Annu

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A message from the Board Chair and Executive Director

We are pleased to bring you this report on the services and outcomes of the Georgia Avenue Family Support Collaborative (GAFSC) in Fiscal Year 2012. Our name has been shortened, but we are still the Ward 4 Collaborative, which for 15 years has partnered with the D.C. Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA) to ensure neighborhood-based prevention and direct services to families at risk of entering the child-welfare system or that are already system-involved. This was a year of diversifying our programs for families and youth in a belt-tightening environment, strengthening our Board and staff capacity in the areas of fundraising and planning and expanding our prevention strategy to specifically address untreated mental health and substance abuse issues, which are critical risk factors for families. New initiatives included partnering with the DYRS Region II Lead Agency, Progressive Life Center, and other DC YouthLinks providers at Soronko House, an innovative step-down group home for youth returning to the community from New Beginnings. Building on our long-term relationship with The Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness (TCP), we not only continued to prevent families from becoming homeless and stabilize those who were formerly homeless but also transitioned families out of the DC General Family Shelter and into subsidized housing. Working with the DC Prevention Center for Wards 3 and 4, GAFSC became a Key Prevention Leader. We formed a community network to assess the state of underage alcohol and marijuana use in Ward 4 and to plan with other youth- and family- serving organizations how to address root causes. We are pleased to have secured a Department of Health/APRA grant to work with parents of middle school youth on recognizing community and family patterns of tolerance for drug use and learning how to talk to their children about risks and positive alternatives.

GAFSC set out this year to build its capacity to address mental health risk factors. With a staff member certified as a trainer by the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare, GAFSC is now able to offer the empirically-backed public education and prevention tool, Mental Health First Aid, to community partners and residents. Similar to traditional First Aid and CPR, Mental Health First Aid is help provided to a person developing a mental health problem or experiencing a crisis until professional treatment is obtained or the crisis is resolved. GAFSC frontline workers and supervisors were trained in FY12, and the rollout to the community is ongoing.

Our mission of helping children, youth and families become healthy, empowered and connected has been realized this year through case management services to 289 families and capacity-building services to 1,166 families or individuals. Moving forward, we are focused on continuing to improve outcomes, deepen our partnerships with the communities we serve and broaden support from public and private sources.

Sincerely,

Ronald P. Bland, Board Chair Karen Feinstein, Executive Director

Our mission is to work with community-based organizations and residents to help children,

youth and families become healthy by choice, empowered by knowledge and connected to community support.

Ward 4 A Snap Shot

The Collaborative is located in Ward 4 of the District of Columbia.

Ward 4 is made up of 15 culturally diverse neighborhoods with more than

75,000 residents.

Crestwood

Petworth

Fort Totten

Brightwood

Brightwood Park

Shepherd Park

Manor Park

Lamond Riggs

The Neighborhoods

Takoma

16th Street Heights

North Portal

Colonial Village

Hawthorne

Barnaby Woods

Chevy Chase

African American—59%

Caucasion—20%

Latino—19%

Asian—2%

The People

Female-headed households with children make up 36% of

the families in the Ward

Number of children under 18 who live in Ward 4: 15,154

Child and Family Services Agency Programs Keeping Families Together

Case Management

Comprehensive case management, including home visitation, to families that have entered, or are at risk of

entering the child welfare system to meet their immediate and long-term needs.

Family Supportive Services—includes short-term crisis cases, community cases and families diverted from

CFSA. 123 families

Partnership for Community-Based Services— Our staff team with CFSA to ensure that high-risk families

provide safety and stability for their children. 35 families

Youth Aftercare—Strengthens community support for youth leading up to and following their transition from

foster care to independence. 20 youth

Community Capacity Building

Increases the knowledge, skills and supports for parents, caregivers, residents and provider staff to ensure they

are healthy, empowered and connected to others.

Information & Referral—Connects families to resources that help meet vital needs such as emergency

assistance, job training, employment, housing, childcare, substance abuse treatment, counseling and other

necessary supports. 295 families

Community Engagement—Builds relationships with community members and other public and private

service providers to achieve our mission. 830 residents

Training and Support—Develops the skills, knowledge and sources of support for parents and other adult

caregivers of children. 41 parents trained

FY12 Events and Trainings

14th Annual Family and Community Cookout

Mental Health First Aid

Parent Empowerment

Child Abuse Awareness Month Outreach

100 Black Men Empowerment

Ward 4 Community Conversation on Schools

West Education Campus Parent Resource Fair

Cultural Diversity Workshops

Other Programs

Care Coordination and Diversion Program (CCDP) - Provides quality and timely Child

and Family Team Facilitation, care coordination and family support to youth and families. Services are

intended to prevent residential placement or incarceration and keep youth with serious emotional disorders

safe in their families and communities. CCDP is funded by the D.C. Department of Mental Health through

the Healthy Families Thriving Communities Collaborative Council. 26 families

Fatherhood Education Empowerment and Development (FEED) - Case Manage-

ment is part of a three-tiered fatherhood initiative designed to support fathers who aim to contribute to the

well-being of their children. FEED Case Management focuses on helping fathers obtain/retain employment

and support their children financially. FEED is funded by the Federal Department of Health and Human

Services through the HFTC Collaborative Council. 40 fathers

System Transformation Initiative (STI) and Family Rehousing & Stabilization

Program (FRSP) – Housing relocation and comprehensive case management focused on access to

permanent housing and the development of independent living skills needed for self-sufficiency. STI and

FRSP are funded by the Department of Human Services through the Community Partnership for the

Prevention of Homelessness. 37 families

Soronko House – A group home in which case management, as part of a team of providers, is focused

on supporting family and youth as a youth transitions to the community from juvenile detention or

residential treatment. The Soronko House Program is funded by DYRS through the Progressive Life

Center. 8 youth/families

Community Prevention Program (CPP) - A two-year grant from APRA to implement an

evidenced-based program designed to work with parents to reduce marijuana use in middle school youth.

