Title
Body
City of Alameda
Social Service Human Relations Board (SSHRB)
Thursday, January 24, 2019
DRAFT MEETING MINUTES
1. Call to Order and Roll Call
Vice-Chair Christine Chilcott called the meeting to order at 7:09 p.m.
Roll Call: Christine Chilcott (Vice-President) and Boardmembers Kale Jenks, Mark Sorensen and Cheryl Harawitz
Absent: Audrey Hyman (President) and Boardmember Claudia Medina
2. Approval of Minutes
The minutes of November 29, 2018 Special Meeting were approved as written.
3. Public Comments
None.
4. Agenda Items
4-A Presentation of Certificate of Recognition
Councilmember Malia Vella said a few words recognizing the work of Sherice Youngblood and Jennifer Hastings who recently stepped down from their posts on the Board. Vella acknowledged Youngblood for her expertise on homelessness and for providing guidance and insights to the Board and the City Council regarding the issue. Vella also thanked Youngblood for her leadership in developing the Alameda Homelessness Report. Hastings was recognized for her contribution in developing the last SSHRB needs assessment. Vella acknowledged that this is an important document for the City Council that informs planning and decision-making.
4-B Presentation of the Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) Needs Assessment/Youth Mental Health
Kirsten Zazo, AUSD’s Chief Student Support Officer and Jodi McCarthy, AUSD’s Program Manager of Student Support Services, presented the District’s needs assessment on youth mental health and its plan for addressing the issue. Zazo went over the timeline and goals of the assessment. She thanked the people that helped in the protocol development of the project, including Boardmembers Chilcott and Jenks and former Boardmember Hastings. Zazo explained that the plan outlines no-cost implementation strategies.
Zazo highlighted some of the major findings in the assessment, including, but not limited to the following:
• students found cell phones to be distracting;
• students are affected by a lot or some feeling of depression (87.1% for Alameda High School and 64.4% for Encinal High School);
• students are affected by a lot or some feeling of worry, anxiety, or stress (92.8% for Alameda High School and 71.6% for Encinal High School);
• more resources do not necessarily translate to less feeling of depression among students; and
• schools like to exercise independence and autonomy, but there needs to be consistency in implementing programs across all sites.
Zazo and McCarthy provided the following response to Boardmember questions:
• AUSD is addressing loneliness through interventions such as Restorative Practices, which is different from Restorative Justice. Restorative Practice builds community. They do community circles.
• Students were very receptive to the focus groups. They were honest and open to talking about their feelings. Lots of good feedback were gathered from the focus groups.
• Youth will be involved in the Steering Committee.
• AUSD is currently working on its strategic plan and will ensure that youth mental health stays in the forefront of the planning process.
Jenks acknowledged the importance of the work done by AUSD in understanding youth mental health. He feels that there has been a shift in the last two years with AUSD wanting to collaborate more to address the issue.
Chilcott shared that staff at Girls Inc. started an ad hoc committee that has been implementing Restorative Practice incrementally. Chilcott said that one of the parents commented that it is for all kids, not just for the high performing students or the problematic kids. Parents are receptive to the practice.
Chilcott asked if Zazo and McCarthy have recommendations or requests from the Board. Zazo said that the data needs to be shared to the entire community. There is a larger conversation that needs to take place, including determining the City’s role in addressing the issue. Zazo stated that this is about the students sharing their thoughts and the parents getting involved.
Zazo asked about the possibility of presenting the information to the City Council. Chilcott said she will make a recommendation to present the report to the City Council and will look into putting it on their agenda.
Chilcott asked about what is happening with cannabis and youth. Zazo responded that there are lots of misconception between parents and students about legalization of cannabis. More education is needed for people to understand the impact of cannabis on young brains before age 24. Usage is less now than when it was illegal, but this may also be due to vaping becoming more popular, which is a huge problem.
4-C Review and Discuss Draft 2019 Work Plan, Workgroup Structure, and Workgroup Assignments
Eric Fonstein explained that due to several major projects that will need the Board’s attention, the Board’s current workgroup structure and assignments should be reviewed. Fonstein presented the Draft 2019 Work Plan so that the Board can assess the work ahead and evaluate their priorities.
