Volume 10, Issue 1
February 26, 2010
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
PCC Welcomes New Employees 2-3
Beacon Center Highlights 4-5
Mental Health Minute 6
Play Therapy & ECW News 7
$23 Million for Homes in Lake Worth 8
Gift Certificates for PYEA Youth 9
Child Life Valentine’s Day Event 10
Top Hats & Tiaras 11
Partners for Change Angel Tree 12
ADT Donates $15,000 to Safe Kids 12
Fundraising at PCC 13
Client Satisfaction 15
Last Christmas Housing Partnership’s
foreclosure intervention guru, Don
Mason, presented his foreclosure
teammates, Tanya Lawson and
Vanessa Kingdom, with T-shirts em-
blazoned with Winston Churchill’s
quote ―Never, Never, Never Give
Up.‖ The team took the motto to
heart. Between January 5 and Febru-
ary 5, 2010, they
had assisted more
than 35 families in
r e s cu i n g t h e i r
homes from mort-
gage default and
pending foreclosure.
The families had
their mortgage payments reduced to
31% of their household income, the
amount research shows a family can
sustain over the long term. In some
cases, the payment reduction was as
much as $1500 per month.
The benefit does not end with the
families. The modification returned
more than $25,000 per month to the
local economy, as families had more
money to spend on other necessities.
In addition, the Congressional Over-
sight Panel, which oversees bank
bailout funding, estimates that each
home saved from foreclosure brings
$80,000 in value to the neighborhood.
Under this calcula-
tion, these modifi-
cations alone added
2.8 million dollars
of value to our dis-
tressed real estate
market.
Since the foreclosure intervention
program started in August 2008, the
foreclosure trio has helped save more
than 175 homes from foreclosure.
This in turn has kept approximately
14 million dollars of real estate value
in our local communities. Now that’s
community impact.
Persistence Pays Off with
35 Homes Saved in 32 Days by Bonnie Conrad, Housing Division Director
HUD
Housing Partnership
&
Parent-Child Center
are members of the
Community
Partnership
Group
2001 W. Blue Heron Blvd.
Riviera Beach, FL 33404
(561) 841-3500
Fax: (561) 841-3555
www.gocpg.org
Questions, comments, and
other matters concerning the
CPG Newsletter should be
emailed to [email protected] .
CPG
NEWSLETTER
Connect with
Housing Partnership &
Parent-Child Center!
Dr. Mira Sachdev by Renée Layman, LMHC,
Division Director – Clinical Services
Last month, Parent-Child Center welcomed a new
Medical Director to the team! Dr. Mira Sachdev is
board-certified in child, adolescent and adult
psychiatry. She recently moved to Palm Beach County
from the suburbs of Washington, D.C. She was
employed as an adolescent psychiatrist at the
Cheltenham Youth Facility. Dr. Sachdev completed her
training in General and Child Psychiatry at Stony
Brook University Hospital in New York and she
attended medical school at the University of Miami
School of Medicine.
Parent-Child Center
Welcomes New Employees
Michele Goldberg By Shelli Appelbaum, Program Director, ECW
The ECW Program is proud to welcome our new
Pediatric Nurse Specialist, Michele Goldberg, BSN,
RN. She has her Bachelor of Arts degree in
Psychology and Bachelor of Science degree in
Nursing from Florida Atlantic University. She has
been a Pediatric Nurse for the last 11 years with
experience in hospital, pediatric office, after-hours,
and pre-school settings. Michele currently lives in
Boynton Beach with her husband and 2 daughters.
She joined our ECW team as a Pediatric Nurse
Specialist in January.
Amy Hoffmann by Marla Berger, Outpatient Program Director
Amy Hoffmann is the newest therapist within the
outpatient department. Amy was a student intern
from Florida Atlantic University and following her
graduation, she was hired to provide therapy to
children and families. Amy has provided Behavior
Analysis for children with special needs for over 15
years. Her interest in helping the whole family make
positive changes led her to completing her Master’s
degree in Mental Health Counseling. Amy has
attended trainings on Trauma Focused Cognitive
Behavioral Therapy, Trauma Process Outcomes, and
Play Therapy. She is a wonderful learner and has a
passion for the field. We are so proud to have her
here at Parent-Child Center.
