Announcing new victims of crime counseling services, teen girls' support groups and more
Free Yoga for Parents Classes in Oakland
Did you know that Family Paths offers yoga classes for parents? Yoga for Parents is a free class taught each Wednesday from 12-1pm in our Oakland office. Family Paths' Yoga Instructor Vincenza Baldino, MFT teaches yoga as a stress-management tool to strengthen and relax the body and the mind.
Yoga has many tangible benefits, including increased flexibility in ligaments, tendons and joints; toning in muscles, and detoxification through increased blood supply throughout the body. Other benefits of yoga include more complete use of breath, the harmonization of body and mind, and the possibility for deep, calming relaxation. At Family Paths we believe that it is when we care for ourselves that we can best care for others.
This class is a great opportunity for parents to take an hour of personal time to be led in gentle stretches and yoga poses. No previous yoga experience is necessary, and we are currently enrolling parents in our classes! If you or someone you know would like to join our yoga community, call Family Paths at 1-800-829-3777
Hotline Counseling Intern Project
Family Paths has partnered with the Safe Start Initiative as a consultant to the Promising Approaches Initiative, which seeks to increase the capacity of Oakland's family hotline services. Family Paths' 24 Hour Parent Support and Resource Line has been chosen as the Alameda County hotline number to be distributed to families needing assistance due to the affects of domestic violence.
In order to fulfill the goals of the Promising Approaches Initiative, Family Paths has developed the Hotline Counseling Intern Project. Our three interns answer calls, work on special projects and attend agency and community trainings. Interns assist the staff by increasing the number of callers who are immediately responded to and by providing additional ongoing case management for clients. They assist in writing training materials for volunteers and staff and gathering statistics, as well as with additional projects.
Meet Kareen McCabe, one of our Hotline Counseling Interns!
Kareen, what brought you to Family Paths? I'm currently in school at Holy Names University, finishing up my second master's degree in Forensic Psychology. I was happy to find what we call "counted hours" on a hotline. I'm definitely still working on fulfilling the program's 3,000 hour requirement!
Tell us something about your experience before coming to Family Paths. I grew up here in Oakland, and graduated with my master's degree in Counseling Psychology in May 2009. That involved working in a traineeship, during which I counseled kids and families at Patton Academy for three semesters.
In the November spirit, tell us something you are thankful for! Really, I'm thankful that I'm able to work in a position that's meaningful. That is so important to me.
The goal of the Safe Start Initiative is to broaden the knowledge of and promote community investment in evidence-based strategies for reducing the impact of children's exposure to violence. Visit Safe Start Center for more information on Safe Start's mission and goals.
Developments in Neuropsychology
Family Paths is committed to awareness and comprehension of the newest developments in the areas of psychology and neuropsychology that directly relate to working with people exposed to significant trauma. When new research offers implications for the therapeutic process, it is especially important that we are engaged in creating learning opportunities for our staff.
Barbra Silver, MFT, Family Paths' Clinical Director, participates in an ongoing reading group with neuropsychologist Allan Schore, Ph.D., whose activities as a clinician/scientist include theoretical work on the enduring impact of early trauma on brain development. Additionally, eleven Family Paths staff members and interns are currently involved in a nine-month remote-learning "webinar" program for mental health professionals. This program, hosted by Massachusetts-based clinical psychologist Janina Fisher, Ph.D., focuses on developing greater comfort and expertise in working with complex trauma and dissociation and staying current with the most recent treatment advances. Topics covered include integrating neurobiological research into trauma treatment, using mind-body techniques in traditional talking therapy, and working with dissociative symptoms and disorders.
Clinicians Phyllis Lorenz, MFT and Gwynne Gilson, MFT Intern, are two Family Paths employees who regularly participate in neuropsychology trainings.
Phyllis has given several presentations on trauma and dissociation at Family Paths. Her main focus is on how a child's developing brain is impacted by trauma and chronic stress. She emphasizes the importance of early care-giving experiences on the development of the child. Simply put, experience shapes the brain. In a safe and attuned environment, the infant develops a sense of self in relation to others, while a history of trauma and chronic stress can affect the developing brain of a young child, specifically the ability to regulate emotion in response to stress. Phyllis' trainings include information on how individuals learn to manage the trauma they have encountered, specifically dissociation. She teaches "Structural Dissociation", a model developed by Janina Fisher, Ph.D., which outlines the creative and brilliant ways individuals learn to survive the stress and trauma of their lives.
Gwynne is currently a participant in the three-year Somatic Experiencing training program, offered by the Foundation for Human Enrichment. Through these trainings, Gwynne has gained an understanding of how the nervous system responds to trauma, including the reasons why symptoms remain "stuck" in the body, sometimes for years. Somatic Experiencing techniques are designed to restore the body's innate ability to heal and are especially useful as an adjunct to traditional talk therapy.
Family Paths remains committed to utilizing the latest research developments as we work to heal the effects of trauma and violence in our community. We know how important it is to bring up-to-date treatment options to the families in Alameda County who need it most.
