Florence Crittenton Helena MT 2015 Annual Report

annual report

CHANGING THE FUTURE

TWO LIVES AT A TIME

dear partners,

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t Florence Crittenton, we are enthusiastic about the future. In fact, it is one of the tenants of our mission! As one of the oldest nonprofit organizations in Montana, we have based our mission not only on the future of young families, but on the future of Montana. We firmly believe the greatest asset we hold is our children. This belief steers every decision we make regarding how we work with parents, children and the community to bring support at every level to young families in challenging circumstances.

With this in mind, Florence Crittenton has used our vast history of knowledge, coupled with new and innovative best practices, to empower young families so they may grow and thrive. We have focused on what best serves our mission, our clients and our community.

As a result, over the past year we have strategically and critically reviewed our organization to see how we can better serve our client base. We have increased our reach into the community through new evidence based practices, reviewed and improved clinical practices, increased professional development for staff and assessed community needs in order to come up with a plan for moving into the next phase of serving families.

At the heart of our mission, we have always believed we must work with both parent and child – with a two generational trauma informed approach. Our overarching goal is to give young parents an opportunity to provide their children with a different life experience that may prevent them from experiencing trauma, abuse and neglect. This only happens when the entire family is involved in change and when all their needs are addressed...everything from safe, stable housing, parenting education, home visiting, mental health and chemical dependency support, access to health care and education and career planning.

But we haven’t done this alone. It is because of our community of partners that our work has continued beyond the view of any one individual or life span. We are grateful to all who lent a hand, who shared their support, who cheered along the way and who supported Florence Crittenton financially.

We are pleased to bring you this report on our activities for Fiscal Year 2015. It is truly a reflection of the support we have received from all of you who are the real reason that change happens!

Trauma Exposure for Florence Crittenton Residential Clients (as measured by ACE survey tool)

63%

Experienced emotional abuse

42%

Experienced physical abuse

52%

Experienced sexual abuse

47%

Experienced feeling no one loved/cared for them

26%

Experienced parents who were too drunk or high to care for them

100%

Experienced a biological parent lost through divorce, abandonment or other reason

47%

Experienced domestic violence of their mother/stepmother

74%

Experienced living with someone who abused drugs or alcohol

84%

Experienced living with a household member who was depressed, mentally ill or attempted suicide

68%

Barbara Burton, Executive Director

Had a household member who went to prison

foundation for change Florence Crittenton (FCHS) has existed for 116 years under the guiding principles that a child does not exist in this world alone, that each child deserves an equal chance to live a healthy and productive life, and that every family deserves a chance to provide a loving and stable life for their child. We believe these families can be the foundation for strong communities.

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or decades, we have focused our efforts on the bond and attachment between mother and child. This bond is critically important to the future success of a family, and with research and our own experiences with young mothers and their families, it has significantly shaped the last 10 years of programming at FCHS. Today, we understand the path that brought these young families to our intensive programs is fraught with trauma. How we address this and support them is critical to their healing and changing patterns set by generations. We know in order to address the outcomes, such as reliance on government assistance, homelessness, and system involvements, we must move farther up the cycle and address what caused these behaviors, such as past trauma or neglect in the parent’s life, and other traumatic experiences that shaped that parent’s brain and, now, their parenting ability for their own child.

At FCHS our approach is to provide comprehensive services:

+ To parents and children to address parent/caregiver attachment comprehensive needs (two-generation approach) + For early intervention for children from prenatal to 5 years (early childhood intervention) + That take into account the astounding effects of trauma on the health, decision-making, and trajectory of a person’s life (trauma-informed care) + That include economic supports that provide stability for the family such as housing, food, education, and earning potential

THE CORE COMPONENTS FOR HEALTHY FAMILIES Florence Crittenton believes that the comprehensive needs of a family must be addressed in order to be their very best.

Social Capital networks, friends and neighbors

Health & Well-Being mental health, addressing adverse childhood experiences

Early Childhood Education Post-Secondary & Employment Pathways

Economic Supports asset building, housing Courtesy: Aspen Institute

Everyone, as a baby, has infinite possibilities.