Marinela Masters
by Kristina Scimeca, Crossroads Program Director
Crossroads has a new resident manager!! Marianela Masters has joined our team. Marianela began working with
Crossroads on January 11, 2010. Marianela and I have worked together in the past when she was employed as a
therapeutic foster parent. Marianela worked with severely emotionally disturbed youth as a therapeutic foster parent
for the last 7 years. Marianela was born and raised in Costa Rica. In Costa Rica she worked with troubled youth for
many years. She moved to the U.S. in 1989 at the age of 25. She continued to work with troubled youth and shortly
after coming to the U.S. earned her A.A. degree in accounting. Marianela also has a background in international
sales. Marianela is bilingual which adds a great component to our program. She is a very detailed and organized
person who is self motivated and consistent. Marianela has one daughter, Chelsea, who is a junior at Duke
University. In her spare time Marianela enjoys crafts and gardening. Welcome aboard!!
Brittnee Patience by David Tkac, Program Director, Child Life
Brittnee Patience, CCCLS has a Bachelors of Science
degree in Child Life and is a Certified Child Life
Specialist; she has recently joined the Child Life
Program. Brittnee is currently working with the
patients and families on the hematology/oncology unit
and pediatric emergency room. It is Brittnee’s goal to
establish a stress free hospital environment for both the
patients and their families.
Volume 10, Issue 1
February 26, 2010
Page 2
CPG News Volume 10, Issue 1
February 26, 2010
Page 3
Case Management at PCC by Tracy Speranza,
Director of Targeted Case Management
The Case Management staff has been very active in helping keep kids in the community. We
are very excited about kicking off the summer a little early!! We have started linking clients to
spring break and summer camp programs throughout Palm Beach County to secure placement.
These clients will have the opportunity to improve socialization and communication skills
while having a fun outlet during the summertime. Applications for services can be found in the
TCM room daily. We have also had many more referrals from the Belle Glade area as the
resources there are increasingly growing in Belle Glade, Pahokee and South Bay. In West
Palm Beach we have teamed up with Palm Tran Connection, who provides PCC clients with a
wonderful supply of bus passes. Thanks Palm Tran! We are now able to help our clients and
their families with transportation and in turn, parents are able to secure needed appointments
and can take advantage of employment opportunities.
Thanks so much to the TCM team for being strong and devoted advocates for our clients and
their families! Your hard work is greatly appreciated by all! Yohaira, Argentina, Shanya,
Cheryl and Rachel - you are all awesome!!
CPG Welcomes New HR Director
by Patricia Bremekamp
Chief Operations Officer
Please welcome Marty Pearson aboard as the new Human Resources
Director at CPG.
Marty has a Bachelor of Science degree backing up twenty years of
Business Management experience. She has nine years of Human
Resource experience and is very excited to join the team at
Community Partnership Group.
Volume 10, Issue 1
February 26, 2010
Page 4
A Hopscotch by Kids for Kids
by Diedre Williams, WRBC Beacon Director
At the request of the West Riviera Elementary VPK teachers, the West Riviera Beacon Center teens drew a hopscotch on
the sidewalk for the preschoolers. Hopscotch is a children’s hopping game which is often found on playgrounds,
sidewalks, and in parks. After outlining the hopscotch on the pavement, the teens painted the drawing in vibrant colors:
red, yellow, and green. Then, they used stencils to number each square, example, 1, 2, 3, etc. The size of the squares is
just right for the preschoolers’ little feet. In addition to having fun playing the game, the four year old kids can learn the
numbers and the colors at the same time. The teens enjoyed this project so much that they are willing to draw a larger
hopscotch with more squares for the bigger kids at West Riviera Elementary. (Pictures on next page.)
Beacon Center Highlights Bridges Wellness Center
by Kathy Wall, Bridges System Director
One vital missing link in the Lake Worth community is
the lack of a medical home in the proximity of Highland
Elementary School and the residential community as a
whole. Partnering with the Palm Beach Health
Department, Bridges has
identified the need to re-
open a ―retired‖ community
health center in the heart of
Lake Worth.
