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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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December Statewide Meeting
Please join us in welcoming back Karen Snyder, Court Monitor overseeing the implementation of the court order following the Rosie D. Lawsuit. She will be discussing the Children's Behavioral Health Initiative (CBHI). Participants will have the opportunity to hear updates on the initiative and provide feedback.
Register by December 9 via
email.
Tuesday, December 13
10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Plymouth Church Conference Room
Framingham, MA
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Poll Results
If you have more than one child, what do you feel your child(ren) without or with less intense needs requires more?
One on one attention: 66.67%
All of the above: 33.33%
Understanding: 0%
Supportive sibling groups: 0%
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1. Please join PPAL in extending a warm welcome to Martina Cruz, our new Multicultural Outreach Coordinator! Martina has worked as a family partner for many years. She has also worked as a preschool teacher and served as a school committee member in Lawrence. She has a degree in Human Services, and is a licensed alcohol and substance abuse counselor. Martina is the mother of three young adults with special needs, and a community activist. She is thrilled to join PPAL, knowing the great work that our organization does to support children, youth and families.
We also wish to welcome Linda Arian, our new Juvenile Justice Coordinator. She will be working closely with our Family Support Specialists and JDAI to connect families to resources across the state. She has a great deal of enthusiasm and deep understanding of navigating families and youth through the system. Prior to joining PPAL, Linda worked as a social worker and advocate for at-risk youth and adults transitioning from the criminal justice system as well as for CORI (Criminal Record Information) reform. She applied a multi-model approach to individual and group psychotherapy, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), rational emotive behavioral therapy (REBT), motivational interviewing therapy (MI), strengths-based, and psycho-educational approaches.
Linda received a Masters degree in Social Work from New York University's Silver School of Social Work, a Masters degree in Criminal Justice from Suffolk University, and a B.A. in Business Management from Emmanuel College in Boston.
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2. Youth MOVE Massachusetts has had a very busy November! Our youth groups have been consistently attended, with a number of our homemade meals hitting it off big with the group. PPAL's very own Diamond Tarwoe came in earlier in the month to facilitate a Rhythmic Dance/Step Workshop in our HOPE group, and the youth really appreciated her great teaching skills and her easy-going manner, even getting some young adults to try who had said earlier that they usually are too embarrassed to dance in front of others! We also learned a lot from Matt Tozer from That's Entertainment in Worcester about vintage video game consoles and vintage comic books series.
Youth MOVE Massachusetts ro
cked an awesome panel presentation on the youth perspective of experiencing foster care involvement at this year's RTSC "Making a Difference Conference", and talked to many DCF employees of what helps and what hurts in foster care. Youth MOVE also shared an exhibitor table with PPAL. Rachel, one of our young adult leaders, taught many people about what we have to offer!
Youth MOVE Massachusetts also had another successful Thanksgiving event for the 3rd year in a row! Open to youth, young adults, and their allies, we had great event participation from all invited groups, including appearances by some of our partners at DMH, a local artist who is interested in helping Youth MOVE MA to support our youth and young adults in exploring their creative talents, and a surprise visit from Lydia!
We also are still accepting resumes for the Lead Peer Support Specialist Position, a description of which can be found here. If you know a young adult with lived experience who may be interested in this awesome opportunity, please share! Please email resumes to [email protected].
Stay tuned for more events in the coming weeks:
- An exciting re-vamp event for our Speaker's Bureau!
- A "Winter Fun" youth group with activities like: youth room holiday decorating, lots of sweets, and a donated winter clothing event to support our youth and young adults in collaboration with our local community partners!
- An informative session with David Tirendi from Job Corps!
- "Rockin' Around the Youth MOVE Tree" Holiday Party!
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 Bowdoin Geneva Grant
3.
