2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 MINUTES
SHELTER MONITORING COMMITTEE
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
10:00 AM to 1:00 PM
25 Van Ness Ave., 8th Floor, Human Rights Commission Conference Room
San Francisco, CA 94102
Members present:
Chair Diana Valentine
Vice Chair Damian Ochoa
Secretary Quintin Mecke
Committee Member Henry Belton
Committee Member Kim Clark
Committee Member Eric Correa
Committee Member Judi Iranyi
Committee Member Greg Kats
Committee Member Liz Olson
Committee Member Maxine Pauson
Committee Member Hank Wilson
Members absent:
Committee Member David Nakanishi
PUBLIC COMMENTS WILL BE TAKEN FOR EACH AGENDA ITEM.
The meeting was called to order at 10:05 AM.
I. PUBLIC COMMENT
Norman, a member of the public, said that he went to Glide to make a reservation and was provided a little piece of paper instead of a documented reservation like those provided at Mission Neighborhood Resource Center and Tenderloin Health. He said that when he expressed concerns, Glide staff told him that was all he needed.
Committee Member Henry Belton said that he had heard concern for multiple clients and said that clients should be provided a more professional referral.
Chair Diana Valentine said that she had seen the note and it was hand written.
Committee Member Greg Kats asked to see the note and said that referral slips were note necessary [as client data was captured in CHANGES].
Secretary Quintin Mecke said that a print out would provide a fail safe for clients and asked if there was a mechanism in place to follow up on reservations made.
Committee Member Kats said that he would follow up.
Briana Wirrom from the Human Services Agency said that the printer was out at Glide and that there had been an emphasis on creating a paperless environment.
Committee Member Hank Wilson said that sometimes the computer [at a shelter] is down and that it is a smoother process for clients when they have a paper reservation.
Chair Valentine asked how long it has been broken.
Ms. Wirrom said it has been broken for one or two days.
Mr. Charles Pitts, a member of the public, said that sometimes he has problems reading printouts generated by resource cente4rs.
Dave, a member of the public, said that when the system went down at MSC South for 2 days there was no back up or manual system in place. Clients need a referral and a paper trail.
Committee Member Kim Clark said that clients should be given provided something in writing for the resource center on their letterhead.
Pat Harrison, from the Episcopal Sanctuary Shelter, said that her site runs a bed log 2 or 3 times a day as back up.
James Chisoni from Seniors for Health said that when clients are released from the hospital there is a night to night bed shuffle and something needs to be done.
Ms. Harrison said that Sanctuary did not save or hold beds [if someone is in the hospital], but the site will keep property for 30 days.
Mr. Pitts said that the police were called to Hospitality House due to complaints that staff was holding materials and psychiatric medication which raises serious liability issues.
Abdullah, a member of the public, said that 2 pallets of bacon were stolen by Next Door staff. He said that he had complained over 12 times about the lack of seating in the cafeteria. Abdullah circulated photos of Next Door.
Chair Valentine thanked members of the public for their comments.
II. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES
Chair Valentine asked for a correction in the minutes to reflect.
Action: Approved Amended February 7, 2007 Committee Meeting Minutes
m/s/c (Wilson/Clark/Unanimous)
III. COMMITTEE MEMBERS QUESTIONS/COMMENTS
Committee Member Maxine Pauson said that San Francisco received 19 million dollars from the federal government.
Committee Member Judi Iranyi said that those funds were McKinney funds.
Public Comment
Ali Schlagetter said that the Local Homeless Coordinating Board said there was a new application process for McKinney funds and that she would provide a breakdown to the Committee.
Committee Member Pauson said that she wanted to know how many families have been denied vouchers.
Committee Member Iranyi said that she had heard that 150 Otis would become senior housing.
Committee Member Kats said that nothing [regarding 150 Otis] had been approved.
Vice Chair Damian Ochoa said that the human trafficking conference he had been planning was happening on March 12 at San Francisco State's Jack Adams Hall.
Chair Valentine asked the Committee and members of the public to observe a moment of silence for Leslie Jill May a homeless women who was abducted and killed.
Secretary Mecke said that the Committee had began the standard of care discussion and invited everyone to attend the upcoming subcommittee meeting. He asked for a revision of inspection forms.
Committee Member Belton said that on some site visits staff was unaware of the existence of the Committee or of a site visits. He said that he had been told by staff that he couldn't be in certain sections or areas of the shelter. Committee Member Belton said that he saw the work of the Committee as a mechanism to improve the quality of life for clients and staff.
Committee Member Liz Olsen said that there were few shelters beds for women and asked for a continued gender analysis.
