INVITATION: BREAKFAST WITH MIMI BAIRD
PPAL invites you and your peers working to support and advocate for children to a special Breakfast & Discussion with acclaimed memoirist, Mimi Baird, author of "He Wanted the Moon."
Ms. Baird's father was a mid-century doctor whose own "unvarnished account" of his descent into madness is recounted by his daughter's attempt to piece his life together and make sense of her own.
The New York Times calls it an "extraordinary effort to chronicle bipolar disease," Read the review here.
Please join us October 21, 2015 from 7:45 - 9:30 a.m. at The Nonprofit Center, Jonathan Spack Community Center, 89 South Street, Boston. Tickets are $65.00. Please register asap by clicking here. Seating is limited. RSVP to [email protected].
|
ELENA SZELA, NEW W. MA GROUP LEADER
Elena Szela will lead PPAL's first Transition Age support groups in Spanish in Holyoke and West Springfield. Although PPAL runs other parent support groups for transition age youth, these are the first being offered in Western Massachusetts.
"Support groups are such an important resource, especially for someone feeling isolated and alone. I am hoping that the STAY grant will fill a gap that currently exists in the vital area of transitional support," said Elena.
As a parent of a child with mental health needs, she has dedicated herself to understanding mental health issues and how best to advocate for her son regarding the challenges he faced in school. What started as complaints about his "distractibility" in pre-school, led to him being diagnosed with inattentive-type ADHD when he was 6-years-old. He progressed to additional diagnoses including anxiety and OCD. Elena's choice to be a stay-at-home mom after eighteen years at Pratt & Whitney as an engineer has served her family and her son's needs.
She understands what other parents are enduring and said, "Despite the availability of doctors and other experts, to a great extent it helps to interact with other parents who are going through similar struggles."
Elena hopes the knowledge and experience she's gained in the past ten years will help other parents whose children are transitioning to adulthood. "I am hoping that parents who attend my new support group will find comfort in the presence of other kindred spirits," she said having met other parents who've faced similar problems offered helpful advice.
Join Elena on the second Wednesday of the month in Holyoke and the fourth Wednesday of the month in West Springfield. For more information, she can be reached at [email protected].
|
CMHC SBIRT INSIGHTS PUBLISHED
The Provider's Council newspaper, The Provider, featured a joint essay by PPAL Executive Director, Lisa Lambert and President and CEO of MSPCC, Mary McGeown. The need to address children's drug and alcohol use and the role it plays in their mental health needs is often overlooked or ignored. Both PPAL and the MSPCC are actively involved in the The Addiction Free Futures Project led by the Children's Mental Health Campagin. read full article here
|
PPAL'S MISSION OUTREACHES TO IRISH
IMMIGRANT CTR., BOSTON INNER CITY +
|
|
|
Seated from right: Hannah Martinez and Norma Mora.
|
PPAL's Multicultural Outreach team - Hannah Martinez and Norma Mora - met with Boston-Inner City to work toward a future partnership with PPAL and the Black Social Work Association. Joining them were three additional groups: "Grandmothers Raising Grandchildren" guided by Mrs Catherine Harris, "Jobs not Jail" led by Mrs. Angela T. Scott Sherriod and Mr. Bellije R. Thomas who is supporting "Fathers with Children with Mental Health." The purpose of this meeting was to obtain more information regarding trainings, referrals for treatment and support services. read more
|
Family Support Specialist Kristen Solaras and Alex Sales, Director of Operations for the Western DYS Region presented to the Springfield Public Schools, School Adjustment Counselors on August 27. They addressed Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiatives (JDAI) and school-based charges along with the dangers of detention.
This topic introduced the important first step in reducing youth in detention by discussing the use of the court system for school based discipline issues. The goal to create awareness of JDAI and the use of courts for school discipline was met with a positive response by the audience. A scheduled staff development day followed the presentation but staff chose instead to continue to interact with Kristen and Alex directly afterward.
|
Executive Director Lisa Lambert and Director of Operations Anne Silver attended the annual FREDLA (Family-Run Executive Director Leadership Association) meeting in Bethesda, MD on September 10 and 11. The annual meeting featured a presentation from Sheila Pires on integrated care models being used in states throughout the country as well as a presentation from Sandy Stier from SAMHSA, which initiated a discussion on how parent/family peer connections differ from adult or youth peer to peer relationships.
The afternoons were spent networking with members of family-run organizations from other states to share issues that we are all facing, discussions of best practices and developing areas of focus for the organization for the coming year. The conference was fun and productive, and has everyone looking forward to a great year!
|
|
|
| PPAL's Youth MOVErs enjoy Canobie Lake Park. |
Youth MOVE Massachusetts is gearing up for fall!
We'd like to thank Bill Storie, of DMH, for visiting the HOPE youth group and helping explain how the youth and adult systems work, and how to get services and supports from DMH. Thank you, Bill, for your time and enthusiasm!
The HOPE youth group and YAYA young adults group put together their Vision Boards that #InspireWellness! Vision Boards are a creative way to explore any goal or aspiration you have, and how to achieve it. Everyone's is different - some are collage, some are drawn, some are even 3-D! Check them all out on our Facebook page.
TEAMA, our Speakers Bureau, will be meeting at a NEW time and day! From Wednesdays to 1st and 3rd Thursdays of the month, 4-5pm.
Check out TEAMA and then stay for the Young Adults' meeting!
Youth MOVErs took a trip to Canobie Lake Park to wrap up the summer in style! 25 youth members were able to join us - find all the pictures on our Instagram!
HOPE Youth Group members held their Wellness Week activity, Make Your Own Smoothie Night! There were all kinds of fruits and veggies involved.... even spinach! Building recipes you enjoy preparing and eating is one way to #InspireWellness - check out our Facebook for other Wellness Tips from our fellow Youth MOVE chapters across the country!
