Family and Children's Resource Program

Congratulations to all the new Mental Health First Aiders! This week, Ashton and Selina taught a cohort from the Family Support Network of NC about Mental Health First Aid so they're better prepared and equipped to help those who may be struggling with their mental health. There were participants from all over NC who were engaged and excited to have new information to support those they work and live with. If you're interested in Mental Health First Aid for your agency, email Jonathan Rockoff and jrockoff@email.unc.edu. Special thanks to Aetna Better Health for making this possible! #mentalhealthfirstaid #AetnaBetterHealth

An honor to be with our UNC School of Social Work partners, the Family Support Network of NC, at the NC Child and NC Early Childhood Foundation's EarlyWell Coalition meeting held at The Duke Endowment! It was great hearing about their priorities for the future related to family support, kinship care, early childhood education, and more! #familysupportnetwork #ncchild #ncearlychildhood #earlywell #dukeendowment Hannah Preston, MPH

Lyneisha R. Dukes, PhD just attended the 70th annual Council on Social Work Education's Annual Program Meeting on behalf of FCRP and the UNC School of Social Work in Kansas City, Missouri! The theme for this year's meeting was Indigenous Knowledge Sovereignty and Environmental Justice. Dr. Dukes learned a great deal to bring back to NC to support children and familes and was able to connect with some of our partners, like KinCarolina. #CSWE #uncssw #indigenousknowledge

Please join FCRP and the Family Support Network of NC in welcoming our new Graduate Assistant, Brylee Hawkins! Brylee is from Keystone Heights, Florida, and graduated from the University of Florida with a B.S. in Behavioral Neuroscience and a minor in Disability Studies. Post-grad, she worked for two years in clinical research at Georgetown University under Dr. Chandan Vaidya. During this time, she investigated varying learning models in neurodivergent teens through neuroimaging methods paired with an executive function intervention. Brylee is pursuing a MSW at UNC School of Social Work because she is passionate about working with children with developmental disabilities. In addition to working with FCRP and FSN, she is a first-year direct practice student interning at Community Bridges. Upon completing her MSW, she is interested in collaborating with interdisciplinary teams to assess the needs of children with developmental disabilities and help in the diagnostic process. Additionally, she hopes to provide individual therapy to children and family therapy to address the emotional and behavioral challenges associated with developmental disabilities. As a graduate assistant for the FCRP and the FSN, Brylee will analyze data, develop content for the FSN, and support projects that elevate the voices of families of children with disabilities and special healthcare needs. Welcome, Brylee!

This week, Ashton and Katie were in beautiful Albuquerque, New Mexico at the APHSA -- American Public Human Services Association Annual Education Conference! Their presentation was titled "Workforce First Aid: Elevating the Human Touch" and they provided participants with important information and strategies to build psychological safety within a workforce and improve employee wellbeing. If you would like more information about Workforce First Aid for your agency, email Jonathan Rockoff at jrockoff@email.unc.edu. #nsdta #APHSA #workforcedevelopment #WorkforceWellness

The Family Support Network of NC is one of FCRP's partner programs at the UNC School of Social Work. To help children coping with the devastation of Hurricane Helene, they have created several "social stories." Social stories help children understand confusing changes to their lives in simple terms. One of the Family Support Network of NC's social stories went viral and was shared over 3 thousand times! Please feel free to share their new social stories about staying somewhere new, going to school after the storm, and changes to screen time usage. #socialstory #familysupportnetwork #HurricaneHelene

Please join us in welcoming the newest member of the FCRP team, C. Antowan Pickett! As a Training Specialist, Antowan is dedicated to empowering the child welfare workforce by promoting evidence-based practices and supporting professional development. Antowan has over 16 years of experience in social services, program management, policy development, and serving as a DSS Director. Antowan is passionate about fostering inclusive and equitable environments for marginalized communities, particularly LGBTQ+ youth and foster care populations. Antowan brings a personal commitment to advocacy, having collaborated with organizations such as The Mile-High United Way and LGBTQ+ Center of Denver to ensure that programs address the unique needs of underserved communities. Antowan’s areas of interest include child welfare policy, trauma-informed care, and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in social services. In his free time, Antowan enjoys traveling, exploring new places, and participating in community events that promote social justice. He is committed to creating a world where everyone feels valued and supported.

Ashton and Katie recently presented the workshop, “Workforce First Aid: Elevating the Human Touch” at The Kempe Center's international Call to Action to Change Child Welfare Conference! Their workshop had 43 attendees from at least 6 different states and 3 countries! Their workshop focused on participants learning how to create psychological safety and implement wellness strategies that promote a trauma-informed and healing-centered work environment. Next week, they will be taking their presentation to New Mexico to present at the APHSA -- American Public Human Services Association Conference! #KempeCenter #APHSA #psychologicalsafety #wellness #traumainformed

After the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, it can be difficult to find the words to help children understand what has happened. In this short video posted to Youtube by the South Carolina Infant Mental Health Association, the children's book "Trinka and Sam: The Rainy Windy Day" written by Chandra Ghosh Ippen and illustrated by Erich Ippen, Jr. is narrated. This book helps caregivers talk to children about the impact of storms. We hope you find this resource helpful! https://lnkd.in/erfzSMGm

Check back soon to learn about how you can support Foster Family Alliance of NC help foster families affected by Hurricane Helene!