Commonwealth Conversations: Health and Human Services

Department of Transitional Assistance receives special recognition from the Obama Administration for its tornado response

By Assistant Secretary for Children, Youth and Families Marilyn Chase

Following the unusual tornadoes that touched down last June in Central and Western Massachusetts, the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) quickly responded to ensure assistance for affected residents. The DTA team exhibited tremendous fortitude, putting in long hours and collaborating with employees of multiple state agencies to deliver support to residents in need. For DTA’s hard work and efficiency, this week the Obama Administration recognized the Department for its achievement delivering disaster SNAP benefits (DSNAP).to residents of the Central and Western regions.

Acknowledging the national recognition of DTA, Governor Patrick said: "I'm proud of the Department of Transitional Assistance for its dedication to helping the residents of the Commonwealth who were devastated by last summer’s tornadoes. Massachusetts leads the nation in ensuring that vulnerable families and individuals have access to the services they need, and this recognition is a testament to the Department’s effectiveness.

DTA’s special recognition came from a recent review by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which looked at swift responses to disaster across the country. USDA noted DTA’s outstanding administration of DSNAP, noting that it was "impressed by the level of coordination and sophisticated systems that were developed in a matter of days to prepare for this operation, as well as the degree of customer service given to disaster victims seeking food assistance.”

DTA’s mission is to assist low-income individuals and families to meet their basic needs, increase their incomes and improve their quality of life. I’m very proud of the agency for staying committed to this mission, even during an emergency situation, and alleviated some of the strain on displaced families in the Central and Western parts of the state. This is a well-deserved honor.

Read the full press release here.

 

An inspirational visit with lasting effects

By DYS Assistant Commissioner Peter Forbes

Recently, Celtics guard Keyon Dooling met with DYS youth at the Metro Youth Service Center in Dorchester. Keyon spoke to them about his life experiences, from growing up in a rough neighborhood in Fort Lauderdale, to becoming an NBA player. The impact and influence of young role models like Keyon are immeasurable for youth in our custody: it was clear on that Wednesday in February that Keyon‘s easy connection with the young people at Metro Youth Service Center would last well beyond his visit. Connections like these are essential to the work of DYS. Fortunately for the Department, Reverend Bob Gray of Bethel AME Church in Jamaica Plain is a friend and someone who recognizes the importance of these meaningful connections. 

Reverend Gray is an assistant pastor at Bethel AME and also serves as the chaplain of the Boston Celtics. His career as a juvenile probation officer, combined with his ministry, make him a unique supporter and friend to DYS. Reverend Gray has done an incredible job of selecting athletes who can effectively deliver the message to DYS kids that education and hard work is the pathway out of tough situations. Through Reverend Gray, Keyon is just one of a dozen local professional athletes who have visited DYS programs during the past five years. We are extremely grateful to Reverend Gray for his support.

During his visit, Keyon shared stories of his life, his family, his career and his faith. He talked about growing up in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and connected the importance of education to achieving success in life. He explained how he committed himself to studying in high school so he could get into college and have a chance at success in the future. Ultimately, Keyon attended the University of Missouri and was a part of the Mizzou Tigers Men’s Basketball team. He was drafted into the NBA following his sophomore season. This is Keyon’s 12^th season in the NBA; he has been married for 10 years and has four children. Keyon spoke about the importance of family and the hard work of being a husband and a father. He also talked about motivation, decision making and peer association -- and how all of these influences are integrated into reaching one’s goals and fulfilling one’s dreams. 

"This process [commitment to DYS] can be the best thing that ever happened to you.. you [can] use the time to reflect and set positive goals," Keyon informed the DYS audience. This was a particularly compelling message that the youth seemed willing to receive from Keyon more than from DYS staff or other adults who are part of  their daily lives.

The visit concluded with Keyon taking questions from the Metro Youth residents, autographing program basketballs and taking pictures with the youth. For youth committed to the Department, having someone like Keyon willing to take the time to talk to them about their own experiences reminds DYS youth that they matter and that everyone, regardless of circumstances, has the potential to succeed if they put in the work. Role models like Keyon Dooling are also living proof of how good decision making -- including choices about who to associate with -- is critical to achieving one’s goals.

