September 2020 News & Updates |
|
Welcome to the Anti-Violence Partnership's monthly newsletter!
Every month, we will keep you up to date on everything that's happening at AVP, highlighting events we hold, people we cherish and news we think is relevant to you and those we serve.
We recognize this month’s newsletter is a little belated, but there has been a lot going on at AVP, not to mention in the world around us. As victim advocates, we stand with those committed to fighting social injustices. Thank you for your continued support of AVP.
We are honored to serve you.
|
|
AVP Thanks Outgoing Director Tracey Thomasey |
|
As of this month, AVP has a new Interim Executive Director. Our previous ED, Tracey Thomasey, recently left AVP in order to spend more time with her daughter, who was recently diagnosed with learning differences. "Making the decision to leave was difficult but it was the right choice for our family," she says. "I truly appreciated the support, compassion, and kindness of the Board and staff during this time. I wanted to leave AVP in a strong place for the next ED and knowing there were people here I could trust made all the difference in transition planning." While there have been a lot of changes at AVP in Tracey's tenure, she is most proud of the strong community relationships she improved and developed, both with the other victim service agencies in the city and the numerous community partners AVP works with throughout Philadelphia.
AVP thanks Tracey for her direction during two years of growth. As a relatively small organization that is nonetheless spread out across three offices, we rely on our leadership to pull us together into a cohesive, effective whole. Tracey did that wonderfully. As a person aware of AVP from the outside, even if you received our services, you probably wouldn't be aware of everything Tracey did. She implemented our agency's first ever language access contract, ensuring all clients have access to our work in their preferred language. She encouraged staff to continue training and building their skill sets, which will be best appreciated in 2021, when all therapists in our YVO program will be certified in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TFCBT). And, perhaps most important for AVP's long-term health, Tracey brought on a dedicated development staff member, which has significantly increased individual donor giving. We've sent out more grant proposals than ever before and we've diversified our funding base.
|
|
AVP Has A New Interim Executive Director |
|
As our Board of Directors searches for a permanent replacement, we are thrilled to announce Natasha Danielá de Lima McGlynn as our Interim Executive Director.
Natasha joined AVP as a Board member earlier this year and has graciously stepped in to help AVP during this pivotal period of transitional time.
She recently obtained a Masters degree in Public Administration from the University of Pennsylvania’s Fels Institute of Government. As a Student Fellow with the Ortner Center on Violence & Abuse, Natasha’s graduate research on violence against women in public spaces from a public administration lens earned her the 2020 Fels Public Service Award. Natasha brings a wealth of knowledge in non-profit management, community development, and government and regulatory affairs. Her professional career includes over five years of public service at the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, where she engaged in administrative transparency and open government matters, and played a key role in launching several diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. An advocate for women’s rights and underrepresented communities, Natasha contributes her time and talents to several nonprofit organizations, including Rising Organizers, the Women's National Democratic Club, and the Wendy Martinez Legacy Project, founded after the tragic murder of her best friend, Wendy Martinez, in 2018. Born in Brazil, Natasha was raised in Brooklyn, New York. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Portuguese/Brazilian Studies and Economics from Smith College.
Bringing Natasha on board at AVP is a privilege, and will help to ensure AVP continues to provide services to our community during a time when our services are needed and matter the most. We look forward to working with Natasha for as long as we're lucky to have her!
|
|
Meet AVP's New Board Member, Kellan White |
|
Since our last newsletter, Kellan White has joined AVP’s Board of Directors. A third-generation public servant and native Philadelphian, Kellan believes true community empowerment lies at the intersection of government, politics, and the communities those two entities serve. Kellan has dedicated his career to uplifting communities and building strong coalitions to solve Philadelphia’s most pressing problems.
Kellan rejoined public service as the First Deputy City Controller in January 2018 serving as the senior advisor to Controller Rebecca Rhynhart. His portfolio includes strategy, policy and data analysis, community engagement, communications, and intergovernmental relations. In his role, Kellan leads the Controller's push to look at the way city government operates with a keen eye on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Most recently, Kellan played a key role in the Controller’s interactive data-driven map of shooting victims, as part of an effort to better understand trends in Philadelphia’s gun violence crisis and rising homicides.
