January, 2021
The Voice is Families Together in New York State's Newsletter. We will continue to update you on a monthly basis with information that is important to families, and youth across the State of New York.
For further information visit our website:
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Resources for families affected by COVID-19; Prioritizing mental and physical health while staying home.
Families Together is here to help.
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Do you know...
Which Board Member has been involved with Families Together since it's early days?
Board Vice President
Lynn Rogers
Poughkeepsie, NY.
Lynn M. Rogers has been involved with Families Together in New York State since its early days. Ms. Rogers received the 2002 Excellence in Resiliency Award from Families Together in NYS, Inc. for her outstanding work in promoting resiliency in families of children with social, behavioral, or emotional needs. She continues to share her story and history with families to show that they are not alone. Her strong belief is that parents are the experts with their children and should be empowered to determine the goals for themselves and their families.
Ms. Rogers holds a Family Development Credential (FDC) and a Family Peer Advocate Credential (FPAC). She is also the parent of three emotionally challenged children. She is an activist parent and a skilled advocate having previously served several years as the Family Advocate for MHA of Dutchess County. She served several terms on the Dutchess County Board of Mental Hygiene’s Child and Youth sub-committee. She has been involved with numerous systems that included mental health, education, Probation, and Family Court for her own family and for various families that she partners with. Currently, she is the Program Coordinator for the Family Support Programs at MHA.
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FANS Yearly Recertification Technical Assistance (Office Hours)
Multiple dates starting Wednesday, January 20th,
10:00am - 11:00am
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Youth Power: An Overview
Thursday, January 28th, 4:00pm - 5:00pm
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FANS Basic Virtual Training
Monday, February 8th - 11th, 2021
10:00am - 11:30am
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Navigating Mental Health in LGBTQ+
Community
Tuesday, February 9th,
2:00pm - 3:00pm
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Understanding Gender
Thursday, March 11th, 2021
2:00pm - 3:00pm
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Foundations for Leadership
Monday, March 15th & Thursday, April 1st
More information coming soon
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Virtual Youth
Leadership Forum
March 22nd-24th & 29th-31st
More information coming soon
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Families Together Announces Family EmPOWERment Week!
Save the date!
We are going to be hosting a digital week of empowerment from March 1st to March 5th. We will be leading our members in advocating to lawmakers and decision-makers about Developmental Disabilities, Juvenile Justice, Child Welfare, and so much more! Come join our town halls and meet with your legislators!
More information coming soon
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2020 FTNYS Digital Advocacy Center
Stay home. Stay Healthy. Take action.
Stay up-to-date with all our advocacy efforts and use emails, social media, and phone calls. We might have to stay home, but our advocacy doesn't have to.
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Governor Cuomo issues State of the State Addresses |
Governor Cuomo has issued his annual State of the State Addresses. Usually one speech, this year it comes in four parts. There was a central focus on COVID-19, vaccinating New Yorkers, and recovering from the economic downturn caused by the pandemic. There was also much attention paid to green technology and utilizing renewable energy for the future of New York. |
Federal Stimulus Bill #PausesAgingOut |
The CHAMPS-NY campaign, co-lead by Families Together in NYS and the Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy, strongly supports a moratorium on aging out of foster care during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Over the last few months, we were successful in advocating for state protocols and legislation to ensure the majority of young people do not age out without supports and can re-enter quickly if needed while continuing to fight for a full moratorium. However, the most recent stimulus package passed by the federal congress includes the Supporting Youth and Families Through the Pandemic Act. In addition to other positive benefits, this puts a nationwide moratorium of aging out of foster care in place that extends to September 2021. This is great news. We look forward to working with the NYS Office of Children and Family Services on its implementation. |
Family & Youth Headline Highlights
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Georgia Senate Races have Big Implications for New York State
Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossof won their Georgia Senate runoff races, securing Democrat control of the Senate by a razor-thin margin. This could have a far-reaching impact on NYS. Democrats are likely to provide more expansive COVID-19 stimulus legislation, including larger stimulus checks and more funding going towards financial aid at the state level.
