Family and Children's Resource Program on LinkedIn: Staff and faculty celebrated for their years of service to state  - UNC… (2024)

There is a new issue of Fostering Perspectives out! View this link to read it: https://lnkd.in/gZZ6Km2KThis issue examines how youth, resource parents, and professionals in the child welfare system can build resilience as they navigate extremely challenging times. This issue features articles about:• Promoting mental health awareness and strategies• Tips for building resilient resource parents• Nurturing and supporting children and youth with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilites• Keeping children and youth connected to their culture while they are in care• How to keep serving as a resource parent after children and youth have been reunified • The role of the Guardian ad Litem in child welfare• How stable housing builds resiliency in youth• Innovation in foster care through Intensive Alternative Family Treatment• Those with lived experience in foster care sharing tips for resource parents and professionals• And much more.This issue also features news from Foster Family Alliance of North Carolina (our statewide resource parent association), SAYSO Inc.(Strong Able Youth Speaking Out), and profiles of children and youth seeking permanence through adoption.Fostering Perspectives is sponsored by the NC Division of Social Services and produced by the Family and Children's Resource Program, part of the UNC School of Social Work.

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We want to congratulate Dr. Michelle Chambers-Rollins for being one of the UNC School of Social Work 2024 Distinguished Alumni Award recipients!Dr. Chambers-Rollins was honored at the 2024 commencement ceremony and Dean Ramona Densby-Brinson said it best when she said “You in my mind are a promise-keeper. All the things that we hope for our students, you went out and realized. You made our mission complete. We thank you.” Click the link to learn more about Dr. Chambers-Rollins and her accomplishments. https://lnkd.in/ejbmZNbe

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We were back in Carteret County this week working with the Carteret County Government to provide more substance use training with some of their awesome staff! We wanted to grab a picture with the second cohort and it's half an action shot and half posed but everyone was there ready to learn. This session we were focusing on how we motivate and coach families struggling with addiction and substance use disorders.Special thanks again to the generosity of Aetna Better Health whose support helped make this training series possible. We will back in Carteret County next week to talk about effective treatment modalities. Thanks to Aetna Better Health we have been able to work in rural communities in North Carolina providing training and support. Check back again to see where we will be next!#AetnaBetterHealth #carteretcountync #SubstanceMisuse

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As FCRP's Business Officer, Iris is truly one of the backbones of our team. She is always working hard behind the scenes to make sure we can work in the community.We were grateful for the opportunity to celebrate a baby shower with her and share in her family's excitement! It was great to together with some of the FCRP team, Dean Ramona Denby-Brinson, and some key people in starting FCRP over 30 years ago like Lane Cooke and Gary Nelson.Congratulations, Iris! We're so happy for you!

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Yesterday, Lyneisha and Jonathan had the privilege and honor to participate in Foster Family Alliance of North Carolina's first ever in-person Teaming with Teens event at the McKimmon Center at NC State. Teaming with Teens is a unique event designed specifically for teens and their caregivers involved in the child welfare system featuring speakers, workshops, resources, and opportunities to network.Lyneisha was able to partner with LIFE Skills Foundation to present a transitional life skills workshop for teens and Jonathan partnered with two resource parents he used to work, Nancy and Crystal, and SAYSO Inc. alum Lanitta (not pictured) to present on permanency options for caregivers and professionals. We also got a moment to sneak away and see presentations from Redefining Normal and Dr. Lashaunda Lucas.Special shoutout to Gaile Osborne, Erica Burgess, and many more for putting this special event together. As always, it was great to see our partners from all over NC and beyond. We're looking forward to next year!#TeamingwithTeensCarmelita Coleman, MSW, Kourtney White, Lanitta Berry

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This week, Jonathan and Katie were in Elizabeth City, NC facilitating an In-home Services training in Region 7 for staff from Pasquotank, Chowan, Currituck, Hertford, and Dare County.The participants were eager to learn and share with one another about what they do to keep families together and connect them to resources. As a bonus, they all had a great sense of humor and made learning fun! #FFPSA

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FCRP's Katie was recently in Washington, D.C. for the annual Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) Conference. She was able to meet with people from all over the country working hard to improve the lives of children and families and take back some of her learnings to the work we do in North Carolina.

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We have been in beautiful Carteret County working in partnership to provide substance use training to their staff. Thanks to the genorosity of Aetna Better Health, whose support helped make this training series possible, we have been able to provide two cohorts of their staff with training on how to effectively work with families experiencing substance misuse.We will back in Carteret County a few more times in the near future to provide training on coaching, motivational interviewing, and secondary traumatic stress.Thanks to Aetna Better Health we have been able to work in rural communities in North Carolina providing training and support. Check back again to see where we will be next! #AetnaBetterHealth #Carteret #SubstanceMisuse

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For the past several years, Dr. Michelle Chambers Rollins has been an amazing FCRP teammate and contributed greatly to many critically important projects like the North Carolina Child Welfare Education Collaborative where she prepared young social workers getting ready to graduate and begin their careers. She has recently transitioned to a new position at the UNC School of Social Work. She now has a faculty appointment at UNC-CH's SSW as a Clinical Assistant Professor, teaching the MSW students clinical, theory, and practice courses! She will also be able to engage in research as opportunities present themselves promoting culturally competent and inclusive clinical practices. Dr. Chambers Rollins has an extensive background as a mental health clinician. She is dually licensed as a LCSW and LCAS. Her PhD studies focused on African American women with substance misuse issues and their perceptions of culturally competent treatment. The new appointment gives her the opportunity extend her positive impact on community bridging the gap between theory and practice at her alma mater. We will miss Dr. Chambers Rollins at FCRP but we're glad she isn't going far and know she will continue to great things!

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