The New York Foundling’s Families Rising program is an alternative-to-incarceration program for youth who are tried as adults in New York City’s court system. The program adheres to the evidence-based Functional Family Therapy (FFT) model – a holistic approach that has shown superior results across multiple randomized clinical trials.

 

We view the child in the context of his or her family, and introduce a trained therapist into the family dynamic to help them address their challenges as a family unit. Not only does the therapist work closely with the youth to address factors leading to their arrest, they work with the child’s school, family, and community to address major obstacles and build a supportive environment.

 

Did You Know:

 

• Incarcerated youth consistently demonstrate elevated rates of trauma, psychiatric disorders, suicide, and re-arrest – all of which can be prevented or mitigated through evidence-based interventions like Families Rising program.
• By helping youth avoid a criminal record, we are helping to remove barriers to education and employment, and enabling our youth to build a better future for themselves and their families.
• By helping our youth avoid incarceration, we are helping keep our children in their school and community, reducing their exposure to trauma and delinquent peers, and enabling them to overcome barriers to a successful future.

 

Our Impact:

 

Since 2012, Families Rising has reached 180 youth and their families. Our major accomplishments include:

 

• 97% of participants who completed treatment and were sentenced avoided a criminal record.
• 92% of participants who completed treatment and were sentenced avoided jail-time.
• 89% of participants who completed treatment and were sentenced avoided a criminal record and incarceration.
• 73% of youth and families who participated in Families Rising have met all of their personal treatment goals and completed the program successfully (surpassing the standard 70% goal for FFT).

 

Our Thanks:

 

This important work wouldn’t be possible without the support from these donors:

• Guerin Foundation
• Robin Hood Foundation
• The New York Bar Foundation
• Tiger Foundation
• Van Ameringen Foundation

 

 

 

 

Written by Carlye Husserl (pictured above, center), Director of Food and Nutrition Services at the New York Foundling

 

The New York Foundling’s Developmental Disabilities Division provides Individualized Residential Alternatives and Individual Supports and Services to over 260 individuals with developmental disabilities in New York City and surrounding counties. Our homes provide a supportive environment to our individuals giving them the tools and resources they need to become integrated members of their communities. Part of the services that individuals receive in the residences is the oversight and support from our nutritionists.

 

When I joined The Foundling’s Developmental Disabilities Division three years ago, I was surprised to see such a high prevalence of obesity, diabetes and heart disease among the individuals in our care. Something had to be done.

 

Three years later, the individuals in our residences have lost a combined total of 1,289 pounds! That’s more weight than a lion, tiger and bear (oh my…!) combined.

 

How did we lose 1,289 pounds?

 

In September of 2013 I walked into our residences and saw an opportunity to improve the food we were providing to the individuals in our care. Some of the challenges our individuals were facing included a lack of healthy food choices; difficulty chewing/swallowing and tasting foods; medications that were contributing to their weight gain; and physical limitations making it difficult to exercise and move around. These symptoms can make weight loss even more difficult to achieve than it already is.

 

After speaking with individuals in our care, reviewing their medical history, and partnering with the staff, I developed a new menu which included healthier items. I also revamped what was stocked in our kitchens and educated staff and some of our residents on ways to make smarter decisions related to food. As new staff join the Developmental Disabilities Division, I training them about menu planning, cooking and providing healthy food options.

 

So what’s our secret? It’s simple…

 

• Replace unhealthy high fat/high sugar snack choices with low fat dairy, fruits and vegetables. If medications put someone at a disadvantage for excess hunger, ‘junk food’ should be replaced with real foods to encourage satiety. For example, replace grabbing a bag of chips from the corner store (500-1,000 calories) and instead, enjoy a small frozen yogurt with some cereal and berries (300 calories).
• Replace juice and other sugary beverages with water, unsweetened beverages and diet beverages.
• Make “swaps” for better food choices. For example, one of our individuals loved Jamba Juice and his smoothies ranged from 800-1,000 calories! Instead, we replaced it with a healthy 250 calorie smoothie that he can make from home and doesn’t contain added sugars and powdered proteins and instead, REAL food! Teaching independence and control will lead to empowerment and reduce caloric intake.
• Reducing downtime! Instead of coming home and sitting in front of the TV or waiting for their next meal, staff and the men and women in our residences are encouraged to go for walks. Some of our more independent individuals have joined local gyms and fitness centers.

 

We take pride in our individual’s success.

 

Nancy R., a woman who lives in the Bronx, lost 30 pounds this year! Nancy decided she would eat large salads every night for dinner and not snack on unnecessary foods. She reports having more energy and is very proud of her success!

 

Carlye Husserl is the Director of Food and Nutrition Services at the New York Foundling. She is also a Registered Dietitian. Carlye has worked at The Foundling for the past 4 years and enjoys seeing the changes in the people she cares for day after day, year after year. For some healthy recipes and tips you can view her website www.sweetnutritionnyc.com.

