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Contact Us
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MAMHRF
651-290-6263
1000 Westgate Drive, Suite 252
St. Paul,
MN
55114
lauriep@ewald.com
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Membership Benefits
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Here are a few examples of the benefits of membership and the ways your dues dollars go to work for you each year:
· MAMHRF carefully monitors legislative activity during each legislative session. We have been successful in the last several years in achieving Cost of Living Adjustments of approximately 18% for direct care staff at residential facilities. With our current Reform Party Governor, a DFL-controlled Senate and a Republican-controlled House of Representatives, our vigilance is essential! MAMHRF’s Public Affairs Committee works closely with the Government Relations staff at Ewald Consulting to prepare our own legislative agenda (such as a bill to request Capital Improvement Grants for residential facilities) and to partner with other organizations on issues such as housing, changes in the commitment law, and additional COLAs for staff at our facilities. We could not enjoy the success we have seen in winning COLA increases over the past several years without the expert help of our paid government relations staff; this is a significant part of our annual contract with our management firm.
· As part of MAMHRF's Strategic Planning process, we identified the need to work more closely with advocacy groups. We participate in the Mental Health Legislative Network’s annual Day on the Hill Event and have at least one representative who attends meetings of the Mental Health Legislative Network. We invite representatives from groups such as the Minnesota Bio Brain Association, AMI-MN and the Mental Health Association of Minnesota to meet with our Board to learn more about their priorities — and ways in which our organizations can partner effectively.
· MAMHRF also works at maintaining a close relationship with staff at the Department of Human Services. We regularly invite John Anderson to our Board meetings for updates from the Department; these meetings provide our members with the opportunity to ask questions about DHS activities. We also try to meet at least annually with Sharon Autio and other higher-level players at DHS.
· MAMHRF’s Fall Conference Committee is getting ready for the 2000 Fall Conference. If you attended the 1999 conference, you know how useful the topics were for residential care providers. MAMHRF Members receive discounts on registration for the Fall Conference, which will be held Nov. 1-2 at the Holiday Inn Select, 3 Appletree Square in Bloomington (just a couple blocks from the Mall of America!).
· The Human Resource Development Committee schedules Peer Support sessions and other seminars. As always, Members receive a discount on registration for any HRD-sponsored seminars. During the coming year, the HRD Committee will explore ways to provide more training opportunities for facilities in Greater Minnesota, such as videotaping Peer Support sessions for purchase by facilities.
· In 1999, MAMHRF started a data collection project to begin looking at trends that are affecting residential facilities in all regions of Minnesota. The Board is currently reviewing the collection project to streamline data collection and gather data that will be most useful as we deal with county and state agencies to make the case that residential facilities provide high-quality, effective, and cost-efficient services to persons with serious and persistent mental illness.
· The MAMHRF Board continues to respond to the requests and needs of our members. We are currently working to develop a proposal to provide health insurance coverage to our member agencies at the best possible price.
· MAMHRF has maintained a fiscally sound budget; over the course of more than five years, we have maintained a positive cash flow while keeping dues increases to a minimum.
· In an effort to keep up with changing technology, MAMHRF's staff added a listserv for the Public Affairs committee in early 2000. Additional listservs will soon be added to enable quicker communication among other segments of our membership. This new MAMHRF web site is yet another way we can get information out to you!
· Recognizing that we need to continually infuse new blood into the leadership of our organization, we regularly try to recruit new members for the Board of Directors and MAMHRF committees. In 1999, we added two members to the Board who had not previously served. As a member of MAMHRF, you are welcome to serve on committees and provide your suggestions to the MAMHRF Board of Directors.
· The competitive environment for residential service providers is getting tougher all the time. MAMHRF members have a network of colleagues with whom to share knowledge and ideas. Although there are no guarantees in today's business world, we believe that our members are better able to survive and thrive through their association with MAMHRF.
We hope this list gives you enough information to see that MAMHRF membership is a worthy and vital investment for your program. Please call MAMHRF at (651) 290-6263 if you have additional questions.
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