Minutes
Shelter Monitoring Committee
January 4, 2006
25 VanNess, Room 800,
10:00-12:00
Members present: James Chionsini, Diana Valentine, Bianca Henry, Joyce Crum, Judi Irani, David Nakanishi, Maxine Pauson
Members not present: Dorothy Harris
Non-Members: Greg Kats, Briana Wirrom, Michael Roehoff, Marcus Webb, Dawn Lawson, Justine Nkera, Kevin Lynema, Teresa Castro, Linda Hutchins, Hank Wilson, Lisa Davis, Virginia Spears, Yalaanda Ellsberry, Daniel Howard, Keith Savage, Alison Sinclair, Shaun Parker, Sandra Spells, Beverly Francies, Karen Taylor.
I. Call to Order
Everyone gave introductions. Joyce announced that Briana Wirrom (DHS; Single Adult Shelters and Resource Centers) and Greg Katz (DHS; Deputy Director of Housing) and may be attending meetings in place of her at times in the future.
II. Agenda for 1/04/06 approved
Issue of Meeting Space added.
III.Approval of minutes from 12/07/05
The minutes are not ready yet so item is tabled to next meeting.
IV.Approval of Reports
Dolores Street Community Services: Santa Maria/Marta shelters: approved with one amendment:
1. We recommend that there need to be guidelines for determination of sobriety.
Discussion:
There is no breakfast provided but there are CAAP clients staying there.
It was reported to the SMC members that previously only CAAP clients would be given breakfast but this was discontinued because it caused problems among residents. It was mentioned that it is like Ella Hill Hutch in that non CAAP clients can get an “extend” to stay there if they wish to remain there.
There was a request for the grant level on people receiving food. Joyce will follow up on this.
Public Comment:
Hank Wilson asked why people at 3rd Baptist used to get sandwiches but not any more and why.
Joyce Crum: It was a “pilot food project” that was stopped.
Lark Inn Youth shelter approved with three amendments:
1. Report should say visit was Announced.
2. It should read, “Larkin Street Youth Shelter”
3. It is not part of CHANGES system
A Woman’s Place Approved with two amendments.
1. It is not part of CHANGES system,
2. Maxine will follow up with issues that are indicated as needing f/u (with an *) in the report.
Saint Boniface shelter report was approved at the last meeting.
Discussion: Bianca asked if DHS is going to pay to move the shelter to its new location. Joyce said DHS is looking into it. David may be part of the transition team like he was for A Man’s Place. James mentioned that he spoke with Boniface staff who said the Islamic Society bldg may have a space for the shelter to be moved to.
V.Status of SMC Staff person
David is responsible for the hiring and supervision of the person hired. He needs to make sure of the classification and he will post it by the end of the week. There is support from the Board of Supervisors to make this happen quickly and the hiring process will be expedited. It should be filled within 5 or 6 weeks of being posted.
The job is classified as a civil service “analyst” position that requires at least a BA degree.
Apparently there is no preexisting wait list of potential applicants for this position. David can post it as soon as the committee approves the job description.
Changes (approved) in description are:
1. In 4th bullet point change “president” to “Chair,” and indicate that staff person will work with “all committee members.”
2. At least a BA degree should be required.
3. Homeless or formerly homeless preferred.
Discussion: When it was suggested that we should find out attitudes towards homeless people it was pointed out that this will be part of the interview process.
Hiring Committee will consist of: David, Judi, Diana and Joyce.
Corrected and approved Job Description is listed below:
Shelter Monitoring Committee Staff Job Requirements:
• Assist with tracking outstanding requests for information/paperwork;
• Manage any office supplies, including possible SMC badges, letterhead, etc.;
• Assist with correspondence and basic word processing tasks. (such as orientation packets, shelter monitoring checklist forms, etc.)
• Work in conjunction with the Chair, Secretary and all SMC members;
• Take minutes/notes at all SMC meetings and subcommittee meetings;
• Check voice mail number and follow up on all calls;
• Coordinate the quarterly meeting with the Rules Committee;
• Response to request for information from clients and community agencies;
• Coordinate shelter site visits and written reports with committee members;
• Schedule meeting location and date;
• Other duties as assigned.
Desirable/Preferred qualifications for this position are:
• Bilingual Spanish;
• Experience working with homeless individuals;
• Experience working with substance users, (active users and those in recovery);
• Experience working with persons with psychiatric issues;
• Homeless or formerly homeless;
• Familiarity with the city shelter system;
• Word processing skills, report writing;
VI. SMC Vacancies Kendra Stewardson (Mayoral seat #3) has officially resigned.
The status of SMC members (13 total required) is as follows:
Mayoral appointees: 1: Joyce Crum (DHS) 2: David Nakanishi (DPH) 3: Vacancy (Homeless or Formerly w/ experience providing direct services) Board of Supervisors appointees: 1: Maxine Pauson (Homeless or formerly) 2: Vacancy (Homeless or formerly) 3: Diana Valentine (experience providing direct services through community setting) 4: Vacancy (nominated by community agency providing behavioral health, housing placement or other services) 5: Vacancy (Homeless or formerly, nominated by community agency providing advocacy or organizing) 6: Dorothy Harris (nominated by non profit providing advocacy or organizing to homeless
Local Homeless Coordinating Board appointees: 1: James Chionsini (nominated by non-profit providing advocacy or organizing to homeless) 2: Vacancy (Homeless or formerly experience providing direct services through community setting) 3: Judi Irani (experience providing direct services through community setting) 4: Vacancy (homeless or formerly nominated by community agency providing behavioral health, housing placement or other services)
VII.Report back from Committees:
Diana and David are on the Forms and Logistics subcommittee. Their report back will be tabled until the next meeting. We also need a materials booklet and a new schedule of visits. There was some discussion about if SMC follows fiscal or calendar year. It was not formally agreed upon.
