Comprehensive Human Services Master Plan Being Developed for County

Howard County's Department of Citizen Services (DCS), along with the Association of Community Services (ACS), launched a process for developing a comprehensive human services plan in October 2004. The Human Services Master Plan, which was funded by county government, The Horizon Foundation and the Community Development Block Grant, will outline a set of goals to guide the county and its nonprofit and for-profit partners in the delivery of human services through the year 2010. It will also allow the county government to assess and evaluate county-funded human service programs.

The plan will include strategies for prevention, access and crisis services for various segments of the county's populations, including children, youth and families, persons with disabilities, the general population and seniors. Trends information will complement work underway that identifies gaps in services and possible new ways to deliver existing services.

An 11-member steering committee has guided this process since its selection in October. The committee has reviewed materials prepared by Sage Policy Group in the development of the plan while community experts have attended special sessions to further enhance discussions on various human services such as health, housing, homelessness, disabilities, aging and more.

The steering committee has suggested ways to generate community input on the draft plan. It will also provide advice and guidance to ACS and the Department of Citizen Services as the plan is implemented during the next several years. The public draft of the plan will be presented on April 20 by County Executive Jim Robey at a general meeting of the ACS, thereby launching a public comment period that continues through May. The final plan will be ready in late June.

The members of the Steering Committee were selected based on their individual knowledge and skills relating to the Howard County human services community.

According to Susan Rosenbaum, DCS director, "Those selected bring to the table an exceptional knowledge of children, youth and families; older adults; persons with a disability; and specific human service needs.

"We are very pleased to have individuals of such broad experience give their time to such an important effort."

Members of the committee include the following:

* Karen E. Carter, a member of the board of directors for The Arc of Howard County where she is active on the Education and Youth Issues Committee. She also participates on the Arc of Maryland's Education Committee and serves as a Parent to Parent program member and a tutor for Project Literacy.

* Harry Chaiklin, Ph.D., who received his doctorate in medical sociology from Yale University. He practiced social work at various programs in New York City, New Haven, Conn., and Baltimore, Md.

* Diane M. Huss, MSW, LGSW, experienced in the long-term care area and in development, marketing and strategic planning through her work for Friends Life Care at Home MidAtlantic and for United Healthcare.

* Chaya Kaplan, MSW, committed to the areas of education, children and families, and poverty. Since 1991 she has provided training and technical assistance to dozens of nonprofit and human service organizations, including the Family Life Center, the Howard County Coalition for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention and the Association of Community Services.

* Michelle Miller, Community Services Division director of the Columbia Association. She is responsible for conceptualizing, planning and implementing major programs and services.

* Valarie Oulds-Dunbar, BSW, JD, director of the One Stop Family Support and Resource Center Initiative for The Family League of Baltimore. A graduate of the Maryland Partners in Policy program, she has been involved with FAPE of Howard County, the Howard County Public Schools' LRE Improvement Committee and the ESY Services Committee.

* Lori Somerville, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Humanim. She is responsible for the oversight of clinical, vocational, residential and admissions operations for an agency that annually serves approximately 4,000 persons with disabilities.

* Cynthia Coulter Story, deputy director of the Howard County Department of Social Services with over 29 years of administrative and senior management experience in strategic planning, results-based management, organizational development and negotiation. She has worked for the Department of Human Resources since 1984.

* Sabina Taj, manager of the grant process for the Columbia Foundation's unrestricted, field of interest, donor-advised scholarship and award funds. She works with local leaders on community-wide projects. Prior to working at the Columbia Foundation she worked for Share Our Strength.

* Sue Wagner, a community advocate and organizer who founded PROMISE Enterprises International in the summer of 2004. She has helped to raise funds to support the Bookworms Club, a program of Christian Volunteers for Children; a local Boy Scout Troop; and the Leukemia Society of America. She has also served on the Equity Council for the Howard County Board of Education.

* Sharon Stone, program manager for Corridor Transportation Corporation, a regional system that includes the fixed-route Howard Transit system; a paratransit service operating within the county; and the Connect-A-Ride system, which operates in a four-county area.

The Human Services Master Plan is a collaboration of the Association of Community Services and the Howard County Department of Citizen Services. For further information, contact Susan Rosenbaum, director of the Department of Citizen Services (srosenbaum@co.ho.md.us); or Anne Towne, executive director of the Association of Community Services (Anne.Towne@ acshoco.org).