU HAD AND WHETHER YOU HAVE ANY LEFTOVER MEDICATION.
AND I KNOW THAT IT SEEMS SIMPLE, BUT WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE IMPACT, UM, TO OUR YOUNGER ADULTS, UM, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT EACH FAMILY TAKE RESPONSIBILITY, EACH HOUSEHOLD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND REALLY LOOK THROUGH THEIR MEDICINE CABINETS AND PULL OUT AND GET RID OF ANY OF THOSE DRUGS THAT YOU'RE NOT USING AND DISPOSE OF THEM CORRECTLY.
THERE ARE PLACES ALL ACROSS THE CITY WHERE YOU CAN GO INTO A CVS OR A WALGREENS, THEY HAVE A KIOSK AND YOU CAN DEPOSIT YOUR, YOUR UNUSED MEDICATIONS THERE.
SO REALLY IT SEEMS LIKE A BASIC THING, BUT IT REALLY MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE IF THOSE MEDICATIONS ARE NOT ACCESSIBLE, RIGHT? THEY'RE MOVED OUT.
IF THEY'RE NOT BEING USED, IF THEY'RE NOT TAKEN, THEN WE NEED TO MOVE THEM OUT OF THE HOUSEHOLDS SO THEY'RE NOT THERE AND AVAILABLE, UM, IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THAT.
I THINK THE OTHER PIECE IS, AND I THINK THE MEDICAL PROFESSION, DR.
WA OBVIOUSLY CAN SPEAK ABOUT THIS MORE ELOQUENTLY THAN I, BUT IT'S GETTING, AS SHE SAID, TO GET A REALLY HANDLE.
WE DO HAVE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE, UH, EXPERIENCING CHRONIC AND SIGNIFICANT PAIN.
AND SO PAIN MANAGEMENT IS A, A PART OF THIS DISCUSSION AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY HAVE ACCESS TO AND CONSISTENT PAIN MEDICATION, UM, PER THEIR DIAGNOSIS AND THEIR NEEDS SO THAT THEY DON'T HAVE GAPS IN THEIR TREATMENT THAT THEN LEADS THEM TO HAVE, SEEK MEDICATION FROM OTHER SOURCES TO, TO MANAGE THEIR PAIN SO BIG.
SO REALLY UNDERSTANDING WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH AN INDIVIDUAL AND WITH THE COMMUNITY IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THAT.
I HAD, I HAVE ONE OR TWO MORE ACTUALLY, BUT PLEASE.
ANYBODY ELSE? I HAVE, I HAVE ONE.
UM, 'CAUSE I'M JUST LOOKING AT THE IDENTIFIED PRIORITIES.
IT'S A LOT OF INFORMATION IN ONE SHEET.
UM, AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PREVENTION.
WE'RE ALSO TALKING ABOUT HOW TO RESPOND TO INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE ALREADY USING DRUGS, AND WE HAVE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH.
AND THE FIRST THING THAT COMES TO MIND IS HOUSING, BECAUSE IT'S SUCH A LARGE ISSUE HERE.
THAT BEING SAID, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PEOPLE'S NEEDS BEING MET, OFTENTIMES YOU ARE MORE LIKELY TO, UH, DO RISK YOUR BEHAVIOR SUCH AS DRUG USE IF YOU ARE IN A SCENARIO WHERE YOU'RE NOT SAFE, YOU DON'T HAVE A SAFE HOME, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
ON THE FLIP SIDE, IF I AM SOMEONE WHO IS USING DRUGS AND I DON'T HAVE A SAFE PLACE, TRYING TO ADDRESS MY ISSUES WITH SUBSTANCE USE WOULD NOT BE MY FIRST PRIORITY.
AND SO SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH IS SUCH A WIDE CONCEPT, BUT FOR AUSTIN SPECIFICALLY, I THINK IT'S REALLY OBVIOUS THAT HOUSING IS A BIG THING.
SO IS HOUSING GONNA BE INTEGRATED IN THIS IN SOME WAYS? THERE A PLAN FOR THAT OR WHAT IS THE THOUGHT PROCESS AROUND IT? ABOUT OUR, OUR SHIP PROGRAM AND OUR HOUSING AVAILABILITY THERE THAT THE COUNTY'S INVESTED, UM, AND THEN MAYBE A PH AND THEN I'LL CIRCLE BACK AROUND, BUT SURE.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, FUNDING ABOUT 11 NEW PROPERTIES THAT WILL HOUSE PEOPLE WHO ARE HOMELESS OR PREVIOUSLY HOMELESS OR AT RISK OF BEING HOMELESS.
AND, UM, THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS FUNDING SEVERAL PROPERTIES AS WELL.
I THINK WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS THAT THERE'S A LARGE NUMBER OF PROPERTIES THAT ARE BEING BUILT RIGHT NOW, THOUSANDS OF UNITS THAT WILL BE ON THE GROUND IN THE NEXT THREE YEARS FOR, FOR THAT POPULATION THAT DON'T HAVE HOUSING.
AND THAT MIGHT BE A BIG DETERMINANT OF THEIR HEALTH.
UM, AND UM, THE NEXT PROBLEM THAT WE'RE SEEING IS THAT THERE'S A GAP IN FUNDING FOR THE SERVICES AT THOSE PROPERTIES.
[00:45:01]
THE TARGET POPULATION THAT WE WANT TO USE THOSE UNITS ARE, HAVE VERY COMPLEX PROBLEMS AND, AND ISSUES AND, UM, PROVIDING THEM A A ROOF OVER THE HEAD IS, IS GREAT, BUT, UM, WE'RE SETTING UP SETTING THEM UP FOR FAILURE IF THEY DON'T HAVE ALL THE OTHER SERVICES, WHETHER THAT'S MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, MEDICAL SERVICES, CASE MANAGEMENT, PEERS TO HELP THEM NAVIGATE.UM, AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE TOGETHER, THE COUNTY AND THE CITY ARE SEEING ABOUT A $12 MILLION PER YEAR GAP IN FUNDING FOR THOSE SERVICES.
SO THAT'S GONNA BE THE NEXT, NEXT HUGE ISSUE THAT THE COMMUNITY'S GONNA HAVE TO ADDRESS.
UM, I'M WONDERING IS ANY OF THOSE FUNDING GONNA GO FOR, UM, STREET OUTREACH FOR ANY OF THE COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY LIKE RIVERSIDE? UM, USUALLY WHEN I GO AND PICK UP A DELIVERY THERE, UM, I SEE A LOT OF INDIVIDUALS, UM, PRETTY MUCH, I MEAN, I'M GONNA SAY IT, HOW, HOW WE SAY IT, ZOMBIED OUT WALKING.
UH, I NOTICED CAPITAL METRO TOOK OFF, UH, THE AREA WHERE THEY ACTUALLY WOULD SIT DOWN TO LIKE KIND OF GET SOME REST.
THERE'S NO WATER FOR SOME OF THE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE OUT HERE.
UM, IS STREET OUTREACH IN ANY OF THAT? FUNDING IS ONE, UM, LIVING SITUATION, JUST LIKE, UH, COMMISSIONER SAID, UM, HOUSING AVAIL AVAILABILITY IN.
UM, ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES THAT I HAVE COME ACROSS WITH SOME OF THE CLIENTS AND EVEN CLOSE TO HOME IS HOW SOME OF THESE, UH, COMPLEXES KNOW THE COMMUNITY THAT THEY'RE SERVING AND THEY ARE OPPRESSING THEM EVEN FURTHER, THAT THEIR RECOVERY HAS BECOME HARDER FOR THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE STILL CONSTANTLY TRIGGERED OR THEY'RE STILL CONSTANTLY ON SURVIVAL.
UM, SO HOW, UM, WHEN THAT COMES AROUND, WHICH IS THE HOUSING, HOW IS THAT GONNA BE PRETTY MUCH MEASURED FOR ACCOUNTABILITY, UH, TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE LIKE WRAPAROUND SERVICES FOR THEM? UM, AND THEN THE THIRD THING WAS METHADONE CLINICS.
