FY 23 Family Advisory Committee Annual Report

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FY 2023 Annual Report

The Family Advisory Committee

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What is a Bridge?

Is it Steel...Concrete?

From the earlies recorded times bridges have been amongst the most necessary of tools to help move people from one place to another. To help them over chasms, gaps, rivers, and to help keep them safe in the process. Without a bridge we’d have to go miles out of our way to cross rivers, to connect to inaccessible lands, to make connections at all. Bridges allow us to travel in two directions. They are vital for connection. The Family Advisory Committee provides a critical support or “bridge” between Massachusetts families engaged in the child welfare process and the Department of Children and Families. We strive to reduce the risk of “crossing without a bridge” and strive to reduce the time of “going around” to avoid crossing at dangerous intersections.

Hello Community Members, Friends, and Child Welfare Advocates,

We are pleased to present the 2023 Annual Report for the Massachusetts Family Advisory Committee (FAC). In this report we’d like to introduce you to our work and outcomes for the past fiscal year, from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023.

This year follows our year of implementing our comprehensive Strategic Plan and associated organizational restructure which was necessary to both help focus what became very broad efforts as well as to guide our practices and assure that our efforts yielded positive and actionable outcomes. Our service to the community included many areas of focus, which align with our core committee objectives and approved projects. In the following pages you can read more about the various efforts being executed throughout the Commonwealth.

Serving as the bridge between the community and the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF) we have been present at every DCF Statewide Manager’s Meeting, and involved in several projects where “family voice” is included to help inform and guide policies, practices and to help improve outcomes for youth and families engaged in the Massachusetts child welfare system. This area of practice is especially important to our team. Many have deep lived experience and work tirelessly to support engaged families. FAC Members bring their own voice and a representative voice of the community to the table to assure that the practical aspects of decision-making best meet the broad needs of the population served.

While funding this critical work continues to be one of our prime objectives, we are pleased to be able to offer these services and look forward to future financial partnerships that will help to both increase our scope of work and reach to more communities.

Our sincerest thanks to our Leadership Team, Members, Community Partners and all those who help to support us in the important mission to continue to “bridge” the gap in service delivery, policy and practice reform, and advocacy. And speaking of advocacy, you’ll note that we have activated our Legislative and Juvenile Justice Committee. We look forward to working in partnership with DCF and the Massachusetts legislature to assure that family voice is included at the highest level of work within the Commonwealth.

Sandagato

Joseph sandagato Lori sousa

Joseph

& Lori Sousa

Richard is a foster, kinship, adoptive, guardian parent with five children from foster care. He is staunch community activist with several connections to the child welfare community over the past three decades. His work includes serving on numerous boards, committees and as a former Family Resource Liaison for MSPCC Kid’s Net. He is passionate about improving outcomes for youth and families across the Commonwealth. His work also includes advocacy in the areas of mental health and trauma.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Meet the Family Advisory Committee

Julia is a person in long term recovery who works as a Maternal Recovery Specialist at Jewish Family & Children's Services.  She is passionate about her own recovery and supporting families on their journey with substance use disorders, parenting, and recovery. Julie is the very blessed mother of five and grandmother of three.

Oonagh grew up in Ireland, has 2 bio children, and is a guardian to an adult with developmental delays, who she fostered. She has parented children with significant mental health issues. She has extensive experience with DMH and helps families advocating for services for children & adults. She is a Special Education Surrogate Parent, and serves on the Plymouth Area Suicide Prevention Steering Committee, DMH Area Board, DCF Plymouth Area Board, and QPR Trainer, and extensive support background with transgender youth and family support.

Ashley Scott-Sandagato

Foster/Adoptive/ Kinship Parent & Community Resource Advisor

Joseph is a foster, kinship and adoptive parent, with seven children adopted from foster care. He has worked for over two decades, locally and nationally, to advocate for strengthening child welfare systems to better serve and support youth & families. His work also includes over three decades of direct community service in the areas of LGBTQ+ and racial & cultural diversity. He has worked with MARE, and currently serves as a Regional Director for MSPCC Kid’s Net. Joseph currently holds the position of Exec. Co-Chair for the FAC.

