Someday Evening Someday Evening January 28, 2015 Page 1 of 9 The California Alliance Wednesday, January 28, 2015 …lately immortal… of Child and Family Services Volume 12, #7 I N T HIS I SSUE S TATE At the Conference p. 8 T HE A LLIANCE Conferences, Training and Events p. 2 AACRC Webinar Addresses the Role of Staff and Supervisors in Advocating for High Quality Residential Care p. 2 National Accrediting Organizations Offer Training Opportunities p. 2 For Your Information p. 4 Three Alliance Agencies Complete Accreditation p. 4 Alliance Continues 25% Discount for Career Center Through March 31 p. 4 Greg Wessels Retires from Rosemary Children’s Services p. 5 Book Project Seeks Submissions from Sex Trafficking Survivors p. 5 Opportunities p. 6 San Joaquin County Behavioral Health Seeks RFPs for Two Programs p. 6 Marin County Searches for Director of Health & Human Services p. 7 And Just Remember… p. 7 C ALENDAR S TATE At the Conference A lot is bubbling, but little is cooking at the state level as legislators take their seats and the governor moves forward with his 2015-16 state budget proposal. Items of importance to Alliance member agencies will be covered in detail in the plenaries, workshops and committee meetings at the Alliance Executives’ Winter Conference Feb. 10-13, 2015, at the Marriott Napa Valley Hotel & Spa. If you have reserved a room, but not yet registered for conference please do so at this link: https://cacfs.site-ym.com/?page=Conferences. Alliance Member Agencies Corbett Group Homes, Inc. Courage to Change Crittenton Services for Children & Families Dangerfield Institute for Urban Problems David & Margaret Youth and Family Services East Bay Agency for Children Edgewood Center for Children EMQ FamiliesFirst Ettie Lee Youth & Family Services Family Builders by Adoption Family Care Network Family Life Center Fields Comprehensive Youth Services Five Acres Fred Finch Youth Center Hathaway-Sycamores Child and Family Services Hillsides Inland Empire Residential Center Inner Circle FFA Junior Blind of America Kern Bridges Youth Homes LeRoy Haynes Center Lilliput Children’s Services Lincoln Child Center MAC’s Children & Family Services Martin’s Achievement Place Maryvale Alliance Member Agencies A Better Way Advanced Education Services Advent Group Ministries Aldea, Inc. Alliance Human Services Alternative Family Services Arrow Child & Family Ministries Aspiranet Aviva Family and Children’s Services Bayfront Youth and Family Services Berhe Group Home Bienvenidos Children’s Center Bill Wilson Center Boys Republic Boys Town California Casa Pacifica Centers for Children & Families Casey Family Programs Chamberlain’s Children Center Charis Youth Center Child and Family Center Childhelp, Inc. ChildNet Youth & Family Services Children’s Bureau Children’s Home of Stockton Children’s Institute, Inc. Children’s Receiving Home Community Solutions Concept 7
Transcript
Someday Evening
Someday Evening January 28, 2015 Page 1 of 9
The California Alliance Wednesday, January 28, 2015
…lately immortal… of Child and Family Services Volume 12, #7
IN THIS ISSUE
S T A T E
At the Conference p. 8
T H E A L L I A N C E
Conferences, Training and Events p. 2 AACRC Webinar Addresses the Role of Staff and Supervisors in Advocating
for High Quality Residential Care p. 2 National Accrediting Organizations Offer Training Opportunities p. 2
For Your Information p. 4 Three Alliance Agencies Complete Accreditation p. 4 Alliance Continues 25% Discount for Career Center Through March 31 p. 4 Greg Wessels Retires from Rosemary Children’s Services p. 5 Book Project Seeks Submissions from Sex Trafficking Survivors p. 5
Opportunities p. 6 San Joaquin County Behavioral Health Seeks RFPs for Two Programs p. 6 Marin County Searches for Director of Health & Human Services p. 7
And Just Remember… p. 7
C A L E N D A R
STATE
At the Conference
A lot is bubbling, but little is cooking at the state level as legislators take their seats and the governor moves forward with his 2015-16 state budget proposal.
Items of importance to Alliance member agencies will be covered in detail in the plenaries, workshops and committee meetings at the Alliance Executives’ Winter Conference Feb. 10-13, 2015, at the Marriott Napa Valley Hotel & Spa.
If you have reserved a room, but not yet registered for conference please do so at this link: https://cacfs.site-ym.com/?page=Conferences.
AACRC Webinar Addresses the Role of Staff and Supervisors in Advocating for High Quality Residential Care
The American Association of Children’s Residential Centers (AACRC) is holding a webinar entitled “Advocating for High Quality Residential Care in America: The Unique Role for Direct Care Staff and Supervisors” on Feb. 6 from 9-11 a.m.
Critics of residential care argue that it traumatizes children by separating them from their families, produces poor outcomes, encourages abuse and negative behavior, and is too expensive. Research and practice, however, have demonstrated that high quality residential care produces positive outcomes and is an essential component of systems of care for at-risk children and their families.
