EDWIN FAIR COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH CENTER, INC.

ACCESSIBILITY PLAN 2014

A:Attitudinal Barriers

Resisting Stigma:

We at EFC have little doubt that mental illness stigma exists. The public tends to avoid and reject those with histories of psychiatric treatment. They express reluctance to employ, work with, socialize with, or rent to people who have had treatment for psychiatric diagnoses. People with psychiatric disorders often encounter discrimination in employment, housing, and educational opportunities.

Stigma is also thought to contribute to inadequate health insurance coverage for mental health problems and to low levels of public funding for mental illness treatment and research.

People with mental illnesses may be reluctant to seek help because of stigma and frequently conceal information about their illnesses and treatment because they fear negative reactions from others. Stigma, and the fear reactions of others, undermines treatment and recovery. Self-esteem is damaged. Fear and rejection are encountered when understanding and support are particularly needed. Involvement in community life and productive employment are more difficult.

Ten Ways you can Reduce Stigma:

1)Educate others about mental illness. To the extent that they are better informed about mental illness, assist others to be better able to evaluate and resist the inaccurate negative stereotypes of mental illness that are so common.

2)Encourage those who have experienced mental illness to speak out. Those individuals can describe what they find stigmatizing, how stigma affects their lives, what they would like others to know about life with mental illness, and how they would like to be viewed and treated.

3)Watch your language. Most of us, including mental health professionals and mental health consumers, use terms and expressions related to mental illness that may perpetuate stigma. We also depersonalize sufferers of mental illness by referring to them generically as “the mentally ill” or as “a schizophrenic.” We can avoid contributing to stigma by avoiding such language and by using People First language to refer to individuals with psychiatric disorders.

4)Monitor media and report stigmatizing material to any of a number of organizations. Organizations such as the National Stigma Clearinghouse, the National Mental Health Association, and the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill protest such material by contacting the people – authors, editors, movie producers, and advertisers – responsible for the material.

5)Respond to stigmatizing material in the media. Write, call, or e-mail stigmatizers yourself, expressing your concerns and providing more accurate information that they can use.

6)Speak up about stigma. When someone you know misuses a psychiatric term (such as “schizophrenia”), let them know and educate them about the correct meaning. When someone disparages a person with mental illness, tells a joke that ridicules mental illness, or makes disrespectful comments about mental illness, let them know that it is hurtful and that you find such comments offensive or unacceptable. Let others know your preference for People First language.

7)Talk openly about mental illness. Don’t be afraid to let others know of your mental illness or the mental illness of a loved one. The more mental illness remains hidden, the more people continue to believe that it is a shameful thing that needs to be concealed. Talking about it can also be empowering for individuals with mental illness and help to relieve the “internalized stigma” they feel.

8)Demand change from your elected representatives. Policies that perpetuate stigma – from poorer health insurance coverage of mental illness than physical illness to limited funding for research into the causes and treatments of mental illness to inadequate budgets for public mental health services – can be changed if enough people let their representatives know that they want such change.

9)Provide support for organizations that fight stigma. Join, volunteer, and/or donate money. The influence and effectiveness of the organizations fighting mental illness stigma depend, to some extent, on membership size and adequacy of finances. They also rely heavily on the effort and passion of their volunteer members. You can make a contribution through them.

10)Contribute to research related to mental illness and stigma. To the extent that mental illness can be understood and treated, stigma will be reduced. When we can be confident that mental illness can be treated quickly and effectively, it will be less frightening. When we know how stigma is perpetuated and, better still, changed, we will be a better able to assist those with mental illnesses deal with it. Research will help us to learn these things.

B: Procedural Barriers

Recognizing that procedural barriers to access can exist or develop over time, Edwin Fair CMHC will implement the following goals to provide efficient and effective access to the consumer. These goals are included in the annual contract with the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services:

•Services shall be provided in an engaging and positive environment and achieve positive outcomes for consumers.

•Our agency shall facilitate access to needed services, ensure appropriateness of care, and promote client satisfaction with services.

•Services shall promote consumer empowerment, wellness, recovery, and integration in the community.

•Services shall build on individual strengths, exist in a natural environment, and actively promote the consumer’s human value and dignity.

