Tagged With "Permanency"

Benchmarks’ staff attended the virtual policy summit hosted by NC Child and the NC Essentials for Childhood Initiative on March 29 th and 30 th . The two-day conference was packed with inspirational messages from child advocates across North Carolina. After a formal opening from NC Child Executive Director, Michelle Hughes, and a moving keynote address with a call to action by Reverend Dr. Starsky Wilson of the Children’s Defense Fund, organizers from across the state came together to host...

We are gaining momentum in our Pathways to Permanency Project, a Vaya Health initiative to align the work of the child welfare and behavioral health systems. Workgroup sessions are taking place monthly, stakeholders’ meetings are occurring quarterly and in between we are busy ensuring the work moves ahead so that sustainable change is possible. However, as we have navigated this project it has been overwhelmingly clear that we needed and wanted to include individuals with lived experience in...

Since 2021 Benchmarks has been consulting with Vaya Health on a project called Pathways to Permanency . This project aims to coordinate efforts between Vaya, County DSS offices, and mental health providers to ensure youth in foster care have access to high quality behavioral health services. To better understand the needs of children, families, and professionals within Vaya’s catchment, landscape analyses and several focus groups were conducted. Main themes from initial discoveries were then...

Since 2021, the Benchmarks’ Center for Quality Integration has been consulting on Vaya Health's Pathways to Permanency project. This collaboration has brought together six dedicated workgroups, a lived experience council, and an internal Vaya workgroup to address the needs of professionals and foster parents supporting child welfare-involved youth. Through monthly meetings since April 2022, these workgroups have played a pivotal role in analyzing shared strengths and challenges, designing...

At its core, Pathways to Permanency project seeks to provide a clear and supportive path for youth in foster care on their journey to permanency. This journey often involves complex challenges, but with the right team and collective commitment, the goal becomes attainable. Several departments within Vaya Health have united to support this project, recognizing the profound impact it can have on the lives of vulnerable youth. These departments include Provider Network, Community Relations,...

In the collaborative pursuit of addressing the comprehensive needs of youth in foster care and their families, the Pathways to Permanency project has given rise to a powerful tool – the “FosteringNC Developmental Effects of Trauma Facilitator’s Guide". Developed in tandem with Vaya, County DSS offices, and mental health providers, this guide stands as a testament to Vaya’s commitment to addressing critical needs related to the foster care experience. The Pathways to Permanency Project The...

The importance of safe and supportive homes for youth in foster care cannot be overstated. The "Safe & Supportive Homes: Family Foster Care Recruitment and Retention" workgroup, part of Vaya's Pathways to Permanency project, has been making significant strides in enhancing the foster care experience for both children and resource families. As an extension of the highly successful virtual Treat Them Like Gold (TTLG) Learning Collaborative , the workgroup is now introducing the All-Staff...

Since 2021, Benchmarks has provided consultation and implementation support on the Pathways to Permanency project for Vaya Health, a journey that has seen us navigate through crucial project phases. From the initiation phase, where objectives and stakeholders were identified, to the meticulous planning, execution, and now the sustainability phase, each step has been pivotal in shaping the project's success. As we prepare to transition from implementation support to the sustainability phase,...

In a bid to inspire a sense of adventure and compassion, the Pathways to Permanency project launched its much-anticipated "Adventure Awaits" campaign on January 16th, set to captivate hearts and minds until the end of February. Spanning across Vaya Health's catchment area, county Departments of Social Services, private licensing agencies, and other stakeholders are joining forces in a social media initiative aimed at sparking interest in fostering. The campaign's core message revolves around...