Falmouth Human Services Committee
Minutes
October 5, 2016
Meeting commenced at 3:00 pm
Attendance:
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Members present: Karen Cardeira; Sunny Davidson; Suzie Hauptman; Liz Page (Co-Chair); Barbara Sullivan (CoChair); Tanya White; Jessica Lambert; Elaine Sinni
Members absent: Pamela Harting-Barrat; Anne Connolly; Alexander Ziss
Minutes:
 Motion made by Jessica to accept the September minutes with no changes, Tanya seconded and Committee was
all in favor to accept minutes as written and post.
Correspondence/FYI’s:
o Human Service Department’s FY16 Annual Report (included in packet last month)
o South Coastal Counties Legal Services, Inc.’s AmeriCorps Legal Advocates of Massachusetts 10-year
report
o Community Health Center of Cape Cod 2015 Year at a Glance report
Human Services Needs Assessment:
 Committee reviewed draft of the Human Services Needs Assessment
 Tanya asked the committee if the report was too data driven. Consensus was the data explained the research
and reasons why the Committee changed the way the town distributes funds to address the current needs of
underserved residents.
 Liz suggested that the Committee might consider providing this document to Town Meeting members prior to
April’s Town Meeting to help explain the reason behind the request for change. Consensus among Committee
members that this should be done.
 Discussed the needs under each category provides an outline for the writing of the RFPs that will go out in
January (Homeless Prevention; Reduce Outmigration)
 Suggestion was made by Jessica to add an executive summary for the report to explain the purpose of this needs
assessment. Explain in the report that the data is being used towards changing the funding strategy.
 Jessica suggested including an executive summary to explain the overall report so someone could do a quick
read instead of reading the data for each section and also include our RFP process.
 Jessica will research 200% of poverty level and state programs and will bring findings to next meeting.
 Committee discussed some of the reason for outmigration of working age adults and how this could be reversed
(i.e. economic; trainings; advancement; civic engagement; mentoring). The Committee recognizes the challenge
will be deciding on which needs should be covered in writing the RFP.
 Under mental health services need to add the goal of “integrate mental health assessment into primary care.”
 Suzie to research potential data points to add on the lack of mental health providers for children with private
insurance.
 Karen will add a statement under mental health for normalizing, prevention and integration.
 Suggestion made by Elaine to define what alcohol addiction or stigma means under Substance Abuse Section.
No consensus reached because this would extend the report to explain all.
Annual Review & Budget Process:
 Committee signed Housing Assistance Corporation’s FY17 contract and will be forwarded too Julian Suso for
signature
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Suggestion made by Liz and Jessica to gradually increase total funding amount requested each year over the
three-year cycle instead of planning for a large jump in FY19 in Mental Health and Substance Abuse categories.
Jessica made a motion to approve budget with changes, Tanya seconded and Committee was all in favor.
Meeting adjourned at 4:30pm:
Motion made by Liz to adjourn and Elaine seconded and Committee was all in favor.
Attachments:
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October 5th Agenda
September 21st Minutes
Falmouth Community Human Services Needs Assessment September 2017
Copy of letter sent to agencies for FY18 application for town funds
Copy of letter sent to agencies for FY18 RFP on Homeless Prevention funds
Human Services Committee Funding Strategy FY17-FY2020
Next meeting: November 16, 2016
Respectfully submitted by Susan Clondas