Committee Member Pauson said that she wanted to know the number of children in shelters.
Committee staff Bernice Casey said she would follow up.
Committee Member Wilson said that night shelters like Providence and Ella Hill Hutch open up at 10:00 PM at night, where are women supposed to go before 10:00 PM and where do they go at 6:00 AM when they have to leave the shelter. He said that a census of seniors in the shelters should be done on a continued basis. In addition, Committee Member Wilson said that the he was conducting a visit at a family shelter and there wee 12 staff on duty but none had bilingual capacity.
Committee Member Clark said what the status of volunteers was and where does she go when she notes staff without identification badges. She said that clients were in distress last week about the small earthquake. Committee Member Clark said that each site should have an earthquake policy in place.
Public Comment
Ms. Harrison thanked Mr. Belton for his comments and said there were some areas of the shelter that needed to be kept clear for safety reasons.
Ms. Sue, a member of the public, said that she had been retaliated against by shelter staff and was threatened with write ups and was not allowed to use her bed.
Chair Valentine said that the Committee legislation prohibited retaliation.
Ms. Sue said that she had been denied water and food and seen diabetics pass out.
III. NEW BUSINESS
A. Confidentiality Training Jennifer Williams
Deputy City Attorney Jennifer Williams provided an overview of confidentiality statutes to the Committee Members as they applied to the work of the Committee. Ms. Williams said that that any client receiving aid, such as County Adult Assistance Program (CAAP), is protected, with some exceptions, and that the fact someone receives aid is confidential. She said that someone's HIV status is confidential and is protected under federal and state law.
Secretary Mecke said that the Committee currently did not use any identifying names of clients in its reports.
Ms. Williams said that was fine. She reviewed family shelters, particularly as it applies for dependent kids. She said that shelter clients, under the 4th Amendment, have a right to privacy and site inspections should be conducted in the least intrusive manner as possible. Shelters are clients' home and what applies in your own home applies to shelter residents.
Chair Valentine asked if shelter staff's identity was protected in the same fashion as shelter clients.
Ms. Williams said that City employees and contract agencies to have a right to privacy as it applies to disciplinary action.
Public Comment
Ms. Sue said that she didn't want to give her name.
Ms. Williams said that collecting client names and not using them in reports was a policy call [with the exception of the protections she discussed earlier].
Secretary Mecke said that when staff names are used in reports as it applies to complaints the name is redacted.
Vice Chair Ochoa asked what the Committee should do when a staff is named in an allegation.
Ms. Williams said that the Committee should not name staff in public reports if the issue could fall under disciplinary action.
Ms. Casey asked when the next Sunshine training would be available.
Ms. Williams said that there was an on-line training available.
Dave, a member of the public, said that in shelters in San Diego, clients were taken to a separate room to discuss personal medical history, but in San Francisco, it is done in the front of other clients. He asked if the amount of money a shelter was spending was confidential.
Ms. Williams said she was not aware if the last question was confidential. She said that if clients give their permission, open forum discussions with clients are okay.
Mr. Pitts asked that the statutes discussed at today's meeting be sent out electronically.
Ms. Williams said she would e-mail the information to Ms. Casey.
Committee Member Clark asked where the Sunshine information was on line.
Ms. Casey said she would resend the link to the Committee.
Ms. Sue said that she had been denied access to the elevator at Sanctuary and had to have medical discussions in front of other clients.
A member of the public said that that 150 Otis had monitoring cameras up.
Ms. Williams said that it would depend on where the cameras were at 150 Otis and there may be a reason they are up for example documenting a safety issue.
Mr. Pitts asked where cameras were allowed.
III. COMMITTEE MEMBERS QUESTIONS/COMMENTS [CONTINUED]
Ms. Casey reviewed her staff report, particularly the hygiene piece.
Committee Member Clark said that the shelters faced challenges with the mentally ill clients [in regards to providing access to hygiene].
Secretary Mecke said that the City needs to raise the bar when it comes to expectations in the shelter. He said that hears mentally ill used often and doesn't think that description helps solve the problem and promotes or preconception of those suffering from a mental illness.
Committee Member Belton said that he has lived in the shelters and that there are some irresponsible people in shelters and some of these things [hygiene items] should be passed out as needed.
Ms. Casey reviewed the Shelter Health report and said that the earlier recommendations of the Committee stated that immediate access to hygienic items such as toilet paper was crucial in stopping the spread of disease among clients and staff.
Chair Valentine asked the Committee to be very mindful of language use as to not further stigmatize populations. She said that the Committee should work on how to address mental health issues in the shelters.
