Recommendations of Leadership Summits

RECOMMENDATIONS OF LEADERSHIP SUMMITS

A RESPONSIVE AND ACCOUNTABLE COUNTY GOVERNMENT

African American Asian American Continental African (CAC) Latin American

Establish a post-summit Establish a nine-member Create an independent, volunteer CAC Advisory Establish Office of Latino Affairs Change committee to determine the committee from the APIANE Group headed by a Continental African to advise accessible to Latino residents to criteria for an information communities to work with the County Executive and department heads on help maintain accountability for Organizational document. the appropriate county issues uniquely germane to the CAC as well as government operations. Practices & B/C/Cs on multicultural common issues shared by all groups in the County. Policies education issues. Implement reporting mechanism Working with the CAC as a user community, the to handle Latino customer Develop a community Executive staff and county department directors grievances and complaints. resource guide of APIANE should engage a broad range of professionals and organizations and distribute agencies to obtain data and qualitative analysis Contract or hire professional among the communities and that reveal current status and gaps in services to consulting services from Latino the County government to yield the greatest insights, impacts and firm[s] to achieve cultural and promote collaboration and meaningfulness in planning and delivering critical linguistic competencies across partnerships. services to the CAC. the county departments.

Work with inclusive CAC organizations and leadership to identify reliable networks and committed broad-based “Supranational” leaders with demonstrated outreach and competence to bring seriousness to the germane issues with professionalism, clarity, and consistency.

Create a liaison position in the County Executive’s Office that will interface with all levels of government and agencies to address general and specialized services to the CAC, which include safety, human rights, economic development, housing, employment, public health, transportation, and education.

1 RECOMMENDATIONS OF LEADERSHIP SUMMITS

A RESPONSIVE AND ACCOUNTABLE COUNTY GOVERNMENT

African American Asian American Continental African (CAC) Latin American

Existing neighborhood Encourage high level county Support and patronize programs that promote Increase county department Promote councils, regional officials to host or participate people-to-people interaction between the CAC and partnerships with the Latino community centers should in cultural and religious residents of Montgomery County and County community and agency providers Community be approached by Task events to get more agencies. to increase service effectiveness Education Force members to acquainted with APIANE to Latino residents. determine the viability of communities. Advance the ideas and bring awareness to the “getting to know you” groups relevant issues of the day, including international Establish two-way lines of set up under the aegis of the Improve access of affairs. communication to improve council and or community community and grassroots delivery of timely and centers; and reinforced with organizations to county Promote cultural and business exchanges between accountable services to the expert training resources programs and services. the County and Africa. Latino Community. provided by the Partnerships Office in the County Showcase county programs Executive’s staff. and agency services at community events, and Opportunities to conduct publicize both community Faith-Based Community and county events in an forums where common online calendar maintained interests are aired and by the County. reconciled should be encouraged and supported Provide training to with both human and fiscal grassroots organizations to resources. help them grow, secure funding, strengthen the management, promote programs, and develop capacity.

Develop a request for Develop mandatory Acknowledge the competitive talents and expertise proposals to create an multicultural training in the CAC by eliminating the under-representation Strengthen updateable Data Book of programs as part of new of qualified Continental Africans in the County’s County Staff Montgomery County’s employee orientation. leadership, workforce, and management positions. Knowledge and African American population. Where the opportunities exist, the County should Develop ongoing increase the hiring of applicants with bicultural Skills assessment and training of knowledge of the African language and cultural multicultural competency competencies to enhance services and outreach to among county employees in the CAC dealing with different ethnic, linguistic and religious groups.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN AN INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY

African American Asian Continental African Latin American American Explore opportunities to modify In consultations with housing advocates, the Increase accessibility to existing County Change overly restrictive land use and County should maintain a percentage of housing programs. zoning requirements. dwelling units as low-moderate affordable Organizational dwelling units. If units are converted to Practices & Enforce existing legal condominiums, for ownership, eligible low and Policies prohibitions against predatory moderate income households must have lending. annual income no greater than 80 percent of the area median to qualify. Certificates of Occupancy may be based on compliance with a proportionate percentage of affordable units that are available for occupancy, compared to the number of market units constructed.

