Isabella Caruso, Northborough’s health and human services director, called the Youth Commission to order Jan. 16 and described the meeting as the commission’s first in “a very long time.” The commission discussed filling vacant leadership posts, recruiting youth liaisons and adult members to reach its seven‑member complement, and recent staffing and program updates in the town’s Health & Human Services department.

Why it matters: The commission is resuming regular work after a hiatus, and members said staffing and youth participation will shape whether the group can run programs, collect local data and make warm referrals for mental‑health and substance‑use support. Those services, commissioners said, factor into the town’s ability to document need and maintain the department’s funding and programs.

Caruso told the commission that the department has hired a full‑time social worker, Caitlin Mitchell, who is due to start “at the end of the month.” Caruso said Mitchell earned a bachelor of science at Lesley and a master of social work from Salem State University and will offer “1 on 1 and group therapy and counseling to Northborough residents.” The commission also heard that Liz Nolan joined the department in October as outreach coordinator; Nolan said, “Every day is different,” and described handling benefit applications, referrals and renewed outreach to local nonprofits and schools.

The group received an update on Encompass, the joint Northborough–Southborough youth substance‑use prevention coalition. Emily Flavin, program coordinator for Encompass, described the coalition’s Drug‑Free Communities grant from the Centers for Disease Control and said the award covers five years; staff described the grant as $125,000 per year. Flavin said youth participation is a funding requirement and said Encompass runs youth focus groups, backs the MetroWest risk behavior survey with local focus groups and supports an active high‑school youth coalition. Recent youth projects include a holiday card with prevention messaging and an upcoming “photo‑voice” project to document youth perspectives in spring.

Flavin announced two public events tied to Encompass: a screening of the documentary Screenagers: Under the Influence on Feb. 25 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Black Box Theater (staff said free childcare will be offered for children age 12 and under), and a March 11 program for high‑school athletes featuring a mental‑health speaker from Minding Your Mind.

Recruitment and member roles drew extended discussion. Caruso said the commission currently has four members and is authorized for seven. Commissioners described past practice for choosing youth liaisons — guidance counselors circulated an interest form at Algonquin Regional High School, and the commission then reviewed and voted on candidates — and recommended outreach to Algonquin, Assabet, St. John’s, the teen librarian, DECA and the high‑school paper (the Harbinger) to boost recruitment. Joan Clemente, a long‑time commission member, noted the commission historically preferred high‑school liaisons because some topics discussed require maturity; she said, “I’ve been on the youth commission for now 32 years.”

Commissioners discussed practical recruitment messaging: list accomplishments, state time commitment, and emphasize what volunteers would accomplish. Several members urged face‑to‑face recruiting and tapping parents, teachers and coaches. Carrie Wolf said she would “consider vice chair” if no one else steps forward.

On data and referrals, Caruso and staff said they are tracking service counts and referrals without dedicated client‑management software and are evaluating software options; Caruso said she will meet with David Kane to review security for potential systems. Staff described an existing contract with a referral vendor they called Interface; Caruso said quarterly reports from that contract should be available by the end of February. Commissioners pressed for ways to measure warm handoffs and referral success, and staff said crisis referrals often receive immediate assistance (staff sit with a person and call the referral while present) and that follow‑up reporting is possible but constrained by confidentiality.

Members also discussed how Encompass collects student data. Flavin said the grant allows outreach to students in grades 6–12 and that Encompass ran two types of focus groups: sign‑up after school (for example, a female‑only group the coalition organized after the MetroWest results showed rising substance use among female students) and in‑school sessions during free periods. Flavin said the coalition plans targeted focus groups for male students and for LGBTQ youth and is coordinating with school clubs and administrators.

Other program ideas raised included lunchtime or after‑school clubs, art and counseling groups led by the new social worker (who has a background in expressive arts therapy), book or comic clubs for teens, parent book clubs on parenting and mental‑health topics, and short informational videos produced with local cable access or high‑school students. Commissioners and staff said media and health literacy work may help reach youth who consume short‑form video and social media.

The commission did not elect a chair or vice chair at the meeting; members agreed to resume that discussion at the next meeting. Caruso scheduled the next meeting for Thursday, Feb. 27 at 7 p.m. The commission adjourned by motion and voice vote at 8:05 p.m.

Ending: Staff said Mitchell, the new social worker, will attend the next meeting to introduce herself and that the Interface referral report will be circulated when available; recruitment for additional commissioners and youth liaisons will continue ahead of Feb. 27.