Partnering with Housing
Partnership and Highland
Elementary School, Bridges
and the Palm Beach County
Health Department are
working together to reopen
the F Street site as a full-
service clinic. There will be
an adult medical clinic,
maternity and family
planning clinics, pediatric
and immunization clinics, as well as a laboratory. And,
with the support of the Health Care District, pharmacy
services will be provided. WIC and Health Education
services will also be available. Supported by parent
capacity workshops, nutrition workshops and food
demonstrations, the site will be used as a comprehensive
wellness center, named Bridges Wellness Center at the
Palm Beach County Health Department. Thanks to
Palm Health Foundation, we now have a big sign up on
the Lucerne side of the site
at 110 North F Street.
With the cooperation of staff
at the Health Department,
Bridges has already hosted
three parenting workshops, a
focus group, and a Lake
Worth Census Outreach
meeting at the Wellness
Center. And coming soon,
the Bridges Wellness Center
will have evening and
Saturday usage of the space.
We are eager to continue our
work toward the opening,
and look forward to updates
from the Health Department and the City as to the
construction negotiations. Big thanks to all the partners
involved for their continued commitment to the Bridges
Wellness Center!
West Riviera Beacon Center Participates in the MLK Jr. Parade
by Diedre Williams, WRBC Beacon Director
You can feel the spirit when the city of Riviera Beach
celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Day with an
impressive parade including musical groups, grand
marshals, honorees, military troops, dignitaries,
celebrities, pageant beauties, marching bands, and
splendidly crafted floats. This year's grand marshal
was Dan Calloway. Floats
carried Senior of the Year
Earl Davis, Citizen of the
Year Mary Brabham, Youth
of the Year Alexander
Thompson, and a variety of
groups throughout the city.
Riviera Beach's annual
Martin Luther King Jr.
celebration was held at the
beginning of January. It concluded with its parade on
Saturday, January 16th from 11a.m until 2 p.m. “His
Vision, Our Mission, Making It Real” was the parade’s
theme and highlighted Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s
vision of one America, one world, one race...the
human race, and illustrates that the real color of unity
is black, white, brown, red, and yellow.
This annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade, as
expected, captured the attention of thousands of
observers along its 2.5 mile path beginning on Blue
Heron Boulevard at Congress Avenue. The parade
proceeded east to Avenue H West ending in front of
City Hall.
The West Riviera Beacon
Center participants honored
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s
legacy by participating in the
parade. Organized by the
Teens Advisory Council, the
teens decorated the Beacon
van. While making the
decorations, the youth
discussed Dr. King and his
accomplishments. Of course, along with everyone
else in attendance at the parade, the teens could see
that cultural diversity is America's strength and not her
weakness, and they realized that we all have more
things in common than we know or think.
CPG News Volume 10, Issue 1
February 26, 2010
Page 5
“West Riviera
Beacon Center teens
drew a hopscotch
on the sidewalk
for the preschoolers.”
Beacon Center Highlights
Play Therapy by Marla Berger, LMHC, ATR
Outpatient Program Director
What is Play Therapy? Play is a way for your child to be engaged in the therapy process. Play is how children learn. You may have
seen your child playing and they appear to be practicing behaviors they will use later in life. They may play
―house,‖ or talk on the phone, play cops and robbers, etc. All these experiences are teaching them how to grow
up. What the therapists do is use the child’s play to teach them new skills.
What age group does Play Therapy work with? While many people think that play is exclusively for pre-school to elementary school children, older children
and adolescents can often benefit from play. Sometimes a child is traumatized at a young age. They can get
―stuck‖ at that age if they do not receive therapy. You may know a 15 year-old adolescent who acts like a 7
year-old, because they had a difficult experience at that age. Play therapy may be appropriate for that child
because they are still 7 on the inside. Other times that play is appropriate is when the child is ―shut down‖ or has
difficulty talking about emotions or issues. Play is non-threatening and children are able to open up.
Directive and Non-Directive Play There are two types of play therapy techniques—directive and non-directive. Directive play usually includes the
therapist giving directions to the child and dictating the game that they will play. Directive play helps to
specifically target an issue during the session. The issue may be focusing, talking about grief and loss,
discussing anger. Non-directive play has the therapist allowing the child to play with art, toys, or with figurines
in a sand tray. Non-directive play is often used for those children who are young and/or have difficulty talking
about their feelings. Non-directive play is successful because the child knows inside what they need to work on
and they are able to ―play it out‖ until the issue is resolved. Therapists help the child with their play by using
reflective speech. Reflective speech involves the therapist acknowledging what the child is doing and what they
may be feeling. This helps children build a ―feeling vocabulary,‖ feel empowered, and feel that the therapist
really understands them. Therapists include both the child and the family in the play therapy process. They may
teach parents directive and non-directive techniques and teach reflective speech. Play therapy can help address
many types of issues, including depression, anxiety, grief and loss, stress, conflict, anger and other life issues.
