PPAL Pathfinder JULY 2023

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

School!

Hello, my friends. Are you a “school just got out” person, or “school is starting soon” person? Or maybe school just continues for you and summer means no coats? Regardless of your viewpoint, we know that so many of our kiddos struggle with school. And as you’ll see in the following pages, many of you shared with us that this past year was not great for your children. Mental health can, and often does, affect all functioning including the ability to learn.

I must honestly say that I am thankful that the k-12 years are behind me. The struggles, the anxiety, the school refusal, the lack of friends, the lack of appropriate accommodations, the constant battles: so hard for the kids and the caregivers! We really just want the best for them, don’t we? We want them to feel good about themselves and hopeful about the future. It feels like it shouldn’t be so, dang, hard. Right?

We decided to devote part of this issue to helping you get jump start on next year’s needs. Whether you are well into your journey, or just starting out, PPAL is here for you and your family. We can support you, the parent or caregiver when you’re struggling, and we can guide you when you need resources or want to learn to advocate.

Let us help. We have a beautiful village. Come on in.

Phone:

Email:

Facebook: facebook.com/PPAL.net

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS

ACTIVE PARENTING OF TEENS

Thursdays, July 20 - Aug 24, 12:00 - 2:00 PM

JUVENILE JUSTICE BASICS: JUVENILE JUSTICE 101

Thursday, July 20, 5:00 - 6:30 PM

THE INSIDE TRACK, A PPAL BRIEFING

Tuesday, July 25, 10:00 - 11:30 AM

PRE-PLANNING FOR A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS: THE ROAD TO READINESS

Tuesday, July 25, 6:00 - 8:00 PM

MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER: BUILDING A FOUNDATION OF SUPPORT

Wednesday, July 26, 5:00 - 6:30 PM

THE RIPPLE EFFECT: USING FAMILY EXPERIENCE TO INFORM AND INFLUENCE POLICY CHANGE

Thursday, July 27, 12:00 - 1:30 PM

WHAT TO KNOW, WHAT TO EXPECT: JUVENILE JUSTICE 102

Thursday, July 27, 5:00 - 6:30 PM

Meet Raquel Negron!

What is one thing you’ve been enjoying recently?

Family time

What is one interesting fact about you?

I’ve been singing since I was four years old (we see a PPAL gig in her future!)

If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Mexican Burritos

Meet the newest member of PPAL’s Juvenile Justice team, bilingual Family Support Specialist Raquel Negron! Raquel has traveled The Road. Raquel is a mother and stepmother to 6 boys! When her son’s school started calling all the time for her to pick him up early because of his behavior, she got connected to crisis help and made use of various Children’s Behavioral Health Initiative (CBHI) supports, including an intensive care coordinator (ICC), a therapeutic mentor (TM), in-home therapy (IHT), and a family partner (FP).

Raquel loved the way her family partner taught her to be an advocate for her children, and to get connected to resources. Raquel began learning not just about what her son was going through, but about mental health challenges in kids and youth in general. Soon her family partner was encouraging Raquel to apply for family partner positions herself. After a year as a family partner, Raquel met PPAL’s Beth Bergstrom at our Active Parenting training and decided to apply for an open position at PPAL. We’re so glad that she is here!

Reach out to PPAL by calling or filling out our family support request form!

PPAL's phone: (866)815-8122

Family Support Request Form

New Trainings Always Being Added!

As you know, one thing that keeps PPAL busy is our trainings! This past year, we offered a wide array of trainings in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole. They included:

Active Parenting of Teens

Moving Forward Together:

Building a Foundation of Support

Pre-Planning for a Mental Health

Crisis: The Road to Readiness

Juvenile Justice Basics: 101 and 102

The Ripple Effect: Using Family Experience to

Inform and Influence Policy Change

Spanish Language Parent/Caregiver Series, Family Partner/Community Health Worker Panel Parent Leadership Series + more!

Recently we offered When Your Heart Hurts, Exploring Grief in Mental Health for the first time. It was well-received and attended. We plan to add it into our regular rotation of trainings. It was interesting to observe that most participants were parents/caregivers with children who are late teens and young adults. Why didn't more parents of younger kids attend? Is it because their children must be that old before they can come up for air? Is it because it takes that long for parents and caregivers to realize that what they feel is grief? Is it because it takes that long for parents and caregivers to realize that they must take care of themselves as well? Is it all of the above?

We know that those of you with younger children are hurting too. Join us for the next session (TBA) or contact us any time for support. We know how you feel.

Check here to sign up for scheduled trainings.

