July – September 2016 Newsletter - Partnership for Strong Families

PARTNER TIMES
I NSID E THI S I SS U E
Message from our CEO
2
Recruitment & Retention 2
Picnic Pictures
3
Donor Thank You
3
An Impactful Relationship
4
Back to School
4
Legislative Update
5
Hurricane Awareness
5
Christy’s Corner
6
Training Calendar 7
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July - September
2016
THE
PARTNER FAMILY APPRECIATION PICNIC
By Lakisha Mills, Recruitment and Retention Specialist
This May, in lieu of the traditional Partner Family Banquet to celebrate National Foster
Care Month, PSF celebrated our Partner Families with a Partner Family Appreciation
Picnic. The licensing staff, along with volunteers from various departments within PSF
rallied together to make this event a success. Although the weather was not looking
favorable the entire week of the event, the rain held off and it was a beautiful, sunny
day. There were more than forty Partner Families in attendance not to mention more
than one hundred children. Cowboyz Bar BQ & Catering prepared an abundance of
scrumptious food while children played games and families participated in a family
obstacle course. One of the highlights of the day was our very own CEO volunteering
to get in the dunk tank along with Bobby Brown, Amanda Williams and Dorothy King.
The DJ played great music while children danced to various tunes. As always, there were
several magnificent baskets donated by various businesses, churches and organizations.
This year, there was an awesome response of people who nominated different
individuals for our annual awards. Although we value and appreciate all of our Partner
Families there could only be one winner of the awards.
Family Connections Award – Shannon Cooper
Supporting Educational Needs Award – Amanda and Dustin Cowsert
Normalcy Award – Brenda Staton
Health and Wellbeing Award – Samantha and Rudy Ingle
Model Parent Award – Monic and Scott Mueller
Power of You Award – Rebecca Cronrath (Devereux FCC)
We want to give a special thank you to the members of our Board of Directors who
attended: Kitty McElhaney, Ed Peddie and Donovan Arnold. Again, we would like to
thank everyone who volunteered to make this day a success for our Partner Families.
And to our Partner Families, we truly appreciate and value the time, commitment and
love that you pour into the lives of our children.
PSF BOARD
OF DIRECTORS
Dr. Michael Bowie
Chair
Mr. Jim Stringfellow
Chair Emeritus
Ms. Jo Haley
Vice Chair
Mr. Ed Peddie
Secretary/Treasurer
Mr. Joe Dunlap
Mr. Don Caldwell
Chief Tony Jones
Dr. Thomas Hawkins
Chief Argatha Gilmore
Ms. Diana McPhearson
Sheriff Robert Schultz
Ms. Kitty McElhaney
Ms. Ester Tibbs
Dr. Muthusami Kumaran
Mr. Donovan Arnold
PSF Board meetings are
normally held on the fourth
Monday of every other
month.
For more information and
the current location, please
view the calendar at pfsf.org.
MESSAGE FROM THE CEO
Community Partners and Friends,
Our agency is on the cusp of some major improvements to better serve
the children and families in our care. I am pleased to report that our
funding for the 2016-2017 fiscal has been increased by the Legislature.
This includes increased funding for case management and money
earmarked specifically for safety management services. As a result, our
case management agencies will be able to hire more staff and reduce
caseloads.
In line with our improvements to our service delivery, our Board of
Directors has led our agency through an intensive Strategic Planning
process to develop our goals and objectives for the next three years
Stephen Pennypacker
President/CEO
and beyond. This plan will serve as a living document to guide our
decisions and priorities moving forward. With input from our staff,
partners and community stakeholders, we are confident that this plan will take us to a new
level of innovation to improve outcomes for the children we serve and the community at-large.
PSF made the decision to bring our adoption program in-house beginning July 1. Children’s
Home Society has been a valued partner of our agency and has certainly left a positive mark
on this community, finalizing more than 1,500 adoptions since 2003. This transition will create
a more streamlined approach to finding forever families for the children in our care who are
awaiting permanency, and I am very proud that former CHS adoption staff have accepted
positions in our new in-house adoptions unit.
We’ve also just broken ground on a new modular home adjacent to our headquarters office in
Gainesville to serve youth awaiting placement. Historically, these children would have spent a
day in our office, which could be a harsh transition for many during an already traumatic time
in their lives. The modular home offers a comfortable and more child-friendly alternative as
they take the next step in their journey toward reunification or permanency.
