Cook County Board of Commissioners Board Meeting - April 12, 2017
At the end of the Finance Committee that preceded the Board Meeting, a report from the Cook County Health and Hospitals System (CCHHS) CFO stated that the state owes $45 million to the county for FY16. There is a match that the county makes to the state that is required to meet the federal match and CCHHS makes expedited payments to the state in order to get the money back from the federal government. The money is actually driven down by the CFO and hand delivered to the state office in order to prevent the continued delay from the state regarding not yet receiving the match money from the county! Comm. Boykin asked Dr. Jay Shannon, CCHHS CEO, to explain the status of the gun violence reduction study being done by CCHHS. Dr. Shannon said that the study continues, but preliminary results show major stresses on families and communities are similar to the stresses that researchers are finding with children in Syria! Trauma Informed Care is showing that the trauma of living in a continued state of stress leads to chronic behavioral problems and ultimately to physical disease. He described it as a cascading problem. CCHHS is targeting community based care which will offer social and mental health support in the affected communities. The goal is for CCHHS to get into the community, and better results will occur. Comm. Steele suggested looking at mental health awareness. Comm. Sims then offered her own experience of visiting with families and educating families about resources available. Dr. Shannon explained that almost anything can be accomplished if the resources are available. Comm. Sims then said that she thought they all would agree to find a way and she suggested that the Dept of Human Services should take the lead. There are other models in the country where communities have put through referendums to tax the affected community in order to financially support the needed services. During Public Comment two women from the violence impacted communities provided emotional testimony and one stated that she was with the Warriors on the Watch. They described needed services and support for neighborhoods filled with liquor stores and abandoned houses. They expressed anger about guns and gangs and kids dying in the street. They asked for work “in our communities, so we don’t have to duck and die." One called out Comm. Sims and said she is in the suburbs, not the west side. Both were verbally supported by comments from Mr. George Blakemore. Significant Issues Discussed and/or Action Taken:
Observer - Laura Davis Meeting: 9:45 to 12:45
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