Family/Caregiver: Kara Georgi
Kara Georgi, is a parent and advocate
in Central New York
who has been involved in supporting children and families in her community since she first recognized the needs of her own son and began to build bridges between his services and providers. Her work, which has evolved to meet community needs, includes the creation of Play Space, a space for young children to play, learn and grow and for families to build long lasting relationships. She also promotes and hosts Community Cafes statewide. She started hosting the parentled discussions that use the ‘Strengthening Families Protective Factors Framework’ in her school and throughout her community and now helps to build that bridge across the state.
Lifetime Achievement: Patricia White
Pat has been involved in Westchester’s System of Care since 1989 when the county movement in first started. She is a pioneer in the use of wraparound meetings for children and families with complex needs and provides training on wraparound and community mobilization on a county, state and national level. One of her greatest strengths when facilitating wraparound meetings is her ability to not only include “traditional” services but, to also engage “natural” community supports in the family’s wraparound plan. Pat is a mentor who is passionate about the history of the system of care movement, community organizing and supporting “rising system of care stars” from all organizations.
Organization or Community Group: Building Healthy Children
The Building Healthy Children Program (BHC) at Mt. Hope Family Center provides home-based support services to families at risk for child maltreatment. The program, launched in 2007, uses a collaborative, evidence-based prevention approach to help low-income young families meet the multiple challenges they face. BHC staff bring culturally and linguistically-sensitive expertise to engage hard-to-reach teenage populations and offers coordinated health and social/emotional services, parenting education, parent-child trauma and depression therapy. Using these approaches alongside concrete support services helps reduce the risk for mental illness and improves education and employment outcomes for children and mothers in the program.
School/School District: Lansingburgh Central School District
Lansingburgh Central School District is committed to embracing the many challenges urban school districts face, including addressing mental health needs. Its approach includes implementation of a trauma sensitive school initiative, use of the Holistic Student Assessment (HSA) to provide an individual and school-wide social-emotional portrait, and partnering with Rensselaer County Department of Mental Health to establish two satellite mental health clinics in the district. Additionally, the district has increased use of prevention programs including: an evidence-based Social-Emotional Learning Curriculum to students in Pre-K through 6th grade, the Calm Classroom initiative, mindfulness training to staff through MindfulSchools.org and yoga and mindfulness training through the continuing education program. Lansingburgh CSD has also been working to link community agencies with families by establishing a parent and family engagement initiative called Lansingburgh's Parenting Village.
Systems of Care: Chautauqua Tapestry
Chautauqua Tapestry was established in 2008 to assist in enhancing the county’s System of Care (SOC) for children and youth that have emotional and behavioral challenges and their families. The Tapestry name was selected to emphasize the weaving together of services to support children and families in the community. Chautauqua Tapestry works to further develop the county’s existing service and support delivery system, as well as areas of identified unmet needs. Its ongoing work on system sustainability includes cross-system governance, workforce development, and diversifying financial investments and opportunities. The work includes Family Peer Support Services, Inc., Program Evaluation Center at SUNY Fredonia, and the Community Alliance for Suicide Prevention.
Youth/Young Adult: Nivea Jackson
Nivea Jackson is the Youth Advisor for the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in New York City, helping to amplify youth voices, increase attendance at events and implement the first youth peer advocate survey. Her lived experiences are integral to her work, and she uses her voice and intellect to serve others in both paid and volunteer capacities. She is a founding Board member for Boldly Crowned, a nonprofit focused on self-empowerment for young women around the areas of mental health, healthy relationships, and self-esteem.
