Residents and board members spar over role, funding and transparency of St. Clair County CSCB

Several public commenters and board members at the St. Clair County Health Advisory Board’s April meeting clashed over the Community Services Coordinating Body (CSCB), a long-running county collaborative that coordinates human-service providers.

During the public-comment period, Michael McCartan said he was "concerned" by remarks the county’s medical director made at a prior meeting, which McCartan summarized as calling the CSCB a "pseudo-governmental operation" that "usurps the authority of the medical director." McCartan said such statements, if unsubstantiated, "undermine trust" in public officials and the health department.

Speakers who followed offered sharply different perspectives. Several residents urged the board to defend the CSCB’s record; for example, Sally Curry, who identified herself as a longtime grant reviewer and service-provider leader, said the CSCB helps agencies assemble successful grant applications and cited the Harbor as an example, saying "the Harbor alone receives over $1 million a year to support at-risk youth, thanks in part to the CSCB support." Don Davey, who said he represents the Arc of St. Clair County and sits on multiple community boards, described the body as an operational collaborative whose agendas and steering-committee minutes are posted and available.

CSCB leaders Deb Johnson, CEO of St. Clair County Community Mental Health and chair of the CSCB, and Amy Smith, assistant division director at CMH and CSCB staff, presented a history of the collaborative and responded to questions. They traced the group’s origins to a 1984 state pilot, said membership has grown to about 74 organizations, and described three strategic priorities—economic self-sufficiency, education, and health and wellness. They said membership is voluntary, that the CSCB is not a standalone legal entity, and that staff who support its work are employed by Community Mental Health (CMH), which acts as fiduciary.

Board members pressed for greater detail about oversight and finances. One commissioner sought audits and asked for documentation showing where grant funds and collaborative-supported awards have been spent across all 31 municipalities in the county. Deb Johnson said CSCB dues pay a portion of staff support and program costs and that the CSCB provides letters of support to member organizations applying for grants; she also said CMH manages the funds and that CSCB financial reports and audits are provided to the steering committee and to commissioners annually.

The board did not take a formal action to change CSCB status during the meeting, but several commissioners asked for written follow-ups and copies of recent audits and grant lists to be provided to the board for review.

What happens next: Board members requested specific documentation about CSCB expenditures and grants for the past several years; the presenters agreed to compile answers and make records available to commissioners and the board.

Sources: Public comment by Michael McCartan; remarks by Sally Curry; presentation and Q&A with Deb Johnson and Amy Smith.