By GLYNIS HART
[email protected]
NEWPORT – Local agencies that help children, victims of domestic violence and people struggling with substance abuse disorder gave a semi-annual update to the Sullivan County Board of Commissioners at the Monday business meeting.
TLC Family Resource Center, Turning Points Network and West Central Behavioral Health all receive community grants from Sullivan County. They update the county on the use of the grants twice a year.
TLC Family Resource Center received $30,000. TLC’s director Maggie Monroe-Cassel said, “We’re pretty much on target for what we promised at the beginning of the year.”
Monroe-Cassel said they are looking forward to having a new database by 2020 that will better keep track of all the different work they do. “For instance, there’s nothing in this database about the groups we’ve done at the jail.”
TLC has changed and expanded its programs in the last few years to include working in the schools. Trauma-informed teaching programs incorporate new knowledge about how trauma affects children’s developing brains to help teachers recognize and work productively with children who have experienced traumatic events. Monroe-Cassel said they plan to be in first grade and kindergarten in Newport next year, and currently have programs in all Claremont kindergartens.
Monroe-Cassel also mentioned the SHINE vehicle, which promotes conversations about sexual health. The SHINE program, which is state funded, disseminates “medically accurate information that needs to get out there,” she said.
“Liza Draper will be a tough act to follow,” said Commissioner Ben Nelson. Liza Draper, the program coordinator for TLC learning center, started SHINE (Sexual Health Information Network and Education) in Claremont.
“I hired three people to replace her, if that says anything,” said Monroe-Cassel.
Nelson said he’s especially appreciative of the program TLC runs in the jails, helping inmates improve their parenting skills. “People will straighten up for their kids,” he said.
“Parents who are traumatized by circumstances in their life sometimes do not know how to bond with their child,” said Monroe-Cassel. “If you don’t feel connected to that child — your natural inclination is to protect that child if you are bonded.”
“I heard 60 kids in Claremont schools have one or more parents incarcerated,” said Nelson.
Turning Points Network assists survivors of sexual and domestic violence. Its 2019 Community Grant of $60,000 supports its hotline, shelter, community outreach programs and prevention programs in the schools. Director Deb Mozden said the non-profit has a new roving advocate position funded by the state. They’ve also added hours for a volunteer coordinator and a family violence prevention specialist. This latter position works half the time with survivors of domestic violence and child abuse to find better services for them.
Mozden said in the past DCYF — the state Division for Children, Youth and Families — has taken kids away from their battered mothers when the mother was trying to flee her abuser. The family support specialist has worked with 135 families this year, with a goal of family reunification. Mozden said this service is helping people who wouldn’t have come forward in the past.
She also said they help kids who are being interviewed for the court system on sexual and domestic violence. “There’s been a significant increase in the number of kids reporting sexual assault,” she said. “Especially youth perpetrating on other youth, there’s been a huge increase.”
Meanwhile kids in the violence prevention programs “are responding really well,” said Mozden.
“It’s too bad we’re so busy but we’re pleased to be part of healing in this community,” she said. She predicted a shortfall for the coming budget year of $15,000 to $20,000. A turnover in staff and the upcoming move to Broad Street have been costly.
The third non-profit to give a report was West Central Behavioral Health, specifically its new intake center for people with substance abuse disorder. WCBH received a $10,000 grant.
President/CEO Suellen Griffin said getting people in the door of the outpatient treatment program “has been an incredibly slow process. Just because we build a program doesn’t mean people are motivated to stop using substances.”
However, the three counselors at the intake center by Valley Regional Hospital now have their schedules full and they’re hoping to add another.
“As a rule the people that come here are new people presenting with a primary substance use disorder,” said Griffin. “Alcohol is still the primary substance. People don’t talk about it because they’re not dropping dead in the streets of Manchester.”
Griffin said Sullivan County Attorney Mark Hathaway is pushing for intensive outpatient services and may “set that up in the next couple of months.”
“Now the word is out, more people are accessing our services,” said Griffin.
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