RESIDENTIAL PROGRAM

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rauma, lack of resources, and youth can often be serious barriers to building a healthy family. In the residential programs at Florence Crittenton, we believe young mothers need a chance to learn to parent their children in an environment free of stress and judgment. Their children deserve a chance to enter the world safe and healthy. With these two things in mind, our residential program focuses on the following goals to support stronger families:

GOALS

OUTCOMES

+ Achieve and maintain stable

+ Reduction in displacement of children from

mental health + Ensure prenatal wellness and pregnancy knowledge + Establish positive parent/child relationships and increase parenting skills + Improve academic success + Understand successful independent living + Provide a solid aftercare plan and connection to necessary supports for long-term success

birth parents

+ Reduction in child abuse and neglect + Increase of healthy full term births and a

decrease in developmental delays + Improvement in long-term health due to prevention of Adverse Childhood Conditions (*see Ace Study) + Increase in graduation rates for teen parents + School readiness for children of residents + Decrease in dependence on welfare and public health expenses

5,819

100%

Number of days mother and child slept in a safe, trauma-free bed

Percentage of full-term pregnancies and healthy birth weight babies

5,771

Number of healthy, nutritious meals served

932 Hours of group/ individual and family therapy received

mykell: residential success story

–3–

The summer of 2005, I was starting my junior year of high school when my life changed forever. I was 16 and I was pregnant.

My high school romance quickly grew into an adult relationship. Shortly after finding out I was pregnant, he became physically and emotionally abusive. I felt alone, worthless and like I would only ever amount to being a teenage mother.

My family counselor and I discussed my options of abortion, adopting or parenting.

She mentioned Florence Crittenton, and I knew I needed a safe environment and a place I could become the best mom my baby deserved.

While living there, I learned not only about parenting skills but basic life skills such as meal prep and planning, budgeting, cleaning skills but most importantly emotional

wellness, which I still carry to this day. They helped me enroll in Helena High School which I attended for the rest of my junior and my senior year.

After leaving Florence Crittenton I felt like I could achieve anything. I became a certified nurse assistant, and got a job and my own apartment. To this day I still carry a fulltime job as a CNA and I am the leader of my daughter’s Girl Scout troop.

I also married a wonderful man two years ago. Together my husband and I can support our family without state assistance. My daughters are both top 10 in their classes and enjoy going to Girl Scouts. My dreams for my daughters are to beat the odds of becoming a teenage moms themselves.

Florence Crittenton and my support team, really helped me through the dark days in my life. They believed in me when I couldn’t.

I’m very thankful for the amazing staff that stood by me throughout this journey.

early childhood quality childcare

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lorence Crittenton believes the formative years in a child’s life have a critical impact on lifetime health, academic success and social emotional stability. Our Child Enrichment Center provides an environment where babies learn, grow and thrive while their parents are doing the same. They are children from the community as well as those children from our clients in our programs.

GOALS

OUTCOMES

+ Support and monitor healthy progress of

+ Consistent, productive parent work + School readiness + Families accessing services and supports

developmental milestones + Provide the highest quality of nurturing care + Connect parents to services and activities that support growth and assist with challenges faced during the first two years

24

7

Children served

Community families served

available + Early detection of developmental delays + Better long-term health and wellbeing

17

Children from residential facility served

3

7

Fully trained staff

Volunteers

milestones met Florence Crittenton’s Child Enrichment Center achieved STARS to Quality* level 3 in 2015 and is aiming to reach level 4 in 2016. *The Best Beginnings STARS to Quality Program is a voluntary quality rating improvement system that aligns quality indicators with support and incentives for early childhood programs and early childhood professionals. Early childhood stakeholders developed their vision for quality early childhood education in Montana and identified an approach to investing in and ensuring strong quality outcomes for children.

josie: early childhood success story

Josie, a ten-month-old baby, entered our program and after an initial assessment was observed as being non-mobile. Josie could sit but was unable to crawl, scoot or roll. Within the first week after the observation, our staff, together with Josie’s parents, set goals within the child’s developmental level and built a schedule of activities with the child’s physical development in mind.