Alumnae & Youth Representative

Ashley is an alumnae of DCF as a former foster and adopted youth. She has shared her story across the Commonwealth at a number of events and venues to help contextualize the need for youth and family support. As a public advocate, she has worked tirelessly to promote youth support, family support and LGBTQIA+ support. Ashley leads the Youth Committee work under the supervision of the Executive Team. She is currently a student at Fitchburg State University.

Eileen is the coordinator for the Pathways for Parents program at the Federation for Children with Special Needs and brings her vast experience to the FAC.  She is active in her communities, serving on the Newton Commission on Disabilities, the Newton Schools Foundation, and the advisory board of the Eliot Clubhouse for mentally ill adults.  Eileen is the parent of five young adults.

Wilbur is father (20 to 28). He Transitional Remedies (TRS) in Boston for institutions. He is Coach, and serves Trauma team. He large fathers / men’s Hope Line, and is does transitional and works with provide food to non-mobile

Shareef is a proud joyful twin daughters. wildlife, education and especially fathers. of course and enjoying Growing up in foster his real life experiences the Family Advisory He’s a voluntary the department and Leadership Team for resides in Boston MA, the families in his advocates for families. serves on the Fatherhood

Richard Benoit Foster/Adoptive/ Kinship Parent & Community Resource Advisor

Julia Brachanow Biological Parent & Community Resource Advisor

Eileen Sandberg Adoptive Parent & Community Resource Advisor

Oonagh Brault Foster Parent & Community Resource Advisor

Joseph Sandagato

Committee Leadership Team...

to four daughters is the Director of Remedies Solutions for people leaving is also a Recovery serves on a Boston He runs small and men’s groups, runs a also a trainer. He work with seniors his community to non-mobile people.

Xavier is a father of five children. Early engagement with the DCF system taught him first-hand about the challenges of the youth and families who he supports today. With a strong voice in the area of fatherhood engagement, as well as in racial and cultural equity, he contributes his time to helping others in the community who can benefit from his decades of direct experience. His goal is to make sure that everyone gets treated fairly and equally in their engagement with the child welfare system.

Cheryl has been involved in supporting DCF involved families for thirty years. Her experience spreads locally as well as nationally. She has cared for 171 children in various roles as a biological, step, foster, kin, adopted, guardian and grandparent. She also adds unique personal experience growing up in the DCF system as an alumni foster youth. This knowledge allows her to promote better outcomes for all parties involved in the fostering system whenever possible.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Biological Parent & Community Resource Advisor

Jennifer is a proud parent and community activist who shares her skills as a valuable Family Advisory Committee team leader working in many areas. She serves on the Framingham Area Board and is a volunteer Foster Care Reviewer for the Department. Jennifer, formerly a computer analyst, is proud parent and who lives in Marlborough, Massachusetts. Jennifer serves as the Treasurer for the FAC.

Shareef Smith

Alumnus & Community Resource Advisor

parent of a set of daughters. Lover of nature, and working families

Playing basketball enjoying a good laugh. foster care he brings experiences and skills to Advisory Committee team. case reviewer for and serves on the for the FAC. Shareef MA, where he serves his community and families. He’s currently Fatherhood committee.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Lori has been involved with supporting youth & families for many years as a longstanding member of the FAC. She has served in many roles and has contributed to various works supporting the child welfare community, including her current lead role with suicide prevention training (QPR). As a mother of five, and with seven grandchildren, she is very dedicated to her family. Professionally, Lori was a registered nurse, working within the psychiatric treatment area. Lori currently holds the position of Exec. Co-Chair for the FAC.