 

*Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of The New York Foundling, its funders, regulators, donors and/or employees.

“My involvement with the New York Foundling is very close to my heart. In a way, they have long been a part of my family.”  – Anthony Gallo.

 

Anthony Gallo was recently appointed to The Foundling’s Board of Trustees. Gallo is the Bronx Division Manager at UPS®, the world’s largest package delivery company. His appointment almost seemed inevitable, as The Foundling has always had a presence in Gallo’s life. His mother was adopted through the agency as a small child.

 

UPS interviewed Gallo about his commitment to The Foundling and shared it with their employees. Below is an excerpt from their interview:

 

What is your first memory of the New York Foundling?

 

Anthony Gallo: I have known about them for most of my life and have always felt a connection to the organization because of my mother’s story. When she passed away in 2011, I asked for donations to the New York Foundling in her name. I wanted to make sure her legacy lived on with them.

 

How did you first get involved?

 

Anthony Gallo: Shortly after my mother’s passing, I connected with the development team at The Foundling. I quickly realized there was more alignment with the UPS community values than I thought. One of their key programs, Haven Academy, a charter school in Mott Haven, is down the street from our Manhattan North facility. Our drivers deliver in that community every day, and lots of our employees live or have lived in the area. I knew they would feel a strong connection to what The Foundling does for local families.

 

Mott Haven is one of the most impoverished congressional districts in the country, with many families struggling in the welfare system. The Foundling opened the first of its kind charter school in the nation, serving almost exclusively the children active in the child welfare system. Children in foster care and foster care prevention programs, as well as children living below the poverty line attend this school.

 

I made it a personal goal to motivate UPS’ Bronx Division to get involved. We adopted The Foundling as ‘our charity’ for the division and the response was humbling. It confirmed what I already knew – our ties to the community set us apart from many other companies. We truly are the communities that we serve.

 

How is the Bronx Division involved now?

 

Anthony Gallo: The Foundling hosts volunteer events throughout the year. The first is a health and wellness event in St. Mary’s Park in the Bronx. Our volunteers help coordinate activities and provide goody bags to the kids and families who attend. Second is The Foundling’s annual Career Night for teens and young adults. UPS sends volunteers to speak about the different opportunities within UPS and what we look for in our employees. And finally, there is an end-of-year BBQ picnic for the Haven families, where we help with preparations and activities.

 

Besides volunteering, I am proud to say that lots of our division employees designate their United Way donations to The New York Foundling. Those funds, along with the UPS grants that we help secure, provides financial support to Camp Felix, a special overnight camp for children in the welfare system.

 

Spirits were high in Spring Valley, NY where individuals from The Foundling’s Developmental Disabilities Division Day Habilitation programs came together to partake in the 2^nd Annual Basketball Tournament.  It was a day of enthusiasm, excitement and cheer!

 

DJ Philly Phil played motivating music while the players warmed up and participated in a basketball themed relay race. The crowd practiced their cheers and dance moves, pompom’s in tow, in preparation for the tournament to begin. One player even started to break dance! Though storm clouds were on the horizon, the crowd’s and player’s energy could not be contained!

 

“This year’s tournament was an opportunity for the individuals and their families to have fun, meet other families in our program and spend time with staff.” said MaryBeth Witkop, Assistant Vice President.

 

A catered lunch was provided by Boar’s Head and Entenmann’s, and everyone was entered into a special raffle with basketball themed prizes.

 

See more photos of guests ‘having a ball’ from

The Foundling’s Developmental Disabilities Division

2nd Annual Basketball Tournament here!

The New York Foundling hosted a Digital Inclusion Summit in April to teach youth in New York City’s child welfare system about careers in technology and how to use computers safely and responsibly. For most of these youth, having a computer is a luxury—and in most cases, access to computers is limited to school libraries and classrooms.

 

During the Summit, instructors from the Knowledge House taught youth best practices for using Microsoft programs (e.g., Word and Excel); how to set up safe and secure passwords; tips for researching homework assignments on the web; and much more. During lunch, a panel discussion took place that focused on careers in technology and the different paths people can take to find a rewarding job that utilizes digital and tech skills. Over 100 youth and caregivers attended the Summit. This program welcomed youth from The Foundling and from peer foster care agencies in the city.

 

While the youth in their care received hands-on-training in one room, their guardians were given the opportunity to learn about computer safety as well.

 

At the end of the day, youth and their caregivers received laptop computers from iFoster, Def Method and DoSomething.org, and a MiFi device with four years of internet access provided by Sprint ConnectED. Youth also received special certificates noting the completion of The Knowledge House’s curriculum.

 

This event would not have been possible without the generous support of our panelists and supporters:

• Jeremy Simon- Attention Global
• Shar’nee Francis– Dev Bootcamp
• Michelle Pegg — L’Oreal/ Carol’s Daughter
• Kaitlyn Curran – Michael Kors
• Allison Knight – Microsoft
• Amanda Kleckler – Nickelodeon