Penguins Suitably Named Putter, Chance article by Aly Van Dyke with The Topeka Capital Journal

Ginny Vogels, Executive Assistant
vvogels@ksfamilies.com
Peter Mussatto, Communication Specialist
TFI Family Services, Inc.
(913) 553-5751 ext. 4623 (office)
pmussatto@ksfamilies.com 

Fatherhood Symposium Recognizes the Need for Fathers

 – Topeka, Kansas — TFI Family Services, Inc. (TFI) hosted its second Fatherhood Symposium at the Topeka Capitol Plaza Hotel on May 3, 2012.   Child welfare professionals, judges and foster parents from across Kansas participated in the learning process of the importance of fatherhood in the lives of children.  TFI offered this day-long event free of charge.

As part of the opening session, representatives of Kansas Youth Advisory Council (KYAC) shared their first-hand experiences of dealing with the absence of a father figure with the audience. 

“There’s a lot of stress growing up in a single parent home,” said KYAC panelist Lucy Castillo. “My foster parents were able to rely on each other, but in a single home, the parent relies on the kids.”

Lucy Castillo (left) speaks at Fatherhood Symposium with Shirley Dwyer, COO (right).

Kansas Department of Social Rehabilitation Services (SRS) Director of Children and Family Services and opening speaker, Gina Meir-Hummel stated that, “Compared to living in a house with both parents, children in a single-parent household face twice the risk of abuse and neglect.

Internationally recognized author and speaker, Dr. Jaiya John, shared his poetic message that explores the indivisible relationship between child and family well-being, fatherhood and poverty.  Afternoon workshops focused on examining the assumptions and biases when working with fathers in the child welfare system along with examining methods to incorporate fathers into the lives of their children in the child welfare system.

“There’s never been an emphasis on fathers before in the system, it was always on the mother,” said Judge Tommy B. Webb, District Magistrate Judge of Kansas.  “When, we as a people, have the training and the tools we can challenge these men and we will see more children succeeding.”

The closing panel was composed of fathers whose children have come into the child welfare system.  They shared their insight and individual growth from the experience.

“On average, children in foster care return home sooner when they have visits with their fathers,” said Michael Patrick, TFI’s Chief Executive Officer.  “We believe our commitment to involving fathers in their children’s lives is one of the factors that have contributed to fulfilling our mission, ‘Devoted to the Strength of Family.’”

– END —

ABOUT TFI Family Services, Inc. – TFI Family Services, Inc. is a statewide 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization devoted to the strength of family that provides experience, compassion, quality child welfare and community-based services to children and families in Kansas. To learn more, please visit www.tfifamilyservices.org.

TFI is licensed by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment as a Child Placing Agency, License No. 766. TFI is also accredited by Council on Accreditation of Services for Families and Children, Inc.

Volunteers from TFI and many other area organizations held up clothes lines with 274* onesies; each onesie represented a baby born drug-exposed in Shawnee County.

“These are babies from right here in our community – and we are here today because they are more than a statistic,” Gabel during the ceremony’s opening. “It isn’t someone else’s problem. It’s our problem, and we are not going to stand for it.”
Angie has been involved with the DEC efforts for almost 9 years. She has spoken at many events across the states of Kansas and Iowa including presenting at the Governor’s Conference for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect in Kansas. The Kansas Alliance for Drug Endangered Children’s focus is on the effects drugs have on families, with special focus on newborns. These efforts are designed to benefit our communities and the families within them.

To Learn more go to www.ksmethpreventionproject.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: | DATE: April 19, 2012
Peter Mussatto, Communication Specialist
TFI Family Services, Inc.
(913) 553-5751 ext. 4623 (office)
pmussatto@ksfamilies.com

TFI Chosen To Present at Netsmart National Conference

–Kansas, Statewide— Netsmart University – a subsidiary company of health and human services software developer, Netsmart Technologies – asked TFI Family Services, Inc. (TFI) to present at its annual national conference, Connections, in New Orleans, Louisiana, on April 23^rd through April 26^th. TFI was one of three companies chosen to present at this year’s conference with the topic: How Three Netsmart Clients Earned Significant Return on Investment (ROI) and simplified onboarding using a Learning Management System (LMS).

 Connections 2012 is Netsmart’s annual conference for clients who use Netsmart human resources software such as Avatar, RxConnect or TIER. Among the events featured at the conference include keynote speakers, knowledge-building sessions, and an Accountable Care and HER Meaningful Use funding.

 Linda Bell, a Training Manager at TFI’s Emporia office who will present at this year’s Connections, explained the importance of a LMS to a company’s ROI.

 “Netsmart University provides TFI Family Services, Inc. a cost efficient value for our diverse staff to receive valuable training and earn CEU’s for their licenses,” said Bell. “I feel honored to be asked to present at the Netsmart National Conference.”

 Netsmart Technologies provides on-demand and traditional software solutions to automate key financial, clinical, and management functions for more than 18,000 organizations. Netsmart has corporate offices in Kansas, New York, and Ohio. [SOURCE: Netsmart Technologies Website, http://www.ntst.com] 

ABOUT TFI Family Services, Inc. – TFI Family Services, Inc. is a statewide 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization devoted to the strength of family that provides experience, compassion, quality child welfare and community-based services to children and families in Kansas. To learn more, please visit www.tfifamilyservices.org.

TFI is licensed by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment as a Child Placing Agency, License No. 766. TFI is also accredited by Council on Accreditation of Services for Families and Children, Inc.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: | DATE: April 6, 2012
Peter Mussatto, Communication Specialist
TFI Family Services, Inc.
(913) 553-5751 ext. 4623 (office)
pmussatto@ksfamilies.com

Foster Kids Learn Life Lessons Building Birdhouses

Iola, Kansas — On March 31^st, the Regional Youth Advisory Council (RYAC) for Region 1 held its Annual Spring Retreat at Allen County Community College, with 59 youth in attendance.

