HomeMy WebLinkAbout1999-05-05-HSC-min.pdf Minutes
Human Services Committee
5/5/99
Present: Cathy Abbott, Selectman Liaison; Nancy Bartlett; Barbara Ciampa,
Co-Chair; Helen Cravis, Co-Chair; Roz Gittleman; Eva Glick; Khalil
Khatri; Christine Yedica; Steve Baran, Human Services
Coordinator; Nancy Freed, Director, Social Service Department
Absent: Gregory Kotonias-Payne; Kathleen Palmer
Minutes of 4/7/99
The Minutes of 4/7/99 were accepted.
Cathy Abbott
Cathy Abbott was welcomed to the committee as the new Selectman liaison.
( Pot Luck
Roz Gittleman and Barbara Ciampa were thanked for helping to make the
committee's pot luck dinner a success.
Preschool Funding
Steve Baran reported on increased preschool funding to Lexington.
It was suggested that there be outreach to those families who are not aware of
preschool scholarships with posters to supplement the already existing brochure.
Steve Baran was asked to contact David Williams to determine availability of
funding previously used for high school scholarships which might be used for
preschool scholarships.
Nancy Bartlett said that she would bring in a Preschool PTA booklet which gives
information about preschools. The cost of a membership with them is $10. Cathy
Abbott said that Jay Kaufman had introduced a bill seeking broader based
eligibility criteria for families in need of preschools. The House would be voting by
the end of the week.
(
2
Chris O'Melia, Director of Programs, Central Middlesex Association for
Retarded Citizens (CMARC)
Chris O'Melia described aspects of the CMARC programs provided through a
budget of $28,000,000:
1 Day habilitation —for people with medical issues — assistance with OT, PT,
RN, ADL, skill training.
2. Placement into competitive employment— grocery stores department
stores, restaurants, etc.
3. Community residences — in Wilmington, Reading and Lexington (for three
adult women).
Problems/Issues
1 Some contracts level funded for many years; others with cuts from Mass.
Rehab, DMR, DMH causing problems in finding staff $19,000 is average
salary to be increased to $21,000. Ideally, need five staff @ $100,000.
Hired developer at $30 000; recently did fundraiser which brought in
$8,000.
2. Severity of disabilities is increasing.
3 Parents deny need for placement in community residences or foster care,
tend to wait until there is a crisis. Waiting lists of many years for some.
l
How can Human Services Committee help?
1 Recruitment of staffing to teach cooking or cleaning skills at Lexington
community residence. Mothers have taught this, but there is a need for
constant reinforcement. Residents contribute 75% of their income, and
this is supplemented by state subsidies.
2. Job finding — Department of Public Works through Joe Medlin has been
very open; they want janitorial workers in the town barn.
RePlace
Helen Cravis questioned why RePlace was running a peer-counseling program
when the high school also had a peer program. Nancy explained that RePlace
peers do tutoring, and this gives a lot of benefit to the peers who learn
responsibility and leadership skills. Helen further commented that Ellen Vera at
Clarke viewed this as simply academic tutoring.
Other concerns noted related to use of emergency services and clarifying
interrelationship of multiple contracts— case management, special Ed, domestic
violence and Town. A written report from RePlace was awaited in response to
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Steve Baran's memo of 4/3/99 summarizing complaints by high school personnel
expressed to Helen Gravis.
Annual Report to Board of Selectmen
Forthcoming.
For future meetings
June - domestic violence report
August— preschool leaders including Julie Fenn, if possible