ND RBHN Structure

The ND RBHN will operate as an autonomous entity, under the auspices of the Coal Country Community Health Center (CCCHC), a rural 501(c) (3).

Governance of the ND RBHN

The Governance Committee of the ND RBHN will serve as governing board for the network. It assigns day-to-day operations to the ND RBHN Project Director who oversees the work of all staff, consultants and committees.

The Governance Committee adopted Robert's Rules of Order as a guide for conducting its business meetings.

The Governance Committee will consist of no more than 14 and no fewer than seven members. The current organizations, Mental Health America of North Dakota (MHAND), Coal Country Community Health Centers (CCCHC), Mandan, Hidatsa & Arikara (MHA) Nation, North Dakota Area Health Education Center (ND AHEC), Sakakawea Medical Center, North Dakota Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health (ND FFCMH), and Essentia Health, are the original members of the committee. New members will be selected by the Governance Committee to represent three additional Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC's) and three additional tribal communities. At least two members must represent consumers of behavioral health services and their families. Each organization will have one vote.

The Governance Committee chair will convene monthly meetings, participate in the Advisory Council and convene annual membership meetings. The chair of the committee will rotate annually between the organizations and members represented on the committee. The heads of each Governance Committee organization will select the representative to serve on the Governance Committee. The Governance Committee is responsible for oversight of the leadership and operations of the network and policy development.

The Project Director will staff the Governance Committee, working with the Chair of the Governance Committee to create the agenda, prepare materials and facilitate meetings.

Absence From Meetings

When a Governance Committee member is absent from three consecutive regular meetings, and is not excused, the Member organization shall appoint a new person to represent the organization on the Governance Committee.

Meeting Agendas

Meeting agendas will be developed by the Chair and Project Director. All Governance Committee members will have an opportunity to request items be placed on the agenda at the meeting.

The ND RBHN Governance Committee meeting agenda will approximate the following outline:

• Call to order by the Chairman
• Approval of agenda
• Consideration, correction and approval of minutes of the previous meeting
• Consideration and acceptance of the financial report
• Standing committee reports and recommendations for action
• Special committee/task force reports and recommendation for action
• Unfinished business
• New business
• Adjournment

Meeting agenda and attachments will be emailed to Governance Committee members a minimum of 48 hours prior to a scheduled meeting.

Meetings by Conference Call

Situations may dictate that some board members cannot attend meetings in person, but may attend via telephone conference call. In such situations, any or all of the Governance Committee members may participate in meetings by conference telephone.

Staff Attendance at Governance Committee Meetings

Since it is the policy of the RBHN to hold the project director accountable for all management, it is left to the discretion of the project director to invite any staff to the meeting that the director needs as resource regarding issues to be considered during the meeting.

Voting

All meetings will be conducted under Robert's Rules of Orders. Each organization has one vote. Majority vote rules. Voting on motions may occur at the Governance Committee meeting or electronically. If the vote is not secret, the vote may be by voice, show of hands, roll call, or e-mail. If the vote is secret, members write their vote on a ballot that is collected at a face to face meeting or mailed.

Quorum

A majority of the Governance Committee members will constitute a quorum for the purpose of conducting official board business.

Governance Committee Members

• Carlotta McCleary - Chair
• Dovie Borth - Finance Coordinator
• Pat Conway - Strategic Planning Coordinator
• Chastity L. Dolbec - Education Coordinator
• Melissa Herman - Mental Health First Aid Coordinator
• Denise Andress - Goverance Committee 
• Anna Mae Batke - Goverance Committee (bio coming soon)
• Darrold Bertsch - Goverance Committee
• Tom Regan - Goverance Committee

The purpose of the Advisory Council is to advise and consult to the ND RBHN program. Members will

• Attend quarterly meetings
• Review and make recommendations re RBHN strategies, activities and deliverables
• Participate in strategic planning for the Network at the RBHN Annual Meeting.

Members of the Advisory Council, up to 35 members and not less than 25, include:

• The Chair and members of the Governance Committee
• Representatives of the public and private sector
• Community members, including rural and tribal communities
• Representatives of behavioral health care entities, and policy makers
• Representatives of advocacy and consumer groups
• The Project Director is an ex officio member of the Council

Members are nominated by the Organizational Development (OD) Committee and approved by the Governance Committee. They serve for 3 years; may serve 2 contiguous terms, and may rejoin the Council after a 3 year absence. The NDRBHN Project Director will serve as staff to the Advisory Council.

The Advisory Council coordinates with other NDRBHN committees as appropriate and attends
annual meeting and three quarterly conference calls.

Members of the ND RBHN include any individual or organization in North Dakota whose mission supports the ND RBHN mission. There shall be no limitation on the maximum number of members the ND RBHN shall have at one time.

Membership dues: The Governance Committee shall determine annual dues. Annual dues are payable October 1 of each year and are effective until September 30.

Members will receive monthly updates and be invited to annual meetings. They will be invited to serve on committees.

NDRBHN will hold its annual meeting in April. The Governance Committee chair will facilitate.

The annual meeting agenda includes:

1. Review of year-end report from the Project Director;
2. Overview of future goals and objectives.

Committees

• Governance Committee
• Advisory Council
• Organizational Development Committee
• Finance Committee
• Education Committee
• Outreach Committee

Ad hoc Committees: The ND RBHN may establish other Committees which shall have such duties for such period of time as the network may determine. Any ad hoc committee may be abolished at any time by the network.

Staff assigned to task forces and committees. It shall be understood that all staff shall be assigned, by the Project Director, to task forces and committees for the purpose of carrying out the goals and activities of the task force or committee. Staff shall participate in the assigned task force or committee in their capacity as staff, i.e., provide information, research, make recommendations and carry out activities as directed by the task force or committee. Members of the committees may include Governance Committee members, Advisory Council members, members and staff. Project Director is an ex officio member of all committees.

Personnel

The Governance Committee will recruit and hire the Project Director. The Project Director recruits and hires all staff. The Project Director has day-to-day responsibility for the Network, including carrying out the Network's goals and policy, as well as coordinating ND RBHN activities by calling meetings, setting up task forces and managing network technology resources, as well as by visiting with potential partners. The Network Director will attend all Governance Committee meetings, develop the meeting agenda with the Governance Committee Chair, report on the progress of the Network, answer questions of Governance Committee members and carry out the duties described in the job description. The Governance Committee can designate other duties, responsibilities and limitations as necessary.

The Project Director may contract for services as needed with the approval of the Governance Committee.

Political and Legislative Activity

To ensure that RBHN supports legislative issues which further the basic interests of those we serve, and oppose legislative issues detrimental to our mission, the following guidelines are established:

• ND RBHN shall be nonpartisan in political matters, but shall support or oppose federal, state or local legislative issues as the Governance Committee determines necessary and advisable. ND RBHN will not directly endorse any candidate or party.
• Staff or Committee members shall not engage, directly or indirectly in partisan activities as representatives of ND RBHN and ND RBHN funds will not be used for that purpose.
• Staff and Governance Committee members are free, as individuals, to participate in political activity as long as they do not utilize ND RBHN funds, time, or the identity.
• Governance Committee members and staff should be aware that, because of their position, they should exercise discretion at all times to not convey the impression that ND RBHN is endorsing a political candidate.

The Governance Committee is responsible for setting legislative goals for and will review those goals at least annually through the development of a public policy platform.

The ND RBHN may dissolve, through a resolution that rescinds the bylaws and states the manner in which the assets will be distributed.