CARES is a youth and family counseling service provided by the city. Many of its professional counselors are volunteers. Another part of CARES is Greenbelt Assistance in Living (GAIL) which provides help to seniors to enable them to stay in place as they age.
Space Needs
The most serious problem faced by Greenbelt CARES is lack of space. CARES Director Liz Park told the Greenbelt City Council at a budget review worksession on April 3 that a previously authorized half-time volunteer coordinator had not been hired because of lack of physical space to put the person. CARES case files are jammed in a room not much bigger than a closet, she said. That problem will be lessened by the conversion of paper files to electronic files. State regulations require that they be kept for five years or, for youths, until the client turns 21.
Assistant City Manager David Moran told council that the space problem was being worked on and that it was a part of the Capital Projects budgeting. Possible space being considered for expansion of city office needs is the ground level of the Community Center, once the school cafeteria, and most recently used for an adult day care program that proved financially unsuccessful.
Councilmember Rodney Roberts objected to the Community Center being used for offices. He felt the city had a commitment to use the space for expansion of community use and that the city should seek space elsewhere.
Councilmember Edward Putens advocated having employees do more office work at home. He said his government agency found employees to be more productive working in a home environment instead of in an office.
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