Single Room Occupancy (SRO) Task Force - December 18, 2014 - Meeting Minutes
SRO TASK FORCE
Meeting Minutes December 18, 2014
9:00 AM – 10:30 AM
1650 Mission Street, Room 431
Members Present: Rosemary Bosque (DBI); Amelia Rudburg (Non-profit SRO Operator/Manager); Angela Chu (Chinatown SRO Collaborative); Bruce Burge (SRO Operator); Dan Jordan (SRO Tenant); Nicolette Alexander (Tenant Representative); Pratibha Tekkey (Central City SRO Collaborative); Raul Fernandez-Berriozabal (SRO Families United Collaborative); Sam Patel (SRO Operator); Scott Walton (HSA); Wolfgang Stuwe (DPH Housing & Urban Health, DPH)
Excused Absences: Yvonne Mere
Unexcused Absences: Dr. Johnson Ojo
Guests: Kitty Fong; Benjamin Gunnett; Patrick Flanagan; Michael Thomas; Igor Spitalnikor; Noronha Jadma
Minutes: Nicole Rossini (DBI-HIS)
1. Call to Order:
Meeting was called to order at 9:05 by Rosemary Bosque
2. Roll Call/Determination of Quorum:
Quorum was determined by Rosemary Bosque
3. Approval of Meeting Minutes for October 16, 2014
Wolfgang Stuwe pointed to item #5, second paragraph stating that he believed that a social worker was being hired not a psychiatrist.
Rosemary Bosque asked that this item be fact checked with the presenter Edwin Batongbacal.
Scott Walton stated that the Human Services Agency and not Department of Public Health was working with the Veterans Administration in Item #4.
Motion to approve with corrections by Scott Walton and seconded by Nicolette Alexander.
Minutes approved unanimously with corrections.
Public Comment:
None
4. Administrative Announcements:
Rosemary Bosque stated that she did not have any administrative announcements.
Scott Walton stated that approximately thirty-five (35) to forty-five (45) veterans have moved into the residential hotel at 250 Kearney Street on December 1, 2014. Swords to Plowshares was chosen for property management of the building. The Veteran Administration (VA) will be providing services for the residents. Scott indicated that tenancy was first being offered to the most vulnerable, and those with the longest periods of previous homelessness.
Public Comment:
None
5. Presentation by Jason Adamek of the Human Services Agency (HSA) of San Francisco’s Department of Aging & Adult Services( DAAS) regarding overview of services.
Jason Adamek reported to the SRO Task Force members and guests that he manages intake services for DAAS as outlined in the handout distributed, entitled “Department of Aging and Adult Services”. Jason explained that DAAS is comprised of several programs and services administered by various divisions within the Department. Based on this, he advised that the best way for SRO residents to access the most appropriate DAAS services for their needs is to call the Integrated In-take Unit at (415) 355-6750, TTY: (415) 355-6756, Fax: (415)355-6750, and DAAS@sfgov.org.
Jason explained that Adult Protective Services (APS) is one of the Division within DAAS which has mandates that incidents of self-neglect other types of abuse of older adults must be reported by health care givers and others as defined by the state. He indicated that commonly reported issues include those at-risk for failure to take proper medication, not attending doctor’s appointments, as well as physical and financial abuse. He stated that there are approximately 500 reported incidents monthly.
Jason gave an overview of In-Home Supportive Service (IHSS) for low income individuals who have Medi-Cal and a verifiable disability. He indicated that IHSS assists with food, clothing and other services for qualifying individuals unable to manage their own care.
Jason summarized the existing home- delivered meal (HDM) programs and the HDM emergency meal program response periods and wait lists. For the HDM he indicated that the wait list is over 200, and it can take one month to two months for qualifying individuals to have meals delivered. He stated that the emergency meal services can generally be available in two (2) to five (5) days, and cited as an example individuals recently released from the hospital.
Jason described the Community Living Fund (CLF) and Transitional Care Programs(TCP) as providing services for individuals who are at risk of being institutionalized, with Laguna Honda Hospital (LHH) and San Francisco General Hospital (SFGH) patients receiving top priority. He stated that the CLF gets approximately 20 referrals a month, most coming from LHH.
Jason reported that the Transitional Care Program (TCP) began in 2012. Eligible individuals must be on Medicare. TCP assists with the transition from hospital to home by providing consultation and support services to minimize unnecessary re-hospitalization. Jason indicated that TCP focuses on recovery goals, understanding medications, nutrition and getting to doctor’s appointments. He stated that DAAS intake staff began hospital bed side referrals in April 2014.
Jason Adamek asked the Task Force members if they had questions.
Amelia Rudburg asked what the criteria was to qualify as a “dependent adult” for purposes of reporting abuse.
