 | |
![[PIN logo]](../art/logo-sm.gif){kind=logo} |
Philadelphia SharingMarch 2001 Vol. 2 No. 1 Special Meeting Notice Charter SchoolsParents Involved Network (PIN) will be presenting a special workshop for all interested parents, caregivers and providers of services to children who have a serious emotional or behavioral disorder. The Education Law Center will be presenting the workshop regarding children with disabilities who attend a Charter School. Presenter: Where: When: Light refreshments will be served. Tokens available upon request. School AttendanceAttending school is something all children are to do. Each state has a compulsory school attendance law. In Pennsylvania, all children of "compulsory school age" - children between the ages of eight (8) and seventeen (17) - are required to attend school. However, if a child is enrolled in first grade or a higher grade, even if the child is still under age 8, the child becomes "of compulsory school age" and must continue to attend school. Children must continue attending school regularly through their 17th birthday, unless the child graduates from high school earlier. Children enrolled in a charter school, a licensed private or parochial school, or an approved home school program satisfy the compulsory attendance requirements. A parent, guardian or "person in parental relationship" [foster parent, grandparent or other family member] is responsible for making certain the child is attending school. Although Pennsylvania does not specifically define truancy, school officials must report to the proper authority any child who has been absent for three (3) days in a row without a lawful excuse. The School District of Philadelphia is continually reviewing and sent. There were also translation services for families needing such assistance. In each case, it was very clear that the court expected the child to attend school every day. In several cases where a parent directly caused or allowed the problem attendance that parent was ordered directly to correct the situation without excuse. If particular services were needed for a family the master ordered those services. Our staff scheduled a final visit to a court to observe cases which we had previously observed. We were very pleased to see most of those cases released because the problem attendance had been corrected. We saw several happy children and several relieved parents. As parents ourselves we have all been confronted with children who refuse to go to school. Our impression of the Truancy Courts we observed was that everyone wanted to unite to support the child attending school. - Editor Einstein Children's Crisis Response Center (CRC)by Francesca Vassalluzzo, Coordinator, Children's Crisis Response Center Project, 215-751-1800 ext. 317; fvassalluzzo@mhasp.org The Children's Crisis Response Center (CRC) Project continues its three-pronged approach to family advocacy - supporting families of children in crisis by connecting them to useful and usable community-based services, alerting providers to child-centered, family-focused practices of care, and advocating system-wide for changes that promote children's behavioral health by incorporating Child and Adolescent Service System Program (CASSP) principles. Family advocates are on site 6 days a week. They provided support directly, and through literature and staff referrals, to over 275 families who came to the CRC in January, 2001. In addition to direct support at the CRC, the advocates made phone calls and sent letters to agencies and institutions as requested by caregivers, and arranged and attended interagency and special education meetings. Advocates use their unique position to continually enlist service providers to adopt family-focused methods. We continue to bring our recommendations to the Office of Mental Health through phone contact and regular meetings with Acute Services Manager, Carol Ulmer, Children and Youth Services Director, Harriet Williams, and most recently, Office of Social Services Chief of Staff, Susan Pingree. Our purpose is to advocate changes in staffing, space and practices, and the incorporation of these changes in plans for a desperately needed new children's CRC. Peer Support Projectby LeVan White, coordinator,Peer Support Groups Projects, 215-751-1800 ext. 513, lwhite@mhasp.org January kicked of the beginning of our Peer Support Project. There were two support groups held in the month of January. The first meeting that was held on the 9th of January 2001. NIne children attended ranging in age from 14-17 years. The first meeting gave the participants a brief overview of the project and afforded the participants a chance to ask questions and interact with each other. The second meeting was held on the 22nd of January. Despite the inclement weather, there were 7 returnees along with two new participants. Due to the request of the children, weekly meetings were begun in February. Grand CentralGrand Central - Kinship Care Resource Center was developed by the Philadelphia Task Force on Kinship Care. The Task Force was formed in March 1995 to implement the recommendations generated by the 1993 National Kinship Care Conference that addressed the growing needs of such alternative givers and the children in their care. The volunteer Task Force members are key persons from public and private service agencies (Support Center for Child Advocates, Judicare, Philadelphia Citizens for Children and Youth, Department of Recreation, Department of Public Welfare, Department of Human Services for Children, Philadelphia VIP, AIDS Law Project of PA, Raising Others Children, Grands As Parents, Super Grandparent '93 etc.) Building on the Task Force's vision, the mission of Grand Central is to bring together a consortium of community-based and public agencies, family members and community leaders to develop effective, family-focused kinship care services. The primary activities of Grand Central are as follows:
