1.
“Phone
Call
With
Director
Baron,
Department
of
Mental
Health”
11:00-­‐
11:30
AM-­‐
6/18/13
Jeannie
Fanning,
AJ
Senerchia,
Director
Baron
Objective:
Pursue
more
information
regarding
the
Substance
Abuse
and
Mental
Health
merger,
and
the
ramifications
it
could
have
on
the
Recovery
community.

2. • Jeannie
opened
the
conversation,
AJ
followed
with
a
brief
run-­‐down
of
Young
People
in
Recovery,
and
YPR-­‐DC.
• Director
Baron
informed
us
that
the
Mayor
of
DC
has
appointed
him
to
keep
his
Directorship
once
the
two
entities
merge.
• Baron
suggested
we
also
schedule
a
meeting
with
APRA
(Addiction
Prevention
and
Recovery
Agency)
• Baron
followed
with
vague
information,
the
new
department
will
be
called
the
“Department
of
Behavioral
Health”
• The
new
department
has
created
4
internal
committees
to
strengthen
their
organization
from
within
(he
did
not
disclose
what
these
committees
would
consist
of)
• Baron
said,
“He
can’t
say
today
what
will
look
different,
but
work
will
move
into
a
more
specific
direction
soon”.
• Baron
said,
“Substance
abuse
is
ahead
of
mental
health
regarding
peer
to
peer
support
and
the
recovery
movement
at
large,
their
plan
is
to
expand
those
services
to
Mental
Health
as
well”.
• He
often
kept
referring
us
to
APRA
for
more
information,
(which
could
just
be
a
way
of
avoiding
question),
(AJ
has
reached
out
to
Ryan
Springer
twice
with
no
response).
• In
conclusion,
the
call
was
a
very
good
introduction
call.
Although
it
seems
as
though
they
haven’t
really
spent
much
time
ironing
out
the
details
the
merger
and
what
the
new
agency
will
look
like
in
the
future,
Baron
said
that
they
are
bringing
in
a
consultant
agency
to
oversee
much
of
the
merger
and
he
will
inform
them
of
who
we
are,
and
see
if
we
can
participate
in
the
merger,
and
offer
our
insight
(AWESOME).
• He
wants
us
to
send
him
more
information,
and
also
schedule
a
meeting
with
him
and
Ryan
Springer
of
APRA.
ON
THE
NEXT
PAGE
YOU
WILL
FIND
SOME
OF
THE
QUESTIONS
JEANNIE
ASKED.
WE
DID
NOT
USE
THEM
ALL,
BUT
IT
SHOULD
GIVE
YOU
AN
IDEA
ON
THE
DIRECTION
WE
WERE
HEADING.

3. Questions
For
the
Director
of
the
Department
of
Mental
Health
1. Open
with
a
very
brief
run
down
of
who
YPR
is,
then
follow
with
“We
are
a
newly
developing
organization/
young
people
in
recovery
organizing
in
DC,
just
trying
to
get
a
getter
lay
out
in
the
district
as
far
as
support
is
for
the
recovery
community”.
2. We
would
like
to
know
more
about
the
merger,
how
it
is
going
to
affect
the
recovery
community.
In
what
areas
do
you
see
a
change
in
the
way
those
in
recovery
are
treated
and
provided
assistance
for?
3. We
heard
the
department
received
a
brass
tax
policy
grant,
specifically
about
peer
support
and
affordable
care
act,
can
you
explain
that
a
little
better
to
us?
We
know
you
offer
peer
to
peer
services,
YPR
DC
is
a
group
of
peers
in
recovery,
and
we
can
provide
great
feed
back
and
be
a
great
group
for
people
in
recovery
4. We
would
love
to
somehow
assist;
we
are
just
calling
today
to
find
out
what
is
happening
with
the
merger.
Has
there
been
any
work
done,
or
will
there
be
a
specific
focus
on,
youth
in
recovery?
5. We
want
to
develop
a
healthy
relationship
with
your
division,
since
the
merger
is
happening
/
who
is
the
direct
line
of
contact
for
your
department
because
we
really
want
to
stay
connected
with
you?
6. When
it
wraps
up,
let
him
know
that
we
would
love
to
meet
him
in
person.
Our mission is to promote continued
abstinence and improved quality of life
for young people in, or seeking,
recovery.
We envision a world where all young
people in or seeking recovery have the
opportunity to reach their maximum
potential