What they reported doing
- #1 primary $876KSTATEWIDE YOUTH SUPPORT & ADVOCACY - PROVIDE PEER SUPPORT AND ADVOCACY THRU ESTABLISHED INFRASTRUCTURE AND SYSTEMS TO INFUSE YOUTH VOICE, CHOICE AND INVOLVEMENT INTO ORGANIZATION, GOVERNMENT UNITS AND ENCOURAGE YOUTH PEER WORKFORCE.
- #2 $665KFAMILY PEER SUPPORT INFASTRUCTURE - PROVIDE PEER SUPPORT THRU DEVELOPING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES THAT PROMOTE THE VOICE OF PARENTS THROUGHOUT THE CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM.
What they call their work
What they do
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Policy Advocacy & Research 1 activity
- Advocacy for youth and family policy changeAdvocates at state and national levels to embed youth and family voices in policy and systems change, promoting equity, inclusion, wellness, and empowerment. Organizes impacted families and youth to advance policy reform and issues formal memoranda of support for aligned legislation.
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Outpatient Mental Health Clinic Services 1 activity
- Behavioral health service navigationProvides support and guidance through Regional Parent Advisors and Youth Partners to help families access and understand Medicaid-covered Children and Family Treatment and Support Services (CFTSS) for youth mental health and substance use needs.
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Child Welfare Professional Training & Capacity Building 1 activity
- Capacity building for family peer servicesDevelops policies, procedures, and infrastructure to institutionalize family peer support across child welfare systems, focusing on fiscal management, implementation, evaluation, and technology-based service delivery.
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School-Based Mental Health and Family Support 1 activity
- Family and youth peer support programsOperates Family Peer Support and Youth Peer Support programs, including the Youth Power! network, to assist families and youth with emotional, behavioral, and mental health needs in navigating child-serving systems. Provides peer advocacy, supervision, and workforce development for family and youth peer advocates.
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Community Resource Navigation and Support Services 1 activity
- Information and referral services for familiesOperates a toll-free Information and Referral Line and provides online tools to connect families and service providers with local resources, programs, and support services tailored to children's needs and life circumstances.
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Mental Health Education and Awareness 1 activity
- Public awareness and media outreachConducts public awareness activities on children's mental health through media outreach, special events, publications, and webinars to educate families and youth about behavioral health services and system navigation.
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Program Evaluation and Impact Research 1 activity
- Research and feedback collectionConducts surveys and collects feedback from families on their experiences with telehealth-delivered Family Peer Support Services during the pandemic to inform service improvement.
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Parent-Led Education Advocacy 1 activity
- Statewide family engagement and advisory initiativesRecruits parents and caregivers with lived experience to serve on the Statewide Family Advisory Board and hires regional parent advisors to inform policy, service design, and family support across New York State.
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Parenting Education and Support Programs 1 activity
- Training and technical assistance for family and youth advocatesConducts monthly technical assistance training for Family Peer Advocates and offers evidence-based training materials, workshops, and in-person Dadvocating training to strengthen parenting skills, caregiver-child connection, and advocacy capacity.
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Uncategorized 2 activities
- Organizing family and youth eventsHosts an annual conference, legislative luncheon, virtual townhalls, and a statewide virtual resource and job fair to connect families with services, employment, training, and policymakers.
- Resource development and disseminationProduces and distributes educational materials, toolkits, brochures, and online resources in English and Spanish on topics including family peer support, youth empowerment, positive parenting, digital habits, and youth justice to support families of children with multiple needs.
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Who runs it
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| PAIGE A PIERCE | CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER | 34 | $233K |
| DAPHNNE BROWN | DEPUTY DIRECTOR | 34 | $126K |
| YVETTE MCINTOSH-SAUER | DIRECTOR OF FINANCE | 34 | $125K |
- BETH HURNY-FRICANO — VICE PRESIDENT
- BOB IRELAND — DIRECTOR
- BUFFY MARCIL — SECRETARY
- CHUCK ALLEN — TREASURER
- DARIUS SHAHINFAR — DIRECTOR
- DON LASH — DIRECTOR
- GERALDINE BURTON — PRESIDENT
- ISAIAH SANTIAGO — DIRECTOR
- KASHA MORGAN — DIRECTOR
- KIMBERLY KADZIOLKA — DIRECTOR
- SHANNON SHWARBERG — DIRECTOR
- TAYLOR GOHKLE — DIRECTOR
Who they work with
- ABVI Goodwill of Finger Lakes Partner — Partners with ABVI Goodwill of Finger Lakes to coordinate transportation and outreach in the Rochester area.
