The Agency Engages Victory Search Group to Find Next Generation of Leadership to Follow in Flink’s Footsteps

DALLAS (January 21, 2021)—Dallas-based family violence non-profit agency, The Family Place, is sending out a bittersweet announcement that current CEO Paige Flink, who has been with the organization in various leadership positions since 1991, is retiring in 2021 after helping to transition the new CEO. The Family Place, the largest family violence service provider in Texas, has hired Victory Search Group to lead the regional search for its next CEO to take The Family Place into the next chapter.

“Over the last 30 years, Paige has been instrumental in educating and changing public perception, including the North Texas community’s response to family violence,” shared The Family Place Board President Harold Ginsburg. “When she started with the organization, The Family Place had 38 employees and four facilities. Today it has more than 200 employees and eight facilities. She’s grown this organization into a national model, always putting the client first.”

During her time as CEO of The Family Place, Flink has created a fiscally sound organization through unique fundraisers such as Pepsi KidAround, Palm Night, and The Family Place Partners Card, which raises over a million dollars annually. Under Flink’s leadership, The Family Place has grown from an emergency shelter with 40 beds and one counseling office to three shelters providing 177 shelter beds each night—including the only shelter for men and children in the state—and three counseling offices in Dallas and Collin Counties. She led the organization as it built two state-of-the-art facilities and added innovative programming to meet client needs. After Faith and Liberty Battaglia were killed by their father during an unsupervised visitation in 2001, Flink led the charge to open Faith and Liberty’s Place Family Center. This program provided court-ordered supervised visitation and monitored exchange to prevent such tragedies. More recently, Flink has worked to coordinate shelter services with new technology that provides a real-time bed count to better serve clients seeking shelter.

“I’m excited about what The Family Place is going to do in the decades to come with the next generation of leadership in place,” Flink shared. “I’ve loved this job. I’ve worn a lot of hats in my life, but the one I’ve worn best is being an advocate for victims of domestic violence.”

In 2020, Flink won the D CEO award for Nonprofit Leadership Excellence and was honored in the Dallas Business Journal’s 2020 Women in Business awards program. She has received local and national recognition for her work on behalf of victims, including the Peace Award from the Sunshine Lady Foundation, the Women’s Advocacy Award from Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas, the Texas Women’s Foundation Maura Award, and the Mosaic Family Services Champion of Human Rights.

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On June 25, 2020, The Family Place will celebrate the opening of its new Southern Dallas Counseling Center with a virtual dedication on Facebook Live at 11 a.m. This new, expanded office will provide counseling and case management service to victims of family violence in Southern Dallas. The Family Place has had an outreach office in Southern Dallas since 1997 to bring counseling and support to victims living there who have transportation and other barriers to accessing services.

 

The Southern Dallas Counseling Center will also be home to The Family Place’s new African American Domestic Violence Council (AADVC). The AADVC was established to address the high rate of domestic violence homicides among African American women in Dallas County.

 

The office dedication will include brief messages from The Family Place CEO Paige Flink and Dallas City Council Member Tennell Atkins. Theresa Little, Community Outreach Advocate at The Family Place, will also moderate a discussion with AADVC members Torrey Carroll, Founder of TNC Psychotherapy, and Maggie Cathcart, CFO/Owner of Performance Masters Career Institute. The ceremony will conclude with a blessing of the building from Pastor Bryan Carter of Concord Baptist Church and closing remarks from The Family Place Board Member Delia Jasso.

 

“At The Family Place we understand that victims of domestic violence need programs that are designed specifically for their cultural and community needs” says Flink. “Being able to expand our offices to meet the growing demand for help in an area that to date has been a ‘social services desert’ makes this an exciting day!”

 

The Family Place’s Southern Dallas Counseling Center was furnished thanks to a generous donation from Texas Capital Bank. The artwork throughout the facility was donated by local artists including The Family Place Board Member Deborah Alves, Ari Brielle, Bob Campbell, Linda Clary, Suedabeh Ewing and Kimberly Kort.

