Committee Members Present:Co-Chair, Aimee Barnes, Wade Flores, Darnell Durio,
,
Committee Members Absent: Devin Anderson (Leave of Absence), Robert Oropeza
Other Council Members Present: Micke Ulate; Heriberto Quesada, Billy Jean Kanios,
Donald Soto
Others Present: M. Gerardo Ramos, Joseph Northington, Dimas Manrady, Matthew
Bajko (BAR), Fernado Gomez-Benitez
Council Support Present: Jack Newby, Richard Bargetto; Susan Latham; Enrique
Asis; Joe Lynn;
General Public: approximately 8
1. Welcome and Introductions
At 5:44 pm, Co-Chairs Billy Jean Kanios and Donald Soto welcomed the group and told them that the Council was trying to get a better idea of how to serve the Latino community. There were eight members of the public present.
2. Purpose of Meeting
CM’s Micke Ulate and Aimee Barnes said that the Council wanted to hear from the community the services that are important to the public. They also wanted to identify any barriers to accessing those services.
3. What We Will Be Doing Tonight
Mr. Ulate and Ms. Barnes then explained the nature of the evening’s exercises on various types of services.
4. Review of Advocacy Project
HIV Consumer Rights Advocate Richard Bargetto explained how important it was to hear from the public on how to improve the services. His office was available to assist folks who were dissatisfied with the service they had received. He would try to help resolve any negative experience.
5. Service Important to You Exercise
On the room’s wall, large sheets of paper were arranged with services identified on each sheet. Some of these services received funds while others did not. Each member of the public was then given three adhesive dots and asked to put one dot on each sheet of paper representing the three services most important to them. The results of this survey would be presented in July to the full Council.
This year, the Ryan White CARE Act will be reauthorized. The San Francisco Emergency Medical Area could suffer as high as a 25% cut, so the council may need to make difficult decisions
6. Framing of Small Group Exercise
The small group exercise would help identify the services that are important and the barriers that might exist to those services.
7. Meal Break
The group took a short break for some food.
8. Small Group Exercise
Rather than doing this exercise in a small group, it was decided to do it in one large group. The table below has the services identified on the sheet of paper and the dots the group assigned to each sheet during the exercise. It is tabulated in the order of votes received.
Service No. of Votes
Case management 9
Health care 9
Mental health 9
Housing 7
Food 4
Benefits counseling 2
Substance abuse 2
Transportation 0
Day care 0
The group then shared their experiences with accessing services. Some expressed frustration with the amount of time it took to spend with a provider. Long lines were cited. The frustration could trigger behaviors including substance use. More energy was required to access the services. Snobbish social workers and language problems were cited. Some believed that they needed more information to access the services. Others worried that social workers were in danger of burnout.
9. Large Group Report Back
See the discussion above.
10. Services Important to Keep Citywide
See the discussion above.
11. Review of Survey Form and Fill-Out
Survey forms were then filled out and turned in.
12. Thank You / Give-Away / Return Forms
A drawing was then held with members of the public receiving food vouchers from Safeway.
13. Adjourn
The forum adjourned at 7:47 pm.
Home |
Community Outreach & Advocacy
Committee
| Policy & Evaluation Committee | Evaluation
Committee
Membership
Committee | Planning
Committee | Steering
Committee