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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1986 09-10 HRRMMINUTES OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION 0 OF THE CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER IN THE COUNTY OF HENNEPIN AND THE STATE OF MINNESOTA REGULAR SESSION SEPTEMBER 10, 1986 CITY HALL CALL TO ORDER The Brooklyn Center Human Rights Commission met in regular session and was called to order by Chairperson Kuhar at 7:32 p.m. ROLL CALL Chairperson Kuhar, Commissioners Rabine, Seburg, Sullivan, Wallerstedt, and Stoderl. Also present were Councilmember Lhotka, Recording Secretary Geralyn Barone, and guest Anne Griffith, Maternal and Child Health, Community Health Department, Hennepin County. Commissioners Misfeldt, Kieselhorst and Slupske were not in attendance at this evening's meeting. APPROVAL OF MINUTES - APRIL 9. 1986 There was a motion by Commissioner Seburg and seconded by Commissioner Rabine to approve the minutes of the April 9, 1986 meeting as submitted. The motion passed. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORT - SINGLE PARENT FAMILIES Commissioner Rabine introduced Ms. Anne Griffith of the Maternal and Child Health program of Hennepin County Community Health Department. Commissioner Rabine stated that the Maternal and Child Health program has been located at Harron Methodist Church in Brooklyn Center, but will be relocating to a facility on Shingle Creek Parkway. Ms. Griffith stated that she had noticed Brooklyn Center's concern for single parent families. She noted that the Maternal and Child Health program provides help for low and moderate income persons without insurance. Ms. Griffith went on to describe the clinical services being provided at two locations in Brooklyn Center, Harron Methodist Church and Brooklyn United Methodist Church. She continued saying an effort is underway to move to one location on Shingle Creek Parkway. She added that the programs are directed to those who do not have insurance. Many younger families are being served, with the majority of clients being married and usually having one wage earner in the family. Approximately ten percent of their clients are Brooklyn Center residents. Councilmember Lhotka asked if the two church locations will be closed when the Shingle Creek Parkway location opens, and Ms. Griffith said this will be the case. Ms. Griffith described some of the services provided by the program, such as preventive health care for children and child care consultation. Councilmember Lhotka asked if drop-in day care centers take advantage of the child care consultation service, and Ms. 0 9-10-86 -1- Griffith stated that all centers are eligible for the services, 40 and some do take advantage of them. She noted that.the clinic services are free to the lowest income clients, and others pay on a sliding scale fee based on income. Commissioner Wallerstedt asked if there are any limits on the services offered, and Ms. Griffith responded that there are some limits because of the equipment available at their facility. If necessary, a child is sent to the-Hennepin County pediatrician. Ms. Griffith noted that the funding of this program is generated from a federal grant received through the State of Minnesota Health Department, with the purpose of reducing infant mortality. Commissioner Rabine asked if these funds are being reduced and Ms. Griffith stated that the funding has increased. She added that approximately five years ago the infant mortality rate leveled off, and since then has increased a small amount in suburban Hennepin County, while decreasing in Minneapolis. Ms. Griffith added that transportation is cited as a barrier to care in suburban Hennepin County, but added that 3M has donated a van which will be available for volunteers to drive clients to appointments. Councilmember Lhotka suggested that other transportation programs such as Metro Mobility join together to provide transportation for a variety of purposes. Ms. Griffith pointed out that the new location on Shingle Creek Parkway will be on the MTC bus line. Commissioner Wallerstedt asked if any of the other county clinics would be closed besides the two in Brooklyn Center. Ms. Griffith stated that there would-be no other closings, adding that the other clinic locations are in Bloomington and Hopkins. Commissioner Seburg asked how patients are screened, and Ms. Griffith responded that no one is turned away, but that payment of a fee based on income is requested. Commissioner Sullivan asked if there are any other funding sources besides the federal government, and Ms. Griffith stated that some funding is generated from the Community Social Services Act. She noted that this program does conduct a great deal of planning and data collection, and some of this information could be provided to the Human Rights Commission if desired. She added that much of the information is based on county-wide information. Chairperson Kuhar asked if much work