•Our agency understands its role as a provider in a state-wide system of mental health and substance abuse services to children and adults and agrees to collaborate as necessary with other such providers to promote access to needed services and continuity of care and collaborate with the ODMHSAS in ongoing transformational work, such as the implementation of evidence-based practices as they emerge. Our agency shall provide trauma-informed, gender sensitive, co-occurring capable, age appropriate and culturally competent treatment for all consumers.

C: Architectural Barriers

The following concepts shall be integrated into the EFC Plan to make buildings and facilities fully accessible, and usable by persons with permanent or temporary disabilities. Future development shall take into account information obtained through input from the Office of Equal Opportunity Programs, Disability Services and Compliance (EOP/DSC) regarding the most current applicable laws, accessibility standards, and guidelines.

Within the legal requirement, all buildings shall provide an accessible route, both internal and external, connecting all new, existing, renovated, and altered accessible elements and spaces, including during the construction phase. Programs, vehicles, facilities, and systems proposed to be developed, altered, moved, or constructed, as indicated by the EFC Plan, shall take into account information supplied through input from EOP/DSC.

Specific recommendations to provide total accessibility to persons with disabilities:

  • Design and construction plans shall be reviewed by representatives from EOP/DSC and EFC.
  • Surface shall be appropriate for passage of persons with disabilities.
  • Signs shall clearly indicate accessible routes.
  • Alternative accessible paths of travel to facilities and spaces shall be provided during construction and renovation.
  • Changes in level shall be able to be negotiated by persons with disabilities.
  • Transportation and parking systems shall be accessible.
  • Transit vehicles shall be integrated into the parking system and be accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities, including wheelchair users and short-distance walkers.

General. The agency shall operate each program or activity so that the program or activity, when viewed in its entirety, is readily accessible to and usable by handicapped persons. This section may not necessarily require the Center to make each of its existing facilities 100% accessible to and usable by handicapped persons.

Methods. The agency may comply with the requirements of this sections through such means as redesign of equipment, reassignment of services to accessible buildings, assignment of aides to beneficiaries, home visits to its consumers, delivery of services at alternate accessible sites, alteration of existing facilities, or any other methods that result in making its programs or activities readily accessible to and usable by handicapped persons. The Center is not required to make structural changes in existing facilities where other methods are effective in achieving compliance. The Center, in making alterations to existing buildings, shall meet accessibility requirements. In choosing among available methods for meeting the requirements, the Center shall give priority to those methods that offer programs and activities to qualified handicapped persons in the most integrated setting appropriate.

The Center shall give priority to methods that provide physical access to handicapped persons. Alternative methods of achieving program accessibility include using audio-visual materials and devices and assigning persons to assist handicapped persons into properties that cannot otherwise be made accessible, and adopting other innovative methods.

Time period for compliance. The Center shall comply with the obligations established under this section as noted in the Accessibility Survey 2005 Plan except where structural changes in facilities are undertaken, such changes shall be made in accordance with requirements at the time changes are made, but in any event as expeditiously as possible.

Transition Plan. In the event that structural changes to facilities will be undertaken to achieve program accessibility, the Center shall develop at that time a Transition Plan setting forth the steps necessary to complete such changes. The Center shall provide an opportunity to the Board of Directors and employees, including handicapped persons or organizations representing handicapped persons, to participate in the development of the Transition Plan by submitting comments (both oral and written). A copy of the Transition Plan shall be made available to interested persons and regulatory bodies. The Plan shall, at a minimum:

  • Identify Physical obstacles in the agency’s facilities that limit the accessibility of its programs or activities to handicapped persons;
  • Describe in detail the methods that will be used to make the facilities accessible;
  • Specify the schedule for taking the steps necessary to achieve compliance with this sections and, if the time period of the Transition Plan is longer than one year, identify steps that will be taken during each year of the transition period; and
  • Indicate the official responsible for implementation of the Plan.

D: Environmental Barriers

Noise level and lack of soundproof rooms.

  • EFC will provide “white” noise machines for counseling sessions.

Sharing office space – need for additional office space:

  • EFC will remain dedicated to finding alternative funding sources to upgrade and expand their facilities while maintaining the utmost attention to confidentiality.