I HAD SEEN, UM, I'VE HEARD A LOT OF THINGS ABOUT THESE CLINICS, BUT CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO ME A LITTLE BIT HOW WHEN A CLIENT WALKS IN AND THEY SIGN UP AND THEY GO AND GET THEIR DOSE, IS IT A DAILY DOSE, IS IT EVERY OTHER DAY DOSE? IS IT A, UM, A WEEKLY DOSE? AND THEN WHAT DOES THAT DO TO THE BRAIN OR OR TO THE, OR TO THE PATIENT FOR THEM TO, SO WHAT'S THE PURPOSE? LIKE WHAT DOES IT DO IN THEIR BRAIN? WHAT IS, HOW ARE THEY AFTER THEY TAKE IT, WHAT IS THE, WHAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE THE, THE RES THE, I GUESS THE, THE OUTCOME OR THE YEAH, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO LET, I'LL START WITH THE, UM, SO OUR CONTRACT, YOUR MICROPHONE.
GOSH, GOTTA LIKE HAVE A SIGN THAT SAYS MICROPHONE
UM, SO FOR OUR CONTRACT WITH COMMUNITIES FOR RECOVERY, UM, WE HAVE FUND TWO PEERS, PEER SUPPORT SPECIALIST, UM, AND THEY ARE DOING OUTREACH, UM, AT, UH, SPECIFIC LOCATIONS, UM, AT SUNRISE, UM, AND TOOTH.
UM, AND SO THAT COVERS THE STREET OUTREACH THAT THE COUNTY IS DOING CURRENTLY.
AND THEN I KNOW THAT THE, UM, A PH IS FUNDING THROUGH A CONTRACT WITH TEXAS HARM REDUCTION, UH, PEERS FOR, UM, STREET OUTREACH AS WELL.
DO WE HAVE THE WHOLE COMMUNITY COVERED? ABSOLUTELY NOT, BUT WE'RE DEFINITELY TARGETING SPECIFIC AREAS WHERE WE KNOW THERE'S A HIGH RISK OF OVERDOSE OR WHERE THERE'S INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE EXPERIENCING OR WHO ARE UNHOUSED.
UM, SO WE ARE CONTINUOUSLY MONITORING THAT AND COVERING THAT, UM, WITH METHADONE, UM, OH, WRAPAROUND SERVICES.
I THINK THAT WAS TO YOU, PAULA.
YEAH, I THINK I SPOKE ABOUT THE WRAPAROUND SERVICES.
SO, UM, YOU CAN PROVIDE HOUSING
YEAH, WE CAN'T JUST PROVIDE HOUSING.
UH, IT'S THE POINT THAT YOU MADE COMMISSIONER LUHAN.
IT, IT'S GOT, YOU HAVE TO HAVE WRAPAROUND SERVICES ALONG WITH THE HOUSING AND WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING VERY HARD TO HELP OUR HOUSING PROVIDERS FIND WAYS TO DO THAT.
UH, THE ECHO, UM, FUNDED, UM, DOLL MEDICAL SCHOOL TO CONVENE SEVERAL PARTNERS, THE CITY OF AUSTIN, TRAVIS, TRAVIS COUNTY, UM, CENTRAL HEALTH AND CARE AND HOUSING PROVIDERS TO FIND
[00:50:01]
A, A MODEL THAT WILL HELP BRING THOSE TYPES OF SERVICES TO THE PROPERTIES INSTEAD OF HAVING PEOPLE GO TO A CLINIC, HAVING A ROTATING TEAM GO TO THESE PROPERTIES.AND IT'S A, IT'S A GREAT MODEL, UM, THAT WAY YOU'VE GOT ONE TEAM SERVING SEVERAL PROPERTIES AND PEOPLE GOING TO HOMES AND GOING TO WHERE PEOPLE ARE.
UM, IT'S GONNA, HOW WE CAN REPLICATE THAT TO SCALE IS GONNA BE THE ISSUE.
YOU KNOW, THE FUNDING IS GONNA BE NEEDED TO DO THAT, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE WORK TRYING TO WORK TOGETHER TO SEE HOW WE CAN HELP PROVIDERS DO THAT, HOUSING PROVIDERS DO THAT.
WE, WE REALLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE HOUSING PROVIDERS UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO NOT JUST BUILD THE HOUSING, BUT TO HAVE THE RIGHT SERVICES AT THEIR HOUSE, AT THEIR PROPERTIES.
UM, AND SO WE, WE HOPE TO FILL SOME GAPS, BUT WE DON'T THINK THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY WILL HAVE ENOUGH FUNDING TO FUND THE ENTIRE THING.
UH, WHEN IT COMES TO METHADONE, MY UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THAT PURPOSE OF THAT IS, THE METHADONE TREATMENT IS TO HELP PEOPLE WHO HAVE AN ADDICTION, UH, HAVE A LOW DOSE AND, UM, I DON'T KNOW THE SCIENCE BEHIND IT AND WHAT HAPPENS TO THE BRAIN, BUT IT'S HAVING ENOUGH OF A, A DOSE TO HELP THEM FUNCTION THROUGHOUT THE DAY, WHETHER THAT'S TO BE ABLE TO GO TO WORK OR TO BE WITH THEIR FAMILY OR DO WHAT THEY NEED TO DO.
UM, UH, BECAUSE WITHOUT IT THEN THERE WOULD BE OTHER, UH, MEDICAL CONDITIONS THAT WOULD KEEP THEM FROM, FROM PHYSICALLY FUNCTIONING OR MENTALLY FUNCTIONING.
SO, UM, THAT'S WHAT I UNDERSTAND THE PURPOSE OF THE MAT TREATMENT IS FOR.
W DID YOU WANNA ADD ANYTHING ABOUT THE, THE SCIENCE BEHIND METHADONE? NO, I THINK YOU COVERED IT NICELY,
UM, IT, IT DOES ALLOW FOR PEOPLE TO FUNCTION.
UM, THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE PROFESSIONALS THAT ARE TAKING, UM, MEDICATION FOR SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER AND THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESS WHO ARE TAKING THE MEDICATION.
AND IN BOTH CASES IT'S, UM, SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU'D SAY, SOMEONE WHO HAS DIABETES, UM, IS EXPERIENCING, THEY NEED A SUPPLEMENT TO, UM, HAVE PART OF THEIR BODY FUNCTION CORRECTLY AND MANAGE SUGAR IN THE CASE OF DIABETES.
AND IN THE CASE OF, UM, USE OF SUBSTANCE, UM, THE METHADONE IS REPLACING THE OPIOID AND ALLOWING THEM TO FUNCTION NORMALLY WITHOUT THE EUPHORIA AND, UM, ALLOW THEM TO CONTINUE ON WITH THEIR LIVES.
AND METHADONE IS A DAILY DOSE MICROPHONE.
IT'S, IT IS, IT IS A DAILY DOSE.
UM, AND INDIVIDUALS, I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE CHALLENGES FOR INDIVIDUALS UTILIZING METHADONE IS GETTING TO THE CENTER EACH DAY TO TAKE THE DAILY DOSE.
AT SOME POINT THEY CAN BE ASSESSED AND RECEIVE TAKE HOMES, BUT THERE'S CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS THAT THEY HAVE TO MEET BEFORE THEY CAN DO THE TAKE HOME PART OF THE METHADONE.
AND THOSE REQUIREMENTS ARE COMING DOWN FROM THE DEA AND AND REQUIREMENTS ASSOCIATED SPECIFICALLY WITH METHADONE.
SO IT MAKES, UM, SO IT'S A MORE CHALLENGING MEDICATION OR MEDICATION ASSISTED TREATMENT BECAUSE OF THAT DAILY DOSE REQUIREMENT AND HAVE TO COME IN FOR IT.
THANK YOU ALL FOR THIS PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION TODAY.
I THINK THE COMMISSION HAS GREAT INTEREST IN THIS AND I'D LIKE TO, IN THE FUTURE, CONSIDER MAYBE HAVING YOU BACK FOR MORE QUESTIONS AND MORE LEARNING.
I HAVE A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS, BUT I WON'T DO 'EM RIGHT NOW 'CAUSE WE HAVE OTHER, UM, AGENDA ITEMS. SURE.
BUT LET ME ASK, I THINK THAT IF I, I LOOKED UP TO DATE, UM, OPIOID DEATHS IN CENTRAL TEXAS AND THE SEARCH SAID THERE WERE 440 PER YEAR.
IN, IN 2023, THERE WERE FOUR 40.
DOES THAT SOUND ABOUT RIGHT TO YOU? MM-HMM,
WELL, THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS 0.2 LIVES.
SO ONE OR TWO PEOPLE DIE EVERY DAY FROM OPIOIDS AND IT'S IN OUR COMMUNITY RIGHT AROUND US.