Meri is an adoptive single parent/ mom who has adopted 3 children including a sibling group and a child with significant medical needs and down syndrome. Meri is in the process of adopting her young grandson. Meri has been working with family organizations for over 20 yrs. Meri hold the position of Associate Director for PPAL and is a consultant nationally with the Annie E. Casey Foundation and Justice for Families. Her passions include making sure that racial equality happens across many systems.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Rebecca is a mom and a woman in long term recovery. Along with her training, and lived experience in Substance Use recovery, she is also a Certified Substance Use Recovery Coach (CARC) and a Recovery Coach Supervisor, which is her passion. Professionally she is the founder, Program Director, and Recovery Coach Supervisor for her non-profit, called Community Program for Addiction Recovery. Rebecca currently holds the position of Secretary for the FAC.

Meri Viano Foster/Adoptive Parent & Community Resource Advisor

Cheryl Haddad Foster/Adoptive/ Kinship Parent & Community Resource Advisor

Lori Sousa Biological/Kinship Parent & Community Resource Advisor

Rebecca Zwicker Biological Parent & Community Resource Advisor

Xavier Cardona Biological Parent & Community Resource Advisor

Wilbur Brown Community Resource Advisor

Jennifer Rambridge

A Message From the Treasurer...

To Our Valued Members, Partners and Community Members,

Jennifer rambridge

The past year has been one of both advancement and retreat. As you read in the opening, as well as in our annual report from 2022, we made many strides in advancing our strategic positioning, restructuring our organization, and advancing our work.

This year was one of agile adaption to budgetary constraints. We went into the fiscal year with a very detailed budget showing what we needed to continue all the projects and efforts that we started the prior year, but did not manage to convince DCF to expand our budget to continue to do the scale and scope of work projected. So we contracted our work, primarily by reducing from monthly to quarterly meetings, and starting no new projects. While this was not without some remorse, we rallied through the year, accomplished several ongoing and staged projects, and found where we needed to meet more often and where the reduced number of meetings worked. I am very proud of the hard work put in by all the Family Advisory Committee members and their willingness to stick to tough frameworks when needed.

We are optimistically projecting a budget for the upcoming year that will allow for us to reinvigorate our committees and project work through increased frequency of meeting and engagement, for while we “made it work” in FY 23, we look back and see the impact of decreasing our meeting frequency and the negative consequences it held for our service delivery and support of families. Our Leadership Team has been instrumental in reviewing and informing our optimum operational structure and together we are looking for new partners and resources to help us in this vital work.

Jennifer Rambridge

Meet the Family Advisory Committee Members...

The Family Advisory Committee brings together those with lived experience as biological, kinship, foster and adoptive parents along with those working to serve the community in a variety of supportive ways.

We have members raising the voices of youth and families across the Commonwealth and across all five DCF defined regions. Our members collectively have hundreds of years of direct service, system navigation, lived, and community engagement experience to draw upon in informing our work.

We have specialty experience in many areas...

Diversity Education

Fatherhood

Foster/Kinship Support

Grandparent Support

LGBTQIA+ Support

Mental Health

Substance Use

These same members help to inform our committees and our work through direct contribution and engagement with DCF, child welfare advocates and systems, and help to “raise the family voice” in policy and practice matters.

We are grateful to everyone for their contribution of knowledge and advocacy in this critical work.

Western Region

In MeMorIaM

Edward Downie passed in early 2023. We are all saddened by this news. Edward was not only a member of the FAC, he also was actively involved in the Brockton community -- working as the former Vice President of the Brockton Chapter of the NAACP and longtime member of the Brockton Interfaith Coalition and the Brockton Community Connections Coalition.

