1. CALL TO ORDER/ AGENDA CHANGES

Commission President Andrea Shorter called the meeting to order at 4:12 pm.

Commissioner Breanna Zwart was excused by Commission President Andrea Shorter. Commissioner Nancy Kirshner Rodriguez let the Commission Secretary know that she would be late to the meeting. A quorum of 4 Commissioners were present to start the meeting.

No changes proposed to the Agenda.

No public comment.

Action: To approve the agenda.                                                                 m/s/c (Soo/Mesloh/Unanimous)

2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

No changes to the minutes from July 27, 2016 were proposed.

No public comment.

Action: To approve draft minutes from July 27, 2016.                              m/s/c (Soo/Mesloh/Unanimous)

3. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT

Executive Director Emily Murase highlighted aspects of her report which covered the month of August. Dr. Murase informed the Commission about a report on the Gender Analysis of the Fire Department’s workforce that she and Policy Fellow Elizabeth Yang presented to the Fire Commission. In that presentation, it was noted that at 14% the San Francisco Fire Department has the highest percentage of women on its force in the country. Dr. Murase shared the good news that the Mayor’s budget was finalized, including an 8% increase in funds to the Department over last year’s budget. She told the Commission that the Department will be hosting a Coro Fellow from September 14 – October 14, and that the Department has posted a Grants Associate position to take on the DOJ OVW grant work.

It was asked if the Federal Government is interested in adopting our Domestic Violence High Lethality model or if there is a way to promote that idea to them. Dr. Murase responded that the current grant is a pilot project which if successful, could serve in that capacity.

President Shorter invited everyone to the Women’s Equality Celebration with Congresswomen Nancy Pelosi on August 25, 2016, as well as the October 17, 2016 CEDAW Awards Breakfast.

Public Comment:

1. Beverly Upton, Executive Director of the Domestic Violence Consortium, expressed her happiness and satisfaction on the outcome of the budget. She shared her appreciation and thanks to the Mayor, Board of Supervisors, partners, and to the Commission.

4. CONSENT AGENDA

Action: To approve the Consent Agenda.                                                  m/s/c (Mesloh/Soo/Unanimous)

1. Resolution Recognizing Autumn McDonald

Autumn McDonald expressed thanks to both the Department and the Mayor’s Office. She was honored to have had the responsibility for creating and executing the Summit. She thanked Women’s Policy Director Elizabeth Newman for her guidance, collaboration, and enthusiastic support. She told the Commission that City Administrator Naomi Kelly will chair a task force to follow up on the work of the Summit.

Commissioner Julie Soo thanked Ms. McDonald and Ms. Newman for bringing the City and Region together in the broadband and interactive event. Commissioner Soo said that she appreciated that Department Fellow Liz Yang was present at the Summit to meet senior City women staff. She said that the Summit was a great opportunity to see old friends and colleagues. Commissioner Soo further stated that she hopes women will not focus only on coding, but that they will see the bigger picture of what is possible through STEM.

Dr. Murase thanked Ms. McDonald. She said that Ms. McDonald was a very dedicated and skilled contact point with the Mayor’s Office, noting that the Summit would not have happened without her tenacity and persistence. Dr. Murase explained that Ms. McDonald made sure that the Summit would be a substantive event and not just a spectacle.

Commission Vice President Debbie Mesloh thanked Ms. McDonald and said what a great an experience the Summit was for a diverse group of women leaders and allies.

President Shorter thanked Ms. McDonald and exclaimed that she was awesome. President Shorter told Ms. McDonald that when she first heard about the Summit, she had concerns that the Summit would have deep enough content to be impactful, but that she was encouraged by Ms. McDonald’s earlier appearance at the Commission. President Shorter said that the Summit was a great event and she was very happy to have attended it. She asked Ms. McDonald to stay in touch and added that Ms. McDonald has been a vital resource for the Mayor.  

Commissioner Olga Ryerson said that both she and her husband were highly impressed with the Summit. She thanked Ms. McDonald for her extraordinary work.

2. Resolution Recognizing Marcy Adelman

Dr. Adelman thanked the Commission for the honor. She told the Commission that in 1986 she published her first anthology about lesbian mothers and the heartbreaking stories of how they had to pass in heterosexual society or risk losing their children. Dr. Adelman said she brings those women with her wherever she goes and that they will continue to inform her work. She said that what we have accomplished today, we have achieved by standing on those women’s shoulders. She explained that she has worked very closely with the Department of Aging and Adult Services (DAAS) to help improve the lives of women in the City and County of San Francisco.

Public Comment:

1. Executive Director of Aging and Adult Services Shireen McSpadden commended Dr. Adelman for her tremendous dedication. She said that everyone at DAAS admires Dr. Adelman and her work on expanding appropriate care for the LGBT seniors in San Francisco.

Vice President Mesloh thanked Dr. Adelman for her work and for serving as a role model.

