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July 2022


Summer is official finally here!

The time of fireworks, no school, vacations, and families together. I hope each of you enjoy time with those you love.


There is so much to say and choosing the words to say them correctly is very hard. The choices include the Supreme Court, wars in faraway places, extreme weather conditions, political unrest, increased violence right here at home, the rising cost of living, and overshadowing everything is Covid still very much present. I can’t worry about all of it all of the time. I’m glad this is the year of mental health. I don’t know about you but I need it and so do the many people I know and the many callers to Georgia Parent Support Network each week. The good news is that we are a country of survivors and we have managed to adjust and carry on. The bad news is that we lost something somewhere along the way.


Recently I was very fortunate to be able to visit Ireland with my daughters and we had a very nice vacation. Upon returning home, people asked what was the place/thing you liked or enjoyed most and after a bit of thought I knew exactly: People were nice, pleasant, friendly, patient, and welcoming so very different than today right here in the USA. At GPSN we talk a lot about self-care and we try to practice it but as I look around what I find missing is interpersonal relationship care. We do not seem to have time, money or the will to practice not only self-care but relationship care. And perhaps I am the most guilty as I wrote this I think of all the people I love, care for and respect that a combination of things including two years of Covid seclusion have “trained”, for lack of a better word, me to be distanced from. I also admit that reentering the “world” has been hard for me and continues to be hard. In talking with others, I often hear them express similar thoughts. Change for me has to begin with me – so I’ll be seeing you soon. Thanks for listening today. I promise to do better and if I don’t feel free to remind me to slow down and practice relationship care as it is very important. I’ll let you know how it works out. 


Sue L. Smith Ed.D, MPH

CEO

Certified Peer Specialist Training

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 Training Opportunity

Certified Peer Specialist-Parent (CPS-P)

Deadline for Applications is

July 5, 2022


The Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD), Office of Children, Young Adults & Families, and the Office of Recovery Transformation, along with Georgia Parent Support Network are pleased to announce that we are accepting applications for the Parent CPS-P training scheduled for July 13, 14, 15, 21, 11, 2022 from 8:30 am - 4:30 pm with breaks provided. This training will be a 5-day training and will require a full commitment. This training will be offered virtually on Zoom. 

 

If you are interested in applying for this training, please submit your application and letter of reference to cps-p@gpsn.org by  Tuesday, July 5, 2022 at 5pm so that we can extend the offer to others who may be interested if you are unable to commit to these dates.

 

Parent Certified Peer Specialist (CPS-P) Is the parent or legal guardian (in a permanent relationship for at least 3 years) of a child who is living with a mental health, substance use, or a co-occurring diagnosis who provides support to other parents who are raising a child with similar behavioral health conditions.

 

Candidates must be the parent or legal guardian of a child living with mental illness, substance use and/or co-occurring diagnosis; and must

   

1. Be currently employed doing Parent Peer Support; or

2. Be currently employed in the public sector Behavioral Health system as a paraprofessional and have the desire to distinguish themselves as a Parent CPS-P; or

3. Have related experience serving youth and families through participation in community volunteering, support groups, family organizations and/or advocacy.

4. Priority will be given to those who are currently providing peer support services and those who intend to work in that role.

5. Be able to commit to a 5-day training.

 

Please find the application along with eligibility requirements outlined in the announcement below. Applications along with documentation must be submitted by  Tuesday, July 5, 2022. If you have any questions, contact Anita Speed at anita.speed@gpsn.org.


Download Application
Submit Application

National Federation of Families

for Children's Mental Health

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2022 Conference | National Federation of Families

The only national conference dedicated solely to supporting families whose children - of any age - experience mental health and or substance use challenges during their lifetime.

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Georgia Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health

Welcome to the Family


Welcome to our newest Federation of Families chapter, The Dads Federation of Families Chapter, Leon Garren, CPS-P. 