PPAL announces a collaboration with the Bowdoin Geneva Community Advisory Board to launch youth groups in the the Bowdoin Geneva area of Dorchester. PPAL is excited to be bringing its successful Youth MOVE activities to the Boston area! PPAL is actively planning the launch of numerous activities which will include monthly youth groups, several youth-led trainings for youth and opportunities for creative expression and communication. PPAL is looking for additional community partners who are interested in supporting this fantastic opportunity for youth in the Bowdoin Geneva area. Also, any youth or young adults who are interested in helping to plan the youth groups and activities or who just want to participate, please contact Meri Viano at [email protected] or
617.542.7860
. Stay tuned for more information soon!
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Juvenile Justice Activities
4.
We have been having an exciting kick off to our new Juvenile Justice Division! We have hit the ground running by collaborating with other agencies throughout the city on proposed legislation regarding diversion, as well as developing our own tools to share with the community on how to manage situations with young people and the police.
One collaboration is with Citizens for Juvenile Justice where we are working on a legislative bill "to promote child well-being, community supervision and efficient use of state resources." We were fortunate this month to attend and be a voice for the community at their Annual Leadership Celebration with keynote speaker attorney Adam Foss. He brings a great deal of passion to the justice community. As a
former Assistant DA in Suffolk County (MA), he has led the charge that prosecutors can and should use their considerable discretion to pursue a range of alternative approaches which better advance public safety.
We are also working with the mental Health Legal Advisors Committee on a School Arrest/MOU Coalition. We are working to connect legislators for joint/separate bill filing, community outreach and communicating with opposition groups.
In addition, PPAL is working within our community police departments, through our Police Pocket Guide (for officers to use when working with a young person and family having mental health issues) and other efforts. This month we held a training sponsored by Children's Friends in Lynn. We had officers from Lynnfield, Lynn, Saugus, Swampscott and Wakefield in attendance. We are looking forward to increasing our trainings throughout the region!
We are excited working within our new JDAI grant in collaboration with DYS. We now have Family Support Specialists in the different state regions available to all of our families and young people!
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Emergency Services for Children in Crisis
5
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PPAL has been holding focus groups across the state to hear from parents about waiting for emergency mental health care for their children. Over the past few months, PPAL's project coordinator, Erin Edgecomb, has conducted three groups and has plans to hold more. The groups have proven extremely informative and have lent opportunities for more in depth examination surrounding the issue of accessing emergency mental health services for children.
Some of this data, in addition to the 2015-2016 data from PPAL's family survey, will be showcased on December 6th, 2016 at the Pediatric and Adolescent Boarding Summit, hosted by The Children's Mental Health Campaign. PPAL's executive director, Lisa Lambert, will be in attendance to present our data alongside Boston Children's Hospital. The all-day event includes work group sessions, presentations from Marylou Sudders, Joan Mikula, and more! Erin Edgecomb is excited to attend with Lisa Lambert and devote a day to discussing solutions around children's inefficient access to emergency mental health care.
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6.
Support groups can be an invaluable tool for children and youth with mental health issues and their families. Meeting with peers who have gone through or are currently living a similar experience can be a very powerful outlet for the stress, frustration, sadness and even happiness that often accompanies these life situations,
PPAL offers several support groups and is affiliated with several more in communities throughout Massachusetts. PPAL is also working to create new support groups, such as a support group focused on the needs of fathers and male caregivers and support groups for Spanish-speaking families. More information about these new groups will be coming soon!
PPAL currently offers the following support groups:
Worcester Parent /Caregiver support group
For: Caregivers who understand the struggles and victories of raising exceptional and challenging kids
Meets: 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month 5:30-7:30pm
Where: PPAL office 40 Southbridge St. Worcester Ma.
Moving Forward: Our Journey
For: Families navigating transition years (14 - 26)
Meets: 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month 6-8pm
Where: 1 Beverly drive Sterling Ma.
Parents of Children/Teens with Special Needs Support Group
For: Families of children and teens with special needs
Meets: 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month 6-8pm
Where: Trinity Episcopal Church 17 Congress st. Milford Ma.
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Save the Date: Success-Fest
7.
On March 13, 2017, PPAL, the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health, Quinsigamond Community College and Wayside Youth and Family Support will present a free conference for young adults, adult allies, providers, parents and community partners on how to fill your "toolbox" to be most successful. Click on the flyer to learn more!
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