Dr. Wondlyn August Springfield Martha Cutt Easthampton

Paul Alves Springfield

Rebecca Zwicker Uxbridge

Meri Viano Paxton

Chip LaRiviere Worcester

Cheryl Haddad Westminster

Mary Beth Landy

SECRETARY

Juan Rivera Worcester

Kevin Green Springfield

Northern Region

CFSouthern Region

Leadership Team

Executive Team Member

Community Partner Friend of FAC

Boston Region

Julia Brachanow North Reading

Rose Davis Malden

Jennifer Rambridge Framingham

Lori Sousa Lowell

Wilbur Brown Boston

Brenda Henry Dorchester Shareef Smith Boston

Eileen Sandberg Newton & W. Tisbury

Jessica Castro Dorchester

Oonagh Brault Wareham

Alma Downie Brockton

Ashley Scott-Sandagato Yarmouth Port

Joseph Sandagato Yarmouth Port

Xavier Cardona New Bedford

Michael Griswold Everett

Jake Murtaugh Salem

EXECUTIVE CHAIR

CHAIR

TREASURER

Daniel Lewis Community Engagement Team DCF Liaison

Kai Kilburn Watertown

MEMBER

Committees

The MA Family Advisory Committee is home to a broad range of work to support the varied and expansive needs of the community members served by the organization. This work takes many forms, and is overseen by the Leadership Team in formalized committee, and project settings. We are pleased to present this work on the pages to follow, and to further share examples of the impact we have made supporting youth & families across the Commonwealth.

Executive Committees

Leadership Committee

Strategic Planning Committee

General Committees

Area Board Advisement Committee

Fatherhood Engagement Committee

Mental Health/Trauma Committee

Diversity Committee

Budget Committee

Education Committee

Kinship/Foster Care Committee F C

Legislative & Juvenile Justice Committee

Substance Use Committee

Co-Chairs

The Leadership Committee provides the direction and oversight for the FAC. Among the many tasks assigned to this group are overseeing the protocols and processes, and reviewing the same annually. The group works through acquisition and retention of FAC members, defines and oversees the work of the established committees, and generally “manages” the day-to-day work of the organization. They work in concert with the assigned DCF Liaison, which is currently Daniel Lewis, under the direction of Jose Monteiro.

In FY 23, the Leadership Team completed the Strategic Planning process for the organization. This included a comprehensive review of the oversight of committees, function of programs and process, direct community support and engagement work, and the advocacy for families through DCF. The Strategic Planning Committee continued to function as a space to work though proposed projects and review/oversight committee prior to presenting to Leadership.

The Strategic Planning Committee provides the strategic direction for the FAC. In FY22 this team worked diligently to restructure and redirect the activities of our broad and deep work. In FY23, this team reviewed all of the process and procedures, member requirements, and other procedural and operating processes. This group continues to provide feedback to the Department about policy change and implementation. In other impact areas, this team reviews recruitment and membership and works to assure that our standards of diversity, equity and inclusion are actionable and represented in our membership and our output.

The Budget Committee meets regularly to review the reimbursement to members for work performed, reviews the fiscal impact of approved projects, and training reimbursements. They also review the proposed annual budgets and work with DCF to submit payment voucher requests. The treasurer works to directly support member needs, helps members to navigate related systems, and provides regular updates to the leadership team.

Joseph sandagato Lori sousa

General Committees

AREA BOARD COMMITTEE

The Area Board Committee operates under the Massachusetts legislative guidance, which partially governs Area Advisory Boards which align with all 29 DCF Area Offices. Our work includes functional practices such well as supporting the overall work of the Area Advisory Boards. In 2019, we formed this committee with the and education for Area Board leadership and members (as well as for DCF Area Office staff liaisons), and creating

In FY 23 this team hosted a Statewide Area Advisory Board Summit. This full-day session came after two protocols. We learned, in advance of the Summit, that many teams needed a “101” format to help remind this in mind we repeated basics, such as review of the legislative and DCF guidance, as well as offering advanced requested following the prior Summit in 2019.

In positive response to the Summit in the Fall of 2022, we also presented a “Virtual Area Advisory Board continuation of the Annual Area Advisory Board Summit as well as adding a NEW database to assist with collecting broadly with teams across the Commonwealth to help facilitate the sharing of best practices and to deepen statewide and more local levels.

