CYSA Blog

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CYSA Awarded LIST Contract

Monday, May 19, 2014  by sarah

Hello CYSA Members!

I just wanted to take a moment to share with the membership some really good news, CYSA has received the LIST contract effective July 1, 2014. This grant will  provide funding (yes, this means dollars attached!) for 11 of Connecticut’s Juvenile Court District LISTs to continue the exemplary work each LIST has already accomplished since their inception in 2009. A great deal of work went into completing this RFP, and I wish to thank all of you for your support and patience, especially those charged with answering all the questions, creating budgets which aligned with the requirements of the RFP, and attending to several requests for clarifications during the grant review process. I would especially like to thank Erica Bromley, Kelly Cronin, Sarah Bourdon, and Michelle Piccerello for their time and dedication to the process under a very tight deadline!

This is the first major grant which CYSA has received in over 40 years of existence, and I truly believe that it is only the beginning of the association exploring options in the world of grant funding. I look forward to working with the board and the membership on advancing the success of CYSA in the coming years.

I also wanted to share a bit of (good) legislative news. According to CYSA lobbyist, Jay Aronson, the YSB line items for cost-sharing and enhancement are currently “whole” in the state budget. As you know these things can change in a flash so keep advocating whenever possible. It seems that some YSBs are having more local trials & tribulations than state level ones, so please support each other in any and all ways possible! CYSA is here for help as well, so please contact me if you need backup and we will gather up the team to provide our support through letters, public testifying, and more.

As the school year draws to a close, YSBs know that summer stays busy as ever for those of us on the front line of working with kids and families. These are the reasons that we have become the “corner stone of trust” in over 145 of Connecticut’s communities!

Wishing you all a happy & healthy spring season!

 Best regards ~ Barbara

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YSB Day a Great Success!

Monday, April 21, 2014  by sarah

Dear fellow CYSA members:

I wanted to take a moment to thank all of you whom participated in the 2014 YSB Day at the Capitol on Tuesday April 15th …..We packed the Old Appropriations room with over 100 youth and adults from YSBs all over the state for a presentation/mini-training on “Youth Focused Mental Health First Aid”, facilitated by Southeastern Regional Action Council Executive Director Michele Devine and Community Outreach Coordinator Angela Duhaime. In light of the focus on Mental Health in Connecticut, and the priority it has taken within the Governor’s agenda and budget plan, it seemed fitting for CYSA to devote YSB day to this important topic.

We were very fortunate to have three members of the Connecticut legislature on our guest panel to talk about, and share with all the participants their experiences with mental health work, both as grass roots workers, and as part of their legislative agenda. Representatives Tim Bowles, Kevin Ryan, and Diana Urban, we thank you for taking the time out of your very busy schedules to spend time with all of us discussing this very important issue, and for sharing what you are doing to help advance legislation to address ways we can improve programs, services, and close the gaps in both.

But most importantly I would really like to thank and recognize all the youth, and young adults who gave a day of their coveted school vacation week to spend the day with us at the Capitol addressing the important issue of mental health, especially as it pertains to young people in our state. I know that many of you met with your own local legislators, and I having young people at the Capitol is something legislators love to have happen, as they are cognizant of the fact that young people are literally going to be shaping the future.

Thank you to all the adult chaperones, YSB frontline folks, and volunteers whom attended as well. Just another example of positive youth development and the cultivation of strong leadership skills at work. Thank you to all my co-workers, and colleagues for helping to make this day a success: CYSA VP Erica Bromley, CYSA Secretary Michelle Piccerello, CYSA board member Lori Stanczyc, MYSB’s Kim Grant, CYSA Consultant Sarah Bourdon, and CYSA Lobbyist Jay Aronson. I would also like to thank SERAC’s Michele Devine and Angela Duhaime for your knowledge, skills, and patience in facilitating for such a large group. And again our thank you to Reps. Bowles, Ryan, and Urban!