Jeff Fouquet, who of the co-founders of the Birdhouse Project, was their guest speaker and the presentation theme was “Change starts with You.”

Jeff shared his journey as a foster child, using pieces of the birdhouse to represent a certain aspect of a youth’s life, incorporating the need for the foundation (a strong base), walls (for crisis, regrets, goals), a roof (for support) and finally, the “trust perch.”  

“Jeff said that we were cleaning up our mess to make room for a new life,” said Susan, a RYAC participant. “Seeing that literally happening by building the birdhouse and then adding my own creative touches, helped me sort out my thoughts and feelings.”

RYAC is made up of youth who are aged 15 or older who are currently or formerly in foster care.  It is designed to empower youth, to encourage positive interaction while participating in activities, and to help foster leadership and youth skills.  It also provides a healthy vehicle for youth in foster care to have a voice in the improvement of the system.

For more information on Jeff Fouquet project one can go to  www.thebirdhouseproject.com.   

ABOUT TFI Family Services, Inc. – TFI Family Services, Inc. is a statewide nonprofit organization Devoted to the Strength of Family that provides experience, compassion, quality child welfare, behavioral healthcare and community-based services to children and families in Kansas. To learn more, please visit www.tfifamilyservices.org. TFI is licensed by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment as a Child Placing Agency, License No. 766. TFI is also accredited by Council on Accreditation of Services for Families and Children, Inc. (COA).

“I plan to continue the tradition of this agency in striving to improve the lives of the families we serve and further enhance our quality improvement process,” said Gonzales.

“We are extremely pleased to have Ryan join TFI,” said Dale Bell, President of TFI Family Services. “TFI is dedicated to quality services for children and families and the addition of Ryan Gonzales to lead our Quality Management Department is sure to enhance TFI’s quality improvement initiatives.”

Gonzales brings more than fourteen years of experience in social services with him to TFI. Prior to being hired at TFI, Gonzales worked in the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services (SRS) as a Management Systems Analyst II in the Audit Division and the Children and Family Services Division. He also held the position of Statewide Quality Improvement Coordinator with the Mental Health Division where he monitored and provided oversight to mental health facilities across the State of Kansas. Gonzales received a Bachelor of Science degree from Washburn University in 1997. He and his family currently reside in Topeka, Kansas.

Not only did Lucy, who is now 21, successfully complete her GED; she is currently enrolled in a local technical college working on her Culinary Arts degree. It took three extra years of hard work, but Lucy never gave up. Along the journey, she had the continued support of her foster family, her biological mom and Kansas Youth Advisory Council (KYAC) advisor and mentor, Casey Spencer.

Lucy is a member of KYAC, which is a youth leadership group who lend their voice to the improvement of the foster care system.

In situations as challenging as shared or restricted custody, it can often be hard to find a situation that benefits everyone. The VEC, however, is specifically designed to benefit children, legal guardians, and birth parents alike.

Children are able to have a relationship with both parents without having to worry about visits or exchanges putting them in the middle of a parental conflict. Because parents do not have to have contact with one another, they can also relax during supervised visits knowing that their child(ren) are in a safe, monitored location. Birth parents benefit by ensuring contact with their children regardless of personal or interpersonal struggles. They also have an objective observer available monitoring the visit or exchange, preventing any new unwarranted allegations or accusations of negative behaviors.

If you would like to learn more about how VECs can make a difficult situation easier and safer for all parties involved, please visit www.tfifamilyservices.org or call the VEC Manager at 888-865-8964.

Jennifer Sannan Named Director of Care Management

– Kansas, Statewide —TFI Community Services, Inc. (TFI) is pleased to name Jennifer Sannan as their new Director of Care Management. Sannan has been with the organization over 11 years and has 16 years of experience in child welfare. She was promoted from her previous position of Care Management Manager.

Sannan’s duties as the Director of Care Management will be to oversee out of home placements and the agency’s transportation services.  Sannan will also join agency leadership in the monitoring of new developments in child welfare, evaluation and revision of current organization practices to improve service delivery, and ensuring placement compliance with all regulatory organizations including Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitative Services (SRS), and the Council on Accreditation.

“We are pleased to have a highly qualified and compassionate individual, like Jennifer Sannan, contributing to our mission to strengthen the families of Kansas,” says Dale Bell, President. “She is accountable in ensuring we are providing superior programs in accordance with national accreditation standards along with the necessary support services to assist our workers in the field.”

“There are so many new challenges on the horizon as we continue to grow in our role as a nationally recognized child welfare organization,” says Sannan. “We have to be intentional and diligent in our efforts to enhance and safeguard the placement process for children. Updates in technology and continual review of evidence-based practice provide a foundation for us to create systems that minimize risk while optimizing resources for the best possible outcome. I take Care Management’s role in this collective process very seriously and hope to continue the progress as we move into the future.”

Before coming to TFI in 2000, Sannan had experience as an education coordinator in child welfare as well as experience teaching health and safety and working in a residential facility. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Dayton, and is currently pursuing a Master in Social Work from Washburn University with anticipated completion this May. Sannan resides in Topeka with a nine-year-old daughter who she says serves to remind her every day just how vital the organization’s work is to children and families in Kansas.

ABOUT TFI Community Services, Inc. – TFI Community Services, Inc. is a statewide nonprofit organization Devoted to the Strength of Family that provides experience, compassion, quality child welfare, behavioral healthcare and community-based services to children and families in Kansas. To learn more, please visit www.tfifamilyservices.org. TFI is accredited by Council on Accreditation of Services for Families and Children, Inc. (COA).