HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000-09-27-HSC-min.pdf Minutes
Human Services Committee
9/27/00
Present: Barbara Ciampa, Co-Chair Helen Cravis, Co-Chair Robert Dentler Roz
Gittleman; Steve Kelly Christine Yedica; Steve Baran, Human Services
Coordinator Heather Sweeney Director Social Services Department;
Claire Boudreau and Allen Wood, National Alliance for the Mentally Ill,
guests.
Absent: Macy DeLong, Khalil Khatri
Minutes of 6/28 accepted with the following exceptions:
1 The Baptist Church should be substituted for First Parish church as the site where gay
lesbian photos will be shown.
2. Liaisons were corrected (see italics) from the original version as follows:
Central Middlesex Association for Retarded Citizens—Roz Gittleman
Council on Aging —Bob Dentler and Christine Yedica
Youth Services—Helen Cravis (Wayside FZePlace) and Steve Kelly(schools)
Health PAC— Khalil Khatri
Domestic Violence Response Team —Roz Gittleman and Helen Cravis
Preschool/Early Childhood Education Committee — Barbara Ciampa
I School initiative pertaining to gay and lesbian students—Bob Dentler
Heather Sweeney new Director, Social Services Department was introduced. Heather
commented that:
• Her task was to help the public better understand human service needs in view of the
common perception that there are no problems. The elderly particularly consume a
lot of services, and there was potential for serving more of the young elderly
• There is much concern about friction between the Senior Center and the Condo
Association (an injunction sought by the Town had been denied).
• The Town emphasizes a team approach so that the line of authority is between her
and the Senior Management Team as much as it is with the Town Manager
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Claire Boudreau and Allen Wood of National Alliance for the Mentally 111 said that they
r represented females, professionals and consumers from Central Middlesex concerned
with mental illness. The mentioned the following statistics:
• One-fifth of families throughout the world was mentally ill.
• In Massachusetts, there are 8,000 of the mentally ill in community residences and
30,000 developmentally disabled.
• 80% of the mentally ill manage in the community often assisted by drugs. 1% of
these have visible problems.
• 55 - 80% of the homeless are mentally ill.
• 16 000 are on the waiting list for case managers through the Mass. Department of
Mental Health.
• 3,000 mentally ill need housing.
The Association worked to remove the stigma from the mentally ill helping the public to
understand that organic causes have come to the fore. Stress may trigger mental illness
but is no longer considered a primary cause. Their hope was that in the next ten years
mental illness would no longer be separated from physical illness.
The Association offers support groups for families and peers.
The Human Services Committee Annual Report to the Board of Selectmen on
September 11 was discussed. It was noted that the Selectmen made no comment this
year about the report although Cathy Abbott did express her appreciation through an
email. Bob Dentler suggested that in the future the Committee might wish to focus down
on a single policy issue that they were planning to pursue that year The Selectmen
might in a sense be liberated from their seeming preoccupation with the 'evolution of
incivility Steve Baran suggested that the committee might want to do this before their
next annual report.
Macy Delong had not been heard from since her acceptance for committee membership
by the Board of Selectmen. Helen Cravis agreed to call her
The Central Middlesex Association for Retarded Citizens was host to a visit by Roz
Gittleman, Heather Sweeney and Steve Baran. Roz will report on this visit at the next
meeting of the Human Services Committee.
The next meeting of the Human Services Committee will take place on Wednesday,
October 25th Steve Baran will invite the Eastern Mass. Literacy Council to present.
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