HomeMy WebLinkAbout1987-HSC-rpt.pdf Human Services Committee, 1987 Report
( HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE IMPLEMENTS PLANS
The Human Services Committee continued to implement a plan based on a 1986
planning forum.
YOUTH PROBLEMS were approached through a series of communications-enhancing
seminars that reviewed the incidence and prevalence of drug and alcohol abuse
and how these related to family problems
CRISIS RESPONSE had been found lacking especially for elderly living alone,
the mentally ill, the intoxicated and the homeless A newly formed Choate Symmes
Psychiatric Emergency Servicewas put in touch with a number of groups in the
community, particularly the police, agencies serving the aged and youth services
within and outside of the schools
HOUSING ISSSUES needed to be approached from a human-services oriented point of
view Equity sharing as a concept was introduced to the Selectmen as a possible
response to the Emerson Gardens tenants who were faced with condominium conversion
The Human Services Coordinator wrote a Challenge Grant proposal to the Executive
Office of Communities and Development When they awarded the Town with a grant
the Committee convened an Equity Sharing Feasibility Study Review Committee
which chose Abt Associates to determine whether equity sharing might be carried
out as a socially responsible investment The Lexington Citizens with Special
Needs Committee was assisted in their search for housing and programmatic support
MYSTIC VALLEY FUNDING CUTBACKS by the State were investigated by the Committee
( resulting in recommendations that services to the severely mentally ill youth
should be prioritized while loss of services to the Town should be reviewed.
REPLACE FUNDING CUTBACKS offered the Committee the chance to introduce innovative
funding timing
VISITING NURSING SERVICES TO THE FRAIL ELDERLY were evaluated resulting in the
decision to expand these services , coordinate with the Council on Aging and
include case management as a service that would accompany health monitoring
IMPLEMENTATION OF POST OFFICE AND VOTING PLACE ACCESSIBILITY was accomplished
through the efforts of the Enablement Subcommittee composed of physcially handi-
capped citizens and advocates
The Committee advised the Selectmen and Town Meeting on using Town funding for
human service appropriations and provided technical assistance and encouragment
to human service agencies in their fundraising efforts The Committee reviewed
the Council on Aging non-personnel expense budget Funded by Human Services Co-
mmittee recommendation in 1987 were Cooperative Elder Services, Inc ($3,000) ,
Central Middlesex Association for Retarded Citizens ($8,000) , Replace ($75,000) ,
Visiting Nurse and Community Health, Inc ($8,500) , Lexington Committee for
Needs Housing ($250 for planning) and Mystic Valley Mental Health Center Associa-
tion, Inc. ($15,000)