Finding Your Authentic Voice When Working With Challenging Family Dynamics Training at Family Paths
This training will take an in-depth look at the issues that typically bring up the hardest emotional blocks for people who work to help multi-stressed and at-risk families. Fear, inadequacy, frustration, anger, hopelessness, urges to rescue, even desperation. These are all strong emotional experiences which, while potentially interfering with good work with families, may also be transformed through braving closer and honest examination on the part of the helper into the very keys to successful work with families. Compounding those hard emotional issues is the effect of the superstar status of “The Masters” of family work, which can make this work seem an ever herculean pursuit and set up for permanent feelings of being not-good-enough. This training will teach participants how to examine and utilize these issues to break through blocks and resistance to the work. Participants will learn how and begin to discover their own best styles for helping families while also sifting through and borrowing from the core foundations of what has thus far been shown to be effective in the field. Particular attention will be given to how to free oneself from the grip of the masters and get comfortable in one’s own flow. The ultimate goal will be to find and invite in the most authentic You, thus enhancing your ability to honor and steer the truest individuality and potential of even the most difficult families in the service of their healing. Learning will take place in large and small group, theoretical and hands on practical settings.
Registration is required by October 15th and is on a first come first serve basis.
To register send an email to smarkewich@familypaths.org or call (510) 893-9230 ext.207. If you do not register you may not be allowed in at the door.
Date: Friday October 23rd
Time: 9:30-3:30
Location: Family Paths, Inc.
Conference Room
1727 MLK Jr. Way
Oakland, Ca.
Registration and Breakfast 9:00-9:30 Lunch will be provided
This course meets the qualifications for 6 CEUs offered for MFTs and LCSWs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences and is provided by Family Paths In partnership with Chabot-Las Positas Community College
District and Alameda County.
This workshop is free to those who work with foster youth in Alameda County.
Family Paths' Support Line Providing Counseling and Support to Victims of Domestic Violence in Alameda County
History about the Safe Start Grant and the Three Domestic Violence Hotline Interns:
In Alameda County the Safe Passages Program submits request for proposals to funding sources, and oversees and monitors funded agencies. One such proposal they applied for was a federally funded grant. Nationwide 15 grant proposals were funded for a 4 year time period to increase services to families affected by domestic violence. Safe Start Promising Approaches is the Oakland based project funded to meet the needs of these families. Family Paths is one of the partner agencies in the grant funded to increase services to families.
Family Paths is identified as a consultant to the Safe Start Promising Approaches grant. Family Paths’ family hotline, the Family Support and Resource line, was chosen as the Alameda County hotline number to be distributed to families needing assistance due to the affects of domestic violence. “The proposed scope of services constitutes the following: 1) Increase the capacity of the hotline services for families in Oakland, 2) Refer Oakland families with children birth to five who have been exposed to violence to the Safe Start Promising Approaches Intake Coordinator who does a complete assessment of the families needs and then refers them to all appropriate agencies, 3) Collect appropriate data and complete agreed upon paperwork, and then 4) to participate in grantee meetings”.
Within Family Paths the Family Support Program developed the Hotline Counseling Intern Project. The interns are hourly employees who work 12-14 hours per week. They each cover two hotline shifts per week, work on special projects, attend agency and community trainings, and attend weekly group supervision. The interns have assisted the staff with increasing the number of callers who are immediately responded to by the hotline, and by increasing the capacity to provide more on-going case management. They are assisting in writing training materials for volunteers and staff, gathering statistics, developing materials for the domestic violence awareness e-mails, and with other projects. Thank you interns for all the in depth counseling you do with callers!
My wish is that this information about the interns and the role of Family Support in the Safe Start Promising Approaches grant confirms for you once again Family Paths’ commitment to ending violence within families.
Peace,
Vincenza Baldino
Family Support Program Manager
Family Paths, Inc.
Check out our new online store!
Purchase Family Paths t-shirts, hats, mugs, etc. and support our mission. All proceeds from our sales on CafePress.com will go directly to serving our mission. So, check out our new online store and help us to build stronger families in Alameda County.
Click Here For Our Online Store
Click Here For Friends of Family Paths' Online Store
Please Welcome Our New Hotline Volunteers
A fresh group of hotline volunteers has recently completed our September training, and will begin to answer calls in mid-October. The group participated in 30 hours of instruction with Family Paths' staff over two full weekends.
The curriculum focuses on listening/attending skills, practice with role-plays and preparation on what to expect during a call. Volunteers learn about the unique challenges that face foster parents and foster youth, in addition to alternative families. They are also trained in the importance of multi-cultural competency in the hotline setting. This season's volunteer preparation was a great success. Everyone was interested and enthusiastic, and enjoyed getting to know each other as they prepared to use their new skills to benefit families in Alameda County.
One new volunteer said of the training, "Role-playing was extremely helpful and a great learning experience. I will take what I've learned and apply it to the hotline calls." Another comment after a full Saturday of training was, "It was a great emotional and self-realizing day. I learned a lot." Congratulations to our newest group of volunteers. You are at the heart of what we do.