WHAT I WONDERED WAS, IF IF THE SAVE RATE NATIONALLY IS 60%, THEN THAT MEANS OF THE, THE THE 400, THE, THE ONE THAT DIES EVERY DAY.
UM, ARE THERE FIVE OTHERS OR FOUR OTHERS THAT ARE SAVED BY, UM, UM, UM, NALOXONE OR, YOU KNOW, I WONDERED HOW THAT WORKS.
AND YOU MAY NOT HAVE THAT INFORMATION NOW, BUT I'D BE INTERESTED TO KNOW.
AND THEN LASTLY, I'VE WONDERED, AND MAYBE THE EPIDEMIOLOGIST DO THAT, BUT, UM, I WONDER IF THERE'S A MAPPING, I'D LOVE TO SEE A MAP THAT IS PUBLICLY AVAILABLE THAT WE COULD LOOK AT THAT EVERY CITY SENT IN THE COUNTY COULD SEE THERE'S A DEATH.
AND SEE IF THERE'S A STRATEGY THAT COMES FROM THAT.
AND THE LAST THING I WAS THINKING ABOUT WAS, UM, KIND OF, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC SERVICE.
I WONDER IF THERE'S A, A VALUE OF PUBLIC SERVICE.
I DON'T KNOW WHO IN THE COMMUNITY NEEDS TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THIS, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE WE SHOULD BE TALKING MORE ABOUT IT ACROSS THE COMMUNITY AND, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S KIND OF IN THE FORM OF PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS AND, AND ALL THAT KIND OF REALM.
[00:55:01]
AND REALLY WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET TO IS IT COSTS $33.YOU CAN GET TWO DOSES OF THE NASAL SPRAY NALOXONE FOR $33.
WHY WOULDN'T WE ALL HAVE THAT IN OUR CARS OR WHATEVER THE RIGHT PLACE IS? AND WHY WOULDN'T THAT BE SOMEWHAT UNIVERSALLY KIND OF THE CALL OF THE, OF THE COMMUNITY TO SAY, UM, THAT'S TOO MUCH.
TWO PEOPLE, ONE PEOPLE A DAY DYING AND FIVE OR SO AT OVERDOSES AND IT'S FENTANYL.
IT'S NOT, I MEAN, I'M NOT SAYING IT'S NOT PRESCRIPTIONS, BUT NO DOCTOR'S WRITING PRESCRIPTIONS FOR FENTANYL.
IT'S, IT'S, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ABOUT.
AND SO, UM, ANYWAY, THAT'S, THAT'S AT LEAST MY OPINION FROM WHAT I'VE STUDIED.
ANY OTHER FINAL THOUGHTS ON OPIOIDS BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM? NO, I WOULD JUST SUGGEST MY, PLEASE.
SO I THINK I HAD FORWARD AN EMAIL.
SO BASED ON THIS FUNDING THAT YOU'RE GONNA RECEIVE, RIGHT? AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT YOU ALREADY HAVE COVERED ALL OF THESE, UM, PLACES THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE PUTTING SOME OF THIS MEDICINE, RIGHT? THE NARCAN AND ALL OF THE MEDICATIONS, RIGHT? IS THERE ANY ROOM FOR A PILOT WITHIN THAT PROGRAM? I DID HAVE SENT, I HAD SENT EARLIER THIS WEEK A, UH, DOCUMENT A, UM, ON THE HOW GPYG IS IT GP, THE, OH MY GOD, GPI ONE, HOW IT ACTUALLY HELPS THE BRAIN WITH THE DOPAMINE AND HOW IT PROBABLY GIVES THE, THE PATIENT A, UM, A, A, UM, BIGGER OPPORTUNITY TO, FOR RECOVERY IN THE SENSE OF HOW IT WORKS IN THE BRAIN AND HOW WITH WRAPAROUND SERVICES, THE INDIVIDUAL CAN REALLY HAVE MORE TIME TO TACKLE ANYTHING THAT'S GOING FROM MENTAL HEALTH, FROM TRAUMA, FROM THE CHILDHOOD, WHICH THIS IS WHAT WE'RE SEEING FROM DUE TO THE OPIOID WE ARE SEEING NOW THE, THE REPERCUSSIONS OF PARENTS BEING ON OPIOIDS, RIGHT? ABUSE, NEGLECT.
THEN YOU HAVE THIS NEW GENERATION.
SO WOULD THERE BE, UH, OPENING OR AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ABOUT MAKING A PILOT PROGRAM ON THIS GP ONE TO SEE HOW, I MEAN THERE, RIGHT NOW THERE'S STUDIES AND I HAD SENT IT OVER, I'M NOT SURE IF EVERYBODY RECEIVED IT JUST TO READ ON IT TO SEE IF THAT WOULD BE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A LONG TERM.
AND I FEEL THAT THE METHADONE IS A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A, LIKE A BANDAID JUST SO YOU CAN FUNCTION NOW.
SO YOU CAN, LIKE, OBVIOUSLY THE INDIVIDUAL'S GONNA HAVE TO DO SOME RECOVERY AND IS GONNA HAVE TO DO SOME COUNSELING, IS GONNA DO SOME, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THEY NEED TO DO TO BE ABLE TO HAVE, THEY'RE NEVER, IT, IT'S NEVER GONNA BE A HUNDRED PERCENT RECOVERY.
BUT AT LEAST NOT JUST A BANDAID FOR NOW.
AND LIKE HOW ABOUT SOMETHING IN THE LONG RUN WHERE THEY CAN REALLY, BECAUSE THE NINE TO 12 MONTH MEDICATION FOR PEOPLE TO GET OFF METH, IT'S 15 MONTHS FOR THE BRAIN TO KIND OF COME BACK TO A PARTICULAR STAGE WHERE THE BRAIN IS LIKE, NOT NORMAL, BUT AS NORMAL AS IT'S GONNA GET AND IT TAKES 15 MONTHS.
SO DOING A PROGRAM FROM NINE TO 12, THE MONTHLY MEDICATION THAT YOU GUYS HAD MENTIONED THAT KEEPS THREE MONTHS OF RELAPSE.
SO I WAS THINKING, AND I'M JUST PUTTING IT OUT THERE, OBVIOUSLY YOU GUYS ALREADY HAVE YOUR PROGRAM SET UP.
WOULD THERE BE AN A, A PROBABLY AN ABILITY TO DO A PILOT PROGRAM WITH THESE VP ONES TO SUPPORT SOME, UM, INDIVIDUALS AND SEE IF THERE'S A LONG-TERM BETTER SOLUTION FOR SOME OF OUR, OUR PATIENTS OR CLIENTS? I THINK THAT, UM, THE GLP ONE, UM, CONVERSATION THAT YOU JUST HAD IS A VERY INTERESTING ONE.
AND I THINK THAT AS TIME GOES ON AND AS THE FDA LOOKS AT, UM, ADDITIONAL APPLICATIONS FOR THAT MEDICATION THAT WE MAY SEE OPPORTUNITIES SUCH AS THE ONE YOU'RE DESCRIBING.
I WOULD JUST RECOMMEND THERE ARE A COUPLE OF REPORTS.
THERE WAS AN EMMY'S REPORT THAT WAS PUBLISHED REGARDING, UM, DEATHS IN OUR COMMUNITY AND HIGHLIGHTS, UH, OVERDOSE DEATHS THAT WE CAN, UH, PROVIDE TO THE COMMITTEE.
THERE'S ALSO AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH RELEASED A REPORT MM-HMM.
AND THERE'S A MAP ON THE ME'S REPORT OF WHERE THE DOTS HAVE OCCURRED.
AND THEN THE THANK YOU, THE A PH DASHBOARD DASHBOARD IS AN EXCELLENT RESOURCE FOR, FOR INFORMATION.
AND THEN WE DO HAVE A, UM, EDUCATIONAL AND PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN THAT THE COMMUNITY IS EMBARKING ON BETWEEN TRAVIS COUNTY, UM, CENTRAL HEALTH AND AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH TAKING THE LEAD.
UM, AND THERE'S GONNA BE SOME VIDEOS COMING OUT THAT ARE, I THINK GONNA BE REALLY POWERFUL.
SO WE'RE EXCITED TO SEE THOSE.
UM, BUT WE ALSO HAVE A WEBSITE THAT WE CAN, UH, DIRECT YOU TO AS WELL, SO WE CAN MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THOSE, THOSE RESOURCES.
