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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 3 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