Catholic Charities’ SchoolServices Collaboration

Sharing the mission to increase student success; Valuing the strength & synergy of “team”

February24, 2015

Attended: Dan Cross-Viola,MaryAnn Deibel-Braun,Meichle Latham,

Lori Ricupito, Susan Seawood, Jim Szwejbka

Excused: Daytuan Antonetti, Heidi Billittier, Rose Caldwell, Jose Correa, Laura Greene,

Kathleen Hall, Michael Lynch, Maria Picone, Colleen Seminara,Darrell Slisz, Dennis Walczyk, Ann Marie Wiesinger

  1. Welcome, Dan Cross-Viola
  2. Agency & Program Updates

Agency updates- Dennis & Maria-N/A- Dennis & Maria excused

Big Brothers/Big Sisters- Please e-mail Meichle by March 20th, a brief summary of your relationship with/utilization of Big Brother/Big Sisters services

  • Jim noted that Workforce programs have worked with the Big Brother/Big Sister mentoring program and have been told that there is a 3 year wait and parental/guardian consent is required for youth through 21 yrs. old

Program/Service Updates/Achievements/Celebrations

A Gathering Place- Heidi- N/A- Heidi excused

Catholic Charities’ Service Corps- Colleen-N/A- Colleen excused

Communications & PR- Rose-N/A- Rose excused

The enhanced website ( was launched 1.6.15 with Appeal Kickoff

Always looking for success stories to share

Comprehensive School Services Program- Laura-N/A- Laura excused

Laura reported on services provided atWest Buffalo Charter School- “Services are being provided and going well; no real updates”

Employee Assistance Program collaborations- Laura-N/A- Laura excused

Laura reported on EAP services provided @ Kenmore and Amherst

  • Grand Island School District- “Services are being provided and going well; no real updates”
  • Sweet Home School District-“Services are being provided and going well; no real updates”

Family Support Center (FSC) Collaborations- Laura-N/A- Laura excused

Laura reported on services provided via Kenmore and Amherst

  • KenTon FSC- “Services are being provided and going well; no real updates”
  • Sweet Home FSC- “Services are being provided and going well; no real updates”

Foster Grandparent Program- Susan

Susan shared that 14-15 Foster Grandparents will be participating in New Hire Orientation in March

Foster Grandparent enrollment efforts are currently targeting Head Starts and some Charter Schools

Foster Grandparents submitted a proposal in response to the Mayor Office’s “Reach Out” program (similar to My Brother’s Keeper Initiative) for 3rd graders

Suggestions were made to contact Doris , as well as local politicians for support and potential use of local discretionary funds

In-School Social Work Program (ISSWP)- Kathleen, Laura-N/A- Kathleen & Laura excused

Kathleen and Laura are currently working on the COA self-studies and program procedure manuals

Still waiting on status of proposal for renewed funding from Fidelis

Kathleen shared updates regarding services provided in Niagara Falls

  • Catholic Academy- N/A- Not reported
  • Niagara Catholic- 7th & 8th grade- N/A- Not reported

Laura provided updates:

  • Notre Dame Academy- “Services are being provided and going well; no real updates”
  • Our Lady of Black Rock- “Services are being provided and going well; no real updates”
  • St. John the Baptist(~ 400 students)- “Services are being provided and going well; no real updates”
  • St. Joseph University- “Services are being provided and going well; no real updates”

School-based Mental Health Counseling Services (MCI)-Lori

Elmwood Village Charter School (< 200 student enrollment forK-8th grade)

  • Services are provided via contract between EVCS & MCI; no cost to parents
  • Lori is in the school 3 full days/week (yet need supports more days)
  • Lori noted that youth are demonstrating anxious and depressive symptoms, avoidance, loneliness, inadequate social skills, & self-injury
  • Lori reports a mixed level of parent engagement

St. Benedict’s School teacher with whom Lori’s worked with in the past (via SAPAC) contacted MCI with request to provide classroom presentation(s) on “being nice” and “following directions” (< 200 student enrollment forK-8th grade); Lori will do this 2.24.15