Multicultural Outreach Team Updates!

PPAL and The Possible Zone came together to host an event for families in the Boston area focused on family mental health. Families came with children in tow to the event where Johana Rodriguez, PPAL's Multicultural Outreach Coordinator, connected with families and helped propel them on their journey towards family mental health. Everyone in attendance was engaged by the information, and PPAL was happy, as always, to share! Many families decided to reach out to PPAL after the event to receive personalized, one-to-one support, which is very exciting for PPAL!

This is why we do it! Our staff have lived experience and chose this work to support parents and caregivers just like ourselves.

Johana also hosted the Planificación Para la Transición y Opciones Postsecundarias, or Transition Planning and Post Secondary Options, alongside Meri Viano, live translating for Spanish speaking families. Many of the families who attended the Possible Zone event were also in attendance here! As you can see, Johana is busy! She also cares about getting the right information to families and helping them to fully understand it. She spent a lot of time translating the mental health and healthcare industry words to make sure they were inclusive of various cultural and linguistic differences. She also explained the English terms to help families continue building their advocacy skills.

PPAL loves opportunities to connect with community members across the Commonwealth! Please let us know if you are interested in partnering with PPAL to learn more about children’s mental health and family advocacy! Email info@ppal.net to become a part of our community!

Families Buil PPAL's Picn

PPAL families recently enjoyed games, food, friends, and fun at PPAL’s Picnic in the Park. Despite the cool and rainy weather, families came to Quinsigamond State Park in Worcester on July 17 to enjoy a free lunch, games, networking, and more. The ice cream truck was a highlight!

Parents and caregivers, who came from as far away as New Bedford, took advantage of the opportunity to connect with others who share the experience of what it’s like to raise children with mental health needs. They also appreciated raffle giveaways, with every family that came to the picnic leaving with a gift!

With so much still virtual, families were excited to meet in person and to share hugs, laughter, and support. Real human connections were made, and many felt that they were a part of something bigger than themselves - the PPAL family! Shout out to the Dept of Mental Health for supporting PPAL in making this happen.

PPAL looks forward to hosting another Picnic in the Park next summer!

Want to know a little more about PPAL's Central Massachusetts Area Team?

https://ppal.net/ppal-central-ma/

More

Central Mass

Area Updates

& More Outdoor Summer Fun!

This month, PPAL staff and families have taken advantage of the summer weather by meeting outdoors, and the Dunn Park Family Fun and Resource Fair was no exception. Held at Dunn State Park in Gardner on Thursday, June 15, the fair was organized by PPAL’s North Worcester County Family Support Specialist Ann Berube (thank you, Ann!) along with several partners in that area: the Coordinated Family & Community Engagement/Early Education and Care Programs, LUK Inc., Making Opportunities Count, and the Gardner Community Action Team.

Over 100 people attended the fair. Parents and caregivers were able to connect with each other, as well as learn about and gather resources from a variety of additional organizations, including Gardner’s new CSO Family Resource Center, Fitchburg’s Seven Hills Family Support Center, Alyssa’s Place, and MassHealth’s My Ombudsman Program. Meanwhile, children enjoyed lawn games, chess, bubbles, chalk art, making different kinds of bird feeders and other craft activities, as well as two story walks (for younger and older children). There was even a professional photographer on hand to take free family portraits, and everyone enjoyed the free pizza and ice cream! Sounds like a blast!

The summer fun is not over yet, so check out PPAL’s calendar to learn about PPAL’s upcoming workshops, support groups, and other events!

Join Our Grandparents Group!

PPAL’s Grandparents Connections group, led by Associate Director and grandparent Meri Viano, recently had the opportunity to meet in person for the first time since the group’s start several months ago. Grandparents were able to connect with each other over the experience of raising grandchildren and the joys and difficulties that come with the territory. Supported by the MA Department of Mental Health, the group met at The Wagon Wheel restaurant in Sharon, MA for brunch to continue building their community. This spunky group is looking forward to meeting in person again soon, and plan to make it a regular event!

Are you a grandparent looking for support from others going through it, just like you?

PPAL’s Grandparents Connections group is welcoming and always excited to embrace additional community members. There’s no commitment; just show up when you can. We’re pretty sure you’ll want to stick around! Turn to page 21 for more information about our groups for parents, caregivers, and family members!

Juvenile Justice Team Visits Washington,

D.C.