The County may stabilize housing for low-to- moderate income persons by ensuring that rental rates do not exceed current Section 8 Fair Market rents (including utilities) as published by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, according to the number of bedrooms in each unit.

The County should provide incentives to owners or management companies to enter into “good faith” marketing agreement that should guarantee that affordable units intended for rent are also rented to eligible low-income renters

The County should increase the affordable homeownership by making financing more available or cheaper through lower down- payment and mortgages, and low interest loans based on income. Federal estimates indicate that about 90 percent of the benefits from the existing mortgage interest tax deduction go to those with incomes over $40,000 per year.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN AN INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY

African American Asian Continental African Latin American American The County should encourage housing Change development that emphasizes explicit connection between housing and Organizational transportation, land use, and jobs. Practices & Policies, cont. County should initiate and support dialogues to explore new, alternative funding mechanisms to create/maintain affordable housing countywide for low income to moderate income families and also to redress predatory lending.

Given that the County promotes equitable distribution of a diverse range of affordable housing throughout the County to ensure that low income to moderate income households have opportunity to live in any jurisdiction in the County, proportionate to the County’s average household in that income group.

Provide public with notice of In partnership with community volunteers, the Educate landlords and tenants about their Promote names of guilty predatory County should develop and provide rights and responsibilities, including a focus lenders. comprehensive public education and outreach on rent control and code enforcement. Community program to the CAC to enable renters and Education landlords to understand their respective rights Develop education programs by the and obligations under County’s laws. Department of Housing and Community Affairs and the Housing Opportunities Center to avoid predatory lending, unlawful housing and unfair real state practices.

Prepare Latino community to engage in housing transactions. Strengthen Expand efforts of civil rights Hire more Spanish-speaking staff and authorities to monitor the presence interns to assist the county’s Latino County Staff of discriminatory practices reflected residents. Knowledge and in selling policies and practices in areas where African Americans are Skills having difficulty closing housing sale/property transfer.

AN EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT TRANSPORTATION NETWORK

African American Asian American Continental African Latin American

Provide bus routes for activity Encourage pedestrian activities with Reassess current deployment of bus Change locations difficult to reach (e.g., upgraded walkways and bikeway network routes to address the demographic Poolesville Baptist Church.) along major thoroughfares to allow for safe growth centers where Latinos Organizational circulation throughout the County. residents live and work. Practices & Coordinate pubic and private Policies bus schedules (e.g., identify Improve directional signage of important Program bus routes to allow for buses private organizations who have landmarks. to travel in “fast lanes” so that other bus fleets – including vehicles are not allowed to use them churches.) Maintain and operate the various during high transit volume times. components and multiple modes of transport Public Transportation should system (bus, rails, other publicly funded Improve options for reduced fares to be recognized as a public transports) as a coordinated enterprise to assist low-income/unemployed service requiring supplemental improve mobility, reliability, safety, and individuals who depend on use of funding to tailor travel routes security. public transportation. and schedules to better accommodate the local travel The County should consider measures that Make metro trains and buses more yearnings of young and infirm. do not overly target non off-peak hours affordable. given the fact that low-income riders would A public activity scholarship bear the brunt of fare increases, which are fund could defray the costs for disproportionately used by low-income those youth who have no or workers and the elderly. little discretionary funds. A standard of need would have Prioritize integration of "transportation to be established to ensure disadvantaged" issues into the County’s equity in fund distribution. comprehensive plans to ensure services to the handicapped.

Buses should be programmed to run on time to decrease incidences of unconnected bus transfers that result in workers being late for work or being stranded because they missed the last bus.

The County should consider the use of designated “express lanes” that public transportation may use during rush hours.

Allocate more buses on highly used routes, evidenced by demand.