[01:00:01]
YOU.I'M SURE WE'LL WANT YOU BACK OR WANT TO INVITE YOU BACK FOR MORE, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE CONVERSATION TODAY AND THE TEACHING.
ALRIGHT, WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO, UM, DISCUSSION
[3. Community Health Worker priority study result discussion. ]
ITEM TWO, WHICH IS THE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER PRIORITY STUDY RESULT DISCUSSION.SO ON THE, ON THE SECOND TAB ON THE SECOND PAGE OF THE SECOND TAB IS THE FIVE, ARE THE FIVE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS KIND OF STUDY RESULTS OR SURVEY? I THINK WE PRIORITIZED.
AND THE, THE QUESTION I THINK IS THE, ON THE TABLE IS TO LOOK AT THOSE AND REVIEW THOSE, REMEMBER THEM, TO REVIEW THEM, WHATEVER, TO THEN SEE IF, UM, ONE OR OTHERS OF THOSE IS WHAT WE WANNA MAYBE CARRY FORWARD AS MAYBE A PRIMARY OBJECTIVE FOR OUR COMMUNITY HEALTHCARE WORKER THINKING.
WELL, WE VOTED, I THINK ON THESE, AND THAT'S WHY WE'VE GOT SCORES.
AND SO I THINK ON THE, THE FIRST ONE WE SAID INCREASE THE OPPORTUNITY AND CAPACITY TO TRAIN COMMUNITY HEALTHCARE WORKERS, DOT DOT.
SO I THINK WE, WE MAYBE VOTED ELECTRONICALLY.
I, I GUESS, IS THAT HOW WE DID IT? AND, UM, AND THAT'S, THIS IS THE PRIORITIES WE HAD.
I THINK THEY'RE ASKING US TO, NOTWITHSTANDING THAT, THAT WE'VE ALREADY DONE THAT.
WE SHOULD LOOK BACK AT THIS TO PICK ONE PRIMARY.
IS THAT WHAT WE'RE ASKING JUANITA TO HELP ME? SO ACCORDING, ACCORDING TO YOUR, UM, FOLLOW UP, YOUR, YOUR HANDOUT, YOUR, AFTER YOU ALL RANKED THESE PRIORITIES, YOUR NEXT STEPS WAS TO COME BACK AND DISCUSS HOW YOU WANTED TO ACTUALLY IMPLEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL OR TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE FOR CONSIDERATION.
SO YOU NOW NEED TO DECIDE HOW YOU WANT TO GO FORWARD AND, AND REALLY FLESH OUT YOUR PRIORITIES AND PUT THEM INTO THE RECOMMENDATION.
SO I THINK, UM, BACK IN JULY, I SENT A DRAFT OR A TEMPLATE OF WHAT THE WHEREIN STATEMENTS AND THAT KIND OF THING WOULD LOOK LIKE.
UM, SO THAT'S WHAT YOU ALL REALLY NEED TO DISCUSS AND KIND OF FLESH THAT OUT SO THAT YOU CAN MOVE IT TO THE NEXT PHASE OF IMPLEMENTATION OR ACTUALLY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CONSIDERATION BY COUNCIL.
DOES ANYONE UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION ON THE TABLE? LET'S DO IT AGAIN THEN.
SO WE HAVE THESE FIVE PRIORITIES.
THESE ARE JUST YOUR PRIORITIES THAT YOU IDENTIFIED RELATED TO COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS AND THE, THE THINGS THAT YOU FEEL NEED TO BE FURTHER ADDRESSED.
NOW, AS A BODY, YOU NEED TO PUT THESE RECOMMENDATIONS, OR AT ONE OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS INTO A FORMULATED, AND THE WORD RESOLUTION KEEPS COMING TO MIND THAT YOU WANT RECOMMENDATION THAT YOU WANT CITY COUNCIL TO CONSIDER.
AND I THINK THEY MAY HAVE BUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS.
SO YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE YOU ADDRESS THAT IN THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT YOU WILL FORMULATE.
AND, UM, I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION ON PROCESS.
UH, ONCE WE KIND OF PUT TOGETHER THAT RECOMMENDATION, WHERE DO WE SEND IT TO? AND IS IT PRESENTED BY SOMEONE? OKAY.
AND THEN DO WE GO SOMEWHERE TO PRESENT THIS? OR HOW DOES, WHAT HAPPENS AFTER? SO IT FOR, FOR THIS BODY, ONCE IT COMES TO US, WE WILL VET IT THROUGH US.
AND I BELIEVE IT GOES TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE AND THEY WILL NEED TO REVIEW IT, AND THEN IT WILL GO TO CITY COUNCIL FOR FURTHER ACTION.
I, I THOUGHT THEY HAD TO GET, YOU GUYS ARE TRYING TO DO A RECOMMENDATION FOR COUNCIL ACTION, AND SO THEY NEED TWO SPONSORS FROM COUNCIL.
LIKE WE, WE ARE NOT INVOLVED IN THE VETTING.
ONLY THE ADMINISTRATIVE PUSHING IT THROUGH.
AND THAT'S, THE PARTY WILL BRING IT CO TO THE COMMITTEE, CORRECT.
WELL, THE CHAIR WOULD NEGOTIATE WITH THE, THE COUNCIL OFFICE TO GET SPONSORSHIP FAIR.
CHECK WITH THE, THE LIAISONS, THE CLERK'S OFFICE.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S A FUNCTION OF THE STAFF.
IT'S OF THE COMMISSION LEADERSHIP.
SO MY SENSE, AND AGAIN, I'M GONNA DEFER TO THE GROUP.
MY SENSE IS I'M NOT SURE, UM, I MEAN, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THESE, THESE, UM, PRIORITIES, AND I DON'T REALLY KNOW IF WE KNOW ENOUGH TO SAY WE WANNA MAKE A RECOMMENDATION.
I MEAN, WE COULD SAY A RECOMMENDATION TO THE COUNCIL WOULD BE, I MEAN, TO GET SOME CO-SPONSORS AND TAKE IT TO DA.DOT AND DO ALL THAT STUFF TO SAY PAY THEM MORE.
BUT THAT'S NOT REALLY VERY SUBSTANTIVE, I DON'T THINK.
AND I DON'T KNOW, I THINK IN GENERAL, I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS AS LIKE, HOW MANY ARE ACROSS THE WHOLE COMMUNITY, HOW MANY ARE EMPLOYED TO THE CITY, HOW MANY
[01:05:01]
EMPLOYED BY THE COUNTY, KINDA WHAT ARE THEY DOING? AND IS THERE A, AN OPPORTUNITY TO THINK ABOUT WHAT THEY DO MAYBE MORE BROADLY ACROSS THE COMMUNITY, OR HOW MANY COMMUNITY HEALTHCARE WORKERS ARE WORKING IN NON-GOVERNMENTAL AND JUST UNDERSTANDING THAT WHOLE SWEEP OF, OF THE COMMUNITY HEALTHCARE WORKER ROLE.ANYWAY, THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN THINKING THAT WE WOULD WANNA KNOW BEFORE WE COULD SAY OR ASK ANYTHING VERY MUCH ABOUT CITY COUNCIL.
I'M CURIOUS IF, BASED ON THESE TOPICS THAT WE HAVE HERE, MOST OF THEM ARE TALKING ABOUT PAY AND BUDGETARY ITEMS. WE'RE ALSO SAYING THAT IF WE'RE IN INCRE, WE'RE WE'RE REQUESTING A PAY OR PROMOTION LEVEL INCREASE, WE'RE ALSO RECOMMENDING THAT THERE'S ADDITIONAL TRAINING.
COULD WE NOT SAY THAT IF THERE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT THERE IS A PAY INCREASE TO CLOSE PAY GAPS IN A STATEMENT AND HAVE THAT BASED ON ADDITIONAL SPECIALIZED TRAINING OR ADDITIONAL, UH, CERTIFICATIONS THAT THE CHWS RECEIVE.
AND THEN THE FOLLOW UP IS WE ACTUALLY MAKE THESE TRAININGS AND CERTIFICATIONS AVAILABLE FOR THEM TO RECEIVE.
IS THAT NOT SOMETHING WE COULD RECOMMEND? I MEAN, I, I THINK, SO THIS IS A CONVERSATION WITH THE COMMISSION.
UM, AGAIN, I THINK THERE WERE 24 CITY COMMUNITY HEALTHCARE WORKERS.
