Families as Allies

MSPTI- Mapping Dreams: Transition to Adulthood
2021-06-22 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Chicago)
Mississippi Parent Training and Information Center
Mapping Dreams: Transition to Adulthood
Mapping Dreams: Transition to Adulthood is a training that introduces families to concepts of transition planning. The training provides strategies for what parents and youth can do to help plan for the student’s transition from high school to adult employment, postsecondary education or training, and independent living.
Register here>>

Building Hope & Repairing Harm
2021-06-22 15:00 - 16:15
NTTAC Event: Building Bridges of Hope – Community of Practice Series

Supporting children and youth with high emotional and behavioral needs is often lonely, overwhelming, complex and not well-understood. How as a caregiver do you navigate school services, child welfare, and other involved systems to get the support you need for your child? How as school providers might we learn with families through their advocacy journeys?
Let’s come together to listen and learn from family advocates and colleagues in the field to deepen our practice, student-center our services, and make this work less lonely and more connected.
The “Building Bridges of Hope” NTTAC Institute and accompanying community of practice will join parents, caregivers, providers and educators together to strategize how to support each other while supporting our students with emotional and behavioral health needs.
Join us as we create space to dream and hope together to find new ways of being, learning, and partnering.
Together, we engage in interactive discussions regarding what is working, concerning challenges, and rising promising practices and services nation-wide.

Register here>>

Special Education Advisory Panel Meeting Notice
2021-06-23 10:00
Mississippi Department of Education
The Special Education Advisory Panel will meet on Wednesday, June 23, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. via Zoom. You may access the meeting either online or by phone.
Join Zoom Meeting Online: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89185899924?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 891 8589 9924
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Join Zoom Meeting by Phone:
Dial by your location
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
Meeting ID: 891 8589 9924
Passcode: [REDACTED]
The Panel will hear public comments at 10:15 a.m.
Written comments may be submitted to Dr. Armerita Tell, Mississippi Department of Education, P.O. Box 771, Jackson, Mississippi 39205-0771; email: atell@mdek12.org; or call the Parent Hotline Number: 1-877-544-0408.
For more information, or if you need accommodations due to a disability, contact Dr. Armerita Tell at 601-359-3498.

Get the Scoop on What the Hinds County MAP Team and NFusion Metro has to Offer.
2021-06-23 11:00 - 13:00
NFusion Metro
This event will be in the NFusion Metro Parking Lot, 1815 Hospital Drive, Jackson, MS. We hope to make this a fun event where local residents can meet all of the Hinds County MAP Team members and the NFusion Metro staff and enjoy a delicious scoop of ice cream! NFusion Metro Parking Lot, 1815 Hospital Drive, Jackson, MS.
More info coming soon!!!

Virtual Leadership Training -June 24
2021-06-24 09:00 - 11:30
This training is for parents, caregivers and staff members who are interested in learning to serve on decision-making groups and committees. There will be 2 sessions, and each session will last 2.5 hours. Participants must attend all sessions for the entire session in order to receive their certificate. They also must be able to join the sessions from a device that has a camera and stay on camera throughout all sessions. Parents and caregivers who are receiving a stipend for completing this training must also turn in all course evaluations in addition to completing the other requirements in order to receive their stipends.
Register now >>

Virtual Leadership Training -June 25
2021-06-25 09:00 - 11:30

MSPTI- Steps for Success: Making IEP Meetings Work
2021-06-25 10:00 - 11:00
Mississippi Parent Training and Information Center
Steps for Success: Making IEP Meetings Work
Parents often struggle with finding childcare if their child has a disability. This presentation will explain the law and help parents prepare for the process of finding appropriate childcare.
Register here>>

Medical Care Advisory Committee Meeting - Division of Medicaid
2021-06-25 13:00
The Medical Care Advisory Committee (MCAC)
The Medical Care Advisory Committee (MCAC) is required by federal regulation to advise the Division of Medicaid about health and medical care services. Among others, the committee must include “Members of consumers’ groups, including Medicaid beneficiaries, and consumer organizations”
State Capitol Building Room 216