has been done by this program in the schools, and Ms. Griffith stated there had not been much. Ms. Griffith added that school-based clinics have been successful across the country because care works best when brought to the clients. Commissioner Seburg asked if dental care is available, and Ms. Griffith said this has been done, but funding for it has been considerably reduced. She added that Hennepin County does provide a dental program in some of the schools and has a portable dental clinic which brings the equipment into the schools. Chairperson Kuhar noted that often the children who need services have parents who will not bring 9-10-86 -2- them in for care. Commissioner Rabine asked if schools can still refer students for birth control, but are not allowed to dispense any contraceptives. Ms. Griffith stated that this is the case, but there are other services offered for both physical and emotional problems in the schools. Councilmember Lhotka asked how people find out about the Maternal and Child Health program, and Ms. Griffith stated that this is done with brochures and public service announcements. Chairperson Kuhar asked how people are referred to the program, and Ms. Griffith said referral is done by word of mouth and the public service announcements. Ms. Griffith noted that in a recent client survey, almost all of the clients had been satisfied with the services. Commissioner Rabine asked where clinics could set up in the high schools, and Ms. Griffith stated this is done right in the schools as an expansion of the idea of a school nurse's office. Often there is a mini clinic with two to three small exam rooms and a couple of offices for counseling. Commissioner Rabine asked if funding originates from the same grant as the Maternal and Child Health program. Ms. Griffith noted that the school districts and the health departments have worked together on this. Commissioner Rabine said she has read that there is no cost to a school district for an in-house clinic, and Ms. Griffith responded that there would be no cost if the space is contributed. Ms. Griffith noted that- the Hennepin County Community Health Department serving suburban Hennepin County and the Minneapolis Health Department may be merging. She is not sure what this means; however, it is possible that more resources will be made available. Chairperson Kuhar asked if the clinics are busy, and Ms. Griffith noted that the clinics are growing all the time, pointing out that health care is difficult to come by if one does not have insurance. Councilmember Lhotka asked if the County assists in publicizing this program, and Ms. Griffith noted that the program provides its own public service announcements. Councilmember Lhotka asked if any statistics are available on the program's typical client. Ms. Griffith said the typical client is a woman between 20 and 24 years of age, not working outside the home, with two to three small children. Ms. Griffith added that the woman's husband is seasonally or part-time employed or temporarily unemployed, and is usually living in isolation from family and friends. She added that there are usually other problems involved in the family, such as poor diet, problems in the marriage,. battering or abuse. Councilmember Lhotka pointed out that knowing this may affect the focus of the publicity for the program. Chairperson Kuhar asked if the battered women's shelters know about this program, and Ms. Griffith said that information has been sent out to many social service providers. 9-10-86 -3- She added that the services are there, but often those who need them are the last to hear about them. Chairperson Kuhar asked if this program is in the new local phone directory, and Ms. Griffith stated that it is listed under Hennepin County with the heading "Health". It was requested that information on this program be provided to the Northwest Hennepin Human Services Council for its new directory. Commissioner Sullivan asked what would happen if a 25 year old man came in for services, and Ms. Griffith noted that this person would have to be referred to another provider. She added that a woman who is sick would not generally come to be cared for under this program. She noted that the grant restricts the program to working with women and children. Commissioner Seburg asked how bills would be paid if there are medical problems, and Ms. Griffith stated that the individual would be referred to Hennepin County Medical Center. She added that a sliding fee scale could not be guaranteed at this point. Commissioner Wallerstedt asked if there are any projections on the savings from prevention, and Ms. Griffith stated there are many studies on this. The most modest projection would be that $3.80 is saved for every $1.00 spent on preventive care. Commissioner Seburg asked how caesarean sections are paid for, and Ms. Griffith noted that Hennepin County arranges for payment agreements. Chairperson Kuhar asked what most babies are dying of these days, and