It is my continued honor to work with this dedicated team of board members, staff and
partners to improve outcomes for North Central Florida’s abused and neglected children
Stephen Pennypacker
President/CEO
RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION UPDATE
The Recruitment and Retention team continues to collaborate on new and exciting efforts
to find homes for our children in care. There have been a few changes in the structure of
Recruitment and Retention team.
Recruitment Specialist, Morgan Donovan, left PSF in May to relocate to another city where her
husband has an exciting new job. While Morgan will be missed, we are excited to have Michelle
Kidney, who has served as the Community Relations Assistant for nearly two years, become the
new Recruitment Specialist. Michelle has a degree in Family, Youth and Community Sciences
Casey Stern
Lakisha Mills
as
well as a marketing background. She has been cross-trained in recruitment as a member of
352.244.1536
386.242.8804
the Community and Government Relations team and has also supported the position since its
transition by redeveloping the Partner Family website page, creating the online survey and designing marketing materials and
campaigns to support recruitment initiatives.
We are also saddened to announce that Casey Stern, Recruitment and Retention Specialist, will be leaving PSF at the end of
July. Casey has accepted a full-time internship at the VA’s Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center, where he will be
doing individual and group therapy with veterans suffering from severe and persistent mental health issues. Leaving PSF was a
difficult choice for Casey, but we wish him the best of luck on his new and exciting endeavor. In the midst of these transitions,
PSF is committed to continuing our efforts in recruiting quality Partner Families for our children as well as supporting current
Partner Families.
2
PSF’s Partner Family Appreciation Picnic 2016
THANK YOU FOR MAKING
PSF’S PARTNER FAMILY
APPRECIATION PICNIC
A SUCCESS!
Ellene Kelly
Ballyhoo Grill
First Community Bank
Bead All About It
Floral Expressions Florist
Bear Archery
Florida Baptist Children’s Home
BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse
Foster and Adoptive Parent
Blue Highway Pizza
Association Board
Camelot Community Care
Child Protective Services of Lake City Great Clips of Millhopper
Hippodrome State Theatre
Children’s Home Society
Honey Baked Ham Co.
Children’s Legal Services
James L. Stringfellow
Corks & Colors
James Moore & Company
Creative Counseling Services
Joe Dunlap
D’Lites Emporium
Joyce Orr
Darron Alvarenga
Kennedy Space Center
Devereux North Florida
Leonardo’s Pizza of Millhopper
Do Art Inc.
Lloyd Clarke Sports
Dr. Kim Kazimour
Northwest Grille
Early Learning Coalition of
Oaks Mall
Florida’s Gateway
Outback Steakhouse
Pathways Human Services of Florida
Patticakes
PSF Staff
Skate Station/Splitz Bowling Center
Stephen Pennypacker
Sun Country Sports
Sweetwater Organic Coffee
Texas Roadhouse
The Great Frame Up
The Salon at 716
Tires Plus on Archer Road
Walgreens
Walter Arnold Photography
West End Golf Club
page 3
AN IMPACTFUL RELATIONSHIP
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
By Casey Stern, Retention and Recruitment Specialist
In 2014, Senate Bill 1666, which strengthened
laws and increased resources to protect
children from abuse and neglect, was signed
by the governor and went into effect in
the State of Florida. This bill allowed for
the creation of an additional 270 child
protective investigators at the Department
of Children & Families and required that the
vast majority of these investigators hired by
DCF have a degree in social work.
First Quarter
P.R.I.D.E. Classes
Gainesville
Tuesdays & Thursdays
June 19 - August 16
6:30 - 9:30 p.m.
Trenton
Wednesdays
August 3 - September 28
6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Gainesville
Tuesdays
September 6 - November 1
6:30 - 9:30 p.m.
Perry/Madison
Every Other Saturday
September 17 - November 12
10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Locally, we have seen one particular group
of social work students contribute directly
to youth in state care. This group is the
Social Work Club at Saint Leo University’s
Gainesville Campus. Over the course of the
past year, Professor Amanda Williams (also
a Partner Family with her wife Deena) has
encouraged her students to become involved with Partnership for Strong Families. The
social work club has provided childcare on multiple occasions for the QPI/System
Partner meetings as well as at the Foster Adoptive Parent Association meetings in
Alachua County. They also provided gifts for the Alachua County holiday party this
past December, ensuring that there were gift bags for every youth at the party. Lastly,
club members interacted with and gave out gifts to children at the Partner Family
Appreciation Picnic in May.