We are indebted to Keyon, the other athletes and role models who have spoken to DYS youth about their experiences, and to Reverend Gray for bridging these important connections to our youth.  

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Increasing the dialogue on sexual assault awareness and prevention

By DPH’s Director of Sexual Assault Prevention and Survivor Services Unit
Marci Diamond

Sexual violence is everyone’s issue: in fact, a new national study found that one in three women and one in five men in Massachusetts have experienced sexual violence, typically starting at a young age.

April is National Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), and as the DPH Director of Sexual Assault Prevention and Survivor Services Unit, I am honored to serve this year as Advisory Council Chair for the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC). NSVRC serves as a coordinating and resource organization for SAAM, and has designated this year’s SAAM theme as "Healthy Sexuality".

This theme connects with conversations we’ve long had at DPH about healthy sexuality, and its connection to preventing sexual violence and other health concerns. Several years ago, staff from DPH programs such as violence prevention, teen pregnancy prevention, and HIV prevention came together with the understanding that that our work would be more effective in all of these areas if we could find common ground and coordinate efforts in what we were all trying to promote as a vision of wellness. DPH now has a cross-Department Healthy Sexuality/Healthy Relationships workgroup to coordinate the promotion of positive sexual development across the lifespan, in order to improve the health, safety, and well-being of MA residents. The MA Sexual Violence Prevention Plan further reinforces these connections, and supports our community partners who work across MA to prevent and respond to sexual violence.

Gov. Patrick said: "Massachusetts has a plan…to keep children from developing problem sexual behaviors, help parents and educators teach children that sexual respect is expected, and assist adults in changing the climates in our diverse communities and institutions so that healthy relationships between all people can be the state norm…not only to improve our response to incidents…but also toward shaping a safer, healthier future".

We invite you to join the dialogue not just this April, but throughout the year. You can find lots of resources at NSVRC  and at your local DPH-supported Rape Crisis Center  or Child Advocacy Center. It may be challenging to start, but we CAN talk about --and practice -- appropriate boundaries, sexual respect, and healthy, nurturing, equitable relationships.  By starting the conversation early and often, we can all help to build safe, healthy relationships and communities.

 

 

Fifth annual White Ribbon Day campaign culminates March 1

By DCF Commissioner Angelo McClain

 “From this day forward, I promise to be part of the solution in ending violence against women.” -- Massachusetts White Ribbon Pledge 

On December 6, 2011, Jane Doe Inc., a statewide coalition against sexual assault and domestic violence, launched the 5^th Annual Massachusetts White Ribbon Day Campaign, calling on men to step up and be part of the solution in ending men’s violence against women. I am honored to join Paulo Pinto, MPA, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers, and my Co-Chair of the 2012 White Ribbon Day Campaign.

On March 1, 2012, Jane Doe Inc. will host the fifth annual statewide White Ribbon Day Event, calling upon men to stand up and be counted as allies in the fight against violence against women. An event will be held at the State House to commemorate White Ribbon Day, at 1:00 p.m., in the Great Hall. All are invited and encouraged to attend.

As part of the Massachusetts White Ribbon Day Campaign, men and boys are invited to take the White Ribbon Pledge, and sign up to be ambassadors. Ambassadors are men who have taken the Pledge to stand up against sexual and domestic violence and have committed to serving as examples for other men and boys.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED:

• Take the pledge and sign up to be an ambassador at www.janedoe.org/whiteribbonday; when you sign up to be an Ambassador you are agreeing to recruit at least five men or boys to join you to take the pledge and to help raise awareness.    
• Wear the White Ribbon as a symbol that you are against violence against women; 
• Attend the fifth annual White Ribbon Day event at the State House on Thursday, March 1, 2012 at 1:00 p.m;
• Get involved with a local White Ribbon Day event; and/or
• Host a White Ribbon Day event.

The campaign is targeted at raising awareness and action among men, but women can participate by spreading the word to men they know and encouraging them to become ambassadors.