During this webinar presenters will summarize a Boys Town advocacy campaign with an emphasis on the role of direct care staff and their supervisors in advocating for high quality services while interacting with family members, public agency representatives, and their communities at large.
To register, go to https://aacrc.webex.com/aacrc/onstage/g.php?MTID=e902e83513d77ab2171ae10fc1c21fcf1.
National Accrediting Organizations Offer Training Opportunities
The Council on Accreditation (COA), Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), and The Joint Commission are all offering several webinars and training opportunities throughout the year, both in-person and through webinars. Those include:
North Star Family Center
Northern Valley Catholic Social Services
Oak Grove Center
Oakendell Facility
Olive Crest Homes & Services for Abused Children
Optimist Youth and Family Services
Pacific Lodge Youth Services
Paradise Oaks Youth Services
Parents by Choice
Penny Lane
Phoenix House of California
Promesa Behavioral Health
Rancho San Antonio
Rebekah Children's Services
Redwood Children's Services
Remi Vista
River Oak Center for Children
RiverStones Residential Services
Rosemary Children’s Services
Sacramento Children's Home
San Diego Center for Children
Seneca Family of Agencies
Sierra Child & Family Services
Sierra Forever Families
Sierra Vista Child & Family Services
St. Anne’s
Stanford Youth Solutions
Stars Behavioral Health Group
Summitview Child & Family Services
Sunny Hills Services
Tahoe Turning Point
Thunder Road Adolescent Treatment Centers
TLC Child & Family Services
Transitions Children’s Services
Triad Family Services
Trinity Youth Services
Unity Care Group
Valley Oak Residential Treatment Program
Valley Teen Ranch
Victor Treatment Centers
Vista Del Mar
Walden Family Services
Westcoast Children’s Clinic
Westside Children’s Center
Youth For Change
Youth Homes, Inc.
Youth Services Network
Provisional Member Agencies (pending accreditation)
Three more Alliance-member agencies recently became nationally accredited, so congratulations and a tip of the high-quality hat go out to Bienvenidos Children’s Center for completing accreditation through Joint Commission, Summitview Child & Family Services for their COA accreditation, and Valley Teen Ranch for completing CARF accreditation.
Bienvenidos Children’s Center, Inc. is a compassionate community of care dedicated to healing children, strengthening families, and transforming communities. Founded in 1986 to address the needs of increasing numbers of abused
and neglected children, Bienvenidos is a multi-faceted, social service organization that offers a comprehensive safety net of programs annually
for more than 10,000 vulnerable children and families. Services are provided primarily in Los Angeles County through four divisions: Medical Services, Foster Care and Adoption, Community Services, and Mental Health.
Summitview Child & Family Services, Inc. provides a wide variety of mental health services to children and their families, including residential treatment, special education, and Day Rehabilitation for girls, outpatient therapy, TBS and Wraparound services for boys and girls.
For 21 years, a regional provider of services in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, Summitview is a Dialectical Behavior Therapy program that specializes in working with those who have engaged in self harming behaviors and suffer from complex trauma.
Valley Teen Ranch serves approximately 75 children and youth/daily in three Residential Treatment programs on an 80-acre ranch in rural Madera County for teenage males in the juvenile justice
system, Treatment Foster Care and Adoption, and a Transitional Living program in Fresno County.
Established in 1987, Valley Teen Ranch continues to be committed to its mission: “To assist vulnerable young people and their families in rebuilding their lives through caring relationships and opportunities to grow mentally, physically, socially and spiritually by living in a safe and healthy home.”
Alliance Continues 25% Discount on Career Center Through March 31
The California Alliance will continue the 25% OFF promotion on its Career Center through March 31, 2015. Alliance member agencies may purchase a job posting package of 1, 3, 5 or 10 listings at the reduced rate and use them for up to a year.
Someday Evening January 28, 2015 Page 5 of 9
Simply go to http://careers.cacfs.org and click on Post Jobs. If you haven’t registered on the site, it’s easy to do. If you’re an Alliance member, you will receive the member rate PLUS a 25 percent discount. Simply use the promo code P4B3P4AN.
Jobs posted to the California Alliance Career Center are also listed on SimplyHired, DirectJobs and Juju.
For questions, email Kevin Swartzendruber at [email protected] or call (916) 449-2273, ext. 206.
Greg Wessels Retires from Rosemary Children’s Services
After 15 years at the helm, Greg Wessels has retired from his post as executive director of Alliance member agency Rosemary Children’s Services in Pasadena.
Greg Wessels has just done an outstanding job,” said George Falardeau, RCS board member. “His leadership and dedication to Rosemary Children’s Services has been significant and he will be missed. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors.”
Mr. Wessels joined RCS in 2000 during a financially precarious time and implemented significant new programs including mental health services, a fifth group home for girls, adoption services, and most recently, Transitional Housing for emancipated foster youth, increasing Rosemary’s operating budget some three-fold.
“My work at Rosemary Children’s Services has offered me the most rewarding experiences of my career, and I am incredibly thankful to have had this opportunity to work with some of the best and most dedicated staff, together we have made the world a much better place for thousands of children,” said Mr. Wessels. “I feel that I will be leaving The Agency in a stable and productive place, and I am confident that this positive momentum will continue under new leadership.”