President Shorter told Dr. Adelman that she was so honored to hear what the doctor has been doing for the community, and she was also excited by the influence Dr. Adelman’s work was having on the rest of the world. President Shorter thanked her for her pioneering research and advocacy, stating “San Francisco is on a better track because of you.” President Shorter told the Commission that there will be a panel discussion featuring Dr. Adelman on the topic of ageism from within and outside the LGBT community, 6:30 - 8 pm on Monday, September 12 at the Eric Quezada Center for Culture and Politics, 518 Valencia St., in San Francisco.

Commissioner Soo said that it was so important to bring these stories to light, especially to the public and to government attention. She thanked Dr. Adelman for humanizing the work.

Dr. Murase said that the doctor was very surprised when we called her to give her this honor, that the doctor is a very humble person. Dr. Murase thanked Dr. Adelman for all of her work.

Commissioner Ryerson thanked Dr. Adelman for her work. She said what an honor it was to meet her.

 

 

3. Resolution Recognizing the Bay Sox All-Girls Baseball Teams

Rachelle Henley, SF Bay Sox Head Coach, received the award for the organization. She said they started with 12 girls 2 years ago, now, they are up to 70. She commended Recreation and Parks General Manager Phil Ginsberg for supporting the Team whole heartedly. She said he was monumental in making the girls program happen. She thanked the Commission for recognizing the teams and the Recreation and Parks Department.

Ms. Henley invited three of the athletes up to the podium to make statements.

Leah Handleman from the 8u division listed her 3 favorite things about playing baseball: playing alongside all of the girls, practicing her pitches, and having fun.

Aviva Rose-Strochlic from the 13u division, said she has played for 9 years on all-boys teams. This was the first year she’s played with an all-girls team. She said she really enjoyed it and wants to continue playing in the all-girls team.

Abby Claudius from the 16u division is a freshman in high school. Who has played baseball for many years. She really enjoyed meeting the girls from other divisions in the US and Canada.

Ms. Henley concluded by summarizing some of the opportunities girls gained by participating in all girls sports teams: leadership skills, positive socialization, and emotional freedom.

Public Comment:

1. Phil Ginsberg Recreation and Parks General Manager said that it is an honor to be present at this Commission honoring the SF Bay Sox All Girls Baseball Teams. He has been running the Parks and Recreation for 8 years, and is proudest of the coaches, parents, and players of this program. He said that there are 100,000 young girls playing baseball nationwide, but by high school there are only 1,000 still playing. Prior to the passage of Title IX, less than 7% of all high school athletes were girls and less than 2% of all collegiate athletes were women. Now, since Title IX was passed, that figure has risen to 40%. He said that it was very important to recognize the girls right to compete, and he made sure this is being done in San Francisco. He said “girls deserve to be playing baseball and his department was going to continue growing this program.” He said there should be a female professional baseball league within our lifetime.

Commissioner Soo asked the girl athletes to look up who is responsible for Title IX and that her name was Patsy Mink. Commissioner Soo said that Congresswoman Mink was a mentor of hers. Commissioner Soo said that she hopes the athletes will become Congressmembers or the President of the United States.

Vice President Mesloh added to Commissioner Soo’s statement by saying “or maybe the first woman professional baseball player in our lifetime.”

President Shorter asked the young athletes for a show of hands as to who was watching the Olympics. She said that in this Olympics, there were more women athletes than men and that this was a direct effect of Title IX.

Commissioner Soo gave thanks to Phil Ginsburg’s leadership of the Recreation and Parks Department.

President Shorter declared a break so that certificates could be handed out to the young athletes and coaches, and photographs could be taken.

During the break, Commissioner Nancy Kirshner-Rodriguez joined the meeting.

5. NEW BUSINESS

1. Services and Issues for Senior Women in San Francisco

Executive Director of Aging and Adult Services Shireen McSpadden told the Commission that her department does an Area Plan and Needs Assessment every 4 years. She presented demographics and statistics derived from the latest Assessment. Some of the points she highlighted:

 

• The Senior population aged 60+ has grown by 4%. Most of the growth is in the 60-64 age group. The projected population is 200,000-250,000 in the near term.
• The Number of low-income seniors (earning 300% or less of Federal Poverty Level) has increased.
• Asian Pacific Islander (API) seniors are the fastest growing group.
• 20 years ago, 60% of older adults were women. Now the figure is 44%.
• 44% of all seniors are women (total is 86,128). 54% of all senior women who are low income are API.
• DAAS has an overall budget of $250M and 375 staff.
• The In-Home Support Services Program, a Medical benefit, accounts for $180M and supports 19,000 workers.
• There are 4900 clients in Adult Protective Services and 600+ cases of abuse. Many cases are "self-neglect" such as hoarding.
• In the Division of Long-Term Care Operations, the Community Living Fund a $3M program (only in San Francisco), provides intensive case management and purchase of services for Laguna Honda clients moving into the community. It serves 350 people/year, currently 43% are women.
• The single entry point into the system is through the 24-hour number, 415.355.6700, and a walk-in site at 2 Gough Street.

