Article archive / October 1, 2014
Originally published: . Volume 5, No. 14. Source pages: 7.
This past June members of the Office of Behavioral Health (OBH) met with the Louisiana Commission on Addictive Disorders (LCAD) to discuss and encourage greater involvement of commission members on the Louisiana Behavioral Health Advisory Committee (LBHAC). Dr. Rochelle Head-Dunham, Assistant Secretary of the OBH, led the discussion.
Representatives of the OBH Headquarters on the LBHAC included Chair of the LBHAC Mark Thomas, NAMI Liaison Melanie Robert, HMP Psychologist Dr. Kashunda Williams, and HMP Deputy Assistant Secretary Karen Stubbs.
Other attendees from the OBH were Chief Psychologist Dr. Susan Austin, OHB Program Manager Carol Foret, OBH Director of Adult Residential Services Quinetta Womack, and OBH Director of Regional Services Kenneth Sauier.
Other attendees, in person or by teleconference, included commission member Dr. Susan Tucker, Freddie Landry, Tom Lief, and Anthony Wick.
Dr. Head-Dunham shared the importance of increasing the involvement of LCAD members and other individuals representing the addictive disorders community on the LBHAC.
According to the minutes, topics included: how the LBHAC assists the OBH in managing the entire spectrum of behavioral health needs, the structure of the LBHAC and whether or not LCAD members could be a part of its different committees, and how LCAD members could better communicate with the LBHAC.
Also discussed was the potential of creating a sub-committee of the Program and Services Committee. This sub-committee’s focus would specifically be for youth and addiction. Recognition of the gaps in advocacy within the LBHAC in terms of substance abuse was one of the many topics discussed.
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