In June, PPAL’s very own Meri Viano, Dawn Christie, and Candice Gabrey had the honor of attending a Georgetown University conference focused on improving the juvenile justice system at a state-by-state level. Georgetown University provides training through certificate programs for states around many juvenile justice issues. States must apply and be selected to participate. In addition to Massachusetts’ PPAL representatives, representatives from Hawaii, Washington, Minnesota, Missouri, Texas, Maryland, North Carolina, and South Carolina, among others, were there.

PPAL was first invited to the conference in 2019, and we were welcomed back this year to speak as panelists and engage with the conference attendees. The goal of the conference is to foster dialogue among states about their practices (what is working or not working in their state), to connect with community members from other states dealing with similar problems, and to receive "technical assistance"guidance, information, and planning to improve the system in each state.

For more information about this program, click here!

The panel included youth and parents with lived experience. The youth on the panel shared their experiences in the juvenile justice system, and what would have served them better. They talked about what good services look like, and the types of support youth need. One youth panelist said that the “hard posture of staff in facilities needs to change” and that what is really needed is empathy.

Representing parents with lived experience, Dawn and Meri from PPAL spoke about the importance of authentic connection for youth involved in the juvenile justice system, as opposed to the standoffish or confrontational attitudes often seen in these spaces. Dawn and Meri stressed the importance of restorative justice and family connections, including sibling visitation, and the effect of bias and systemic racism on youth and families. PPAL reminded everyone in attendance that they have a wealth of lived experience expertise in their communities– they simply have to seek it in good faith.

When the representatives from the states gave feedback, an attendee from South Carolina told the panelists about the Zulu greeting ‘sawubona,’ meaning literally ‘we see you.’ You can learn more about the concept of sawubona by clicking here.

Sawubona PPAL family, we see you and will continue to work hard for the changes we all want to see in children’s mental health!

Youth Move MA Updates

Last month, Youth MOVE MA and PPAL had the opportunity to teach youth and young adults how to tell their story in a safe and supportive way through a program called “Strategic Sharing." Learn more about strategic sharing from Youth MOVE National! Why is this important? Our personal stories, often containing difficult experiences, can be hard to put into words. We may even wonder if we should talk about our personal or family experience! There are several important reasons that learning to share our story can be good.

First, if we are interested in making change in our lives, or healing from our experiences with mental health, substance use, or other challenges, sharing our story can help to create that change and help us heal. Second, on an individual level, being able to talk about lived experiences can aid in effective selfadvocacy, such as talking to doctors or professionals. And, third, sharing our experiences with others in the community can help in so many ways - others can identify and feel less alone, we can create greater awareness, and we can grow services and support!

What Is Self Advocacy?

Self-Advocacy is learning how to speak up for yourself, making your own decisions about your own life, learning how to get information so that you can understand things that are of interest to you, finding out who will support you in your journey, knowing your rights and responsibilities, problem solving, listening and learning, reaching out to others when you need help and friendship, and learning about self-determination.

-from Wrightslaw Special Education Law and Advocacy

Led by PPAL Associate Director Meri Viano, the training was well attended and allowed for a diverse and engaged day of learning.

Colby Mills, PPAL’s Youth Coordinator, participated as well. Thanks again to the Impact Center at Gandara for making this event happen!

Are you interested in learning to share your story?

We’d love to bring our training to you! Please let us know by emailing info@ppal.net!

PPAL Meet & Greet at Mattapan Library!

We have a staff full of passionate and hardworking individuals, and our Family Support Specialist Fabienne Eliacin is no exception! Thanks to Fabienne's commitment to connecting with the larger Boston community, PPAL's Meet and Greet at the Mattapan Library went great! Fabienne managed to bring together organizations such as the Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition, Immigrant Family Services Institute (IFSI-USA), and Boston Public Schools' Division of Student Support to inform families about how they can help!

Monica Pomare, the Boston Public Schools' Assistant Director of the Division of Student Support, and a PPAL Board member, gave a great presentation letting families know about the Division of Student Support. They are growing the department, having recently added a Haitian Creole speaking staff member! Monica talked about how her department supports students and families through bullying and attendance issues, as well as providing a variety of other student support services.

PPAL Family Support Specialists

Dawn and Maria helped round out the PPAL representation at the Meet and Greet! Thank you

Fabienne, Monica, Dawn, and Maria!

Fabienne would love to pull together community members for similar events in all of Boston’s neighborhoods– if you know of or are part of a community organization that would like to team up with Fabienne, don’t hesitate to reach out to PPAL at info@PPAL.net!

Requesting

Did your child have trouble with school this year?

Did the teacher keep calling you about their behavior?

