Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Human Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Human Services reports rising caseloads, seeks modest part‑time staffing and $15,000 for direct assistance
Summary
Human services director Marcy Rand told the board that adult and senior client contacts and food pantry use have increased year to date; the department proposes a part‑time position to handle applications and requests $15,000 to replenish emergency direct-aid funds as prior balances were spent down.
Marcy Rand, director of Human Services, presented year-to-date caseload and program data and the department’s 2025 budget proposal. Rand said adult and senior client contacts rose (she reported 231 adult/senior client cases year to date), youth-and-family caseloads and crisis referrals have increased and the food pantry served 1,041 households and 868 shoppers in the year-to-date period shown.
Rand said the department manages energy-assistance and renter-rebate applications, runs a grief-support group and a program called Life Reimagined for retired residents, and maintains a vulnerable-population registry (86 residents on request). She described monthly outreach (choices Medicare counseling at Lapham, a walking club and partnerships for clinical screenings) and said Everbridge helped grow outreach reach.
On outside agency funding, Rand presented proposed allocations for 2025: Get About ($50,000 total; $25,000 from New Canaan and $25,000 from a Connecticut DOT grant through 2028), Kids in Crisis (total $96,000; $70,000 New Canaan budget, $16,000 Youth Services Bureau grant, $10,000 opioid settlement), Domestic Violence Crisis Center ($10,000), New Canaan Cares ($18,000 from mixed sources including opioid-settlement funds) and Meals on Wheels ($5,000). She said the department expects $130,000 in outside-agency funding total and noted the opioid settlement funding has allocations running through 2035 with amounts potentially increasing as additional settlements are distributed.
Rand explained a declining in-house direct-assistance balance: spending on rent and utilities has reduced the town-held assistance fund; she requested a $15,000 replenishment to ensure assistance for eviction prevention, utilities and related emergency needs. She also asked for a modest part-time funding line (roughly $51,000 part-time budget line across the department) to handle increased application volume and free up social-worker time for casework.
Nut graf: Human Services described materially higher demand for casework, food assistance and energy support, proposed $15,000 to replenish direct-assistance funds and requested part‑time staffing to handle administrative workload tied to rising client counts.
Board questions probed grant sources (including opioid settlement timeline to 2035), how donations and restricted funds support the food pantry (donations fund pantry and town money is not used for pantry goods), and the department’s staffing mix; Rand said the department currently has two full‑time social workers and one full‑time administrative position (with Enza shared to finance) and that added part‑time help would allow more casework capacity.
