Partnerships = Innovation
In this month’s initiative newsletter, we are thrilled to share many new partnerships, program developments, and upcoming events. We want to thank all our partners for continuing to engage in the work of the initiative on top of your normal responsibilities. First 1,000 Days continues to grow and with it increases our ability to learn from one another, build partnerships, and come up with creative ways to serve families in our region. We welcome you to be a part of our work! Please view our Calls to Action at the bottom with more ways to get involved.
Trauma Informed Care Training Series
Be sure to sign up for the second class of the Resilient Retreat Trauma Informed Care Training series. This is a great opportunity for parents, caregivers, and non-clinical staff to attend the virtual course where they will learn ways to care for others and themselves. Non-clinical staff include front office staff, educators, leadership, and managers.
Sign up directly by clicking here
Virtual Class Schedule:
Tuesday, November 9th from 8:30am-9:30am - Working with a Diverse Community through a Trauma Informed Lens
Tuesday, December 14th 8:30am-9:30am - Compassion Fatigue and Developing Resilience Through Self-Care
Circuit 12 Plan of Safe Care
The First 1,000 Days initiative has been hard at work building the regional Plan of Safe Care for Circuit 12 (Manatee, Sarasota, and DeSoto). Together, with numerous partner organizations and dedicated professionals in the community, we have developed a comprehensive assessment and wrap around services for families. This new process will ensure that substance exposed newborns and their families get the support and resources they need to help their children thrive and grow.
The purpose of the Plan of Safe Care (POSC) is to identify pregnant women with substance use prenatally, connect them with resources, and provide on-going coordination and support prior to and after the delivery of their baby. By linking mothers, families, and babies to services in the community we strive to reduce the risk of child removal and child welfare involvement and improve child and family health and well-being. Thank you to Safe Children Coalition, DCF, DOH, Unite Us, First Step of Sarasota, Healthy Start, Healthy Families, Operation Par, and many others for your leadership in its development. A special shout out to Kim Kutch, Dena Michelle Gaines, Stephanie Harris, Nathan Scott, and Stacey Schaeffer for your leadership in its development.
Please refer any pregnant individual with substance use (including methadone, alcohol, marijuana, opioids, etc.) to the Safe Children Coalition-Plan of Safe Care. The preferred method for referrals is through Unite Us, however you can also download and fax/email this form.
Referral Process on Unite Us:
Enter mother/parent demographic information including: name, birthdate, phone number, gender, race, ethnicity, zip code, city, and state.
Send a referral by searching for service type Substance Use
Select Safe Children Coalition- Plan of Safe Care
Join us virtually via zoom on Monday, November 8th from 9:30-10:30am to hear about this collaboration and how to connect families with services. Click here to register for the event.
Van Wezel Art Packets
A huge thank you to Van Wezel and their Director of Education and Community Engagement, Kelli Maldonado, on coordinating a regional First 1,000 Days Art Packet Campaign. Through the sponsorship of Van Wezel, this project provided over 2,500 art kits to families at Healthy Families, Healthy Start, the Sarasota and Manatee County Libraries, and Early Learning Coalition of Sarasota County. The packets included a book (A Splendid Friend Indeed), coordinating video, and First 1,000 Days flier. This fun and educational experience will encourage parents to do brain boosting activities with their children, as well as nurture their relationship with them. We look forward to reporting back once the packets are distributed!
Community Stations
“Thank you for seeing me as a person, not just someone looking for a free hand out”
First 1,000 Days Family Navigator Tina Wilson and All Faiths Food Bank Navigator Lisa Santos at Mothers Helping Mothers are connecting families with resources.
First 1,000 Days has started setting up community stations throughout the region. At these stations, our Family Navigator, Tina Wilson, meets families where they are at, and connects them with our incredible partner organizations through Unite Us. Tina’s warm demeanor, soft approach, and kind heart has made her exceptional at supporting so many families already. So far, she has sent 102 referrals and helped 48 mothers with a variety of services including mental health, parenting education, and food. In one morning alone she was able to send 13 referrals for parents at Mothers Helping Mothers! We are thrilled that Siena Kelley, our fabulous Administrative Assistant for the initiative, has also begun training and will be supporting these community stations.