With the high reports of domestic violence during shelter-at-home orders, the resources The Family Place provides are more important than ever. A recent study led by researchers at The University of Texas at Dallas found that domestic violence incidents increased 12.5% with the shelter-at-home orders. The Family Place’s new larger office space in Southern Dallas will allow case managers and counselors to see more clients and provide expanded space for support groups and community education meetings.

Faith and Liberty Battaglia were tragically killed by their father in 2001 as their mother listened through the phone. To honor their lives, The Family Place created Faith and Liberty’s Place in 2003.

Faith and Liberty’s Place (FLP) is a safe, neutral environment for supervised visitations or monitored parent exchanges. Parents’ issues stemming from domestic violence, such as divorce or custody battles, often get in the way of a child’s safety. FLP prioritizes the safety of both children and parents to prevent any abusive behavior.

Most FLP clients are court referrals due to a history of family violence. While clients must reside in Dallas county, they do not have to be clients of The Family Place. FLP is one of the only visitation sites that is free for clients, allowing non-custodial parents to spend time with their children without any financial burdens.

The visiting and custodial parents park in separate parking lots, enter through separate entrances and arrive at different times to keep both parties safe from interacting with their partner. When the custodial parent arrives, he or she leaves the children with an FLP staff member to facilitate the visit. Once the supervised visitation concludes, the custodial parent leaves with the children and the visiting parent must wait an additional 30 minutes before leaving the premises.

In one day, there can be roughly five to six clients that use FLP for visits. Our sight supervisor, Ja’Sprie Mickens, ensures that all visitations run smoothly for our clients since the site consistently operates at capacity. With a CPS background, Ja’Sprie has always prioritized children’s safety and is glad to work more closely with families.

“My goal is to always put the child first. These children do not deserve to be caught up in grown up situations that are out of their control,” says Ja’Sprie.

Clients are so appreciative of FLP because it allows children to maintain relationships with both parents while preventing any further conflict from arising. This one-on-one supervision of visits by an FLP staff member allows families to get the most out of their time together. In providing a safe space for visits and exchanges, we can continue to make Dallas a safer community. 

The Family Place is the first responder when a victim of family violence needs shelter. 

What if your home was not a safe place? What if sheltering at home was the most dangerous place you could be? We've received calls from people being locked in rooms or stuck inside with their abuser because he's afraid she will contract COVID-19 if she leaves the house. Stress and financial struggles are also known to trigger abuse.

This is what many people in abusive situations are currently facing. Records show that domestic violence hotline calls have increased in the midst of COVID-19, and we have already seen that to be true.
 
The Family Place is here to serve and provide resources for those in need. We continue to take clients in our emergency shelters regardless of their symptoms. Once housed we take steps to get them testing if appropriate, medical care if needed, and isolation if necessary.
 
In critical times, we are encouraged by how our community comes together to support one another. We need your financial support as we continue to provide safety and healing to victims of family violence. 

Please make a donation today so we can continue to provide life-saving services to anyone who needs them.

Thank you for your support of The Family Place,
 
Paige Flink, CEO
 
P.S. For more insight on how were our helping our community during this time, read this interview on WFAA Channel 8. 

At The Family Place, we offer a variety of services and programs for survivors of family violence to equip them with the necessary means and tools to get back on their feet and start a new, better life.

Dignity at Work (DAW) is our job readiness program that helps clients obtain the necessary education, tools and resources to find employment and start building a sense of stability in their lives. Clients can participate in individual or group classes where they learn interviewing tips, how to avoid employment scams and participate in mock interviews.

Dignity at Work seeks to reduce barriers to employment by providing scholarship opportunities, transportation, educational resources, and hosting on-site career fairs. [Clients may also receive clothing vouchers, gas vouchers and bus passes as needed.] Dignity at Work also offers financial education for clients to learn how to manage money effectively and ultimately become financially independent.