After the Board’s review of the 2019 Work Plan, Chilcott recommended that the Human Relations Workgroup be dissolved. For the two major events coordinated by the Human Relations Workgroup, the Alameda Services Luncheon and the Community Services Awards, all Boardmembers will be expected to participate in organizing and implementing. Members of the Human Relations Workgroup will join the remaining groups, which will be involved in several projects in the next couple of years.
Jenks made the motion to dissolve the Human Relations Workgroup. Harawitz seconded. The motion passed unanimously.
4-D Motion to Establish a HEAP Ad Hoc Committee
Ana Bagtas provided a brief overview of the Homeless Emergency Aid Program (HEAP), a legislation signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown in 2018 creating $5 million in block grant for one-time, emergency funds to address the most immediate needs to address homelessness in local jurisdictions. Alameda County will receive $16.2 million of these funds, of which, the City of Alameda has been allocated $756,424. The City submitted an application to the County in November with a preliminary breakdown of how the funds will be distributed to the three eligible categories of Services, Rental Subsidies/Rental Assistance, and Capital Improvement. The application also included possible projects that the City may fund with HEAP. Staff has been engaging with various community stakeholders to get feedback on the projects. At its January 15, 2019 meeting, City Council authorized the Interim City Manager, through staff, to work with SSHRB to finalize and implement the City’s HEAP programs and services. As such, staff is recommending that the Board establish a HEAP Ad Hoc Committee for this purpose.
Harawitz made a motion to form a HEAP ad hoc committee. Sorensen seconded. The motion passed unanimously.
4-E Workgroup Progress Reports
• Human Relations Workgroup-Chilcott / Sorensen / Medina
None. This Workgroup has been dissolved.
• Assessment and Awareness Workgroup-Hastings / Jenks
None.
• Homeless Action Plan Workgroup-Harawitz / Hyman
None.
5. STAFF COMMUNICATIONS
5-A Season for Nonviolence 2019
Fonstein announced that the Season for Nonviolence (SNV) starts on January 30 and runs through April 4, 2019. The SNV speech contest is scheduled on March 16, 2019 at City Hall Chambers. Flyers about the Speech Contest will be distributed soon. Staff is also trying to get sponsors so that more cash prizes may be offered. Fonstein invited Boardmembers to attend the Speech Contest.
5-B Update on Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)
Bagtas reported that the Notice of Funding Availability for CDBG was issued on January 7, 2019. Applications are due on February 1, 2019. All current contactors will likely reapply for funding, and if there are no new applicants, there will not be a need for Board members to review and score applications. Bagtas will let the Board know if they are needed for application review and scoring.
5-C Update on Homeless Programs and Initiatives
Bagtas provided the following updates and report:
HEAP: Meetings are being held to engage with various stakeholders to get feedback on possible use of the funds, including the business community, the Homeless Outreach Team/CARES Team, and City Council.
Point-In-Time count: Alameda County has recruited over 600 volunteers to do the count. The City of Alameda will be well-covered. Bagtas thanked those who signed-up to participate in the count.
Parking Meter for the Homeless: Public Works is getting ready to inspect the sites where the meters have been proposed for installation. Bagtas and Fonstein have been meeting with businesses where the meters are proximately going to be installed. Businesses have been receptive to the idea.
5-D Update on Census 2020
Fonstein reported that the County has been organizing various subgroups for the purpose of reaching hard-to-count populations. There are many of barriers for getting a complete count for Census 2020, especially for hard-to-reach populations, including the online application, less funding available for outreach and census activities, and the question on citizenship. Fonstein emphasized the importance of getting a complete count of the population, as it is tied to funding for local jurisdictions for a variety of services and it determines representation on the legislature. Staff is meeting with the Mayor next week to talk about establishing a Complete Count Committee in Alameda.
6. BOARD COMMUNICATIONS, NON-AGENDA
None.
7. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
Bagtas mentioned that the Housing Authority is putting together a plan for their fair housing trainings and outreach events this year and has requested support from SSHRB in identifying venues and groups to conduct the trainings. Board members suggested that the Housing Authority reach out to Coast Guard families to see how the government shutdown is impacting them. They also suggested presenting to the Alameda Collaboration for Children, Youth, and their Families, as this might be of interest for the families they work with.
8. Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 8:48 p.m.