Car Seat Check Up Event
2021-06-27 14:00 - 19:00
Call for an appointment to have your child’s seat by a certified technician and to be fitted for a seat, if qualified.
Masked required.
2415 8th Street at the corner of 7th Ave.
Meridian, MS 39301
back parking lot
For more information or to make an appointment contact 601-482-3171

MSPTI- Parent Advocacy Academy (Part 2)
2021-06-28 10:00 - 11:30
Mississippi Parent Training and Information Center
Parent Advocacy Academy (Part 2)
Having a Child with a Disability can be challenging. Your child’s IEP and how to monitor it can be confusing. How to be the best advocate for your child, the importance of communication and how to resolve conflicts are important pieces of this puzzle. Join us for an advocacy academy that will provide you with the tools to understand the special education process.
Register here>>

Free Virtual Screening of the Documentary "Mysteries of Mental Illness"
2021-06-29 19:00 - 20:30
Join Mississippi Public Broadcasting and some of the state’s top mental health leaders for a free virtual screening of the documentary Mysteries of Mental Illness at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 29. A live panel discussion reviewing conditions, treatments and more will follow. Online attendees can ask questions during the event.
Registration is required at mpbonline.org or via Eventbrite.
Desare Frazier, MPB senior news reporter, will moderate the discussion with state mental health leaders. Those leaders are:
Dr. Joy Hogge – Families as Allies
Dr. Susan Buttross – University of Mississippi Medical Center
Wendy Bailey – Mississippi Department of Mental Health
Sitaniel Wimbley – NAMI Mississippi
Mysteries of Mental Illness is a four-part series that explores the evolution in understanding and the dramatic attempts across generations to unravel the difficult questions surrounding mental illness people have grappled with throughout history: What causes it? And how it is best treated?
Research by University of Mississippi Medical Center and Mississippi State University faculty, staff and students will be included in the documentary. The staff and faculty are part of a group – The Asylum Hill Research Consortium based at UMMC – conducting research about patients who died at the Mississippi State Asylum, which operated from 1855 to 1935 in Jackson. Graves were discovered in 2012 on the only remaining undeveloped part of the University of Mississippi Medical Center’s main campus.
The PBS series will air on MPB Television at 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. Tuesday, June 22 and Wednesday, June 23. Afterward, the series will stream online and on the PBS Video App. Individuals can watch the series before MPB’s June 29 virtual event or stream the series later.
MPB is a state agency that also operates as a PBS and NPR affiliate broadcasting station. For more information visit www.mpbonline.org. Find all MPB press releases here.

Families as Allies - Facebook Live
2021-06-30 12:00 - 13:00
Every time there’s a fifth Wednesday in a month (like this month!) we hit Facebook Live to give you a report on what Families as Allies has been doing and what we have planned for the next three months. Join us at noon on 6/30/21 on our Facebook page!
https://www.facebook.com/faams.org/

A Virtual Hill Briefing in Support of The Protecting Our Students in Schools Act
2021-06-30 13:00
The Education Trust
Students must be safe and free from physical harm in schools. A supportive school environment is critical for effective teaching and learning. This is perhaps more important than ever as students return to classrooms after a period of remote learning due to COVID-19. The pandemic has upended the lives of many students and their families, leading to increases in social isolation, anxiety, stress, and trauma. Therefore, it is incumbent on all states, districts, schools, and educators to foster positive school climates and improve discipline practices through evidence-based strategies, like training and ongoing professional development for educators, greater involvement of school support staff, and the use of other evidence-based supports like restorative justice practices.
The Protecting Our Students in Schools Act furthers this goal by banning the use of corporal punishment in schools receiving federal funds and provides resources for schools and districts to implement practices that we know contribute best to a learning environment designed to help students thrive.
Join us for a conversation on the need to pass this important piece of legislation to keep students safe in school.
Register here>>

Exploring Intersectionality of Caregiver & Student Experience
2021-07-06 15:00 - 16:15

Hearing on Remedies in the United States of America v. The State of Mississippi
2021-07-12 08:30
The United States of America v. The State of Mississippi
The hearing on Remedies in the United States of America v. The State of Mississippi will be held in courtroom 5B before District Judge Carlton W. Reeves. The Federal Courthouse is at 501 East Court Street, Suite 5.500 Jackson, MS 39201. Telephone: 601-608-4140.
The hearing is open to the public. Please note that cell phones cannot be taken into court and there is no place to store them at the courthouse.

