HomeMy WebLinkAbout1995-04-05-HSC-min.pdf Human Services Committee Minutes
April 5, 1995
Present Donna M, Hooper, Chairperson; Julie E Fenn; Rosalyn L. Gittleman;
Eva S Glick; Eva Havas; Jeanne S Laongo; Richard Safford; Jolley
Anne Weinstock; Steve Baran, Human Services Coordinator; Ellen
Widen, Meg Anzalone and Siegrid Burke of Eliot Community Human
Services
1 Minutes, 3/1/95
Approved; note that Meg Anzalone also attended the meeting of the
Faculty Advisory Committee
2 Eliot update and request for revision of contract—Ellen Widen and Meg
Anzalone
Group counseling
group on relationship issues meeting on Tuesdays; for boys and
girls; popular; psychoeducational model with topics evolving out
of the needs of the youth;
young women1s issues group meeting on Wednesdays;
varied topics group meeting on Fridays
Peer leadership
In addition, Eliot was undertaking a teen information center and was
gathering information on teen pregnancy to be placed in vertical files
The Center was getting connected with church groups; Helen Cohen of the
First Parish Church has been supportive; they had met with Alden
Flanders; the youth would like to get connected with young peoples
groups and join with them in activities such as visiting the Pine Street
Inn
Young people are taking part in running the center, have developed rules
and take part in community meetings once a week; cleaning of Depot
Square is ongoing; kids are being helped to find jobs Outreach will go
outdoors through working with the Lexington Garden Club
A new program is being considered on using mentors to help kids with the
transition from middle school to high school Diamond Middle School has
been interested This is part of an attempt to arrive at a definition of
peer leadership which is unique to Eliot Other possibilities include
involving young people in the shelters or having them do tutoring with
young people in inner city schools
Many referrals are informally coming to the staff through young people
in the drop in center; this is happening in a much more informal way
than it would if the center had a formal peer counseling program
c
( Human Services Committee Minutes, 4/13/95 Page 2
Other ideas
preparing baseball fields-grooming, putting down lines;
adopting islands;
cleaning up brooks; Steve Baran was asked to contact the
Conservation Department to find out if there would be a cleanup
day;
Steve Baran suggested seeking funding through Stride-Rite since a
division had recently moved into Lexington
Ellen Widen asked that the Committee enlarge its definition of peer
leadership and will submit a proposal summarizing the above ideas A
motion to this accept this concept was passed unanimously by the Committee
3. Evaluation update including CAPP
Steve Baran reported that a contract would be drawn up shortly with Bill
Deveney A subcommittee (Julie Fenn, Eva Glick, Eva Havas and Jolley
Anne Weinstock) and Steve Baran will brainstorm in preparation The
Committee may see a need to seek more funding for evaluation in the next
fiscal year
As to evaluation of CAPP, Donna Hooper spoke with Jennifer Wblfrum,
Health Education Coordinator who said that the results of an evaluation
study (distributed to Committee with Minutes) had not been formally
released Her impression was that the evaluations were generally
favorable Committee members expressed concerns at the low number of
responses (172) and their vagueness; people who were not pleased did not
say why Also, the Committee wanted to know how many questionnaires were
distributed in the first place
Eva Glick felt that the program was needed even though the public s
receptiveness waxed and waned Meg Anzalone s students are investigating
other program designs in the event that Eliot assumes control of the
program next year Were Eliot to continue with the same model, its staff
would have to undertake specialized training by the originators of the
model Steve Baran mentioned that the Children s Trust Fund might be
doing a similar program in various school systems in Massachusetts free
of charge
4. Needs assessment
To be issued in Town Meeting; conclusions are in support of the drop-in
center concept
( 5. Article 21 (from Replace)
Donna Hooper announced that the Town was to take a factual approach in
its presentation on Article 21 Some people have felt that the funding
for youth services should not have been put out for bid