CFAR May 2023 Newsletter

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CFAR MAY 2023 NEWSLETTER

The mission of Center for Families and Relationships is to strengthen and build resiliency in families by providing individual, family and couples counseling utilizing a holistic approach to treatment. We are partners in parenting, empowering members of the family to make a permanent, positive change towards becoming productive members of their own families, and of our community as a whole.

Organizational News

CFAR has been growing at an incredible pace! We now have a staff of nearly 40 full time and part time therapists, supported by our robust internship program, who serve approximately 2,800 clients every month. We’ve added two grant-funded programs—Together Through Trauma and Children Deserving Services—to be able to reach even more families in need of our critical services. In addition, we are exploring different strategies to diversify our funding and expand our work. One of the ways we are doing that is by working with Compass Pro Bono, who awarded CFAR with a Funding Strategy project that started in February 2023.

We’ve also had some wonderful changes and additions to the staff. On the leadership team, we recently welcomed a new Medical Director, Dr. Kayode O. Adunbarin, and a new Director of Development and Communications, Toral Patel. We’ve also welcomed two new board members- Philip Holzhauer and Rick Freeth. In upcoming newsletters, we look forward to highlighting members of our board and staff, and the amazing work that they do with CFAR.

Together Through Trauma

CFAR was honored to be awarded a Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) Violence Intervention & Prevention Grant in the amount of $999,000 over 29 months, to expand our Together Through Trauma (TTT) programming into six Philadelphia Rec Centers. TTT offers systemic trauma services, workshops, and staff trainings to help reduce trauma among those impacted by gun violence, and this is the first time that this type of programming will be offered at Philly rec centers.

At a press conference to announce the TTT program expansion, CFAR CEO Jordan Brogan was joined by Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis, Mayor Jim Kenney, Councilmember Curtis Jones, Jr., Senator Vincent Hughes, Rep. Morgan Cephas, and several other key stakeholders to discuss the importance of this programming at a time when gun and street violence in Philadelphia continues to grow at an alarming rate. (Photo of press conference speakers at Tustin Rec Center.)

In an article highlighting CFAR’s TTT program, the Philadelphia Inquirer noted that "Last year in Philadelphia 217 children were shot — the most of any year in recent history, according to police statistics. But the toll of gun violence is much broader: Witnessing a shooting, losing a friend or family member, or living in a neighborhood that feels unsafe can be traumatic and cause long-term emotional health problems if untreated" You can see more news coverage of the program here and see that it’s incredibly clear that these communities are in need of our TTT programming. Please follow us on social media and check out the TTT web page to keep up-to-date as the newly hired TTT team members begin to roll out this groundbreaking programming in the next few weeks. For more information about TTT, call 215-537-5367 ext. 4005 or email gvp@cfarcounseling.org.

Children Deserving Services

With funding from DBHIDS, CFAR was able to develop the Children Deserving Services (CDS) program, which provides outpatient mental health counseling to uninsured children and their families. Services are designed to strengthen the family system and are offered by Telehealth or in person and in English and Spanish, with additional languages offered through interpreter services. CDS staff conducts community outreach through safe channels to establish a trusted setting of care, involving best efforts to maintain autonomy whenever needed. As the need for this program grows, CFAR is in the process of seeking additional funding to meet those needs. For more information about CDS, call 215-537-5367 ext. 4004 or email cds@cfarcounseling.org.

Partnership Highlight

CFAR is proud to be a member of The Alliance of Community Service Providers, and we are so grateful for their ongoing partnership. The Alliance is a professional membership organization representing over 75 non-profit and for-profit organizations in Southeastern Pennsylvania that provide supports and services for adults and children with intellectual disabilities, those with mental health issues, and people recovering from addictions. CFAR CEO Jordan Brogan recently worked with them on their Mayoral Forum on the complex issues surrounding Behavioral Health and ID/A in Philadelphia. It was an insightful discussion on a range of topics that will be incredibly important for the next mayor, and CFAR was proud to be a part of the forum.

Support CFAR in Honor of Mental Health Awareness Month!

For 30 years, Center for Families and Relationships has been building strength and resiliency in families through our unique approach. We work to include the entire family in treatment, particularly when working with children, in order to break faulty intergenerational patterns. Our nonprofit counseling services are critical in the communities we serve. We are now working to bring our successful approaches to even more vulnerable communities through our Together Through Trauma and Children Deserving Services programs. As the need for mental health services continues to grow at an unprecedented rate, please consider supporting our life-changing work with a donation today. Contact development@cfarcounseling.org with questions, and click the button below to donate.