I was proud to join men from the leadership team at the Department of Children and Families (DCF) on January 23, when we stood together to take the pledge, committing to be part of the solution in ending violence against women. As men, it is our responsibility to set an example for young men and boys who look up to us which is why it is so important that men sign up as ambassadors and join this cause. We all have an important role to play in promoting awareness and prevention regarding sexual assault and domestic violence against women. 

Great strides have been taken toward reducing sexual and domestic violence, but there is still important work to be done to ensure that women are safe in their homes and in their relationships. On March 1^st, and throughout the year, let’s all stand together to reduce, and eventually eliminate, all forms of violence against women.

To find out more about White Ribbon Campaign in Massachusetts and internationally visit: www.janedoe.org/whiteribbonday .

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Commonwealth’s Safe and Successful Youth Initiative advances with powerful public service message

By Assistant Secretary for Children, Youth and Families Marilyn Anderson Chase

The Patrick-Murray Administration’s $10 million Safe and Successful Youth Initiative is designed to end youth violence in communities throughout the Commonwealth. As part of this initiative, the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) and the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS) today unveiled an online public service announcement entitled: “Stop. Think. Let it Go.” The public awareness campaign is designed to encourage youth to think and reconsider the consequences of their actions before engaging in violent activity. The PSA follows a related radio campaign which began last summer to promote the state’s Safe and Successful Youth Initiative.

“We are working alongside municipal leaders, local law enforcement and community groups to focus on those young people most likely to be affected by violence,” said Governor Patrick. “I hope the stories in this video will help our young residents realize that peace is possible in our communities.”   

At the core of this initiative are partnerships between state and local government and the communities in which we are targeting youth violence. The testimonies in this video illustrate the devastating impact of youth violence; we’re confident that its message will reach our target youth audience and beyond.

The Initiative specifically targets young men between the ages of 14 and 24, identified as potentially high risk for becoming either perpetrators, or victims, of violence. The “Stop. Think. Let it go.” viral video includes authentic testimonies from family members of youth who have been victims of violence and from youth who had previously engaged in violent acts. 

“She didn’t have to die. She was stolen. Not from me, from her mom or her dad, but from everyone who loved her," said Bayholla Jacobs, one of the subjects of the video who lost her niece to gun violence. "Don’t take your pain out on other people. Don’t lose yourself to violence.” 

This video reflects the dedicated efforts of EOHHS, the Executive Office of Public Safety, municipal leadership and community partners who are all working together to end youth violence in the Commonwealth. It also sends the message in an incredibly powerful way that violence is preventable and reinforces our commitment to the youth of Massachusetts, all of whom are invaluable assets to our communities.

View the “Stop. Think.” video:

A smart step toward reducing alcohol use among our youth

By Secretary of Health and Human Services Dr. JudyAnn Bigby

There’s no question that underage drinking is a serious public health problem in communities across the nation. Here in Massachusetts, we’ve made progress in reducing rates of alcohol consumption among our young people, but there’s still much more to be done.

That’s why I’m so encouraged by the recent announcement by the MBTA to no longer allow advertising for alcohol on any of its property, including subway cars and stations, buses and bus shelters, and commuter rail trains.

Why is this so important? We already know that young people are especially vulnerable to peer pressure when it comes to drinking alcohol. What may come as a surprise is just how influential alcohol advertisements are on youth.

Here, the science is clear: the more alcohol ads that young people see, the more likely they are to drink. For example, one recent study showed that each alcohol advertisement that a teen sees above the monthly average (23) causes an increase in alcohol consumption of 1%. That same study indicated that youth in markets with greater alcohol advertising expenditures drank more.

That’s troubling – especially when we consider just how much young people are bombarded by alcohol messages. In 2008, for instance, alcohol advertisers spent close to $8 billion nationwide on outdoor advertising. One recent study published in the American Journal of Public Health showed that in urban areas, young people are exposed to alcohol advertisements almost as soon as they walk out their front doors. What’s more, there is substantial evidence that alcohol advertisements are disproportionately located in African-American neighborhoods.