SO IT'S, UM, I THINK WE DECIDE THERE MIGHT BE PROBABLY A NEED FOR 2000 ACROSS THE COMMUNITY.
BUT, SO I WAS TRYING TO THINK ABOUT, NOT NECESSARILY THE QUESTION ADDRESSING WHAT THE 24 CITY PEOPLE FOLKS DO, BUT THE BROADER QUESTION NOW MAYBE WE WANNA FOCUS ON THE 24 THAT ARE IN THE CITY, THEN WE'D SAY, WELL, WHAT ARE THEY CURRENTLY DOING NOW? AND, AND MAYBE, UH, WE'D HAVE TO REFOCUS ON THAT AGAIN.
I'M, I'M NOT SURE, I DON'T FEEL LIKE I KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO, I THINK THERE'S A LOT ON THIS LIST, BUT I THINK THE DOCUMENT, UM, THAT WAS SHARED KIND OF ALMOST LIKE WALKS YOU THROUGH THE THOUGHT PROCESS.
SO LIKE THE, WHEREAS IT KIND OF WALKS YOU THROUGH, SO WHAT'S THE ISSUE? SO IT'S A CAPACITY ISSUE WHERE THERE'S NOT ENOUGH COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS.
THEY'RE NOT BEING USED TO THEIR FULLEST CAPACITY.
THEY'RE NOT GETTING PAID ENOUGH, WHICH IS ACKNOWLEDGED IN A FEW OF THESE.
BUT ALSO THE ADDITIONAL TRAINING AS A MEANS TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE MORE, I DON'T WANNA SAY MORE IMPORTANT, BUT SPECIFIC TOPICS THAT WE ARE SEEING THAT ARE MORE COMMON, SUCH AS SUBSTANCE USE, UM, MENTAL HEALTH, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO THAT DOCUMENT WILL LIKELY WALK YOU THROUGH THE SCOPE OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS, AND THEN WE USE THESE TO PUT FORWARD THE IDEA.
AND THEN THAT MIGHT HELP YOU FORMULATE, OKAY, SO IF WE WANTED TO PUT ONE OF THESE INTO ACTION, WHAT AMOUNT OF MONEY OR WHAT ACTION NEEDS TO BE TAKEN IN ORDER FOR IT TO HAPPEN? SO IT KIND OF WALKS ME THROUGH THE THOUGHT PROCESS IN MY MIND.
I THINK WE ALL AGREE, LIKE IT'S A HIGH PRIORITY TO INCREASE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER CAPACITY, BUT IN A RECOMMENDATION, DO WE NEED A BUDGET, LIKE SPECIFIC DOLLAR AMOUNT WE RECOMMEND TO INCREASE OR PROVIDE A GENERAL, WE THINK THIS SHOULD BE INCREASED BECAUSE IT'S A, IT'S AN ISSUE THAT COULD BE IMPROVED.
SO I, THAT'S THE QUESTION I HAVE IS THE BUDGET DOLLAR AMOUNT, WE NEED TO BE SPECIFIC TO PROVIDE, IF THAT'S WANTED, I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT BUDGET AMOUNT WOULD BE, RIGHT? IF I MAY.
UM, I DON'T THINK YOU NEED A SPECIFIC DOLLAR AMOUNT.
IF COUNSEL DECIDES TO PUT THE RECOMMENDATION FORWARD INTO A RESOLUTION, IT WILL BE SENT TO STAFF TO GIVE ESTIMATES.
SO THEY'LL, THEY'LL RELY ON THE PROFESSIONAL STAFF FOR THAT WORK.
MY QUESTION FOR THE COMMISSION IS, WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO HAPPEN? NOW WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF BUDGET NEGOTIATIONS.
YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET ANY TRACTION ON ANYTHING THAT REQUIRES ADDITIONAL DOLLARS AT THIS TIME IN THE BUDGET.
WE HAVE ONE WORK SESSION LEFT, WHICH IS TOMORROW, AND THEN VOTING STARTS NEXT WEEK.
AND, AND SO TO, TO YOUR POINT, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU WANNA SPEND THAT TIME.
YOU, YOU COULD USE THE TIME AND GET MORE INFORMATION, BUT I THINK IF YOU PUT IT FORTH RIGHT NOW, IT'LL BE DEAD IN THE WATER TIMING.
LIKE FEBRUARY OF NEXT YEAR WOULD BE THE TIME TO PUT THIS FORWARD, BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN FOLKS ARE THINKING ABOUT BUDGET.
AND I DON'T KNOW THE IMPACTS OF A BIENNIUM BUDGET.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'LL BE A PROCESS TO, UH, LOOK AT UNMET NEEDS OR REQUESTS FROM THE COMMUNITY.
SO FOR PROCESS, I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT THAT, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT FOUNDATIONALLY IMPORTANT IDEA.
COMMISSIONER CROOKHAM, TO ADD TO THE CONFUSION, WHEN WE HAD DISCUSSED THEWS PREVIOUSLY, THESE WERE IDEAS THAT WE HAD COME UP WITH AS COMMISSION MEMBERS.
UM, I BELIEVE YOURS WAS THE, THE SURVEY, YOU
[01:10:01]
KNOW, OF WHO'S OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.OH, MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THESE WERE OUR PRIORITIES THAT WE NOW WANT TO FOCUS ON AND DISCUSS, NOT NECESSARILY MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL THAT COULD BE AN ACTION ITEM.
BUT I SEE SOME OF THESE THINGS LIKE PERHAPS THE SPECIALIZED TRAINING AREAS OR WHATEVER, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD RECOMMEND TO A PH AND TRAVIS COUNTY AND WHOEVER ELSE HAS, UH, CHWS AND SAYING, THESE ARE THE TRAININGS, YOU KNOW, THAT WE THINK OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS THE MOST THAT WOULD BENEFIT OUR COMMUNITY THE MOST.
THAT'S NOT A COUNCIL ACTION, THAT'S A RECOMMENDATION FROM US TO OUR AGENCIES, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
SO I THINK, I DON'T THINK THAT, AND I AGREE WITH THE TIMING TOO.
NOW, IT'S NOT THE RIGHT TIME TO ASK FOR MONEY, BUT WE COULD DEFINITELY, I AGREE WITH WHAT YOU SAID TOO.
WE DON'T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT ALL OF THIS, SO I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE'RE, I THOUGHT THAT'S WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO DO IS GATHER MORE INFORMATION AND THAT THIS FIRST ONE WAS THE FIRST PRIORITY WE HAD AND THE SECOND ONE WAS THE SECOND PRIORITY.
SO I THOUGHT WE WERE GONNA GO IN THROUGH THIS LIST IN THAT PRIORITY ORDER.
LIKE I SAID, NO, THAT SUBTRACTS THE CONFUSION.
UM, ANOTHER THING TO CONSIDER IS THAT YOUR, YOUR, I I THINK YOU'RE TASKED IN PROVIDING A, UH, ANNUAL REPORT OF RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO IT'S MAYBE ONE OF SEVERAL RECOMMENDATIONS THAT YOU'RE GONNA MAKE INTO THAT REPORT.
AND, AND MAYBE YOU TIME IT WITH WHEN THAT REPORT IS DUE, BUT THINK OF, YOU KNOW, THE BUDGET TIMELINE AS WELL.
SO BETWEEN FEBRUARY AND APRIL IS, IS A GOOD TIME, BUT I THINK YOU SHOULD THINK OF HOW THIS IS JUST ONE PIECE OF YOUR REPORT AND, AND START BUILDING ON THAT REPORT.
COULD I ADD, UH, I WONDER IF THERE IS VALUE KIND OF GOING THROUGH THE EXERCISE OF KIND OF PUTTING TOGETHER A RECOMMENDATION.
'CAUSE OTHERWISE WE'LL ALWAYS BE IN THIS SITUATION WHERE WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION, WE DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE RECOMMENDING SOMETHING.
BUT IF WE WENT THROUGH THAT EXERCISE AND TRIED TO PUT THAT TOGETHER, WE WOULD UNDERSTAND, OKAY, WHAT DO WE NEED TO MAKE A DECISION RIGHT NOW? I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS GOING INTO THAT RESOLUTION SPECIFICALLY.
BUT IF WE WAIT UNTIL THE BUDGET SEASON, WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE ANYTHING AGAIN.
SO IF WE START NOW WITH THIS ONE AND THEN KIND OF START ADDING TO IT, THEN WE DON'T TAKE THEM TO CITY COUNCIL.
