Minutes of ESCOTA General Meetings

Minutes from the June 11, 2009 meeting

Date of Meeting: Thursday, June 11, 2009
Presentation: DFTA Funded Case Management: The East Side Case Management Consortium’s First Year
Speaker: Kate Geitner, Director of the East Side Case Management Consortium, Lenox Hill Neighborhood House

Reeva Mager called the meeting to order at 3:05 PM. and introduced the speakers. Approximately 40 people were present.

Announcements:

Ellen Polivy addressed the group and shared information about the Community Planning Board. The board consists of “about 50” individuals who are appointed by politicians. Board members deal with such concerns as street lights, transportation, health services and senior services. Ellen asked ESCOTA members’ support about turning “the old Bellevue” into a senior residence. She asked if participants could sign a Community Planning Board 6 resolution supporting this program.

Elizabeth Figueroa stated that SPOP is looking for a 20-hour LCSW. Please call 212-787-7120 ext 521 for more information. 

Ken Onaitis from Carter Burden Center for the Aging, Inc., spoke about funds for the elderly that may be restored in the city budget.

Presentation:

Kate Geitner, Director of the East Side Case Management Consortium, Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, described the new DFTA case management program which provides services that allow frail elders to remain in their homes. Kate described how Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, Carter Burden Center for the Aged, Search and Care, and Stanley M. Isaacs Neighborhood Center decided to form a consortium and “put a proposal together and work as a team.” Identified was a need for more staff, particularly for bilingual workers, and having in-service trainings that would be relevant to the work. “Different agencies have different strengths and can share data and resources.” There would be a shared server on the Internet and this technology would enable all participating agencies to have access to information for all Consortium clients. She stated that every senior in receipt of meals-on-wheels would now receive case management services as well.

In early summer of 2008, a tablet PC, stylus, and blackberry was issued to each staff member who would require this equipment for home visits. Outreach was done at health fairs, public forums, and in NYCHA buildings.

Trends:

• Meals on wheels clients need additional services.
• Community Planning Board 11 has a greater level of poverty than Community Planning Board 8.
• Most clients have quite a low income. On the Upper East Side it is about $1,100 a month. In East Harlem, it is “much lower.”
• In CPD8, many clients are” totally isolated” in CPD 11 “many have extended families.”

In March 2009, Stanley Isaacs received the Meals on Wheels contract from DFTA with Carter Burden and Union Settlement designated as the subcontractors.

Rochelle Friedlich, Director of Case Management at Carter Burden Center for the Aging, Inc., stated that “communication between the agencies is very strong. If a client is missing, we help each other.” Many clients are known to all the participating agencies.

Susan Siroto, Program Director of Search and Care, noted that her agency “had no prior experience with DFTA.” Their staff consists of one supervisor, two full-time case managers, and one back-up supervisor. Search and Care has been traditionally privately funded. Susan noted that some clients “just want the service and to be left alone.”

Anne Foerg is the Director of Project Scope at Lenox Hill Neighborhood House. She feels she can “echo what others have said. The goal is what is best for the client. We have learned from everybody.”

Laura Tetro, Director of Case Management at Stanley M. Isaacs Center, Inc., noted that her agency did meals-on-wheels assessments and did not really do care plans in the past. Now if a meals-on-wheels client is missing, there is a search. Maybe the client forgot to cancel or maybe “the client is on the ground.” One time a client was in the hospital. Laura also spoke about the option of a frozen or hot meal for clients.

It was noted that the four executive directors of the agencies “meet three or four times a year” to provide additional oversight.

The meeting ended at 4:45PM.

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Respectfully submitted by Connie Gemson

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