In this op-ed published in MedPage Today, Mel Schneiderman, PhD and Amy Baker, PhD – both of The Foundling’s Vincent J. Fontana Center for Child Protection – discuss the mental health care crisis that is impacting young people nationwide, and how family stress (intensified by the pressures of COVID-19) is a major contributing factor. They argue that psychological maltreatment can be decreased by educating families and providing parenting support.
In a press release from The American Foundation of Savoy Orders (Savoy Foundation), the foundation shared that they recently granted $150,000 for The Foundling’s Camp Felix.
Last month, The Foundling achieved a three-year Quality Assurances Accreditation (QAA) from the Council on Quality and Leadership (CQL) – the culmination of a months-long process that included on-site assessments, interviews with staff, families, and participants, focus groups, and detailed analysis of our services for people with developmental disabilities. CQL accredits programs on several factors – including the ways in which participants are given dignity and respect, how families and other support networks are integrated into services, and how participants are best supported in achieving their personal goals.
The CQL accreditation measures a rigorous standard of care – of the more than 600 providers of developmental disabilities services in New York State, only 7% have achieved CQL accreditation and only 2% of the 208 New York City providers are CQL accredited. We are proud to join these ranks, and to have had the opportunity to share our strengths – including our person-centered approach and deeply held commitment to ensuring that each person we support can reach their full potential.
In preparation for our accreditation, our entire Developmental Disabilities Division came together, taking this opportunity to highlight our programs and identify great stories to share. We’re excited to showcase the journeys of some of these amazing Foundling participants, as they truly represent our values and commitment to helping those in our community work toward strength, stability, and independence.
As a transgender woman with developmental disabilities, Michel spent decades of her life struggling to access gender-affirming care. When she came to live in one of The Foundling’s supportive residences, she was given the support and resources to exercise her rights to transition and live as her true self. With the help of The Foundling’s Nutrition Team – which focuses on the health of our residents – David learned to manage his medication, eat nutritious meals, and take his health into his own hands. With these new skills, he has become more physically fit and independent. Chshone, a resident in one of our supportive homes, has learned to exercise his voice through advocacy. With the support of Foundling staff, he is an avid speaker at conferences held by Self Advocacy Association of New York (SANY), a network founded and led by people with developmental disabilities. |
Thanks to this assessment, we’re positioned to improve our services and programs even further. We look forward to continuing this journey – and to serving the community.
Want to learn more? Read more success stories from our Developmental Disabilities programs:
Interested in enrolling or referring a participant to our Residential, Day Habilitation, Community Habilitation, or Employment Services programs?
Speak to our Developmental Disabilities Information and Referral Team at (212) 886-4020 or email I&R@NYFoundling.org.
On local television channel BronxNet’s Bronx Social Justice and Anti-Violence Forums, LaTasha Fermin-Williams, who leads our Juvenile and Criminal Justice programs, sat down with host Daren Jaime to discuss our use of evidence-based models to divert youth and adults from the juvenile and criminal justice systems and how we work to support families toward independence. Daren noted that “the impact [The Foundling] is making in youth and families’ lives is critical.”
Watch the interview below:
The news coming out of the Supreme Court regarding gun rights is difficult to process. At The Foundling, most of us have spent significant time and resources trying to combat our city’s growing gun violence crisis, whether it be here at work, or at home in our own communities. Many of us have been directly affected by New York’s gun violence epidemic, making this all the
more personal and painful; the communities we hail from, and the communities we serve, are often the most impacted by violent crime, and gun violence is no exception.
We can all agree that what this city needs is less access to firearms, not more. And we can all agree that, as we continue to experience increased instances of unprovoked and often hate-driven violence, the knowledge that there might be more guns on our streets is unsettling.
We stand with Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams in opposition to this ruling, and will continue to fight to combat gun violence and violence in any capacity in our city’s streets. At The Foundling, we know how much we can accomplish through anti-violence initiatives at the community level, and how much good can come from getting people the support and resources they need to be able to thrive. We will continue to serve our communities and find creative solutions to the many public crises we currently face, in an effort to make New York City safer for everyone.
In an editorial co-written by our CEO and President, Melanie Hartzog, and Jennifer Geiling, CEO of Union Settlement, these two nonprofit leaders make the case for a greater investment in the city’s social service workers. They note that “Contracted nonprofits rely on government funding, with contract revenue representing upwards of 90% of many budgets….And without our hardworking and highly-skilled team members- our counselors, our health workers, our classroom teachers and aides — nonprofits and the city have no ability to deliver. Humans are of course at the core of human services.”
“With growing inflation and compressed salaries, our workforce is facing an increasingly steeper climb to build a better future for themselves and their families,” they write. “Wage increases for the social services workforce in New York City is a critical step toward wage equity and financial stability.”
Skye Ostreicher speaks to our CEO & President, Melanie Hartzog. They disucss how she parlays her government experience into the nonprofit sector to help provide social services in New York City, the upcoming opening of our Vital Brookdale supportive housing, and more.
Read more on City & State, or watch the video below:
Bill Baccaglini, The Foundling’s former President & CEO, appeared at Fordham University’s Graduate School of Social Service this week. He was conferred an honorary doctorate of humane letters, as well as gave a commencement address to this year’s class of nearly 500 graduates.
“You don’t do this because it’s easy. You’ve chosen to do this because it needs to be done,” he said in his address. “We’ve seen enough suffering to know that the true heroes are those individuals who believe that the highest calling and greatest gift is to have the opportunity and ability to improve the lives of those around them.”
The American Psychiatric Association Foundation (APAF) announced the winners of its 2022 Awards for Advancing Minority Mental Health at its annual benefit held in conjunction with APA’s 2022 Annual Meeting in New Orleans.
The Foundling was one of the recipients of this award, given our commitment to providing mental health treatment and social services targeted to the needs, strengths, and cultures of its diverse community. The award honored our goal of removing disparities, particularly in the following communities – LGBTQIA+ youth and their families; the Deaf community; and Latinx and African American families in Harlem.
2021 has been a year of transformation. From the pandemic’s continued impact on our community, to major leadership shifts in city, state, and federal government, it’s been a year of change for all of us. Thanks to your support, The Foundling has not only navigated this new landscape, providing life-transforming services to over 30,000 children, adults, and families in New York and Puerto Rico, but has also expanded our reach, impact, and vision for the future ahead.
Our latest Impact Report, Transformation, chronicles this work over the past year – and showcases the successes you have helped us achieve. Explore the report, which includes powerful stories from our participants, leadership and donor spotlights, and details on how our programs are continuing to provide support and stability for our neighbors in need.
Browse our Impact Report here, or learn about our larger reach on our Impact web page.
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