In PPAL’s early years, there was no model for family support specialists (FSS) on how to do their jobs. One supervisor, a social worker, remarked that she had never supervised an advocate before and was learning as she went. FSS were fierce about family voice and protecting confidentiality, but felt their way forward in other areas, such as telling their stories to create change. At one point, a FSS even decided to go on the Ricky Lake show, which raised eyebrows. Ultimately, FSS learned from one another and created a loose set of guidelines which were built upon over time. |
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Children's Mental Health Week Begins This Sunday
Help Us Celebrate CMHW!
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Children's Mental Health Week 2021 is next week: May 2 - 8!
Prepare and celebrate with items from the digital toolkit for Children's Mental Health Week 2021. The toolkit features posters, coloring sheets, a Calendar of Facts, and more.
You can also visit our newly digital Calendar of Events to view and register for virtual and in-person mental health events related to Children's Mental Health Week.
Throughout Children's Mental Health Week and Mental Health month, PPAL will be using our new website, Facebook and Instagram to feature landmarks lighting up green, community proclamations, and events!
Together we are Painting a Picture of Hope for the Future !
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Annual Conference: Holding Hands in Hard Times
Join Us in June for this Special Event
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Don’t forget to register for PPAL’s virtual conference, “Holding Hands in Hard Times,” held this year on June 4. Our keynote speaker, Andrea Berryman Childreth, will discuss her journey to finding balance and hope while raising her mentally ill daughter and battling bipolar disorder herself. Andrea will share insight and tips into what has worked and what has flopped over the last 30 years navigating the shame, stigma, pain and triumphs of mental wellness.
After the keynote, participants will be able to select from more than twelve workshops, including those on school avoidance, the school to prison pipeline, grandfamilies, the most common problems children are facing with the return to school, Caribbean mental health, and much more.
Early bird ticket prices are in effect through May 2nd. Be sure to register today to lock in the great special! Can’t attend? Donate the cost of a ticket so families that can’t afford them can participate.
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PPAL Debuts Its New Website
Our Address Is The Same -
But We Have a Whole New Look!
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Have you visited PPAL online lately? We have a freshly updated website! Look for new features, like our events calendar and our easy-to-use form for requesting family support. Find up-to-date information about upcoming events, peruse our publications, or just enjoy our new look. Check us out at ppal.net today!
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Welcome, Dev!
Dev Joins PPAL as the Youth MOVE Coordinator
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Meet Dev Kaplan, PPAL’s new Youth MOVE Coordinator, mental health warrior, dance enthusiast, and storyteller extraordinaire. Dev comes to PPAL from his work with NAMI. He has also been a speaker at numerous table talks and panel discussions, where he shared his own mental health story with providers, loved ones, and people with mental health challenges. At PPAL, Dev has been busy networking and collaborating, boosting our social media presence, connecting with peers, presenting at places like SuccessFest, and pursuing professional development opportunities. He also coordinates Youth MOVE, the Massachusetts chapter of Youth MOVE National. Dev says that “Time flies when I work because I love what I do.” Most of all, though, he loves sharing his story and building his community. “I like to talk about mental health,” Dev observes. “People are really living with a lot of secrets, and they really need to talk about it, especially kids.” |
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A Family Perspective on Substance Use and Addiction
A Wrap Up of April's Statewide Meeting
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April’s Statewide Meeting addressed an important topic - substance use and addiction among teens and young adults. PPAL welcomed Joanne Peterson, Founder and Executive Director of Learn to Cope. Ms. Peterson's journey started when she was a young girl, as her siblings experienced issues with mental illness and addiction. Years later, when Ms. Peterson discovered that her own son's experimentation with prescription drugs had led to an opioid addiction, she was motivated and empowered to use her voice to bring about change.
Ms. Peterson opened the conversation by telling her own story, then moved on to discuss coping with the danger, stress and emotions related to the crisis; information and resources regarding the disease of addiction and realistic strategies for treatment and recovery based on real-world experience; and identifying practical information for families, like the signs of substance use and the symptoms of overdoses.
Attendees found the talk to be “very helpful” and a “great presentation.” Learn more on Learn To Cope’s website.
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Juvenile Justice Update
The Impact of Diversion Programs, Trauma & More
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Dawn Christie, PPAL’s Juvenile Justice Project Coordinator, has had a busy couple months!
As part of the Juvenile Justice Policy and Data Board (JJPAD), she has looked at new research on the impact of diversion programs on youth recidivism, which found that youth who were diverted rather than formally processed in the court were less likely to recidivate and went on to have better life outcomes on a variety of measures. She also spearheaded a conversation on how we can acknowledge and treat trauma, especially among people of color, in communities where it has become a normative experience. As part of the Title I Needs Assessment Board, she discussed the challenge of getting youth to participate in educational programs, both while in detention and once they have come home.
Dawn has also appeared twice for PPAL on Facebook Live, highlighting what parents should expect if their child is arrested as well as her own experience dealing with the Department of Youth Services (DYS). She also spoke about the stark difference between supporting a child in the system before and during the pandemic.
Her message to parents? Stay engaged with your child, especially when they are involved with DYS. Besure to respond to those phone calls and letters - with all the current restrictions and limitations due to the pandemic, these communications may be crucial to helping your child get through the day.
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Become a Community Health Worker!
New Tipsheet Available
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Are you a Family Partner looking to advance your career? Are you the parent or caregiver of a child with disabilities, and interested in using your knowledge and experience in a new role? Consider becoming certified as a Community Health Worker (CHW)!
Becoming a certified CHW opens up employment opportunities, looks great on your resume, and helps protect you in case of complaints about your work. Find more about the benefits of this certification and how to get it on PPAL’s new tip sheet, “Become a Community Health Worker!”
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Watch Us on Facebook Live!
Get Social with PPAL
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Are you following us on Facebook Live every Wednesday at 2? Don't miss out in May.
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Parent/Professional Advocacy League
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