UH, BUT WE KIND OF KEEP THEM INTERNALLY AND WE KEEP CLEANING THEM UP AND ADDING MORE INFORMATION.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GOOD KIND OF NEXT, NEXT STEP.
THE OTHER THING I WOULD ADD IN OUR INFORMAL DISCUSSION HERE IS THAT, AGAIN, I THINK THAT I REMEMBER THERE WAS 24 MAYBE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS.
DO I REMEMBER THAT? DOES ANYBODY REMEMBER THAT? MY POINT IS, IS THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT SEEMS LIKE WE MIGHT GO BACK AND DO A TALK AMONGST OURSELVES, I MEAN OBVIOUSLY THE CITY COUNCIL OR THE TRAVIS COUNTY, IF THEY'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC HEALTH, UH, COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS, YOU KNOW, AS EMPLOYEES, WE COULD BE TALKING TO 'EM ABOUT HOW THOSE PEOPLE, HOW THOSE FOLKS DO THEIR JOB.
BUT THE QUESTION IS, IS THAT'S A VERY SMALL NUMBER.
AND MAYBE THAT'S A LITTLE BIT, I MEAN, WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET TO IS THAT, IS THERE A COMMUNITY-WIDE CONVERSATION THAT WE WANNA AT LEAST UNDERSTAND OR THE VISION OR UNDER, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER AND IS, I DON'T KNOW WHAT CITY COUNCIL CAN DO ABOUT, UM, THAT, BUT I, BUT IS THAT THE, IS THAT THE, UM, I GUESS I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, IS THAT THE ENVIRONMENT THAT WE'RE IN AND DO WE WANNA LEARN ABOUT THAT OR DO WE WANNA JUST FOCUS ON THE EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY? AND MAYBE YOU'D SAY, WELL, THAT WE SHOULD FOCUS ON THAT BECAUSE THAT'S THE ONLY THING WE CAN CONTROL, OR THE CITY COUNCIL COULD CHANGE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WONDER, AND AGAIN, I STILL DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE ACROSS THE COMMUNITY A VERY SMALL NUMBER COMPARED TO WHAT WE SHOULD HAVE.
AND THE QUESTION WILL, HOW WOULD YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, A TRIPLING OF THE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS ACROSS THE CITY, THE VAST MAJORITY WHO ARE NOT CITY EMPLOYEES OR COUNTY EMPLOYEES.
AND WE MAYBE WE'D SAY, WELL, WE CAN'T DO THAT, BUT I'M JUST LAYING OUT, THAT TO ME SEEMS LIKE A PUBLIC HEALTH PART OF THE CONVERSATION OF COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS.
PLEASE, I CAN TELL YOU'RE ALREADY
I'M, I KNOW THAT WE CAN PROBABLY MAKE MORE OF AN IMPACT WITH OUR GOVERNING AGENCIES THAT ARE ALONGSIDE US IN THIS CONVERSATION.
BUT I DO THINK IF WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF BIAS AND ONLY FOCUS ON COUNTY CITY CENTRAL HEALTH CHWS, WE MIGHT ALSO JUST SEE A MASSIVE INFLUX OF CHWS ONLY WANTING TO COME AND WORK WITH THOSE ENTITIES.
SO IF WE ARE GOING TO START PULLING TOGETHER RECOMMENDATIONS FOR AN ANNUAL REPORT, IS THERE A WAY THAT WE CAN CAPTURE THE TOTALITY OF LIKE AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY CHWS, PAY RATES, UH, CERTIFICATIONS, UM, REQUIREMENTS? I KNOW A LOT OF THIS IS FROM THE FEDERAL SIDE OF IT, BUT, UM, AND THEN BE ABLE TO SAY, HEY, WE SEE THAT THERE'S A, A HUGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT CENTRAL HEALTH CHWS ARE GETTING VERSUS WHAT COUNTY
[01:15:01]
CHWS ARE GETTING.HOW DO WE MITIGATE THAT? AND THEN ALSO WE SEE THERE'S A HUGE BUDGET CONCERN AND THEN WE CAN SAY, HEY, BUDGET HERE IN FEBRUARY.
WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT A PH CAN GET A LUMP SUM OF, I MEAN, I'M KIND OF JUST LIKE GOING OFF ON A TANGENT HERE, BUT IF THAT IS A PART OF HOW WE CAPTURE WHAT OUR RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE, COULD WE, WOULD WE NEED TO DO THAT RESEARCH OR COULD WE HAVE THAT DONE FOR US AND PROVIDED BACK? I THINK THAT'S, UM, THAT STAFF WOULD DO THAT.
OF COURSE, THERE'S SOME INTERNS SOMEWHERE.
THERE'S SOME, LET'S UT MAY I STUDENTS SOMEWHERE THAT DO THAT.
SO THIS IS WHY I HAD, UH, THERE WAS A TIME ON ONE OF THE MEETINGS, AND I DON'T THINK, UM, IT WAS MAYBE A COUPLE MONTHS AGO, I HAD RECOMMENDED RICARDO RA, WHO HAS BEEN A VERY BIG ADVOCATE FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS.
AND, UM, HE IS NOW PART OF THE BOARD FOR THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS.
AND ANY QUESTIONS OR ANYTHING THAT COMES WITH PAY RATE AND, UM, ANYTHING THAT YOU WOULD NEED TO KNOW.
HE HAS WORKED TO ADVOCATE FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS.
HE PROBABLY WOULD KNOW MORE THAN ME SINCE I, I AM A COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER, BUT I THINK THAT HE HAS BEEN PART OF THE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER, UM, MORE AND HAS BEEN MORE INVOLVED AND HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN A LOT OF OTHER THINGS.
THIS IS WHY I HAD RECOMMENDED BEFORE, I THINK SOMEBODY HAD SAID THAT THEY WERE GONNA REACH OUT TO HIS MANAGER TO SEE IF HE COULD COME AND PRESENT.
NOW HE WOULD BE ONE OF, INSTEAD OF US DOING OUR OWN RESEARCH AND GOING THROUGH RABBIT HOLES, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE SOMEBODY THAT IS VERY STABLE IN THE COMMUNITY ABOUT COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS, HAS ADVOCATED FOR PAY CODES, UH, WITH UT TO GET PAID, UH, KNOWS THE CAPACITY OF CHWS, WHAT CAPACITY WE HAVE KNOWS ABOUT THE TRAINING, ANY ADDITIONAL TRAINING.
AND AGAIN, I BRING IT BACK TO THE TABLE IF WE WOULD BE ABLE TO REQUEST RICARDO RA TO COME AND SPEAK TO US ABOUT COMMUNITY HEALTH WORK AND WHAT IS BEING DONE IN THE COMMUNITY AND OUR CAPACITY.
YEAH, I THINK MORE EXPERTS COMING TO SEEK WOULD BE GREAT.
UM, I'M ALSO MAKING THINKING ABOUT, LIKE, AGAIN, WE'RE BEING A LITTLE BIT TONGUE IN CHEEK, AND THIS MAY BE JUST A LITTLE BIT, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT CHAIR WALLACE HERE, WE MIGHT JUST BE, YOU KNOW, OVER IN, IN NOVA SCOTIA WHERE WE NEED TO GET BACK TO AUSTIN, TEXAS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IT DOES OCCUR TO ME, FOR INSTANCE, THAT, UM, I'D LIKE TO KNOW, AND MAYBE THIS IS OUR OWN INDIVIDUAL RESEARCH, BUT YOU KNOW, HOW MANY COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS ARE THERE IN AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY, DIVIDE THAT BY THE POPULATION.
YOU SAY ONE THOUGH, THERE'S ONE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER PER 2000 POPULATION.
IS, IS THERE A CITY IN THE US THAT HAS, YOU KNOW, A DIFFERENT RATIO BY A LOT, MAYBE THEY HAVE TWICE AS MANY.
AND THE QUESTION IS IN OUR COMMUNITY IS, IS IF WE THINK THE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER IS AN EMPOWERED, YOU KNOW, HYPER EFFICIENT WAY TO HELP PEOPLE, THE QUESTION IS, IS WHAT'S OUR TEMPERATURE? HOW WELL, HOW, WHAT DO WE HAVE? AND I DON'T THINK WE, I KNOW WHAT WE HAVE.
