Department of Youth Services' Newsletter
| July 2022 Edition
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Dear Colleagues,
The months of June and July mark the end and beginning of the fiscal year as well as the onset of summer. It is a time of new opportunity as well as a time to enjoy longer days, warmer weather and vacations with families and friends. I hope you have been able to enjoy time with your loved ones and have not been too impacted by the heat.
July is also when we kickoff the nominations for the 2022 Commissioner’s Awards! This past year has been one of significant transition and challenge at DYS. We faced new variants and new fights on the COVID-19 front. We grieved significant losses, personally and professionally, and struggled to comprehend acts of hate and violence directed at communities of color. Despite it all, we continue to stand together in community.
Over the past six months I have heard from many of you how this past year has impacted you, your families, colleagues, the youth we serve and their families. Although we cannot erase the impact of the last year, we can take the Commissioner’s Awards as an opportunity to recognize our colleagues who have gone above and beyond in these difficult times.
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In early July I had the opportunity to go on a sunrise hike with Taunton District Office Community staff and youth. We spent the early morning hiking up Blue Hills and tried to catch the sunrise from the Skyline Trail. While a slight mist impeded our view, it could not cloud the pride and sense of accomplishment we felt. At the end of July, the Southeast Region Community staff and youth made a stop at my office as part of their annual Quest. Despite 90-degree temperatures, the youth were all smiles – and very complimentary about how I had decorated my office! Events like these, where we can engage in safe and fun activities with youth outside of our daily routines remind us why we do this work and provide great opportunities to share thoughts and ideas. I look forward to more opportunities such as these for our staff and youth to step outside and be in community together. |
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Best Regards,
Cecely Reardon
Acting Commissioner
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The Executive Office of Health and Human Services announced updates pertaining to quarantine, masking, surveillance testing, and screening guidance for Long Term Care, Congregate Care, Corrections, State Hospitals, and Shelters.
Effective June 10, general quarantine is no longer required for new admissions to congregate care facilities. Effective July 1, 2022, updates to congregate care guidance and surveillance testing guidance went into effect including changes to masking, surveillance testing, and screening guidance.
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Masking: Masking is optional for staff and residents of Congregate Care, except in specific circumstances outlined in the guidance.
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Screening: Screening for visitors, staff, and residents may be self-directed.
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Surveillance Testing:
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Provider-operated congregate care: Weekly testing of staff continues to be recommended but is optional.
- All congregate care sites may now choose over the counter rapid antigen tests or can continue with molecular or POC rapid testing.
- Weekly surveillance testing continues to be required at all state facilities. DYS will be maintaining our current use of PCR testing with Color Labs.
While masks are no longer mandated except for congregate care locations that have experienced an outbreak of COVID-19, we strongly encourage everyone to continue to practice social distancing, cleaning and mask-wearing to prevent spread.
Additional information for reducing your risk of contracting COVID-19 can be found here. While infection rates in the Commonwealth have reduced from last year, variant strains of the virus are on the increase. Consider getting a vaccine booster if you have not already. Protect yourself and your loved ones, your health is in your hands.
EOHHS' recommendations are informed by discussions with neighboring New England states, including RI, CT, and aligned with updated Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services guidance.
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Health and Wellness Corner |
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Welcoming Wellness at DYS |
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What is the importance of Wellness? Wellness a critical component of our personal and work lives and necessary for physical, emotional, financial, environmental, and social health. DYS cares about your wellness and the wellness of our youth and is taking steps to promote wellness across our continuum of care, for the benefit of youth and our staff.
Recently, we updated the Youth Wellness in Residential Settings policy. As part of the roll out strategy for this policy, we will be issuing a video summary of the policy and changes. It highlights the changes in this latest version which include new specifications for nutrition and food services, requirements for recreational programming, and introduces wellness related hygiene. The goals of DYS Wellness policy are to provide (1) a health-conscious environment, (2) equitable access to resources, and (3) standardized frameworks for residential programs.
