Health and Social Services Team Meeting 1
May 25, 2017
City Hall
The following are notes taken during the Team meeting. They are unofficial ideas and comments that were brought up. Individual comments do not reflect views of Denham Strong or The City of Denham Springs. Comments are used to define issues and visioning. All comments are welcome.
Dawn Birdsong, Mighty Moms; Dr. Robin Dale; Margot May, Livingston Parish Business Report; John Cavalier; Jeanette Clark, City of Denham Springs; Jack Slota, Deane Bingham, Beth Otto and Jason Perry; FEMA
The Health and Social Services Group has some immediate and short term needs that need to be addressed along with the long term needs:
How do we feed kids right now and give them something to do?
Issues:
Many people lack access to health care because they do not have means of transportation to a health care facility.
Many people on Medicaid do not have access to health care. Doctors are not able to take these patients since they can’t bill for it.
Need for life skills education. Start with schools: personal finance, cooking, grocery shopping. (Junior Achievement)
Need for crisis counselling.
We need crisis housing – short term housing options. (example? Women outreaching women – State funding to put a family that is in need.)
Visioning:
What kind of transportation options would you like to see in Denham Springs?
A free uber system?
Dial a ride
Public Transportation (long term)
Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvements (long term)
What does a healthy community look like? But that is a hard question to answer.
Information to present at the community meeting:
Promote LA Spirit.
Samaritan’s purse, All hands.
Resource list to hand out in different areas.
There are statistics about how music can help with mental health. Music therapy.
Research: areas where people are struggling. (A lot of people are looking for ways to help. Need to connect volunteers with needs.)
Present social services stats – i.e. 1 in X kids in Denham Springs lacks access to nutritious food. (Can the Health and Social RSF help with this?)
Ideas:
Look into a getting a Boys and Girls Club in Denham Springs
Next meeting Thursday 12:45. — Can we bring in some professionals that can help us communicate in this area?
Mighty Mom’s is having a community meeting on Tuesday at 6.
Next meeting:
Thursday June 1 12:45 City Hall
