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Human Services Advisory Commission ----- Minutes - - - - - - - June 17, 2002 - - - - Page 4 of 6 Ms. Barnhill and Ms. Wash agreed, and Ms. Barnhill commented that we would have more control this way. Discussion ensued about the comments that are submitted to the Manager's office regarding there not being enough time in the break out groups. Ms. Young said she thinks that means they want to hear about solutions and not just problems. She added that she thinks that people say there is not enough time when what they really mean is that they are not satisfied. She said that this is probably because of the way that we have organized the break out sessions. They leave people feeling dissatisfied because things are left kind of loose and not summed up. So people feel that they did not have enough time in the break out groups because nothing substantial was said. She said she thinks this problem that has been brought up in the comments back from the participants is not a function of time but a function of the method used with the break out group. Ms. Young said that we don't need more time but just a different method. Ms. Wash went back to what the group said earlier about having a moderator at the panel. Ms. Wash said that this as a good suggestion because in this way we can really drive the discussion in the way we want it to go and direct what we want to come out of it. She added that this is a new approach, and this method would really enable us to pull out the answers that we need. Ms. Young suggested maybe we can have people (the audience) fill out a card that asks something like, "Are there any burning questions that you have regarding how to end the problem of abuse ?" In this way, she explained, we would get at least a little bit of audience participation. Ms. Wash agreed and said she really liked that idea. She said it was energizing. Mr. Thompson said he thinks people are dissatisfied because when they leave the Forum they don't know any more than they did when they walked in the door. We need to provide some useful information for folks from the forum not just identify the problems. He says he doesn't think we will solve the problems of abuse at the Forum, because this has not been solved yet. The great minds have failed to answer this question so he doesn't think we are going to answer it in half a day but we can provide people some information about what is know and what kind of resources are available. Ms. Young said she does agree in some respects with Mr. Thompson in that we cannot expect this group to think of an entire new approach or some whole new paradigm. However, she thinks that we can expect them to say: 1. Our community is lacking in this /these (fill in some of the problems /issues) 2. Here are some neat things that are happening elsewhere to solve this problem 3. And yes we can do this here 4. We can think of solutions that Orange County needs She added that the Forum could be an opportunity for professionals in the area to "up the ante" on what we know about abuse and to coalesce on solutions. Ms. Young added that she feels that we are not of a like mind on what these forums should do or be. In the past they have been more informational but she feels that what the HSAC wants now is to have this to be a more proactive coalescing, problem - solving meeting. Mr. Hurston then gave his thoughts on this. He feels in the past the Forums have been to: • Gather information from the community regarding issues of concern that would then • Be told to our County Commissioners to provide input • And, also, to express a desire to do something to address the issues of concern Protecting and Preserving People, Resources and Quality of Life Orange County, North Carolina — You Count! Area Code (919) 245 -2125: Fax (919) 644 -0246: EMAIL: npaciga @co.orange.nc.us