A community-based non-profit serving and celebrating families since 1910

FSM gets high marks from the people we serve
As part of our Quality Performance Indicator tracking at FSM, we collect re-arrest data on our clients who complete our anti-violence programs. Such programs,
nationally, average a re-arrest rate of 30% to 40%. In 2014, the FSM programs had a re-arrest rate of 4%, and we thought that was something of which to be proud. Our re-arrest rate (three months after completion of the program) for 2015 is just 1%.

"One percent," said Russell King, FSM's CEO, "This is really something. I am in awe of this staff and the work they do. We owe these therapists our thanks, as do the families they serve, but so does the community at large. FSM is helping to build stronger families, and stronger families mean safer communities."

The Quality Performance Indicator report also revealed that the families and individuals served hold FSM in high regard. On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the highest approval, FSM's programs scored an average of no less than 8, with half scoring a 9.
Client feedback: "The counselors are truly exceptional. They are caring and compassionate, always interested in holding you accountable and helping you in every way."

"Everyone is very kind and attentive. The waiting area is cheerful. Teri is amazing. Thank you for being accessible with language, wheel-chairs, ages & cultures."

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Welcome and farewell

Welcome Joanna Hollenback, the newest member of the FSM Board of Directors. Joanna is a mental health officer with the Madison Police Department. She has been a member of the Chief's Officer Advisory Committee since 2013, and she holds a Bachelor's in Behavioral Science and Law from UW-Madison.

Welcome to Joeann Evans, FSM's new chief financial officer. Joeann brings to FSM the benefit of a Bachelor's degree in accounting, an MBA, and
Joeann Evans, FSM's new CFO
nearly 20 years of experience, including 16 in nonprofit accounting and finance.  Joeann will also oversee FSM's human resource activities. She begins in e arly June.

Farewell to Melissa Nicolai, FSM's human resources generalist for n early three years.  Melissa is returning home to Eau Claire. "Melissa is one of those rare people who can warm even the darkest, frozen Monday morning in January with her sunny disposition," said Russell King, FSM's CEO.  "We wish her all the best, but we're really going to miss her."

Farewell to Megan Duckles will be leaving FSM after four years as a psychotherapist providing both in-home and outpatient services. Megan was instrumental in helping maintain our electronic medical records system and lead the search committee in exploring the purchase of a new system. We wish her a fond farewell and thanks for her service and dedication.

Farewell to Lisa Mowbray and Jodi Webb, both of the In-Home Family Therapy program. Lisa and Jodi have served countless children, teens and families over their collective 15-year tenure with FSM. We thank them for their tireless service and wish them well in the future. 
FSM's spring fund-raiser 
of a different sort
If you didn't receive or have misplaced our spring fund-raising letter, you can find it
here . It's not your typical pitch letter.  Rather, it's a serious discussion of sexual violence and what to do if you or someone you know has been victimized.  If you'd like to support our work, you can donate here , set up a regular donation here , or even designate your donation for specific programs here .  Thinking ahead?  Remember FSM in your planned giving .  Thank you for your help.

Are you man enough?

As a school football player, I was given a "Head-hunter Award" for being "the most blood-thirsty player on the field."  
Russell King, FSM's CEO
I wasn't blood-thirsty, but the fact that adults would encourage that level of violence makes me shake my head.

Forty years later, not much has changed. One of my son's basketball coaches told the boys  not to help up opponents who fall, because empathy would dull their competitive edge.  A local sports talk radio host recently ranted against sportsmanship, because it made kids "soft."  A national sports talker said games are more fun to watch when the players hate each other.

We have a sickness and it goes far beyond sports, infecting families, business and politics.  It's called American masculinity.  The central themes of our masculinity are aggression, dominance and emotional incompetence.  From infancy, we enculturate males to ignore and suppress their emotions, to shun close relationships in favor of rugged individualism, and to measure their manliness by how well they can dominate others.  We've long known it's deadly to men, but it's also deadly to others.

Violence, statistically, is a male thing. In the U.S., males commit 90.5% of murders, 98% of forcible rapes and 89% of robberies. Males are 80% of those arrested for offenses against family and children, and are 78% of those arrested for aggravated assault.

Oddly, violence arises both from living up to and failing to live up to the macho man icon.  Guys who are stressed because they think they are seen as less masculine often try to "prove" themselves, and too often it's through violence.  Research has also shown "threatened" men are more supportive of war, show more prejudice toward gay men and lesbians, and are more likely to say they believe in the natural superiority of males.

Because our male culture says feelings are a weakness and weakness is unmanly, too many of our boys grow up lacking empathy, and lacking empathy makes it too easy to see other people as mere objects.  Seeing others as objects makes it much easier to use, hurt, rape, and kill them.

At Family Service Madison, we have some of the nation's most successful anti-domestic violence and anti-aggression therapy programs, and a large part of that therapy is helping men see and move beyond the unhealthy masculinity our culture has taught them.  But our work at FSM happens after the crimes have been committed, and if we are serious about addressing violence, we're obligated to change male culture, to redefine manhood, so we set our boys on a healthy path early in life, before crimes are committed.

Changing a culture will take courage and commitment, but it's something you and I can start today.  
 See a very quick history of FSM's 106 years of service to our community here.
 Family Service Madison | 608-252-1320 | info@fsmad.org | www.fsmad.org
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