In this July 2020 edition of Connecting the Dots, we are highlighting the frontline response efforts from caseworkers as they continue to provide services to youth and families. To get a better idea of how COVID-19 has shaped Texas caseworkers’ day-to-day experiences, we connected with Erica Bañuelos, MSW, LCPAA, CPS Director of Field at the… Read more »
We’ve been big fans of Robyn Gobbel, LCSW RPT-S, for a long time. In 2017, she was the keynote speaker at our annual UT Child Welfare Conference, where she gave a powerful presentation on resilience through relationships. Robyn has 15+ years of experience working as a complex-trauma therapist, specializing in adoptive families. When we were… Read more »
By Allie Long, Digital Communications Coordinator at the Texas Institute for Child & Family Wellbeing In a time of great uncertainty due to COVID-19, many people have taken comfort in finding creative ways to display gratitude for our frontline workers. Whether through window signs, YouTube videos, or city-wide applause, we recognize the immense toll that… Read more »
Welcome to our monthly feature, News from the Field! This is an extension of the bottom of our newsletter. We will be providing you with some of the latest news, resources, and local & national professional development opportunities. If you haven’t already, sign up to get our monthly e-newsletter in your inbox. This month, we are excited… Read more »
By Allie Long In honor of Father’s Day, we wanted to highlight a dad who we’re grateful to work with. J. Michael Hall, M.Ed., is the founder of the fatherhood engagement program Strong Fathers Strong Families. Since 2003, this program has been implemented at schools throughout the United States and internationally, reaching over 225,000 dads… Read more »
Welcome to our monthly feature, News from the Field! This is an extension of the bottom of our newsletter. We will be providing you with some of the latest news, resources, and local & national professional development opportunities. If you haven’t already, sign up to get our monthly e-newsletter in your inbox. This month, we are excited… Read more »
By Allie Long & Barbara Ball, Ph.D., LPC-AT When we talk about older youth in foster care, and especially about youth who are aging out of the foster care system, a lot of conversations focus on the negative outcomes that these teenagers experience. Research highlights the high rate of teen pregnancy and the risk for… Read more »
Welcome to our monthly feature, News from the Field! This is an extension of the bottom of our newsletter. We will be providing you with some of the latest news, resources, and local & national professional development opportunities. If you haven’t already, sign up to get our monthly e-newsletter in your inbox. This month, we are excited… Read more »
By Swetha Nulu, MPH, Assistant Director of Research Major Take-Aways To prevent child maltreatment, programs should focus on addressing risk factors empirically linked to child maltreatment: substance use, mental health concerns, domestic violence, and history of trauma Relationships between families & staff are the key ingredient that makes programs work to spark behavior change. Community… Read more »
By Beth Gerlach, Ph.D., LCSW, Associate Director One of our institute’s most important values is our emphasis on connecting research and practice. We strive to accomplish this in many ways, including disseminating evidence for best practices from research, and listening to the needs and experiences of clinicians working on the field. As we reflect on… Read more »