By Robin Richardson, PPAL Family Support Specialist and Communications Specialist

Special Education

Was your child disciplined for actions you feel they couldn’t control?

Services

If so, you are not alone. Take a look at the results of our PPAL survey on Page 19. If your child has been struggling and does not already have a 504 or IEP, it may be time to ask their school to evaluate them for special education.

What are IEPs and 504s?

These are legal documents that describe your child’s needs and what special accommodations and modifications the school must make to allow your child to succeed at school. Generally speaking, IEPs are more comprehensive and provide more support than 504s. For more information on the difference between the two, see PPAL’s video on the topic

Keep in mind that all special education services, including placing your child in a special classroom or school, require your consent. In other words, the school can’t treat your child differently than any other child at the school without your permission. For this reason, there is seldom a downside to getting your child evaluated, and it may result in some helpful support!

Little happens at schools over the summer, but once school starts again in the fall, you’ll want to be ready to get the ball rolling! Here’s what to do and what to expect when you ask your child’s school to provide support for a disability.

IEP Timeline

Consent and Testing

Ask the school in writing to evaluate whether your child is eligible for special education. Email works great; paper letters are fine, too, but keep a copy of whatever you send. Address the letter to the school’s principal; if you are using email you can cc your child’s teacher and the school’s special ed coordinator too, if you know their contact info.

Within 5 days of receiving your letter, the school must send you a consent form giving them permission to evaluate your child, or (less commonly) an explanation of why they do not believe your child needs to be evaluated. Sign and return all consent forms as soon as possible.

Within 30 days of receiving consent, the school must complete all of the evaluations it needs in order to determine if your child is eligible. Usually your child is tested during the school day; you and others who work with your child may also be asked to fill out surveys about them.

Unless otherwise noted, days listed are school days. This means weekends and school holidays don’t count towards the total. If the school has five school days to respond, for example, they can take at least a week, since Saturday and Sunday are not counted.

Remember that not all disabilities are visible. Children with learning differences and emotional, behavioral, or mental health needs also qualify for special help.

The Team Meeting

Within 45 days of receiving consent, the school must also hold a “team” meeting to discuss the evaluations and determine whether your child is eligible for an IEP. The team is typically made up of parents, students, general educators, and special educators. You are invited to the meeting, and can bring along anyone you want to support you (just notify the school ahead of time who you’d like to bring).

Note that YOU are a full and important member of the team! The school must provide you with reasonable notice of when they would like to meet and work with you to determine a time that is good for you.

If you would like to see the evaluation results before the meeting, request them in writing. The school must give them to you at least 2 days prior to the meeting.

At the meeting, the team will determine whether your child qualifies for an IEP.

If your child does not qualify: Within ten days, the school must send you a written document explaining why your child is not eligible and a notice of your rights and next steps regarding this decision.

If your child is not eligible for an IEP, they may qualify for a 504.

If you believe the school is wrong and your child SHOULD qualify, there are steps you can take, including asking for an Independent Educational Evaluation. PPAL can help you through the process!

If your child does qualify for an IEP:

You and the school should start writing the IEP at the team meeting, and either finish it then or schedule another meeting to do so. You should leave the first meeting with a written summary of what was decided at the meeting, including what services the school will provide to your child and what goals for your child the school will focus on.

Within two calendar weeks of the meeting, and within 45 school days of receiving your consent to evaluate, the school must provide you with the completed IEP.

Responding to the IEP

Carefully read over the IEP. There are a lot of things to consider: the category under which your child was determined eligible, the goals the IEP lays out for your child’s development, and the accommodations, modifications, and services that the school will provide. PPAL can help you read and understand the IEP and determine how you’d like to proceed.

If you accept the IEP as written, sign it and return it to the school. As soon as the signed copy is received by the school, they must start providing the support listed in the IEP.

You may also partially or fully reject the IEP (in writing). A full rejection means that nothing in the IEP will be implemented. A partial rejection lists all parts of the IEP that you do NOT agree with; EVERYTHING ELSE in the IEP will be implemented as soon as the school receives your partial rejection.

Within 5 calendar days of your full or partial rejection, the school submits the IEP to the Bureau of Special Education Appeals, which will send you a written notice of your rights and next steps.

While the outline above indicates what the requirements for special ed evaluations and services are, PPAL knows that “real life” does not always work like this. PPAL is here to help you every step of the way, so if you’d like support or are having any difficulties, please reach out!

For more information, check out this timeline created by the Western Mass Autism Directory.

62%

PPAL's Question of the Month

When 62% of families find school unacceptable from a mental health perspective it follows that students would accessing curriculum

47%

47% of families reported school was unacceptable from an academic perspective.

