HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-01-20-HSC-min
Town of Lexington
Human Services Committee
Meeting Minutes
January 20, 2015
Present: Lea Gardner, Barbara Ciampa, Gail Fields, Betty Borghesi, Gail Rogers, Charlotte Rodgers, Susie
Berry, Tim Dugan, Marsha Lazar, Betsy Weiss.
1.Charlotte Rodgers reported on the status and functioning of the Human Services Department:
a.Kristie Demirev has joined the department as a social worker, and is licensed as a LICSW so
she can supervise students.
b.Staff will be cross-trained to maximize services.
c.Charlotte will arrange for new staff members to come to a HHSC to meet committee
members.
d.Committee members are interested in lobbying for the carriage house to be dedicated as a
youth center.
e.Office visits and calls are markedly increased for assistance.
f.Young couples are in need of budget counseling.
g.The Sand 4 Seniors provided 75 buckets of sand/salt in conjunction with the Rotary Club to
help prevent falls.
h.Requests to veteran services were also increased.
2.Guest Ï Dr. Tim Dugan, MD
a.Tim Dugan reviewed the history of the nonprofit organization, Lexington Youth and Family
Services, Inc.
b.Their current focus is suicide prevention, particularly among Asian and Asian-American
youth, and they are building relationships with Chinese American and South Indian cultural
groups.
c.They are in the process of developing a Board of Directors with the purpose of fundraising
and financial sustainability.
d.Saturday, March 27, the Lexington SHAC sponsored ÑParents AcademyÒ oriented towards
th
parents of middle and high school students.
e.Mental Health First Aid (CHNA 15 Grant funded initiative of the Town of Lexington
Health Department, Human Services Department, Lexington Public Schools, Basic Needs
USA and Lexington Youth and Family Services, Inc.)
i.The purpose of this program is to train citizens to provide immediate mental health
assistance from one adult to another, and from adults to youth. There are no plans
at this time to train youth to assist other youth.
f.Lexington Youth and Family Services, Inc. is ÑrequestingÒ the following from the Town of
Lexington
i.Representatives from Youth and Family Services request the Town of Lexington be
part of the Community Conversation on Mental Health through staff from Health
and Human Services attending meetings.
ii.Also requested is an increase in Health and Human Services staff to work with
youth.
iii.Also requested is an increase in youth services at the Community Center.
3.Other:
a. Charlotte Rodgers reported that the Human Services Department is fully engaged in the
Mental Health First Aid initiative Ï Ms. Rodgers is on the steering committee of this group.
b.The Health Department and the Human Services Department are engaged in the planning of
the Community Conversation to be held this spring.
c.Charlotte also commented that the decision to provide increased staffing is part of the
budget process, and the FY 2016 budget is complete and going to Town Meeting in March.
Next meeting: March 17, 2017.