 

Commissioner Soo asked whether the data that dealt with languages and such as Chinese could be broken down into dialects. Director McSpadden said that the data is available by dialects, but was aggregated for purposes of the high level overview. Commissioner Soo also asked if there is a training program available for care workers. Director McSpadden said that there is a training program, but that they cannot mandate training. Commissioner Soo asked if DAAS tracks family support of the clients. Director McSpadden said they do if the clients and family agree to share that kind of information.

 

Commissioner Kirshner-Rodriguez spoke about a state-wide conference co-sponsored by the State Commission on the Status of Women and the State Commission on Aging, the proceedings of which will form the basis for a new white paper. She offered to forward the conference proceedings to Director McSpadden.

 

President Shorter highlighted the challenges of African American seniors living in public housing sites. She also asked about working with faith-based communities. Director McSpadden stated that this issue is a priority for her since her appointment to her position in April. She informed the Commission that DAAS has launched pilot programs in senior employment and home care for middle income seniors.

 

No public comment.

2. State of Elder Abuse in San Francisco

Shawna Reeves, Director of Elder Abuse Prevention at the Institute on Aging, presented on the occurrence of elder abuse in San Francisco. She introduced Jill Nielsen of Adult Protective Services who is also a subject matter expert. and Glen Fishman, a member of her staff. Summary of points from her presentation are as follows:

 

• There are Six types of elder abuse
• Reported cases of elder abuse in San Francisco were as follows: FY13/14: 6,201; FY14/15: 6,823; FY15/16: 7,314.
• Of the cases of self-neglect 48% were female survivors; of the cases of abuse by others 59% were female survivors. Only 1 in 24 cases are ever reported.
• The SF Forensic Center gave 53 presentations that reached 1,138 professionals and 573 elders.
• The SF Forensic Center is 1 of just 8 national centers, 6 of which are located in California. Members of the Forensic Center include these City organizations: Adult Protective Services, the District Attorney’s Office, Police Department, Public Guardian, and the non-profit Institute on Aging’s Elder Abuse Prevention program which includes a consulting geriatrician and a consulting neuro-psychologist. The SF Forensic Center is a solid example of non-profit and government collaboration
• Other exciting projects include the Family Violence Council Elder Justice Subcommittee and Veterans Benefits Protection Project.

 

Commissioner Soo recounted a scam targeting vulnerable seniors that she worked on in her capacity as a staff attorney for the California Department of Insurance.

 

No Public Comment

 

3. Community Living

Dennis Dudley, Aging Services Program Specialist for the Administration for Community Living program (ACL), presented on the federal Older Americans Act, ACL’s role in establishing the national aging network, programs and initiatives. Summary points from his presentation are as follows:

 

• ACL was created in April 2014, but is rooted in the 1965 War on Poverty.
• Funding streams derive from Title III. The Assistant Secretary is confirmed by the Senate. The Regional Office focus is on grants management, development, and coordination of Administration for Community Living program. The Older Americans Act of 1964 funds many senior programs. The DAAS model programs exemplify Title III goals.
• The agency’s approach is that there are no wrong doors, the service model is multiple access through single point of entry.
• The National Adult Maltreatment Program is a critical partner to ACL, it was the first ever federally funded program to support APS on a national basis.
• California is one of the grantees.

 

President Shorter asked about resources for LGBT seniors. Mr. Dudley assured the Commission that the needs of LGBT seniors are being addressed by his agency.

 

No Public Comment

 

4. Elections of Officers for FY 2016 – 2017

Action: To elect a Debbie Mesloh as Vice-President for FY 2016 – 2017 and to elect Andrea Shorter as President for FY 2016 – 2017.                                             m/s/c (Soo/Kirshner-Rodriguez/Unanimous)

No Public Comment

 

6. GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT

 

Public Comment:

 

1. Sandy Mori, former Commissioner on the Status of Women appointed by Mayor George Moscone, shared information about the Dignity Fund coalition, composed of 45 agencies addressing the needs of seniors and adults with disabilities. The coalition has put forward a ballot initiative, Proposition I, for dedicated funds to senior services. The baseline budget for the Department of Aging and Adult Services begins is $38 million. The ballot initiative provides for an increase of $6 million initially, then $3 million annually for the next 10 years with a sunset date of 20 years from now. The initiative has the support of the Mayor's Office, the support of 9 out of 11 members of the Board of Supervisors, and is seeking to secure 1,000 endorsers.

 

2. Shirley Johnson, member of the public, spoke on a variety of personal issues.

 

7. ADJOURNMENT

 

President Shorter adjourned the meeting at 6:29.