The Center is open daily Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Grand Central - Kinship Care Resource Center PIN of Philadelphiaby Dwane Dykes, coordinator, Philadelphia PIN, ddykes@mhasp.org 215-751-1800 ext. 234 Philadelphia PIN provided support, advocacy information and referral to approximately 250 families in the month of December. January intakes are still being tallied. PIN continues to provide families with support group meetings on a monthly basis (day/evening groups.)PIN has received several invitations to present at Health Fairs, Family Centers and Mental Health/Mental Retardation Centers. Our efforts will continue to outreach to all agencies and schools that work with children and adolescents with a serious emotional or behavioral disorder. Philadelphia Support Group MeetingsParents Involved Network provides monthly support group meetings for parents, grandparents and caregivers of children and adolescents with behavior or emotional disorders. There are two groups, daytime and evening. The day group meets 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. the evening group meets 6 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. All meetings are held at: 1211 Chestnut Street 9th floor Conference Room Meeting dates for 2001 are:
Dates are subject to change for special events. Refreshments will be served and help with transportation is available (tokens only.) For further information contact: Dwane Dykes May is Mental Health Month 2001Mental Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania Session 1: Needless Suffering -- Lost Futures The mental health crisis faced by our nation's children and their families An overview; a state-of-the-state type presentation drawn in part from the recently published Report of the Surgeon General's Office on Children's Mental Health; followed by a presentation by a Philadelphia behavioral health executive on the state of children's mental health care. Session 2: Where do I go when it's all falling apart? An examination of a crisis response center for children; what it is; where it is; when does a child go there; what can they do for the child and family; who provides service; followed by a presentation on the Einstein CRC -- and how the availability of MHASP, Division of Children and Adolescent Services' advocates at the center improves the access to care for the children and their families. Session 3: You're not alone -- Chapter One Available supports for school-age children and adolescents who have serious emotional disorders:
Session 4: You're not alone -- Chapter Two An exploration of "family fall-out" -- the impact on children and adolescents of living in a family situation with an adult who is suffering from a mental illness. Specific approaches to helping the children cope -- education about specific mental illnesses, coping skills workshops, the use of an interactive Web site. Conference AlertBringing to Light Kids Growing Up in the Shadow of Mental Illness in the Family This workshop is sponsored by the TEC Family Center of the Mental Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania, supported by the City of Philadelphia Office of Mental Health. Location: Date: Featuring: Michael Mack - performance artist from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who brings alive his childhood perspective on his mother's mental illness using experiential poetry. Diane Marsh, Ph.D. - award-winning psychologist from the University of Pittsburgh and co-author of "Troubled Journey: Coming to Terms with the Mental Illness of a Sibling or Parent" "ALMA" Award winning autobiographical documentary about growing up with a mother who has schizophrenia - a discussion with its producer and star, Margie Thorpe. The conference is intended for behavioral health professionals, child welfare workers, school counselors, school nurses, teachers, clergy, parents and caregivers, adult children and siblings, and other concerned adults. (Philadelphia residents and staff of Philadelphia schools and facilities will be given priority.) Sponsored by the TEC Family Center of the Mental Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania, supported by the City of Philadelphia Office of Mental Health. For registration materials visit their Web site at www.mhasp.org/coping or contact Yolanda Smith, 215-751-1800, ext. 232, ysmith@mhasp.org PIN, a project of the Mental Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania, provides support, advocacy, information and referral resources for families of children and adolescents with emotional and behavioral disorders. PIN is the Pennsylvania State Organization of the Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health. Parents Involved Network |