Most importantly, Dignity at Work helps clients recognize and develop their unique skills, so they feel confident when applying for jobs. This program does not just help clients get a job but equips them with the with the tools and education to sustain long-term success.

Bridget Smith is our Employment Specialist who works directly with clients to create individualized plans for success. Bridget must cultivate relationships with prospective employers across many industries to create opportunities for clients. She also helps coordinate resource fairs and career fairs. If the career fair is not at The Family Place, she will accompany clients to the fair. She is currently working on an apprenticeship program to provide another path of employment for clients. With so many opportunities, clients can find a position that suites their needs and skillset.

As Bridget says, “the Dignity at Work program is different from any other program you will find in the community. The program is designed to meet the client where they are and build from there.”

Many of our clients have gone on and succeeded in numerous positions as educators, administrative assistants, real estate agents and entrepreneurs. With Dignity at Work, victims of family violence have access to more job opportunities and are empowered to confidently start their new life as a survivor.

DALLAS (February 5, 2020) - Dallas based family violence agency, The Family Place, is pleased to announce the 14th Annual FORE! Golf & Tennis Tournament will be held on Monday, April 6 at Lakewood Country Club. This year’s Golf Chair is Kerry Cole and the Tennis Chair is Sally Giddens Stephenson.

Kerry Cole is the President of the Energy Equipment Segment at Arcosa, Inc.  Arcosa, Inc., headquartered in Dallas, Texas, is a growth-oriented provider of infrastructure-related products and solutions with leading positions in construction, energy, and transportation markets.

Kerry was the President of Trinity Electrical Products until the time of the Arcosa spin-off. Prior to this, he was President of Trinity Structural Towers, Trinity Mining Equipment, Trinity Heads, and Trinity Structural Bridge business units along with other various leadership positions since joining Trinity Industries, Inc., in 2000. Kerry has over 29 years of experience in manufacturing organizations.

Kerry earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Central Florida.  He and his wife Kellie have three children and reside in Southlake. He is on the Board of Directors of The Family Place. 

Sally Giddens Stephenson is the Principal of L+S Creative Group, a full-service branding, graphic design, marketing and advertising firm that works with startups and established businesses to provide cost-conscious, comprehensive branding and ongoing support.

Sally is a former journalist with more than 28 years of experience. She started at The Dallas Morning News and was an associate editor at D Magazine for six years. Sally also worked for The Richards Group before starting her freelance career. She provides branding, marketing, creative concepts and copywriting. As a media strategist, she crafts storylines to maximize publicity or minimize exposure. 

Sally is a prolific ghostwriter who has written 22 books for experts from various backgrounds and spends much of her time assisting nonprofits helping those in need. 

Sally is a graduate of Vanderbilt University with a Bachelor of Science in English and German. She is an avid tennis player at Lakewood Country Club and is a proud grandmother. 

FORE! Golf & Tennis Tournament will return to Lakewood Country Club and bring together loyal corporate partners, community members and donors for a fun day to benefit a critical mission. The golf tournament begins with a player check-in at 9:00 am and a shotgun start at 10:00 am. The round robin tennis tournament begins with the player check-in at 9:30 am, and the doubles tournament will start at 10:00 am.  Following the tournaments, guests will enjoy a cocktail hour and a try their luck at a Prize Pull.

For tickets and sponsorships, click here or contact Mary Catherine Benavides at  mcbenavides@familyplace.org or 214-443-7770.