MS Families for Kids: Youth Leadership Camp
2021-07-12 09:00 - 2021-07-16 13:00
Mississippi Families for Kids Youth
The Mississippi Families for Kids Youth Leadership Camp is an annual week-long day camp that is held for middle and high school children in Jackson and surrounding areas. We bring together a selection of youth from traditional families, adopted families and foster care. The purpose of the camp is to equip middle and high school students with the skills, resources and information they need to finish high school and enter higher education. The camp also acts as a motivational guide to enhance core traits necessary to be leaders among their peers. During the week, children will engage in activities that teach self-esteem, teamwork, integrity, determination and independence. Children are encouraged to set achievable goals for themselves that will ensure positive outcomes for their future.

Get your tickets here >>

Youth Mental Health and Preventing Unauthorized Access to Firearms
2021-07-14 12:00 - 13:00
Project ChildSafe
Project ChildSafe is hosting a webinar with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention about Understanding Youth Mental Health and Preventing Unauthorized Access to Firearms. The discussion will help parents of teens recognize signs their children may be struggling with mental health issues and offer advice on how to talk to kids about self-harm, make homes safer for those who may be at-risk and help reduce the risk of suicide in America’s teens.

Watch on FaceBook Live.

Parenting & Recovery Part 2: Parenting in Long-Term Recovery
2021-07-14 14:00
Opioid Response Network
How does long-term recovery affect parenting? And how does parenting affect one’s long-term recovery? During this panel presentation, we’ll have the opportunity to explore these questions from multiple perspectives, as our panelists share their experiences as mother, father, clinician, advocate, and more.
Participants will be able to:
• Understand the opportunities and challenges that arise when parenting in recovery over the long term.
• Identify ways to discuss being in recovery with children at various ages/stages of development.
• Discuss ways to integrate that clinicians and recovery specialists can work together to support parent-child relationships.

Time

Register here>>

Minority Mental Health Conference
2021-07-15 08:00 - 2021-07-16 17:00
Conference Dates: July 15-16, 2021
Location: Virtual
Theme: “Knowing Is Growing”
Agenda with sessions and CE information will be announced at a later date.
Send questions to stateconference@namims.org.

Board of Mental Health Meeting
2021-07-15 09:00 - 12:00
Board of Mental Health–IN PERSON
Subject: Department of Mental Health
Description:
Board Committee meetings will be held prior to the Board meeting.
The full Board will begin at 9 a.m.
MEETING LOCATION
Department of Mental Health 239 North Lamar Street
Jackson MS 39201
CONTACT INFORMATION: Grenaye Sullivan 601-359-6260
grenaye.sullivan@dmh.ms.gov

Virtual Support Group - July 15
2021-07-15 12:00 - 13:00
Any parent or caregiver of a child with a behavioral challenge is welcome to join us on the first and third Thursday of each month. There will be time to talk about anything the group would like to discuss.
Register here >>

Families as Allies Board Quarterly Board Meeting
2021-07-15 18:30 - 19:30
Quarterly board meeting of the board of Families as Allies. All meetings are open to the public and include time for public comments. Public comments can also be emailed to info@faams.org or faxed to 601-355-0919.

Register Here >>

Fair Housing 101
2021-07-16 10:00 - 11:00
Mississippi Coalition for Citizens with Disabilities, in collaboration with HUD’s Region IV Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity and Housing Education and Economic Development (HEED), is hosting a Fair Housing Webinar. Discrimination in the sale or rental of housing or housing-related activities is illegal. The Fair Housing Act prohibits this discrimination because of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, and disability. Join us to learn about your fair housing rights.

