Human Services Workgroup hones coordinator’s position

Michael Kopko, chairman of the Human Services Collaborative Study Workgroup, stressed that there may be public misconceptions about the group’s position to hire a coordinator, particularly in the proposed elimination of the town’s Department of Human Services. The department, with a full-time coordinator and part-time administrative assistant, is not slated for funding in the FY11 budget. That recommendation came directly from the town administration, Kopko, who is also chairman of the Board of Selectmen, stated, not from the workgroup. According to town manager Libby Gibson, the recommendation resulted from discussions between the selectmen and the administration.

The idea behind elimination of the department is to save approximately $130,000 the town pays in salaries for its two positions. The amount of $65,000 has been placed within the FY11 budget to fund a coordinator’s role with the collaborative. Another $34,833 is to be added to amounts for upcoming human service contracts, leaving a net savings to the town of just over $30,000. In future years, if a collaborative is formed and coordinator hired at $65,000, the town would potentially save between $100,000 to $130,000 annually.

Kopko said he will ask the selectmen tonight if a public hearing can be scheduled to inform residents about the group’s work and proposals.

The workgroup has a timeline to present its complete report on the collaborative plan to the selectmen by March 17, prior to Annual Town Meeting on April 5. Kopko said a Request for Proposals for the coordinator’s position will issue after Town Meeting, and that current DHS coordinator, Maryanne Worth, is welcome to respond to that bid.

Because the position would initially carry a town contract, the RFP must specify the duties of the job and reporting responsibilities. The group’s main efforts Monday centered around finding a way to articulate the scope of duties by obtaining information from Worth as to what she does beyond referrals and a precise breakdown of her oneto one contacts rather than just a listing of the numbers of people served.

At this point, it is intended for the coordinator’s office to be open Monday – Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., as the department’s office is now, and possibly retain the present phone number and location at 2 Fairgrounds Road. There was some discussion Monday about bringing in volunteers to assist in the office.

Town Clerk Catherine Stover, at the meeting as an observer, pointed out that at $65,000, the coordinator would be working for $32.50 an hour before taxes, be without benefits and still need to cover the 40-hour per week workload of the Human Services Department.

“If you give peanuts you’re going to get monkeys,” she told the group.

Rachael Rosen, a member of the Council for Human Services, which, with Town Meeting approval may be reconfigured and assume oversight of agency contract compliance done by the Contract Review Committee, passed out recommendations from the CRC given last week to the selectmen.

The recommendations include withdrawing the warrant article to reorganize the council and restore FY11 funds to the DHS until public hearings are held on the workgroup’s report and a detailed implementation plan for the collaborative has been presented for public review.

Kopko holds firm to the concept of the collaborative, saying it should be formed whether or not the Human Services Department is dissolved because it is almost certain to bring in more agency funding.

“If we come up with recommendations that satisfy everyone I’ll be very surprised,” he said, stressing that the most important element is to ensure all service needs are met. “We intend for there not to be any crack slipping. We are going to need everyone’s help to be sure that happens. It’s doable. People do it all the time all over the world.”

The workgroup will meet again on Tuesday, Feb. 16 at 4:30 p.m. in the town building conference room. Speakers at that session are expected to include Police Chief William Pittman and a possible update on forming a collaborative from Peter Swenson, the director of Nantucket Behavioral Health Services. I