HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 061900Human Services Advisory Commission
Southern Human Services Center
June 19, 2000, 5:30 P.M.
Minutes
The Human Services Advisory Commission met on June 19, 2000 at 5:30 p.m. at the Southern
Human Services Center.
Members Present: Rosetta Wash, Marvin Block, Deborah Kinert, Rebecca Young, Melvin Hurston,
Sue Russell, Louise Echols
Members Absent: Lynette Jeffries, Robin Barnhill, David Thompson, Jr., Barry Jacobs, Dee Gamble
Staff Absent: Albert Kittrell, Nancy Martin
Staff Present: Corinthia Barber, Sharron Hinton, Evelyn Cecil (in place of Nancy Martin)
Welcome:
Co -Chair Louise Echols called the meeting to order, and welcomed everyone for coming. She asked if
there were any additions to the agenda. Louise and Debbie Kinert Co- Chaired the meeting.
Member Introductions and Reports:
Marvin Block -Dept of Aging, spoke about Master Aging Plan, gave report on what the aging
program is doing and showed Orange County Dept. on Aging Information Guide that is to be
distributed.
Melvin Hurston- Board of Health.
Rebecca Young- At- Large.
Rosetta Wash - Interfaith Council Representative. Was involved with Governor's Award
nominations.
Sue Russell- Orange County Partnership for Young Children -Smart Start, had family day, very
successful, gone through spring round of funding, looked at needs and how to allocate money. She
spoke about Champions for Children Banquet and Breakfast.
Corinthia Barber- Representing Albert Kittrell, Assistant County Manager.
Sharron Hinton- Representing, Albert Kittrell and County Manager's Office.
Debbie Kinert- At Large.
Louise Echols -At Large, works in Orange County Health Dept.
Minutes Approval: Louise passed out the minutes of the May 15, 2000 meeting and asked for
changes or additions that needed to be made. Deb Kinert amended the May minutes in regards of
content on amendment, to state: "Deb Kinert commented regarding the review of non - profits for
funding, one might look at appropriate use of volunteers in lieu of staff." The minutes were approved
as changed.
, Governor's Award Report: Louise, Rosetta, and Lynette were Judges. Orange County was well
48 represented and had done homework in selecting the winners. Could only choose eight people and
49 Rosetta stated that everyone will be recognized.
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June 19, 2000
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Louise said we are blessed to have so many volunteers in county; northern end of the county needs to
send in more nominees and be more active in process.
Rosetta said that in reading through the applications she found the best writers were better able to
express the best candidates, showed that the need for writing instructions needs to be done. Talked
about next year request that it be typed due to poor handwriting skills. Louise asked for other
questions.
2000 Human Services Forum: September 13, 2000 -- Discussion About Possible Speakers
Debbie Kinert : Stated that work had been done, but she is not clear on where we stand, needs help.
Referred to handouts Forum 1000 Mental Health Issues in Orange County. Need to re -group and
refocus on how it is to be done, at this point going back to way done in past with large group session,
opening remarks, then a breakaway group session. Suggested a person from Orange County Mental
Health Association and have them give report on changes on Mental Health. State recommendations
are going to be massive. Major changes will be made and we need to have someone to give
information to this group.
Marvin Block said that needed to get every agency to participate. Sue Russell asked how about OPC
Mental Health. Deb Kinert said they had been trying to get OPC Mental Health be represented and
should be on this board. Sharron and Louise said Tom Maynard, Director of OPC Mental Health
Area Programs, or someone, should be on this Board and part of this Forum. Deb Kinert agreed that
if we could get him to participate, it would be great and this could be an opportunity.
Louise: asked if some one from State could speak. Deb: said that would be great, said this was
where Albert had been helpful.
Sue Russell: asked about Doctor David Bruitton, Secretary of Department of Health.
Rebecca Young: asked a question about opening remarks. Deb answered the opening remarks and
something related to Mental Health; each of those could be possibility. Having a hard time getting
anyone to participate and made reference to Marvin's remarks about elderly and Doctor Dan Blazer.
Corinthia said she could do the calling when she gets the names.
Deb Kinert may have something within the large session on general Mental Health, Aging, Children
and other topics, disabilities and violence. Wendy Trueblood and Buffy Fuller are available and
willing to speak on that day on area of homelessness. Rosetta thought homeless was at another forum
at a later date, had made contacts on aging and youth. She had contacted someone who spoke in
Greensboro, from UNC School of Social Work.
Louise will send name to Corinthia. Sharron asked about addressing substance abuse. Deb said that
this was up to the group.
Marvin Block wanted to know if we could present the subjects of this Forum from the standpoint of
the life cycle. Discussion ensued.
Sue said she likes this approach but feels there is a huge issue for children under five; she made other
comments on substance abuse of parents could be a contributor; wondered if mental health issues
played out in society. If they get played out, are they equally distributed by age. She expressed
concern that young children are being missed out and would it help those who work with children.