Media Contact: Allie Lesiuk
SMPR
allie@strausspr.com
214-352-6700

 

The Family Place to Break Ground on Ann Moody Place
Dallas-Based Domestic Violence Prevention Agency Celebrates
Its New Central Dallas Counseling Center With
Ground Breaking Ceremony 

 

 

 

 

Representatives from Top Donors to the Legacy Campaign
Stephanie Bernal, Kaleta Doolin, Lynn McBee, Francie Moody- Dahlberg, Paige Flink, Sarah Losinger, Susan Farris, T. Hardie

 

 

[Dallas, TX – May TK, 2016] – On Tuesday, May 17^th The Family Place will host a ground breaking ceremony for its new facility, Ann Moody Place, projected to open in Spring 2017. Among those who will be in attendance are current and past board members of The Family Place, donors to the current capital campaign, board members of Partners Auxiliary, members of SafeKeepers Giving Society, local city council members, representatives from the District Attorney’s office and the Mayor’s office, first ladies of area churches, doctors and administrators from area hospitals, financers of the facility, and The Family Place staff.

“Breaking ground on the Ann Moody Place is a milestone for The Family Place,” says Paige Flink, Executive Director [rst1] at The Family Place. “We’re looking forward to celebrating with everyone who has made this new facility possible. The Ann Moody Place will provide domestic violence victims with additional shelter and programs that we have not been able to provide to them before, many of which are the first of its kind in the country.”

The ceremony will begin at 11:30 a.m. with lunch provided by Ruthie’s Rolling Cafe, with speeches commencing at 12 p.m. Mike Coffey, Board President of The Family Place, will welcome all attendees to the ceremony, followed by speeches from various attendees instrumental in[rst2]  the center. The event will conclude with speakers participating in the symbolic dirt digging ceremony to commemorate the breaking of ground on the Ann Moody Place. The speakers will give remarks in the following order:

Welcome
Mike Coffey
Board President, The Family Place 

Invocation
Minister Cathy Moffitt, Heartfelt International Ministries

Remarks
Paige Flink
CEO, The Family Place

Lynn McBee
Foundation Board President, The Family Place

Frances Moody Dahlberg
Trustee & Executive Director, The Moody Foundation

Councilman Adam Medrano
District 2

Councilwoman Jennifer Gates
District 13, Chair of Domestic Violence Task Force

Todd Nordeen
Senior Vice President, JPMorgan Chase Bank

Ryan Suchala
Dallas Market President, Bank of Texas

Gilbert Gerst
Chairman, Dallas Development Fund
SVP, BOK Financial

Designed by leading architecture and design firm Corgan, The Ann Moody Place will feature: 13 emergency shelter bedrooms, housing up to 30 victims whom are in grave danger; a centralized hotline/call center to efficiently place clients in shelter or counseling throughout the city; an on-site kennel for beloved family pets that might prevent victims from fleeing to safety without them; specially designed play therapy rooms with observation areas and multiple activity rooms where children can receive the counseling they need; multipurpose spaces for job training to help clients increase their financial security and serve our youth violence education prevention program to prevent future victimization; a medical and dental clinic where residents and medical students from U.T. Southwestern Medical School, Parkland, and local dentists and doctors, can provide free medical and dental services to clients and their children; and finally, multiple private and group counseling rooms for victims to receive support to break the cycle of violence.

The Ann Moody Place is located in Dallas, TX. For more information about the Ann Moody Place or The Family Place, please visit https://familyplace.org

ABOUT THE FAMILY PLACE

The Family Place is one of the first family violence service providers in the state with a mission to eliminate family violence through intervention and proactive prevention, extensive community education, and advocacy and assistance for victims and their families. The Family Place now provides the largest number of victim services for in the State of Texas. Since 1978, The Family Place has counseled more than 225,000 clients, provided lifesaving shelter to more than 22,000 women, children and men, and answered more than 550,000 calls for help. The Family Place has also helped more than 20,000 batterers learn how to change their abusive behavior. Its youth program, Be Project, reaches approximately 6,000 students each year through youth education programs In 2016, The Family Place will also be the first to open a shelter dedicated to serving the growing need of our male clientele. All the programs are provided in Spanish and in English. For more information, visit  https://familyplace.org

 

Be Project is our domestic violence education program that reaches out to middle school, high school and college students to teach them about healthy relationships. The Be Project’s main goal is to educate students, parents and the community about teen dating violence and domestic violence. Last year, we reached 7,812 students with our programs.

