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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1995-10-11-HSC-min.pdf Human Services Committee Minutes October 11, 1995 Present: Donna M. Hooper, Co-Chair; Julie E. Fenn; Rosalyn L. Gittleman; Eva S. Glick; Jeanne R. Luongo; Richard Safford; Jolley Anne Weinstock, Co-Chair; Joan Abrahams and Arnie Berger, RePlace; Wendy Friedman and Marilyn Goldman, candidates for Human Services Committee; Steve Baran, Human Services Coordinator 1. CBHC/RePlace a. Drop in Center planning and update Joan Abrahams discussed staffing and special capabilities of each staff member. 15-18 young people are using the drop-in center daily after school; they are playing pool, watching psychoeducational video, enjoying music and planning for the holidays. Eliot and RePlace staff participated in transition(RePlace began providing services on September 15). Planning for a second drop-in center will go forward under RePlace/Human Services Committee auspices and include representatives from the Board of Selectmen, School Department, parents, clergy Hayden and Chamber of Commerce members. RePlace sees need for contributions of space and person-power. A multi-service center,jointly planned with the Council on Aging, might be considered. Since RePlace is only three weeks into the year, groups are not yet underway Everyone on football, basketball and girls' field hockey teams will participate in five session psychoeducational groups relating to substance abuse. RePlace is negotiating for managed care contracts. RePlace is emphasizing marketing with the assistance of the CBHC publicist. b. Feedback on their response to RFP Many strengths were identified. The Committee is eager to have ongoing communication with RePlace and see a relative de-emphasis on troubled youth as opposed to programs for everyone. There should be less of what has been an historic dependency for referrals from the School Department and more of an involvement with Hayden, the clergy and the Recreation Department. This can be developed through marketing and outreach to the greater community Outward Bound, for example, might be co-sponsored with the Recreation Department. c. Evaluation Funding of an evaluation contract- 5.5 days of consultation, has been provisionally approved at a cost of$1,500. 2. Human Services Budget FY '97 due December 4 HPAC is giving $4,000 for smoking cessation. The total FY '96 RePlace budget amounts to $178,000. An FY '96 budget showing funding sources was requested from RePlace. The current budget does not cover all of the needs which have been identified; RePlace will also submit a provisional, expanded FY '97 budget before the next meeting of the Committee. RePlace was invited to rank budget requests in Human Services Committee Minutes October 11, 1995 Page 2 terms of priorities and consult the July 31 Human Services Committee needs assessment. 3. Interviews of candidates for Human Services Committee a. Marilyn Goldman Marilyn is from New Jersey has a Master's degree in Counseling Psychology was an administrator at Boston University before going to Temple Emunah ten years ago to serve as youth director. She is now their full-time Executive Director. Marilyn emphasized the prevalence of constant change in all organizations forcing the need to think creatively 'everyone is facing the same struggles. She was desirous of using her skills and talents to help the community bas been a Lexington resident for the last four years. Her skills are in dealing both with people and with numbers. Her question had to do with the degree to which the Committee had political skills to advance its agenda. The Committee's response was that it is essentially apolitical. b. Wendy Friedman Wendy is also from New Jersey with a Bachelor's degree from Harvard and a joint Masters' degree from the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration and Graduate School of Business. Between her graduation and 1993, she has been with John Snow Inc. a firm with projects in international public health, most recently as Director of Finance. She saw her skills on the business side as being the strongest, but also had a personal interest in human services. Her question had to do with why the Town felt it necessary to fund RePlace at all in view of that organization's potentially enhanced fund raising ability 4. Subcommittee reports/Coordinator report Steve Baran reported that a reorganization of human services to create a Human Services Department had been proposed by the Town Manager. The Committee expressed concern about person-power resources for human services were this to come about as well as access to the Town Manager through an additional layer of supervision. 5. Other business Donna Hooper reported that she had met with the Hayden director who had expressed concern about the needs assessment, felt he appreciated her interest in meeting briefly with him. The next meeting of the Committee will be on November 1 in Room G 15. HS1011.min