AN EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT TRANSPORTATION NETWORK

Enact and enforce stricter penalties on drunk driving and uninsured vehicles to Promote reduce the number of road casualties. Community Education Sensitize the immigrant communities of grievance procedures, which include the steps to take to file local complaints when a person believes his or her rights have been breached or the person experienced insensitive treatment from public transportation operators.

Bus drivers should receive cultural County police officers should have sensitivity training to encourage a user- cultural and linguistic capabilities to Strengthen friendly public transportation system in the conduct their work among the Latino County Staff Continental African Community. immigrant community and other Knowledge and groups. Skills Police officers should not be connected to federal immigration enforcement.

CHILDREN PREPARED TO LIVE AND LEARN

Inquire about the Collaboration The schools should improve efforts to Early childhood: Increase funding Change Council for Children, Youth and engage parents and the CAC in a two-way level and the number of agencies that Families role in Youth communication to gain understanding of provide services to pre-school Organizational Development, especially “direct the student’s background and take into children. Practices & services funding.” account the student’s entire Policies circumstances; not just the academic Child care subsidy: Recreation Dept. should include records, when planning intervention a. Expand the child care subsidy parents and youth in budget methods to improve academic outcomes. voucher program. development and presentation b. Provide assistance and support to to the County Executive and Schools should implement and monitor undocumented parents so they can County Council the use of alternative assessments have access. measurements of the academic abilities of School officials have primary an ESOL student on non-English Teen pregnancy: Increase the responsibility for helping their Language Arts subjects. development of “partners” in securing a child’s teen pregnancy prevention programs. successful education and The County and Board of Education assured that they are valued. should actively support Parental Choice in Adult education: Increase accessible public education by approving the sites and number of English classes A conscious effort should be applications of charter school developers made by teachers to learn who who clearly meet the standards set by the the key influences are in each Board of Education. child’s home so as to engage those individuals in a dialog of The County should create partnerships expectations. with licensed center-based care providers and use an integrated model to deliver Before the end of the 2008 comprehensive childcare and family Summer Recess, postings on support services. the web should include a clarification of this specific The County should increase the number subject. Concurrently, a flyer of current preschool service providers and should be sent to each provide commensurate support to meet student’s home with attention to the higher standards associated with the the parent(s)/guardian. concept of pre-kindergarten.

The County should engage community experts in planning in order to create a collaborative climate for success, allocate sufficient funds (per child) to achieve a high-quality program, and ensure funds are additive (not replacing child care or Head Start or existing education dollars).

CHILDREN PREPARED TO LIVE AND LEARN

The County should set the same high Change standards for class size and curricula; early childhood education credentials; and Organizational professional development necessary to Practices & operate the program to address the issue Policies, cont. of quality. The County’s commitment to youth development should include means for low and middle-income families to access quality childcare through rate subsidies and sliding scales that address the dilemma of parents who are caught between not being poor enough to qualify and not rich enough to afford private child care.

The County should provide proactive and social preventive assistance that allows children to receive childcare regardless of their immigration status of their parents. That would be “Equity Start” for all Montgomery County children.

The County should support after-school CAC programs that provide Developmental Assets, Risk and Protective Factors services. Developmental Assets programs address building blocks that help youths to cultivate their social-emotional intelligence and moral values and to use enrichment activities, cultural classes and life-skills workshops to make effective adjustments becoming of conscientious and responsible members of society.

HEALTHY AND SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES

Design a plan for all Improve access to quality Provide Health Safety Net Services for Assure availability of Latino Change Montgomery County’s healthcare for common chronic the CAC community residents. The representation in key positions and residents/workers with illnesses such as Hepatitis B that County should establish a model CAC decision making bodies. Organizational special attention to the disproportionately affects Asian Family Care Initiative (already in Practices & African American residents. Americans more than any other existence for Latino, Asian and African Improve data collection to facilitate the Policies groups in the U.S. American communities) to serve as a county to prioritize, plan, monitor and one-stop Family Care Clinic. evaluate the delivery of services to Expand health programs for mental Summarily, Latino populations. health. Community and faith based organizations should be involved in The model program should provide Facilitate improved health insurance educating the communities on an array of comprehensive primary options for low-wage Latino individuals, breaking down cultural barriers in and preventive services with flexible children, families and seniors. seeking help for mental health. scheduling by bicultural staff.