Presenters:
Charles Harris – Executive Director, Heed
Rene Gallor – Fair Housing Director, Heed

Register here>>

An Invitation for Transforming a Bold and Collaborative 21st Century Research Agenda
2021-07-19 08:00 - 17:00
We want to hear from you! Whether you are a researcher, advocate, legislator, agency or state
decision or policy maker, practitioner, or a consumer of the child welfare system with lived
experience, we are asking you to participate in a series of engaging and insightful conversations
intended to broaden awareness of needed change, identify research gaps, and ultimately
revolutionize the child welfare system with a much-needed diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)
perspective. Your voice could help us launch the child welfare system into the 21st Century, ultimately
helping the children, families, communities, and the nation to give it the potential to serve those in
need as it should.
Background: Recently, the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA), the American Public Human
Services Association (APHSA), and the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare
(AASWSW) were asked by Casey Family Programs, The Annie E. Casey Foundation, and the William
T. Grant Foundation to engage you and your peers in a collaborative review of a draft 21st Century
Research Agenda. For additional information, please see Building a 21st Century Research Agenda to
Increase the Use of Research in Child Welfare Decision-Making.
According to the three foundations, “The purpose of building a 21st Century research agenda –
grounded in diversity, equity, and inclusion – to support child and family well-being is to (1) form a
broad-based coalition of research partners to identify research gaps to support child welfare, (2)
articulate clear research questions that need to be addressed that are relevant for families,
jurisdiction leaders, policy-makers and practitioners; (3) identify research strategies that will close
the gaps and answer those key questions; and (4) help agencies use findings to improve policy,
program and practice strategies resulting in transformative systems change.
The Event: Each of the three National organizations had specific groups we were asked to get input
from: APHSA for the public agencies, AASWSW for researchers, and CWLA the private sector, direct
service, and those with lived experience (birth parents and youth). So you might also be hearing from
them. CWLA will be providing numerous opportunities, so we gather input from as broad a group as
possible. Members of various CWLA committees will have an additional opportunity for input.
We will be holding a series of virtual input meetings that anyone can participate in beginning with
our first convening on July 20, 2021, and our last convening to be held on August 12, 2021. See table
below for the input meetings schedule and registration information. These sessions will provide the
research and a brief summary on the work that has been done to date and allow space for meaningful
input and identification of the most pervasive research gaps that you identify as missing. Each
session will be 2 hours long, and although they will be recorded, it will only be for our internal
purposes to use for note taking and will be kept absolutely confidential. Attendance may be limited,
and pre-registration will be required. We will have a total of 10 sessions with the last one being an
out-brief in which we present the aggregated information and provide an opportunity for additional
commentary. Registration links are included below. You are welcome to attend more than one.
The Virtual Input Meetings:
Community Based Prevention
Tuesday, July 20, 2021. 11a-1p PST, 12p-2p MST, 1p-3p CST, 2p-4p
EST
Register here>>
Wednesday, July 28, 2021. 5:30p-7:30p PST, 6:30p-8:30p MST,
7:30p-9:30p CST, 8:30p-10:30p EST
Register here>>
Child Protective Services and Prevention of Foster Care Research Gaps
Wednesday, July 21, 2021. 5:30p-7:30p PST, 6:30p-8:30p MST,
7:30p-9:30p CST, 8:30p-10:30p EST
Register here>>
Thursday, July 29, 2021. 11a-1p PST, 12p-2p MST, 1p-3p CST, 2p-4p
EST
Register here>>
Tuesday, August 3, 2021. 11a-1p PST, 12p-2p MST, 1p-3p CST, 2p-4p
EST
Register here>>
Out-of-Home Care
Thursday, July 22, 2021. 11a-1p PST, 12p-2p MST, 1p-3p CST, 2p-4p
EST
Register here>>
Tuesday, July 27, 2021. 11a-1p PST, 12p-2p MST, 1p-3p CST, 2p-4p
EST
Register here>>
Wednesday, August 9, 2021. 5:30p-7:30p PST, 6:30p-8:30p MST,
7:30p-9:30p CST 8:30p-10:30p EST
Register here>>
Tuesday, August 10, 2021. 11a-1p PST, 12p-2p MST, 1p-3p CST, 2p-4p
EST
Register here>>
Final Cumulative Meeting
Thursday, August 12, 2021. 11a-1p PST, 12p-2p MST, 1p-3p CST, 2p-4p
EST
Register here>>
We would like representatives with varying perspectives and experiences as mentioned above to be
part of this team to engage equally to provide a balanced but robust review and discussion. As part of
this team collaboration, it is important and necessary for you to invite and include individuals who
are consumers with lived experience and those with a strong foundation of DEI in order to create a
revolutionary and transformative Child Welfare system.

