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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 112194�L c MINUTES HUMAN /SERVICES ADVISORY COMMISSION November 21, 1994 The regularly scheduled meeting of the Human Services Advisory Commission was held on Monday, November 21, 1994, at 7:30 p.m. in the Commissioners Conference Room, Government Services Center, Hillsborough, North Carolina. MEMBERS PRESENT: Co- Chairs Karen Taylor and Jan Riordan, and members Tony Dalton, Barbara Rynerson, Jan Schopler, Shirley Siegel, Mary Bacon, and Martha Branscombe. MEMBERS ABSENT: Curtis Tyler, Jr., Phil Cooke, Don Willhoit, Beverly Foster, Barbara Warren, Mary Davison, STAFF PRESENT: None. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: The minutes of the October 17, 1994 meeting were approved by consensus. ANNOUNCEMENTS /MEMBER UPDATES: Barbara Rynerson, who was appointed at the November 15, 1994 Board of Commissioners meeting, was introduced. Ms. Rynerson teaches at the UNC School of Nursing. The Family Shelter Committee will present a report on their work at the January meeting. There was a brief discussion about the Public Private Partnership's intention to host a youth forum. The County Manager's office will facilitate this forum. NOMINATING COMMITTEE REPORT: Tony Dalton and Karen Taylor were elected to Co -Chair this Commission for the upcoming year. REPORT ON FORUM AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS This report was reviewed and discussed. A copy of the final draft is attached. HUMAN SERVICES ADVISORY COMMISSION GOAL FOR 1995 This report was reviewed and discussed. A copy of the final draft is attached. REVIEW OF MEETING DATES: (2) This item was not discussed except to change the date of the January meeting from January 16, 1994 which is Martin Luther King's Birthday (observed). The new date for the January meeting is Monday, January 9, 1994. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned. The December meeting has been cancelled. The next regular meeting of the Human Services Advisory Commission will be held on Monday, January 9, 1994 in the Government Services Center, Hillsborough, North Carolina. Respectfully submitted, Kathy Baker, Deputy Clerk Orange County Human Services Advisory Commission 1994 Executive Summary The Human Services Advisory Commission (HSAC) has continued to address its mission of promoting the effective provision of human services to the citizens of Orange County. During 1994: * The fifth annual human services forum was held on September 14, 1994 at the Friday Center with an excellent attendance of ? ? ?. * HSAC assisted the County Manager's Office in reviewing non - departmental budget requests from eighteen agencies. * Several County agencies made reports to HSAC to update members on current initiatives within their agencies. Agencies reporting were: OPC- Mental Health, DSS, Child Support Enforcement, Dept. on Aging, Commission on Women, Library, Recreation Dept., Health Dept., and the Agricultural Extension Service. HSAC is charged with conducting an annual forum on human services in Orange County. Each forum has built directly on previous forums and their recommendations. The first forum in 1990 focused on planning and coordination, and most of the recommendations have been implemented. A Vision Statement for human services in Orange County was created at the 1991 forum, and the Vision Statement has since been adopted by a number of agencies. The 1992 forum focused on developing strategies to help achieve the shared Vision, and the 1993 forum addressed the importance of client and community input for human services in our county. HSAC requested that the funding application for 1994 for non - departmental agencies include a question about client input and this information was considered during the recommendation process. This year's forum was titled, "Collaborating to Build a Safer Community." The forum gave human services providers an opportunity to learn more about the causes of violence and its manifestations in our community, and then to brainstorm ways to address some of the more serious issues which face the citizens of our county. A full report of the forum, which was sent to every forum participant, is attached. Based on the results of this year's forum, HSAC makes the following recommendations to the County Commissioners for their consideration during the planning process for 1995: Create a safe county by creating safe neighborhoods 1. Target services to neighborhoods. Use newly created Family Resource Centers and other existing agencies in neighborhoods to act as central locations for residents to receive services or referrals, and to be places where residents can gather to develop strategies for helping to keep the neighborhood safe. Staff time from county human services agencies could be allocated for neighborhood intervention, and the commissioners could_ allocate funds to assist with neighborhood development. Z. Create afterschool or employment opportunities for our youth. This issue can also be addressed at the neighborhood level. Schools and the Police Department are two agencies whose participation in creating safe neighborhoods will be essential. Enlist the use of existing community organizations such as churches, businesses and civic organizations. 