I recently spoke with Amanda in regards to the importance of social work students
being involved in child welfare. She pointed out that, “Child welfare is a frequent
field for social workers. Having our BSW students helping gives both the students
and children a different view of child welfare.” She added that there have been some
great takeaways for her students. “Saint Leo students have loved volunteering with
the foster youth and have even started a bag donation program. It has given [the
students] hands-on experiences that will impact the rest of their careers.” At PSF,
we pride ourselves on utilizing community resources and finding mutually beneficial
relationships throughout all of our counties. There is no question that our relationship
with Saint Leo University’s Social Work Club has been one that has benefited everyone
involved. We are thankful for their commitment to local foster youth and look forward
to growing this relationship in the future.
BACK TO SCHOOL
By Casey Stern, Retention and Recruitment Specialist
Make sure to visit our website at
www.pfsf.org for updates on
agency and community events
going on in your area.
It’s almost time for students to go back to school,
and that means that PSF is doing our annual Back to
School Drive! Going back to school is an exciting,
yet costly, time for the children and families we
serve. Just this past year with the support of
community members, faith partners and our own
staff, we were able to make sure that more than
430 children in our care had new backpacks and all
the school supplies needed for success.
This drive is a little different than Wish Upon a
Star, as we only are able to give school supplies to
the children who are in need of specific items. If you are in need of school supplies
for the children in your care, please work with your caseworker to submit the requests.
If you or someone you know would like to partner with us to collect supplies for this
drive, contact Aldreka Everett at 352-244-1629 or [email protected].
page 4
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
By Patty Carroll, Community and Government
Relations Manager
Stepping into this new role, I am in awe of
the peers I now find myself surrounded by.
Attending the 2016 Florida Coalition for
Children Foundation’s Annual Conference
was one of the first opportunities I had to
meet with advocates from around the state
who are helping to shape the policies that
will ultimately determine the course of
child welfare for years to come. What an
amazing honor it was to be among them.
Florida’s
children
deserve
every
opportunity to succeed, and children who
have experienced abuse or neglect must be
afforded those same opportunities. In my
time at Partnership for Strong Families, I’ve
learned that everyone has a role to play in
advocacy. It is our duty to be the voice for
those who cannot speak for themselves.
Their stories matter. Their experiences
matter. They must be heard.
I feel very fortunate to have support and
guidance from some of the most influential
people in the state so that I can learn how
to better tell these stories. I will soon be
working hand-in-hand with representatives
from the Florida Coalition for Children
and Gray Robinson to ensure our agency
can continue our reputation of building
positive relationships in the community and
advocating on behalf of the children and
families we serve.
I look forward to meeting with our
local legislators to share the success of
community-based care, the positive impact
our prevention strategies and our Resource
Center Model have made and what
resources our community still needs to
better serve our most vulnerable children
and families. I invite you to join me in
this great endeavor. As partners and as
advocates, our collective voice is one of the
most powerful tools we have.
HURRICANE AWARENESS
By Casey Stern, Retention and Recruitment Specialist
Hurricane season is in full swing here in
Florida. Even though it has been a while
since we’ve been hit hard, don’t wait for
a storm to prepare. Here are a few basic
preparedness tips and questions to ask
yourself:
• Know your family plan. If you
are ordered to evacuate, know
the local hurricane evacuation
routes and have a plan for where
to stay. Make sure we here at PSF
know where you will go.
• Put together a disaster supply kit,
including a flashlight, batteries,
cash, first aid supplies and copies of your (and your children’s)
critical information if you need to evacuate.
• Make a family emergency communication plan.
• As yourself the following questions: Do any of the children in
your home have a safety plan? Are you able to meet their needs if
so? Do you have any children with medical needs? Are you able to
meet their needs if so?
Partnership’s Hurricane/Disaster Procedures
PSF has established a toll-free telephone number that Partner Families can
use to report their status prior to and after a hurricane/disaster. This number
is 888-886-1229.
We will need the following information (leave a message if no one answers):
Partner Family name, current location, foster child(ren)’s name and how to
contact the foster child(ren).
1. Prior to a hurricane, PSF’s licensing staff will work in conjunction with
case management agencies to contact Partner Families and inform them
of the toll-free number. You will be asked for your personal disaster plan
and asked to call the toll-free number to report the child(ren)’s status
following a hurricane/disaster.