Unfortunately, Dallas has a high domestic violence and teen dating violence rate, so this program is crucial to help end the cycle of domestic violence in our community. Nearly 1 in 3 teens who have been in relationships have experienced serious forms of dating violence or abuse.

Each semester the Be Project educators are assigned four schools to work with as part of a ten-week program. There are roughly 30 to 40 kids per classroom and educators teach multiple classes at each school. Our educators create tailored presentations for every classroom that are relevant to the needs and personalities of the students.
Be Project educators also actively reach out to the community by speaking at school lunches and attending football games.

The key to the program is consistency. Be Project’s curriculum, just like Math or Literature, builds upon the lesson of the previous class to create a solid foundation in helping end the cycle of family violence. An educator missing a class not only throws off the lesson plan, but also the students and the progress that has been made. 
  
“Be Project is here not just to help students, but also to support the community. We are a resource to prevent issues and answer any questions people may have,” says Jackie, one of our educators.

Jackie’s favorite part of being an educator is the relationships she builds with the students. The connections she creates, whether for ten weeks or one day, are incomparable and genuine. As Jackie says, “the youth personally make my day. I can see the kids be themselves and share their intelligent and funny insights in the classroom. The students and I have a reciprocal respect for each other based on shared experiences.”

 The Family Place not only serves the Dallas community, but also helps victims throughout DFW. The Collin County Counseling Center offers a variety of services from domestic violence education programs to parenting classes. These groups provide a supportive, confidential environment for victims of family violence.

Our domestic violence education program follows an 8-week curriculum that educates clients on a variety of topics such as different ways an abusive partner uses power and control, coping skills, and identifying signs of an unhealthy relationship. Our parenting classes follow the Love and Logic framework and help educate mothers on creating caring relationships.

In addition to counselors we have a full-time case manager in Collin County, Ashleigh Hernandez. As a case manager, she stays in constant contact with her clients, reaches out to other organizations for resource and benefit support, and even goes to court a couple of times a week to be their support. On a given day, she can work with anywhere from two to five clients depending on their needs. “What we really do is guide the clients and help them utilize the resources that they have within themselves—their inner-resources. We serve as a catalyst for change and help guide the victims as they grow and develop a new life,” says Ashleigh.

Ashleigh is a “life-line” to her clients. She makes sure they are not isolated and lonely as they try to leave their abuser or overcome the trauma of their situation. She helps these victims get back on their feet and develop skills to become a survivor.

Ashleigh and the rest of our case managers serve as a shoulder to lean on during such a difficult part of their lives and help them start over. 

At The Family Place, Adopt-A-Family is our program to bring holiday cheer to the families in our care. This time of year can be especially difficult for clients in our care. Traditions are left behind, and families are adjusting to a new place they are calling home. Adopt-A-Family allows the holiday season to be filled with hope and love for our clients.  

Adopt-A-Family provides holiday gifts for all of our clients whether they are living in our shelters, transitional housing apartments, or come to us for outside services such as counseling and Dignity at Work classes. With the help of donors, over 300 families ranging from single women and men to parents with six children, are adopted through our program each year.

Families in our care are given the chance to fill out a wish list where they include clothing sizes, number one gifts and other things they wish for during the holidays. We rely on Santa’s little helpers to make sure every family is adopted. Gifts are delivered unwrapped and donors provide wrapping paper, boxes, tape and bows, so the parents can wrap the gifts their children receive and be a part of the smile on their children’s faces.

What makes it all worth it? As Meg Bittner, our Volunteer and In-Kind Donations Manager, says, “Often times, these gifts bring clients to tears because they are so appreciative of the generosity of donors and that their children can receive something for the holidays.”

Clients are truthfully so thankful for their gifts and we are so grateful for the individuals and companies who make Adopt-A-Family possible year after year!