What Have We Built Together? Shared Learning from the Community of Practice Series
2021-07-20 15:00 - 17:00
National Training and Technical Assistance Center

Supporting children and youth with high emotional and behavioral needs is often lonely, overwhelming, complex, and not well-understood. How as a caregiver do you navigate school services, child welfare, and other involved systems to get the support you need for your child? How as school providers might we learn with families through their advocacy journeys?

Let’s come together to listen and learn from family advocates and colleagues in the field to deepen our practice, student-center our services, and make this work less lonely and more connected.

The “Building Bridges of Hope” NTTAC Institute and accompanying community of practice will join parents, caregivers, providers, and educators together to strategize how to support each other while supporting our students with emotional and behavioral health needs.

Join us as we create space to dream and hope together to find new ways of being, learning, and partnering.

Together, we engage in interactive discussions regarding what is working, concerning challenges, and rising promising practices and services nation-wide.

Register here>>

Supportive Coaching for Parents Supporting Other Parents
2021-07-21 12:00 - 13:00
Join us via Zoom for our monthly Coaching and Support session for parents who are supporting other parents in any system.
Register here>>

Affirming and Supporting Our Children as they Go Back to School: Considerations for Families, Educators and Community Members
2021-07-21 12:00 - 13:30
Sponsored by SAMHSA
We have lived through unprecedented times as the realities of the Covid-19 pandemic, racial turmoil, political upheaval and even weather crises spread across our communities. From March of 2020 until this upcoming September of 2021, many schools were completely closed while others offered a hybrid model of education. Many parents were unexpectedly working from home or worse – out of work altogether. These circumstances resulted in heightened stress, anxiety, social isolation, fear, and trauma for our children. In addition, virtual schooling did not always provide the needed academic or social supports for many students as they fell behind both academically and developmentally. Now, as the curtain begins to lift, and the “new normal” rolls into place, schools are re-opening and many parents are back to work. How do parents, teachers, and caring adults within the community provide the supports children need to make this next transition in ways that are both affirming, and successful? This webinar will provide practical tips and tools for adults on the front lines with children in the months ahead.
Learning Objectives: By the end of this webinar participants will:
• Gain an understanding of how these months of crisis after crisis may have impacted families and children
• Gain information on how to help parents adapt trauma-informed parenting strategies to talk to children about both their hopes and dreams as well as their fears and concerns upon returning to school and other activities of daily living
• Be able to list and use 5 practical tips for supporting children before, during and after school hours
Presenter – Susan (Sue) Badeau – writes and speaks extensively on topics related to children, particularly those with special needs and is a frequent keynote speaker and workshop leader at state, regional and national conferences. She has worked in child-serving fields including adoption, foster care, juvenile justice, children’s mental health and public and private education agencies for 33 years. She has developed curricula on many topics used to train professional child welfare staff, adoptive and foster parents, judges, attorneys and youth. In addition, she was a policy consultant for public and private agencies, universities and court systems. Sue serves on national boards of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN), the North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC), National Center for Youth in Custody, All Children, All Families, and Justice for Families.

Register here>>

2021 Open Up Summit
2021-07-22 08:30 - 16:00
Open Up Mississippi
Join Open Up Mississippi’s first annual Open Up Summit. During this event, our young adult members will be paired with mental health professionals to do presentations on the things that matter to them. They will be able to use their collective voices to tell us what they want and need when it comes to their mental wellness, as well as the mental wellness of their peers.
Register here>>

Drive -Thru Community Baby Shower Give-Away
2021-07-23 10:00 - 13:00
You are invited to the Drive -Thru Community Baby Shower Give-Away!
62 Old Airport Rd.
While supplies last: Free Pampers, Baby Wipes and a case of water. We are also giving away 2 car seats, 1 pack n play and COVID-19 vaccines for ages 18 and up.

Saddle Up for Field Day with LIFE of Mississippi
2021-07-24 09:00 - 14:00
LIFE of Mississippi
LIFE of Mississippi’s Healthy Opportunity Specialist and P.O.W.E.R. will be hosting a field day for our consumers out at the reservoir. We will be fishing, face painting, arts and crafts! Plenty of fun for the family! Celebrating ADA!!
Click for more details!
