The Executive Committee met prior to the Central Texas HIV Planning Council meeting to discuss the reallocation policy and standing committee meetings.

Committee members present: Rita Castro (Chair), Christine Harris, Eric Todd, Sam Guerrero, Aaron Montemayor, Parker Willson

BVCOG staff present: Crystal Crowell, Sherry Falgout, Alan Hethcox

Rita Castro called the meeting to order at 9:35 a.m.
Reallocation Policy
The reallocation policy has been reviewed and approved by the Allocation Committee. Crystal Crowell explained the reallocation policy to the Executive Committee. The policy provides a way for reallocations to be approved without full approval from the CTHPC for all reallocation requests. The Allocation Committee will meet once per month to review reallocation requests unless an emergency meeting is necessary.
The Executive Committee approved the reallocation policy by consensus. Rita Castro will inform the CTHPC at the meeting.

Standing Committee Meetings
Rita Castro stated that BVCOG suggested establishing monthly standing committee meetings. Committee members would know exactly when to expect their committee's meeting. If it is not necessary for a committee to meet, then the scheduled meeting can be canceled. Eric Todd suggested changing the bylaws to have thirty percent constitute a quorum. Other members of the Executive Committee disagreed with lowering the quorum, because it would lower the standard and would not provide full representation. Parker Wilson commented that the new reallocation policy already establishes monthly meetings for the Allocation Committee. Aaron Montemayor explained that it would be helpful for committee members to receive earlier notification of committee meetings. Rita Castro requested that BVCOG notify the committee chair that a committee meeting needs to be scheduled and why the committee needs to meet. Then the chair can disseminate the information to committee members.
The Executive Committee voted in favor of establishing monthly standing committee meetings. BVCOG will poll the CTHPC members on what days and times generally work best for their schedules and determine the most appropriate time for each committee meeting.

The Executive Committee discussed having staggered committee meetings once per quarter on the Mondays prior to the CTHPC meetings. The meetings will be face-to-face. The next CTHPC meeting is in June; however, the quarterly face-to-face committee meetings will begin on the Monday prior to the August CTHPC meeting.
Rita Castro adjourned the Executive Committee meeting at 9:52 a.m.

Posted by BVCOG-HIV at 11:38 PM | Permalink

The Needs Assessment Committee met after the CTHPC meeting.

An outline of data needed for the provider survey and resource inventory and examples of provider surveys from other planning councils were provided to the Needs Assessment Committee members. The members decided to include only what is required on the provider survey due to a low response rate from providers on long surveys.

Members Present: Chris Benfer (Chair), Eric Todd, Christine Harris, Rita Castro, Janet Cates, and Jerry Oliver.

BVCOG Staff Present: Crystal Crowell and Sherry Falgout

An outline of data needed for the provider survey and resource inventory and examples of provider surveys from other planning councils were provided to the Needs Assessment Committee members. The members decided to include only what is required on the provider survey due to a low response rate from providers on long surveys.

The Needs Assessment Committee discussed the following strategies to increase the provider response rate:
° Committee members can bring surveys to the providers.
° Subcontractors can disseminate the surveys.
° Check boxes on the survey would make it convenient for providers to complete.
° The survey should be a maximum of two pages.

BVCOG will develop the abbreviated provider survey based on the suggestions of the committee and send it to the Needs Assessment Committee.

The meeting adjourned at 12:50 p.m.

Posted by BVCOG-HIV at 08:24 PM | Permalink

The Membership Committee met on April 12, 2005 at 12:52 p.m. after the CTHPC meeting to review membership demographics, core competency data, and four applications for membership.

Members Present: Aaron Montemayor (Chair), Jerry Oliver, Marla Madison, Christine Harris, Chris Benfer

BVCOG Staff: Crystal Crowell, Sherry Falgout

Membership Demographics
The Membership Committee reviewed membership demographics of the CTHPC and determined that recruitment efforts should target the following areas:
° Minority representation
° Concho Plateau, Bryan, and Temple-Killeen HSDAs
° HIV positive individuals
° Infected population
° Injection Drug Users (IDUs)

Core Competencies
The Membership Committee reviewed the core competencies of the CTHPC to determine core competencies that the Committee should recruit.

The Committee still needs to prioritize the core competencies for the CTHPC and each committee.

New Applicant Information
The Membership Committee wants to develop a procedure for selecting applicants for membership. CTHPC membership is now at a good capacity, so the Committee needs to be more selective. A profile will be created to identify characteristics desired in a new member and then the Committee will recruit applicants. The decision to recommend an applicant for membership will be objective and based on demographic and core competency data for the CTHPC. Aaron Montemayor will develop a one-page work plan for the Committee.