- CTAC NY Partner — Collaborates with CTAC NY, as indicated by co-branding on resource materials.
- Child and Family Treatment Coverage Coalition — Supports legislation to expand commercial insurance coverage for behavioral health services to match Medicaid benefits
- DOCCS Government — Partners with DOCCS, which manages Adolescent Offender facilities with enhanced security in collaboration with OCFS.
- Daniel’s Law Coalition — Supports legislation to create non-police mental health crisis response teams
- Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) Government — Collaborates with DCJS Commissioner Rossana Rosado in hosting juvenile justice townhalls.
- FPA Partner — Collaborates with Family Peer Advocates in delivering training and support services.
- Family Resource Network Partner — Works with Family Resource Network to organize participation and transportation from the Southern Tier region.
- Family Run Executive Director Leadership Association (FREDLA) Network — Connects as a member organization supporting leadership development and effective stewardship within family-run behavioral health organizations.
- Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health Network — Became an official state organization affiliate in November 1995.
- LIFT Partner — Collaborates with LIFT on organizing transportation and outreach for Family Empowerment Day in Long Island.
- Maternal Health, Dignity, and Consent Act Coalition — Supports legislation requiring informed consent for drug or alcohol testing of pregnant and postpartum individuals and newborns
- Mental Health Association in NYS, Inc. Partner — Received initial grant funding through MHANYS to form the Parent Support Network and operated under its support for two years.
- NYS Office of Children and Families Government — Collaborates with OCFS, which licenses and operates juvenile justice facilities for youth processed in Family Court.
- NYS Office of Mental Health Partner — Collaborates with Families Together in New York State to co-lead the Statewide Family Advisory Board and integrate parent voice into mental health systems change.
- National Center for Mental Health Services Funder — Awarded a three-year grant to develop a statewide, parent-run nonprofit organization.
- National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health Network — Partners as a national network advancing family-driven support and advocacy for children's mental health, aligning with shared mission and values.
- National Rehabilitation Center for Independent Living (NRCIL) Partner — Partners with NRCIL to coordinate regional bus transportation and participation from Central New York.
- New York State Government — Collaborates with New York State agencies to connect families with services
- New York State Office of Mental Health Government — Collaborated with OMH on hiring regional parent advisors and developing individualized care approaches for children and families.
- Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) Government — Collaborates with OASAS Commissioner Chinazo Cunningham in hosting mental health and addiction recovery townhalls.
- Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) Government — Collaborates with OCFS Commissioner Gail Geohagen-Pratt in hosting child welfare townhalls.
- Office of Mental Health Government — Collaborates with the New York State Office of Mental Health to provide information on behavioral health services for youth and families.
- Office of Mental Health (OMH) Government — Collaborates with OMH Commissioner Anne Sullivan in hosting mental health and addiction recovery townhalls.
- Policymakers Partner — Engages policymakers through advocacy initiatives such as the annual legislative luncheon to inform policy decisions.
- Right to Remain Silent Act Coalition — Supports legislation to guarantee legal counsel for youth under 18 before police interrogation
- Schools Partner — Collaborates with schools to support families in accessing necessary services for children.
- Service Providers Partner — Works with service providers to connect families with needed services and provide technical assistance.
- Solutions Not Suspensions Act Coalition — Supports legislation to promote positive school discipline and restrict exclusionary practices like long-term suspensions
- State Commission of Correction Government — Works with the State Commission of Correction in certifying and regulating secure juvenile detention centers for older youth.
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Culturally Responsive, Family-Driven Service Designmethodology: culturally_responsive_parent_advocacyBy integrating family culture, identity, and real-life barriers into care planning and feedback processes, we improve service effectiveness and equity because culturally grounded approaches increase relevance, trust, and family ownership of outcomes.
- Family and Youth Voice-Centered Systems Changemethodology: family_voice_in_policyBy centering the lived experience of families and youth in policy and systems design, we produce more equitable, inclusive, and effective child and family services because authentic representation leads to better alignment with community needs and sustainable reform.
- Peer Advocacy and Support Grounded in Lived Experiencemethodology: family_peer_advocacyBy training and deploying family and youth peer advocates with lived experience, we increase engagement, resilience, and systems navigation for families and youth because shared experience builds trust, reduces stigma, and strengthens self-advocacy.