Safe, Stable and Nurturing Families Help Everyone Achieve their Fullest Potential
May 2019
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Happy Spring from the Jordan Institute for Families!
Building on a
22 year legacy of strengthening families, communities, and the people who serve them,
we leverage evidence, policy, collaboration, innovation, and the wisdom of communities to
work together to create the conditions where ALL families can thrive.
~
Sarah Verbiest
, Director
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Congratulations, Mrs. Jordan!
We are so pleased to share that Mrs. Deloris Jordan received the Tate-Turner-Kuralt Champions Award at graduation this month in recognition of her extraordinary volunteer work with the School of Social Work and in communities across the globe! Mrs. Jordan continues to provide one-on-one mentoring and support to the JIF Director as evidenced by the significant growth of the Institute over the past 18 months. She has a laser focus on impact, budget, and families paired with an energetic sparkle and deep commitment to making the world a better place for families.
Click
here
for a message of congratulations from the James R. Jordan Foundation. Click
here
to hear an impromptu shout out to Mrs. Jordan on UNC's The Hill radio talk show. Pictured above: Dr. Iris Carlton-LeNey, Kristin Register Lakis (new Alumni Council President) and Mrs. Deloris Jordan.
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JIF Hosts Evening with the Scholar Strategy Network
On April 16th a lively group gathered at the Jordan Institute to talk about the many ways that people with advanced research degrees, such as PhDs, can contribute to policy and system change. Panelists included Dr. Jessica Barron, a research scientist at Frontline Solutions; Dr. Curtis Bradley with the NC Dept of Transportation's Research & Development Unit; Dr. Trenita Childers at the American Institutes for Research; Dr. Rebeca Guenard, an active freelance science writer; Dr. Renee Ryberg, co-manager of the Child Trends DataBank; Dr. AtLee Watson from the National Toxicology Program; and Dr. Ciara Zachary with NC Child. This dynamic group conversed on a variety of topics ranging from creative ways to use science for change, resume writing, and how to continue to publish when not in an academic setting. The networking was great, and we expect many new relationships to continue.
Thank you to
Dr. Natalie Hengstebeck
and the Scholars Strategy Network for sponsoring the event. The Scholars Strategy Network (SSN) is a one-stop resource that connects journalists, policymakers, and civic leaders to America's top scholars and their research. Together, they inform news and help solve the nation's toughest policy problems. To learn more click
here
.
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JIF Co-Sponsors the NASW NC Advocacy Day 2019
The Jordan Institute for Families is proud to have co-sponsored the March 2019
National Association of Social Workers NC Chapter's Advocacy Day.
Social work students from across the state gathered in Raleigh at the NC General Assembly to talk with legislators about issues that matter to our profession. Some students focused on NASW NC Issues (Click
here)
while others were prepared to talk about issues specific to the people they serve
. The picture above is a subset of the over 60 students from Chapel Hill who attended the event. Below, students gather to plan for their next legislative meetings. While there were nerves at first, students found the experience to be empowering. Legislators appreciate hearing from experts and students found that conversations across different perspectives can still happen.
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NC Early Childhood Summit
The Jordan Institute was pleased to be invited to join leaders from across the state at a summit to launch the Governor's new NC Early Childhood Action Plan. JIF Director, Sarah Verbiest, was part of the
opening panel on Health
to talk about strategies to better support new mothers and young families. Dr. Paul Lanier and Katherine Bryant represented JIF's new portfolio of work in home visiting assessment and early childhood program evaluation. The Summit was live-streamed on UNC TV and recorded
here
. The JIF team under Dr. Lanier's leadership has begun work in conducting a needs assessment for the MIECHV program in NC.
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4th Trimester Project Ready to Support New Families
Building on over a decade of collaborative research and national dialogue,
the 4th Trimester Project
team is challenging the way American treats new mothers. The time has come to address the facts: One in four new mothers has to return to work within 10 days of giving birth. Almost half of women never receive a single follow up doctor visit after they are discharged from the hospital. Many women suffer from anxiety and depression without receiving care, and the US is one of the only countries on the globe where maternal death rates have doubled.
