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Still time to
sign up
for this lecture on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy,
February 9
Using CBT with Diverse Populations:
Lessons
from the Field
This is the second
of four in the Spring 2010 Evening Lecture Series co-sponsored
by the Coalition and the Brown Alpert Medical School for
mental health clinicians, medical staff, and school
professionals. This dinner lecture takes place at The Village
Inn in Narragansett from 5-7 p.m. and offers CEUs in various
professions. The $35 registration includes dinner and
educational materials as well. Download a
brochure for this and the two remaining lectures and/or
call or email the Brown CME office: 401-863-3337,
CME@Brown.edu.
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Two unusual
grant opportunities
Get Ur Good On
Miley
Cyrus recently partnered with Youth Service America (YSA) to
create Get Ur Good On, a social network that brings together
youth to support each other in their mission to do "good" in
their communities. In support, YSA is offering Get Ur Good On Grants,
supporting youth-led service initiatives on Global Youth
Service Day, April 23-25. Available to children and youth
around the world, YSA will award 100 $500 grants to support
projects addressing critical community needs such as poverty,
education, and environmental sustainability. Grant
applications are due February 22, 2010.
We Can Change the World
Challenge
Climate change; polluted air, water and
soil; endangered species; shrinking coastlines; and a rapidly
increasing population are among the many issues that threaten
our global environment. The Siemens We
Can Change the World Challenge gives students the
opportunity, tools and inspiration to become those agents of
change. Beginning August 19, 2009 through March 15, 2010,
middle school student teams from across the country will be
challenged to create sustainable, reproducible environmental
improvements in their local communities. Top prizes will
include a chance to appear on Discovery Network's Planet
Green, savings bonds, a Discovery Adventure trip and more.
Applications must be received by March 15, 2010.
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More
children living with unemployed,
new report
reveals
One in seven American children
- 10.5 million kids under the age of 18 - are living with an
unemployed parent as a result of the current recession,
according to the new report Families
of the Recession: Unemployed Parents & Their Children.
The figure has doubled since December
2007.
According to First
Focus, young people with an unemployed parent have a
greater chance of experiencing homelessness, suffering from
child abuse, failing to complete high school or college, and
living in adult poverty than other children.
The study reports that another
3.3 million young people - those seeking jobs between the ages
of 16 and 24 - are themselves
unemployed.
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Your
Coalition didn't slow down in 2009
From the annual forum to
accredited lectures, teaching children how to
express their emotions, videoconferencing with teachers
and doctors
Whew!
2009 was a tough year for most nonprofits as well as
families, but it didn't slow the Coalition down. With
little funding, one part-time staffperson, but lots of
dedicated volunteers and committee members, we covered
impressive ground in our key areas.
Major
activities
- the Annual Children's Issues Forum featured
essential statistics about the County's children and
families, encouragement from keynote speaker Tony
Maione of the United Way, and deserved awards to
community leaders
- the Teen Gift Drive (see below) raised $4,500 in
gifts to be distributed throughout the holidays
- inaugurated Spotlight, this
online ebroadcast update
Children's
Mental Health. To address gaps in local
children's mental health services:
-
Continued implementation of Collaborative Office
Rounds. In 2009, the program involved primary care
providers at both South County & Westerly
Hospital, mental health providers, and school
personnel. Activities included 14 small study group
sessions, four community-wide trainings, and six
videoconferences
-
Organized a state-of-the art, six-month
continuing education training program in CBT
(Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) for 40 experienced
mental health providers & school personnel
-
Expanded "The Way I Feel" Emotional Literacy
Project to eight elementary schools and 420 2nd
graders. Child
Care and After-School Programming.To expand the capacity of
child care and after school providers to care for
children with special needs
-
Conducted three local training series on:
-
How Do Children Learn Through Open Ended
Activities?