This program was in the planning stage during the fourth quarter of FY12.

Program Highlights Hitting our Targets

Program Area Deliverable # meeting

deliverable Performance %

Family Supportive Services

75% of families receiving family supportive

services will have children who remain in

the home at case closure. 61 98.4%

75% of services requested by the referring

CFSA worker/family will be provided by

Collaborative at case closure 151 76%

Partnership for Community-

Based Services

85% of services requested by the referring

CFSA worker/family will be provided by

CFSA case closure. 28 78%

Youth Aftercare

60% of youth will be supported by the

HFTC Collaborative with the services

identified in the Youth Transition Plan

(YTP) for up to 2 calendar years after

transition from foster care.

10 77%

Community Capacity

building

90% of CFSA-requested I & R services shall

be provided by the HFTC Collaborative

through referral to an appropriate service

agency or organization.

6

100%

85% of CFSA-referred parents will

successfully complete all training/ support

groups & demonstrate increased knowledge

based on certificate of completion at end of

training. 11

100%

FY12 Child and Family Services Agency Outcomes

Our Stories Telling it like it is

“I would just like to say thank you a lot for helping me

become independent in life and becoming a better

mother.” - formerly homeless mother

“ I am very grateful because when I needed you, you were there for me. You helped

me pay the rent and move ahead with my children.” - Mother of two

“I’ve learned so much about being a father, a husband and

a provider. I’m spending more time with my children; I’m

there for them and cherish every moment.”

- FEED participant

Louis Snowden credits the skills he learned from the FEED program for

the progress he has made in handling stress today.

One of the more valuable lessons Mr. Snowden learned is patience.

“A year ago, things were very difficult for me. I didn’t have a chance to finish

school and could not find work. I was a father of three and could not

provide for them—it was very stressful.”

“Sometimes you get frustrated and want to blow up”, he admits “but you

can’t do that to your family. You have to give yourself five minutes, take a

breath and blow off steam—or in my case, I have three children so I take

fifteen minutes!”

A Lesson in Patience

Statement of Financial Position September 30, 2012 (With Comparative Totals for 2011)

2012 2011

ASSETS

Current Assets

Cash $ 62,557 $ 115,178

Grants and Accounts Receivable 435,243 351,979

Prepaid Expenses 28,390 23,382

Deposits 2,000 2,000

Total Current Assets 528,190 492,539

Fixed Assets, net 1,032,909 970,652

Total Assets $ 1,561,099 $ 1,463,191

LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS

Current Liabilities

Accounts Payable $ 87,245 $ 23,957

Accrued Expenses 25,028 45,971

Line of Credit 55,000 50,000

Mortgages Payable - Current Portion 37,753 36,399

Total Current Liabilities 205,026 156,327

Long-Term Liabilities

Mortgages Payable - Long Term Portion 707,693 746,650

Total Liabilities 912,719 902,877

Net Assets

Unrestricted 569,290 464,346

Temporarily Restricted 79,090 95,868

Total Net Assets 648,380 560,214

Total Liabilities and Net Assets $ 1,561,099 $ 1,463,191

Our People

CFSA In-Home Unit

Charlene Peterson, LICSW—Supervisor

Linda Kelly—Family Support Worker

Karine Lindor-Taka, Social Worker

Francis Odia, LICSW—Social Worker

Lilly Phillip-Quashie, LICSW—Social Worker

Larry McCall, LICSW—Social Worker

Binu Abraham—Social Worker

Management Team

Karen Feinstein, LICSW—Executive Director

Carolyn Smith, LICSW—Clinical Director

Anab Warsame—Human Resources Director

James Cunningham—Community Resource

Director

Tara Lyne Johnson—Accountant

Collaborative Staff

Stephanie Alston—Family Support Worker

T. Furaha Raufu Bey—Family Support Worker

Magno Caballero—Family Support Worker

Yul D. Campbell Sr.—Family Support Worker

Kandis Catalan—Family Team Meeting Facilitator

David Cauthen—Outreach Worker

Gesiel Cox— Office Assistant/Receptionist

Latasha Fonville-Carter—Employment Specialist

Shakira Gantt—Resource and Development Specialist

Rebecca Heagy, LICSW—Family Services Coordinator

Hasaani Hylton—Prevention Program Coordinator

Imani Johnson—Family Support Worker

Latisha Johnson—Family Support Worker

Senedu Lemma—Family Support Worker

Brian McEwen—Housing Specialist/Family Support Worker

Marvin Ochoa—-Family Support Worker

Jeffrey Polk—Family Support Worker/FEED

YuVette Russell—Program Administrative Coordinator

Myrna Salvador-Navarro—Senior Family Support Worker/

Intake Specialist

Candie Simpson—Family Team Meeting Facilitator

Dorothy Smithers—Housekeeping

Fay Stewart—Family Support Worker

Tamara Weissman, LICSW—Special Programs Coordinator

Jasper Williams—Family Support Worker/FEED

Board of Directors

Ronald P. Bland—Chair

Carol Herwig—Vice Chair

Maia Blankenship—Secretary

Belinda Randle—Treasurer

Karen Feinstein—Administrative Officer

Anthony Chuukwu

Frank Jones III

Judith Jones

Michelle Shelton

James B. Wilson

Rev. Renee Woodard-Few

The Georgia Avenue Family Support Collaborative

HEALTHY ♦ EMPOWERED ♦ CONNECTED

Family Service Center I 4420 Georgia Avenue NW

Family Service Center II

508 Kennedy Street NW

Administrative Office 1104 Allison Street NW

(202) 722-1815

www.gasfc-dc.org