Create a resource digest of the Improve access to health African Immigrant Community needs Improve access to quality, affordable, Promote basic options available to information using culturally and significant education and outreach to culturally and linguistically competent Montgomery County linguistically appropriate health inform the CAC about available medical physical and mental care. Community residents/workers. Include materials. service options. Education referral sources that are gap- Implement improved strategies for fillers. Commit to keeping the education and outreach to Latino digest current. The County should design user-friendly residents that educate and promote healthy lifestyles. Make the digest available at culturally sensitive, language specific Metro stops, public facilities, and developmentally appropriate health beauty salons, barbershops, care messages and use non- churches, grocery stores, etc. conventional outreach to present healthcare information in non- Extensive and even exhaustive threatening environments in public education campaigns collaboration with health care advocates must be launched and in the CAC and other service providers sustained to reach vulnerable people in their kitchens, hangouts, churches and bedrooms. Strengthen Health professionals must Health care programs should recruit recognize their role as and train culturally competent County Staff prevention agents, as well as volunteers with the language fluency to Knowledge and treatment agents and engage serve as community peer educators for their most vulnerable patients in healthy living. Skills those conversations and get their attention. 9 RECOMMENDATIONS OF LEADERSHIP SUMMITS

SAFE STREETS AND SECURE NEIGHBORHOODS

Establish a model of having Deployment of Bicultural/Bilingual Officers. Create a county ombudsman to Change the police subsidized to live address matters involving the police in communities in Provide a decent and safe temporal housing that department and the Latino community. Organizationa Montgomery County with protects the dignity and identity of the victims while l Practices & large populations of youth. criminal or civil proceedings are initiated or medical attention is provided during this transition phase; Policies monitor to ensure protective orders are honored and Montgomery County Police not dismissed by the courts when there is still Department and potential for danger. Montgomery County Public Schools have formed a Encourage ongoing research and funding for partnership hoping to keep services that address the unique barriers facing schools safe. Use MCPS African immigrant women and provide direct services liaison to open more direct to help victims overcome their crisis. communication link.

Improve Police Community Relations in the County’s Provide culturally and linguistically Promote Engagement of the Continental African American Communities. appropriate information about Latino community concerned customer grievances/ complaints and Community adults, as well as the Increase the level and scope of public education and police practices. Education MCPD, must take place. information to bring increased awareness amongst criminal justice agencies, the public, and family and Develop a community relations and In 1999, Montgomery immigration lawyers on domestic violence in the media campaign to provide timely and County developed a CAC. accurate information regarding public comprehensive strategic safety operations. plan for preventing Publish the rights and resources available to victims delinquency, intervening in of domestic violence in French; Swahili; and Improve community police relations early delinquent behavior Amharic. with the Latino Community. and responding to serious, violent and chronic juvenile Conduct cultural sensitivity training and workshops offending. for agency workers to be conversant with specific barriers that the victims experience; and provide Interested community culturally sensitive services to Continental African groups should request women experiencing domestic violence. regular updates from the Support Alternative Conflict Resolution by Cultural MCPD African Elders in non-criminal proceedings in order to reduce the escalation of violence through preventive education and case management intervention.