None of this work would be possible without the collaboration of many partners in providing resources, food, space, and support. Thank you United Way Suncoast, Sarasota Medical Pregnancy Center, and Mothers Helping Mothers for working with us on this project thus far! All Faiths Food Bank and Meals on Wheels Plus Manatee have also provided emergency food boxes for families in need. We look forward to adding in more stations at the beginning of the year and working closely with partners to identify sustainable, long-term solutions to care coordination for their clients.
Partner Spotlights
Women’s Resource Center
Women’s Resource Center is always working on innovative ways to help women in our community. Some of their most recent endeavors include: having resource tables at places like Mothers Helping Mothers, and supporting First 1,000 Days in their expansion efforts. In addition to participating in a multitude of workgroups over the last couple of years, they have been valuable partners in working through systemic barriers across the region.
Women’s Resource Center is a safe space for women to get connected with a wide array of free and/or very low cost services including: women’s clothing, mental health counseling, and employment assistance. You can find information about them and the programs within their organization on Unite Us! We are greatly appreciative of leadership from Lori Gentile, Ashley Brown, Deborah Chapman, and Judith Sanchez.
United Way of Charlotte County
A huge note of thanks to United Way of Charlotte County for their continued collaboration with First 1,000 Days. Their Executive Director, Angie Matthiessen, is a shining beacon in Charlotte. As a trusted, kind, and innovative leader she is always working on ways to not only help families in the community but support the professionals who serve them. Angie will rotate on to the First 1,000 Days Steering Committee this upcoming December and we are thrilled to have her strategic guidance on continued relationship-building and partnerships in Charlotte.
Upcoming Events
No Small Matter
Watch Separately, Discuss Together. View the 1 hour + 14 minute No Small Matter documentary over the 2 day window of Monday, November 15th & Tuesday, November 16th. Then join us virtually for a community conversation to discuss the film on November 17th from 6:30pm-7:45pm.
The Community Conversation will include the following panelists:
Dr. Chelsea Arnold, Initiative Manager, First 1,000 Days Suncoast
Drs. Sharon and Craig Ramey, Abecedarian Project
Kathleen Sullivan, VP of Programs, Children First
Dr. Robin Thompson, Director, Early Learning, Manatee County Schools
Unite Us on Suncoast
First 1,000 Days Suncoast sponsored the Unite Us Care Coordination platform for our community. This system is transforming how we connect families between medical, mental health, and social services in the region. Below is the most recent Unite Us Community Data on the number of clients served, number of referrals sent, and most frequently requested services.
The most common reason for being unable to close cases is the inability to contact the family. If you are working on the Unite Us platform to send referrals, please be sure you are putting in contact information and verifying phone numbers. It is also helpful to add an e-mail address if the client uses one.
Calls to Action
Join Unite Us
Unite Us is an electronic referral care coordination platform which connects medical, mental health, and social services across our region and the country. Entities on the platform include: Sarasota Memorial Hospital Emergency Department and Women and Children’s Services, Sarasota County School System, Healthy Start, First Step of Sarasota, among 70+ more community partners.
Attend a virtual Unite Florida Information Session to learn more by clicking here OR e-mail our Community Engagement Manager, Stephanie Harris at Stephanie.Harris@uniteus.com. Stephanie also has days she plans to be here locally so you are able to connect with her to schedule a time to come to your organization.
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder Respect Act
We encourage organizations, businesses, non-profits and associations to show their support of The FASD Respect Act by signing on to a letter of support. Click here to assist The Florida Center and the community in getting this bill passed. Signing the FASD Passage of The FASD Respect Act will benefit organizations involving maternal child health, disability rights and services, justice, homelessness, education, foster care, adoption, employment and much more.
Get More Involved!
If you would like to learn more ways to get involved and/or be added to our community e-mail roster please e-mail first1000days@smh.com