Informing audiences far and wide

At LaSalle School, the simplicity of De La Salle’s mission and the difficulties experienced by children and families are continually woven together to develop the best possible intervention and treatment plans for successful futures and outcomes. Now underway are several activities designed to disseminate information about how trauma treatment and research is carried out at LaSalle in thoughtful and meaningful ways. Each presentation or activity builds on the receding one obtaining insightful evaluations to strengthen delivery.

On March 16th, board members heard from staff key to supporting and training direct care and clinical personnel on the front lines of program delivery. Staff including Troy Kennedy, chief of direct care training at LaSalle, Dave Wallace, LaSalle’s clinical director, Ms. Dina McManus, LaSalle’s associate clinical director, and Camela Steinke Ph.D, LaSalle’s program assessment and effectiveness research specialist described how brain science and adverse childhood  experiences (ACEs) are used in LaSalle’s programming on a daily basis. Board members engaged in a Q&A that concluded with many craving to learn more.

Jennifer Jones, the director of child and family systems innovation for the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities and at Lasalle to conduct a two-day ‘Change in Mind’ site visit, described for board members how Lasallian mission guides trauma informed practice and research Affirmative, layered, sustained activity and messaging builds momentum brain science and its impact on residential treatment for youth is slowly but surely changing the ways agencies deliver treatment in the U.S. and Canada. A key responsibility of Ms. Jones’ position is to manage the three-year ‘Change in Mind’ grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation whose goal it is to infuse, align, and accelerate brain research into nonprofit agency practice, policy, and systems.

On March 29th, LaSalle’s Dr. Steinke and Ms. McManus delivered a presentation entitled Who’s Helping the Helpers? Taking Trauma Informed Care to the Next Level to Support Staff Through Vicarious Trauma to 100+ attendees at the 60th annual conference of Association of Children’s Residential Centers (ACRC) in Chicago, Illinois.

LaSalle School is a leader in programs and services for youth and families in crisis offering a variety of programs designed to meet their needs including specialized residential placement, day service education, and alternative to detention services. The Counseling Center at LaSalle is an OMH and OASAS licensed outpatient behavioral health clinic located at LaSalle School, and currently implementing ACE treatment practices with youth and families. LaSalle is accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA), and affiliated with the Council of Family and Child Caring Agencies (COFCCA), and the national Alliance for Strong Families and Communities. LaSalle is a member of The New York State Coalition of 853 Schools.