SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
December 14, 2017
Sullivan’s
Salvos 12/19/17
In this edition:
*Happy Hanukah!
*Merry Christmas!
*Salvos Salutes Next Week!
*Solidarity
*Mental Health
*Did You Know?
*Happy Hanukah!
Happy Hanukah to all my Jewish friends!
I hope you all have a safe and happy holiday!
*Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas to those of you who
celebrate it. I hope you all have a safe and happy holiday!
*Salvos Salutes Next Week!
We live in a GREAT county! Why? Because of the great people that
live here! Unfortunately, we rarely do enough to acknowledge these wonderful
people and the wonderful things they do.
That
is why I really look forward to Salvos Salutes. It provides an opportunity to
mention just a few of these cool people and the good things they do. I hope you
look forward to it as well!
*Solidarity
I grew up in a union household. So I learned very early about the concept of solidarity. We
sang “Solidarity Forever” and heard the word used a lot.
Solidarity means, “Mutual support within a group.” In other
words, I do for you, and you do for me. It is really a simple and timeless
idea. We are stronger together. Unfortunately, far too many people in the
Democratic Party do not seem to grasp the concept.
I think solidarity is THE single biggest issue for Democrats
right now! BY FAR! Democrats are viewing the world and their pet issues through
selfish lenses, and that makes it very difficult to maintain solidarity.
Here are the things I am seeing and hearing: I’m not poor, so
Medicaid and Food Stamps are no big deal. I'm not black, so police shootings
are no big deal. I'm not a woman, so sexual harassment is no big deal. I can’t
get pregnant, so choice is no big deal. I'm not in a union, so labor issues are
no big deal. I don't have kids in school, so education is no big deal. I'm not
a person with mental health needs, so mental health is no big deal. I’m not a
member of the transgender community, so I don’t care about “bathroom bills.” It
goes on, and on, and on.
So what happens when you dismiss something that is critical to
someone else? She/he dismisses the issue that is critical to you. And now you
both lose. There are only so many possible outcomes. The best outcome is that
you support each other, and both get what you want.
And that is the point of solidarity. It is the only weapon
Democrats have against a much better funded opponent. We must hang together, or
we will surely hang separately! Solidarity forever!
*Mental Health
As
of the December meeting, I am no longer a member of the East Central Mental
Health Regional Governing Board. Leaving this group is bittersweet. I was
present at the very first meeting to discuss MH/DS Regions, and good or bad,
played a role in all the decisions we have made up to this point. I am very
proud of the work we have done over those 5+ years.
Mental
Health and Disability Services (MH/DS) has been a big part of my career. I am a
social worker by trade, and worked with a number of people as a direct care
provider. I later went to work for the Iowa Medicaid program when Medicaid
Waivers were first introduced. From there, I became the Executive Director of
the Arc of Johnson County (now The Arc of SE Iowa). Finally, I was elected to
the Johnson County Board of Supervisors in 2004. One of the biggest
responsibilities County Supervisors have is the provision of services for
people with disabilities.
I
suppose in part because of my background, I was asked to share a few thoughts
as I step down. Below is my best effort:
1. Like it or
not, MH/DS services are political. If this issue matters to you, you need to
vote. And you need to vote for people at the Federal, State, and County level
that care about this issue. I know that politics is often viewed as ugly and
unhelpful. But politics is the ONLY way we are going to improve the MH/DS
system!
2. On one
hand, we need the Federal government. The needs of people with disabilities far
outstrip anything State or County governments can provide. So you MUST lobby
our Federal Elected Officials. But I look to County-level government for
inspiration. Our Regional Governing Board consists of a few Supervisors who are
very conservative, a couple Supervisors who are pretty progressive, and a few
Supervisors who are moderates. Between the 9 of us, we have managed to work
together to achieve some pretty good results. We follow practices of good
government. We debate and discuss. There have been numerous compromises; it is
rare to get everything you want. But the results are solid. I think the RGB
could serve as a model for other levels of government!
3. The
county-based Mental Health Regions are only a piece of the puzzle. Medicaid and
Medicaid-funded services are even more critical to the people we serve.
Lobbying for proper Medicaid services is every bit as important as providing
the services we do. If we truly care about the people we serve, we simply MUST
have a robust Medicaid program!
4. Another
piece of the puzzle, even more important than Medicaid, is the families who
care for the people we serve. This care is rarely compensated and always
difficult. These caregivers are heroes, and deserve so much better from our
systems of care. We cannot ignore their needs and provide adequate services!
5. The final
and most important piece of the puzzle is the people who receive those
services. I HATE the phrase “consumers”; it sounds as though they are simply
sucking up resources. People with disabilities are just that – people. Let’s
behave accordingly!
Thanks so much for the opportunity to serve the East Central
Region! It has been a pleasure and a privilege!
*DID YOU KNOW?
The East Central Iowa Mental Health Region budgets almost $20 million
annually to serve the 600,000+ people in the Region.
Anyone
interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the
County website-
"Sullivan’s
Salvos" is sent once per week to any interested party. It will give a
brief update on issues of interest to Johnson County residents.
These messages
come solely from Rod Sullivan, and neither represents the viewpoints of the
whole Board of Supervisors nor those of groups or individuals otherwise
mentioned.
If you do NOT
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anyone else who might be interested, just forward this message. They can E-mail
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As always,
feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan@mchsi.com. I look forward to
serving you!
---Rod
posted by Rod Sullivan @ 8:52 AM
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