What’s working in family support and strengthening around Washington state? See what parents and providers have to say.
This story was shared by Health and Justice Recovery Alliance in Spokane (personal details have been redacted for confidentiality.)
The family reached out to [HJRA] for rental/utility assistance during assessment family disclosed recent homelessness, active addiction. The father has 10 months clean, is recently employed. The mother was 2 weeks out from due date. The family was in need of assistance to rent an apartment to have a safe home to bring the baby to.
Through our rental/utility assistance program we were able to…cover approximately 6 months of rent. We provided layette sets, diapers, wipes, and other concrete goods to ensure family felt resourced and secure. We provided peer support and in-home visiting support.
Baby was born via c-section. Father sent picture of baby and shared his pride and joy he is experiencing as a first-time father. Father also shared his 10-month coin presented to him by his NA home group. Mother and baby are home now, we are still providing support. Father was able to take time off work to be there in the first few weeks of baby's life and support his wife. If they did not have housing or rental assistance things may have turned out differently for them. It is a beautiful thing to see an Indigenous and LatinX family thriving, fully resourced and parenting in recovery.
Have a story to share? Email it to Joy Lile at strengtheningfamilies@dcyf.wa.gov.
|
Recognizing PMADs: Strengthening Families Washington, at the Department of Children, Youth, and Families, has partnered with Perinatal Support Washington (PS-WA) to update the previously titled brochure Speak Up When You're Down: Recognizing Postpartum Depression. It has been renamed Every Feeling Matters: Supporting families impacted by Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs) and now addresses the spectrum of mood disorders that can impact all parents. You can find a digital copy of the new brochure online. In addition we are working quickly to get these new brochures, available in both English and Spanish, on MyPrint.wa.gov. These will be available to order for free, with a limit of 250 per order.
Register now for the 6th annual Indigenous Children, Youth and Families conference! Free, online, virtual event. Oct. 15-16, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Register at: The Alliance Training Portal.
|
The Importance of Culture in Mental Health Care: An Indigenous Provider's Perspective. Brianna Jacobs, LCMHC, shares her perspective on the importance of integrating cultural practices and beliefs into mental health care for indigenous communities. By incorporating traditional healing practices and recognizing the impact of historical trauma, mental health providers can create a more holistic and effective approach to treatment (watch time 7:19)
Culturally-Informed Approach to Mental Health: Dr. Jessica Dere explains how culture makes a difference when thinking about mental health and mental illness. Across mental health research, clinical care and teaching, there are profound rewards to be had by truly understanding individuals in context (watch time 17:57)
24/7 DAD classes: Designed for men who grew up without father figures and those aspiring to be great dads, this comprehensive course equips you with essential parenting and relationship skills. Live in Spokane or virtual. Presented by Spokane Fatherhood Initiative. Starting Tuesday, Sept. 2.
Four Directions Recovery Conference: Representatives of Tribal Nations in the Pacific Northwest have come together to plan this important conference, with the aim of Honoring the Past and Protecting the Future through holistic health, wellness, and recovery support. Monday, Sept. 8, through Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Location: Suquamish Clearwater Casino Resort, Suquamish, WA. Register by Sept. 2.
Moving from Trauma Informed to Healing Centered Practices: Healing-centered practices help the body and brain return to a balanced, restorative, or high-performance state after stress. This course will be held live over Zoom on: Tuesday Sept. 9 and 16 from 9 a.m. to noon. $175
The Steven Williams Memorial – Fathers United Weekend: “As we have worked towards recovery with our own kids, we have learned a lot about systems navigation, IEPs, parenting techniques, de-escalation, reward systems, sibling issues, etc. and we simply want to pay it forward.” Register here for Sept. 12 – 14, Sound View Camp and Retreat Center, Longbranch WA. $35.
Rooted and Resilient: a 6-week emotion regulation group for parents, from Dads Move. Tue Sept. 23 5 p.m. - Tue Oct. 28 6:30 p.m.
Home Visitors’ DV Assessment and Response Training. Even if you have experience and a lot to offer, it can still be tough to get a conversation started or to know what to say when someone shares their experience of abuse. This training will give you practical tools to help you help your clients. Sept. 29 and 30 or Oct. 17.
2025 Prenatal-to-3 Research to Policy Summit: In just 90 minutes, catch up on which states did the most in 2025 to support young children and their families and so much more. Join the annual Prenatal-to-3 Research to Policy Summit on Tuesday, Sept. 30 from 1-2:30 p.m. CT.
Washington Association for the Education of Young Children (WAEYC) Conference: Oct. 15-18, South Seattle College, Seattle. More information on the WAEYC website.
School’s Out Washington’s Bridge Conference: School’s Out Washington’s annual Bridge Conference is a two-day convening focused professional growth, celebration, and advocacy within and for Washington state’s youth development field and communities. Oct. 27-28, Meydenbauer Center, Bellevue, WA.
Risk and Protection Profiles for Substance Abuse Prevention for Washington State and its Communities (CORE): The JULY 2025 Community Risk Profiles are a comprehensive collection of social indicators relevant to a broad range of problem behaviors among adolescents and adults, such as substance use and child welfare entry.
Improving Recruitment and Uptake for Home Visiting Services: A new report from Child Trends shares the results of an evidence review—funded by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation—on ways to improve recruitment and uptake for home visiting services.
Centering Fathers to Advance Justice with Carol Mitchell from Community In-Site. Carol is a seasoned attorney, social justice advocate, and founder of the Institute for Black Justice (IBJ), a DCYF Prevention Partner.
MyWABenefits: All Your Washington Benefits Now in One Place. The MyWABenefits platform launched in early June. The goal is to provide clarity about application for benefits, easily navigate the process, and receive benefits, including child care subsidy copays.
The Department of Commerce 2025-2027 Early Learning Facilities Grant: The Early Learning Facilities (ELF) Grant helps ECEAP and Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) providers expand, remodel, purchase, or construct early learning facilities or classrooms to support children from low-income homes. Licensed facility projects must add capacity to ECEAP and WCCC programs. The application opens Sept. 1.
Multifamily affordable housing funding notices are live! Our state and federal Notices of Funding Availability (NOFA) are live! This year, MHU intends to disperse $212.4 million in awards to support people in Washington experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity.
|
