2018-03-22 JM BOS-SC-min - Laserfiche WebLink

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Joint Selectmen and School Committee Page 1 of 8 Joint Selectmen and School Committee Meeting Thursday, March 22, 2018 A Joint Meeting of the Board of Selectmen and School Committee was called to order at 7:02 p.m. on Thursday, March 22, 2018 in Estabrook Hall of the Cary Memorial Building for the purpose of holding a third in a series of presentations and discussions about Mental Health Services provided by the Town of Lexington and the Lexington School Department. Present for the Selectmen were Ms. Barry, Chair; Mr. Pato; Ms. Ciccolo; Mr. Lucente; Ms. Hai; Mr. Valente, Town Manager; and Ms. Siebert, Recording Secretary. Present for the Schools were Ms. Jay, Chair; Ms. Colburn, Vice-chair; Mr. Alessandrini; Ms. Sawhney; and Dr. Czajkowski, Superintendent of Schools. Ms. Linehan was absent. Also present were Wendy Rundle, Facilitator and management consultant; Charlotte Rodgers, Director of Human Services; Melissa Interess, Assistant Director of Senior Services; Val Viscosi, Director of School Counseling; Larry Berkowitz, Director/Co-founder, Riverside Trauma Center; Deborah Garfield, Director of Clinical Services, Eliot Community Services; Andrew Fieleke, Psychotherapist, Family Caregiver and Options Group of Minuteman Senior Services; and Ann Pruszynski, Director of Children’s Behavioral Health Initiative, Advocates, Inc. Ms. Rundle opened the meeting by restating the framing question that has formed the foundation of these discussions: “What should be the role of the Municipal and School departments and the community in providing mental health services to the community?” Ms. Rundle then summarized the first two meetings in the series: The first was held in September 2017 to discuss Lexington mental health services and to identify needs and topics requiring additional information. The second Joint Meeting was held in February 2018 at which Municipal and School staff presented information about current services; how Staff, contractors, and community groups provide those services; and what challenges are faced. The third Joint Meeting, taking place this evening, will focus on services available from four outside contractors: Riverside Trauma Center; Eliot Community Services; Minuteman Senior Services; and Advocates, Inc. Ms. Colburn, School Committee member, recalled that at the end of the last meeting, a discussion took place about the process by which the Town and Schools would collaborate to identify individual and joint priorities. She asked when these discussions about priorities would occur. Mr. Valente, Town Manager, said that discussion, which will include staff recommendations and an opportunity for public input, is tentatively scheduled to take place on May 23, 2018, pending board and staff availability. Tonight’s meeting is an opportunity for the Board of Selectmen to hear some of the same presentations made recently to the School Committee and for the School Committee to hear from additional providers. On April 26, 2018 the results of a survey of other