** Meichle noted SISAM contract which can provide services for St. Ben’s at no cost to St. Ben’s- Meichle will follow-up with Arry to inform her of this

School-based Preventive Services/Intensive Mentoring Program/Traditional Site Facilitator Program (~ Closing the Gap)-

Daytuan, Jose, Michael, Ann Marie, Dan

Hiring for full coverage of entire BPS- almost complete

All programs invest in strong collaboration with school personnel

Say Yes partnership

  • Say Yes scholarship/tuition assistance applications are available now

School-Based Preventive Services (SBPS) program (traditional preventive services)- intensive work with dedicated caseload to address low-level child welfare cases

  • Expanded to 28 schools in 2015

Intensive Mentoring(IM)– conditioning for SBPS

  • Mental Health clinics- expanding to ~ 10 or 12 by Fall 2015
  • Legal clinics- present in schools in 4 quadrants of Buffalo- legal advice

Traditional Site Facilitator Program- in a few schools

Student Management System & Case Management in final stages of development; will be our mechanisms for uniform data collection and reporting

Dan also shared some mentoring resources

  • Elim Christian Fellowship: ( 11-18 yr.) “Boys 2 Men” & “Girls 2 Women”
  • Heart Foundation

School Intervention Service- MaryAnn, Laura, Maria

Mary Ann shared updates regarding services provided in Cheektowaga

  • MaryAnn reported that they met their contract in 2014
  • 2015 contract (funds 2 FTE’s) to provide face-to-face service for 300 youth
  • Funders have become “tight” with eligibility and group service provision parameters
  • Strong relationships have been built with public & parochial schools
  • Clark- facilitating a “Boys to Men” group

Laura reported on services provided in Kenmore and Amherst

  • City of Tonawanda (KenTon)- “Services are being provided and going well; no real updates”
  • Amherst (Amherst)
  • FAST referrals- “Services are being provided and going well; no real updates”
  • SweetHome FSC referrals- “Services are being provided and going well; no real updates”

Workforce & Education Programs- Jim

TYT (16-21 yr. olds)- expanding to a church in S. Bflo

WAGEES program

  • Program is targeted to end 3.31.15; Given 1 mo. to close out with students

Project Jumpstart (14-17 yrs. old) referred by JJ system, FST or probation

  • Erie County DMH extended the program for 2015 for service to 50 youth for the year
  • City of Buffalo & 1st ring outside of City of Buffalo
  • 2 teachers to provide in-school/afterschool education tutoring with goal of increased student attendance
  • 12 students at a time with a targeted service period of 4 mos.

** Suggestions were made for Jim to collaborate with MST and attend the

Juvenile Justice Stakeholders Meeting (at Family Court)

Community Collaborations-Meichle

Catholic Schools partnership- Next meeting: 3.3.15 1 pm @ Catholic Center

Program/partnership expansion

KenTon Family Support Center Steering Committee- Next meeting: TBD

Sweet Home Family Support Center Steering Committee- Next meeting: 5.1.15

  • Horizon Health Services’ Opiate Overdose Prevention. Sarah Just is available to speak to community groups, and one-on-one training. Call 831-2700 to schedule training. Each person present is given a prevention kit.
  • ECCPASA Community Education:
  • Marijuana Today-March 11
  • Parent Network:
  • Sexuality… Having the Conversation: March 25th West Seneca CSD
  • Buffalo Public Schools Workshop Series
  • Mental health Association, 999 Delaware Ave:1st and 3rd Fridays of the month 6-7:30pm. Call 886-1242 ext 313 to RSVP.
  • Youth & Teen Support Group for kids 13-18 struggling with mental health issues
  • Parent group held at same time.
  • Nurtured Heart Parent Series: Tuesdays, April 14-May 5th, 2015, 5:30-8:00pm- Register at 886-1242 ext 317.

