2

Present:

Marianne Ellinwood, WHCA / Tracy Parker, CHCS
Marcie Dean, Next Step / Julie Redding, CCC
Ashlei Guptill, WHCA / Ida Davis, WHCA
Vicky Ward, Grange / Jocelyn Storey , WHCA
Michele Ray, Neighbor Group / Tammy Branca, Maine Families
Christine Laurel, CCC / Marsha Sloan, FFD
Marina Milgrom, NYU Dentistry / Tina Chang, NYU Dentistry
Andrew Kary, NYU Dentistry / Rachel Hill, NYU Dentistry
Next meeting: May 3, 2017, 1-3:30 pm after brown bag lunch at Kay Parker Building, Machias

Introductions and Announcements

New members & guests:

·  Michele Ray, Neighbor Group

·  Marianne Ellinwood, new Heat Coach with WHCA (works with people on LIHEAP and energy audits)

·  Rachel Hill, Director of Global Outreach for NYU School of Dentistry

·  Marina Milgrom, 3rd year NYU Dental Student

·  Tina Chang, 3rd year NYU Dental Student

·  Andrew Kary, 3rd year NYU Dental Student

Maine Families: running a new playgroup in Milbridge at the Women’s Health Resource Library on the 4th Friday of every month. This group will go on hiatus for the summer. Contact 546-7677 for more information.

Family Futures Downeast: accepting applications now for the next cohort which begins its program year with Axiom Education & Training Center the week of April 17th for college transitions work. Email or call Marsha Sloan (263-7179) or contact either of the 2 coaches (Jessie McPhail in Calais and Lori Joy in Machias) for more information and to discuss potential barriers. Download an application at the FFD website or the Dean’s office at either campus.

Community Health & Counseling Services: accepting clients for adult case management and child & adult therapy – new case manager on board. CHCS is running a wellness group for members of their Behavioral Health Homes and other clients which include UMM gym passes. Contact Tracy Parker for more info.

Next Step: Marcie Dean prepared fact sheets (distributed at meeting) to help with talking to kids about domestic violence. Next Step is gearing up for their first annual fundraiser – the Shine a Light Campaign that focuses on the clients they serve. Designated trees in areas like Ellsworth and Calais are decorated with purple lights representing people who have received services. Next Step is looking for support from agencies and businesses to sponsor a string of lights and receive recognition on facebook and elsewhere. Tree lighting ceremonies will be held next October during domestic violence awareness month. Darling’s is partnering with Next Step for this campaign and has donated and decorated a car that Marcie and Kelly Brown will be driving around to promote Shine a Light – look for the car in your town! Contact Marcie at 255-4934 for more info.

Neighbors: Michele Ray’s passion for helping children and youth in the community, particularly those struggling with or seeking to avoid substance use, inspired a discussion on how to find ways to be helpful to the community, like:

·  Knitting mittens and caps for infants to give to Maine Seacoast Mission or the American Legion to give to new mothers

·  Involving kids in creative projects like making toys

·  Other types of services for community members – contact local organizations who are looking for volunteers like MSCM

Currently there are no formal big brother/big sister programs in WC.

Washington Hancock Community Agency: new transportation volunteer coordinator, Jocelyn Storey (610-5940), distributed flyers to recruit new volunteer drivers. Requirements include:

·  Must be 25 years old

·  Have a clean driving record

·  Must pass criminal background check & DHHS check

·  Own a reliable & clean vehicle

·  Maintain confidentiality

·  Live in Hancock or Washington County

There are many perks to volunteer driving (you can drive one day a week or seven – it’s up to you). Christine will add Jocelyn’s announcement to the Wednesday Communiqué.

Agency Needs & Offers

Need: NYU Dental has openings for adult patients this year, so please let your clients know about this amazing program organized by Sunrise Opportunities & the Washington County Children’s Program.

Offer: Tracy Parker has a box of oral hygiene kits leftover from the WIN program that she would like to donate to Next Step. Tracy connected with Marcie about where to drop off the kits.

Need: Next Step is looking for a one-bedroom apartment in the Machias area. Vicky suggested checking with Hughes Associates.

NYU Dental Students Visit

Rachel Hill, director of global outreach for the NYU School of Dentistry, visited today’s meeting with three 3rd year dental students who are here for the NYU/Washington County Children’s Program Dental Clinic. The clinic includes a team of 30-35 practitioners and 15 students who are supervised by pediatric residents that provide full service care including root canals. They travel to Mexico, Cambodia, Nepal and other exotic places around the world, as well as rural places in the US, yet Maine is one of the most popular places for outreach because of its good food, beautiful scenery, and the gratitude of the patients receiving services. The outreach program is more than just about fixing acute dental problems. Students want to help clinic patients with their health in a broader sense and came with questions for Work Group & Poverty Busters which led to discussions on WC’s strengths and challenges:

·  What are the biggest issues in the community? People listed housing, Cancer, Diabetes, addiction, lack of safety nets, lack of transportation, low-paying jobs without benefits. WC is one of the poorest counties in the nation, geographically isolated which makes it safer and more access to nature, but also challenging economically with many people working physically demanding seasonal jobs like clamming, wrinkling, worming, scallop dragging, lobster fishing

·  What kind of healthcare insurance do people have and how far away are the hospitals? Discussion on MaineCare and the many people who don’t qualify; distances to the full service hospital in Bangor; and difficulties hospitals and healthcare centers have retaining healthcare professionals

Discussion on how MAT (Medication Assisted Treatment) affects oral health of parents and children; increasing frequency of opiate overdoses; WC’s geography and rural nature making law enforcement efforts very challenging as well as lack of confidentiality – if a person develops a substance issue, everyone knows and it can be very hard to obtain employment.

Wrapping up, people shared positive stories about WC, what drew them here to live or return.

Meeting ended at 3:36 pm

Respectfully submitted by Christine Laurel