Our team developed play time activities to include tummy time, involving reaching, stretching and supporting the child on her elbows. As Josie’s development expanded,

so did her interests, and soon she was arm crawling from toy to toy at lightning speed.

Building on her strength, she progressed to support the body in a crawling position to reach cars, balls and any toy that made noise or lit up. The CEC also used additional equipment/activities to support pulling up to a standing position or jumping to build and strengthen the leg muscles.

Within four months, we witnessed Josie making great strides in her physical development – being able pull herself up and walk around items with support.

outreach

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lorence Crittenton’s solid evidence-based outreach programs are based on years of research in early childhood development. These programs and services are based in our center in and throughout the community and are for young families of all ages.

GOALS

OUTCOMES

+ Increase positive parent/child

+ Prevention of child abuse and neglect/reduction of

interaction (therefore decreasing Adverse Childhood Experiences) + Increase parenting skills + Connect families to resources (housing, food, transportation) + Improve school readiness

237

Number of families served

displacements + Decreased likelihood of system involvement + Early detection of developmental delays + Better long-term outcomes in terms of physical and emotional wellbeing + Less children requiring special education services in K–5

15 to 44 years

Home visiting parent age range

prenatal to age 5

Home visiting child age range

carlos: outreach success story Carlos and his wife, Hannah, first came to Florence Crittenton’s Community Outreach Center to receive parenting education. It was then that they found out about our Home Visiting Program. At that time Hannah was pregnant with their daughter, Sandra.

“Annie, our home visitor, is wonderful. Our whole family loves her visits. She has had an incredible impact on our lives. Without Annie I think we would have drowned a long time ago. I’m not sure our relationship would have stood up to the pressures of parenting and living on a single income without her support and encouragement.

There have been so many times when we have been really struggling and she has connected us to resources that saved us.

During one particularly difficult time we had no money and couldn’t put gas in our car.

With Annie’s help we were able to get a gas card and that was the difference between my wife not losing her job because she couldn’t get there. In turn that meant we got a paycheck and that meant we could buy groceries for our family. It is amazing what a $15 gas card can do for a family when they have hit rock bottom. Annie is now helping us access child care so we both can get jobs and get back on our feet.

Our daughter lights up when she sees Annie arrive. She is like a modern day Mary Poppins. Annie does screenings and helps us know that she is where she should be developmentally. She is a healthy, happy little girl. We love her and we want to be really great parents and bring her up in a healthy environment.”

our partners

board of directors RICH BRUNER, INCOMING SECRETARY Helena Market President, First Interstate Bank JIM CARNEY Financial Services Director, Diocese of Helena JACQUELYN M. FRANK CPA, OUTGOING TREASURER Anderson ZurMuehlen & Co. COLLETTE HANSON, PRESIDENT Marketing Operations Director, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana KEVIN KELLEY, CPA, OUTGOING Shareholder, Anderson ZurMuehlen & Co. LISA NELSON Branch Manager, Opportunity Bank LARRY TURNEY Chief Operating Officer, MT Health Coop RON WATERMAN, VICE PRESIDENT Attorney

Thank you to our donors and community partners that see the value in making fundamental change in young families and support the work of Florence Crittenton. With partnerships that span the state of Montana and beyond, and across state and federal government, non-profits and the private sector, Florence Crittenton is a community-owned organization working towards a brighter future for all.