Ms. Griffith said the factors are generally related to the mother's health to begin-with, such as poor nutrition, chemical abuse, battering, and smoking. Commissioner Wallerstedt pointed out that the improvement in medicine has dropped the mortality rates, so that now any fluctuations do seem significant. Chairperson Kuhar thanked Ms. Griffith for her attendance at this evening's meeting. Ms. Griffith requested a copy of any final information that is presented from the Human Rights Commission to the City Council on the issue of single parent families in Brooklyn Center. Commissioner Rabine noted that the subcommittee on single parent families has looked at some of the school curriculums over the summer. Commissioner Stoderl noted that Earle Brown School and Brooklyn Center High School do have health care and sexuality curriculum, although Earle Brown School is changing theirs this year. On the issue of transportation, commissioner Stoderl noted that it is available to different areas through service organizations. Councilmember Lhotka said there will be an upcoming meeting in Crystal regarding transportation. Commissioner Rabine reported on her examination of a pilot program in the Minneapolis schools for the prevention of adolescence pregnancy. She noted that the program is started in 9-10-86 -4- the junior high schools and involves the parents and their values. Commissioner Rabine reviewed the objectives of the program and various aspects of it. Councilmember Lhotka asked who originated this program, and Commissioner Rabine stated that it comes from the Search Institute and is a course entitled Human Sexuality Values and Choice. She added that the course is the same for both the parents and the students. Commissioner Wallerstedt asked if this program must be approved by the local school districts, and Commissioner Rabine stated that it would probably have to be approved by the school boards. Chairperson Kuhar reported that the Anoka School District has programs scheduled in either their health or home economics classes, and some of the programs begin in eighth grade. Commissioner Rabine noted that studies say there are many excellent programs in the schools, but they are not doing the job. She expressed some hope for success of the Minneapolis pilot program which aims at early intervention by educating seventh and eighth graders. Commissioner Rabine noted that there is low cost family counseling available in Brooklyn Center, and added that there are loans for single parents available through the Community Emergency Assistance Program. Recording Secretary Barone said there are 230 to 300 units of Section 8 housing in Brooklyn Center, and the number varies monthly depending on demand. She added that almost all the units are in apartment buildings. commissioner Rabine noted that there is some programming done at the Hennepin Technical Centers. She pointed out that in a study conducted by the League of Women Voters, a list of the programs in the area shows there is much duplication, and she would like to avoid this in Brooklyn Center. Commissioner Rabine reported on an article printed in the Metro Monitor on single parent families. There was some discussion on various programs available in the area. Chairperson Kuhar asked when this report is due to the City Council, and Commissioner Rabine said the Commission has until July of 1987 to complete its report. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORT - ESTABLISHING GUIDELINES Commissioner Sullivan apologized because there is no report for this committee at the present time, and he requested to be removed as chairman of this subcommittee. Councilmember Lhotka said the subcommittee should schedule a meeting for next week, and a meeting was scheduled for Wednesday, September 17, 1986 at 7:00 p.m. at City Hall. OTHER BUSINESS Commissioner Rabine noted that because she is moving to California, it would be necessary for her to meet with the rest of the subcommittee on single parent families within the next two 9-10-86 -5- weeks. The subcommittee scheduled a meeting for Thursday, September 18, 1986 at 7:30 a.m., to be held at Perkins. Recording secretary Barone noted that commissioner Misfeldt has moved out of the city and Commissioner Kieselhorst is resigning from the Commission. As a result, there will be three vacancies on the commission. Commissioner Rabine noted that a liaison to the Domestic Abuse Intervention Program will be needed from this Commission. She added that a copy of the Domestic Abuse brochure should be delivered to all residents with the Manager's Newsletter in the near future. Commissioner Rabine also suggested that Ann Marshal from the Domestic Abuse Program make a report to the Commission, possibly at the November meeting. ADJOURNMENT There was a motion by Commissioner Seburg and seconded by Commissioner Sullivan to adjourn the meeting. The motion passed. The Brooklyn Center Human Rights Commission adjourned at 9:10 p.m. Chairperson • • 9-10-86 -6-