HomeMy WebLinkAbout1979-08-23 Human Services for Lexington.pdf PC
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HUMAN SERVICES FOR LEXINGTON ,�(�X/
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( 0011114Background
Only recently has the need for local government's active, informed participation
in human services become apparent. Historically, social services were planned
and delivered by first, the private sector and then federal and state govern-
ments while local government concentrated on the more traditional public works,
public safety, transportation, physical planning, economic development. Munici-
pal human services, if provided at all, were often ad hoc reactions to funding
opportunities or community crisis such as the drug abuse of the 60's.
Gradually, Lexington, like many other towns, became involved providing some human
services and funding others. This has been done, however, in relative isolation
with no way to determine how best to allocate scarce resources among conflicting
demands.
Three years ago the Selectman and the Appropriation Committee decided that Lex-
ington could no longer proceed in a piecemeal fashion. State mandated programs
and increased requests for funding made it imperative that the Town's role in
human services be defined and a municipal human services capacity developed.
Current state/federal legislation and administrative policies make municipal in-
volvement obligatory if we wish to see "community based care", "deinstitution-
alization", "determination of need" responsibly carried out in our community.
We need to develop the ability to analyze the requests of sophisticated providers
who want space, endorsements, ancillary services, funding; we need to evaluate
how effectively they serve our citizens and meet community goals. We need to
develop the capacity to make the painful choices between advocates demands for
increased services and our diminishing resources. We need to become an equal
partner with the state and federal governments in the planning of human services
and fully informed by them of the persons and problems we'll be asked to serve.
Currently, area, regional and state planning agencies plan with no knowledge of
local goals or each others' efforts. Consequently, duplicate or unneeded ser-
vices are frequently developed which skim away funds otherwise available for ser-
vices municipalities feel they need. We need to be in a position to review and
comment on others' proposals to ensure they neither overlap or contradict each
other nor the Town's policies and programs.
Finally, we need to be officially involved in human services because we are
closer to people and their problems -- more responsive to their needs and control
than the more remote levels of government. Town Hall is often the first place
people go for help; the first place to hear complaints about inadequate or non-
existent services. We can view human needs comprehensively, spanning the cate-
gorical interests of many human service agencies. We see the whole person, not
just a single attribute such as "age", or a single need such as "disabled", and,
therefore, recognize that most needs are not isolated or met by a single service.
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I. Human Services in Lexington -- the Issues
Since 1976, severaltSelectmen's committee have identified re-
peatedly a number of unresolved issues relative to the de-
livery of human services in Lexington. The Selectmen agree
that:
1. There is no common understanding as to the Town's role
in the delivery of human services, nor even as to what
the term "human service" means.
2. We have no present capacity to understand overall needs
nor to identify gaps and duplications.
3. There is little coordination and communication among
human services agencies.
4. There is a lack of public information about available
services.
5. There is inadequate planning in the area of human ser-
vices.
There is no integration of such social, economic and
physical planning as does take place. There is no munici-
pal voice in state and federal planning and thus no effec-
tive consideration of local priorities.
6. Most important,no process exists for effective evaluation
of the quality of services presently rendered nor for
critical analysis of requests for funding or endorsement
by the Town.
II. Definition of Human Services
The Selectmen believe the Human services should be defined as services
needed by people in positions of particular vulnerability, as distin-
guished from the risks and pitfalls shared by the entire community.
The concept of vulnerability as the measure of our concern in this area
was suggested by the Boston College interns in their Human Services
Needs Assessment; it is endorsed strongly by the Executive Director of
the Health Planning Council of Greater Boston.
This broad definition is, of course, only the beginning. What people,
what groups of people are in positiions of vulnerability? Recognizing
the need for continuous review pf such a category, we suggest the follow-
ing as vulnerable populationsphysically and mentally disabled, elderly
people with needs coumion to that stage of life, members of broken fami-
lies, the unep loyed�nd pgople of low income, troubled young people,
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victims of catastrophic illness with attendant financial problems,
the cc 7 isolated.
These are the people we perceive as most in need of human services.
These services include: health services, housing (including
emergency shelter), nutrition, emergency services, child care, 4fJe Ld 4.1a1014)
counselling, legal assistance, financial advice and assistance, AO/Ws
transportation, recreation," ary, information and referral and
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III. The Role of the Town
A. The Present Position
Today, some human services are rendered by private organiza-
tions, some by the Town, some by state and federal agencies,
many by a mixture of these. The following departments, com-
missions and committees of the Town are already or potentially
involved in the rendition of human services: Health Depart- ,,,, II --//
ment, Police Department, Veterans Services, Housing Authority,JG ��'� )
Youth Commission, Council on Aging, Recreation Committee,
Trustees of Public Trusts, Trustees of Cary Library. Select-
men's Advisory Committees: Transportation, Community Health
Education, Senior Center Sites, School Sites Conversion.
