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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1986-12-15-HSC-min.pdf Human Services Committee r- Minutes, December 15, 1986 Present Judy Zabin, Harvey Lowell, Leonara Feeney, Jan Eustis , Sheila Martin, Seymour Mandel, Sylvia Perlman, Bob Cushman, Marion Shepp, Steve Baran Minutes Previous minutes were corrected -to reflect $24,000 loss of Mass Department of Public Health funding by Replace Coordinator's Report The Town Manager is agreeable to Human Services Committee subcommittee on emergency services meeting with representatives of the Police and Fire Departments Trustees of the Public Trusts are to be approached with respect to possible pro- cedures should there be requests for help to individuals in need. Meeting on Youth Issues and Drug Abuse The meeting on youth issues and drug abuse convened by the Human Services Committee and Leo McSweeney, Selectman, created a sense, according to Judy, that each participant felt good about what he or she was doing about the drug abuse problem Moreover, there was a feeling that drug abuse was a problem that found its origins not in the youth but in families Selectman McSweeney had been eager for people to talk with one another, and this seemed to be happening The Human Services Committee representatives agreed to consider next steps, and this they will do together with Leo McSweeney Ashley Rooney was not present due to a scheduling conflict while the guidance counselor who agreed to come in the place of Bob DeIulio did not appear Nancy Barter expressed dissatisfaction with lack of initiative on the part of Replace and the schools Replace FY ' 88 Budget Seymour attended United Way orientation meeting with Bill Blout, spoke with Mark Hinderlie, Agency Relations Manager, following the meeting Mr Hinderlie urged Lexington agencies to apply It was noted that more recently United Way has been encouraging smaller agencies to apply Committee members agreed that Replace would have to make a case for assiduously seeking funding Efforts are going forward with United Way, third party reim- bursement school s--stem, and Department of Public Health The feeling is that Bill Blout and his Board have not been particularly creatine in seeking new sources of funding as evidenced for example when there was an opportunity to obtain funding from Mass Department of Social Services three years ago Human Services Committee Minutes, 12/15/86, p 2 C( (^ Steve commented that there should be examples of Town funding going to more than I one agency working on the same problem in view of Committee's policy of seeking cooperation This should apply to Replace and school system working together on peer counseling or drug outreach This year Replace gets $1,000 from the schools It was agreed that the Committee would recommend an appropriation of $75,000, a 25% increase over current year's funding with quarterly payments arranged so that the agency would receive less--$16,500--in the last two quarters and more in the first two quarters--$21,000--thereby building in an incentive to seek funding from other sources Everyone's Youth Group--'88 Budget Marion and Sylvia reported that Everyone's Youth Group e"idenced a deep and abiding interest in Lexington youth During the current year the program is being funded in the amount of $675 to produce a videotape Three different proposals have been submitted for FY ' 88. The first asked for $14,000 to fund a new videotape, the second $7,900 to run a church youth group, and the third in the amount of $903 to hold a series of six meetings for patents and teenagers The Committee found it difficult to provide funding for one individual acting without a Board where there was no evidence of having sought funding from other soures or of carrying out programs together with other human service agencies It was felt thst the Group should approach the schools and the Youth Commission, as well as getting support from churches No funding was recommended. Mystic Valley Mental Health Association Inc.--' 88 Budget Jan and Bob reported that they continued to have difficulty in being clear just how Mystic Valley would spend money on any well defined program where the expenditure from Lexington could be clearly tracked. On the other hand, Mystic Valley did serve 280 Lexington residents, provided good services, and had experienced an $850,000 increase in income over the past eyar The level of funding being requested was well above that provided by any other community For example, Winchester gives $10,000, Woburn gives $2,000, and Arlington gives nothing Steve suggested that a cut in funding be recommended as a trade-off in meeting the Replace fiscal crisis The Committee agreed to recommend $15,000 as related to an historic level of funding although considrably above that given by any other town _siting Nurse id Communit• Health Inc --'88 Budget Jan and Seymour reported that VNCH was requesting $17 000 for 'Y 88. Curr .ntl they serve 24 frail elderly persons needing visiting nursing services A like amount is being requested from the Town of Arlington Human Services Committee Minutes, 12/15/86 , p 3 At the present time funding is running out for the balance of the current fiscal year Proposals have been turned down by the Hyams Foundation, Boston Safe De- posit and Trust Co , Bank of New England, and Cornerstone Foundation Replies are awaited from two other foundations A fundraiser has been retained at a fee of $100 per week to give advice on seeking funding Their goal is to obtain $119,000 to fund the entire agency with $34,000 fo3, the Senior Health Monitor Program in FY ' 88 They are hoping to get a grant through the Minuteman Home Care Corporation of $7,500 Leonora and Steve said that the services provided through the Senior Health Monitor Program were considered to be of good quality even though formal evaluation results were inconclusive Jan suggested that the Committee advocate a new service model providing for a team including visiting nursing, case management, and a gerontologist M. D. to be put out for bid through the Ccunal on Aging The Committee agreed to accept the concept of a new service model and recommend that VNCH receive $8,500 beginning in July in two quarterly installments This would be contingent on the program being still in existence at that time This incentive funding would allow VNCH to seek other funding sources to bring them up to the necessary $17,000 as needed for the program in FY ' 88 for Lexington residents i G Recreation - Harvey has talked with Joan Halverson and Judy Marshall who will visit the Committee to talk about recreation which has been recognized by the Committee as a priority Next Meeting The next meeting of the Human Services Committee will be on January 5 Judy .Zabnn.Farewell The Committee bid farewell to Judy who has resigned. Her many years of service and, especially, her efforts to create human service mechanisms in the Town were recognized. Respectfully Submitted, l 1 ;,tenhen Ba -an Hunan Ser Ices L.,ors...na_„_