Quarterly newsletter, Aug. 2012

Governor's Office for
Children and Families

QUARTER 1 AUGUST 2012

Meet Our Staff
Katie Jo Ballard
Executive Director
Cora Alexander
Family Support Grants Specialist
Thorne Brown
Finance Director
Dahlia Bell Brown
Acting Family Violence Administrator
Hayley Howell
Deputy Finance Director
Heather McDaniel
Youth Development Division Administrator
Quincie McKibben
Family Violence Grants Specialist
Keith Parkhouse
Juvenile Justice Detention Monitor
Alicia Parks
Abstinence Grants Specialist
Ann Pope
Family Violence Grants Specialist
Helena Schneider
Administrative Assistant
Carole Steele
Prevention and Family Support Division
Administrator
Joe Vignati
Justice Division Administrator

Quarterly Newsletter

GA's First Lady Visits Sites Around the State with GOCF Executive Director

Georgia's First Lady and GOCF Advisory Board Chair, Sandra Deal, and the GOCF Executive Director, Katie Jo Ballard, recently traveled across the state and visited schools and domestic violence shelters. During her trip she met with the many Georgian workers who run the programs to keep residents safe and build stronger communities. She was also the keynote speaker honoring 40 students from Cairo High School. The awards went to the top 10 students from each grade.
Don't Forget to Join GOCF on Facebook!
The Governor's Office for Children and Families invites you to like us on Facebook! Stay current on GOCF grant opportunities and awards, training and event announcements, and grantee news through our Facebook page. You can also view photos of our most recent community events and trainings.
Click here to connect with us on Facebook!

DATES TO REMEMBER:
Program Sustainability WorkshopAug. 17
Basic Practices In Youth Development TrainingSept 13 Hearts for Families: Leadership Presentation Sept. 14
GOCF Advisory Board Members
First Lady, Sandra Deal, Chair
Judge Steve Teske, Vice Chair

GOCF Thanks Interns for Hard Work and Dedication
The Governor's Office for Children and Families would like to thank our interns for their efforts to assist GOCF in serving Georgia! Our Summer Intern, Lauren Holstein, comes to us after graduating from Berry College with bachelor's degrees in French Language and International Studies. John McGahee, an intern in our Fellowship program, graduated from the University of Georgia with bachelor's degrees in Advertising and English.

Andy Barclay John Bowden Gaylyn Cole Ken Dobbs Rachel Ewald Michelle Girtman Brittany Jean Mika Kawana Shaquita Ogletree Linda Parker
Gene Pope Dan Provence Michele Smith Duane Whitley

We Unite and Empower Communities So They Can Unite and Empower Families

We Unite and Empower Communities So They Can Unite and Empower Families

QUARTER 1: PAGE 2

Thorne Brown Promoted to Financial Director for GOCF
The GOCF family would like to congratulate Thorne Brown on his new position as Financial Director. After graduating from the University of Georgia with a bachelor's degree in Finance he joined GOCF in October 2011, Thorne has worked as a Finance Officer for the Family Violence and Youth Development divisions.
GOCF Releases Statewide Assessment of Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC) in Georgia's Juvenile System
In cooperation with the University of Georgia's Carl Vinson Institute of Government, GOCF commissioned a study of Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC) in the state's juvenile system. In addition to examining possible causes of disproportionality, the Assessment also provides policy recommendations as well as future areas for study. A copy of the full report can be found athttp://children.georgia.gov/sites/children.georgia.gov/files/Assessment.pdf
Recent GOCF Funding News
The Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) Community-Based Grant Applications are Under Review
On June 6, 2012 the new RFP for the FVPSA Community-Based Grant Program was released and applications were due on July 16th. The grant review was conducted during the first week of August, and final award decisions will be made within the next few weeks. All applicants will be notified by the beginning of September 2012.

GOCF Secures $1.4 Million in Federal Awards for Local Juvenile Justice Programming
In June, the US Department of Justice reviewed and approved GOCF's multi-year plan and granted funds to the state from their Juvenile Justice and Juvenile Accountability Block Grant Programs totaling approximately $1.4 M.
GOCF passes over 90% of these federal funds through to local communities to implement prevention and intervention strategies for the purpose of meeting the needs of children and families involved in Georgia's juvenile justice system.
"These funds are used to support Governor Deal's goal of increasing public safety through a more effective corrections system," according to Katie Jo Ballard, Executive Director.
GOCF Awards over $393,000 in New Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Grants
GOCF recently awarded three (3) new Direct Services grants for child abuse and neglect prevention. The Prevention and Family Support Division will administer the grant awards which totaled $393,656 with priority funding for rural counties. The new grantees and the target counties include Georgia State University (Polk and Haralson counties), Twin Cedars Youth and Family Services, Inc. (Meriwether and Heard counties) and Dougherty County Family Literacy Council, Inc.