PPAL and Youth MOVE Massachusetts spent Sept 20th at stART on the Street in Worcester! We got to meet hundreds of new people and organizations in the community, and had an awesome time! Folks who visited our table picked up giveaways, resources, and some great raffle prizes. See all the selfies and photos from the day on Facebook or Instagram!
Youth MOVE Massachusetts will once again be at Rock and Shock this October! Rock and Shock is an annual Halloween and metal music festival in Worcester. We hope to talk with attendees and musicians about children's mental health and what we can all do to help raise awareness and bust the stigma - we had an awesome time last year, and can't wait to visit it again! Keep your eyes peeled on all our social media outlets for #StigmasTheRealMonster, photos and updates.
|
| Tuesday, Oct. 6 |
6:30 - 8:30p |
Horizon House
78 Water St.
Wakefield, MA 01880 |
Empowering Families:
Transition Age Youth (Northeast) |
Wednesday,
Oct. 7 |
12 -
2pm |
UCP of Berkshire County
208 West St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201 |
Mental Health and the IEP
(Western) |
Tuesday,
Oct. 20 |
10a - 12p |
Children Services of Roxbury
520 Dudley St.
Roxbury, MA 02119 |
Crisis Planning: Preparing for a Mental Health Crisis
(Boston) |
| Tuesday, Oct. 20 |
10a- 12p |
MOC Fitchburg Family Resource Center
76 Summer St. Ste. 210
Fitchburg, MA 01420 |
Crisis Planning: Preparing for a Mental Health Crisis |
| Wednesday, Oct. 21 |
6:30-8pm |
Kennedy Donovan Center
171 Main St. 3rd Floor
Milford, MA 01757 |
Mental Health and the IEP (Central) |
| Tuesday, Oct. 27 |
10-12p |
Family Continuity Program
60 Perseverance Way #2
Hyannis, MA 02601 |
Mental Health and the IEP (Southeast) |
|
|
DATE
|
TIME
|
LOCATION
|
TOPIC
|
|
Thursday, Oct. 1
en Espanol!
|
5:30-7:30p |
la Libreria Publica de Hyde Park
35 Harvard Ave.
|
Avanzando: Nuestro Trayecto
|
|
Thursday, Oct. 15
en Espanol!
|
12p-1:30 |
la Lebreria Publica de Hyde Park
35 Harvard Ave.
|
| Avanzando: Nuestro Trayecto |
|
|
| Wednesdays, Oct. 7,21 |
6p-8p |
Lawrence Public Library
51 Lawrence St.
Lawrence, MA 01830 |
Transition Age Youth Parent Support Group |
| Every Friday |
6p-8p
|
Lynn YMCA
20 Neptune Blvd.
Lynn, MA
|
Parent support
|
|
Wednesdays
|
6p-8p
|
In Sync Communication Ctr. 1 Beverly Drive, Sterling |
Transition Age Youth Parent Support Group |
|
Thursdays
|
6p-8p |
PPAL - Worcester
40 Southbridge Street, Suite 310
|
Moving Forward:
Transition Planning
|
| Thursdays, Oct. 8, 22 |
5:30p-7:30p |
PPAL - Worcester
40 Southbridge Street, Suite 310
|
Parent/Caregiver Support Group
|
|
Tuesdays, Oct. 6, 20
|
5:30p-7p
|
PPAL/Bellingham Public Library - Children's Program Room 100 Blackstone St.
|
Parent/Caregiver Support Group
|
|
Wednesday, Oct.14
en Espanol!
|
10 - 11:30a
|
511 Main St.
Springfield, MA
|
Transition Age Youth
Parent Support Group
|
|
Wednesday, Oct. 28
en Espanol!
|
6:30-8:30p
|
537 North Hampton St. Holyoke
, MA
|
Transition Age Youth
Parent Support Group |
|
|
|
| 
Support PPAL through your donation today! COMECC # 700554 Combined Federal Campaign # 11595 |
|
Monthly Poll
Click
here to participate in our October 2015 poll:
What areas does your child's school need training in?
Results from last month's poll:
What are the feelings of the siblings of your child with emotional health needs?
|
50%
|
|
|
43.75%
|
Misunderstood
|
|
6.25%
|
Understood
|
|
|
Statewide Meeting
OCTOBER STATEWIDE MEETING
KAREN SNYDER
will be our featured speaker at our October statewide meeting. She is the Court Monitor from the Children's Behavioral Health Initiative (CBHI).
Join Us!
Tuesday,
October 13th,
10 a.m. - noon
Networking lunch
and business meeting
to follow
Tatnuck Bookstore
Westboro, MA
Special drawing for a $15 gift certificate for Tatnuck
We'll see you in a
new location for our statewide meetings in November:
THE PLYMOUTH CHURCH
87 EDGELL RD.
FRAMINGHAM, MA
RSVP:
September Meeting
Marc Dones, the Senior Analyst for Health Policy at the Center for Social Innovation, was our September statewide meeting speaker. He presented "Forgotten History: Integrating LGBTQ Youth in the Mental Health System."
Please note
: Trainings are limited to family members, family partners, family support specialists, parent coordinators and others in family support roles.
|
|
Contact Us
Parent/Professional Advocacy League
WE'VE MOVED!
Statewide Office-
Boston
15 Court Square
Suite 660
Boston, MA 02108
Toll Free: (866) 815-8122
Fax: (617) 542-7832
Email: [email protected]
Central MA Office
(Worcester)
40 Southbridge Street,
Suite 310
Worcester, MA 01608
Tel: (508)767-9725
Fax: (508)767-9727
Email: [email protected]
|
|
