Department of Human Services / Council on Aging

DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING January 8, 2020 PRESENT: Anne Bisson Tracy Heger Joanne LaFerrara Ted O’Brien Ann Kardamis Barry Burke Jim Lincoln ABSENT: Lori Gonsalves Meeting called to order at 10:04 a.m. by Ted O’Brien The December 11, 2019 meeting was canceled. Ted O’Brien made a motion to accept the November 13, 2019 meeting minutes. Barry Burke seconded. All in favor. Director’s Report Board Meeting 01.08.20 Old Business: 1. FY 20 City Supplemental Budget: Mayor Cleary contacted me on 11.25.19 and 11.27.19 regarding the request submitted. The Council Meeting was held on 12.17.19. The Council voted to fund the full-time Principal Clerk, full-time Elder Outreach Case Manager (we will eliminate the part-time Case Worker position to fund the full-time position) and the partial funding to hire for Elder Outreach Director position and receive training prior to Gail’s retirement. The Council then voted to not approve at the next meeting. The Supplemental has still not been approved. However, I would like to acknowledge Charlene Bonenfant for her efforts in trying to attain these funds. She spoke with each Councilor individually to gain their support. I received calls from Council President Jeff Postell and Councilor John McCaul and although they voted against the Supplemental Budget, it was not because of these positions. They fully support our office. 2. FY 20 Earmarks: The original Earmark is being expended by providing Wisdom Wednesdays for elders. We will then move the Dementia Friendly Taunton consultant to this grant. 3. Substance Use Prevention Grants (MOAPC, SAPC and PFS2): I met with Paula Beaulieu, Prevention Coordinator at SSTAR, on December 16, 2019. The MOAPC Grant will be ending June 30, 2020. The PFS2 Grant will be ending September 30, 2020. The SAPC Grant will continue for another year. It is believed that the new funding proposals will be out at the beginning of the year and they will once again be ‘cluster’ grants with multiple towns. I asked that we continue to work within the Fall River cluster. We also discussed a grant that was most recently submitted that will assist the Taunton and Fall River Opiate Outreach Teams. More information is stated in New Business. SSTAR asked that we update our coalition information on-line so that we can be included in other grants. I completed the update on December 13, 2019. The Prevention Coordinator also suggested that we provide  monthly overdose stats to the Taunton Opiate and Substance Use Task Force. I contacted Jennifer Bastille, Crime Analyst for the Taunton Police Department, and she said she will be working on it. 4. Taunton Opiate and Substance Use Task Force (TOTF): The meeting was held on Tuesday, December 11, 2019. There were 21 in attendance. The Guest Speaker had to cancel due to a family illness. The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, January 14, 2020. The guest Speaker will be Noel Sierra from the MA Organization for Addiction Recovery (MOAR). 5. Dementia Friendly Taunton: The consultant has been working on the Memory Café to be held at the Taunton Public Library. The first Café will be held on Wednesday, January 22, 2020. The next meeting of the Dementia Friendly Task Force is scheduled for February 10, 2020. The consultant and Charlene attended a Tufts Grant Webinar on 12.10.19 followed by a meeting with Associates for Human Services to apply for Tufts funds to continue and expand Dementia Friendly Taunton. The Letter of Intent is due on January 14, 2020. Associates for Human Services will be the applicant as they are a 501c3. Charlene will be attending a full-day UCLA Memory Training on January 22, 2020. 6. Healthy Living Grant with Old Colony Y: I joined a conference call with Old Colony Y and other Councils on Aging on December 2, 2019. The grant coordinators discussed the results of the Focus Groups. Taunton’s goals were: advertise walking routes, continue Tai Chi and Matter of Balance, improve communication of mental health resources that currently exist, create a list of volunteer opportunities at the COA and outside the COA and students come to the COA to teach computer/tablet classes. A discussion also occurred as to developing elder Community Advisory Boards in each town included in the grant. I had a meeting with the local Old Colony Y representative, Eric Andrade, on 12.19.19. We discussed what my and his role would be as it relates to the Community Advisory Board. He is not sure and suggested a face to face meeting with the grant coordinators. He stated that he will talk to them to schedule this meeting. 