Committee Chair

The Diversity Committee is committed to working in partnership to effectively engage with the community. There are two distinct

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

In this area were focus upon the overarching needs of the community ethnic, and cultural groups receive from the child welfare community. for our work, based upon statewide and regional variances. The

LGBTQIA+ Youth and Family Support

The Diversity Committee has a long-standing body of work in supporting service work, as well as through service on the DCF Statewide LGBTQ Commission for LGBTQ Youth, and most recently in our programmatic in FY 22 and now part of our regular work. Through providing identities, as well as creating opportunities to gather as a community, worked in conjunction with DCF to provide adequate support for the need for specialized support of LGBTQIA+ youth. We are pleased charge, into FY 24.

meridith Viano

governs the work of the Family Advisory Committee, and we are conjoined to the as serving as the advisory level of review for membership decision appeals, as the goal of unifying the guidance for the work in the field, providing resources creating a framework and mechanism for sharing of resources and best practices.

years of changes to board operations hindered by COVID and the associated remind them of the guidelines to facilitate rebuilding Area Advisory Boards. With advanced sessions in advising and educating participants about topics that were

Committee Chair

Board Summit” in the spring of 2023. Goals for the upcoming year include a collecting data about board members, and other factors, which will be shared deepen relationships, all in an effort to help expand “family voice” inclusion at the

DIVERSITY COMMITTEE

partnership with our FAC Leadership and DCF to assure that our members, and our work, reflect the expressed values required distinct areas of focus for this team:

community members that we serve and support, with a particular eye upon the varied responses that different racial, community. To best inform our work we held Statewide Community Listening Sessions which provided content and context

The executive summary can be viewed in our 2022 Community Listening Session publication.

supporting the LGBTQIA+ community through engagement in direct LGBTQ Liaison Committee, in past intersection with the Massachusetts programmatic work with our Statewide LGBTQ+ Partners program, piloted providing direct support to caregivers and youth with expressed LGBTQIA+ community, we have helped numerous people connect to resources, for youth in care, and educated countless community partners about pleased to continue to offer this critical program to families, free of

Jennifer rambridge

General Committees

EDUCATION COMMITTEE

The Education Committee’s purpose is to assess youth and family needs and provide training for any engaged policy. During FY23 the team took a brief hiatus in response to funding challenges and while awaiting approval the new education policy, and distributed Individual Education Plan (IEP) and Special Education (SPED) training

In FY 24 the team is positioned to work directly with the Education Team at DCF to gather knowledge about Education support Team. That feedback, along with direct feedback from community members will help response to begin to meet those needs, in support of youth’s educational success and engagement.

Committee Chair

The Fatherhood Committee has three main focuses of work. This (FELTs) are engaged in the feedback loop from the community, delivering the larger statewide and national fatherhood forums to ensure that youth and families.

In FY 23, in an effort to assure that the FELT connection is as strong they had accurate information about the leadership of each team. in an effort to better understand the internal DCF response to fatherhood

KINSHIP & FOSTER COMMITTEE

The Kinship & Foster Care Committee was sunset during FY 23. Richard continued his advocacy around of his passion and leadership we have found a home for, and are piloting, the program out of the DCF Worcester

The pilot will offer three youth from each office the opportunity to participate in a formal youth Leadership peer support, homework assistance, leadership skills, and other critical supports. If this program proves

In phase II (after January 2024) the committee hopes to expand the program to four additional pilot sites audience of youth. They will also expand the number of youth engaged in the Worcester program, as they

XaVier Cardona

Committee Chair

engaged families and DCF staff. We liaise with DCF to contribute to education approval on a forward-facing education initiative. The team provided input on training materials.

about the expressed needs of youth and parents, as they engage with the DCF to inform the needs for the coming year. This committee will formulate a