We Unite and Empower Communities So They Can Unite and Empower Families

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CSEC Task Force Meeting Outlines New Structure
The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) Task Force meeting on July 11, 2012 had a range of topics from legislative changes to restructuring the task force itself. Along with the future changes, Heather McDaniel, GOCF Administrator for Youth Development, recognized and congratulated the Task Force for all they have accomplished since their formation in 2008. It was presented to the Task Force that in the future, the CSEC Task Force will have lead agencies representing different sectors, such as Law Enforcement, Business, or Civic. The CSEC Task Force will also re-structure and adopt tiered membership, with a partner level, and affiliate level, and a public level.
Recent GOCF Conference
2012 Youth Summit Gives Attendees Advice for Future Success
This year's youth summit Livin' Loud: Find Your Voice encouraged youth development through empowerment. GOCF hosted this annual event in which nearly 1,000 youth from across the State gathered in Macon, GA for an entertaining and educational event with national speakers who discussed different positive youth development topics. Throughout the day, presentations and activities by motivational speakers and youth programs excited young people about their power to achieve future goals by making healthy decisions today, such as abstaining from sexual activity, drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and other substances, and the value of education and self respect.
Upcoming GOCF Conference
GOCF Prepares for the Georgia Symposium on Sexual Violence
The Georgia Symposium on Sexual Violence will bring together experts and stakeholders in the field of sexual violence to learn about prevention and intervention strategies for sexual violence, including strategies for and training on identifying special target and underserved populations, engaging males, building capacity for effective response and raising the level of awareness for the issue. This Symposium is a collaborative partnership between the Governor's Office for Children and Families (GOCF), the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) and the Georgia Network to End Sexual Assault (GNESA). Suggested attendees include, but are not limited to the following: sexual assault programs, domestic violence programs, law enforcement, Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANEs), Sexual Assault Response Teams (SARTs), public health professionals, child welfare personnel, child advocacy centers, education professionals, and students and faculty of higher education institutions.
The Symposium will take place on October 15-16, 2012 at the Atlanta Marriott Century Center located at 2000 Century Boulevard NE, Atlanta, GA 30345. The registration fee for the Symposium is $95. For those Symposium attendees who wish to stay overnight at the Atlanta Marriott, a block of rooms has been reserved for attendees at a discounted rate of $104 a night for October 14-16th. To make a reservation, please call 1-800-228-9290 and request the room rate for "The Georgia Symposium on Sexual Violence". To register for the Symposium, please use the following link:
http://www.gnesa.org/training

We Unite and Empower Communities So They Can Unite and Empower Families

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Trainings and Workshops Offered by GOCF
Online Training For New Mandated Reporters
In the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child abuse scandal, many states, including Georgia, have expanded their Mandated Reporter Laws to include coaches and volunteers that come in contact with children. This new law became effective on July 1st. As this law expands, the need for employees and volunteers to be able to recognize and report any type of child abuse grows. The GOCF sponsors a free, online training course, provided through ProSolutions Training, that details the law and its recent changes, discusses warning signs that can indicate if a child is being abused or neglected, and explains your role in reporting suspected child abuse. The hour long course can be accessed through the below link.
https://www.gocftrainingonline.com/
Program Sustainability Workshop
GOCF and Hearts for Families has put together this presentation to outline several key steps designed to enhance your program's sustainability even after Federal and other funding has ended. These involve strengthening your program and staff, redefining your program's service scope, and using sound business practices to effectively market your organizations brand. This workshop will take place on August 17, 2012. For more information and registration, follow the link: Info and Registration
Best Practices in Youth Development
This training will address evidence-based areas of high quality programs including a positive youth development approach, enrichment opportunities, and positive relationships. Together, these elements foster the "five C's" that are the critical measures of successful outcomes in children and youth: competence, connection, character, confidence, and caring. This training will take place on September 13, 2012 at the Clarence Brown Conference Center, Cartersville. For more information and registration, follow the link: Info and Registration
The Critical Chain: Leaders Who Influence Sustainability
This leadership presentation will walk participants through the fundamentals of building relationships in order to build infrastructure and help ensure sustainability of an organization. Several key steps are outlined in this back-to-basics training to assist leaders with refocusing energy on vision and vitality in the midst of changing funding sources and ever changing expectations. This workshop will be free for all GOCF grantees on September 14, 2012. For more information and registration, follow the link: Info and Registration
Become a Master Motivator
In this interactive workshop, participants will explore theories of motivation and how they play out among staff and youth; look at factors that can motivate or, unfortunately, demotivate; and work on developing skills to help tap into this resource and turn it into positive employee performance and youth achievement. Participants will also explore managing from a strengths-based perspective and how to communicate in a motivating way. This training will take place on September 27, 2012 at the Rainwater Conference Center, Valdosta. For more information and registration, follow the link. Info and Registration

To view all upcoming trainings and conferences that GOCF is currently sponsoring, click here or visit www.children.ga.gov and visit the training section.