WE KIND OF KNOW WHAT'S IN THE, WHAT'S IN, YOU KNOW, IF 24 IS THE RIGHT NUMBER, WE KNOW WE GOT 24.
IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE VERY MANY FOR, FOR 2 MILLION IN A METRO AREA.
RIGHT? SO, AND BUT, BUT, SO I, I'M STILL BACK TO SORT OF LIKE, I DON'T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT LIKE THAT.
AND I'M, I'M INTERESTED IN ASKING THAT QUESTION.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANY, IF WE CAN DO ANYTHING IN CITY COUNCIL OR TRAVIS COUNTY, BUT I THINK THAT THAT'S HOW WE BEGIN TO KNOW ENOUGH TO, TO THEN, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTAND THIS ECOSYSTEM WE'RE IN.
I GUESS THAT'S, THAT'S MY SENSE AND THAT'S JUST ONE, BUT I JUST THROW IT OUT THERE.
YEAH, I THINK PROBABLY THE BEST STARTING POINT IS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IT IS WE WANNA ADDRESS, WHAT NUMBERS WE NEED TO INFORM ANY SOLUTION THAT WE WANNA ADDRESS.
SO I THINK IT'S LIKE, WE HAVE A LOT OF IDEAS, A LOT OF PLACES THIS COULD GO AND I DON'T WANNA GET LOST IN IT.
SO I THINK IF, AND WE HAVE TIME, WE HAVE TIME, WHICH IS THE GREAT THING.
LIKE I, WE DON'T WANNA DRAG IT OUT, BUT I THINK TO MAKE IT LESS BIG AND SCARY AND IN THE WEEDS, WE JUST TAKE THOSE TINY LITTLE STEPS FROM HERE AND THERE.
I THINK THEY'RE VERY HELPFUL, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE ONLY MEET ON A MONTHLY BASIS.
AND JUST HAVING, LIKE COLLECTING A ONE SHEET OF LIKE BASIC STATS, THAT WAY YOU CAN GET AN IDEA OF LIKE WHAT THE CURRENT SITUATION IS AND HOW TO ADDRESS IT.
SO IT'S LIKE A TWO PART START TO, THAT IS MY PROBABLY HOW I WOULD ADDRESS IT.
BUT AGAIN, WE HAVE TIME AND I DON'T KNOW THAT THE MONTHLY MEETING IS THE MOST APPROPRIATE TO ATTACK, LIKE, TO ATTACK IT EVERY TIME WE'RE HERE.
BUT IT'S GONNA BE INDIVIDUAL WORK IN MY MIND.
I GUESS WHAT DO WE DO TO GET RICARDO THAT I SCHEDULED?
[01:20:01]
DO WE HAVE TO REACH OUT IN, WHAT WOULD WE WANT TO ASK HIM OR, OR WHAT WOULD WANT TO HEAR? IT SOUNDS LIKE HE HAS, WHAT'S THAT? HIS EXPERTISE? IT SOUNDS LIKE HE HAS THE NUMBERS.I CAN REACH OUT TO RICARDO 'CAUSE HE, HE WORKS FOR THE CITY NOW IN THE EQUITY OFFICE AND I, I THOUGHT HE CAME TO SPEAK TO Y'ALL ALREADY, BUT MAYBE WE HAD A PERSON WHO HAS NAME, I CAN'T REMEMBER.
IT WAS DORIS THAT'S, OH, UM, WHO CAME.
AND THERE'S ALSO, UM, THE ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY HEALTH INITIATIVE WAS FUNDED BY THE ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON FOUNDATION TO DO SOME SIGNIFICANT WORK ON STUDYING THE IMPACT OF COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS IN AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY REALLY, AND EXPLORING DIFFERENT FUNDING MODELS AND EVEN GOING AS FAR AS TO IDENTIFY ROLES THAT DIFFERENT COMMUNITY PARTNERS COULD PLAY.
AND SO I THINK EITHER ACCESSING THAT REPORT AND, UH, RICARDO WAS PART OF THAT TEAM AND I REPRESENTED THE CITY AS WELL.
UM, SO EITHER HAVING, UH, MS. HALEY EASILY COME WITH HIM WOULD BE A GOOD PLACE TO START.
AND AS FAR AS MAKING IT LESS SCARY AND, AND SMALLER, I THINK THE, THE GREATEST LEVEL OF INFLUENCE, AND THESE ARE JUST SUGGESTIONS, TAKE IT FOR WHAT YOU WILL, YOUR GREATEST INFLUENCE IS WITH POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS AND RESOURCE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ONE IMPACT CITY STAFFING, TWO IMPACT INVESTMENTS THAT THE CITY MAKES.
AND SO PERHAPS AFTER YOU HEAR THE INFORMATION FROM RICARDO AND HALEY, THAT WILL HELP YOU SCALE IT DOWN A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE YOU, WE DON'T HAVE THE BANDWIDTH TO COVER ALL OF TRAVIS COUNTY, BUT IF WE CAN START GOT IT WITH WHAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS DOING, THAT WOULD BE A GOOD PLACE.
SO MAYBE THAT'S THE, UM, FEEDBACK IS TO INVITE THAT PERSON TO, UM, COME SPEAK TO US.
[4. Discuss and take action to make recommendations on Community Health Workers. ]
FOUR IS UNNECESSARY BECAUSE WE'RE, UM, GONNA LEARN MORE.SO ARE THERE ANY WORKING GROUP UPDATES?
[5. Update from Infrastructure & Access work group.]
I'LL JUST ASK BLANKETLY,OH, UM, FOR A WORK GROUP UPDATES, I DID RECEIVE, UM, ONE FROM COMMISSIONER NATALIE, SO IF SHE WANTS TO TAKE OVER THAT.
SO I PUT TOGETHER, UM, FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND ACCESS WORK GROUP, A, UM, LIVING LOGIC MODEL.
UM, IT IS FOR ANYONE THAT IS A PART OF THE SPACE TO TAKE A LOOK AT, TO EITHER AGREE, ADD TO EDIT AUDIT, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY MOVE FORWARD WITH THOSE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES.
UM, IT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO, UH, TO STAFF SO WE CAN, IT CAN GET CIRCULATED TO WHOMEVER NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS THAT AND SEE THAT IT IS ALSO FOR TRANSPARENCY AND CONVERSATION, SO THAT IF THERE ARE OTHER ASPECTS OF WHAT THE WORKING GROUP IS FOCUSED ON, IF WE DO NEED TO INTERTWINE MORE PIECES AND PARTS, LIKE THE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER ASPECT OF THOSE THINGS, UM, EVERYONE CAN SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING.
UM, IF YOU WANNA SHOW IT, YOU CAN, IT'S, IT'S A LITTLE CHALLENGING TO SEE UNLESS YOU'RE LIKE ZOOMING IN ON IT.
UM, BUT THAT WAS ONE OF OUR ACTION ITEMS POST OUR FIRST MEETING WAS TO DEVELOP A LOGIC MODEL SO THAT WE COULD ACTUALLY HAVE, UH, A RESOURCE TO GO AND REVIEW.
UM, AND IF YOU ZOOM INTO THE FULL TABLE TO THE YEP.
ALL OF THOSE STICKY NOTES HAVE COME, HAVE DATA ON THEM.
THE RECOMMENDATION MIGHT BE IS TO BREAK THAT UP INTO VISIBLE PARTS, MAYBE INTO A SLIDE DECK SO THAT YOU CAN REALLY SEE IT IF YOU WANNA SHARE THE WHOLE THING.
BUT THE LINK MADE IT REALLY DIFFICULT TO NAVIGATE.
SO JUST AS A RECOMMENDATION IF YOU WANT SURE.
OH, I DIDN'T WANNA PRESENT ON IT.
I JUST WANTED PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT IT WAS DONE.
SO THAT WAS MORE OF A, UH, FOR YOUR AWARENESS IT'S BEEN CREATED, IT'S READY FOR EYEBALLS TO SEE AND GIVE FEEDBACK AND, UH, SO THAT WE CAN START TAKING ACTION.
AND IS THAT, SO IS THAT A LINK YOU CAN RESHARE? I THINK WE GOT THAT WAS SHARED AND MAYBE I WOULD BE GREAT TO, I'LL SHARE IT.
AND TWO, REMIND ME, IS THAT A GENERIC THING THAT ALL OF THE SUBCOMMITTEES MIGHT USE AS A TOOL TO BRING IDEAS IN AND ORGANIZE THEIR THOUGHTS AND COMMENTS? OH, SURE.
