September 2012 - Family Services of Western Pennsylvania

Family Affairs
September 2012
Family Affairs is a newsletter of
Family Services of Western Pennsylvania
Inside this issue
The Year In Review
While the auditors are busy doing
their annual review of our books
from the past fiscal year, we
thought it would be a good time
to let you know a few of the
things Family Services has
accomplished over the past year:
Won a three year grant, at an
annual rate of $2.1 million, to
operate Options/Care
Management, a care
coordination program for
older adults in Allegheny
County.
Expanded our Ways to Work
program to Mercer, Erie, and
Clearfield Counties. Ways to
Work provides loans to folks
with challenging credit
histories so that they can
purchase or repair their
vehicle and maintain or
improve their employment
status.
Implemented Rapid/Open
Access in our Outpatient
treatment programs so that
we can get individuals in need
of treatment quicker access
to services.
Increased the capacity of our
Educational Assistance
Initiative by $100,000 with a
Heinz Endowments challenge
grant and private fundraising
campaign enabling us to help
more at-risk youth pursue
their educational dreams
beyond high school
Implemented Workshop in
Business Opportunities and
MoneyThink® economic
empowerment programs
Were granted renewal of our
national accreditation by
Council on Accreditation■
Beating the Banking Demon..P.2
Save This Date!...P.3
Did You Know...P.3
Upcoming Events...P.4
Superman vs. The Drop-In Centers:
Titanic Struggle or Historic Mismatch?
It’s a question we’ve pondered often here at Family
Services of Western Pennsylvania. Okay, maybe not
often, but during those times when we have a few
spare minutes. We know all about Superman...crime
fighter, faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful
than a locomotive, can leap tall buildings in a single
bound. Family Services Drop-in Centers are none of
those things, but they play a critical role in society as
Superman does, albeit a real one.
For individuals with serious and persistent mental
illness a key element along the path towards
rehabilitation and recovery involves forming social
bonds and establishing a supportive network of
social connections within their community. Such
experiences are essential to the cognitive and
behavioral changes that underpin the recovery
process for any person. One way to meet new
people and form vital bonds is by participating in the
activities at one of three Family Services Drop-In
Centers located in New Kensington, Tarentum and
Greensburg.
much bigger. Connecting interpersonally with others
is such a critical component to overall wellness and
recovery. Despite all of the resources that are
available to people, healthy peer connections often
trump other types of formal attempts to support the
growth that happens here.” She added that
“members become part of a family, a family that is
related through a common bond. What I find most
fascinating about that bond is that unlike so many
other settings, it is not contingent on anything, it is
without any strings attached. I have seen members
come and go through the years and then, amazingly,
come back. Interestingly, it was like they never left in
the first place.“
Now, who would win in our fictitious friendly tussle
between Superman and the Drop-ins? Well, despite
his heroic deeds, someone once said of Superman
that he’s “not brave. You can’t be brave if you’re
indestructible. It’s every day people, like you and
me, that are brave knowing we could easily be
defeated but still continue forward.”
The Drop-in Centers offer a social, supportive and
educational program that encourages its members
to access the community supports that are available
to them yet become independent, empowered and
to advocate for themselves. Anyone who receives, or
has received behavioral healthcare and/or drug and
alcohol services, and is 18 years or older can be
eligible to become a member. All you need to do is
fill out an application. Participation is entirely
voluntary - our members come because they choose
to be part of what is going on here.
Ogle Casey, a Certified Peer Specialist for Family
Services who works with every day people at the
Drop-ins, echoes that sentiment and adds,
“Superman always wins by exploiting the
weaknesses in individuals. The Drop-in Centers do
the opposite; we win by embracing a person's
differences and extending love and understanding.
When the Drop-in Centers have a community outing
we help stamp out the stigma that people who have
suffered with mental illness need to be treated
differently, or special, or even feared. So I’d say
we’d win on points, 12—0.”
Marci Sturgeon-Rusiewicz, Recovery Manager for
Family Services, sees the importance of such
programs each day. “The Drop-In Centers are a safe,
intimate space for members to be part of something
For additional information on the Drop-in Centers,
please contact Marci Sturgeon-Rusiewicz at
724-335-9883 ext. 5526, or via email at
sturgeonm@fswp.org■
Beating the Banking
Demon:
An Economic
Empowerment Success
Story
Amy has struggled to pay bills, make ends
meet and have any money left at the end of
each month. She had not had a checking
account for many years and was fearful of
even walking into a bank. She was paying
bills with money orders knowing she was
wasting money with this method. Amy
attended financial classes when she could
and realized that she may need some
additional support. She asked if she could
meet with staff individually to focus on her
budget. She created a realistic spending
plan and with some nudging from staff,
opened her own checking account. She is
very excited that she is now able to pay her
bills with a debit card and checks rather
than purchasing money orders at the mini
mart. She has said more than once how
“thrilled” she is to be able to go into the
bank without being scared and knows that
she now has the means to improve how she
manages her finances. She thought she
would “never be back to this point”. Amy
had $3.00 in her checking account at the
end of last month and “[could not]
remember [that] happening for a long
time”. Amy realizes that she has a long
road ahead to achieve financial stability but
also realizes that this is a first step to
improve her life. Her new goal is to open a
savings account. Through the support of the
Economic Empowerment program, Amy is
“finally going in the right direction”.
