Support PPAL through
your donation today!
COMECC # 700554
Combined Federal
Campaign #11595
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Contact Us
Parent/ Professional
Advocacy League
Statewide Office-Boston
15 Court Square
Suite 660
Boston, MA 02108
Toll Free: (866) 815-8122
Fax: (617) 542-7832
Central Ma Office
(Worcester)
40 Southbridge Street
Suite 310
Worcester, MA 01608
Tel: (508) 767-9725
Fax: (508) 767-9727
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Poll Results
The biggest challenge for me in accessing mental health services is:
Eligibility for services 50%
Insurance coverage 30%
Lack of family support 20%
Language capacity 0%
Transportation 0%
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Save The Date: Stronger Together!
Don't forget to register for our 6th annual conference and celebration! Click here to learn more and download registration and sponsorship documents.
When:
Friday May 27, 2016 from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM EDT
Where:
Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel and Banquet Space
181 Boston Post Road West
Marlborough, MA 01752
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1.
On May 27, 2016, PPAL will present our sixth annual conference, with a theme of Stronger Together. The event, which will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Best Western in Marlborough, will bring together more than 600 attendees with morning and afternoon workshops and incredible speakers. A large Exhibition Hall will feature organizations and companies serving children's mental health communities.
The conference will include ten separate workshops for parents, professionals and caregivers. Each of the workshops is designed to help our attendees as they continue their work on behalf of children facing mental health challenges.
This year, we have received authorization for continuing education units for Licensed Mental Health Counselors. Four of the conference workshops will be translated into Spanish in real-time: Child Requiring Assistance: A User-Friendly Overview, Cultural Perspectives on Mental Health: Providers, Parents and Community, What Makes an Animal More than Just a Pet? Learn about ESA - Emotional Support Animals, and Beyond PTSD: Innovative Solutions for Complex Conditions.
We are also proud to present our 6th annual
conference
Youth Track
, giving young people aged 13-25 the opportunity to develop their skills as leaders and advocates. For just a $10 registration fee (scholarships available!), participants can attend 2 out of the 5 scheduled workshops:
- PIP, PIP, Hooray! Problems, Ideas, and Plans
- What's Up, Doc: Mental Health and Mindfulness
- More Than a Pet: Emotional Support Animals
- How to Support Your LGBTQ Peers
- How to Support Friends in Crisis
You can learn more about these great Youth Track workshops here, and download a registration form here.
Click
here
to learn more about each of the Stronger Together conference workshops, or
visit our website
for additional details and to download registration materials.
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 CMHW Proclamations
2.
This week is Children's Mental Health Awareness Week! Help us promote CMHW with a Mayoral Proclamation! We have already received proclamations from 13 towns and cities across Massachusetts, including Revere, Boston, Worcester, Lowell, Swampscott, Easton, Amesbury, Saugus, Haverhill, Malden, Upton, Lynn, and Lynnfield. If you would like to add your town to the list,
email us
to let us know that you have received a proclamation, or to get additional information and proclamation language!
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Speak Out for Access
3.
In 2001, PPAL released a report on access to mental health treatment and care. 15 years later, PPAL is following up on the original report with a series of short reports titled Speak Out for Access - Take 2. We are conducting "pop up surveys" and revisiting topics important to parents to see if there has been any improvement over the years.
Speak Out for Access --Take 2 looks at wait times, the impact of insurance and mental health care in schools.
With this second report, we have found that while access to insurance has improved, parents are still waiting weeks or months to get appointments. This is one of the major barriers that families face in getting treatment and care for mental health issues. Click here to read the report and learn more!
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Dual Status Youth Symposium
4.
On April 6, Family Support Specialist Kristen Solaras was invited to speak at the Dual Status Youth and Probation System Reform Symposium in Boston on April  6, 2016. The event was sponsored by the RFK National Resource Center for Juvenile Justice, and was attended by over 500 participants from across the country and the world. The goal of this conference was to bring together professionals and advocates to work towards system reform and increased collaboration with state agencies that serve youth. Speakers also shared knowledge about innovative practices that have been implemented in jurisdictions across the nation in the respective areas of dual status youth and probation system reform. Kristen openly shared her journey with her son who was involved with both DCF and DYS. The audience was deeply moved by her powerful story, and motivated to work together to make a change. You can view her presentation here
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Youth Updates
5. Join PPAL and Youth Move Massachusetts on May 5, 2016 for our second annual Art Show for Mental Health Awareness! This open house reception will feature amazing artwork, a meet and greet session with youth members and PPAL Family Support staff, as well as coffee and refreshments. Click here to learn more.
In April, Lydia Proulx and youth member Rachel attended the Leominster Health Fair at Samoset Middle School. During this event, many students added their voices to our #MentalHealthMatters paper chain. This chain currently contains over 250 links, with messages that finish the sentence "Mental health matters to youth because...."
"...it can help you stay healthy."
"...everyone is important.
"...people can learn what they want to learn!"
"...prevention is possible."
"...it makes you stronger!"
"...you may need to help someone with Mental Health!"
"...being happy helps you do better at everything."
"...you can hurt your siblings' feelings if you call them names."
"...it keeps you safe!"
Visit a Youth MOVE Massachusetts May Event and add your voice to our Paper Chain!
Also in April, Youth Move Massachusetts cosponsored an event with PPAL, the William James event. This panel was moderated by Chandra Watts, and featured youth members Rachel, Stephen, Chris and Mike. Thank you for your participation and attendance!
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PPAL Helps Professionals Engage With Families
6. On April 22, PPAL held another successful session of "Family Engagement" for professionals from state agencies, provider organizations and Boston area psychiatric hospitals. This event was held at Franciscan Children's Hospital in Brighton, and led by PPAL's Meri Viano. Participants learned about families' journeys in navigating the complex children's mental health system and how their experiences can shape their interaction with professionals throughout the system. Meri worked with all participants to incorporate families' perspective in a professional's approach to working with families to achieve best possible outcomes for children and their families. This session was so well-received that PPAL will be holding another session at Franciscan Children's Hospital, tentatively scheduled for June 16.
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