MAJOR DONORS IN 2015 Financial support over $5,000 Timothy and Mary Barnard Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana Judith I. Bowen Rich and Gina Bruner Cinemark Corporation Dennis & Phyllis Washington Foundation

key staff

Dick and Margaret Anderson OP & WE Edwards Foundation

ALEECE BERG LCSW, LAC Clinical Supervisor and Primary Therapist, Residential Programs

Gilhousen Family Foundation

KATY BUGNI BSN, RN, LAC Community Program Manager

Mergenthaler Transfer & Storage

BARBARA BURTON, MNA Executive Director ELIZABETH FLYNN Marketing Director CARRIE KREPPS Development Director DANIELLE VINCENT, CPA Director of Financial Operations

J Empson Trust Martin Family Foundation Montana Mental Health Settlement Trust Matt and Merideth Randles The Sample Foundation, Inc Clarence Sherlock Sieben Livestock Company Williams-Malone Foundation All donors and sponsors over $100 are recognized in our Fall and Spring newsletters.

financials

Income TOTAL: $1,944,938

Expenses TOTAL: $1,859,175

Public Support $1,034,527

Program Services $1,428,756

(Contributions, In Kind Contributions, Special Events, Grants)

(Includes $75,000 rent of the Harris location to the Foundation which is forgiven)

Service Fees $870,958 (service fees and contracts)

Other Income (net) $39,453

Fundraising $132,671

Administration $297,748

Income Sources + Service Fees include monies received from contracts with MT DPHHS, TANF, Lewis & Clark County, Medicaid, Healthy Montana Teens, MT Mental Health Trust, Direct Care Wage from State, CACFP and OPI food programs, Chaffee, Department of Corrections, Childcare Partnerships, Tribal Agencies, and Private Pay Clients.

+ Donor Support consists of support from individuals, business entities, estates, churches, family and corporate foundations, and United Way.

The revenue, support and expenses represent amounts for Florence Crittenton Home & Services obtained from financial statements audited by Wipfli for fiscal year ending June 30, 2015.

A copy of the audited combined financial statement for the Home & Services and Foundation is available on the Florence Crittenton website or upon request

invest now. save later. “Investing early allows us to shape the future; investing later chains us to fixing the missed opportunities of the past.�

James Heckman, Economist and Nobel Laureate

Research completed by the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis (among several other studies conducted on this topic) suggests early intervention and prevention programs such as those operated by FCHS estimate a $7 return for every dollar spent! This return comes in the form of more productive parents in the workforce, reduced incarceration, less need for intervention in the classroom, and eventually an increase in productivity as children enter the workforce.

Growth and the Future

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ith our Federal, State, and private community partners, we are finding ways to comprehensively address the challenges these families face every day. The areas for growth include: comprehensive childcare for at-risk families, supportive housing programs, family support programs for incarcerated parents and their children, and integrated community-based programs that address the complex needs of families in crisis. We are committed to offering programs that provide the highest standard of quality care, and ensure the most critical and long-term outcomes for our communities.

Why Support Florence Crittenton

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oung families are the foundation of our communities and our future.

There is a ripple effect that is created by each family in our community, either positive or negative. Their children attend school with our children, they work alongside us, they are our fellow citizens.

While results are not always immediate, there are ways these programs provide an initial return for our communities. By supporting high quality early care for example, more families are able to enter the work force and support themselves, employers gain and the government provides less support. By ensuring trauma reduced environments are available and providing trauma informed care, children are less likely to need special support services throughout their education. These interventions, when applied today, create foundational changes in our communities.

We simply MUST address and invest in the fundamental challenges that these families face and offer comprehensive support to see genuine change.

Challenges our communities face today have grown over generations, and we will not solve them over night. But today’s investment will yield a brighter future for each of us.

The ultimate goal of Florence Crittenton is to address the cause of poor outcomes in order to reduce abuse and neglect, crime, and the reliance on government assistance, and create stronger, more economically stable communities. FCHS is poised to make significant growth in two-generational, trauma-informed care for marginalized families.

901 N. Harris, Helena, MT 59601 TEL: 406 442 6950 FAX: 406 442 6571 inquiries@florencecrittenton.org

www.florencecrittenton.org

NON-DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT – CHILD & ADULT CARE FOOD PROGRAM (CACFP) In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, and reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.)

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the responsible State or local Agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information is available in languages other than English.

To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: http://www.ascr.usda.gov/ complaint_filing_cust.html, or at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: (1) Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2) Fax: (202)690-7442; or (3) Email: program.intake@usda.gov.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.