Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout1981-01-26-HSC-rpt.pdf g117 To: The Board of Selectmen From: The Human Services Committee Date: January 26, 1981 Re: Annual Report The Human Services Committee is primarily interested in shifting the emphasis of the Town's role in human services towards prevention and early intervention for vulnerable populations. We are developing the role of the Committee as that of facilitator of human service programs by addressing policy issues, structure, and educational components. The Committee's goal has been to work with agencies to help them strengthen their programs, measure. their effectiveness, and enhance the preventative nature of their work. We also hope to work with citizen groups and individuals to provide a forum for discussing various human service issues, particularly prevention. Last year's relationship with the Central Middlesex Association for Retarded Citizens is an example of the facilitator role, where the mechanism of developing a contract for a procurement officer helped CMARC to focus its direction and increase its outreach. It is hope that this supportive relation- ship can be replicated with other agencies. Working with agencies to develop a set of 'Review Criteria' in order to have a common framework to assist in making recommendations has also been part of that process (see attached) . To this end, the following recommendations focus on programmatic issues and the needs addressed, with an emphasis on the preventative aspects of the agencies' programs, rather than being specific budget reconmiendations. The Committee will be encouraging the development of a useful and flexible information and referral mechanism; the revitilization of the Human Service Providers Council in the form of workshops; and liaison with State agencies. 1. Central Middlesex Association for Retarded Citizens The Human Services Committee recommends that the contract with CMARC be renewed. The Procurement Officer (Marketing Representative) hired by CMARC in July, 1980 has initiated a public relations campaign to increase contracts for the work- shops and place CMARC clients in industry. With the anticipated success of this effort, it is assumed that the Town's role in funding will decrease. Ruth Butler and Ruth Nablo met with the Director, Sheri McCann, and the Marketing Representative, Eric Wells. It was reported to them that the income from outside contracts had been $621 in July, 1980, and by January 1981 this income had increased to $3,200 with a March 1981 projection of $3,500. There are currently at least seven contracts that generate this income. Eric Wells' salary is $12,000 a year plus 10% of the contracts. He is a former teacher and business manager Although he has no prior experience with special needs clients, he says he enjoys his work, and he appears to be effective. CMARC currently has fifty-one clients, all but three of whom are funded, and there is the expectation that these three will be picked up by the Department of Mental Health by May 1981 There are four clients from Lexington: 2 Lexington residents carry over from 1980 1 Lexington resident currently resides at Fernald 1 new Lexington resident 4 k Human Services Committee p 2 There were four Lexington residents last year, two of these clients left last spring Evaluation CMARC has developed their own rehabilitation plan for each client, with the goal of getting as many as possible into normal jobs. The job skills of the clients are increasing through careful staff support. The staff was more efficiently organized, the clients were occupied and appeared under no stress. Board of Directors: The size of the Board has recently been expanded to number nine. The diversity of expertise on the Board will be increased, as Ms. McCann is well aware of the need for a strong Board of Directors. In the upcoming year, areas to address include the further expansion of the Board of Directors and working with CMARC to develop more competancy based measurements. 2. Mystic Valley Mental Health Association The Human Services Committee makes the following recommendation in regards to the funding of Mystic Valley for the next fiscal year: specific services to be provided by Mystic Valley should be written up in a contract which will be monitored by the Selectmen in cooperation with the Committee. We recommend that this contract be developed within the next three months, in conjunction with the new Executive Director, Dr. Lund, who will arrive on February 1, 1981. It should be recognized that if a mutual agreement cannot be reached with Dr. Lund, the Town will not fund the agency We would like to have Mystic Valley participate with us to identify the specific needs, and the clinical and/or consultation services to be provided to the following agencies. RePlace, the Lexington Public Schools, the Council on Aging, and other agencies that might be identified prior to May 1, 1981. It is anti- cipated that this contract will ensure additional services to agencies in the Town which will represent efforts by Mystic Valley above and beyond their Federal and State mandates. The Couuuittee believes these services could be purchased at approximately half of Mystic Valley's current budget request, and could provide approximately 40 hours per week of clinical and/or consultation time. The Couuuittee believes that there is a need for this professional support to other town agencies, particularly in light of the resignation of Charlie McManus. Services to be addressed in the contract include direct clinical support and supervision and consultation around family counseling, crisis intervention, case assessments, and elderly counseling. In addition, the contract will include reporting and evaluation procedures and requirements. Human