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Human services and health department report increases in assistance requests; mental‑health training planned
Summary
Human services reported higher adult protective services referrals, increased food‑pantry use and energy‑assistance demand; staff will offer a Mental Health First Aid course and Amy from the health department outlined vaccine and reportable‑disease updates.
Human services staff reported that the department has seen a busy period of adult protective services referrals and one conservatorship that will help protect an at‑risk resident from eviction. The commission heard that the town’s food pantry served 164 households (115 shoppers) in November, that grief‑group participation is steady and that 45 energy assistance applications were received over two months.
Marcy announced the town will co‑host an 8‑hour Mental Health First Aid instructor course (held over two days, planned for January) and said the program will initially be offered to town employees and potentially library and school staff. She asked commissioners to help with holiday basket assignments and thanked the community for roughly $31,000 in donations to the food pantry.
Amy of the health department summarized the town’s 2024 reportable‑disease numbers and said nothing jumped out as unexpected. On immunizations she said: "It is still a state requirement that any child who goes to day care, does have to have a flu vaccine by January 1." Amy also noted incidental mercury screening results tend to reflect dietary patterns and announced a QPR training on Dec. 19 at the New Canaan Library.
Commissioners requested that staff obtain more detailed domestic‑violence screening counts (including Lethality Assessment Program screenings and high‑risk homicide assessments) to present at a future meeting.
