HomeMy WebLinkAbout1999-02-03-HSC-min.pdf Minutes
Human Services Committee
2/3/99
Present: Helen Cravis, Co-Chair; Nancy Bartlett: Barbara Ciampa, Co-Chair
Roz Gittleman; Khalil Khatri; Gregory Kotonias-Payne; Christine
Yedica; Nancy Freed, Director, Social Services Department; Dan
Fenn, Jr , Selectman Liaison; Steve Baran, Human Services
Coordinator, Staff and Recorder
Absent: Nancy Bartlett; Eva Glick, Kathleen Palmer
Minutes of 1/6/99
Dan Fenn and Khalil Khatri were present, not absent. Nancy Bartlett and Barbara
Ciampa attended meetings of the Early Childhood Committee.
RePlace
History Dan. Steve and Nancy reviewed the history of RePlace in the community
and its relationship with the Town. Steve traced its beginnings as a
counterculture drop-in organization which became professionalized over time.
Dan discussed their contractual relationship with the Town. At an earlier point,
the Human Services Committee were not pleased by the RePlace performance
but they had failed to leave a paper trail documenting a lengthy period of
previous dissatisfaction.
Nancy and Steve had instituted a process of greater accountability allowing
analyses, which could lead to an improvement of services. Nancy noted that
RePlace was now reimbursed by unit of service whereas this had not been true
previously
Nancy noted a history of staff turnover changing directors and a lack of
adequate support by Wayside in helping RePlace find a location from which they
could operate as an agency
He/en Cravis meeting with Phil Lanoue. Helen met with Phil Lanoue, High School
Principal and subsequently attended a RePlace board meeting. Phil Lanoue
reported that the high school had not been making much use of RePlace
because there was a full complement of guidance counselors. He did expect,
however, that the new RePlace case manager (29 hours per week) for more
challenging children would be helpful. The Mass. Department of Education Safe
and Drug-Free School Program funds the position.
2
Helen Queenin, high school guidance counselor, commented to Helen that
students did not like to go off site for counseling. Moreover, guidance counselors
did not make referrals to RePlace in spite of their being aware of the program
due to energetic marketing. At the RePlace Board meeting, Helen learned that
RePlace expected to obtain space at the Hancock Church on a sign-in basis after
June 30 She affirmed the importance of having space for counseling.
The members finally raised the following questions:
o What would happen if there were no RePlace?
o Should a Request for Proposal be sent (to go in late March)?
o Had the RePlace board seriously helped to find space?
o Was there confusion about goals with the peer-counseling program, which
was now concentrating on tutoring rather than counseling?
Affirmative Action Working Group
Steve Baran reported on a new committee working on affirmative action issues
for the town (not the school) and accountable to the Town Manager The Chair is
Linda Crew Vine. The purpose is to review hiring approaches and recommend
more effective recruiting and hiring procedures. Dan Fenn was thanked for the
role he had played in creating a climate that was conducive to the formation of
this committee.
Diversity Teas
Barbara Ciampa reported that the Tea of 2/26/99 sponsored by the COA and
Human Services Committee already had 20 people signed up Naomi Topalian
will be the speaker
Liaison
Dan Fenn, since he was ending his term as Selectmen, suggested that the
Committee send a recommendation for his replacement shortly after the election.
The members thanked Dan for all of his efforts.
Preschool
Steve Baran noted that with additional state funding for this fiscal year it would be
possible to have another parenting group continuing the type of education that
the Committee had been instrumental in securing from the Children's Trust Fund
last year
3
Fund for Lexington
Dan Fenn announced that $16,500 had been raised to date for the Fund for
Lexington while $15,000 was carried overt over from last year Genesis had
promised to allocate 50% of any monies it raised during the year to a Fund for
Lexington endowment.