UM, YOU CAN USE THAT SAME LINK AND JUST SWITCH OUT THE CONTENT IN RESAVE IT
[01:25:01]
RESAVE IT.IF THE, UH, ADVOCACY AND PARTNERSHIP GROUP AND THE BUDGET GROUP WANNA USE THAT, YOU WOULD JUST USE THAT.
YOU COULD DUPLICATE THAT SAME EXACT TABLE OR YOU CAN USE YOUR OWN VARIATION OF A LOGIC MODEL.
UM, THEY'RE REALLY GREAT BECAUSE THEY CAN HELP KEEP YOU ON, ON TRACK OF WHAT YOU'RE DOING, BUT ALSO, UH, REMAIN CON CONSISTENT ON THE, THE WAY THAT YOU'RE DOING THAT WORK AND MAKING SURE THAT IT MEETS THOSE OUTCOMES.
SO DANIELLE, THAT WOULD BE ONE THING YOU WOULD SEND US AS THE LINK.
AND THE OTHER THING WOULD BE MAYBE THE PAPERS THAT WERE REFERRED TO THE, UH, THE LINK MAYBE TO, UM, WHAT WAS IT? WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT THE, UM, OPIOID, WAS IT, UM, WAS THE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER, UM, NO, THE ASIAN AMERICAN.
I THINK THAT, UM, ROBERT THOMPSON, DIRECTOR STEWART MENTIONED.
YOU COULD JUST BRING US THING TO US AN AN EMAIL.
AND THERE WAS MAYBE TWO THERE.
AA, CHI AND YOU KNOW, UM, AS WE ALL DO OUR OWN STUDY OF COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS, UM, AND OR, UM, UM, THE OPIOID CRISIS AND, AND, AND THINGS.
I MEAN, I SUPPOSE SINCE WE CAN'T QUORUM OURSELVES BY SENDING STUFF AMONGST OURSELVES, CAN WE BE ACTIVELY SENDING THOSE TO DANIELLE SO THAT SHE CAN REDISTRIBUTE THEM TO US SINGULARLY AND IT WOULDN'T BE A WALKING QUORUM OR SOMETHING IF WE STARTED SENDING EMAILS TO EACH OTHER.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS I DO SOMETIMES IS GO STUDY FOR A LITTLE WHILE AND THEN, THEN I'VE STUDIED, AND USUALLY I'M GONNA FORGET IT BY THE TIME I HAVE A MEETING.
BUT IF WE ALL TALK AMONGST OURSELVES, NOT TO HAVE A WALKING QUORUM, BUT TO SORT OF, HERE'S RESEARCH I'VE DONE.
STICK IT UP THERE SO THAT SHE CAN ESSENTIALLY CREATE A, A FUNCTIONAL BULLETIN BOARD, SEND IT BACK OUT ALL TO US AS, AS COMMISSION DATA.
OF COURSE, UM, YOU CAN SHARE ANY INFORMATION YOU'D LIKE THE ENTIRE BODY TO RECEIVE, BUT, UM, IT MAY BE FEASIBLE IF YOU WORK THROUGH YOUR WORKING GROUPS TO FORMULATE YOUR, YOUR IDEAS, KIND OF DO YOUR HEAD WRAPPING AROUND WHAT YOU WANNA DO, AND THEN BRING IT BACK AS THOSE FOLLOW UP UPDATES FOR YOUR MEETINGS.
WHEN YOU'RE IN YOUR WORKING GROUPS, YOU CAN TALK AND, AND STRATEGIZE AND MAKE YOUR PLANS, UM, AS YOU'D LIKE.
AND IF THERE'S SOMETHING YOU WANT TO SHARE WITH THE BODY AFTER YOU'VE HAD THAT MEETING, WE CAN THEN FORWARD ON TO THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS TO REVIEW, UM, BEFORE YOUR ACTUAL BODY MEETING.
BUT IT'S PROBABLY A GOOD IDEA THAT YOU ACTUALLY START USING YOUR WORKING GROUPS TO GET SOME OF YOUR WORK DONE.
AND COMMISSIONER HAD AN UPDATE PLEASE.
[6. Update from Advocacy & Partnership work group.]
THE ADVOCACY WORK GROUP, WE MET IN JULY, BUT WAS JUST ADRIAN AND I, SO WE DECIDED TO MEET, UH, LIKE TO WAIT TILL OUR NEXT MEETING IN AUGUST TO DISCUSS MORE.AND WE'LL BE LOOKING AT THAT LOGIC MODEL, WHICH LOOKS GREAT.
AND I, I GUESS JUST TO GIVE, UM, AN UPDATE, I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAD ONE IN JUNE, BUT WE DISCUSSED, UM, THE POSSIBILITY OF HAVING COMMUNITY, UM, MEETINGS.
UH, AND THIS WAS REALLY MAR MARTA'S IDEA, BRINGING MAYBE 10 PEOPLE, UH, ACROSS KIND OF DIFFERENT EXPERTISE TO DISCUSS SPECIFIC AREAS.
AND THE FIRST ONE WE WERE INTERESTED IN WAS HOUSING AND KIND OF THAT INTERSECTION BETWEEN HOUSING AND HEALTH.
UH, AND WE KEEP HEARING HOUSING IN MOST OF THIS, UM, TALKS THAT WE HAVE HERE.
SO TRYING TO KIND OF NARROW DOWN THERE A LITTLE BIT.
UM, SO THAT MIGHT BE A TOPIC THAT WILL COME AGAIN AND AGAIN.
AND THEN I THINK WHAT WE DISCUSS IS THAT WE AS A SUBGROUP WOULD BE IN CHARGE OF KIND OF PUTTING TOGETHER THAT MEETING AND THEN KIND OF ASKING FOR YOU GUYS SUPPORT IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THAT.
UM, LIKE ASKING THE BUDGET GROUP, UH, WHAT'S THE BUDGET FOR SOME OF THESE PROGRAMS AND HOW CAN WE THINK ABOUT INCREASING THE BUDGET OR THINGS LIKE THAT, OR INFRASTRUCTURE, HOW DOES INFRASTRUCTURE TIE INTO THIS AS WELL? WONDERFUL.
[7. Update from Budget work group.]
AND THEN FOR THE BUDGET WORK GROUP ONLY, WE'RE JUST PAYING ATTENTION RIGHT NOW TO CITY COUNCIL AND THE BUDGET PROCESS THAT'S GOING ON.WE HAD, YOU KNOW, WE CO-SIGNED OR SPONSORED A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT RESOLUTIONS, SO I'M CURIOUS TO SEE HOW MANY OF THOSE, YOU KNOW, ARE FUNDED.
AND SO I'LL REPORT THAT BACK WHEN I HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
AND THEN OF COURSE, UH, IT'S WAY TOO SOON AS WE JUST DISCUSSED TO SUBMIT ANY NEW BUDGET, YOU KNOW, RESOLUTIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO, UH, WE'LL JUST BE GATHERING THE INFORMATION FROM THESE MEETINGS AND OUR DISCUSSIONS, UH, TO TRY TO START PUTTING TOGETHER THINGS TOGETHER IN ANTICIPATION OF NEXT YEAR, WHENEVER, YOU KNOW, MARCH OR WHATEVER, WHEN WE START SUBMITTING THESE THINGS.
ALRIGHT, WELL, UM, ARE THERE ANY FUTURE
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
AGENDA ITEMS WE NEED TO SUBMIT OR FOR CONSIDERATION? I'M JUST GOING THROUGH THE LAST BIT OF THE, UM, THANK YOU FOR THOSE UPDATES.ARE, ARE THERE ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS THAT WE WANT TO HAVE SUBMITTED BEFORE WE ADJOURN? DAN? YES.
[01:30:01]
UM, I HAVE ALREADY, UM, I SCHEDULED IT A WHILE BACK, A PRESENTATION ON COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS FROM, I BELIEVE IT'S EITHER TRAVIS COUNTY OR CENTRAL HEALTH.DOESN'T THAT COME IN AND DO THAT? IT'S CENTRAL HEALTH.
BUT THE PRESENTATION WILL BE IN SEPT.
YEAH, BECAUSE THIS IS AL ALREADY AUGUST.
SEEING NONE, HEARING NONE WILL BE AN ADJOURNMENT AT FIVE AFTER THE, SO THE HOUR OF BEFORE.