If New York receives federal aid, we urge Governor Cuomo and the NYS Legislature to invest in New York families and youth by ending withholds to desperately needed behavioral health services.
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What Parent Advisor is Always One Step Ahead? |
Sue Lewis has 30 plus years of personal, volunteer, and professional experience with families and their children with disabilities. The journey started with her own family, researching services and opportunities for her child. As a mother with no experience with school systems, IEP's, or the service provider system, and finding that no one she knew had similar needs, she had to learn all there was available to make necessary decisions for her child's growth. It was a continuing process as situations arose and she knew at that time she would want to be available to other parents and as involved in the community and systems needed to support families in similar situations.
As a Families Together Parent Advisor she is working to; build the advocacy network, increase regional credentialed family peer advocates for the Central Region, provide a platform for families to be heard, and bring statewide information to local Family Peer Support Services, Chapters of Families Together. She lastly facilitates communication between NYSOMH and families and advocates within the region.
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Child & Family Well-being in New York State
Ranking Risks Across 62 Counties
This analysis examines data for New York State’s 62 counties across six domains of child and family well-being—Economic Security, Housing, Health, Education, Youth, and Family & Community. The analysis replicates CCC’s Child and Family Well-being Index for New York City, which was created to understand where multiple risks to well-being concentrate geographically. This is important, as research on child development tells us that the presence of multiple risk factors can have cumulative negative effects on child development and well-being
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SCAA presents: State of the New York's Children. |
Watch our friends at the Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy provide their annual data overview outlining the key metrics around the health and well-being of New York's children that policymakers need to consider when deciding on this year's budget. |
Charles Anthony Rice (He/Him)
Hudson Regional Youth Partner
Dedicated husband and father of five, Charles has always had a heart for youth and working alongside organizations that help bring support and resources to underprivileged and underserved communities. With more than 10 years of experience, Charles has focused his time, attention, and skills on working with youth who have been labeled and/or considered at risk. Through his own lived experience with juvenile justice, mental health, and personal struggles with alcohol & substance abuse as a young adult, Charles has overcome significant hardship. Since beginning his own journey of holistic recovery in 2013 and knowing firsthand the positive impact that a mentor can make, he desires to be a bridge in ensuring all youth are given this same opportunity. He strives to lead by example in his home and in his community. As the Hudson Regional Youth Partner at FTNYS, Charles strives to bring honesty, openness, and transparency as a means of creating hope for a brighter future for youth and young adults in the Hudson Region and beyond.
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Alia Pierre (She/Her)
New York City Regional Youth Partner
Alia Pierre is a driven leader and creative from Brooklyn, NY, who has always had a passion for helping youth find and use their voices to make change. After graduating from Hampton University, Alia went on to become a Performing Arts teacher at the Harlem Children’s Zone. She, later, took on more responsibility, becoming an Advisor, and a Dean for the afterschool program. Working as an advisor allowed her to realize how many youths could connect with her childhood and upbringing. It was then she realized she needed to do more. In 2018, she resigned from Harlem Children’s Zone and decided to create a program of her own. She and her partner launched Strength in The Arts, 4:13, which is an Arts company that provides youth with a safe space to share personal and societal issues and express those issues creatively.
Today, Alia is heavily focused on writing her book, creating and directing short films, and making music that addresses controversial topics. She is looking forward to working with Families Together, as it reminds her of where she’s come from and her desire to help youth overcome the things she did. Being in the Youth Advocacy field brings her much joy in knowing that she has the opportunity to actually enforce change.
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As January is Human Tracking Awareness Month, Youth Power hosted a training with Safe Horizons to educate young people about their human rights. Click below to watch the training which addresses both sex and labor trafficking, red flags, and indicators to identify potential risks.