WNY FSC Coalition- Next meeting: 3.4.15 (American Foundation for Suicide

Prevention, WNY chapter)

  • Parent Network Workshop Series in Buffalo: 4 locations, multiple workshops
  • ‘Sexuality …Having the Conversation” discussing sexuality and social behaviors with individuals with disabilities: March 25 6-8pm, West Seneca East Middle School.
  • UB School of Social Work online course offering for Trauma –Informed Organization program: Basics for all staff.

WNY Youth Bureau- Next meeting: 3.11.15

  • October 20th & 21st, 2015 Youth Bureau conference in WNY (@ N. Falls Convention Center)- opportunities CC’s youth/family programs to present/facilitate workshops! Program planning begins in March 2015;

Please think about how your program/team will participate

  • Erie County Legislator Edward Rath approached YB Leader with interest in hosting a forum on bullying for the WNY region. Idea’s being explored; Possibly apply for State Association training funds for this.
  • Youth Bureaus- invested in demonstrating their effectiveness & “making a difference” to OCFS; Pending new NYS laws/regulations in 2018

3.19.15 12th Annual Safe Schools Initiative Seminar, “(Re)Committing to an Integrated Safe School Plan,” 8:30am – 4pm, in the Center for the Arts on the North Campus of the University at Buffalo (UB). Attendance is free.
To register, please visit:

(Meichle’s 2.8.15 e-mail)

SAMHSA 2014 report on behavioral health in NYS and America is available:

2009-2014 report regarding Youth substance use and mental health and mental

health treatment as well as adult mental health and treatment and adult

substance use and treatment. (Meichle will e-mail to those interested)

Angela Spengler, Lead Parent Educator, Jewish Family Service of Buffalo & Erie County- program for refugee/immigrant parents. (brochure referral form).

** Suggestion was also made to collaborate with Amiee Neri

Emerging trends/themes- what are we noticing?

Children impacted by domestic violence

Mental Health symptoms

Funding/Partnership opportunities

Mary Ann reported that she’s currently working on several grants

  • Domestic Violence Grant to provide funding to:
  • Provide services for children (0-24) exposed to domestic violence (in partnership with Haven House/Child & Family Services)- collaborate with Lancaster FSC, select Catholic schools, WIC & Catholic Health homes
  • Provide an advocate in Lancaster Police station
  • Elder Abuse (50+)- a rural grant for Chautauqua County in partnership with Crossroads (An early community project-advocacy & outreach)

Big Brothers/Big Sisters- relationships with/utilization of Big Brother/Big Sisters services

Charter schools- REACH Academy; Boarding Charter school

Best Hopes of 2014-2015 School Services Collaboration

Design a web-based forum for communicating events/activities, open houses, “back-to-school” events (i.e. Google calendar of events for both client and program/service participation) and accessing/sharing resources

Achieved- Web-based updates, redesign and reorganization of our program and service

descriptions to enhance our collaboration and resource sharing capabilities

Achieved- Create a comprehensive School-based Services manual with program/

servicedescription, eligibility criteria and enrollment procedures

Next steps:

Everyone to:

  1. Big Brothers/Big Sisters- Please e-mail Meichle by March 20th, a brief summary of your relationship with/utilization of Big Brother/Big Sisters services; Please

e-mail Meichle even if your program has had no relationship

  1. Review of the School Services Directory for “final version” dissemination.
  2. Review their program/service brochures/fliers and & partner with Central Services to revise/edit/print them
  3. Be prepared to discuss other “Best Hopes” to target in 2015 for the next meeting.

2015 Meeting schedule

(Standing meeting: 4th Tuesday of every other month @ 9 am @ 20 Rich St.)

DateTimeLocationReserved by

April 28th9:00 am20 Rich St.Lori R.

June 23rd 9:00 am20 Rich St.Lori R.

August 25th9:00 am20 Rich St.Lori R.

October 27th9:00 am20 Rich St.Lori R.

December 15th9:00 am20 Rich St.Lori R.

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