Administrators Legislative Committee, Minority Issues Steering Committee to discuss policy ideas this week
Meetings of the County Administrators Legislative Committee and the ACCA Minority Issues Steering Committee will take place this week and mark the conclusion of the Association’s annual issue-specific strategy discussions, which always produce an array of policy considerations for the ACCA Legislative Committee. Together, members of these two groups will take a look at legislative issues and solutions relevant to their role in county government, as well as make recommendations for members’ increase legislative engagement and action in 2025. A recap of the items discussed and recommended by the Association’s five affiliate legislative committees and the Minority Issues Steering Committee will be shared in the days ahead.

First-ever “Stepping Up” Summit scheduled for December
The Alabama Department of Mental Health has announced preparation is now underway for Alabama’s first-ever “Stepping Up” Summit, an exciting endeavor necessitated by this year’s increased county participation in the Stepping Up program. Set for December 3-4 at Central Alabama Wellness in Calera, the Summit is designed to be an educational event for jail case managers and will focus on mental health data collection, case management roles and responsibilities, community buy-in and several other important topics. While all Stepping Up case managers are required to attend, County Commissioners and Sheriffs interested in learning more about the program are also invited to participate. Stepping Up is an initiative to reduce the number of individuals with serious mental illness in jails and emergency rooms. Counties participating in the program are provided state funding to directly support case management services inside the jail to screen, assess and link individuals to necessary mental health and social services. For more information, contact ACCA’s Director of Communication and Engagement, Abby Fitzpatrick.

AAEM Board of Directors to meet Friday
The Board of Directors for the Alabama Association of Emergency Managers (AAEM) will conduct its next regularly scheduled meeting this Friday at the ACCA headquarters in Montgomery. Led by AAEM President and Elmore County EMA Director Keith Barnett, the Board will hear updates on a myriad of issues important to the affiliate organization and to emergency management statewide, with a special focus on preparations for the quickly approaching AAEM Winter Workshop in December.