Aurora House Citizens' Advisory Committee

AURORA HOUSE GIRLS’ GROUP HOME CITIZEN’S ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES 03/08/2022 PURPOSE OF MEETING: The Aurora House Citizens’ Advisory Committee provides consultation to the Aurora House Manager regarding community resources and public awareness; advises the City Council and Arlington County Board of Aurora House's needs, budget, and services; and serves as community liaison through area organizations, civic groups, and other boards and commissions. DATE OF MEETING: March 08, 2022 PLACE OF MEETING: Virtual, Microsoft Teams MEETING CALLED TO ORDER BY: Chair, Christina Goodwin at 6:06 PM THOSE PRESENT: Committee Members Staff Laura Economos Rachel Kindell Christina Goodwin, Chair Dana Lewis Mariam Garriga Christin Katcher City Council Liaison Caroline Lian Others Present: Rick Strobach Approval of Minutes: November 16, 2021 minutes approved Old Business: None Group Home Manager’s Report: • Currently 5 residents and 2 on referral list (1 from Alexandria and 1 from Fairfax); • Aurora House has been networking with Alexandria to see how to be more of service; • Met with DHS regarding presentation on foster care; • Still going through the process of QRTP accreditation; • No new recruitment news; • Went snow tubing in February and still have plans for a tour of local colleges; The City of Falls Church complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act. This document will be made available in an alternative format upon request. Call 703-248-5005 (TTY 711). The Aurora House • 420 South Maple Avenue • Falls Church, Virginia 22046 TEL 703-237-6622 • FAX 703-237-6624 • www.fallschurchva.gov  • No new scholarships; • Dana reported that they are looking to remove the requirement that a person has to be able to vote in the City in order to participate on Boards & Commissions – they would like to be able to have more representation; • Dana also reported that HSAC is sponsoring a workshop on March 26 on equity and inclusion and she would like to invite Boards & Commissions and residents. New Business: Summer Internship Program – Mr. Strobach reported that the objectives of the program are good but may need to consider that the internship may need to be longer than the summer months in order to be beneficial. Since the program lacks a typical classroom setting, there was a suggestion that a mentor could be helpful. This may be a good option for teens without papers. The internship would help prepare teens for future employment. The applicant would need to understand the commitment required and that they would not be able to leave the program early for school sports or for extensive travel. It was suggested that the ideal length of the program could be 4 months. Best departments to offer opportunities may be Parks & Recreation, Court Services, HHS, Police, Fire Department, Sheriff’s Office. May want to explore the possibility of the program going beyond summer and turning into part-time work for students at local schools/colleges. The initial program will be a pilot program and may not work or may need to be reworked. Mr. Strobach would like the CAC to interact with Mr. Karintonas to further the program. Need to work on getting money dedicated to the program. Trauma Informed Spaces – Ms. Garriga has done a walk though of the main level and determined that the main level needs new paint in some areas, blankets, rugs, fidget toys, pillows, and furniture to make the space less institutional. Ms. Garriga would like to tour the residential space next and would like to give that space special attention since the residents live there. Ms. Kindell will put together a list of items that may not be acceptable for use. There was discussion about having a Girl Scout Troop possibly doing some of the painting. Discussion of having a local business that does furniture refinishing help out and of Mosaic Tile doing a project with the residents. There is interest in having a tree painted on the wall in the dining room for the residents to add their initials to and then their graduation date when they leave the program. The CAC would like a monetary figure so they know what to expect. Ms. Kindell will set up time with Ms. Garriga to tour the residential area. Meeting adjourned at 7:03 PM Next scheduled meeting will be on May 03, 2022 SIGNATURE OF RECORDER: Amy Howell The City of Falls Church complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act. This document will be made available in an alternative format upon request. Call 703-248-5005 (TTY 711). The Aurora House • 420 South Maple Avenue • Falls Church, Virginia 22046 TEL 703-237-6622 • FAX 703-237-6624 • www.fallschurchva.gov