We know the impact that alcohol advertising has on youth. So it’s important that we do everything we can to reduce the influence of advertising in environments where young people congregate.

For many young people in greater Boston, MBTA buses, subways and trains are a vital part of everyday life; in many cases the MBTA is their school bus. Our children deserve to ride to school, work, and social activities without being encouraged to consume alcoholic beverages.

What’s more, the MBTA is not alone in working to support underage drinking prevention efforts. With its recent decision, the T joins transit agencies in Chicago, Washington DC, San Diego, Philadelphia and San Francisco in rejecting these advertisements and supporting healthy development among our youth.

Working together, we can continue our forward movement in the battle against underage drinking in Massachusetts. I’m proud that the MBTA has joined us in this fight.

 

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Providing enrichment and support to 40,000 children every day: DCF Kids Fund

By DCF Commissioner Angelo McClain

For many children in the care of the Department of Children and Families (DCF), there is a need for additional support and services in order to meet their basic and life-enriching needs. Fortunately, these children have the support of the DCF Kids Fund to help provide the activities that many children take for granted. The DCF Kids Fund serves as a support system, with the goal of providing not only basic necessities but opportunities for development as well to the more than 40,000 children served by DCF. There are approximately 7,500 children in foster care, 2,000 children in residential care, and more than 30,000 children living with their families who receive DCF services. The DCF Kids Fund helps to provide and care for all of these children.

When the DCF Kids Fund was established in 1998, it supplied emergency items such as diapers, hot meals, warm clothes, and toothbrushes to children entering DCF care. They were able to provide gifts to children during the holidays and even send some children to camp during the summer. Today, the DCF Kids Fund still supplies critical and emergency items needed by children entering DCF care, but the program has grown exponentially. As efforts and contributions to the Fund have grown, more and more foster children are able to attend summer camp and participate in a variety of life-enriching activities such as music, dance, and sports.

Here are several examples of DCF Kids Fund support and services:

• Emergency Placement Project – Many of the 8,000 children who enter foster care each year often come to the Department hungry, without adequate clothing, and in need of a bath. The Kids Fund provides every child entering care with necessary items such as infant formula, clothing, toiletries, diapers, toys, duffel bags, backpacks and meals to make the transition to foster care as comfortable as possible.

 

• Enrichment and Education Initiative – The Kids Fund helps to give children the opportunity to participate in sports, music, dance, art, SAT college preparatory programs, and other after school programs – vital activities that help build a child’s confidence and broaden his or her horizons.

 

• Holiday Gift Drive – Every child in DCF care receives a gift, making sure they have a special and memorable holiday season.

 

• Summer Camp – Every summer, the Kids Fund sends hundreds of children to camp. The formative experience of attending camp aids in a child’s development and provides memories that last a lifetime.

 

For more information on how the DCF Kids Fund helps children in DCF care, please visit: http://www.dcfkidsfund.org/

The DCF Kids Fund is a 501c3 entity; 98 percent of donations go to helping the children. Larry Begley serves as Board Chairman and Saf Caruso serves as the Executive Director, for more information please contact Saf Caruso at 617-748-2368 or Saf.Lerman-Caruso@state.ma.us  

 

Governor Patrick and ChopChop Magazine Team Up to Provide Healthy Recipes for Children and Their Families Using Locally Grown Produce

By Emma Morrison, Communications Fellow at the Executive Office of Health and Human Services

As I walked into Community Servings (www.servings.org) in Jamaica Plain today, I was surprised to find so many excited children milling around, anxiously awaiting the arrival of Governor Deval Patrick.  As I too wait for Governor Patrick, I realize the chatter from the children is not only associated with meeting the Governor himself but also on their once-in-a-lifetime chance to make homemade cranberry applesauce with him.  [These adorable kids probably got to stay home from school today, but that’s beside the point!]