Crystal Crowell informed the Committee that a membership committee member who was unable to attend had advised against one of the applicants for membership and wanted Ms. Crowell to bring it up during the committee meeting. The Committee did not want her to identify the applicant. The Membership Committee will vote to approve or not approve an applicant for membership based on the profile of the applicant not the individual's personality.

Four membership applications were reviewed. The Membership Committee voted in favor of recommending Juan Gomez and Leatrice Bines for membership. The Committee voted three to two against recommending Karen Breeding or Edwin Bicknell for membership.

This information will be presented to the CTHPC for a second vote. The Committee has never voted against recommending an applicant for membership. If a member is not selected after the CTHPC vote, a letter will be sent to notify the applicants who were not selected. The letter will explain that the Membership Committee is targeting a specific population for CTHPC membership, the individual is still welcome attend the meetings, and the CTHPC is recruiting for LNATFs.

BVCOG will determine if there is written documentation to clarify what characteristics are included under the core competency of diversity. A mental health provider may be considered to have diversity as a core competency.

Membership Attendance
Jason Sabo has been inactive and absent from CTHPC and committee meetings for one year. Chandra Taylor has three excused absences but her inability to participate should be addressed. The Membership Committee reviewed the CTHPC bylaws. A recommendation will be made to the Executive Committee and then to the CTHPC. The bylaws also state that the member in question should be notified of his/her standing on the Council and that they are in jeopardy of losing their membership on the Council.

BVCOG will develop a draft template letter for the Membership Committee Chair to use when notifying members that their CTHPC membership may be terminated. The letter will also be sent to CTHPC Chair and BVCOG.

Pending Tasks
There is a draft orientation manual for new members of the CTHPC. An informational flyer and at-a-glace document were suggested as methods to inform potential members and other interested entities about the CTHPC. These topics will be discussed at the next committee meeting.

Adjournment
The Membership Committee meeting adjourned at 1:49 p.m.

Posted by BVCOG-HIV at 08:01 PM | Permalink

The Executive Committee met via conference call on April 5, 2005 to discuss the agenda for the CTHPC meeting, standing committee meetings, and the reallocation policy.

Committee members present: Rita Castro (Chair), Eric Todd, Mark Donberger, Aaron Montemayor, Parker Willson

BVCOG staff present: Crystal Crowell, Sherry Falgout

Agenda for the April CTHPC meeting:
ARIES Presentation
Darla Metcalfe will present an overview of ARIES to the CTHPC.

Consumer Group Presentations
The co-chair of the Houston Planning Council consumer group will attend the CTHPC meeting. Representatives from the Dallas Planning Council consumer committee will be on conference call for the meeting at 11:00 a.m. [Note: Following the Executive Committee conference call, BVCOG learned that the Dallas Planning Council consumer group would call at 11:15 a.m.]

Administrative Agency Evaluation
BVCOG will send out the Administrative Agency Evaluation via e-mail to the CTHPC members. The completed evaluation will be turned in at the meeting.

Committee Reports
Membership Committee. The Membership Committee was unable to agree upon a date and time to meet via conference call. BVCOG received two applications for membership. A summary of each applicant's information was sent to the Committee for a vote via e-mail.

Allocations Committee. Minutes of the Allocations Committee meeting were sent to Committee members via e-mail.

Community Empowerment Committee. The Community Empowerment Committee met to develop questions for consumer groups from other Planning Councils that will participate in the CTHPC meeting.

Needs Assessment Committee. Ms. Crowell stated that she would contact Mr. Benfer to discuss the report for the Needs Assessment Committee.

Standing Committee Meetings:
There has been difficulty coordinating a date and time for committee meetings and conference calls. Mr. Wilson informed the Executive Committee of Mr. Benfer's concern with the lack of committee members committing to a date and time for committee meetings. BVCOG suggested establishing standing committee meetings for each committee on a monthly basis. If it is not necessary for a committee to meet, then the scheduled meeting can be canceled. Ms. Castro will address committee member attendance and the possibility of standing committee meetings during the CTHPC meeting.
Reallocations Policy:

BVCOG will send the reallocations policy to the Executive Committee via e-mail. The Executive Committee will meet at 9:30 a.m. prior to the CTHPC meeting to review the policy. The reallocations policy will be presented during the Allocations Committee report at the CTHPC meeting.

Posted by BVCOG-HIV at 11:35 PM | Permalink