Core Value: We Welcome All Families without Judgment or Blame
If you've been to the Families as Allies office in Jackson, you know that our core values are one of the first things you see when you walk through the…
With Best Wishes to Drew Snyder
[photo by Tate Nations/courtesy Mississippi Development Authority] On October 9, Governor Tate Reeves announced that Drew Snyder is stepping down as the Mississippi Division of Medicaid Director after serving since 2018. Drew…
Schools in Mississippi Can Make Better Use of School Counselors
The Mississippi State Legislature passed Senate Bill 2727 during its 2024 regular session. This law establishes the Mississippi K-12 Mental Health Task Force for 2024. The law requires the Task Force…
Joy Hogge: ‘The National Federation of Families Conference is a Highlight Each Year’
I love Families as Allies. I grew to love it long before I was a mom. I came to love it in the late 1990s when I was working as…
With Heartfelt Gratitude for the Life of Judge Thomas Broome
by Joy Hogge All of us at Families as Allies were heartbroken to learn that Rankin County Youth Court Judge Thomas Broome died on May 21 after a brief illness.…
Remembering Jo Turlington
I had no idea I would be writing this memorial tribute when we decided to celebrate Women's History Month by honoring women who exemplify all that Families as Allies stands…
The Ally: A Time for Reflection and Hope
The end of one year and the start of the next is often a time for reflection and hope—although I know many of us have become a bit more cautious in what we hope for…
Letter from Joy: Celebrating Many Good Things
I've written many intros to our weekly editions of the Ally since we began publishing it in April 2020. This one is particularly sweet to me. The day this newsletter…
Judge Reeves Issues Partial Stay in Mental Health Lawsuit
On Friday, October 15, Judge Carlton Reeves issued an order granting the State of Mississippi's motion for a partial stay of the remedial order in the ongoing mental health lawsuit pending…
State Files Appeal and US Files Response to Motion for a Stay in Mental Health Lawsuit
On October 6, the third day of Mental Illness Awareness Week and a few days before World Mental Health Day, the state of Mississippi filed its appeal of Judge Reeves' ruling and related orders in the…