Lines of Communication Opened |
MetroWest Daily News The head of a local mental health agency came to the table with Framingham selectmen this week for a good discussion. It was good, not because all the questions were answered and concerns assuaged about how the agency, Advocates Inc., sites its group homes or notifies neighbors. The meeting was good because Advocates CEO Bill Taylor's appearance before the board opened the discussion again and put it in the public forum. Some residents have raised concerns in recent months about what some see as an unchecked expansion of social service agencies in Framingham. Advocates, which works with people with mental illnesses and disabilities, is one of four major social service agencies, along with Wayside Family Services and the South Middlesex Opportunity Council and the Salvation Army. Some critics have scored heads of the agencies for not seeking more public input before a residence or facility is sited. And a selectmen's meeting in July, that had been billed as a social services summit, brought a representative from the Salvation Army, but no others. At the selectmen's meeting Tuesday night, Taylor apologized for snubbing the board and residents in July, adding, "Anytime, any place, we'd be happy to talk about what we do." That willingness to talk about what the agency does -- and to educate everyone in the process -- is significant and proper. But those who oppose siting group homes or expansion of social services in Framingham and neighboring towns can't view this willingness to come to the table as a move to accede to the demands of neighbors or town officials. It's not, nor should it be. It's the job of health care and social service professionals to try to find the best locations to serve the needs of their clients. Regular public dialogues are important so those agencies know the interests and concerns of neighbors and the community as a whole -- and so community members can be part of that discussion. |