Why does my child play board/card games with the therapist? Playing games such as Uno, Mancala, Connect Four can be therapeutic. Children get to experience lots of pro-
social behaviors in real time. They can work on playing fair, telling the truth, focusing, impulse control, anger
and frustration management and other skills while playing a game. Games also allow children to open up and
talk about issues while their hands and minds are busy. This lets them feel more comfortable which allows for
better results in therapy.
Parent-Child Center is proud to announce our 30th anniversary serving all of Palm Beach County’s mental
health needs. For more information about therapy or to start mental health services, please contact Parent-
Child Center, 561-841-3500 X 1038, Luisa Sanchez. If you have a suggestion for future Mental Health
Minutes, please contact Marla Berger at [email protected].
Volume 10, Issue 1
February 26, 2010
Page 6
Liana Lowenstein
The Early Childhood Wellness Program would like to
congratulate Natalie D’Abate, M.Ed for passing her licensure
exam in Mental Health Counseling in January and Lena
Andersson, MSW for
passing her Clinical Social
Work exam in February.
As soon as they complete
their supervision hours,
they will both obtain their
licensure credentials.
Way to go, ladies!
Parent-Child Center
Becomes a Play Therapy CEU Provider
by Christine I. vonBallmoos, LCSW
Assistant Director, Clinical Services
Parent-Child Center can now offer CEUs for play therapy! Parent
-Child Center brought internationally acclaimed Author,
Consultant, and Lecturer, Liana Lowenstein, MSW, RSW, CPT-S,
to Palm Beach County to provide two trainings at the Children’s
Services Council for therapists at Parent Child Center and the
community. On Thursday, February 4th, 55 people attended a
training on Clinical Interventions with children and families
which included assessment and treatment activities. On Friday,
February 5th, 60 people attended a training on Innovative
Techniques for Sexually Abused and Traumatized Children which
included an overview of trauma research, step-by-step
demonstration of the trauma assessment model as well as
treatment interventions. These training efforts help enhance the
level of care we provide to children and their families.
ECW News by Shelli Appelbaum, Program Director, ECW
CPG News Volume 10, Issue 1
February 26, 2010
Page 7
The damage inflicted by Florida’s
foreclosure crisis does more than devastate
families; it also destroys neighborhoods. But
thanks to a collaboration between Housing
Partnership, Adopt-a-Family, the Lake
W o r t h C o m m u n i t y
Redevelopment Agency,
Habitat for Humanity and 18
other partnerships, our Lake
Worth Census tracts will
receive 23 million dollars to
turn 130 vacant, foreclosed
homes into sustainable and
a f f o r d a b l e r e n t a l a n d
homeownership housing.
The group collaborated on an
application under HUD’s
Neighborhood Stabilization Program and
was one of only 56 funded out of more than
500 applications. The Community
Redevelopment Agency will purchase 130
foreclosed houses and transfer most of the
properties to Adopt-a-Family
and Habitat for Humanity. The
houses will be rehabilitated with
a particular emphasis on energy
efficiency. Most of the houses
will be sold or rented to low and
moderate income buyers with
Housing Partnership providing
housing counseling and special
mortgages. Some properties will
be used to provide affordable
rental properties.
Partner Spotlight: Early Childhood Wellness by Leslie Zucker, ECW
The Early Childhood Wellness Program is proud to partner with Bridges Beacon Center! In a
collaborative effort, Early Childhood Wellness and Bridges Beacon Center are providing social-
emotional and physical health services to the children and families of Highland Elementary’s
Pre-K program. Services include social/emotional developmental screenings, physical health
assessments, center and home-based services (peer play groups, individual, and/or family
therapy), parent workshops, and teacher/classroom support. All services provided by the Early
Childhood Wellness Program are designed to increase the child’s ability to grow, develop, and
learn in ways that enhance their social, physical, and emotional health.