Wishing all of you both a Safe and Happy Easter & Passover season! ~ Barbara

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April 15th is YSB Day at the Capitol

Thursday, March 27, 2014  by sarah

March 25, 2014

Hello fellow CYSA members:

I just wanted to take a moment to remind everyone that Youth Service Bureau Day at the Capitol will be held on Tuesday April 15th, 2014. Please take the time to visit our website www.ctyouthservices.org for more information and the registration link. Be sure to register on time! This year we have chosen the topic of “Youth-Focused Mental Health First Aid” as our platform for the day. Mental health is at the forefront of many legislative initiatives and many YSBs have been offering strong and accessible mental health services in their communities for many years, so it just seemed to make sense that we highlighted the topic of mental health as a theme for this very special and important day! CYSA has invited two experienced trainers in Mental Health First Aid from the Southeastern Regional Action Council to present a 2-hour age appropriate version of the popular and evidence-based Mental Health First Aid Program.

Also be sure to make appointments with your legislators as soon as possible. Some legislators like to meet in the morning prior to the event, and others prefer afternoon appointments, so be sure to permit for extra time based on when and where they might like to meet with your group! Keep in mind that the central message you may want to share with your legislators is this: YSBs give more “Bang for the Buck” than many other community agencies. You may also want to reference that YSB’s are statutorily required and responsible to be the coordinating entity for prevention, intervention, diversion, and positive youth development programming in the communities where they operate. Be sure to leave them with an open invitation to come by and visit your YSB anytime! Though we all have a central mission, we also address the unique needs in our respective communities for the children, youth, and families we serve!

I look forward to seeing all of you there and believe that this will be one of our best YSB Day’s at the Capitol to date! So connect with your YSB chapter and share a bus or van, and come spend the day with us at the Capitol as we celebrate Youth Service Bureaus across the state of Connecticut! See you on the 15th of April!

Sincere regards,

Barbara A. Lockhart, MS President, Connecticut Youth Services Association

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8th Annual YSB Day at the Capitol

Thursday, March 6, 2014  by sarah

Join us for the 8th Annual YSB Day at the Capitol. Tuesday, April 15, 2014 9:00am - 1:00 pm.  Room 310. This year's topic "Youth Focused Mental Health First Aid" with provide participants with a 2 hour mini MHFA training by certified trainers.  A discussion period with a panel of Legislators will follow.  Boxed lunch will be provided.  Groups are responsible for making their own travel arrangments as well as appointments with their legislators.  Registration ends Tuesday, April 9, 2014 at 12 noon.  Registration is limited to two staff and ten youth per YSB.

Click YSB Day at the Capitol quick link on the homepage to register.

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Color of Justice Training

Monday, January 13, 2014  by sarah

Please Join Us!

CYSA's Winter Professional Development Training:

"The Color of Justice"

 

Friday, February 28, 2014  9:30 am - 12:30 pm

United Way of New Haven, 370 James Street, Suite 403, New Haven, CT 06513

203.772.2010 

Plenty of Free Parking Available

 

Lunch will be served

Cost: $25.00 per person

Remit Payment to : CYSA February Training C/O ARI 100 Western Blvd, Glastonbury, CT 06033.

 

Learn about a critical issue affecting Connecticut kids.

Join CYSA on February 28th to view and discuss the CPTV documentary The Color of Justice.  The film examines the role race plays in Connecticut's juvenile justice system.

 

This workshop will focus on understanding the issue and on finding concrete ways that professionals can act to promote equality for all Connecticut youth. See a great film. Discuss the issue. And learn how caring adults - like you - can make change.

 

The state's own studies show that minority children enter the juvenile justice system at a higher rate than their white peers and are treated more harshly there. Research shows that these differences aren't because of how kids behave, but because of the decisions that adults make.

 

After making the documentary, CPTV partnered with the Connecticut Juvenile Justice Alliance to organize forums around the state to help communities delve into the issue. The Alliance has spearheaded major juvenile justice reforms that have improved public safety while reducing the number of youths sent to the state's most expensive juvenile justice programs.

 

 

 

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