Policy Updates

Pediatricians and Mental Health Care

Did you know that youth under 21 who are covered by MassHealth can have 6 behavioral health visits with their pediatrician before a diagnosis?

What is behavioral health?

Click here to learn more.

Since young children have regular pediatrician visits, these visits are perfectly positioned to help identify mental health needs (or suspected mental health needs) that can be detected in early childhood. Like schools, pediatricians are a straight-forward way for children to be seen and evaluated for common behavioral health needs. There is a major push to integrate pediatric medicine with mental health care for youth. Why? Because early intervention makes a difference! More and more professionals are recognizing that mental/behavioral health care is just as important as physical health care.

Integration of mental health care is certainly being done at many community health centers, and some pediatricians are adding mental health clinicians to their staff. Short of that, however, pediatricians themselves can use some basic screening tools to help identify or rule out certain mental health conditions in young children. What is most important though is that parents and caregivers ask them for help! The tools are good but it's also important that you tell the pediatrician what your concerns are and what you are seeing. Stress that this is an important issue for you and you’d like to discuss it with them.

For more information on talking with your pediatrician, click here to check out PPAL’s tip sheet “How to Talk So Providers Will Listen”

To aid in the quality of care, Massachusetts pediatricians have access to MCPAP, the Massachusetts Child Psychiatry Access Program, discussed in the PPAL Pathfinder June 2023 issue, which connects primary care physicians (PCPs) to support for behavioral healthcare and the families they serve to direct mental health supports.

Click here to earn more about stigma

Importantly, integrating behavioral health into regular primary care checkups improves mental healthcare by challenging stigma, creating awareness, and increasing access. We know that about half of the children who are referred to behavioral health services outside of their PCP don’t receive those services for at least 6 months-- and whether its from stigma, lack of time, lack of professionals in the area, or other barriers, accessing basic behavioral healthcare through an appointment you’re already attending removes that barrier for many families.

The more families ask for mental health care at their doctor’s office, the sooner it will be available, and the sooner we can help our kids! Let’s make it happen.

Visit Health Care For All for more information!

“Integration challenges stigma by communicating that health cannot be compartmentalized into physical and mental components.”

Campo, John V et al. “Integration of Pediatric Behavioral Health Services in Primary Care: Improving Access and Outcomes with Collaborative Care.” Canadian journal of psychiatry. Revue canadienne de psychiatrie vol. 63,7 (2018)

Parent/Caregiver Support

No sign up required for most groups. Groups that do require registration or booking include an email but are not clickable

TUESDAY

School Related Issues VIRTUAL / PHONE BY APPOINTMENT

parentsupportgroup@ppal.net

Join Our Community on Facebook:

PPAL'S PAGE

PPAL EN ESPAÑOL PARENTS OF TRANSITIONAGE YOUTH GROUP

YOUTH MOVE MA

Parent Support Group

VIRTUAL 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM

Parents of Transition Aged Youth (PTAY)

VIRTUAL

6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

CLICK FOR MORE INFO!

Click support groups to get zoom link unless otherwise indicated

School Problem Solving Clinic

VIRTUAL / PHONE BY APPOINTMENT ONLY 1:00 PM- 3:00 PM juvenilejustice@ppal.net

Parents Raising LGBTQIA+ Children

VIRTUAL 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM

North Central MA Parents of Transition Aged Youth (PTAY) IN PERSON & VIRTUAL 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

North Central MA Family Support Group IN PERSON & VIRTUAL 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

PPAL.net/events/

FRIDAY

Grandparents Connections

VIRTUAL 2nd Thursday each month 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Grandparents Connections

VIRTUAL 4th Thursday each month 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Sibling Support Program

VIRTUAL

1st Thursday each month

*Pre-Registration Required emily.rubin@umassmed.edu 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM

Caregiver Support Group

VIRTUAL 5:00 - 7:00 PM

Lunch Connections

VIRTUAL 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Support Group for Lynn Families

IN PERSON For families and children

*Pre-Registration Required Email Dalene: ptahsw@verizon.net

Every Other Friday 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Huge shout out to PPAL Board Member Monica Pomare and her son, who stepped up recently to represent PPAL at fair sponsored by the Morningstar Baptist Church. Look at those smiles! We love our community. Thank you!

Ripples.

When you create a difference in someone’s life, you not only impact their life, you impact everyone influenced by them throughout their entire lifetime. No act is ever too small. One by one, that is how to make an ocean rise.

– Danielle Doby