May say mental health in pre - school, grade school, and high school. May be if broken down
specifically may help to attract more people.
Deb: sounds great, just need to figure out how to do, she repeated what she heard Sue say.
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Sue: the title of the Forum needs to represent various age groups. Deb and Sue threw out ways to
title, Mental health in pre school, grade school, middle school early adolescents and high school may
attract teachers. Deb and Sue made other statements might want to add child abuse, prenatal etc.
Louise asked about looking at juvenile delinquency. She thinks that is why they have some mental
health problems. Sue reminded us that as we set these topics it would help to visualize how it will be
running in the afternoon.
Louise: When they go into breakout sessions, people will choose which they want to attend.
Rebecca ask about break -out sessions. Deb: need to either expand the concept or omit.
Sharron: asked when this is over, what do you want to take back to Board of County Commissioners.
Deb: Gave examples of who would attend: agencies and government workers, and said that these are
resources to refer to.
Sue: Explained one way the Forum was done in prior years: break outs and went on with examples.
Series of questions in formal process; maybe have eight groups then divided up into two more groups.
How she sees it in a three -step process. What are the mental health issues; state the issues. What
resources do we have in the community to address them, the group does that. What new strategies
need to be employed to address these things. After the group goes through this, then comes up with
recommendations as to what we aren't doing good.
Deb: would you think that using birth to eight group, would you be providing them, or let them
identify the issues facing the group. Let them provide the resources. What is missing, what are we
not doing.
Sue: Let them identify the issues for us, what they see as issues facing young children and let them
name some of the resources they have. Marvin: those people coming may have needs and resources.
Deb: right that is possible.
Rosetta: at risk of adding something else, do they want to address infant mortality rate and why so
high in North Carolina. Louise: Have heard about it on TV and it is not good.
Sue: we are in the bottom 12th of the nation.
Debbie summarized the Afternoon Sessions:
1. Mental Health in Birth to age Eight.
2. Mental Health in grade school - Nine -year old to 18.
3. Mental Health in Young Adults, Mid -Life and Elderly
Marvin: have three elderly populations: well, dependent, disabled. He also suggested that we invite
someone from Dept. on Aging; perhaps Jerry Passmore. Marvin also said that in order to keep mental
health, need to be occupied, give them something to do and keep the mind and body active to
maintain wellness. He also referred to getting back to Dept. of Aging, examples of senior center
activities and the positive attitude of those who participate.
Revised List of Afternoon Sessions
1. Mental Health in Early Childhood - Birth to eight years
2. Mental Health in Middle School to High School
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Human Services Advisory Commission June 19, 2000
3. Mental Health Young Adults
4. Mental Health Mid Life
5. Mental Health Well Elderly- Moderately- Impaired Elderly
6. Mental Health Severely- Impaired Elderly
Break -Out Sessions
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Deb: gave example of how it works and break -out in morning session and recording the groups'
discussions. Marvin: need expertise on this. Louise: Dee Gamble trained us last year in facilitating
the break out sessions. Deb: general consensus, use model of last year; all agreed.
There was discussion about the speakers for the Forum. Suggestions were:
♦ Someone from OPC
♦ Key Note Speaker: OPC Director, Tom Maynard.
♦ Someone who has had to do personal battle with Mental Health System
(would bring reality to audience)
♦ Someone from Donna Dean's office.
♦ Hudson on panel.
♦ Dan Blaze as panelist. Sue asked if each of panelists to speak to a specific topic.
Discussion ensued about the topic of Domestic Violence. Discussion included these items: how does
it effect children? here in Orange County, how does it effect citizens here, statistics here, using
Orange County Data, rural areas have problems and feel isolated, need to make special effort that the
providers need to know what is going on and resources that are available.
There was a suggestion that Tom Maynard could talk to how Mental Health affects the poor. Take a
look at social and economic conditions and how it plays out. Another idea was to ask Tom to touch
on homeless issues as well.
It was mentioned that it would be interesting to have a single parent to describe bringing up a child
today and how it affects the family.
Deb asked if there were there any other areas related to panel or key note speaker.
Sue: topic for Dave Bruitton: What is working, What needs to be done.
Rebecca: Asked if she could talk about child abuse, other domestic violence and abuse.
Sharron gave a recap: Tom Maynard, Wendy Trueblood, Dan Blazer, Ann Hudson, Dave Bruitton:
Keynote Speaker.
There was also discussions about:
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211 ♦ Having a County Commissioner give opening remarks
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21.E ♦ Directors of different County departments to introduce the panel
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215 ♦ Asking an Orange County State Legislature Representative to speak
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217 ♦ Comments were made about Dorothea Dix Hospital
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219 The meeting adjourned at 7:00 p.m.
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221 Respectfully submitted,
222
223 Nancy C. Martin, Assistant to the Clerk to the
224 Orange County Board of Commissioners
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