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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1986-10-20-HSC-min.pdf MINUTES-OF HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE MEETING r- October 20, 1986 Present Leonora Feeney, Sylvia Perlman, Sheila Martin, Judy Zabin, Harvey Lowell, Marion Shepp, Bob Cushman, Jan Eustis, Steve Baran MINUTES Minutes were approved. HUMAN SERVICES COORDINATOR REPORT ON COMMUNITY RESIDENCE DISTURBANCE Steve Baran reported on call from neighbor of a community residence for the mentally retarded at 3 E.iergreen Lane referred to him by the Town Manager's office The residence which presently has three mentally retarded men is under the auspices of the Cooperative for Human Services The neighbor reported various incidents relating to noisy van calling for the residents in the early morning hours, a resident wandering unbidden into her yard, and congested parking She felt the previous Coordinator who handled a similar complaint was biased in favor of the residents of the community residence Steve assured her that her rights should be safeguarded, advised calling the police when there was a disturbance, and said thatthe rwou1d investigate with the Department of Mental Health and relate the problem to the Human Services Committee Committee members listened to the complaint and felt the correct approach was being pursued. Leonora advised that there was an office in the Department of Mental Health which could receive such complaints Steve said he would call them, felt there could be a good resolution since the neighbor who called was feeling relief at response while the of the Malden agency with whom he had talked seemed quite responsive RFP PROCESS Team members were named to review proposals as follows Mystic Valle Mental Health Center--Jan and Bob Replace--Sylvia and Judy CMARC--Marion Everyone's Youth Group--Marion and Sylvia Cooperative Elder Services--Sheila and Judy Parents' Commitee for Special Needs Housing--Leonora and Sheila Although the Council on Aging has not paiLicipated in the RFP process, Harvey and Bob will review their budget. Team members will begin by contacting executives and report back by next meeting as to how process was proceeding Proposal packages, contracts, and past year's reports to be included. (over) MINUTES, 10/20/86, p 2 ( RECRUITMENT Strategies for expediting recruitment of new member is as follows 1. Seek to get need for a new member included as news on page 1 of Minute-man 2 Seek diversity through attempting to include handicapped persons Steve will announce to Enablement Committee indicating Human Service Committee's desire to make its meeting as accessible as, possible and assist with transportation, if necessary 3 Leonora and Sheila will review resumes of individuals who have formerly applied to serve but became unable to serve or were not accepted at the time 4 Application referred by Jack Eddison will be reviewed. 5 Committee members will personally invite individuals named by Judy who she thought might be interested. REPORT TO SELECTMEN tLeonora, having reviewed the report being submitted to Selectmen on June 19th Hearing, felt it should be more action-oriented. To that end a range of strategies were itemized that could be presented as follows 1. REP process 2 Crisis response review 3 Setting up forums, group meetings around particular issues 4. Setting up a focused hearing around one particular issue before the end of the year 5 Exploring feasibility of a health clinic 6 Investigating United Way funding patterns 7 Consulting on community education process of teen survey group The Selectmen will be advised of the need for a process of public education before a survey can be undertaken of youth issues YOUTH SURVEY Committee members agreed that the questionnaire would stir up powerful feelings Judy felt the process around the survey project had not been an open one Public education was needed both to bring out feelings in the community and be more specific about possible programs that could be proposed on the basis of the survey Marcia Stille, Bill Blout, Lynne Yansen, and Rachel Rosenblum arrived at 9 p m. to discuss the survey Bill Blout announced that the survey group was withdrawing its request for subcommittee status and would seek to become a separately endorsed committee of the Board of Selectmen. A tentative date had been fixed for meeting with the Selectmen on October 28th. MINUTES, 10/20/86, p 3 In response to Bob Cushman's question as to the purpose for the study Bill Blout said there had never been a survey; they were"asking the kids what they are into? It was important to know if Lexington was the same or different from other communities Another purpose was for planning programs Marcia Stille said that those who work closely with teenagersbelieve there is "trouble in paradise" Bill commented further when asked what kinds of programs might be suggested by the survey, particularly when there were already programs such as his own Although Replace had a preventive thrust, it did not prevent everything hence there was a need for health and sexual abuse prevention Harvey referred to need for public perception that the survey not only be done right but be "perceived' as being done right, asked what was being done in that regard. Rachel referred to advertising open meetings, use of newspaper; using its own planning meetings; outreach through PTOs" ; working with Chairman, Board of Health; talking to Chairman, Youth Commission Judy said the feeling tone was of an adversary position within a community which was already polarized and where there needed to be an 'opening up" Rachel said that if suspicions ran so deep as Judy was suggesting, it might be too much to change this Judy suggested that the very process of listening to these suspicions could be a form of study Lynne noted that 50 people came to the first planning meeting of survey group Jan noted that regardless of former activity, the content being discussed was "scary" It was important to make people who came to subsequent meetings a part of the process recognizing that the ones who were not reached were the ones who most needed reaching, support groups could be initiated Leonora came back to asking about social good coming out of the survey Bill said that knowing by itself about problems was valuable and became a way to deal with denial noting that "We are a head in the sands community" Harvey felt the survey group was proceeding through use of a conflict model, that there was a lot of apprehension while Judy took exception to Lexington being such a "head in the sands" community It was not enough to go to groups simply showing questionnaire The need was to spend a year listening to the concerns, people had been calling her with their concerns Bill Blout asked about need to further revise the questionnaire if extensive community participation were invited. Jan and Judy felt that the process really had nothing to do with the questionnaire one should begin by asking people if it was important to do a survey No doubt the same issues would be brought out as were already in the questionnaire Another approach was to say 'We have developed a questionnaire A lot of people hate it We would like to know what you say " Respectfully Submitted, Stephed Baran, Human Services Coordinator n C