Board of Youth Services
Minutes September 1, 2010
Attendance:
Donna Dolan, Juliet Collins, Lori Talanian, Joan Axelrod, Joan Robbio, Lynn Horgan, Elizabeth Oppedisano,Maryanne Andrew, Cindy Curren, Bob Bongiorno, Phyllis Brown, Mary DeCourcey, Christine Connelly, Linda Suzuki (late arrival)
Announcement: Kevin Flood has moved out of Arlington but would like to stay on the board. He will be able to stay on as an ex-officio member.
1. Welcome Back and Approve Minutes
Review of Minutes from May 2010 - Please add Donna to attendance. Accept Minutes approved
Introductions. Welcome to Juliet Collins – new Office Manager of AYCC
2. Meeting times for this year
Should we change the time we meet? Joan A. can’t meet the 2nd Wednesday of month. Agreed on meeting the first Wednesday of the month. Next meetings will be Oct. 6, Nov. 3, Dec. 1, Jan.
Symmes Grant update - Christine
Congratulations on grant effort. $100,000 was awarded. They are willing to give us $20,000 to start for marketing, fundraising and to pull in some money to start. They would like us to solicit donations.
Some suggestions from their board looking into the Medicaid cash from school system. Christine to keep posted as we go along and get more info. They will let us decide on how to use money.
3. AYCC Update - Phyllis
Phyllis gave out a handout with what has been going on over the summer. There has been a huge amount of work that has gone into the summer months – see handout. Building updates etc. Juliet’s space has been reconfigured. Office space has changed. We have 2 new staff people. One was a graduate student who came back. Both are working part time. Looking for another part time counselor
Add as Tufts provider – we will be a provider for almost all insurances now. Mass health is the major insurer. Hope to increase the range of patients so including all insurances will be helpful. New billing service. Very user friendly. We will be able to track all various real time data.
Piloting procedures for billing.
Starting to charge for co-pays.
HIPPA training has started.
Christine Paschel is a new business consultant, happy so far.
Mass Health wants to come out to do an audit. Phyllis is scheduling for next month.
Possibly sept. 30th.
Name change suggestion to change to Arlington Youth Counseling Center. Christine is working on an official change.
Logo change – Christine is looking into some options for logo.
Website – need to update it. We have found it is a major source of referrals.
4. Thanksgiving Meals – Lori
Lori’s concerns about Thanksgiving meals: It will be difficult for Lori to continue to Thanksgiving meals. We need to think about if we want to continue through the Ottoson. Some ideas? Can we set up a meeting with Food Pantry and schools to figure out what we should be doing. Offer time to Thompsons work. Since we are moving from a social service agency, to a counseling service this may no longer be the right fit for us. May be we can offer Community service hours for high school students to help with this project.
Cindy, Donna, Lori, will work with Food Pantry. Meet with John Jope to discuss how the process will work.
5. Town Day Events - Linda
Table, free giveaways, relaxation cd, mood pencils, pedometers to give out.
Lahey is donating pedometers – have to walk to Robbins House to get it. Open House at the Robbins House. Different information/pamphlets, our services, give tours. Have a raffle. Art project outside. Food and drink in house with music. Anyone who can help out let Linda know. Suggestion to have a raffle for an ipod shuffle. Are members willing to donate $5- $10 to support it? Lori will look into cost of ipod. Members agreed this is great idea to get people into the Robbins house for tours.
People can sign up for as many hours as you can on town day Sept. 25th. Committee will send out a sign up sheet.
Cindy is going to ask the high school kids about face painting.
Town Day Sub Committee – Lori, Cindy, Lynn, Linda, Phyllis. Lynn will send an email about when they will meet.
6. New Subcommittee Updates
Grants - Maryanne and Lori
Maryanne is doing research
Looking for a grant writer that will be helping us out. Case manager would also be something that we could use, along with parent support groups.
Continue to look for grants.
Police Dept. just received grant for Case manager Clinician.
Stimulus package for billing (grant) that would be helpful to go after. Electronic medical records are being mandated.
New subcommittee - Website/marketing Committee – Kevin, Cindy, Donna
Start on branding the agency.
Cindy will start looking into updating website.
One suggestion is to have a link on the school website.
Transition Team - Lori, Mary, Lynn, Joan A., Phyllis, Christine
7. Current Subcommittee Updates
Diversion – Cindy C.
Started working with the adult courts. Very productive meeting, helping and supportive for the kids. Courts are now more sensitive to the needs of all involved.
AYHSC – Guiding Good Choices, try to do it 3 times this year – need for more facilitators. AYCC might be able to host it at AYCC. Five sessions, and kids come on the third night. Anyone interested in facilitating get in touch with Cindy C.
Coalition meeting Sept. 16 – handout on next meeting times. All Welcome
Free Medication Disposal Saturday November 13th at 9 am at DPW yard.
8. Other Announcements – Please check the Arlington Community Education Classes a few good ones related to our work - Social Media Class and a website design class.
Motion to adjourn at 9:15
Respectfully Submitted by Mary DeCourcey
| 