2. If the worker cannot reach a Partner Family, the worker is to note this
and call the Partner Family after the hurricane/disaster.
3. Following the storm, Partner Families must call the toll-free number and
report their status.
4. PSF’s receptionist is given a list of all Partner Families in the affected
areas.
5. The receptionist will retrieve calls from the toll-free mail box and notify
the FCC and Quality Operation Manager if any Partner Family needs
assistance.
6. Partner Families who don’t report their status will be called by the
receptionist and other staff to ascertain the Partner Families’ status.
Please don’t hesitate to call or email me to
get involved: [email protected] or
352-244-1561.
Welcome New Partner Families!
Allison Sapp, Kelly Fraser,
Kyle and Angela Watson, Mary McCue,
William and Stephanie Adamczak,
Ben and Danielle Rosson and Drake and Brittany Varvorines
page 5
CONTACT US
CHRISTY’S CORNER
By Christy VanValey Conner, Partner Family Advocate
MAIN OFFICE
5950 NW 1st Place, Suite A
Gainesville, FL 32607
Tel: 352-244-1500
Fax: 352-244-1647
On-Call: 352-226-4675
Toll-free: 866-310-7326
LAKE CITY OFFICE
1211 SW Bascom Norris Dr.
Lake City, FL 32025
Tel: 386-243-8800
Fax: 386-243-8700
On-Call: 386-984-6940
Toll-free: 866-832-5562
TRENTON OFFICE
1208 E. Wade St.
Trenton, FL 32693
Tel: 352-463-3111
Fax: 352-463-3104
On-Call: 352-463-3110
*follow prompts*
Toll-Free: 888-877-5459
LIVE OAK OFFICE
501 SE Demorest, Suite C
Live Oak, FL 32064
Tel: 386-364-7774
Fax: 386-364-1097
On-Call: 850-570-9716
Toll-Free: 866-850-8133
STARKE OFFICE
405 S. Georgia St.
Starke, FL 32091
Tel: 904-964-1540
Fax: 904-964-1550
On-Call: 904-964-1540
*follow prompts*
Toll-Free: 866-888-6548
I have had the privilege to attend the latest QPI session and
the Foster and Adoptive Parent Conference in Orlando this
June. This was an exceptional year for sessions. I was pleased
to see the continued promotion of educating ourselves
in Trauma Informed Care. Jim West was there discussing
difficult behaviors in children with ADHD and ODD. To
see some previous training of his, you can visit the QPI
Florida website and search his name. He has some great
resources for parents. Also, when you are working closely
with birth parents as they are getting closer to reunification,
point them in the direction of the QPI website. Show them
the trainings to better empower them as well. It is reassuring
to all of us to have such great information any time we need it.
One of my favorite sessions was the approach of working with children in hard
places, called Trust Based Relationship Intervention (TBRI). I admit I am a bit
partial, as this is what we practice in my home … and when I say practice, I mean
it takes some practice, but with this dedication comes HUGE benefits. For more
information on this style of parenting and healing, please check out the Empowered
to Connect website. “The Connected Child,” written by Dr. Karyn Purvis, is also a
good resource. You can find the Empowered to Connect page on Facebook, and
YouTube has many videos to learn more about TBRI in addition to examples of how
to put it in to practice. You will also learn why it works with behaviors and healing
the brain.
As I mentioned earlier, I attended the QPI Session too. The statewide QPI focus
for this next legislative year will be on transitions. I know many of us are very
passionate about transitions, so this will be exciting for you. There will be a focus
on children from newborn to three years of age. However, this does not mean the
older children will not fit into the same guidelines. What it does mean is that we all
know this population can get moved quickly and cannot voice their concerns and
fears. Because of this knowledge, in addition to what we know about trauma and
the brain, there will be a closer look at the process of moving and transitioning these
children. The doctor that spoke put up a slide that was truly eye-opening. The slide
read, “Trauma for infants is just like a concussion: the brain is impacted and those
impacts can be long-lasting…”
With the knowledge of brain development and trauma, especially in little ones
who may not be receiving therapy, there is a grant-funded program that I highly
recommend you all check out. The program is called Zero to Three. You can find
the website at zerotothree.org. There is a plethora of information for reference from
Ages and Stages, Brain Development, Challenging Behaviors, Parenting, Policy and
Advocacy and many more. Please utilize this resource. Again, this is grant-funded. If
we don’t use it, it is lost. Highly recommend you share with birth parents too!