The Family Place, the largest family violence service provider in Texas, is proud to announce a gift of $10,000 for Emergency Shelter Services from the Village Giving Circle Fund at Texas Women’s Foundation.

“We are so grateful to be a recipient of funding from the Village Giving Circle Fund at Texas Women’s Foundation,” said The Family Place CEO Paige Flink. “These funds will help victims of family violence escape grave danger and provide a second chance at building healthy lives for themselves and their children. The Village Giving Circle is elevating awareness of issues that affect African Americans in North Texas. African-American women and their children represent the majority of those we serve and are more likely to experience domestic violence than women of other races/ethnicities, so we especially appreciate the impact these funds will make.”

“The Family Place has a long history of serving the African-American community,” said A. Shonn Brown, Founding Officer and Co-chair. “We’re proud to support its efforts to save lives and change lives for the better.”

Organized in 2017, the mission of The Village Giving Circle at Texas Women’s Foundation is to honor, sustain and expand the legacy of African-American women’s philanthropy by funding organizations and initiatives that positively impact the African-American community in North Texas. The Village was borne out of a desire to harness the collective giving power and influence of African-American women philanthropists, and in recognition of the need to provide opportunities for like-minded African-American women to form connections that enhance their civic leadership activities.

Our Emergency Shelter Services are crucial to keep victims safe as they leave their abusers. We prioritize the client to make sure they feel safe and supported while in our shelter. Across The Family Place’s three shelters we have a total of 177 shelter beds.  

Upon arrival, clients are greeted by a resident advocate who ensures they feel safe and welcome from the moment they come through the doors. Clients are provided three meals a day and have access to a pantry with basic needs. Each victim in our emergency shelter is assigned a case manager who provides resources and day-to-day help.

Once settled in our shelter, clients can participate in different programs within The Family Place. While our top priority for families in our shelter is to provide physical safety and emotional healing, we also have domestic violence education courses, parenting classes and employment classes to help victims get back on their feet and start a new life. An average stay in one of our shelters is around 45 days, but this varies depending on each individual’s situation. 

At our shelters clients have access to childcare, a medical and dental clinic, and we even have an animal kennel for their furry friends. With these services on-site, they do not have to worry about transportation or financial barriers that could prevent them from getting help.

Abby Davis, our Emergency Shelter Services Program Director at Ann Moody Place, oversees the daily operations of the shelter to ensure clients’ needs are being met and case managers have adequate support for their caseloads.

One story that sticks out to Abby is a woman who struggled with immigration issues and had a young son with autism. She had no support from friends and family, but always had a positive attitude and remained patient with her son no matter the circumstance. She was able to get into our transitional housing program and has now moved into her own home to begin her new life.   

“This agency is a blessing for many clients who otherwise would not have the opportunity to be safe and have an undisclosed location with trauma-informed care and educated staff with knowledge of domestic violence and the dynamics of abuse,” says Abby.

Family violence doesn’t take a break, and neither does The Family Place’s 24-hour crisis hotline. In 2018, we received 7,595 emergency hotline calls.

Our hotline counselors are the first voices that domestic violence callers hear when they reach out for help. Counselors listen to callers in order to understand their circumstances and provide the best solution possible.

On average, a hotline counselor may speak with 20 to 25 men or women each day. When someone calls the hotline, the counselors first listen to understand more about the client’s situation. Then the counselors will ask more questions and explain what services and shelter options are available at The Family Place. Most callers are seeking safe shelter and immediate basic needs, as they often leave with nothing but the clothes on their back.

Clients that are considered High Risk (HRO) or are called in by the Dallas Police Department because of a high Lethality Assessment Program (LAP) score always get immediate shelter. These cases typically involve increased risk of deadly situations.

If a client calls and our shelters are full, high risk clients are connected to a Program Director who can help with immediate needs. This might mean clients are referred to another family violence shelter or might lead The Family Place to find a hotel for the victim until we are able to get them into a shelter.