One year ago, Family Services implemented
a new division, Integrative Processes, that
offers Economic Empowerment Services to
individuals like Amy that focus on money
management, competitive employment,
and continued education. These services
are available to all persons served at Family
Services as well as the general community.
Several of these services were recently
developed and others have been integrated
with them in order to form a progressive
continuum of services. Through the
generosity of the Richard King Mellon
Foundation, the newer services initiated
Financial Wellness Training (MoneySmart
curriculum) Budget Counseling; WIBO
(entrepreneurship training series);
MoneyThink™ (high school financial literacy
curriculum); Supported Employment/
Supported Education.
Financial Wellness
Financial Wellness classes based upon the
Money Smart curriculum from the FDIC are
taught in multiple community-based
locations across Allegheny and
Westmoreland Counties. To date, over 250
people have participated! The curriculum
spans 11 sessions and covers a variety of
topics ranging from banking to credit repair
to budgeting. Classes are open to staff,
community members, and service
recipients at Family Services. Please visit
our blog for more information:
www.financialwellnessfswp.blogspot.com
In addition to the group classes, one-on-one
budget counseling is available for
individuals to develop a personalized
budget and spending plan to increase
financial stability and wellness.
Workshop in Business Opportunities
(WIBO)
On September 8th, our first WIBO
graduated! Our first seven participants have
completed the 16 weeks of this
entrepreneurial program led by discussion
leaders who are volunteer professionals in
their fields. During graduation, participants
will display their business plans and
compete for a mini-grant of $1,500 to
jumpstart their business. Many thanks go
out to the participants and discussion
leaders for their hard work and dedication.
We’d also like to thank the Hillman
Foundation for their generous support in
funding the WIBO program. Two more
WIBO classes are slated to begin in
September. If you are interested in the
WIBO class or in becoming a discussion
leader, please contact Brittany at (412)8202050 ext. 419, or via email at
linvilleb@fswp.org.
Moneythink™
Two staff and a professor from Carnegie
Mellon University recently met with
Moneythink™ leaders from around the
country to learn the curriculum, mission
and purpose of Moneythink™. This financial
education program uses college student
mentors to teach financial literacy and
entrepreneurship in high school classrooms
using current pop-culture. We are excited
to jump start Moneythink™ in our region
this September with Carnegie Mellon
University and several local high schools
and after school programs.
Supported Employment/Supported
Education
Supported Employment assists individuals
with obtaining competitive employment,
including assistance with resume building,
job searching, application completion,
interview skills, and on-the-job support.
Supported Education assists individuals
with pursuing their educational goals,
including assistance with locating and
registering for GED classes, completing
financial aid paperwork, and completing
higher education applications. These
services are available to any Allegheny
County or Westmoreland County resident,
especially those living in poverty or high risk
situations. Each staff maintains a caseload
of 25 individuals, and 9 service recipients
have successfully obtained gainful
employment since January, one of which
has recently begun management training
with her employer because of her great
work.
To learn more about the Integrative
Processes Division of Family Services,
please contact Karen Brannon, Ph.D.,
Director of Integrative Processes/Economic
Empowerment Services at 412-820-2050, or
via email at brannonk@fswp.org■
Page 2
Save This Date!
November 30, 2010 from 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Family Services of Western Pennsylvania
Act 2: A Celebration of Second Chances
Featuring the inspiring stories of Kathleen Kennedy Townsend
Eldest daughter of Robert and Ethel Kennedy
The evening includes:
* An artfully remarkable performance by the August Wilson Dance Ensemble
* The danceable groove of the Terrance Vaughn Band
* Silent Auction and Raffle
Tickets: $50 per person advance sale
Jay Verno Studios, 3030 Jane Street, Pittsburgh (Southside) 15203
For more information contact: Laura Latini at 412-820-2050 ext. 412
or via email at latinil@fswp.org.
Kathleen Kennedy
Townsend
Kathleen’s faith was shaped as she grew up in a
large Irish Catholic family and attended Catholic
schools. The eldest child of Robert and Ethel
Kennedy, she saw her parents make the
connection between faith and justice, between
faith and the common good. Civil rights was a
moral issue - poverty unacceptable. Her father’s
article “Suppose God is Black?” highlighted for
her the notion that our religious beliefs were
intimately connected to our public actions.
In the early eighties, Kathleen wrote a number of
articles connecting faith to the fight for a fairer
society. She founded the Maryland Student
Service Alliance to make Maryland the first, and
still only state that requires young people to
engage in community service as a condition of
graduation. And, as Maryland’s first woman Lt.
