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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1998-02-04-HSC-min.pdf Minutes I Human Services Committee 2/4/98 Present: Helen Cravis, Barbara Ciampa, Co-Chairs; Roz Gittleman; Eva Glick; Linda Pucci; Nancy Freed and Steve Baran (Recorder), Social Service Department; Kathy Callahan, LICSW Absent: Lauren MacNeil, Gregory Kotonias-Payne, and Rick Safford Minutes of 1/7/98 The Minutes of 12/3/97 were reviewed. The spelling for the Director of Development for the Support Committee for Battered Women was corrected from Roseanne Katchaturian to Rouzan Khachatourian. Rouzan Khachatourian, Support Committee for Battered Women Rouzan Khachatourian of the Support Committee for Battered Women said that the Support Committee had been established in 1981 with a mission of ending domestic violence Its philosophy is to empower women and offer them different choices. The Support Committee's agency and shelter are both in Waltham; the Committee, however, does not accept any women in need of a shelter who are from Waltham. The Support Committee does accepts women from Metro West and Boston's inner city to their shelter which has 9 beds and generally permits a three-month stay No one is put out, however who can't make arrangements before the end of the stay A housing advocate offers help with transitional or permanent housing. The Committee also offers parenting assistance and child advocacy The shelter is one of 33 shelters that network with each other by e-mail so as to know where beds are free. They have a 24-hour hot line offering confidential advice with a focus on safety of family members. Both family members and battered women utilize the hot line. Since court can be intimidating, legal advocacy is available. There is an outreach program as well as community education. 50 volunteers staff the hotline, shelter and office. 1 2 The Support Committee is a grass roots organization, and community support is ( important. The agency handles 3,200 phone calls per year, provides advocacy to 115 clients per year and involves 110 clients per year in support groups. It takes boys up to the age of 12. Funding is from DSS ($230 000annually) and from a variety of other sources with a total budget of $400,000. In Lexington, the Committee is doing a video in collaboration with the Police Department. The Committee's number for clients is 800-899-4000 The business number is 899-8676. Preschool Questionnaire Draft There was further discussion of the preschool questionnaire following a pretesting that was conducted by Linda Pucci. Eva Glick suggested a focus group made up of preschool parents as an additional option. Kathy Callahan suggested that it might be useful to interview parents of kindergarten age children whose parents had only recently dealt with preschool issues. Nancy Freed agreed to investigate costs for sending out the questionnaire and getting a response. Party Roz Gittleman announced that there would be a party for the members of the Human Services Committee and committee members who have resigned (Julie Fenn, Jolley Anne Weinstock and Donna Hooper) on March 9 (tentative) at the home of BarbaraCiampa. Meeting with Selectmen The Committee will present its annual report to the Board of Selectmen on February 23 On February 16, the Co-Chairs will meet with Leo McSweeney Chair of the Board of Selectmen, who has agreed to serve as a liaison between the Selectmen and the Committee. Steve Baran will prepare a packet for the Selectmen. Next Committee Meeting The next meeting of the Human Services Committee will take place on Wednesday, March 4