For further information, please contact Bridges Beacon at 561-202-0526 or your child’s Pre-
K teacher.
Collaboration Nets $23,000,000
for Homes in Lake Worth by Bonnie Conrad,
Division Director, Housing Services
Volume 10, Issue 1
February 26, 2010
Page 8
PYEA Youth Receive Gift Certificates by Erickia L. Abrams, YEA Program Coordinator
On Tuesday, December 22, 2009, students from the PYEA after school program each received
$100 gift certificates to shop at Wal-Mart. Gift certificates were given by the Anquan Boldin
Foundation. Anquan Boldin is a professional football player, and a Pahokee native who plays
for the Arizona Cardinals.
CPG News Volume 10, Issue 1
February 26, 2010
Page 9
Child Life Program Organizes Valentine’s Day Event For Patients, Nurses
by Beth Eyestone, LMHC, Senior Therapist, Child Life
Pediatric patients and the nursing staff at St. Mary’s
Children’s Hospital received surprise Valentine’s
Day goodies at a celebration planned by Child Life
Program staff. During a Valentine’s Day-themed
event on Feb. 11, hospitalized children were visited
by firefighters, who distributed the gifts and handed
out firefighter hats. Nurses received a special
caregiver’s package in appreciation of what they do
to care for children and their families.
The gifts were arranged by members of the Parent-
Child Center’s Child Life Program, a team of child
life specialists and behavioral medicine therapists
who works with the nurses to help decrease
children’s anxiety and trauma related to a hospital
stay. The Safe Kids program also provided items
for children and parents promoting safety.
While the song ―Rescue Me,‖ played, the
caregivers’ packages for nurses were also
distributed by members of Palm Beach County’s
Fraternal Order of Leatherheads, Society (or
FOOLS), a group of local firefighters who support
community events. The FOOLS have collaborated
with St. Mary’s Children’s Hospital and the Child
Life Program to bring cheer to the children and
staff several times in the past.
Volume 10, Issue 1
February 26, 2010
Page 10
CPG News Volume 10, Issue 1
February 26, 2010
Page 11
On Tuesday, December
15th at the Pediatric
Oncology Support Team
hosted the annual
Holiday Party for POST
clients at the West Palm
Beach Marriott. The
theme was Top Hats and
Tiaras: A Hollywood
Holiday.
Over 100 POST families – more than 300
people, including 129 children enjoyed holiday
music, dancing, food, arts and crafts, and visits
from superheroes. The highlight of the night was
a visit with Santa Claus. The party is a great time
for families to come together to spend a few
hours away from the hospital. There was
laughter while the children got their faces
painted or were given their favorite balloon
character by the Balloon Man. For the first time
since some the children were diagnosed their
parents were watching their children have fun
and just being a ―kid.‖
Top Hats and Tiaras: A Hollywood Holiday for Children with Cancer
by Barbara Abernathy, Program Director – POST
This was the first
holiday party
since POST joined
the Parent-Child
Center in August
2009, and many
CPG employees
donated their time
to help, making it
P OS T ’ s b es t
holiday event ever.
On this night a community of people came
together to make this celebration happen,
including our wonderful sponsors and
volunteers. Our Major Sponsors include United
Order True Sister #61, Older, Wiser, Loyal
Seniors (OWLS), Club Latino De Century
Village, and the Marriott of West Palm Beach.
We are lucky to have them. Many more
organizations had toy drives so each family
could have presents for their children to put
under the tree.
G
I
S
S
E
L
L
E
Partners for Change “Angel Tree” by Amy DiBartolo, Supportive Housing Director
The clients at Partners for Change (PFC) are
starting their lives over and have very few
possessions. So before the holidays,
Vivian Villa, Case Manager at PFC, had
the idea to have an ―Angel Tree‖ for the
clients. On this tree she put one
ornament for each client with a list of
items needed, like shampoo, socks,
razors, etc. We hung it by the elevator
on the third floor. I sent out an e-mail
to the entire organization asking for
donations for the clients at PFC.