We are a group of dads with real-life experience. Together we are dedicated to giving all dads the support and encouragement they deserve. We want to be able to make a difference in every dad's life by being determined to show every dad that they have a supporter. We believe that all dads have the right to have the support they need for their journey. They have the right to their own success story no matter what that looks like to anyone else. As dads with real life experience, we believe it is our privilege and responsibility to walk their journey with them. We will be serving 16 counties: Bleckley, Burke, Dodge, Emmanuel, Glascock, Jefferson, Jenkins, Johnson, Laurens, Montgomery, Pulaski, Screven, Telfair, Treutlen, Wheeler, and Wilcox.


Welcome, Leon!


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Transitonal Youth Peer Center

Free Your Feels | Mental Health Campaign

Free Your Feels is a mental health awareness campaign encouraging Georgia's young people to explore their realfeelings and share them fearlessly. #FREEYOURFEELS To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key. Check out our online toolkit with content available for posting directly to your social media accounts!

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Enjoying a  day of celebration with the peer family helps us

free our feels!

Are You A Transitioning Adult in Need of Peer Support?


The Peer Center provides training, life skills, mentoring, and peer support to youth transitioning into adulthood (17 -26) that child and adolescent mental health services no longer serve. At the Center, peers strive to support one another to meet their goals, including improvements in education, employment, and community life adjustment.


For enrollment information contact


Sheena Biggerstaff

Peer Center Supervisor

sheena.biggerstaff@gpsn.org

Therapeutic Foster Care

New Foster Parent Informations Sessions


TFC will offer potential foster parent informational sessions weekly for the entire month of July.


Register in advance for this meeting using the button below. 


Potential Parents should attend only one session.


Schedule:

July 14, July 21, or July 28th 

Time: 11am-1pm



After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Register Now

Youth Motivating Others through

Voices of Experience (MOVE) National

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Guest Post: Felicite Short Film - The End of Youth in a Declining Digital Age. - Youth MOVE National

Written by: Jibran Kabani, the writer and director of the Felicite Short Film Project. Adolescent mental health has fallen into a national crisis in a digital world driven by instant gratification. From data collected by the CDC to journals from Harvard Medical Review, the struggles Youth have in creating new friendships, navigating the end of [...]

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Youth MOVE Georgia

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Youth MOVE GA chapters enjoy a day of tubing and celebration in honor of the 2022 graduates.

Graduation Congratulations Youth MOVErs!

Elementary 

Amarion Nelson – DFIA

Fickett Elementary School


Middle 

Anderson Gunn - DFIA

Ralph J. Bunche Middle School


Jaden Britt – Hyped4U

Snell Middle School


Travion Heard – Hyped4U

McNair Middle School


Jasiah Wright – Hyped4U

Tucker Middle School

High School

Deanta Smith - Fulton

Tri-Cities High School


Caleb Martin - FAVOR 

Wheeler high school


Eric Martin – FAVOR

Wheeler high school


College

Brittany O’Neal - DFIA

Associates in Social Work, Georgia State University


Brittany Southall – Fulton

Associates in Science- Health Sciences

Atlanta Metropolitan State College

Youth M.O.V.E. Georgia exists to unite diverse individuals in the commitment to share our voices and raise awareness about issues that affect youth and young adults. We advocate for our rights and for fairness in all the systems that serve us. We have a purpose and the right to be equal partners in the process of change.



NEXT MEETING


Thursday

August 6, 2022

1:00 - 2:00 PM




Upcoming Meeting Dates


Who can join? Anyone between the ages of 10 and 29. When do we meet? The 1st Saturday of each month


July - No Meeting

August 6th

September 3rd

October 1st

November 5th

December 3rd

If you are interested in joining us for our statewide meeting, please contact

Sheena Biggerstaff | Youth M.O.V.E. Georgia Coordinator

sheena.biggerstaff@gpsn.org

Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities

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Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

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HHS Announces $2 Million Funding Opportunity to Establish National Center of Excellence on Social Media and Mental Wellness

Building on President Biden's Unity Agenda priority to tackle our nation's mental health crisis, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), is announcing $2 million in funding to establish a national center of excellence (CoE) on social media and mental wellness.

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Georgia Parent Support Network, Inc.

1381 Metropolitan Parkway Atlanta, GA 30310 | (404) 758-4500

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