MARBLEHEAD — The town was recognized by the Healey-Driscoll administration for entering into a fourth Community Compact agreement.
The Community Compact agreement program is a voluntarily mutually agreed upon, and per the Commonwealth website, “creates clear standards, expectations and accountability for both partners.”
In a letter to Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer, Lt. Governor Kimberly Driscoll outlined chosen best practices which the town is interested in implementing.
The first best practice, the letter noted, would be to conduct an assessment of the “maternal and child health” landscape, seeking to identify strengths and gaps in “improving the health and well-being of birthing people, infants, children, and youth with special health needs.”
This best practice would additionally extend to their families, and also public health infrastructure and staffing capacity. The best practice also would seek to develop public health services which may be shared with adjacent municipalities.
The second best practice deals with establishing “systems and protocols” by way of strengthening existing relationships between public safety, social services, healthcare providers, and local public and private sectors.
These systems and protocols will be to aid in assessing and identifying “children and young adults who present risks to themselves or to others.” These aforementioned systems and protocols would help build “effective and pro-active responses,” which the letter said can help prevent violence and also provide support for those in need.
“Both Governor Healey and I understand that in order to have a thriving Commonwealth, we need thriving cities and towns…Community Compacts enhance our shared commitment to provide more efficient, professional and responsive services,” Driscoll said in the letter.
“Governor Healey and I appreciate Marblehead participating in the Community Compact program and we look forward to continuing our strong partnership to improve services at the local level,” Driscoll said in the letter.