VIII.Phone Line:
The SMC phone number is 415-558-1907. It accepts collect calls. Judi is checking it. It had only 3 messages.
1. Plumbing and sewage problem at Sanctuary,
2. something else about Sanctuary (irrelevant or taken care of)
3. Some cryptic and unintelligible message with no return number.
Joyce will send an email to shelters telling them to post the SMC phone line flyer.
IX.Update on Complaints:
Ella Hill Hutch: Bianca documented and reported the issue of staff harassment of a resident there and the problem staff was suspended for two weeks. The same problem employee was observed smoking drugs before work outside the shelter, on his first day back to work after the suspension, by SMC members who were doing an unannounced visit there and that employee has since been terminated.
X.Follow up on Response from MSC-S
Richard Bright had responded to the concerns and petition submitted by a SMC resident. James and Bianca wrote a response to his response. There were concerns about this. They are as follows:
The letter needs to be reworded to be more objective and professional if coming from the committee. Regarding the client surveys, they were conducted by DHS and Joyce will obtain them. We should also change the issue of lights out at 9:00 vs 10:00 to a question about the rationale for this decision.
James will rewrite and send out this letter to committee via email for approval before committee sends it to Richard Bright.
XI.Follow up on response from HSA regarding HFEC
Bianca is working on a response but the letter was not sent to committee members or to HSA yet. The issue is that we made a request to HSA and they refused to meet our request. When the letter is complete she will send it out to committee. It was mentioned that the letter should go to the Board of Supervisors as well, especially Alioto-Pier as she has expressed concern over HFEC and even wants to visit it with committee members.
XII.Schedule of Visits
For January, visits will be
Mission Resource Center: James and Judy
Providence: Diana, David and Bianca
Trinity Episcopal: Joyce and Maxine
Bethel AME: Joyce, Maxine and Bianca
XIII. Meeting Space
We need to find a better space because the current location is presenting a possible restriction on outside meetings. David can get a room at City Hall.
Pubic comment: Somewhere where people can bring their bags in would be best. Library was suggested. Next month will be here, David will work on this issue and report back on possible locations.
XIV.Public Comment
There were many residents from Next Door present because of the incident that happened on Christmas Eve 2005 at the shelter. They waited patiently through the entire meeting to speak. Given the serious nature of the incident and out of respect for their confidentiality I did not include all names in comment section. Legal declarations were provided to SMC detailing this incident and all residents in attendance verified as to the accuracy of the statements when they were read and spoken. Below is a sample of the lengthy comments made. Additionally the meeting was extremely emotional and I, James Chionsini, as secretary was not able to document all comments ver batim because my eyes were watering and I could not see to write. I am reporting this just to provide an accurate representation, not to imply any bias or emphasis on the accuracy of the public comment the individuals present gave. Most of the comments were extremely critical and of the complaint nature.
Resident: The food is to be called “alleged food” because it is horrible and prepared in conditions that violate health and safety regulations. There are roaches and rats and the entire kitchen is filthy. It is not fit to feed a hated dog. Additionally the staff, most of them are really great and trying to help, but we are treated by many of them as if we are dangerous, relapsed, criminal addicts. I am talked to like a child and constantly disrespected, they do petty things to set us up.
Resident: God sent me here. I am blessed. There are bad problems in kitchen such as roaches in the drinking water. Rats also. The breakfast is terrible and the food makes people sick.
Resident: Not all staff is trained in CPR because many of them are on a 90 day training period. Client meetings are not held with any regularity and there is no accountability regarding staff behavior. SMC needs to be there.
Resident: After the incident on Christmas Eve the director told us to keep this internal and not to go to any outside agencies because, “I have been here 20 years and only have one more year to go until I can retire” I felt as if it was intimidation to tell anyone. Everyone felt intimidated.
Resident: I was profiled and insulted for expressing a need. There is sexual harassment going on there by staff towards residents. When I tried to report verbal abuse and sexual harassment to the director I was told by her, “he didn’t mean it that way” and not given any respect. I was not allowed to make a formal complaint. I was written up because I asked them not to yell at me.
Resident: They violate us and degrade us. Staff will openly provoke and threaten people so they can throw us out. We are afraid to speak up because they will give us a DOS is we try. They harass me and my daughter and treat us like animals.
Resident: There is not only a lack of care and disrespect, but there is overt neglect. After the resident passed away, staff told me, “People die, just get over it.” There are some staff there however who were very supportive and spoke up, trying to console us and acknowledge our pain. Some of them seemed to care and they are not all bad. There are some good people working there. It was really sad to see the person die and then have her bed just rolled up as if she was never there. There was no memorial recognition of the woman who died. I had to tell the womans only 13 year old daughter that her mom was not coming home for Christmas because she had died. The family called asking why the woman did not arrive for the holiday. Staff hung up on them when they called before asking for the woman. “She is not here,” they said and hung up the phone.
Resident: The abuse that is going on I am familiar with because I grew up in Harlem trying not to slip in blood or trip over the bodies on the way to school. Now its CIA, crack, etc. the food is horrible in the shelters…
Resident: Psychic vampires running the shelters, I marched with MLK. I wrote five letters and no one will respond. I was thrown out of Mayors office…
SMC members decided that the allegations about the death at Next Door and the response needs to be taken very seriously. A full investigation is needed. Agreed to set up a working subcommittee to meet and work on the details. There needs to be follow up and documentation of this problem.
Subcommittee members: Diana, Joyce, Judi, David.
XV.Adjournment
Meeting went until 12:30 because people were all allowed to speak.
Next SMC meeting Wednesday, February 1, 2006
10:00am-12:00pm, 25 Van Ness room #800