7. DHS/COA Expansion: I spoke with Colleen Doherty on 12.2.19 and 12.20.19. The Housing Authority has received proposals from a number of architects and will be reviewing the proposals and meeting with them. They have received proposals from some very reputable groups with experience working with senior centers. I also spoke with Jeff Postell, 2019 Council President, and he would like to work on expanding or building a senior center. I suggested that he, Colleen and I meet. Anne added that should our offices be expanded by the Taunton Housing Authority we would most likely incur rent and possibly utility expenses that we do not currently pay. 8. FY 20 Earmarks 2: I received a call on Monday, January 6, 2020, from Sen. Pacheco’s office that the Governor signed the FY 20 State Supplemental Budget and it included two potential Earmarks for our office. One would be for $20,000 for Intergenerational Programming at the Taunton Council on Aging. The second would be for the Taunton Emergency Task Force, Inc. (we are the Treasurer and coordinator of the program) for emergency assistance. 9. Meetings Summary/Anne attended the following meetings: a. Manet Community Health Center Board and two Conference calls: 11.19 & 20.19 b. MA Councils on Aging Membership meeting: 11.20.19 c. Bristol Elder Services Advisory Committee: 11.21.19 d. Healthy Aging Conference Call: 12.2.19 e. Manet Community Health Center Conference Call: 12.4.19 f. Manet Strategic Planning Committee Conference Call: 12.9.19  g. Rotary Club presentation: 12.12.19 h. SSTAR Prevention: 12.16.19 i. Manet Community Health Center Board: 12.17.19 j. Staff Holiday Party: 12.18.19 k. Old Colony Y: 12.17.19 New Business: 1. Taunton Safe Neighborhood Initiative (SNI) Update: The Chair of the SNI and I convened a meeting that was held on November 22, 2019, between the Taunton Police, Taunton Fire, TEMA and the Taunton Public Schools, Bristol Plymouth High School, Coyle Cassidy High and Middle Schools, Our Lady of Lourdes elementary school and Triumph/Head Start to discuss emergency protocols and safety. There were 18 in attendance. Much information on software and protocols was provided. 2. 2020 Senior Tax Work-off: The DHS will be submitting a letter to the Mayor and Council to increase the Taunton Senior Tax Work-off maximum reduction in property tax from $750.00 to $1,000.00 with a total of fifty (50) volunteer slots for the 2020 program year. 3. FY 21 CDBG: The DHS sent a letter to the Mayor and Council to give us permission to apply for the PY20/FY21 Community Development Block Grant. We will once again apply to continue and expand the Elder Outreach Case Management and Nurse program. This grant is due 1.17.20. 4. Tufts Plan Foundation Grant: As stated above, we will be collaborating with Associates for Human Services in applying for a three-year Tufts Plan Foundation Grant. You must be a 501c3 non-profit to apply. The City is a public non-profit so we are unable to apply directly. 5. CDPC-Overdose Data to Action Funding Proposal/Grant: SSTAR asked if we wanted to collaborate with Fall River on a three-year grant to assist with our police Opioid Outreach Team. We agreed to collaborate. The grant was submitted in early December. This grant will fund a Recovery Support Navigator to assist and follow-up with treatment resources for individuals/families who have been visited by Fall River’s team (75% of time) and Taunton’s Team (25% of time). Anne stated that Taunton reported over 200 overdoses, and Fall River reported over 2000 overdoses. 6. Upcoming Scheduled Programs/meetings: a. Family Resource Center: 1.10.20 b. Taunton Opiate and Substance Use Task Force: 1.14.20 c. Dementia Friendly Consultant: 1.15.20 d. Mayor O’Connell’s Transition Team: 1.16.20 e. Manet Community Health Center Board: 1.21.20 f. Taunton Safe Neighborhood Initiative: 1.22.20 g. Memory Café: 1.22.20 h. Bristol Elder Services Advisory Board and COA Directors meetings: 1.23.20 i. Prevention and Wellness Network: 1.24.20 j. City Employee Training: 1.29.20 k. Healthy for Life Grant: 2.4.20 l. MA Councils on Aging Membership Meeting: 2.6.20 m. Taunton Opiate and Substance Use Task Force: 2.11.20 7. DHS Updates:  a. I was on vacation from December 23 – 27, 