Services Committee p 3 3. RePlace The Committee recommends that the Town of Lexington fund the RePlace request for Fiscal Year 1982. The Executive Director, Bill Blout, has tried to be responsive to the Committee's criteria, has done well in explaining the agency's preventive emphasis and accessibility to teenagers, and demonstrated the vitality of community support (56% increase in donations) The Committee agrees that there is a need for the kind of services offered by RePlace. We have had continuing concern about a number of issues and look forward to establishing a contractual mechanism so that expectations, once agreed upon by consensus with RePlace, can be met. These include: 1. establishment of a reporting mechanism that will measure client outcome, 2. clarification of fiscal management practices, 3. identification of changing needs and basic mission, and 4 establishment of formal linkages through a written affiliation agreement. Among the issues we would like to pursue through discussion are staff burnout (including a possible increase in pay raises more in line with the raises the Town employees will be getting) , State funding reductions and the need for exploring alternative revenues; goal displacement (which may interfere with the focus on prevention) ; excessive diversification of program emphasis; and the possible problems inherent in segregating these clients and hightening their sense of being different. 4. Recreation The Committee is concerned about the possible closing of the "Old Res" and would like to support maintaining this resource. This facility is seen as offering a low labor-intensive service that accomodates a different population from the pool. The possibility of using the beach and wading is a resource that is valuable to families, particularly in harder times. 5. School Pupil Services The Committee met with Dr Monderer and Paul Lombard. It is impressed with the preventive nature of the students' required regular contact with guidance counselors and the delicate balance between academic and personal counseling. There are several areas in which we would like to have further communication: a. We are concerned about lack of support to students in crisis during school vacations, e.g. the divorced kids support group We would like to work with the schools and other agencies to help ensure a continuity of care during these periods. b We feel the nursing department may be underinvolved in coordinating guidance services, and we would like to work with the Health Committee and the schools to better coordinate all Town health services. c As part of an overall concern about stress, we see the need to further explore the testing programs d. We would like to learn more about the evaluation and reporting procedures and the guidelines within the Pupil Services Department and across • Human Services Committee p 4 departments to ensure that appropriate individuals and agencies are involved with children at risk 6. Elderly Services Ruth Nablo met with Joan Melcher, Council on Aging Coordinator, and we have reviewed the Elderly Needs Assessment. We plan to include the Council on Aging in a more extensive review process next year, and will explore the programs in greater depth in order to make specific recommendations for Fiscal Year 1983. We find the CoA to be a beneficial preventative and service providing agency, and believe it should continue to be supported. However, we recommend that the Council on Aging discontinue payments for bus trips and recreational activities of the Senior Citizens Club, on the principle that the Club is a private organization and there is a Town organization that duplicates the services. Respectfully Submitted Ruts? Butler, Chairperson Steve Baran Ruth Nablo Howard Levingston Nick- Osborne Carol Perez John Mackey • A a REVIEW CRITERIA 1 PROGRAM SPECIFIC (INTERNAL) a. Program meets an identified need. (This need may be identified by the Town, The Human Services Committee or the program itself ) The orogram has .a clear statement of goals and objectives • The Program can measure its effectiveness in meeting its objectives d. Salaries should be demonstrated to be in line with the salaries offered similar providers in other similar agencies. Job descriptions should be available demonstrating that there is a fit between the jab position and the t1-pe of services and outcomes which the service provider is expected to furnish • The program meets all licensing and regulatory requirements as established by state and federal agencies f tihat specific measurements would you utilize to evaluate your rendering of secondary treatment care in meeting your specified objectives? Please include measurements in terms of payroll and. program dollars, as well as indicators of incidence of the program, and treatment thereof, and indicators of outreach service g How .could you measure effectiveness of primary prevention? Please include measurements in terms of staff and program 2 S_'ST E:2 RELATED (EXTERNAL) a The program has both formal and informal linkages established with other agencies so that it sees itself as part of a system of services. ID The program insures the Provision of comprehensive care for all individuals served. 3. S""DOET SPECIFIC a The program is financially viable. • Please demonstrate why you believe it is appropriate for the Town to fund this procram. 4 CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT a Consumers are satisfied with the services provided. On what basis is satisfaction determined? • The Board of Directors is representative of the community at large, and is involved with the Agency's activities 5 =lease discuss a sample of your agency's most effective work Indicate any io ovative or special activities carried out during the past year.