Re:  Follow-up Discussion to Develop Recommendations on Gang Prevention Initiatives

Deborah Hopson, a member of the Gang Subcommittee, said that she had spoken with Tae Lee at the Korean Community Service Center who gave the following information in response to the subcommittee’s questionnaire:

• The human service needs of the Korean Community are being addressed
• There are not enough after school activities for Korean high school and middle school students 
• There are challenges to getting middle and high school students involved in after school activities, e.g., parents lack language and cultural skills; there is not enough collaboration between schools and cultural organizations.
• There are not enough activities for teens who have dropped out of school
• Tae is not aware of a Korean gang problem
• She would like to see a “one stop shop” in the Korean language

Tae herself is an immigrant.  She feels that she is not as connected to the community as she would like to be.

Eric, another Gang Subcommittee member, then gave the results of his conversation with the Chinese Culture and Community Service Center in which he asked the same questions as above.   Responses were as follows:

• Yes, the human service needs of the Chinese community are being addressed.
• No, there are not enough after school activities for Chinese students.  Eric added that it has been his experience that Chinese students will attend music classes or other enrichment activities run by private organizations.  The owners of these organizations are Chinese and their students are 70-80% Chinese.  Some are Asian Indian.
• The person Eric spoke with did not know what the challenges are to getting students involved in after school activities.
• The CCACC representative did not know if there are enough activities for Chinese students who have dropped out of school.  However, Eric added that every Sunday in the Washington area there are approximately eighteen Sunday Schools for Chinese youth.  These include schools at Richard Montgomery and Wootton High School.
• The CCACC representative did not know if there is a Chinese gang problem.  The reason, according to Eric, is that Chinese parents will not release that information.  Chinese people do not want to have any trouble.
• When asked if there is a way that Chinese citizens would like help from the City of Rockville, the response was that they would come to the City if they have a problem.
• When asked what human service CCACC would like the City to provide to the Chinese community, the response was they would like the City to provide any information or resource they have.

Tim asked if CCACC attends the Caregiver Meetings.  Mary Lou responded that there is a condition in the grant conditions document concerning attendance at these meetings.  However, CCACC does not attend regularly.  Most of their work is with seniors.  She thought, however, that Rockville could do a training session with their staff on resources.

Deborah said she wants to put together all the information gathered by Subcommittee members and look for commonalities.

Re:  Development of FY 2007 Goals (continued)

Mary Lou asked if the Commission wanted to include the Salute to Non Profits in their goals for FY 07.  Tim said yes and added that the first planning meeting was scheduled for July 18th at 4 p.m. in the Chamber of Commerce conference room.  Mary Lou and Andrew Klee from Recreation and Parks will both be there.  Sarah Duffy will also try to come and Tim invited anyone else who might like to help out to attend the meeting.

Re:  Update on Community Service Reorganization

Christine Henry said that she was proud and happy to announce that Mary Lou had accepted the position of Manager in the new Community Services Division.  Sarah Gicale has also accepted the position of Program Analyst and Alfred Thompson is the new Referral Coordinator.  Interviews for the position of Program Coordinator have been scheduled for next Monday.  The counselor position has been advertised and, to date, they have received a resume from one qualified candidate.  They plan to interview for this position as applicants present themselves.

Chris continued that two half-day retreats were held with staff.  A quarterly plan was developed which touches on needs assessment and youth development programs.  Although Art Billings took the lay-off, the City contracted with him to do the RISE Program for the summer and to add additional youth.  That program started two weeks ago.  There are 37 youth involved and Art has some additional staff helping him.

Another former City employee, Doris Elenes-Sancho took the lay-off but has started as a counselor at the Linkages to Learning Program at Maryvale Elementary School, also run by the City.

Chris said that she and Burt Hall, Director of Recreation and Parks, attended a Caregivers meeting and gave an update on the reorganization progress.

Last week, Chris said, Mary Lou, Alfred Thompson and Marcia Freeman helped with a power outage at the Forest Oak Apartments.  A transformer there was hit by lightning and all the buildings had to be evacuated for one to two days.  The Red Cross set up a shelter at Rockville High School.  Chris thanked the staff for the work they had done.  It was a little chaotic with many different entities involved and much red tape.  The staff was able to get hotel vouchers for some families.  In the near future they will have a discussion as to the City’s role in emergency situations.

Ann Reiss said that the same residents had been calling the Montgomery County Volunteer Center all week because of the flooding caused by all the recent rain.  She thinks this was poor management on the part of the Forest Oaks management company.  Both the County and the City may have been doing the same thing.  Chris agreed saying that the City can do a better job of getting information to the management companies throughout Rockville and being more in contact with them.

Finally, Chris said that the Rockville Emergency Assistance Program was continuing and the Caregiver grant process was ongoing.

David L’Heureux asked if the County has completed its emergency procedures handbook.  Chris said there are now many Homeland Security procedures and several handbooks.

Mary Lou said that the Recreation and Parks Management Team would be having a meeting in August and a presentation on the new Community Services Division would be the first thing on the agenda.  She considers it a positive step in integrating the new division into Recreation and Parks.  Many Recreation and Parks staff have started identifying activities for youth to be involved in.

Re:  Updates from the Chair

At the last meeting David volunteered to draft a letter concerning Mobile Med, which he did.  Tim will review the letter and then share it with everyone for comment.

Michelle Beadle said that she understands that a new relationship is in effect between Mobile Med and the hospitals.  Community Ministries of Rockville does not yet have a start date for the new van.  The word is that sometime in August, it should start operating.  Their hope is that when the new van becomes available, it will be used as an additional room at Crusader Lutheran.  She does not yet know the date or exactly what services will be offered.

David said that the new structure at Shady Grove Adventist is coming along nicely.  He offered to be the Commission liaison on any of these projects.

Re:  Plan Agenda for Next Meeting (September 12)

• Reports from three subcommittees
• Salute to Nonprofits update
• Needs Assessment –Mary Lou agreed to circulate the work plan prior to the meeting

Tom Lawrey said that he thinks Commission members are currently taking direction from the City.  They have been very narrow in their focus and need to come up with some of their own ideas.  When the City Council wants the Human Services Advisory Commission to search out an issue, they are looking for an honest assessment of what should be done in the city.  David said he thinks that members should revisit our definition of human needs as was done by the Task Force.  Tom said that would be a good place to start but members needed to come up with their own ideas.  It is always good to revisit the reason the Commission was started.  Tim asked if new Commission members get a copy of this report.  Mary Lou said that they do.  Tim then asked if the Mayor and Council have ever given the Commission any direction.  Deborah said they had; the Commission met with Mayor Giammo and the other Council members.  Tim said perhaps the Commission needs to revisit the original charter.  After the needs assessment is completed, the Commission could have a brainstorming session in November.  Deborah said that she wants to continue to follow the implementation of the new Community Services Division including the budget. 

Tim then said he would revise the FY 2006 Accomplishments and FY 2007 Goals document to reflect the evening’s discussion on goals and forward it to the City Clerk.

Adjourn

David moved that the meeting be adjourned.  Sarah Duffy seconded the motion.  The meeting was adjourned at 9:15 p.m.  The next meeting of the Human Services Advisory Commission will held Tuesday, September 12, 2006, at 7:30 p.m. in the Glenview Mansion Dining Room.