Public Comment
Ms. Sue said that more attention should be placed on disabled and elderly. She said that disabled people can not use their ADA shower as it is used by able bodied people.
B. Discharge Planning Maria X. Martinez
Maria X. Martinez, Deputy Director and Privacy Officer for Community Programs, provided an overview of discharge planning and asked for questions and concerns on discharges.
Secretary Mecke said that based on the encounters he had with shelter staff and clients, he said that there was a need for better coordination between the City and the veteran's hospital; a need for a single point of contact in the City on discharge and care questions; a place to bring medical concerns as opposed to psychiatric concerns; and examples of specific cases the Committee has encountered, so that the Department of Public Health has a clearer idea of the concerns facing shelters.
Committee Member Wilson said that clients are discharged at 8:00 AM to and have to wait until 8:00 PM before they get a bed.
Vice Chair Ochoa said that social workers at hospitals need to work better with shelters before making the placement.
Public Comment
A member of the public said that when clients come to Providence in a wheelchair and wake up clients when they are sleeping.
Ms. Martinez talked about the opening of the respite center at Next Door and the changes that would be happening at 39 Fell as it was changed to a respite center.
Karen Perkins, a member of the public, said there were 29 respite beds for men and 5 respite beds for women.
Mr. Pitts said there were racial slurs on the walls of 39 Fell and the site was filthy.
Ms. Martinez said that the Department of Public Health had discontinued the contract with 39 Fell and would be working with Haight Ashbury clinic and their new drop in center on 13th Street.
V. Old Business Action
A. Polices and Procedures Diana Valentine 15 min
The Committee will review Version 5 of the Policies and Procedures, specifically the added section regarding Committee Members and Site Visits. The Committee asked that the language be changed to six months for former residents.
Action: Approved Ammended Policies and Procedures
m/s/c (Mecke/Wilson/Unanimous)
Public Comment
Diana Greer asked if it would be better for the Committee if Greg Kats could conduct site visits.
Committee Member Wilson explained that Greg Kats could inspect a site anytime he wanted in his job with the Human Services Agency.
Secretary Mecke said that he wished Greg Kats was here to explain why he wanted to begin participating in the inspection process.
B. St. Boniface
St. Boniface Executive Director John Weeks read a letter into the record regarding the challenges that St. Boniface has faced in contact negotiations.
Secretary Mecke asked if negotiations were happening with the Human Service Agency.
Mr. Weeks said that the contract discussions have focused on issues that go away from the vision of St. Boniface.
Action: Write a letter to Supervisor Daly and ask for a public hearing and stressing the need for a shelter in this fiscal year.
m/s/c (Mecke/Clark/Unanimous)
A member of the public said he was a former resident of the St. Boniface and that it was a model shelter. He said that the other shelters had a different type of climate.
Chair Valentine asked that the letter note that the Committee recognized St. Boniface as a best practices model in the past fiscal year.
VI. REPORTS
A. Human Services Agency Greg Kats
Postponed until April 2, 2007.
B. Department of Public Health David Nakanishi
Postponed until April 2, 2007.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 1:10 PM.
To obtain copies of the agenda, minutes, or any explanatory documents, please contact Bernice Casey at 415.255.3653 or Bernice.casey@sfdph.org 72 hours before the meeting.
To obtain a disability-related modification or accommodation, including auxiliary aids or services to participate in the meeting, please contact Bernice Casey at 415.255.3653 or Bernice.casey@sfdph.org at least two business days before the meeting.
25 Van Ness Avenue is accessible to persons using wheelchairs and others with disabilities. Assistive listening devices are available and meetings are open-captioned. Agendas are available in large print. Materials in alternative formats, American Sign Language interpreters, and other format accommodations will be made available upon request. Please make your request for alternative forma or other accommodations to the Shelter Monitoring Committee at 415.255.3642. Providing at least 72 hours notice prior to the meeting will help ensure availability.
The nearest BART station is Civic Center Plaza at the intersection of Market, Grove, and Hyde Streets. The MUNI Metro lines are the F, J, K, L, M, and N (Civic Center Station or Van Ness Avenue Station). MUNI bus lines serving the area are the 47 Van Ness, 9 San Bruno, and the 6, 7, 71 Haight/Noreiga. Accessible curbside parking is available on Oak and Hickory Streets.
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Frank Darby, Administrator
Sunshine Ordinance Task Force
City Hall, Room 244
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
San Francisco, CA 94102-4689
Phone 415.554.7584
Fax 415.554.5784
E-mail sotf@sfgov.org
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