2019, and December 30, 2019 – January 3, 2020 b. Holiday Hours were: i. Christmas: 12/24/19 – Closed at noon; 12/25/19 – Closed; 12/27/19 – Opened 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. ii. New Year’s Day: 12/31/19- Closed at noon; 1/1/20 – Closed; 1/3/20 – Opened 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. c. Thanksgiving Meals/Baskets: i. Corline Cronan Thanksgiving Home Delivered Meals: 206 meals were requested. Staff completed applications so that elders could receive the meals. ii. Baskets: St. Vincent de Paul provided baskets for 35 households. Elder Outreach staff delivered them to elders’ homes. d. Christmas Gifts/Baskets/Meals: i. COA in collaboration with Road to Responsibility Community Service Project. Gave them gift suggestions for twenty (20) elders who would benefit from a holiday gift. The gifts were distributed by Elder Outreach staff. ii. Christmas Baskets: St. Vincent de Paul provided baskets for 20 households. Elder Outreach staff delivered them to elders’ homes. iii. Christmas Meals: Corline Cronan Christmas Home Delivered Meals: 189 meals were requested. Staff completed applications so that elders could receive the meals 8. Senior Center Coordinator Monthly Report 9. Next meeting: Wednesday, February 12, 2020 Senior Center Coordinator’s Report – 01.08.20 -On November 19th the Registry of Deeds was here to present on the Homestead Act and 6 seniors attended. -On November 20th we had a Wisdom Wednesday on Taking Care of ME while taking care of you. 61 seniors attended. -On November 21st we had 13 seniors come to our TED Talks -On November 26th Catholic Social Services put on a Financial Literacy Workshop and 2 seniors attended. -On December 3rd we had to cancel our AARP Smart Drivers Program along with Mass Senior Action Council program due to snow. Both have been rescheduled to February (Ma Senior Action) and April (AARP). -From December 2nd-6th we hosted a Shred Week sponsored by the Taunton Federal Credit Union. 18 seniors took advantage of the program. -On December 5th our volunteer Gerry Cirarcia hosted his monthly Never Stop Learning Group. 2 seniors attended. -December 6th was the last day that we took open enrollment appointments. Open Enrollment started on October 15th through December 7th. During those months we had 2 full time staff (Gail & Tracy) take appointments 4.5 days each week, 2 other staff members (Mary Beth & Jenn) took appointments 1 day each week and 2 volunteers (Mary Ann & Bill) gave us 1 to 2 days per week. We saw a total of 641 seniors from October 1st through December 31st. It is an extremely busy time of year for our office with this going on and our regular job duties that have to be done at the same time. Thanks to everyone who helped with this really busy time!!! (Just an FYI, we saw 635 clients in 2018). Tracy added that Bill LaPlante will no longer be volunteering next season. -On December 10th we had the Regional Poison Control Center & Prevention come to present and 2 seniors attended. -Our Wisdom Wednesday was cancelled on December 11th due to snow. Charlene and I will be working on a date to reschedule. -On December 16th our IPhone/IPad class ended for the season and will start back up after tax preparation is done in April. -On December 17th we had the South coast Handbell Ringers Group at the center for a Christmas concert. We had 24 seniors attend. Tracy added that she is looking into having them return to perform in May. -On December 19th we had 7 seniors for our monthly TED Talks. -On December 20th Mary Beth hosted a craft class that 5 seniors attended. -On January 2nd our Never Stop Learning Group had 5 seniors attend. Upcoming Events January 13th we will have Bill LaPlante, our SHINE volunteer and Tax Preparation Coordinator, will be here to discuss what the Circuit Breaker tax credit is about and how they can apply for this credit. January 13th we will start taking tax appointments!! January 14th Paul from our IT Department will be here for his monthly “Ask Paul the IT Guy. January 15th Wisdom Wednesday will be on, In Pursuit of Happiness-An Introduction of Positive Psychology. January 16th, Charlene will be having her monthly TED Talks. January 22nd Mary Beth will have a Craft Class. January 28th, Sarah Sheppard, Nutritionist at BES, will talk on Bone Health. Ted O’Brien made a motion to adjourn @ 10:35 a.m. Seconded by Ann Kardamis. All in favor. Next meeting: Wednesday, February 12, 2020