Jason Adamek stated that the individual must be dependent on someone else for personal care. He further stated that having a mental or physical disability does not automatically qualify an individual between eighteen (18) and sixty-four (64) as a “dependent adult’. Jason indicated that the blank copy of the distributed State of California Health and Human Services Agency SOC 341 form ( for reporting adult/elder abuse) provided a more extensive definition.
Amelia Rudburg asked if it would be best to consult with the DAAS Intake Unit if one suspect abuse.
Jason Adamek stated that would be the best option.
Nicolette Alexander asked if to qualify as being a “dependent adult” one must be receiving assistance from another individual.
Jason indicated that the “dependent adult’ may need help from another individual but are not receiving it.
Rosemary Bosque asked if the qualifier was receiving assistance for daily living activities.
Jason Adamek stated that individual situations had to be evaluated.
Scott Walton suggested that the best course of action when seeking these services was to contact the DAAS Intake Unit so they could direct the individual to the services appropriate for their situation.
Jason Adamek stated that assistance from Adult Protective Services is voluntary, in that they do not have the power to remove an adult from a given situation. He further stated that in some of these cases, a conservatorship needs to be established. He referred the Task Force membership to the blue covered Services for Seniors and Adults with Disabilities as a further resource.
Amelia Rudburg asked how service providers can obtain a copy.
Jason Adamek stated one could obtain a copy by calling him or emailing daas@sfgov.org , and that a pdf version was available online. (The link is http://www.sfhsa.org/DAAS.htm )
Public Comment:
None
6. Report from SRO Collaboratives
SRO Families United Collaborative: Raul Fernandez-Berriozabal stated that the Collaborative has completed their census of data related to families in SROs, and that the information will be available when it has been compiled and analyzed. Kitty Fong reported that the LOSP (Local Operating Subsidy Program) units at Broadway Sansome Apartments were allocated by the HSA. The SRO Families United Collaborative is acting as access point in referred SRO families need priority bases into the one (1) and two (2) bedroom units. Eighteen (18) families were scheduled to interview with property management in mid- December 2014.
Mission SRO Collaboartive: Noronha Jadma stated that the Mission SRO Collaborative is fully staffed. She indicated that she is working with the Rules Committee of the Board of Supervisors to be appointed to the Mission Colloboartive vacancy. She reported that the Collaborative has restarted their leadership academy for SRO residents.
Public comment:
None
7. Prioritization of Future Meetings
Rosemary Bosque asked if IHSS should be invited to a future meeting based upon previous membership suggestions, or whether the information provided by Jason Adamek was sufficient.
Scott Walton stated he thought the material was sufficient. He suggested that the Task Force members review the material and identify any possible need for more information at a future meeting.
Rosemary Bosque stated that a previous Task Force member suggested a food bank representative as a guest speaker, and that she would get that scheduled for a future meeting.
Scott Walton stated that HSA has a contract with a food bank and he would forward that information to Rosemary Bosque.
Nicolette Alexander suggested as a guest speaker a representative from San Francisco Recreation & Parks Department that could address any available discounted or free wellness programs for occupants in SROs.
Rosemary Bosque stated DBI would provide an update on the progress of the SRO Elevator Work Group at a future meeting.
Nicolette Alexander stated that she would like to see someone come in regarding the enforcement of the visitation policy in SROs, in that she had observed some SROs charging residents fees for guests visits.
Rosemary Bosque stated that she would invite Delane Wolfe of the Rent Board to a future meeting early in the new year to discuss the visitor policy.
Nicolette Alexander asked if SRO residents can call the Rent Board for decreased services. She was aware that when some residents are asked to pay the fee, they are made to pay cash and not given a receipt.
Rosemary Bosque stated that the future discussion on visitor policy could explore this concern.
Scott Walton stated that the police are involved in the enforcement of the visitor policy, but pursuing enforcement was problematic. He indicated that the Rent Board did not perform enforcement.
Rosemary Bosque stated perhaps having representatives from both the Police Department, and Rent Board in to discuss this policy would be advisable.
Dan Jordan stated that he believed an SRO resident could report these types of visitor policy violations to the District Attorney.
Public Comment:
None
General Public Comment
Patrick Flanagan stated that the SRO he is living in has allowed religious groups to enter the building to distribute food with religious pamphlets to individuals living in the hotel. He was concerned that the individuals distributing these items were knocking on guest room doors, and offending SRO occupants with various religious messages contained within the flyers. Mr. Flanagan indicated he would prefer the SRO front desk clerks stop this practice.
Benjamin Gunnett stated he was concern for SRO residents who could be influenced by messages in the religious pamphlets, rather than seeking and obtaining needed services.
Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 10:04.
