July 2019

Don't miss the July 31 CLE: Space Is Still Available! Register today for a training on representing students in foster care who are facing public school disciplinary hearings. When : July 31, 2019, 9 am to Noon Where : Alston + Bird Cost : Free to attend; $20 for those who wish to receive 3 CLE credits Register: bit.ly/TribunalCLE Attorneys completing the training may opt to enter a pool of volunteers who provide tribunal representation to children in foster care. Georgia Appleseed's  Young Professionals Council  is hosting this event in partnership with Alston & Bird.

Upcoming Behavioral Health Forum in Albany As school kicks off, we're starting up our programs to discuss, promote, and educate people about school-based behavioral health. We are proud to continue our partnership with The Carter Center and Voices for Georgia's Children for the second in a series of regional events to be held throughout Georgia in 2019 and 2020. The Southwest Georgia School-Based Behavioral Health Forum will take place on September 13, 2019 , at Albany State University from 11:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free to attend, this forum is for educators, parents, policy leaders, and behavioral health experts. Register today . We also plan to schedule more public Advocating for Your Child: Resources and Strategies for Challenging Behaviors community events this fall. We'll add events to our Facebook page as they're scheduled.

Spellbound Raises Money for Justice and Gathers Donations for Kids in Foster Care Our Young Professionals Council held another successful Spellbound for Justice SCRABBLE® tournament on June 25, 2019, at Hudson Grille Midtown. In addition to raising $14,700 to support programs, including our Student Tribunal Project , they also gathered donations for Great Heights Foster Care, Inc . Our friends at Balch & Bingham brought home the 2019 Championship title, while the generosity of Taylor English Duma's players gave them the distinction of donating the most supplies for kids in foster care. This year also marked the first annual YPC Volunteer of the Year Awards, which went to Laura Little of Polsinelli for creating a comprehensive guide on Medicaid appeals, and Nicole Medrozo of Kilpatrick Townsend Stockton for her legal research and update of Georgia Appleseed's report, Student Tribunals: Assessment of School Discipline in Georgia . A big thank you to all our players and sponsors, with a special thanks to our Gold level sponsors Balch & Bingham, Eversheds Sutherland, Krevolin & Horst, and Polsinelli. See more photos on our Facebook page. Pictured from top left to right: Laura Little of Polsinelli receiving her YPC Volunteer of the Year Award; Nicole Medrozo of Kilpatrick Townsend Stockton receiving her YPC Volunteer of the Year Award; Players enjoying a round; the winning Balch and Bingham team. Photos by Gracelyn Miller.

Just Released! Help Guides for Children with Behavior and Learning Challenges Georgia Appleseed recently completed its new Help Guides , one- to two-page informational handouts , to support caregivers of children with behavior and learning challenges. These guides are meant to be easily accessible and shareable. Topics include IEPs, Section 504, Student Support Teams, and School Discipline. Please read and help us share these guides! Georgia Appleseed is grateful for support from the following partners in creating these guides: our Young Professionals Council, Alston & Bird, Polsinelli, Nelson Mullins, Rich Foundation, Ivy & Roses Community Fund, Inc., and the Fulton County Board of Commissioners under the guidance of the Department of Community Development.

2019 Children's Mental Health Legislative Session Report If you're interested in how Georgia's children fared in the last legislative session, take a look at our Children's Mental Health 2019 Legislative Report . The report builds on the successes from 2018, including: An additional 8.4 million dollars for school-based behavioral health services in Georgia schools, Creation of the Georgia Behavioral Health Reform and Innovation Commission to review the conditions and recommend actions related to behavioral health issues in Georgia, and Additional funding for children's mental health and substance abuse services.

Announcements: Events & Congratulations

July 31—GA Appleseed's Young Professionals Council and Alston & Bird present a CLE "Education Advocacy for Children in Care: Student Tribunal Hearing Training": Register here . September 13 — Southwest Georgia School-Based Behavioral Health Regional Forum in Albany: Georgia Appleseed is partnering again with The Carter Center and Voices for Georgia's Children to promote school-based behavioral health and school climate reform in Albany, GA. Register here . Congratulations, Georgia Appleseed Board Members —Two Georgia Appleseed Board Members were recently recognized for their outstanding work. The Anti-Defamation League awarded Taylor English partner Eric Fisher with the 2019 Daniel R. Ginsberg Leadership Award , and The Daily Report recognized Eversheds Sutherland partner John Fleming with a Lifetime Achievement Award as part of the 2019 Georgia Legal Awards. We are so grateful to have these incredible lawyers fighting for justice as part of the Georgia Appleseed team.

Additional Reading Want to learn more about some of the ideas and issues we've been thinking and talking about? We got you covered! At a recent staff retreat, we had discussion about what it means to be an anti-racist organization. There's a lot of writing on this topic, but this essay takes a personal perspective: "5 Questions and Anti-Racist Organization Should Be Able to Answer" If podcasts are more your speed, Purpose Built Communities' This Is Community Podcast has a great episode on "Leading with Equity." In the area of behavioral wellness, the state of Georgia is partnering with the UGA School of School of Social Work to take a closer look at the effectiveness of peer support: "UGA Assists in First Assessment of Peer Support" Sometimes we work with schools to assess or revise their codes of conduct, which can be important tools in creating a positive school climate. The Georgia Department of Education explains how: Student Code of Conduct Check out Georgia stats from our friends at Annie E. Casey Foundation's Kids Count Data Center. You can sort by location, topic, or characteristic.

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