Asbestos in building: Environmental Action has assessed the asbestos content at Edwin Fair in Ponca City and the facility contains a small percentage of asbestos in some of the ceiling tiles. To meet legal guidelines, EFC:

  • Immediately notified staff, consumers, and visitors of the asbestos content in the Ponca City facility. A notice remains posted on the bulletin board in the lobby continually make consumers, visitors, and staff aware of the asbestos.
  • Staff is reminded that “No ceiling tile is to be moved or removed without formal authorization”.
  • EFC maintains an Agreement with Environmental Action for proper abatement procedures when any tiles in the EFC site are moved and/or removed.

Evaluator for environmental exposure incidents is the QI/RU committee.

The following procedure for evaluation of exposure incidents are followed in this facility:

1)Written documentation is required for every exposure incident in this facility. The documentation is on a Critical Incident form;

2)Written evaluation of exposure incidents includes:

  • Suggestions for changes in facility procedures.
  • A record of how these changes are implemented for each incident.

3)A copy of the exposure incident evaluation is placed in the exposed employee’s medical record.

E: Financial Plan

The Strategic Planning Committee shall, at a minimum, meet every two (2) years to establish the vision and goals of the Center’s future.

The Internal Financial Management shall prepare an annual (fiscal) budget and it shall be provided to the Board of Directors for monthly review. Preparation of the budget shall focus on the long-range goals. The Center shall maintain fiscal records, which accurately reflect the Center’s financial status. Financial statements shall be prepared monthly.

The Center shall maintain and Internal Control System through policies and procedures.

Fixed asset inventories and insurance plans shall be reviewed annually.

All funds shall be maintained in accordance with the Center’s policies and procedures.

The Center shall disclose its 501(c) (3) tax status.

Secure Service Grant/Contracts as they become available.

The Management and Staff shall meet or exceed the budget expectations.

The Center shall acquire independent audit annually. The audit report shall be presented to the Board of Directors for their review.

Monthly follow-up will occur at regularly scheduled Board Meetings and Coordinator Meetings.

F: Employment Barriers

The intent of EFC is to recruit the most qualified employees possible, to manage and retain the personnel who reflect our organization’s mission and the community it serves. Our goal is for the organization’s personnel to provide services that meet the needs of the consumers we serve.

Goals

1)Focus on recruiting and retention of licensed mental health professionals, through providing an ongoing in-house licensing supervision process.

2)Maintain turnover rate at less than 30%.

3)Provide ongoing training to staff as available and focus on the changing environment.

4)Manage records to provide needed information that addresses the needs of the staff.

G: Communication Barriers

Diversity of our culture is an ever-changing barrier to communication. As areas are identified, EFC strives to meet the changes required for quality service delivery. Availability for enhanced communication at EFC is as follows:

  • Video communication programs such as MOVIare available for deaf and hearing impaired consumers.
  • Consumer Rights posted in Spanish.
  • Interpreters will be provided if possible.
  • Bi-lingual Case Manager with Spanish as second language.
  • Training for receptionists is provided by the Center. EFC is providing this training by paying for the receptionist to attend Spanish classes at the local technical school.

H: Transportation Barriers

EdwinFairCenter serves a five (5) county, rural area and to provide and improve mental health services in the counties we serve, EFC:

  • Maintains an ongoing contract with Cimarron Transit for Kay, Osage and Pawnee Counties and First Capital Trolley for Payne County to meet the therapeutic and Med Clinic needs of consumers. Sooner Care is also available to provide transportation for consumers.
  • Case managers provide transportation for consumers to medical appointments, etc. Home visits by case managers instead of consumer traveling to the Center.

I:Other Barriers

Technology

EFC has continued to improve the technology of the agency moving to an electronic record and billing system (Think Health) the beginning of FY11. The agency will continue to look for ways to improve the technology process of the agency and increase speed and upgrades to the current systems.

J:Accessibility Plan Review

The Management Team and the Board of Directors shall review the EFC Accessibility Plan annually.

Board Approved: 9/9/2013

F/efcsec/P&P&Plans/fy2014/Accessibility Plan fy2014.doc1