We ask that you and your staff review the policy and video summary so that you are familiar with the new requirements, identify how you can help to build wellness in DYS, and get to know the path to gain resources. All state and contracted provider employees are encouraged to discuss ideas and plans with their teams.
As part of this policy, we have also asked our Food Services and Recreation Coordinators specifically to work with their locations, conduct youth surveys, and identify and then provide more coordinated services based on a review of when the program could use more support. We will review data and incidents through the Safety Committee to see if this focus on Wellness impacts safety metrics.
The policy, supporting documents, video summary and research materials are available on PULSE. Any questions or comments, please contact Lisa Belmarsh, Director of Policy and Training.
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DYS Team Building and Staff Appreciation Activities
On Friday June 10, 2022, Western Region's Regional Director, Ja’Net Smith, gathered her senior staff for a day of fun to show her appreciation. Team building exercises, games, food, and fun was enjoyed by all, including Acting Commissioner Reardon who especially enjoyed joining the young women from Terri Thomas on their water balloon relay team.
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Thank you for Your 13 Years of Service, Mr. Lamel Smith
Mr. Smith’s retirement gathering was nothing short of a love fest. It was a fitting recognition for a man, a JJYDS I from Westfield Revocation, who gave so much of himself to the youth and the staff in the Western Region. Mr. Smith may seem to be a formal name but for those who know him the most and love the man, it is a sign of respect and intimacy. He served as a role model for our youth, was a constant source of wisdom, and a calming steady hand. He will be greatly missed by all who were fortunate enough to be his friend and colleague.
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DYS Graduations
Graduation is a ceremony that you will always remember. It is a time for celebrating achievements as well as acknowledging obstacles that were overcome. This year, the Department of Youth Services celebrated the achievements of our youth, in person and virtually, in each of our five regions.
Ceremonies were held outside and inside, depending on the preference of each region, and in person. Whether regions held smaller or larger celebrations, they all achieved the same goal: each youth who earned a Diploma, Certificate of Attainment or their HiSet was recognized and celebrated in front of their families, teachers, and other members of their DYS team, and received a graduation gift to allow them to continue their educational pursuits.
Central Region Youth, CT, wrote and performed a rap for his graduation at the Butler Center:
"This is your time to shine this is your graduation hard times I’m just glad - y’all made it you
stayed strong stayed brave I knew you would make it never faked it stayed focused even when you hate it. Not a doctor when things were slow you stayed patient - hope life treats you well to your next destination this diploma is an invitation to your future steps in life are gonna be hard – so, get good sneakers.
Shout out to the teachers preparing us for college - only positive things to benefit our
knowledge - like Roger making math fun to solve all of our problems - I always thought I was
gonna hate math, to be honest." Want to read more? See the Collaborative for Educational Services' Central Region Education Update.
Congratulations to each one of our 73 graduates and a big thank you to all the families and caring adults that supported them along the way!
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During the 2021-2022 school year, a total of 73 DYS youth received attainments including High School diplomas, High School certificates of attainments, and HiSETs. |
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June is Pride Month and the Department of Youth Services amplified its support for the LGBTQ+ community by obtaining posters which are now available to be displayed in offices, common areas, and offices in residential programs, and in district offices. The posters utilize the colors included in the “Progress Rainbow”, which includes the traditional LGBTQ+ rainbow as well as the colors black and brown to represent historically marginalized communities of color. Additionally, the posters include white, light blue, and pink which are used on the Transgender Pride flag. Our goal is to provide a visual symbol backed by a DYS community which supports staff and young people regardless of their race, gender, sexual orientation, or any other descriptor that has historically been used for exclusion.
Additionally, June provided an opportunity for DYS to emphasize its ongoing partnership with the MA Commission on LGBTQ Youth. In addition to allowing DYS to use one of its logos in its poster campaign, the Commission continued its annual work with DYS to develop its recommendations for LGBTQ Youth in DYS’ care and custody. The FY 2023 recommendations continue to focus on tracking and sharing data that relates to sexual orientation and gender identity to make data-driven decisions; providing LGBTQ trainings and resources to staff; and implementing LGBTQ-inclusive material into the existing curriculum.