While new babies command attention, new moms are often neglected. During these early weeks and months after giving birth, women experience many changes with their bodies, feelings, and relationships. Too often, women are left to navigate their health and care without adequate information or support. The 4th Trimester Project team of researchers, clinicians, and mothers are creating a movement to support new moms and their families, starting with a launch of a mom-designed national info hub as well as sparking crucial conversations. New moms need the latest medical evidence as well as honest stories to inform postpartum healing.
We thank the Global Health Foundation for support and Momma’s Village in Fayetteville, NC and 4Moms2Be and Mahogany Milk in Greensboro, NC, Black Mamas Matter Alliance and many others for their partnership. To launch this work, we will need moms and people who love them to help us fund the movement. For more information about the Project and how you can help,
click
here
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Using Data to Create Equity in Government
Across the US, racial inequities exist throughout every sector – health, housing, education, criminal justice, finance, social services, and more. Local governments have a large role to play in building equity through their policies, programs, and services. Examining data by race and ethnicity allows us to see how programs and policies impact certain populations differently, with often negative consequences for communities of color. Data that is not taken apart can hide disparities that maintain oppression and lead to adverse impacts.
Dr. Allison DeMarco,
an Advanced Research Scientist at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, Adjunct Faculty at the School of Social Work, and a new collaborator with the Jordan Institute, is taking steps to address this need.
She
has received extensive training on racial equity through the Racial Equity Institute, Dismantling Racism Works (dRworks), the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE), and the People’s Institute for Survival and beyond and helped form the
Racial Equity and Empowerment Community Consultation
project.
JIF is looking forward to partnering with Dr. DeMarco and her colleagues to improve outcomes for ALL families using this policy and equity lens. To learn more about her efforts to provide local governments with baseline information on racial and ethnic inclusivity in their advisory boards and commissions, r
ead her blog
here
. To learn about using a racial equity toolkit to inform program, service and policy making click
here.
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The Jordan Brand Meets JIF and Livis Freeman's Marketing Class
Livis Freeman, Director of the Chuck Stone Program for Diversity in Media and Education in the UNC School of Media and Education, provided a very unique opportunity to his marketing class this spring. He brought in the Jordan Brand team working on the new line of Air Jordan footwear for women. Students had spring semester to design campaigns for this new product. The Jordan Institute invited the entire class to visit the School of Social Work and learn more about our work and the unique contributions that Michael Jordan's mother (Deloris) and sister (Rosalyn) have made in moving forward work that supports families. The student presentations to the Brand Jordan Team (below) were excellent. Several students suggested that their favorite part of the class was their visit to the School of Social Work. This coming fall, a new set of students will work with the JIF on OUR branding to complete the circle. Thank you to Livis Freeman for being a wonderful partner!
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REGISTER NOW!
The Summer Implementation Science Institute will take place June 11 - 12, 2019. The focus this year is on beginning the conversation about equity and implementation. While the conference is full, we are offering FREE registration to anyone who wishes to participate in the live-streamed plenary sessions. Click
here
for the agenda and to sign up.
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On April 9th, the Latinx Caucus joined forces with the Social Justice Action Series to bring over a dozen organizations together for a community resource fair. The purpose of the gathering was to connect with local organizations working with immigrant and refugee communities, learn what these organizations are doing, and how other professionals can partner with them. Organizations provided a wealth of materials at their tables, including resources around health, mental health, nutrition, vocational services, educational services, youth groups, legal services, and more. After making themselves available at their respective tables to provide information on service and volunteer opportunities, representatives gave 10 minute “power talks” about their organization’s mission and programs.
Representative also discussed how organizations can partner with each other in the best interest of their clients. Hats off to everyone who made this event happen!
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Thank you to Melissa Villodas (SSW doctoral student) for the time and talent she contributed to the JIF this year. Melissa helped with events, social media, launching the blog, writing, and research. Melissa is an exceptionally smart, warm and thoughtful person. THANK YOU!
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Quinton Smith is a doctoral student at the School of Social Work and a leader on facilitating organizational change and advancing equity. Learn more about his work and advice for social work students on the JIF blog
here
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