I must admit that I was skeptical in the
beginning. I thought, ―There are clients
in need in every CPG program. Why
would staff want to donate to our program??‖
Well, I couldn’t have been more wrong! We
received more donations than I could have
imagined. We placed a large cardboard box
outside of my office and it was completely filled
up within a couple weeks. Every day I ran into
someone who had questions about PFC
and how they could donate. I even
received donations after the two-week
period was over, which I was happy to
accept.
The gifts were divided up, put into gift
bags, and then distributed to each client
at the holiday party where they also
enjoyed food, music, and friendship.
The clients were so appreciative of the
donations. For some, it was the only
gift they would receive all season.
I want to thank all CPG staff for their generous
donations, and Vivian Villa for the wonderful
idea. We hope to continue the tradition next
year!
ADT Donates $15,000 to Safe Kids
Safe Kids Coalition for Palm Beach County
has been serving our community for more
than 20 years. Recently, we received a gen-
erous donation of $15,000 from
ADT. This donation is to educate
families about home safety. As
one of the leaders in the industry,
ADT is all about home safety and
security.
SafeKids Palm Beach County is
producing Home Safety Kits which will be
distributed through our partnerships here at
the Housing Partnership Inc. These kits
contain a variety of safety items (no assem-
bly required) and a comprehensive guide of
home safety advice and tips. We
will be working with the Beacon
Center representatives, Targeted
Case Managers and others to assist
us in our efforts. These kits will be
going to low income homes that
cannot afford these much needed
and very important safety items.
Our goal is to improve safety in these
homes.
Volume 10, Issue 1
February 26, 2010
Page 12
In a West Palm Beach music hall on a recent
evening, the Parent-Child Center Inc. began a
new chapter.
Amid national sports figures and local nonprofit
supporters, one of Palm Beach County’s oldest
social services organizations took in proceeds
from the auctioning of sports memorabilia,
golfing packages,
concert tickets, and
many other items.
It was the first major
fund-raising event in
the history of the
Parent-Child Center
s i n c e t h e
o r g a n i z a t i o n ’ s
dramatic turnaround
started in 2001.
Fortunately, former
M a j o r L e a g u e
Baseball player Brad
Wilkerson, generously
agreed to support
Parent-Child Center
through his annual
Celebrity Golf Event,
which began with an auction and party at the
new B.B. King’s Blues Club at CityPlace.
The agency participated in the fund-raiser at a
time when nonprofits in South Florida and across
the country are scrambling for funds, said
Patrick McNamara, President and Chief
Executive Officer of Community Partnership
Group in Riviera Beach, which is comprised of
Parent-Child Center and Housing Partnership.
Created in 1979, the Parent-Child Center aims to
promote social-emotional health and well-being
of children and their families. It was the premier
behavior health provider for children in the area
in the 1980s and 1990s until rapid growth and
mismanagement pushed it to the brink of closing
At PCC, Fund-raising is Essential, Modern Necessity
by Leon Fooksman
in 2001. At that time, the Florida Department of
Children & Families became concerned about the
serious void that would be left if this community
asset no longer existed. To prevent this from
occurring, the department assisted Parent-Child
Center to connect with Housing Partnership,
which was known for responsible management.
Under the umbrella of Community Partnership
Group, the two
o r g a n i z a t i o n s
c o m m i t t e d t o
responsible fiscal
management and
e f f e c t i v e
programming.
Focusing on quality
service delivery, the
Parent-Child Center
has been fortunate in
its return to fiscal
health over the past 8
years. However,
McNamara states
that, in the midst of a
difficult economic
climate, the agency
must ensure that
services continue to be available for children and
families dealing with social and emotional
challenges. He believes that a sound, diverse mix
of funding support, including private fundraising,
makes this possible. Up to this point, the agency
relied on grants, fees, and other service revenues
to provide their essential services. ―We’ve had a
great reputation and have always gotten the
support we needed from our partners,‖
McNamara said.
But in the current recession, local nonprofits like
the Parent-Child Center, often the first
organizations to aid people in trouble, are seeing
an increased demand for services coupled with
(Continued on page 14)
Patrick McNamara & Brad Wilkerson
CPG News Volume 10, Issue 1
February 26, 2010
Page 13
―The Parent-Child Center expects to weather the
recession, but it is turning to fund-raising to make
it less averse to economic downturns,‖ states
Renee Layman, Clinical Division Director. The
organization has formed a fundraising committee
to work with individuals passionate about its
mission, and hopes to eventually hire a
development manager with a proven track record
in building and implementing a comprehensive
fund-raising plan. One major goal of the new
initiative is strengthening relationships with
donors by meeting with them regularly, thanking
them, and keeping them engaged with the
organization.
