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4203 Southpoint Blvd Jacksonville FL 32216 www.nilausa.org March
15, 2005 |
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NILA Update |
It’s
Finally Here!!!
The
National Independent Living Association proudly
announces
the launch of it’s new
and improved website on
Thursday, March 31st
Please
visit us after that date at http://www.nilausa.org.
But, for
the website to really be the resource you need, we need your help…
NILA
NEEDS PICTURES!
We are going to be using pictures of youth in our programs for the
website. Please send pictures of kids,
programs, projects…anything! We’d love
to see what you’re doing. If the
pictures are in public places (such as a conference), no consent is
required. However, if you are
submitting program pictures, please make sure you have the appropriate media
consents. Please also include a short
biography (a couple to a few sentences) of any youth who is willing to have
that one the website.all 1-800
-226-7612 or visit us
information or to request a FREE product catalog1-800-226-7612 or visit us
online:
NILA NEEDS SUCCESS STORIES!
Does your organization have a success story to share? A program that really works? A kid that made
it against the odds? We need your
stories for our website!
Please
help! If you have pictures, stories, RESOURCES,
or if you want your agency’s website on NILA’s website, please contact me at mailto:salevy@nilausa.org
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But what about the MEMBERS ONLY
section on the site?
If you have not paid your dues (and you know who
you are J), you
will have access
to the members only section of the website for a short
period of time. But, after we have
our id and passcode section in place, you will no
longer have access to some of the
most valuable and easy to use resources in
independent living.
So, what are you going to do?
PAY YOUR DUES!!!
For those whose dues are
up-to-date, I will contacting you with
instructions on how to
access the members only section of the website.
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At last, an honest and
moving film that captures the essence of what it means to be a foster
parent in America...
NYSCCC is pleased to announce that our long awaited video "Foster Parents Speak: Crossing Bridges and Fostering Change" is now available for order from our partner producers Photosynthesis Productions. The 20 minute video, exploring foster parenting today through the experiences and insights foster families, has received rave reviews from professional reviewers and foster parents attending pre-release screenings. . We are truly excited and gratified by the response it has received and its potential as a training tool for foster parents, caseworkers, administrators, and advocates alike.
For more information, go on their website at http://www.nysccc.org
Webcast Looks at
Runaways From
the Child Welfare System
The Chapin Hall Center for
Children at the University of Chicago is releasing the largest study to date
on one group of children missing from the child welfare system—those who run
away. |
Nonprofits and Tax Reform – What
does it mean for your organization?
New tax reforms, focused on simplifying and potentially replacing the
national income tax, could negatively impact the future of non-profits,
especially in regards to irrevocable gifts to charity. Recommendations from as advisory panel are
due by July 31, 2005. Get more
information at http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/01/20050107-1.html
Here are some great
activity ideas from Betsy Domeier,
Lutheran Social
Services, Mankato, MN:
“I try to have kids do a community service and tie it
to a Dairy Queen or McDonalds after. We pick up garbage on local trails. We take individual flowers, something inexpensive
like a carnation or garden flower, to nursing home patients or perhaps we bring
them some Easter Eggs at Easter or a Valentine Chocolate at Valentines. We also sing Christmas Carols to Nursing
Homes or Senior Citizen Groups. We go
to the local Head Start and read to younger children. In the spring and summer
we rake yards for seniors or people who simply need help. The kids take pride in the public service and
it keeps them busy for a period of time, followed by some socializing after
when they get their treat.
I have found kids love to play pool and we have a
local establishment where they have allowed us to play pool for free if the
kids buy a soda. I have also worked out
an arrangement with a bowling alley for a 2 for 1 deal. Bowling is expensive, but if we come during
off-peak times they allow us to have shoes free and pay for only one of two
games.
Kids love to tie dye their clothing and dye is
relatively cheap. It also teaches them
about laundry and colors "running” together.
Local merchants have recently donated fabric and
sewing machines and we have been teaching a select group to sew quilts at a
nominal fee.
Lastly, we have some great foster parents who live in
the country and have horses, cows, geese, goats etc. This family has developed a "Farm Education" program
where we take kids to learn about the animals and spend time on the farm
followed by a picnic where they learn to grill their food etc. Although we do pay the foster family for this
service, it provides a great deal of education and fun for a great many youth.
We do this several times a summer.”
Please send your ideas to mailto:salevy@nilausa.org
Here’s a “teaser” from the new website…
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The adult mental health
system has recently focused on housing as being the key to stabilizing adults
with serious mental health issues. This “housing-first” approach is built on
the belief that maintaining stable housing is often more important than
maintaining stable treatment. Many in the adolescent independent living field
understand this line of thinking from experience. Be that as it may,
establishing a housing-based ILP is easier said than done. The child welfare field
was created to protect and treat (“raise”) vulnerable children and youth and
generally does a good job at this task. It also spends a lot of time and
energy protecting itself from a host of regulations, allegations and
potential problems. The process of transitioning youth from custodial
situations to life outside of custody is in many ways, the opposite process.
A process of “caring, letting go” needs to take place, a long period of trial
and error in which the youth takes over more and more responsibilities and
care-providers slowly back off. As we all know from our own transitions,
mistakes will be made, rules will be broken, disasters can occur. This
process now takes “normal” American families maybe a decade to accomplish. We
have maybe a year or two to work with. Is it possible for the child welfare
system to succeed at something that is statistically impossible? If you think one or two
parents have problems deciding how to do this transition thing, try adding a
state licensing department, caseworkers, juvenile court, social workers,
foster parents, dysfunctional family members, GALs, CASAs and others to the
mix. I recently attended a team meeting in which 16 people showed up to
discuss, with the youth, an optimal transition plan for him. After realizing
that this was more intimidating than standing in front of the Jedi Council,
the youth left the room, leaving the adults to discuss some options. The current political
climate, with daily news of cuts to housing and social services programs, is
clearly heading in the opposite direction from where it needs to, in terms of
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If you don’t visit the website, you’ll miss great resources, like
this monthly installment on housing issues written by Mark Kroner from
Lighthouse Youth Services.
What’s Happening?
*Look for the website March
31st!
*Look for Growing Pains September 21st-24th
*Look for success stories!
*Look for other agencies, which could use NILA services!