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.
Please Welcome Our New Hotline Volunteers
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.