Mr. Wessels began his career in foster care as a Child Care Counselor over 40 years ago and went on to serve as Chief Program Officer for FamiliesFirst, Chief Operations Officer for Guadalupe Homes, and as the Director of Social Services for the Idaho Youth Ranch and the Optimist Boys’ Home in Los Angeles.
Rosemary Regional Director Jana Trew is serving as interim executive director during the search for Mr. Wessel’s replacement.
Book Project Seeks Submissions from Sex Trafficking Survivors
The editors of a book project for victims and survivors of sex trafficking, tentatively titled “Not My Daddy: First Person Accounts of Child Sex Trafficking Survivors,” are seeking letters written in the first person from adults who have lived “the life” and have firsthand experience as a victim or survivor of sex trafficking.
Interested survivors are encouraged to write a letter to their pimp, former pimp, captor, whoever first recruited or introduced them to “the life.” The letter will serve as a vehicle to tell him/her/them exactly what others need to know about “the life.” The story does not need to be
exciting, unique or newsworthy. If the letter is selected, it will be included as part of the compilation of letters that will form the book and that are designed to help prevent sexual exploitation and
protect others.
The editors, who are professionals in the field, are hoping those who treat or support victims will help identify a cross-section of survivors representing broad geographic and ethnic diversity to participate in the project. All identifying information will be edited out of the published work.
Proceeds from the sale of the work will be donated to youth-serving agencies helping victims and survivors of human trafficking.
Interested participants must sign a release, and if their letter is included, will receive an Amazon Gift Card in the amount of $50. The mandatory first step in participating is to contact [email protected]. Interested participants will be sent a release.
Opportunities
San Joaquin County Behavioral Health Seeks RFPs for Two Programs
San Joaquin County Behavioral Health Services is seeking proposals from interested and qualified organizations for two programs:
1) Suicide Prevention in Schools Program in high schools throughout the county. 2) Skill Building for Parents and Guardians Program.
Suicide Prevention in Schools Program
The first RFP makes available funding for two separate components of a comprehensive school-based suicide prevention approach for high school students in San Joaquin County. Prospective
proposers are encouraged to offer a program design that implements the following components in an integrated and effective manner:
1. Evidence-based suicide education campaign, and 2. Evidence-based depression screening and referral.
Preference will be given to proposed programs that reach the greatest number of high schools and the greatest number of 10th-grade students across San Joaquin County.
The county will award one cost reimbursement contract for a maximum amount of $600,000 for July 1, 2015, to June 30, 2016. The awarded contract may be extended for up to two additional one-year terms, at the discretion of the county, based upon the availability of funds and contractor performance.
The Suicide Prevention in Schools program is described in the Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI) component of the County’s Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) Plan. The San Joaquin County MHSA Plan can be accessed at http://sjmhsa.net/documentcenter.htm.
If interested, go to http://www.publicpurchase.com to register with Public Purchase and receive notification when the RFP is released. In addition, submit a “letter of intent” to Raquel Cobarrubias at [email protected] by 5 p.m. on Feb. 3, 2015.
The Skill Building for Parents and Guardians Program makes available funding for community-based organizations to facilitate evidence-based parenting groups in communities throughout San Joaquin County. The goal of the Skill Building for Parents and Guardians program is to prevent and reduce risk factors for mental illness and increase protective factors associated with social connectedness, parent and family resilience, and knowledge of child development.
The program is intended to target underserved populations and be conducted in multiple languages. As feasible, awards will be distributed to programs throughout the county including outlying and rural areas.
The county will award up to four cost reimbursement contracts, each for a maximum amount of $150,000 for July 1, 2015, to June 30, 2016. Contracts awarded may be extended for up to two additional one-year terms, at the discretion of the county, based upon the availability of funds and contractor performance.
The Skill Building for Parents and Guardians program is described in the Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI) component of the County’s Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) Plan. The San Joaquin County MHSA Plan can be accessed at: http://sjmhsa.net/documentcenter.htm. In addition, submit a “letter of intent” to Raquel Cobarrubias at [email protected] by 5 p.m. on Feb. 10, 2015.
Marin County Searches for Director of Health & Human Services
The County of Marin seeks a Director of Health and Human Services who is a collaborative, executive leader with significant experience in the field of health and human services. The ideal candidate will have expertise working with community-based organizations and elected officials and who understands the complexities of a multi-million dollar budget and achieving excellent performance. This position leads the county’s largest department, which provides comprehensive social, mental health, public health and alcohol and drug services.
The posted salary is a generous $195,312 - $215,342 annually depending on experience. A generous benefit package is also offered. Applications are due Feb. 6, 2015.
For further information, go to http://wbrowncreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/1.-County-of-Marin-brochure-FINAL.pdf. For questions, contact Wendi Brown at 541/858-0376
And Just Remember…
In the words of the late, immortal Oscar Wilde:
“Be yourself; everyone else is taken.” And,
“If you are not too long, I will wait here for you all my life.” And,
“Never love anybody who treats you like you are ordinary.” And,
“I am so clever that sometimes I don’t understand a single word of what I am saying.”
