Department to Convene Continuity of Care Advisory Panel
Members of the public invited to serve on stakeholder workgroups
BALTIMORE (July 3, 2013) -- Recognizing that effective treatments for serious mental illness can help individuals live healthier, more fulfilling lives, Governor Martin O’Malley has directed the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) to convene an advisory panel to explore ways to enhance continuity of care for individuals with serious mental illness.
Studies have shown that interruptions in treatment for mental illness can delay recovery, and that, in rare instances, untreated mental illness can contribute to dangerous behavior. The advisory panel will examine barriers to continuity of care and make recommendations to strengthen the public behavioral health service delivery system, improve health outcomes, and address deficiencies that lead to interruptions of care.
After a call for nominations in April 2013, Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein, Secretary of DHMH, has appointed the following state and national experts to the advisory panel:
Dr. Gayle Jordan-Randolph, Deputy Secretary for Behavioral Health and Disabilities, will chair the Continuity of Care Advisory Panel. Dr. Jordan-Randolph is a clinically trained child psychiatrist, adult psychiatrist, and forensic psychiatrist and has extensive experience in Maryland’s behavioral health system.
Clarissa E. Netter, is a senior consultant/trainer with Mainstream Recovery Consultants, a family recovery service-oriented organization. Ms. Netter has more than 20 years of experience in behavioral health as both a consumer and family member. Ms. Netter has assisted in the development of self-help peer support organization and groups, a statewide consumer leadership coalition, and special training on behavioral health recovery and recovery-oriented systems.
Dr. Stephen B. Goldberg is a Board Certified Psychiatrist and forensics expert with nearly 20 years of experience treating individuals in local jails who are awaiting trial or are serving shorter sentences before returning to the community. Dr. Goldberg is the Chief Operating Officer of Conmed Healthcare Management, which provides somatic, behavioral health, dental, and nursing services in a majority of Maryland jails.
Dr. John Boronow is a psychiatrist with more than 30 years of experience in the treatment of patients with schizophrenia. Dr. Boronow is the medical director for adult services at the Sheppard Pratt Hospital and is also a Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Maryland.
Margaret R. Garrett is a national and international expert on legal and regulatory health care issues. Ms. Garrett is Senior Counsel for The Johns Hopkins Health System Corporation and is responsible for designing, implementing, and overseeing all aspects of The Johns Hopkins Health System Risk Management Program/Department.
Dr. Anita Smith Everett is the Section Chief of Johns Hopkins Bayview Community and General Psychiatry. Her area of research is the health behavior of individuals with long-term mental illness. Dr. Everett is also on the faculty of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and the Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Dr. Randell Nero is the Director of Patuxent Institution, a maximum security correctional facility within the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services that provides a wide array of mental health treatment to offenders in Maryland. Dr. Nero has been a licensed psychologist since 1985, and has worked in the field of corrections for nearly 30 years.
The Advisory Panel will hold five public meetings at the Mental Hygiene Administration, Dix Building basement conference room. The meetings will be held on the following dates:
- August 8, 2013 (1:00pm – 3:00pm)
- August 21, 2013 (10:00am-12:00pm) CANCELLED
- September 4, 2013 (10:00am-12:00pm)
- September 20, 2013 (1:30pm-3:30pm) CANCELLED
- September 16, 2013 (1:00pm-3:00pm)
- October 4, 2013 (1:00pm-3:00pm)
- October 23, 2013 (1:00pm-3:00pm)
In addition, the panel will convene four stakeholder workgroups, each to examine a particular barrier to care – social, clinical, legal, and economic – and report findings to the broader advisory panel.
The Department would like to invite members of the public to serve on one of the four stakeholder workgroups. Individuals who serve on a workgroup will have the opportunity to present data, reports, and information to the advisory panel. Additional, there will be at least one meeting during which workgroup members will be invited to provide oral and written statements.
Individuals interested in serving on a workgroup should submit a statement of interest by July 19 to:
Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
ATTN: Stacy Reid-Swain
Director – Resident Grievance System
201 W. Preston St.
Baltimore, MD 21201
Stacy.reid-swain@maryland.gov
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