This resource is also being utilized in “Baby Courts” throughout Florida. Seventeen
counties have this new model in place and are seeing great progress. As with any
changes, it takes some time and a lot of funding, so I urge you to use the resources
we have to keep the momentum going in the State of Florida.
Remember to keep up with your continuing education and trends in child welfare.
You can help bring about the change you want to see in our system of care!
Thank you for making a difference. You are appreciated!
page 6
[TRAINING
T R A I N I N G O P P O RT U N I T I E S
[ In Person ]
Looking for other Partner Families who
are fostering to talk to? Join your local
Foster Adoptive Parent Association!
Associations meet regularly to share
ideas on how to support parents and
the children they care for. This is also a
great way to get your 8 hours of training
needed toward re-licensure every year
to continue to serve as a Partner Family.
Gainesville: Meets the third Saturday
every other month from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00
p.m. at The Arc of Alachua County: 3303
NW 83rd Street in Gainesville. Email the
association at [email protected].
Tri-County: Please contact the Gainesville
FAPA.
Starke: Please contact the Gainesville
FAPA or Lake City FAPA.
Lake City & Live Oak: Meets the second
Tuesday every other month from 6:30
p.m. - 8:30 p.m. at PSF’s Lake City Service
Center: 1211 SW Bascom Norris Drive.
Contact Beverly Pope at popebeva@aol.
com.
[ Online ]
1. www.qpiflorida.org
These training videos are free and will
issue you a certificate to give to Licensing.
2. www.FosterParents.com/PFSF
The first two trainings are free.
Reimbursement is available for additional
trainings.
3. www.FosterParentCollege.com
Contact Lakisha to register. All
trainings are free after a reimbursement
submission. Forms are available through
your Recruitment & Retention Specialist.
CALENDARS]
CLIENT TRUST FUNDS
JULY
SUN
MON
3
10
17
24/31
Q U I C K FA C T S
4
11
18
25
TUE
5
12
19
26
WED
6
13
20
27
THU
FRI
SAT
7
14
21
28
1
8
15
22
29
2
9
16
23
30
If you have a child with a
client trust fund, or believe
that a child in your home
should have a trust fund,
please
contact
Florence
Hale with any questions or
concerns at 352-244-1562.
TRAVEL
AUGUST
SUN
MON
TUE
WED
THU
FRI
SAT
7
14
21
28
1
8
15
22
29
2
9
16
23
30
3
10
17
24
31
4
11
18
25
5
12
19
26
6
13
20
27
Foster Parent Travel logs
are due on a monthly basis.
Travel submitted past two
months will not be eligible for
payment. All travel requires
supporting documentation.
For more information please
contact
our Licensing
AA at (352) 244-1548.
BLUE FOLDERS
SEPTEMBER
SUN
4
11
18
25
MON
5
12
19
26
TUE
6
13
20
27
WED
THU
FRI
SAT
7
14
21
28
1
8
15
22
29
2
9
16
23
30
3
10
17
24
Each child is required to come
to your home with a placement
letter stating the child is being
placed in your care with a blue
folder containing the child’s
legal and medical information.
Contact your FCC or
Placement Specialist as soon
as possible if the child has
not arrived with these items.
PARTNER FAMILY MONTHLY BOARD RATE BREAKDOWN
0-5yrs
6-12yrs
Current board rate:
$439.30
$450.56
Allowance:
$10
$10
Incidentals:
$8
$9
Life Skills/Normalcy Supplement:
Clothing:
$35
$36
Rate Only:
$386
$395
Initial Clothing:
Annual Clothing Allowance:
$50
$200 $50
$300
13yrs+
$527.36 + 10%
$12
$11
$52.73
$43
$449
$70
$300
PSF would like to remind you that all foster children should be receiving a
monthly allowance as mandated by the Department of Children and Families.
Allowances cannot be withheld as a form of discipline.
For Board Rate and financial questions, please contact Lisa Vickery, Fiscal
Specialist, at 352-244-1560 or [email protected].
page 7
5950 NW 1st Place, Suite A
Gainesville, FL 32607
352-244-1500
Visit us at
partnerfamily.org
Thank you to everyone who made PSF’s Partner Family Appreciation Picnic a
success! We cannot wait to celebrate again next year!