The Behavioral Health Coordinating Council (BHCC) is a newly independent organization that convenes local health and social services professionals and government officials to discuss local behavioral health initiatives in McLean County. For the first time in the organization’s history, the meeting will be closed to the public. Despite the changes, members say transparency remains a top priority.
When the BHCC was formed in 2016 as a special committee of the County Commission, it was required to comply with the Open Meetings Act (OMA). At that time, the group also advised the county on spending a portion of the Mental Health and Public Safety Fund, which is combined sales tax from the City of Bloomington and the Town of Normal.
A recent reorganization changed everything. Not only is BHCC now independent from government, meaning it is no longer subject to OMA, but it also no longer advises counties on shared sales tax funds. Instead, the newly created Mental Health and Public Safety Fund Advisory Committee (FAC) handles finances.
In the words of BHCC member Stephanie Barish, privacy allows members to avoid “conflicts” that have persisted when the public and media can perceive and, in some cases, misinterpret conversations between providers. You can overcome fear.
“This allows you to express different ideas, challenge misconceptions, and consider compromises and ways things could be done differently. Under OMA, many of these are I think it was possible,” Barish said. , Director of Treatment Services at Youth and Family Solutions Center, and BHCC Representative at FAC.
She added that avoiding confrontation would make meetings “fruitless and routine” and that she thought there would be no new meetings.
Regular Town Councilor Kevin McCarthy serves on the BHCC and FAC boards. He said he has already noticed differences in interactions between the groups, based on several closed-door meetings that BHCC has held so far.
McCarthy said that because providers are not public servants or elected officials, it makes sense for them to have some freedom from public scrutiny, especially when OMA is intense. said.
“They are not elected officials, so we need them to do a professional job and give us professional advice,” he said. “Every financial decision is still subject to public disclosure, and those of us elected officials involved in that process are subject to the media and everything that people really want to know.”
The results of private conversations will also be made public. Marita Landreth, Director of Behavioral Health Coordination, attends both BHCC and FAC meetings. He said there are plans to create a BHCC website to share meeting minutes and other public updates.
Landreth said there will also be meetings held in the future to get feedback from the community.
“There will be an organic opportunity to involve the public more and communicate more about what’s going on,” she said. “It looks a little different from what it used to look like.”
Barish said providers are already talking about bringing people with lived experience with mental health and substance use into member conversations.
McLean County Circuit Court Judge Rebecca Foley, who serves as the independent BHCC clerk, acknowledged that the BHCC needs to be held accountable. She is responsible for BHCC revising its community mental health action plan and determining annual community behavioral health priorities, which are intended to help FAC make funding recommendations. He pointed out that
“We’re trying to reconcile those two things: transparency, which is necessary because we’re dealing with people’s taxes, but at the same time doing it right and keeping the conversation free-flowing so that we can “We are trying to make the most of this amazing resource that we have,” she said.
Landreth added that BHCC and FAC are still committed to “dotting our I’s and crossing our T’s,” but it doesn’t necessarily have to be done in public. She said members strive to ensure that “the group…is run in a way that is sustainable and produces results.”
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