Embracing Diversity in our Community
At Family Paths, we strive to create a positive and supportive environment for our staff, where we can also challenge ourselves to deeper learning on a variety of topics. Cultural competency is a core value in the work we do and is essential in our effort to serve children and families in respectful and inclusive ways.
-Marcella Reeves, Executive Director
As part of our on-going mission to maintain a culturally competent agency, on September 22nd Family Paths' employees were led in an intensive day-long training titled "Building Dialog in Inclusive Communities," put on by Tarah Fleming of Start Dialog, and funded by Title IV-E.
It was a thought-provoking and exciting day. We examined issues surrounding culture and race, as well as the importance of talking to children and to each other about these complex issues. Tarah shared with us her principles of dialogue, which we were encouraged to practice throughout the day and include in our everyday lives.
The workshop was mind-opening and compelling, and our thanks go out to The California Endowment for providing the space for the training, Start Dialog for the excellent program, and the staff at Family Paths who organized the training. It is so important that adults and children in our communities have the tools they need to talk about and navigate through issues of race and discrimination, and trainings like these are vital for us to keep that conversation going.
The New H1N1 Vaccine
This year there will be a new vaccine available to treat the H1N1 influenza. As of September 12, 2009, Alameda County had reported 137 cases of H1N1, of which 14 people died and 51 were treated in intensive care units.
The Center for Disease Control has recommended that certain groups of the population receive the 2009 H1N1 vaccine when it first becomes available. These target groups include pregnant women, people who live with or care for children younger than 6 months of age, healthcare and emergency medical services personnel, persons between the ages of 6 months and 24 years old, and people ages 25 through 64 who have chronic health disorders or compromised immune systems.
The Alameda County Department of Public Health has ordered a total of 200,000 shots of the H1N1 vaccine. The vaccinations will be provided free at some point in October to anyone who visits the department's community health clinics. The hope is that even those without insurance will be able to access the vaccine.
Check the Alameda County Public Health Department website at www.acphd.org for more information about when and where the new vaccine will be available.
Parent Education Classes Coming This October
A new Parent Education series starts this month! On Monday evenings from October 5th-December 21st Joyce LaMar, Parent Education Program Manager, will be teaching positive parenting skills at Park Boulevard Presbyterian Church in Oakland. The Parent Education Program helps caregivers focus on their strengths in order to establish healthy attachments with their children, respect the uniqueness of each child, and develop clear communication skills within the family. Another important facet of the class is its focus on positive discipline techniques, which help parents effectively manage children's behavior while also nurturing self-esteem.
Joyce has been teaching Parent Education at Family Paths for almost twenty years. Positive parenting classes are held throughout the year, and we are currently seeking volunteer instructors. If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a Volunteer Instructor, contact Joyce LaMar at JLaMar@familypaths.org.
Give the gift of your time. Join Friends of Family Paths today.
Why families
Research shows that 50% of children who are abused before the age of ten develop psychiatric problems later in life. Early exposure to violence increases the risk of adolescent violent behavior by as much as 40%. Working to strengthen families through positive intervention, Family Paths prevents child abuse and neglect now, and reduces future crime in the community.
Who we are
We are supporters of the mission and work of Family Paths a nonprofit community-based organization that serves parents and children throughout Alameda County with a vision of a healthy and safe home for every child. Family Paths' mental health and family support services give parents/caregivers the support they need to give their children the love and understanding necessary for a healthy life.
How you can help
Help parents/caregivers in your community build stronger relationships with their children in order for them to grow up happy and healthy. Here’s how you can get involved:
Become a member
Sign up to give ongoing support to our organization. Every dollar you contribute this year is an investment in our community and its future.
Join the event-planning
We’re planning an benefit event for April 2010. We welcome your energy and ideas to make this event memorable and successful.
Here’s how your donation makes a difference
$500 funds a 30 hour training for 8 new 24 Hour Hotline Volunteers. The 24 Hour Parent Support & Resource Line provides crisis support and case management for parents/caregivers experiencing stress in Alameda County.
$250 pays for 2 traveling play therapy kits for clinicians providing in-home therapeutic services to children who have been victims of abuse or trauma.
$100 pays for 1 12-Week Session of Parent Education for a mother or father living in Alameda County. Family Paths’ classes promote positive parenting techniques to help ensure that every child is well nurtured, emotionally healthy, and capable of reaching his or her own full potential.
You can also choose how much you would like to give. Whether it’s $5 or $1,500 every dollar will be greatly appreciated and spent on healing families and reducing the effects of trauma and child abuse on our future generations.
Visit our website at www.FriendsOfFamilyPaths.org to donate online and to learn more. To donate by mail, send to Family Paths at 1727 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Suite 109 Oakland, CA 94612.
Get in touch with us! Send an e-mail to Eliza Khuner at elizak@gmail.com, or call (510) 697-2903.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)