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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-10-25-HSC-min Town of Lexington Human Services Committee Wednesday October 25, 2017 at 7 PM ET Room 221 Lexington Community Center 39 Marrett Road Minutes • Welcome and introductions • Department updates o Hiring for Kristie Demirev's previous position is on hold. There is currently no open requisition. The department may be asking for more staff. A temporary social working is filling in. Charlotte Rodgers and Carl Valente (town manager) are working on a budget. o There is a commitment from Carl Valente to restructure the department. Need a 1 FTE for a clinician and half an FTE for prevention and education o Charlotte is currently covering the transportation manager role and reviewing applicants o Opening for volunteer coordinator, which Charlotte Rogers anticipates o The budget is close to final • There will be another joint meeting of the Board of Selectman and School Committee in mid-December. Will involve Melissa from recreation for numbers of youth • 2016 and 2017 email repository o Increase with the move to the Community Centre o The numbers are shared with staff, tracking internally • Narcan Training 11/13 in Cary Hall. o Kristie will send an email blast out regarding the training. o It is targeted towards lay people 18+ o The grant provides two trainings; the second will be in the spring. o Narcan will be available in town buildings; the training will include where to get it o Fire and police have nasal and one does is not enough o The training is a basic overview of addiction, signs of overdose, what to do. o The grant funds Narcan at a reduced cost—the fire department may be able to buy it in bulk. It will likely become similar to having an AED and will be kept with the AED in town buildings. o Will reach out to the Lexington Chamber of Commerce, the Lions Club, the Lexington Retail Association. Overdoses happening in restaurants in town o Will advertise to other towns in the area • Charlotte, Julie, and school team attended a training with Youth and Family town of Needham on Suicide Prevention o Suicide myths —language shift(not commit because it is criminalizing, instead shifting to completed suicide/took life. o Needham's model including a crisis team is very effective and worth exploring. Administration is integral and can represent the needs for budgets and longer term plan o Clear that the 5 people who attended this training from Lexington will be able to work as a team, which will lead to action plans and outcomes. • Major change this year: what is available and needed across Lexington residents' life span • Update from school o Prevention program by grade. Collaborates across school and town department o HPAC—state mandate, meet 4 times a year. Town, school, community, student practitioners attend the open meeting o Years ago, Lexington applied for grant for prevention specialist. This was dropped for a year about 10 years ago. Students advocated for this and got the position back o Peer educators: —150 kids who go to grades 5th, 6th, and 7th grade classes. ■ 5th grade: prevention beyond drugs and alcohol. Include science about the developing brain. Hoping to bring elementary health back. It was cut with the prevention specialist. Now 5th grade is the only health educate elementary schools receive. ■ 6 t grade: booster to 5th grade health. ■ Middle schools focus on 8th grade health, twice a week for one semester. The prevention specialist comes to the 8th grade health classes to do a drug module, which is science based. ■ Julie works closely with the co-director of the Substance Abuse Program on information regarding the brain and addiction with Boston Children's Hospital and Lexington biology teachers. McLean and Boston Children's Hospital have tried to get grants to evaluate the efficacy of the curriculum. Other communities use Lexington's model because it is effective, especially regarding marijuana. o Leadership Training ■ The guidance counsellors select middle school students. High school students train them in leadership skills ■ LHS students train other towns. It is good for LHS kids to leave the Lexington bubble. o Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) club are on Instagram and Facebook. o Focus on how to use social media positively o Alcohol—substance abuse task force. This grew because of the coalition. YRBS data—correlation between substance abuse and mental health, need to address both. o Mission: how to improve YRBS o Findings from YRBS —alcohol use is starting in middle school o Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment(SBR) screening in 7th and 9th grade. 8' and 10th graders are higher risk, aiming to prevent before students reach these grades. The SBR is a conversation that occurs along with the routine health screenings (e.g., vision, scoliosis). It consists of standardized questions. Depending on the score, the interviewer develops a treatment plan. Provide students with a card regarding the effect on the brain. The screenings are confidential and can follow up regarding the treatment plan. Julie and Kristie find the students to be forthcoming, but a small percent of students will say what they think you want to hear. ■ This is not a screening for home safety. o Child abuse prevention: lessons were built in for elementary health. In middle and high school discuss interpersonal violence. o Initiative regarding cyber safety and resilience o Parent component in 5th grade health—collaborate on medication safety, concerns regarding middle school. This facilitates conversations. Primary concerns from this assignment: peer pressure, bullying, grades vs. social life. Parent education seminars upon request. Used to have monthly parent support groups at the middle schools and LHS. There us o Parent academy for middle and high school parents ■ Had trouble scheduling. It required an entire Saturday and did not provide any childcare. o Parent support ■ Had been doing support groups for parents of kids with any kind of addiction ■ The Human Services Department could fill this role,possibly could be broader. ■ The .5 FTE clinician could partner with Kristie regarding this o Yoga— 12 steps recovery ■ LHS teacher who is certified. Got a grant to do this during I block. Calling it restorative yoga to get rid of the stigma at LHS. The teacher could attend the parent support group ■ Potential to have Y12SR for the town in the community centre • Gap: parent support groups. Get together and learn how to talk. Need a safe space for parents, away from town stigma. Holding it outside the school is important. • Y12SR instructors are volunteers, not for revenue by philosophy. • The Human Services Department can book it. • Action item: Julie and Charlotte to follow up and discuss. Mental health overall, not only substance, could be for trauma, mental health broadly. Need safe spaces for LHS community ■ Marblehead and Needham have similar programs o Stress reduction days at LHS —would have school wide yoga and medication for 20 minutes. Feedback from students that they wanted more, however there was some pushback from faculty. • Needs from school's perspective: o Prevention is key. Regular education support on all levels. o Cultural competency to be able to cater to a diverse community o Grandparent need—more kids are cared for by extended family. Need to change the language and outreach (e.g. "Parent Education" 4 "Family/Guardian Education"). o Bring back elementary health class • Question, Persuade, Refer(QPR) trainings for suicide prevention o Train the trainer trainings to be implemented in school and town • Child abuse 0 2 years ago held training with school nurses, Metco staff, couches, and health education. Used to join together annually. This is a gap clinicians are seeing. o Need earlier intervention. Need better training with faculty • Self report path o The prevention specialist meets every 5th grader, which makes them more comfortable seeking the prevention specialist out. o Health teachers track students seeking help from the health teachers o Counsellors have about 500 kids and don't have as much face to face time with the students o The nursing staff are trained and kids may go to them o Some students may go to a teacher or coaches o The deans hold weekly meetings to discuss kids who appear to be struggling o The department heads meet to discuss and keep data for reporting o Training coaches • Mental Health First Aid o Not a program for kids (18+). o Available for students: lessons at middle and high schools—"Minding Your Mind" • Dating violence o This is covered in grade 9 and 11 health classes. They are adding it to middle school health curriculum. Will require additional training for middle school teachers • Elementary school health o Used to have 6-8 classes/year. There were 2 teachers for the 6 elementary schools. This is a top gap from Julie's perspective. Lessons included: bullying, healthy relationships. Implementation of health courses needs to come from leadership. • Next meeting: November 29th at 7 PM ET o Discussion: ■ New members ■ What is happening in town and gaps ■ Other towns models/systems (e.g., Needham) ■ Potential collaboration with the Coalition, Lexington Youth and Family Services, Religious Community, Clergy Association, clinicians in town ■ How to identify pre-crisis ■ How to serve residents beyond youth and seniors.