Today is the launch of an exciting new partnership with the magazine ChopChop, the Fun Cooking Magazine for Families (www.chopchopmag.org) and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Mass in Motion (www.mass.gov/massinmotion) initiative.  The new ChopChop newsletter will provide Massachusetts families a free monthly recipe using locally grown produce. The hope is that parents will be encouraged to spend time preparing fresh healthy meals with their children.  The ChopChop newsletter is designed to complement the Mass in Motion initiative to combat obesity and chronic disease in Massachusetts by encouraging residents to eat better and move more. 

After the children patiently sat through the introductions and short speeches, the fun really started.  Governor Patrick rolled up his sleeves, put on his apron and assisted the children with the final steps of preparing cranberry applesauce.  The Governor then graciously took pictures with each child and their parents. 

Sally Sampson, founder of ChopChop, reminded audience members of the multitude of benefits cooking can have on children, including spending time together as a family, introducing healthy eating habits, learning locally grown fruits and vegetables and practicing mathematic skills.  Sounds like a win-win to me.

I will be the first to admit, if you aren’t a ‘cook’ (which I am not) the kitchen can be intimidating. But hopefully, these fun, relatively easy recipes will ease kitchen anxiety and homemade meals will be looked at as a fun and enjoyable time to be with your family.  These newsletters will include personal messages from the Patrick-Murray Administration, along with fun facts about the food you are preparing and offer tips to help keep your kids safe in the kitchen as well!  The more that we can teach our children to cook healthy foods and to be nutritionally literate, the more we can support healthy eating habits over a lifetime. 

Don’t forget to look for free, healthy, monthly recipes your whole family can enjoy at www.mass.gov/massinmotion/chopchop.  Who knows -- maybe the next Emeril Lagasse will be found in the Commonwealth thanks to this exciting new initiative!

 

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“It Takes a Village…”

By Director of Assistive Technology for the Executive Office of Health and Human Services Karen Langley

There is an old African proverb that says, “It takes a village to raise a child.”  When the child has a disability, it can take the involvement of many state agencies to make a real difference in that child’s life.

When Mary Doherty, a social worker at the Department of Children and Families (DCF), first learned of Joe* it was in her capacity assessing the health and safety of homeless children. Joe and his mother had recently moved to Massachusetts (where Joe’s mother has family ties) from Georgia and were homeless. What makes Joe different from most other homeless children is that he has cerebral palsy and he cannot walk. At age 5, Joe had outgrown his wheelchair, and his family’s application in Georgia for a new one had been delayed.  Joe’s mother moved north without the wheelchair, forcing her to carry Joe everywhere.

Mary’s first inclination was to call me. I am the Director of Assistive Technology and Community Support programs within the Executive Office of Health and Human Services. Mary called to seek help getting Joe’s Medicaid benefits transferred from Georgia, find him a donated wheelchair and locate accessible housing for Joe and his family.  My experience with assistive technology and housing in Massachusetts has afforded me with directly applicable knowledge of what programs and staff were available to first tackle the task of finding Joe a wheelchair.  I immediately contacted programs that I knew supported wheelchair recycling programs at two independent living centers.  Tom Filiault, from the Stavros Center for Independent Living in Western Massachusetts, responded right away that he had two pediatric wheelchairs.  Pictures of the wheelchairs were forwarded to Joe’s mother, and she selected one.  The next question was: How to transfer the wheelchair from Amherst to Lynn where Joe was living with his mother in a second floor, inaccessible apartment?  It took a few days to coordinate, but Tom drove to Worcester and delivered the chair to me; I drove it to Boston and delivered it Mary at DCF. Mary brought it to Joe. 

Mary said both Joe and his mother were thrilled with the wheelchair; Joe got in it right away and began pushing himself around. “It was wonderful to see the smile on his face and now he can go to school,” said Joe’s mom. The only problem was that the leg rests were not adjusted to his height and Joe’s mother couldn’t figure out how to change them.  Mary again called me for help.  I reached out to Tom Mercier, director of the Department of Developmental Services’ Kelley Assistive Technology Center in Danvers, to ask for his help.  Tom arranged to stop by Joe’s apartment on his way home from work.  He was able to quickly adjust the leg rests and show Joe’s mom how she could do it on her own and as her son grows. He also informed her how to go about getting a new wheelchair when Joe needs it.

