September  2019
We're on the Move!
Look for Our New Worcester Office in October

By early October, o ur Worcester office will be settled into our new space at 21 Cedar Street, 1st floor, Worcester 01609. Our phone number will remain the same as listed on our website: 508-767-9725.
PPAL Shows Continued Growth
Latest Numbers Now Available
It's been a busy summer for PPAL! In the third quarter of 2019,
  • PPAL received more than 296 calls from families, youth and providers
  • We also received 3,400 juvenile justice calls
  • 60 people attended our statewide meetings in August and September (no July meeting)
  • We offered 2 in-service presentations, and 1 workshop

Thank you for your support!
PPAL Participates in Suicide Awareness Walk
Out of the Darkness Walk Inspired Hundreds
 
PPAL and Revidas staff, family and friends participated in the Out of the Darkness Walk on September 14 at Institute Park in Worcester.  We joined the efforts of hundreds of Central Mass people to raise awareness and funds that allow the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) to invest in new research, create educational programs, advocate for public policy, and support survivors of suicide loss.  




Seeing R.E.D Training Highlights Racial and Ethnic Disparities
PPAL Staff Learns How to Increase Equitable Outcomes
Earlier this month PPAL staff participated in the Seeing R.E.D (Racial and Ethnic Disparities) training. The 6-hour interactive curriculum is funded collaboratively by Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI) and Department of Youth Services (DYS). Its main goals are:
  • Learn and discuss how race and ethnicity affect the juvenile justice and other youth serving systems
  • To plan how, individually and collectively, we can increase equitable outcomes for youth



Supporting Young Adults in Reaching Their Goals
Forum Teaches Best Practices
PPAL participated in "Supporting Young Adults in Reaching Their Goals: A Best Practice Forum," an event funded by the Department of Mental Health (DMH).  It was a full day forum designed for providers to learn a variety of best-practice models and approaches to help them support young adults they work with in reaching their goals. Opening remarks by DMH Commissioner Joan Mikula. The day also included a young adult panel and resource fair.




PPAL/Youth MOVE was part of the resource fair and PPAL Youth Advocate Specialist Rae LaBrie presented a workshop called The Youth Move Approach to Amplifying Young Adult Voice.




PPAL Joins Worcester Know Your School Night
Open House Offered Information on Services and Programs Available
On September 7, PPAL participated in Know Your School Night, an open house program for parents to learn about the services and programs that exist in their community.
Community agencies gathered in the school gym to talk about summer and after-school programs, how to access family resource centers (FRCs), PPAL, Boys and Girls Club, MassRide, adult ESL classes, Worcester Housing Authority (WHA), and Girls INC.

The school provided interpretation services for the families in Vietnamese, Arabic, Spanish, and Somali.




THE PPAL SCOOP

Blog Alert 

Read our latest youth blog post!  

Alan writes: "Ever since I was a little kid, I always knew there was something different about me... I was once told that I was a tomboy, and just went along with that. I thought being a tomboy was the closest I could get to being a boy; I didn't even know that the word transgender even existed."



You can now subscribe to the PPAL blog and never miss a post.  Look for the subscribe information on the blog page. 


September Monthly Meeting: Youth in Transition

Our September Statewide meeting welcomed Lisa Thurau, Director of Strategies for Youth. We learned together about the role of School Resource Officers, changes in juvenile justice laws, and relevant tools for parents.





Join us in October to learn about Brookline Center's BRYT (Bridge for Resilient Youth in Transition) program! We'll hear from Megan Harding and Paul Hyry-Dermith about this school-based program providing intensive supports to students who have fallen behind due to significant mental health and other medical challenges. BRYT operates in over 100 schools across Massachusetts.


October 8, 2019

10am-2pm

Plymouth Church, 87 Edgell Road in Framingham



 

Register here to reserve your spot.

Latest Poll Results

September Poll Results

Where do you find the most useful mental health resources for your child?

A. Through their school (45 votes, 92%)
B. Outside of their school (4 votes, 8%)

Take our new October poll on our Facebook page!

October Poll: 

Does your child's pediatrician's office have an embedded behavioral health clinician?
A. Yes
B. No



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Parent/Professional Advocacy League| 866-815-8122 | 617-542-7832 | info@ppal.net | www.ppal.net

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