Governor, she instituted the office of Character
Education - to provide a focal point for the
teaching of responsibility and respect to the next
generation.
Kathleen serves on a number of non-profit
boards. She is the chairman of the Institute for
Human Virology at the University of Maryland
and serves on the board of the John F. Kennedy
Library Foundation, the Points of Light
Foundation, National Catholic Reporter, and the
Character Education Partnership, among
others. While serving as the chairman of the
Page 3
Did You Know…
that you can include Family
Services in your will?
For more information
about our planned giving
options contact Alyssa
Cholodofsky, Director of
Development &
Communications, via email
at cholodofskya@fswp.org
or by phone at
412-820-2050 ext 428.
that our Educational
Assistance Initiative is
helping/has helped more
than 150 at-risk youth
pursue their dreams of
post-secondary education?
That 15 have now
completed their courses of
study?
board of the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial, she
created the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights
Award. Mrs. Townsend is a member of the
Council on Foreign Relations.
Before being elected Lt. Governor, Mrs. Townsend
served as Deputy Assistant Attorney General of
the United States. She helped design and launch
the nationally acclaimed Police Corps, a program
that gives college scholarships to young people
who pledge to work as police officers for four
years after graduating.
Kathleen has been appointed an Adjunct Professor
at Georgetown University’s School of Public Policy
and has been a Visiting Fellow at the Kennedy
School of Government where she focused her
efforts on faith and public life. Mrs. Townsend is
an honors graduate of Harvard University, and
holds a law degree from the University of New
Mexico where she was a member of the law
review.■
To learn more, contact
Barrie Ward, Educational
Assistance Initiative
Coordinator, at
wardb@fswp.org.
that it’s not too early to
sign up for our 17th Annual
Charity Golf Classic to be
held on Friday, June 7,
2013 at Churchill Valley
Country Club?
Contact Dennis Kowalski at
kowaslksid@fswp.org for
details.
that our United Way donor
designation number is 66?
We hope you’ll remember
Family Services during this
autumn’s United Way
fundraising drive■
Upcoming Events
An Educator’s Guide to Family Engagement, September 28, 2012
Family Services of Western
Pennsylvania is accredited by
the Council on Accreditation of
Services for Families and
Children, Inc.
Family Services of Western
Pennsylvania is a non-profit
organization declared taxexempt by the federal
government (under section 501
C 3 of the IRS code) and the
Commonwealth of Pa.
A copy of our official
registration may be obtained
from the Pennsylvania
Department of State by calling
toll free from within
Pennsylvania 800-732-0999.
Registration does not imply
endorsement All donations to
Family Services of Western
Pennsylvania are tax deductible
to the full extent of the law.
Family Services of Western
Pennsylvania receives funding
from the United Way’s of
Allegheny, Washington and
Westmoreland Counties.
Family Affairs
Administrative Office
3230 William Pitt Way
Pittsburgh, PA 15238
412.820.2050 ph
412.820.2060 fax
fswp@fswp.org email
www.fswp.org website
Bulk Mailing Center
104 Beta Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15238
Essential for School Administrators, Guidance Counselors, SAP Teams, Liaisons, Teachers and all those
interested in improving parent—teacher communication. Featuring internationally-recognized author and family
engagement expert, Dr. Joni Samples, Chief Academic Officer for Family Friendly Schools, and author of The
Parent Connection. Location: Holiday Inn/Monroeville. Time: 9 am to 3 pm. Contact Kelley McNichols at
724-226-0664 ext. 832 for complete details.
Running for Laptops at Pittsburgh’s Great Race, September 30, 2012
Running for Laptops walkers and runners who participate in the Richard S. Caliguiri Pittsburgh Great Race
Marathon can raise money to purchase laptop computers for youth who are aging out of the social service safety
net and who wish to pursue their educational dreams. Part of the agency’s Educational Assistance Initiative. For
details on how you can support Running for Laptops, contact Alyssa Cholodofsky at 412-820-2050 ext. 428.
Check out the Running for Laptops website at www.runningforlaptops.org.
Act 2: An Education in Second Chances, November 30, 2012
Featuring An Evening With Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, eldest daughter of Robert and Ethel Kennedy and former
Lieutenant Governor of Maryland; Location: Jay Verno Studios, 3030 Jane Street, Pittsburgh (Southside.) Time: 6:00
pm to 9:00 pm. For tickets and/or sponsorship information, please contact Laura Latini at 412 -820-2050 ext. 412, or
via email at latinil@fswp.org.
Donate Now
Did you know it’s easier than ever to make a safe, secure donation to Family Services? Whether it’s in memory of, or
in honor of, a loved one, dedicated to a specific program or event, or a continuing donation, you can do it by visiting
us on-line at www.fswp.org and clicking on the DONATE NOW button. Of course, we will still accept donations
through the mail, too. Whichever way you choose, thank you for your support!
Empower people to reach their full potential...
September 2012
NONPROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
PERMIT NO. 29
NEW KENSINGTON,
PA 15068