HomeMy WebLinkAbout1988-06-20-HSC-min.pdf Minutes Human Services Committee 6/20/88
Present Harvey Lowell , Chairman; Bob Cushman, Co-
Chairman Renee Cochin and Steve Baran
Human Services Coordinator
1 Quorum
Those present were concerned that some of those absent
had not notified the Committee that they were planning
to be absent
2 Resignations/Committee Chairmanship
Sylvia, Marion and Jan are planning to resign before
September Harvey will resign as Chairman but remain
as a Committee member Harvey and Steve are seeking to
recruit new members who would be interviewed after
submitting resumes and before joining the Committee
Committee members are welcomed to recruit other
members for the Committee
Renee will consider becoming Co-Chairman
3 Accomplishments and problems
The Committee ' s positive accomplishments were seen in
the areas of dealing with crisis response, housing
where a State grant had been obtained, drugs and youth
It was felt there would be new opportunities in the
youth area since a new School Committee , Superintendent
and Director of Guidance were arriving on the scene
In dealing with RePlace the issue of advocacy had
arisen The distinction was made between advocating
for services as opposed to specific provider agencies
Renee saw the possibility of RePlace obtaining more
funding in the future should there be improved
accountability
Sylvia and Harvey felt the Committee ' s credibility was
at stake if they failed to deal with budgetary
limitations or focus on advocating for providers rather F
than continuing to identify needs and gaps Harvey
pointed to the Committee ' s ability this past year to
create a new program and yet remain within caps
Renee felt there were still lessons to be learned for
the Committee as in the case of the Council on Aging
where an assumption had been made that the Board was
working through issues connected with the planned
Senior Health Monitor program whereas only the staff to
the Board had been fully involved
- I
3 Senior Health Monitor Program
Rick White had advised that there be a three-month
contract put in place with Visiting Nurse and Community
Health In the meantime he was expecting that the
specifics would be dealt with around program planning
Steve will omit references to COA case management in
the three-month contract Terry Gent, Chairman of the
COA Board, is in agreement having been in touch with
Bob and Steve He is interested in there being proper
program design In the meantime, the COA is losing its
case management staff and will have to hire new staff
while Linda Crew Vine will be away on maternity leave
until the end of the summer
As to whether or not the COA will move in the direction
of increasingly serving the frail elderly, Renee
expressed the opinion that this was a matter for the
entire Board to work through
4 Camperships
Dan Barry, Community Representative, Mass Office for
Children, had been in touch with Harvey requesting
$3 500 for camperships having been referred by Liz
Banks of the Lexington Minute-man Paul Marshall
expressed himself as being in favor of helping in a
meeting of the Board of Selectmen
Harvey explained that the Committee ' s process would not
make it possible to entertain a request for funding for
this year, but OFC should make the request for the next
fiscal year
OFC has also been in touch with the Trustees of the
Public Trust
5 Planning
Areas which remain for the Committee to investigate
include special needs recreation (invite Judy Marshall ,
Joan Halverson) and mental health (invite Mary Lou
Sutter, Mental Health Area Director, also MR Area
Director)
Respectfully Submitted,
Stephen Baran
Human Services Coordinator