Some of these are devoted entirely to what we define as human
services; for others, human services in the sense we use the
term is only a small portion of their contribution to the
life of the community. But all are part of the human services
picture.
The Town directly funds a portion of the budget of some private
human services organizations, such as Mystic Valley Mental
Health Center and RePlace.
The Planning Board is inevitably involved with the areas of
social, physical and economic planning.
In addition, the state and
,� private sector planand operate
programs for our citizens based on their own perceptions of
local needs.
What is lacking is coordination and the capacity for plan-
ning and evaluation of these human service efforts and
allocation of resources.
B. The Proposed Role
The Selectmen do not propose a municipal take-over of the de-
livery of human services in Lexington. Such an approach
would be neither realistic nor desirable. We contemplate
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continued participation of the Town, Federal and State
agencies, and the private sector. Direct control by the
Town over the providers who are not part of the municipal
structure is out of the question.. Nor should municipal
departments, commissions and committees operating in part
outside the area of human services be deprived of their
present internal authority. The Selectmen do proserto
develop a capacity to make human services policy; the capa-
city to plan and coordinate the efforts of the public and
private sectors in the provision of human services, a capa-
city to evaluate human service proposals--budgets-=-services
a capacity to ensure the effective presentation of the
Town's point of view in the funding and conduct of human
service programs in Lexington by State and. Federal agencies,
a capacity to direct citizens to available services. "In
short, the capacity to make provisions for the effective
and efficient delivery of human services to Lexington.
IV. A Human Services Committee
The Selectmen propose to create a Human Services Committee, advisory to
the Board of Selectmen, to consist of seven (7) citizens of the Town
appointed annually by the Board by May 31.
A. Composition of the Committee
Representation of the following qualities on the committee is
important.
1. Experience or training in human services planning.
2. Understanding of the human services delivery system--
local, state, federal, private and a grasp of the
human services issues facing Lexington.
3. Experience or training in financial analysis (hopefully,
in the allocation of monies to human services).
4. Working knowledge of Lexington's most vulnerable popula-
tions.
5. Working knowledge of Lexington Town Government, its
structures and procedures; understanding of municipal
concerns and obligations outside human services and of the
constraints within which the Town must operate.
To ensure a broad community viewpoint and to avoid con-
flict of interest, members should not be significantly
associat d with a provider of human services in Lexington.
/y(,or ) .,'a voca esfor specific human service needs.
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B. Purpose of the Committee
To provide the study, analysis and recommendations necessary to
enable the Selectmen to:
1. Make human service policy and set human service
goals and priorities.
2. Plan, coordinate, evaluate and publicize human
e ices.
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C. Charge to the Committee
1. Recommend a human services policy for adoption by the Selectmen
providing criteria for setting goals and priorities and for
making decisions. Develop a philosophy for the Town's direct
involvement in human services. Questions to be asked include:
"What responsibility for vulnerable populations should government
assume?" "What degree of control can and should the Town acquire
as to programs mandated by other levels of government9" "How
can the Town encourage and support increased involvement by the
private sector?" "To what extent is this desirable?"
2. Analyze critically the report of the Boston College interns in-
cluding the analysis of needs, identification of vulnerable popu-
lations and proposed goals; review the needs assessment, popula-
tions in need of services and goals identified by other planning
groups serving Lexington.
(` Reconcile, redefine, recommend changes in emphasis to the Selec-
men as appropriate; recommend goals and priorities and the alloca-
tion of resources.
3. Develop a human services planning process -- integrated internally
with Lexington's physical and economic planning and externally
with the planning done for Lexington by area, regional and state
agencies. ' Include the intertown human services Nanning already
underway among Lexington, Arlington, Winchester, Wilmington, Burl-
ingtou and Wt#burn.
4. Plan for an inventory of services available to Lexington citizens
and means of publicizing their availability.
5. Analyze critically the funding requests presented to the Select-
men and Town Meeting `(suggest adoption of United Way Model) .
6. Review and comment on requests for Town endorsement of roposed
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7. Facilitate communication among providers a d encourage coordinated
program development.To this end the meetings of local
providers and advocates should be vw.41._A,A, -• • •
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8. Develop mechanism and standards for determining needs and for
evaluating the services currently provided Lexington citizens.
9. Review the proposed roles of the Town in the delivery of human
services and suggest an appropriate mix among them i.e. policy
,making, planning, coordinating, evaluating, publicizing, pro-
viding and funding.
The Town Manager shall assign staff support to this committee.
The Human Services Committee shall report at least annually in writing
to the Board of Selectmen no later than the end of January. It shall
review periodically its composition, purpose and charge, recommending
changes as necessary to the Board of Selectmen.
August 23, 1979