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Join us for an introductory of Youth Power of Families Together in NYS, and ways YOUth can get involved. |
Join the Youth Power Advisory Council |
Youth Power would like to kick off 2021 by acknowledging the great work of Joewyn Diaz, Youth Engagement Specialist, at Elmcor Youth & Adult Activities, Inc.’s OASAS funded Youth Recovery Clubhouse, The C.O.R.E (Culture of Recovery for Excellence). Joewyn has been providing hands on & virtual peer to peer support, skill development, academic assistance, and recreational activities to youth and young adults between the ages of 12-25 for over a year in his position. As the COVID-19 pandemic has required more of him and his team, he has shown a great ability to persevere, remain flexible, and do whatever it takes to ensure his community of Queens is provided with adequate access to recovery support services. When speaking with Joewyn about his work he shared that he met the peer advocacy field by way of being involved in the justice system as an adolescent and a young adult. In addition, he stated, “As a 30 year old, Latinx male, my lived experience with the Judicial System has given me the opportunity to acknowledge and address multiple traumas but it has also allowed me to give back to my community, and find new pathways to recovery. The COVID-19 pandemic has been very difficult to deal with, however it has made the entire world accessible to peers and advocacy services. Although it has not been an easy year or experience, we must continue our pursuit of justice. Peace to All.”
Thank you Joewyn for all the work you do for yourself, your community, and the peer advocacy workforce. Continue creating spaces where youth and young adults can amplify their voices and be empowered.
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Peer Leaders Support & Development |
PLSD (Peer Leaders Support & Development) is a mutual support group for young peer leaders and advocates. Young leaders will get support from fellow youth advocates and learn from their experiences. The group will also include skill development opportunities. This support should enhance each member’s ability to be an effective peer leader.
Central & Hudson River Region- February 12th, 2021 @ 2PM
Western Region-
January 15th, 2021 @ 12PM
Long Island Region-
February 15th, 2021 @ 3PM
NYC Region-
February 5th, 2021 @ 12PM
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Youth Peer Advocate Leaders |
YPAL brings together YPA supervisors and organizational leaders. In these quarterly meetings, we address topics geared towards supervising the peer workforce by:
- Addressing common challenges
- Sharing ideas, resources, and events
- Successfully implement and sustain youth peer services
Hudson River & Central Region-
Friday, March 4th, 2021
Western Region-
February 16th, 2021
Long Island Region & NYC Region-Thursday, February 18th, 2021
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PEP 4-Day
Virtual Training
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Don't miss the next Parent Empowerment Program training of 2021! Pre-register only if….
- You hold a FPA Provisional Credential.
- You completed all of the PEP Level 2 online modules.
- You are employed as a FPA providing FPSS.
Availability is limited to the first 12 eligible pre-registrants. This training satisfies "step 4" of the pathway to a FPA Professional Credential.
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Learning Tools from Pathways RTC |
New Interactive Module on Exploring Strengths with Young People
Youth and young adults who are participating in mental health services are often asked about their strengths, and they report that this can be an awkward and uncomfortable conversation to have. However, when done correctly, a strengths conversation can be a positive and engaging experience, as well as a good opportunity for a provider to find out what a young person finds motivating, enjoyable and worthwhile.
This module provides examples of successful ways to talk with young people about their strengths, as well as examples of some not-so-successful ways.
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Statewide Peer Support Positions |
Join a Workforce that Makes a Difference!
Use your lived experience and recovery journey to offer hope, guidance, and advocacy for youth and families receiving services from mental health, substance use, and related service systems.
Visit our Employment Opportunities page for featured Peer Support Positions across NYS! Browse ads from partners like Hillside Family of Agencies, Compeer Rochester, Federation of Families, United Healthcare, Lodestar Children's Services, Families On The Move NYC, ICL, Cayuga Center, ICAN, MHA of Westchester, Interborough Developmental and Consultation Center, and more!
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Free to Be, our podcast for all things LGBTQ+ youth, has released a new episode "Spilled Tea of Long Island." New Year, all-new Free to Be! Zack introduces Long Island Regional Youth Partner and new co-host of the show, Robbie! Zack & Robbie do some housekeeping, Robbie introduces himself, and turn their focus on Long Island, Robbie's hometown and underrated LGBTQ+ gem.
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EMPOWERING FAMILIES. COORDINATING SYSTEMS.
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