10-15-1984 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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Priorities, continued vention and Prevention 9. Child Protection 10. Mental Health Residential Treatment 11. Transportation 12. Developmental Achievement Centers/ Work Achievement Centers 13. Information and Referral 14. Respite Carc 15. Community Programs for the Mentally Handicapped In all, over forty county -funded services were considered in formulating the recommended priorities. West Hennepin Human Services Planning Board will be attending the Hennepin County budget hearings held in Sep- tember. In particular, the Community Social Services budget will be monitored to insure that West Hennepin priorities are part of the budget package passed by the County Board on October 9, to 1985 funding. COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY TO BF. DESIGNATED West Hennepin Human Services Planning Board has been concerned about the needs of low-income people who live in Hennepin County for many years. Our experience has shown that the needs of the poor in our area are very different. For example, geographic isolation and lack of reliable transpor- tation may keep a poor, elderly woman from shopping at a grocery store with lower prices, from applying for fuel assistance, and from socialis- ing with her friends over a hot nutri- tious meal. Poor residents in more sparsely populated areas may be more reluctant to come forward for assistance I,ecausr thc-v are Fmbarrasscd to recvivr %ervi( r%. Hecause of our ,awareness of thes, needs and the iack of an agencv c organization which speaks for t1, poor in our communities, we have supported the development of a Community Action Agency for suburban and rural Hennepin County. The purpose of a Community Action Agency (C.A.A.) is to focus all available resources to help the poor become self-suffi- cient. About $275,000 of additional funds will be available from local State funds. In our last newsletter, we indicated that the Hennepin Councy Board was considering the development of a Community Action Agency. On ,tune 5, 1984 the Hennepin County Board Passed a resolution initiating a process to create a private, non-profit C.A.A. West Hennepin Human Services Planning Board, Northwest Hennepin Human Services Council, and South Hennepin Human Services Council developed a plan for a structure which was presented by County staff at public hearings in Crystal and Hopkins in July. 150 people attended these hearings and were in support of the C.A.A. West Hennepin Human Services Planning Board supports the private, non-profit model be-ause it provides the greatest participation of low-income citizens, local officials, end community -based organizations; has been shown to be the moat effective model of providing services and programs; would be able, through the strong onmunity partici- pation, to build on already available services and prevent duplication and fragmentation; and would be legs 0 likely to have conflict in the decision likely process because of its less compl tc.It 4d st ru( I ,rrc ('cant tnue'd e>n ne•xt t?d']f'