Every call touches the hearts of the hotline counselors, but some stand out more than others. One client called our hotline in a panic because her abuser had shot through the windshield of the car while she was in the passenger seat and her two-year-old daughter was in the back. The mother described how scary it was to witness someone that she thought she loved act out by shooting a gun to scare her. With the help of Tahira, one of our hotline counselors, the mother and children were able get into one of our shelters and utilize The Family Place resources to work through the trauma they experienced.

“The hotline offers emotional support and resources to help individuals with creating effective safety plans and continues to provide a stable anchor for those in the wake of such violence. Along with safe shelter and support, The Family Place is dedicated to help individuals with emotional processing and locating appropriate resources and referrals for recovery,” says Tahira.

The Family Place sets itself apart by offering its services and programs in both English and Spanish. Our bilingual staff are so important because many of our clients speak little to no English. Without bilingual case managers, counselors and support staff, many Spanish-speaking victims of family violence would not receive the proper resources and might not have their voices heard.  We can serve a much larger population by offering services in both English and Spanish and inform victims that there is always help available. With language barriers nearly eliminated, we can serve all people seeking services at The Family Place more effectively.

Ana Auces is a bilingual case manager who works with clients in our Supportive Living Program (SLP). SLP is our transitional housing program that provides 26 on-campus extended-stay apartments to individuals and families coming from one of our emergency shelters. As a case manager, her role is to assist clients with basic needs as well as meeting one-on-one to talk about their specific situation. She serves as a voice for victims during a time of change and transition for the families in our care.

Families that enter SLP are given a furnished apartment that includes bedding, basic food items, pots and pans, plates, utensils, and other necessities to get them started. From then on, clients are responsible for getting food and essentials on their own.

If they are not already working or going to school when entering SLP, clients will actively search for employment or further education opportunities, so they are prepared when they leave. By providing these clients with free housing, they can save money to support themselves and their families when they exit our care.

As Ana says, her goal is to “work together with The Family Place team to place our clients in a community where they feel the most comfortable while preparing them to be independent.” 

The Harold C. Simmons Child Development Center (CDC) at our Safe Campus offers a specialized curriculum for children five and under that have experienced trauma. This curriculum helps kids at the CDC heal and regain any developmental loss. The CDC provides free childcare for women in our shelter so they can go to work, look for jobs and go 

to counseling knowing their child is in good hands.

In recognizing the need for a person dedicated to children’s behavior at the CDC, Gennie Jones joined our team as the Behavior Intervention Specialist (BIS), helping to create positive behavioral change with kids at the CDC.

As a Behavior Intervention Specialist, Gennie’s main role is to assess every child enrolled at the CDC. She conducts a pre-assessment test on the child’s 5^th day and a post-assessment test on their 30^th day, if the child is still in our care. During these assessments, she evaluates communication, problem solving skills and speech to determine if there are any pressing behavioral concerns. She also works closely with the counselors to ensure children in the CDC are receiving the specific care they need.

Every kid reacts to trauma differently, but subtle behaviors cannot go unnoticed. Gennie helps educate The Family Place community—teachers, parents, and staff—about observing important behavioral signs. In identifying these destructive or abnormal behaviors, she helps others understand their importance, making sure the child has support to work on positive behavioral change.

The CDC is always busy with toddlers running around and teachers interacting with their students. Gennie is an additional resource to address behavioral concerns, so they are resolved effectively and efficiently. Her expertise helps kids in the CDC receive individualized help in overcoming their traumatic experiences.

Gennie helps mothers understand that small, abnormal behaviors at a young age need to be dealt with immediately, as there is usually something more behind the behavior.

Her most memorable experience was one mother who knew her child needed outside care due to special needs. Their insurance wouldn’t cover the cost and Gennie was able to work with the community to make sure the child received the best care.

“It is so inspiring to see moms who has been through unimaginable trauma and are working to put themselves back together continue to put her child first and make sure they are getting the care they need,” says Gennie.