During the agency’s turnaround, Layman helped
developed an array of programs, among them: a
transitional living program for mentally ill
teenagers aging out of foster care; counseling for
women with postpartum depression; crisis therapy
for youth in the juvenile justice system, and
support for children dealing with severe physical
illnesses.
Now the recession is presenting new challenges.
Yet as dreadful as it may be, the economic slump
is in some sense a way to strengthen organizations
like the Parent-Child Center which must pursue
new sources of support, develop concrete
sustainability plans, and devise creative fund-
raising strategies, McNamara said.
So the auctioning of sports memorabilia, golfing
packages and concert tickets to help balance
budgets, as distant as the concept may have been
just a few years ago for the Parent-Child Center, is
now an important and modern necessity. And
thanks to generous supporters like Brad
Wilkerson, the organization is hopeful that the
future will be bright for the children it serves.
Leon Fooksman is a journalist who writes for
Community Partnership Group. He can be
reached at [email protected].
decreasing funds to pay for services. Donors are
cutting back to save money for their own
households, and government agencies are losing
tax revenues from plunging property values.
The Nonprofit Finance Fund, which last year
surveyed 986 nonprofits, determined that many
organizations expected to sustain permanent
financial damage from the recession. Only 16
percent of the nonprofits anticipated recovering
their operating expenses in 2009, while 52
percent expected the recession will have long-
term or permanent negative effects on their
agencies.
The organizations said in the survey they are
taking steps to adjust, including cutting
programs, reducing salaries and delaying paying
vendors. At the same time, almost all
organizations -- 93 percent -- anticipated an
increase in demand for services.
The Nonprofit Finance Fund, which provides
loans and access to grants to nonprofits, urges
organizations to team up with those who fund
them to find innovative ways to deal with the
challenges. Other nonprofit experts suggest
agencies start for-profit subsidiaries, share staff
with other organizations and rent out parts of
their facilities.
Gearing up fund-raising is also vital, experts say.
When it comes to raising money, strong
management with a solid plan, along with good
ideas and old-fashioned hard work, are critical,
Michelle Bonoan and Naree Viner, education
and nonprofit practice leaders with California
executive search firm Gary Kaplan & Associates,
wrote in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune last
year. In today’s highly charged, fast-paced, and
competitive philanthropic environment,
nonprofits must create a targeted focus on fund-
raising to ensure long-term success, they wrote.
(Continued from page 13)
Volume 10, Issue 1
February 26, 2010
Page 14
Parent-Child Center, Inc. measures the level of satisfaction of the families we serve in order to more
effectively monitor the quality of all of our services. Satisfaction of clients is measured through the use
of the Family Survey form. The form consists of 10 questions, each scored on a 5-point scale. Clients
are confidentially able to provide feedback on services received. The family has the option of providing
their name and a contact number if they prefer to have the Division Director contact them for follow-up.
Surveys are distributed randomly by the QI Department & Program Directors and during the discharge
process. Surveys are also available in the lobby in the main office in Riviera Beach.
The results from the January surveys were positive with 93% of clients reporting providers were
addressing their families needs, treated respectfully and being listened to.
Some of the comments provided on surveys in the 2009 4th Quarter:
☺ “Cheryl was wonderful!! Always flexible with her time and respects ours.”
☺ “Both my psychiatrist & therapist have helped me learn to use tools to handle my emotions.”
☺ “Our therapist worked around my work schedule to make appointments I would be able to keep.”
☺ “Ms. Tracy has been such a great help. She treated our family with the utmost respect.”
☺ My therapist was awesome. She did the most important thing for me and that was listen.”
☺ “Ms. Stitt is so helpful and supports me a lot-she also makes sure I understand everything about my
meds–that’s a plus!”
☺ “I strongly believe that this program helps many people and families like me & my family.”
☺ “Ms. Muller has been an outstanding therapist. Always concerned and available for us as a family.”
Client Satisfaction by Angie Lykins, Quality Improvement Director
CPG News Volume 10, Issue 1
February 26, 2010
Page 15
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