With the first task done, the next challenge was to find accessible housing for Joe and his mom.  Mary indicated that the family was eligible for a voucher under the Department of Housing and Community Development’s (DHCD) new Home Base Program.  What was needed was to find a wheelchair-accessible, two-bedroom unit in Lynn where Joe and his mom have a support network. 

Using the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission-funded, online Mass Access Housing Registry, operated by Citizen’s Housing and Planning Associates, I found a two-bedroom, wheelchair accessible unit in Ipswich; I passed the information on to Mary. At the same time, Mary and I had each contacted staff at the Lynn Housing and Neighborhood Development (LHAND) to let them know about the need for an accessible unit for this family. LHAND was able to find an accessible unit that Joe’s mom chose;  Joe and his family are due to move in any day!

Throughout the process, MassHealth resolved the issue of Joe’s eligibility for a new wheelchair, thanks to the collective efforts of DCF and MassHealth staff.

It took a “village” of state agency staff – from the Department of Housing and Community Development, to the Department of Children and Families, to the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, to the Department of Developmental Services and the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission to help Joe get his wheelchair, find his family accessible housing and obtain Joe’s MassHealth benefits, which enable him to attend school and begin a better life in Massachusetts.

Joe’s story is a wonderful example of cross-agency collaboration to help meet the needs of the Commonwealth’s most vulnerable residents.  I am very proud of the team effort and of the dedicated staff who came together to create a village, prioritize Joe’s needs, deliver solutions and give Joe and his family tremendous support. My kudos and thanks to everyone who made this collaboration possible.

*Consumer name has been changed

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Giving Thanks by Giving Back

By DMH General Counsel Lester Blumberg

 

Each year the Wednesday before Thanksgiving I find myself walking into Florian Hall in Dorchester along with dozens of volunteers from the Department Mental Health, kids from local schools, members of the Boston Fire Department Local 718, Friends of Metro Boston, State Senator Jack Hart, and other friends of the mental health community. We proudly welcome and serve a Thanksgiving meal to more than 500 DMH consumers from all over the Metro Boston area.  It’s become a much-anticipated and fun DMH holiday tradition.

With Friends of Metro Boston as co-host of this large-scale annual feast, I’ve had the honor as a DMH staff member to be one of the event volunteers.  Every year we put on our chef’s hats (although we leave the cooking to the pros) and happily join the assembly line piling plates high with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and all the fixings, to deliver them to each of the guests at their seats as the sounds of live Irish and American folk music, laughter and conversation fill the room. It’s one big giant Thanksgiving table where everyone congregates and gets to enjoy themselves!

It always amazes and humbles me how we all come together. We are a community, honoring our fellow community members who every day live with mental illness and work very hard toward a successful recovery.  Individuals in DMH services often have a challenging road ahead as they surmount their illness and the stigma of mental illness that is unfortunately still prevalent in our society. Many are living in poverty, and working and dreaming of the kinds of things we so often take for granted including: a meaningful job, a sense of community, family and friendship.  As I thought about my own family’s Thanksgiving feast that Wednesday morning, I realized how privileged I am to spend a few hours helping to build, and more importantly, sustain that community.

This year’s DMH Thanksgiving Dinner was personally special for many reasons; here are just a few memories that stand out in my mind, the client who recognized me from last year and thanked me for coming again, the Boston firefighters who I have come to know from year to year who bring their own children -- each having grown taller and more mature-- and the glee of a 5^th grader who got to eagerly devour her own piece of pie after serving dozens of guests.  It seemed this year there were more school kids helping to serve dinner – even a group from Medfield High School  that joined us and provided smiles and hard work.  And of course, the satisfaction of having made a difference, even for one day, stays with me throughout the year.

It doesn’t take much effort to give a little of ourselves – but it is that effort, especially at this time of year, that reminds us how important our work is to the lives of the people we serve, and the honor it is to serve them.  I want to thank everyone who was able to attend the event this year and helped make it an event to remember!

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