A STRONG AND VIBRANT ECONOMY

In a collaborative Montgomery Identify targeted channels of Financing programs should focus on Establish a County Latino Small Change effort set up three projects communication to reach APIANE addressing seed funding and expanding Business Development Advisory anchored in predominantly businesses for contracting capital with some add-on management Council that promotes and Organizational African American communities opportunities and other information assistance. expands the growth of county Practices & with investment (human and that might benefit them. Latino businesses. Policies fiscal) from the The County should encourage contracts MCPS/DHHS/Collaboration Provide small businesses with greater to "Very Small Businesses" and Facilitate partnerships with banks Council that will pilot “pipeline” access to capital and surety bonding. "Graduating Small Businesses" by to implement flexible models to begin in middle school assessing credit awarded under Small identification and documentation and continue through graduate Use county businesses to attract Business Contracting/ Small Business requirements permitted by school e.g. businesses and develop international Subcontracting Plans. federal law, to ensure all county -medical careers > M.D. ties with select foreign countries and immigrant residents can -financial careers > C.P.A. cities. The County should provide incentives to safeguard their money in a bank -technical careers >M.B.A. prime contractors for the use of "Very and benefit from having a Small Business" firms and also checking account and other Establish an African American "Graduating Small Business" firms to banking services. Construction Contractors steer small businesses from the path of Association. becoming victims of their own success by quickly graduating out of the small Promote the site and services of business program. business incubators available in the County. The County should consider financing packages that help merchants to acquire Establish results-based data building and incentives that encourage streams that are of maximum allocation of space to small businesses in utility to fledgling new developments individuals/groups interested in The County should work with, and establishing businesses. support, business associations that bring together CAC business owners to There is a competitive tension organize and coordinate activities. The among groups; and a concern County’s technical assistance department that the economic “know how” should provide sustained engagement and resources may not be with the businesses, for one to two years equitably distributed. Engage an and customized business forums to objective facilitator to conduct a address industry-specific expertise. “Reality Check” with representation of each The County should play the vital role of “contingent” to determine the promoter and facilitator of business degree of disjuncture among initiatives in light of the considerable them. elements of government/business sector interaction that is necessary for business development. 11 RECOMMENDATIONS OF LEADERSHIP SUMMITS

A STRONG AND VIBRANT ECONOMY

Asian American African American Continental African Latin American

Promote after-school tutorials on Develop a comprehensive resource The CAC business sector should be Establish a County Small Business Promote job seeking skills. guide for APIANE businesses and an aware of activities relating to the Academy (learning centers) that online portal that serves as a one- regulatory and legal framework promotes entrepreneurialism, Community As a component of their outreach stop resource for starting and running governing the investment and business wealth-building and use of Education program, faith-based businesses in the County. environment. This can be accomplished mainstream financial services. organizations should consider through organized forums and briefings adjunct sessions promoting: Provide free, regular seminars on the with CAC business owners Implement a plan for Financial - job readiness A-Z of starting and running a Literacy education among Latino - preparation for change successful business for all stages of businesses to increase their - retooling for a career change small businesses and different opportunities for financial viability industries. Employed should take on Incorporate a Small Business Legal responsibility for mastering the Assistance Center in the County philosophical and operational Business Academy that provides tenets of their workplace. language and culturally appropriate Small Business Legal Assistance Explore existing classes Center. available in local educational institutions that provide business Increase entrepreneurial ownership competencies of Latino small businesses by providing training services in a bi-lingual education modality.

Existing Career Centers should Strengthen expand operation to include monitoring outcomes (e.g., how County Staff many individuals were offered a Knowledge and job? How many were hired? Skills How many were still employed at same company/office 6 months after hiring?)

Ensure that the County Stat program begun in January 2008 works with the community to resolve act that raw data is subject to uninformed interpretation

VITAL LIVING FOR ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS

Conduct a survey of African Americans Increase the service delivery and Change in Montgomery County between 65-84 number of affordable programs years of age to determine the status of among public and private sectors Organizational their cardiovascular health. Encourage that serve Latino and minority Practices & those who can be identified as “at risk” county residents. Policies or having a current diagnosis of cardiovascular disease (CVD) to be seen by a physician either at an office or in a clinic.

The Chief of Police and the DEP Director should be asked to provide demographic maps highlighting at risk neighborhoods – of particular concern to the aging. With those tools at hand, ask for a corrective plan of action.