Prior to the Rhynhart Administration, Kellan served as the national political director for the New Leaders Council, a national hub for well-trained, politically astute and progressively minded millennials committed to building better, safer, thriving neighborhoods by running for offices, serving our community, and being entrepreneurs. He also served in leadership roles for the historic campaigns of Katie McGinty, Judge Carolyn Nichols, and Rhynhart. Kellan received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
AVP is pleased to continue to add such brilliant people to our agency. Welcome, Kellan!
|
|
On September 12, AVP joined Protect the Protestors, a local grassroots organization, at Malcolm X Park for their Community Rally for Racial Justice. Interim ED Natasha McGlynn, Board member Cliff Akiyama, therapist Chris Harlen and client access coordinator Cait Burke met with attendees, which included members of the community and Black-owned and -led organizations, to let them know about our services and commitment to supporting those fighting social injustices.
|
|
AVP is proud to participate in this year's NAMIWalks Your Way Philly on October 10, hosted by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). NAMI is America's largest mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.
Staff are planning on partaking in a safe, socially distant 5k walk on October 10, and have pledged to raise $500 to support NAMI's mission of providing support, education, and advocacy to individuals and families right here in our community. You can learn more about NAMIWalks and support Team AVP here. |
|
 |
Earlier this month, AVP joined local and state partners in advocating for the end of livestreaming Philadelphia criminal trials on YouTube. As an attempt to satisfy social-distancing concerns in the courts, we argued this unprecedented technological workaround could retraumatize victims, dissuade witnesses from cooperating or testifying, and/or create a permanent video record even for those who are found not guilty. Our collective advocacy efforts proved instrumental in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s recent decision to halt this practice. You can read our statement with Pennsylvania’s Office of Victim Advocate here, and our letter with local service agencies here.
|
|
|
|
Board member Brett Roman Williams recently participated in Good Pitch Local Philadelphia 2020, where he featured his documentary series, Philadelphia Unsolved: Left in the Dark. Inspired by the loss of his own brother to an unsolved homicide, Brett investigates the low homicide clearance rate in Philadelphia and explores the impact of gun violence on those left behind. Through interviews with family members, lawmakers, Philadelphia Police, and social service professionals, Brett’s docu-series seeks to help co-victims --the families of the deceased whose cases remain unsolved-- get closure and achieve justice for their loved ones left in the dark.
|
|
|
|
If you engage in face-to-face therapy, our current quarantine could be hitting you hard. Everybody needs to communicate, and this temporary time of social isolation isn't making that any easier than it would normally be. In response, our clinicians started free weekly online support groups. Each group is conducted by two members from AVP's clinical team over Zoom.
Click the registration button under these fliers to give us some basic information, and we'll be in touch to see if the group is right for you!
|
|
Every month, we ask one of our employees a few questions about where they’ve been and where they want to go with AVP. This month, we talked with therapist Juliana Collins.
What's your job title at AVP and how would you describe what you do here?
I am an outpatient therapist. I provide therapy to children, teens, adults, and families. I additionally help run different groups here at AVP, like the trauma-informed yoga group for example or the current online support group for family and friends of homicide victims. My goal is to support my clients and highlight their strengths as they grieve and/or recover from trauma. During COVID-19, I am providing all of my services via phone or video.
|
|
|
Why did you decide to get into victim services?
I have always had a passion for working with intensive trauma. As someone who was able to heal from trauma through therapy over the years, and who is still continuing to heal, I always wanted to be that support to others. However, my interest in working in victim services peaked a few years ago. My step brother was shot and thankfully, he is alive today but that was the first time anyone in my immediate circle was a victim of gun violence. He and I weren't extremely close when we were younger, but that experience stayed really close to my heart.
What part of your job means the most to you?
This is a tough question to answer, so I'd say that what's most meaningful is being able to work with folks during some of the most challenging and heartbreaking points in their lives. My clients show an incredible amount of vulnerability and bravery, and I feel really honored that they allow me to be part of their journey. It's not easy to let a stranger into those parts of your life.
Is there anything you'd like to focus more of your effort toward as you further define your role here?
I am very passionate about mindfulness practices and meditation, and more specifically the connection between our minds, bodies, and emotions. Meditation Monday has been a great place to start, and I'd love to continue bringing those practices to the agency.
|
|
Thank You for Your Support |
|
Finally, we want to underline how important your donations are to our organization. Because of your generous contributions, we are able to continue to provide critical intervention, prevention, and support services at no cost to victims and co-victims of violence in Philadelphia. Traditional therapy is expensive and can be difficult to access, and the court and victim compensation systems can be confusing and especially hard to deal with after a painful loss. Our dedicated staff work hard to address these hardships, and we owe our work to you. Thank you.
|
|
Social distancing, school closures and the decision by many businesses to have employees work from home has hurt everybody in ways we may not have been able to predict. Below are a number of resources that can help during this chaotic time: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