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Developing Family Partnerships: Beyond the Tea
Party Approach
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Infant Toddler & Beyond: Social Emotional
Brain Development
-
Promoted participation in the state's new quality
rating system for child care: Bright Stars by hosting
an informational session and organizing
training on the ITERS (Infant & Toddlers
Environment Rating Scale) Evaluation Tool
-
Promoted and support routine developmental
screening in six primary care practices & 18 child
care centers
Family
Support. To better connect parents, schools,
medical providers, and community resources
-
Rolled out UWRI School Success Initiative at
Curtis Corner Middle School, focusing on after-school
support, internal case review, outreach to parents for
at-risk students
-
Launched planning process for the Initiative at
Westerly Middle School and secured grant
funding
Westerly
Infant & Child Health Partnership. To explore
the root causes of delayed prenatal care, teen
pregnancy, and food insecurity in Westerly and look for
solutions
-
Conducted seven focus groups with area parents,
clergy, social services providers, and school
personnel
-
Designed, distributed, and analyzed resident
surveys with in-kind support from the RI Dept of
Health and Alpert Medical School at Brown
University
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Researched and prepared 'Models That Work'
report
-
Began strategic panning with Westerly
stakeholders about effective release of the
findings
Affordable
housing.To improve access to information about
housing and other resources
-
Participated in the 2-1-1 Advisory
Committee
-
Supported HousingWorks RI activities and
legislative platform
Never a dull moment. Join us in
2010!
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You
showed up for Washington County teens
6th annual Teen
Gift Drive at Casey's Grill & Bar
raises more than $4,500 in
gifts, certificates, and cash
It rained cats and
dogs during our 6th Annual Teen Gift Drive for the
holidays, but generous folks from all over Washington
County came anyway to Casey's Grill & Bar in
Wakefield and donated more than $4,500 in gifts, gift
certificates, and cash to make the holidays a bit
brighter for teens in need in our region.
 Everyone
helps out - local businesses, URI faculty and students,
and countless volunteers - that's what makes this event
so special every year. But the
Coalition gives special thanks to Casey's and
General Manager Noelle Brousseau, the fantastic
employees and owner, who go above and beyond just being
great hosts. They are the heart of the Teen Gift
Drive!
We were also thrilled
to have eSKape performing again. South Kingstown High
School's jazz vocal ensemble, led by Director Andrea
Theroux, spread the holiday spirit with magnificent
music. They have a busy schedule in December. We're
grateful they included us.
Last but not least, great credit to the staff from local
social service agencies who distributed the gifts to
families they knew would appreciate them. The staff work
hard all year; it's wonderful that they can take gifts
during the holidays.
And we
thank you who gave! Thanks to your support, many
disadvantaged teens in our community were able to enjoy
a special holiday this year, just like other kids their
age.
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What you need to know about
the WCCC
The
Washington County Coalition for Children brings together
everyone in Washington County who cares about children.
The Coalition is known for:
- Tracking and publishing the trends in
children's issues, and convening public meetings
around the needs.
- Convening monthly meetings that bring
together more than 40 organizations
to tackle the
most compelling problems facing children and their
families.
- Establishing a website to help
parents of children with mental health and substance
abuse problems connect with local treatment
providers
- Sponsoring an annual "How Are the
Children?" Forum, a must-attend event
for anyone
working on children's issues: community leaders,
advocates, and elected officials.
- Holding monthly workshops to help
doctors and mental health professionals care for
children with behavioral health problems and
developmental disabilities.
- Organizing a holiday gift drive for
teens in conjunction with Casey's Grill & Bar in
Wakefield.
The
Coalition achieves astounding results, with just one
part-time staff person, dedicated volunteers, and
administrative support from VNS Home Health Services.
We cover all Coalition costs through voluntary
contributions of
Coalition members, grants, and your generous
donations.
For more information about the Washington County
Coalition for Children,
go to www.washcokids.org or contact
Coalition Coordinator Susan Orban at wccc@washcokids.org or (401)
788-2061.
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