HomeMy WebLinkAbout1985-11-18-HSC-min.pdf HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE
Minutes of the Meeting of November 18 , 1985
Present Stan Finkelstein, Judy Zabin, Harvey Lowell, Leonora Feeney, Sheila
Martin, Sylvia Perlman, Jan Eustis, Bea Phear
Minutes
The minutes of the meeting of November 4, 1985 were approved as mailed
Coordinator's Report
Bea met with the Board of Health, who are interested in the study of adolescents
that is being done in conjunction with RePlace and others They felt that alcoholism
among youth was a greater public health issue than some of the other things they
do. Don Goldmann asked to be kept on the mailing list, and the Board offered their
support to the research
The funding request from The Lexington Play Care Center had inadvertently not
gotten distributed at the last meeting It will go to Judy Bea talkedcl with
Sandy Eaton, President of the Preschool PTA, who told her that the PTA already
does a series on parent education Sandy also referred Bea to the Mass Depattment !i
of Education which may have funding for such a program.
The Preschool PTA has approximately $2,000 to distribute Bea suggested RePlace's
adolescent parents program and the possibility of working with Joyce Holman of
the Children's Center to develop an information and referral system and peer
( support and training for family day care providers
The fall commodities distribution was held on November 13 184 households
representing 281 individuals received cheese, butter and rice Bea had set up a
box whereby people could register interest in a holiday food basket Six people
signed up It is likely that there will be enough donors to satisfy the six, but
the Committee felt it important that their needs be met, and that perhapd the Trustees
could be asked to fill in any gap that may occur
The adolescent survey group is going strong, and they have decided to start a
draft questionnaire that will go to Junior High students sometime in February
Judy asked about Lexington Youth Commission participation Bea said they had
been invited, but were more interested in their own projects There was some
discussion about keeping in touch with the LYC in the future
Agency Assignments
The first thinking should be ready for verbal presentation at the next meeting
on December 9 This will include a summary of the agency's request, what your
recommendations are and why Assignments are
Mystic Valley - Leonora & Jan CMARC - Harvey & Marion
RePlace - Sylvia & Sheila Cooperative Elder Services - Judy
Visiting Nurse - Jan & Leonora Everyone's Youth Group - Sylvia & Sheila
Play Care Center - Judy Council on Aging - Stan & Harvey
Next Meeting
The meeting has been changed from December 2 to December 9
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New Coordinator
Paul Marshall had asked the Town Manager to talk with Judy and Stan about the
screening process and their involvement They met last week The initial
screening will be done by Susan Adler and Linda Vine; the Manager will interview
this week; and the five finalists will be re-interviewed with the Manager plus
Judy and Stan He hopes to have someone in place before Christmas He has
definite thoughts about the role, and is concerned not to create a bureaucracy
Syposium Recapitulation
The feedback from participants and attendees was favorable Stan has the whole
program on video tape, for those who are interested. It was felt that the goals
of having people talk to each other, education the community to the range of
human service issues and increased visibility of the committee were met well It
appeared that module 2, with a human focus, was better at generating discussion
than module 1, which really addressed the needs of agencies For future planning
it will be important to remember that the problems that effect people are more
relevant
The learning was not so much in the content area, but more how people deal with
issues and the spectrum of human serive issues The table that had members of
Town financial committees was particularly interested in this range Judy reported
that they assumed greater use of the "Old Boy' network, and were surprised at
constraints
It was felt the forum did not give us a chance to focus on needs in some areas,
partcularly of elderly
Strategic Planning Subcommittee
They are looking at ways to proceed, and starting to flesh out issue areas and
possible responses
Research Subcommittee
They are researching human services in other communities, both as to structure
and program offerings The aim will be to narrow the list and explore in depth.
Harvey suggested Peabody as a town to look into
Committee Appointments
We have received C.C. Chao's resignation Ideas for alternate members are
requested, particularly a man, and someone not directly in human services
Next Meeting
December 9 at 7 30 p.m. in room 111
Respectfully submitted
Beatrice Phear