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Working with human service providers <br />located in the Westonka area, staff <br />has established the Westonka Coordina- <br />tion Committee. The purpose is to <br />promote a greater level of coordination <br />among service providers in the western <br />suburbs and to increase accessibility <br />of the area's popul-t.ion to Hennepin <br />County human service, through the de- <br />centralization of these services. <br />Several community wide meetings were <br />held from ti:,hich a working committee <br />evolved. This committee has under- <br />taken an inventory of available ser- <br />vices and identified gaps and accessi- <br />bility issues. Efforts will now be <br />targeted at addressing these issue . <br />WHHS plays an active role in providing <br />a forum and networking group for the <br />West Hennepin Youth Service Providers. <br />In addition to coordination, WHHS has <br />recruited speakers from the Humphrey <br />Institute's Center for the Study of <br />Youth Policy, The Juvenile Code Re- <br />vision Task Force and Hennepin County's <br />new in -home fa-mily services management <br />staff. <br />i <br />ul6entol heolth <br />,.�.�... <br />Mental Health continues to be an area <br />of primary focus of WHHS. We provided <br />staff assistance to the West Hennepin <br />Mental Health Aftercare Providers. <br />During the past year this group has <br />expanded to include providers from <br />the Northwest and South Hennepin areas. <br />The Aftercare Providers hav,-� monitored <br />County mental health decisions, State <br />legislation and reports from the <br />Governor's Mental Health Commission. <br />They developed a resource directory <br />of their members and are currently <br />organizing a mental health resource <br />fair. WHHS also has a Mental Health <br />Crisis Intervention Committee which <br />is looking at potential models and <br />advocating for mental health crisis <br />services. WHHS met regularly with <br />mental health advocates to work on <br />obtaining accurate mental health needs <br />information and a.ialysis of funding. <br />In additinn we '.ave advocated for <br />county mental health recreation funds. <br />A video tape of a presentation on <br />mental health, residental programs <br />was produced with Northwest Human <br />Services Council and the Mental Health <br />Association in Hennepin County. WHHS <br />staff participated in the Hennepin <br />County Task Force on Concentration <br />of Group Homes and on the County Task <br />Force on Homeless Mentally Ill. <br />A.w.. <br />'the Unemployment Committee has con- <br />tinued to be pleased with the success <br />cif "Basic Tools: Survival Skills for <br />t_he Unemployed and Underemployed". <br />Distribution continues with many of <br />the requests coming from outside of <br />the west Hennepin service area. Fol- <br />lowing up on the wine appeal this pub- <br />lication has generated, staff is cur- <br />rently working with an executive from <br />Pillsbury to identify an,' solicit <br />publishers who would be interested <br />in publishing and marketing it. Other <br />projects have included Board and <br />staff participation on the Employment <br />Action Center's Advisory Council, <br />leadership in Jobs Now and very active <br />support of State Legislation to con- <br />tinue the MEED State Jobs Program. <br />In addition, the Chairperson of this <br />committee participates on the Hennepir <br />County Private industry Council, the <br />group responsible for reviewing pro- <br />jects funded by the Jobs and Training <br />Partner Act. Staff has also worked <br />with Dowsat, a local cable TV station, <br />and community organizations producing <br />video programs addressing issues of <br />emergency assistance and unemployment. <br />Fn <br />....��. <br />.A..heatth <br />WHHS continues its commitment to health <br />issues. In September, the comm�ttee <br />prepared and presented testimony at <br />the Hennepin County Community Health <br />Department's public hearing. The tes- <br />timony reiterated our concerns re- <br />garding health needs, access to ser- <br />vices and the Community Health Depart- <br />ments planning process. Publicity <br />about the hearing and a pre -meeting <br />to explain the hearing for the general <br />public were also organized by WHHS. <br />We followed up on the testimony with <br />meetings with representatives from <br />tioth the Community Health Department <br />and Metropolitan Visiting Nurse Asso- <br />ciation regarding recommended changes. <br />In addition, committee members serve <br />on the Hennepin County Community Health <br />and Advisory Committee. The WHHS <br />Health Committee also acL.vely sup- <br />ported Home Health Care licensure leg- <br />islation. In February, we planned <br />andco-sponsored a second conference <br />