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FY 2023 Recommendations
- Share and continue to develop data related to sexual orientation and gender identity and analyze its implications.
- Continue to provide LGBTQ trainings and other resources and review them for currency and effectiveness.
- Continue implementation of LGBTQ-inclusive material into existing curricula and programming provided to youth in its care.
- Continue to implement juvenile diversion pilot program statewide to minimize detention and system-involvement
- Investigate whether LGBTQI youth, particularly transgender and intersex youth, are generally staying longer in detention vs. individual youth skewing numbers and collaborate with juvenile justice partners to determine root causes.
This year, Director of Training and Policy Lisa Belmarsh attended the Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth's Fiscal Year 2023 Recommendations Release Ceremony - 30th Anniversary Edition!
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In addition to the agency-wide and interagency work during Pride, individual staff and programs engaged in several Pride-related activities, including creating beautiful and inspiring artwork to bring awareness and visibility to the LGBTQ community. In particular, “thank you” and shout out to Central Region's Recreation Coordinator, Candace, who went to the units in the region to play Pride bingo, decorate the units with Pride flags and talk with youth and staff about the meanings behind each flag.
These examples are part of a larger effort to celebrate diversity at DYS. The fiscal, communications, and human resources groups are teaming up to plan additional initiatives throughout the year to support staff and youth and promote efforts to make DYS a safe space for all.
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DYS Updates/Announcements |
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Veteran Self-ID and ADA Self-ID |
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The Commonwealth is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workforce; by self-identifying you will help us know if we are achieving that goal. In addition, there may be benefits available to you as a Veteran that we can apprise you of if you elect to self-identify.
The information is being requested on a voluntary basis and refusal to provide it will not subject you to any adverse action. There are benefits to self-identifying. Based on your Veteran status you may be eligible for other systemic benefits (i.e. Civil Service, Retirement, etc.), as well as a Veteran’s preference on eligibility lists for official service positions in which a civil service exam is administered and a passing score is achieved.
By self-identifying, you will be helping to shape a more diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the citizens of the Commonwealth. You can self-identify at any time by contacting the DYS Human Resources Department. If you have previously self-identified as a Veteran, there is no need to do so again. Please see more information here.
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As part of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ commitment to inclusiveness and workplace diversity, the Human Resource Division tracks its efforts to hire and retain people with disabilities. When you complete the affirmative action data record, you help us better understand our workforce and whether we have been successful in our efforts to achieve an inclusive workplace. For more information for on the Self Identification of a Disability, see the FAQ.
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The Department of Youth Services Officially Launched the launching of the "Are You an Influencer?" campaign |
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In case you missed it, we have officially kicked off our “Are You an Influencer?” campaign.
An Influencer is defined as “one who exerts influence: a person who inspires or guides the actions of others”.
At DYS, each role within the agency aids the development of the youth in our care and custody. We all have important roles to play towards the success of youth and we are all INFLUENCERS!
We are still collecting 10-15 second self-made videos of staff across the state. We want to hear your voice. What makes you an Influencer? Submissions can be sent to Katy Laverriere at kathryn.a.laverriere@mass.gov or Melissa Ouellette at melissa.j.ouellette@mass.gov.
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#ICYMI: Did you know that DYS is on Instagram?!
Thank you to our new followers, we hope you are enjoying our agency updates.
If you didn't know we had an Instagram, please follow us at @mass_DYS or https://www.instagram.com/mass_dys/ from your browser for agency updates, recruitment and employment opportunities, and just some feel-good pictures to warm your heart during these difficult times.
We encourage staff and partners to share any DYS-related images (with a brief description) to potentially be featured on our social media. Send to Katy Laverriere via email (kathryn.a.laverriere@mass.gov) or text (857-930-6072).
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DEPARTMENT OF YOUTH SERVICES [www.mass.gov/dys]
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Kathryn A Laverriere
Director of Communications
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