Continuation of the free/reduced fare “Ride-On” service is encouraged. Door to door service to medical cares should be explored. Driver education classes should be made available and convenient to sign up for by the elderly.

VITAL LIVING FOR ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS

The Division of Aging and Disabilities Increase the level and scope of Increase the awareness among the should consider organizing a Volunteer Promote public education and Latino community about available Group dedicated to providing an on-call information about issues of health and human services by service for seniors. Community domestic abuse to bring providing English/Spanish information. Education Eighteen senior centers operate in increased awareness amongst Montgomery County. Seniors should be criminal justice agencies, the Educate the Latino community by sent contact numbers to call to find out public, and family and using the Department of Health and “what’s going on and how they can be a immigration lawyers. Human Services Promoters model. part of it.”

As a fulfillment of the community service Increase awareness of available Publish the rights and health and human services among requirements, students should be resources available to victims of encouraged to adopt a nursing home the Latino community residents to guest. domestic violence in French; facilitate their access to needed Swahili; and Amharic. services. A consortium of community partners (the Aging in Place Committee sponsored two free programs in the Fall -2007 for older adults, their families and professionals) - should be encouraged to expand their offerings. The Division of Aging and Disabilities should be the first contact to explore options.

Precautionary alerts should become more prevalent in venues where the aging are likely to be present (e.g., churches, malls, barbershops, salons, public offices).

A hotline for family care givers should be in place and staffed with knowledgeable and pleasant responders. Inform and train Department of Health and Human Services staff to increase Strengthen their working knowledge of services County Staff provided by non-profit organizations and Knowledge other community resources in working with the Latino community. and Skills Improve customer service at the county’s Social Services Eligibility Unit Centers, Emergency Service Offices and the County Crisis Center. 14 RECOMMENDATIONS OF LEADERSHIP SUMMITS

NEW AMERICANS

Duplicate the services currently offered by The County should support the Create a County Executive Summit Change the Gilchrist Center for Diversity establishment of a model CAC pathway Steering Committee empowered to elsewhere by using community facilities program that serves as a resource center implement the Latino Summit Organizational including performing arts venues to to provide the essential skills and tools Recommendations. Practices & provide more language classes to the that CAC immigrants need to access Policies communities. employment and to achieve economic Establish a Citizenship/ English Class independence. Academy to serve the Latino immigrant Expand and standardize the English for community and other immigrant groups. Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) The County should streamline the process Program such as the one offered by of translating the credentials of County Executive Endorsement of the Montgomery College. professional and skilled workers, and Illinois Governor’s Executive Order Improve public communication of provide refresher training to enable them Model. Boards/Commissions/Committees’ to meet the County’s professional vacancies by placing free announcements standards in order to facilitate re-entry and in local ethnic newspapers. advancement within specific industries. Organize outreach sessions to explain the concept, positions and the application The Administration should support processes. programs such as educational outreach, Promote greater awareness of job employment training and legal resources opportunities among the various ethnic that assist trafficking victims to regain their communities through media outlets, public dignity, safety and to make transition from libraries and Montgomery Works program, the mental health trauma that they may be etc. experiencing. Develop a long-term strategy to hire, develop and promote APIANE employees.

A lack of language Offer publications in multiple languages as Implement county-wide approach for Promote facility may reduce the much as possible as is the practice with Latino community participation, and advantage an individual certain agencies. civic promotion, and voice in improving Community enjoyed in his/her home service delivery by county departments. Organize outreach sessions to explain the Education of origin. Survey “lost concept, positions and the application opportunities” as a result processes. of language insufficiency. Offer total Streamline the hiring process to make it immersion language more efficient and competitive including classes. shortening the time between application deadlines and the actual interview time. Help applicants understand how the hiring process works and how to prepare for job

searches including interviews.

NEW AMERICANS

Departments, agencies, commissions, Strengthen officers and employees of the County should be educated on the rights of County Staff immigrants and specifically prohibited Knowledge from asking about immigration status and Skills unless required by statute. This should expressly include situations where individuals are seeking emergency services, city services, or police services.