HomeMy WebLinkAbout1989-HSC-rpt, annual.pdf (—) Human Services Committee Annual Report
January - December, 1989
In 1989, the Human Services Committee continued to work with
other town agencies, seeking to promote or develop initiatives to
meet the human services needs of Idexington citizens of different
ages and circumstances The Committee was actively involved with
the School Department in planning for the addition of a school -
based counselor to meet the non-academic counseling needs of
students This position has now been filled by a social worker
and is jointly funded by the School Department and Replace The
Committee also worked with the School Department to identify
treatment resources available for young people with substance
abuse problems
In order to further focus community attention on substance abuse
problems among young people and provide the town with a forum for
discussion of this sensitive subject, the Committee presented a
panel on Substance Abuse and Youth jointly sponsored by the
Board of Selectmen, the School Committee and the P T A Council
Standing Committee on Substance Abuse The five panelists
participating were individuals with professional expertise and
extensive experience in working with children experiencing these
problems Among the points they emphasized were the importance
of community-wide commitment to addressing these problems and the
C need for the school system, families and law enforcement agencies
to be active participants in both preventive and remediation
efforts They also stressed the need to strike an appropriate
balance between maintaining discipline and providing effective
intervention and support to young people in trouble
Issues confronting Lexington citizens with special physical and
developmental needs were given special planning emphasis during
the year The committee reviewed the mandate of the Lexington
Citizens with Special Needs, which is concerned with overcoming
barriers to achieving access to housing, recreational and other
resources for people with mental and emotional disabilities The --
Enablement Committee which is concerned with eliminating
architectural barriers that prevent access to public and private
facilities for people with physical handicaps, and the Lexington
Citizens with Special Needs were encouraged to explore areas of
mutual concern on which they might work together The two group's
have initiated such discussions
To address previously expressed concerns of citizens regarding
the availability of town-funded recreational programs for
individuals with special needs, the committee initiated a
discussion with the Recreation Committee and encouraged
interested groups to meet with the Recreation Committee to
express and, advocate for their needs
( ) In order to determine how the Committee might serve the town more
effectively, it under-took a review of its charge from the
Selectmen Among the results of the revlew:,;1s. a- pl,an- to sponsor
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Human Services Committee Annual Report Page 2
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The Committee continued to review requests for human service
appropriations Funded in 1989 were Cooperative Elder
Services, Inc ($3, 5000) ; Central Middlesex Association for
Retarded Citizens ( $11 ,000) ; RePlace ($73, 000) and Visiting Nurse
and Community Health, Inc ($37, 650)
Committee members serving in 1989 were Robert M Cushman and
Renee Cochin, Co-Chairmen; Richard Dougherty; Leonora Feeney;
Beth S Klarman; Harvey D Lowell ; Ann W Irving; Seymour Mandel ;
and Sheila D Martin; and Dennis T Murakami Stephen Baran, as
Human Services Coordinator, staffed the Committee
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