FATHERHOOD COMMITTEE

This includes working across the Commonwealth to ensure that the DCF Fatherhood Engagement Leadership Teams delivering direct training and support to fathers who are engaged with the child welfare system, and connection to that they keep pace with the best practices and current engagement methods used to create positive outcomes for

strong as possible, this team engaged in a statewide data collection effort, across all 29 DCF Area Offices, to assure that team. In a second phase (launched in FY 23 and continuing into FY 24) they are exploring the work of each FELT team fatherhood engagement and to seek opportunities to educate DCF staff about current needs, trends and practices.

around the need to execute his proposal to support youth after school. Because Worcester East & West Area offices, in partnership with the Greendale YMCA. Leadership Program which includes programming designed to formalize peer-toproves successful we hope to scale this to a statewide version sometime in 2024.

sites in DCF Area Offices across the state. This will bring the program to a wider they bring it to scale.

CheryL haddad

Committee Chair

riChard benoit

LEGISLATIVE & JUVENILE JUSTICE COMMITTEE

The Legislative & Juvenile Justice Committee was launched at the end of FY23 with the expressed purpose past engagement included working with the chairs and members of the Joint Committees on Children, Families a variety of settings. We also have connections with the MA Court System through many of our members. We in care of the state. It is with this in mind that we feel the urgent need to bring our voice and advocacy to these

Our team has assembled to look at the may issues that face biological, kinship, foster, and adoptive families engaged areas where our expertise and knowledge can have impact at the legislative and juvenile justice levels. We look engage these systems in an effort to create meaningful impact and change.

Committee Chair

The Mental Health/Trauma Committee reviews the needs of families services. This team assesses and educates families and youth about the regarding the effects of mental health of children and families.

In FY22 the team trained in Question. Persuade. Refer. (QPR) suicide community support persons. They have conducted a number of trainings Their goal for FY 24 is to expand their educational reach and offer a broad

SUBSTANCE USE COMMITTEE

The Substance Use Committee provides support to DCF social workers & community members, provides training for Recovery. The team advocates for removing stigmatizing language and educating social workers and community

In FY23, the team presented informational sessions to DCF social workers and community members. They additionally those with loved ones of SUD persons.

In FY24, the team is piloting a community-based resource and training program in conjunction with the DCF Worcester community with the intention to expand the reach to DCF staff and community members across the

oonagh brauLt

Committee Chair

of integrating our youth and family support with legislative action. Our Families and Persons with Disabilities, among work with other legislators in We are keenly aware of the impact of both of these systems upon youth these forums.

engaged in the MA child welfare system. We have identified numerous look forward to working with the Department to advocate, educate, and

MENTAL HEALTH/TRAUMA COMMITTEE

families and children engaged with DCF as those needs relate to Department of Mental Health (DMH) realted the broad resources available to support their needs. They also support social workers and educate workers

prevention. In FY 23, they launched a training program designed for parents, youth, social workers and trainings that help participants learn more about the signs and responses to use with suicidal community members. broad and FREE training opportunity to participants across the Commonwealth.

Committee Chair

training on Substance Use Disorder (SUD), and Multiple Pathways to and community members on the new language of SUD.

additionally created a statewide list for SUD resources and supports for

DCF Worcester West Area Advisory Board. The pilot will run across the the Commonwealth in following years.

Lori sousa

rebeCCa ZWiCKer

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Executive Team

Executive Co-Chairs

Joseph Sandagato & Lori Sousa

Treasurer

Jennifer Rambridge

Secretary

Rebecca Zwicker

Leadership Team

Richard Benoit - Julia Brachanow - Oonagh Brault - Wilbur Brown

Xavier Cardona - Cheryl Haddad - Ashley Scott-Sandgato (Youth Lead) - Eileen Sandberg

Meri Viano (Zoom Admin.)

For More Information Contact:

Joseph Sandagato joseph_sandagato@msn.com

Lori Sousa

lorisousa70@gmail.com