Minutes

Human Services Planning Board

-
Electronic Meeting
Co-Chairs:
  • J. Heath
  • and R. Shields
Members:
  • C. Bisanz,
  • M. Braithwaite,
  • E. Chang,
  • N. Cheong,
  • J. Fang,
  • W. Emmerson,
  • C. Grant,
  • D. Gray,
  • T. Macgregor Walter,
  • J. MacSween,
  • M. Mahdy,
  • I. Maxwell Rodrigues,
  • E. Pivato,
  • C. Roach,
  • D. Rokos,
  • D. Stolte,
  • J. Taylor,
  • A. Wilson,
  • C. Zakoor,
  • C. Beer (Advisor),
  • D. Chong (Advisor),
  • N. Din (Advisor),
  • D. Gwilt-McPhail (Advisor),
  • and N. Venafro (Advisor)
Staff:
  • C. Abankwa,
  • L. Alfieri Sladen,
  • M. Bryce,
  • K. Chislett,
  • C. Clark,
  • Dr. A. Fitzgerald,
  • B. Macgregor,
  • J. Silva,
  • C. Taglione,
  • J. Tsui,
  • and S. Hall (Facilitator)

Regional Councillor Jack Heath, Co-Chair, called the meeting to order at 9:01 a.m. and made the following remarks:

“We acknowledge the land we are meeting on today is the traditional territory of many First Nations, including the Chippewas of Georgina Island and the Mississaugas of the Credit.

These lands are now home to many diverse Indigenous peoples.

We also acknowledge that York Region falls under Treaty 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit and the Williams Treaties with several Mississauga and Chippewas First Nations.”

Regional Councillor Heath provided an overview of the agenda and introduced Rebecca Shields, Co-Chair of the Human Services Planning Board.

Katherine Chislett, Commissioner of Community and Health Services provided updates on actions taken by York Region in the following areas:

  1. Community Support
  2. Income Supports, Business Supports and Transportation
  3. Children's Services
  4. Homelessness Prevention and Housing Services
  5. Paramedic Actions and Supports for Seniors

Dr. Alanna Fitzgerald-Husek, Associate Medical Officer of Health for York Region provided updates on COVID-19 in the following areas:

  1. Status of cases, past and present
  2. Common trends
  3. Expectations going into the Fall season
  4. Updates on schools re-opening
  5. Advanced planning

Board Members provided input regarding next steps for their organizations amid COVID-19, the impacts on the community and obstacles they will face.

The main areas of discussion were as follows:

  1. Staffing
  2. Financial strategies/campaigns/fundraising
  3. Funding agreements
  4. Creative use of physical spaces
  5. Working with partners - system coordination
  6. Strategies for second wave
  7. Exploring housing options
  8. Adapting programs
  9. Transitioning to virtual world
  10. Prevention strategies
  11. Crisis supports
  12. Social isolation
  13. Addressing the digital divide
  14. Cleaning protocols
  15. Government supports

The Board received the presentation by Cordelia Abankwa, General Manager, Social Services, Community and Health Services and Monica Bryce, Director, Integrated Children's Services, Community and Health Services.

The Board received the presentation by Joseph Silva, Director, Strategies and Partnerships, Community and Health Services.

None

A working group of the Human Services Planning Board will be meeting on December 4, 2020 at 9:00 a.m.

The Board meeting adjourned at 11:54 a.m.