3. Initiate a pilot program of providing human services through a case management system. Case managers could be placed in neighborhood locations and charged with the responsibility of coordinating all of the human services received by members of a household. The Human Services Management Team could be charged with developing a strategy to implement or pilot this idea. Orange County Stationary To: Forum Participants From: the members of HSAC Thank you very much for attending the Human Services Advisory Commission's (HSAC) Forum on "Collaborating to Build Safer Community" which was held at the Friday Center, September 14, 1994. HSAC members felt that the day provided a good opportunity for human services providers in Orange County to learn more about violence in our community and ways that we might address this complex issue. Included here is a list of the recommendations from the seven afternoon sessions, and a summary of recommendations made to the county commissioners by the HSAC. A review of the forum evaluations showed that most people found the morning overview by Mark Fraser and the panel discussion to be very beneficial. We appreciate the time and attention that Dr. Fraser and the panel members gave to us. The panel included; Marti Pryor - Cook, Director of Department of Social Services, Carl Fox, District Attorney, Chet Preyar, Assistant Superintendent of the Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools, George Sheldon, Chair of the Department of Surgery at UNC, Sharon Patterson, Principal of A.L. Stanback Middle School, and Lindy Pendergrass, Sheriff. We acknowledge and appreciate the role each of the panelists plays in their daily efforts to help create a safe community for us all. After the panel discussion participants divided into seven groups to discuss the causes of violence in our community. Each participant then voted on the issues which he /she thought were most severe. HSAC members gathered during the lunch break and consolidated the seven reports in order to determine which seven issues were considered to be the main causes of violence. After lunch seven new groups convened to brainstorm ways that we could begin to address in the near future without large expenditures of money. We also heartily thank the seven people who served a facilitators for the groups. For the closing session the facilitator of each group reported to the entire audience the top three recommendations or ideas which came from their session. Each of the groups produced some excellent suggestions which hopefully will lead to action by all of us to make our community safer. The recommendations are included here. If you would like a more detailed list of the ideas generated by a particular group please contact Albert Kitrell in the County Managers Office. The main message that we are sending to the County Commissioners as a result of the forum is that: we can make our county a safer place to live by making our neighborhoods safe. Therefore, we recommend that coordination of human services, opportunities for our youth, and citizen involvement take place on the neighborhood level. Piloting efforts in a few neighborhoods would allow an opportunity to learn what strategies work best. Only through working together can we begin to change some of the factors that allow violence to exist in our county. HSAC Forum Report - September 14, 1994 Collaborating to Build a Safer Community Reports from the Group Presentation at the end of the day. Groups were assigned topics which had received the highest priority ratings in the morning sessions. A. Substance Abuse - focus on prevention 1. Expand the role of community watch. Create "drug -free" zones and increase community awareness to make substance abuse a higher community priority. 2. Create a multi - disciplinary task force addressing substance abuse problems in the community. 3. Use outreach teams, peer counseling and teaching in communities as well as businesses to educate citizens by offering fun and educational workshops. B. Isolation, Distancing from others, Weapons 1. Foster community empowerment through efforts like Drug Patrol, Community Policing, and Community education. 2. Involve all social institutions and area citizens in planning and setting goals for projects to address this issue. 3. Initiate service delivery collaboration, use Case Management so that clients can access many services through one main worker. C. Breakdown of family - lack of parental support /skills 1. Assess current successful programs for expansion 2. Analyze current resources, services and service recipients. Restructure services for client - centered delivery (case management). Identify a pilot neighborhood for reorganized service delivery. 3. Help neighborhoods develop a sense of community. D. Lack of economic opportunity -under employment, frustration 1. Orient youth toward work; and increase opportunities for them. 2. Lower the cost of living to offset the effects of poverty. 3. Increase self - esteem through mentoring programs. E. Lack of resources for prevention of crimes of violence 1. Establish a community statement of nonviolence and increase programs that teach nonviolent alternative ways of resolving conflict and accepting diversity. 2. Create more recreational facilities /resources for youth. Provide transportation to facilities and activities. Emphasize the need for youth programs. 3. Create jobs for youth and adults. F. Glorification of Violence 1. Educate families (parents) regarding violence and how to lessen the effects of media violence. 2. Engage media, if possible, to develop public service announcements, less violent commercials, and to clarify the seriousness of violence. Reserve the use of boycotts, etc. except when necessary. 3. Develop activities supervised by adults (afterschool care, etc.) that are low cost and accessible so kids have alternatives. G. "Not Me - I am not a victim, I am not a perpetrator ", and the "faceless victim" 1. Encourage mediation, conflict resolution and human relations training from an early age. 2. Conduct a public awareness campaign: Encourage the media to model conflict resolution and non - violent ways of life. Encourage Collaboration of agencies and churches as resources. Churches should be involved in the development of a a nonviolent community statement. 3. Make the public aware of the extent and affects of poverty and underemployment on the community. 4. Collaborate and expand the "smart start" approach to the provision of services to human service delivery for the whole community.