Magellan Health Services Stakeholders Advisory Group

Magellan Health Services is an Administrative Service Organization which manages services for nearly 170,000 lives in Nebraska. The Magellan Nebraska Care Management Center employs a part time Family and Consumer Advocate. In January 2006 Dianne Scott was hired to fill the position and she began working closely with Lisa Christensen, Quality Assurance Manager, to form a Stakeholders Advisory Group.

The vision for the Stakeholders Group was to gather a group of people, who are impacting consumers of behavioral health in an advocacy role. The idea was based on the assumption an advisory group would be beneficial in serving the community and consumers of services by meeting and communicating about activities and needs on a regular basis. Through forming a group of advocates for a variety of behavioral health services, Magellan Health Services hopes to impact a greater number of consumers.

The Stakeholders Advisory Group process began by looking at an existing Stakeholders Group in the Iowa Magellan Office. The Stakeholders Group in Iowa has been operational for over ten years and they gave their assistance to the Nebraska Team and helped with putting together a blueprint for the group and assisting with the identification of potential members. There are some variations in membership based on the community resources and needs, specific to Nebraska.

The group meets quarterly in the Magellan Care Center at 12th and N Street in Lincoln and plans to add membership according to community needs, interest and activities. The group directs actions and the actions are driven by the identified needs of consumers.

At the current time, the Advisory Group consists of members who impact consumers through advocacy in many areas such as: direct training of family members, direct training of law enforcement, legal rights, finding resources, funding for resources and activism for client rights in many areas. The vision for the Stakeholders Group is to invite advocates, who are working with others in various capacities to come together, share their activities, resources and share what works for each of them as they perform their jobs.

Current group members are Charlie Lewis of Children Families and the Law, Answers4Families; Diana Duran, Health and Human Services Systems Advocate; Susan Krome, NAMI; Diana Waggoner, Director, Kim Foundation, Mary Beth Wahlmeier, Public Relations Coordinator, Kim Foundation; Joel McCleary, Administrator Office of Consumer Affairs; Brad Muerrens, Public Policy Specialist, Nebraska Advocacy Services and Magellan personnel: Vicki Beth Blattert, QI Reviewer; Lisa Christensen, QI Director; Kathy Dinges, Executive Account Manager; Alexa ODonnell, Care Manager and Dianne Scott, Family and Consumer Advocate.