The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has identified that rates of depression for African-American males have increased within the last 20 years (CDC, 2019). The 2010 Census noted that rates of suicide amongst African-American males between the ages of 18-56 were 12% higher than Caucasian males (Gray, 2014). As rates of depression and suicidal ideation…
DetailsWhen people hear the words “mental health,” many things come to mind. More often than not, negative connotations follow. I’ve never understood why so much negativity surrounds these words. In fact, many people tend not to seek out mental health services and professional help because they think that others might think they’re “crazy”. This…
Details“People have been known to achieve more as a result of working with others than against them.” – Dr Allan Fromme “We don’t work for each other; we work with each other.” – Stanley C. Gault “Everybody on a championship team doesn’t get publicity, but everyone can say they are a champion.” – Magic Johnson…
DetailsYou’ve likely noticed that on our website, we refer to the caretakers we work with as resource parents, not foster parents. That’s because, in 2017, the state of California shifted the designation it uses to refer to those who foster a child in their home. At the same time, the state updated its training and certification processes to better prepare…
DetailsKevin’s Huddle Hello KYJO Community, September was National Suicide Prevention Awareness month and this year more than ever; it was important to share information and resources to bring attention to this often-stigmatized topic. The additional stress of a pandemic, wildfires, social unrest, home schooling and work from home have made the current times a particularly…
DetailsMonthly Motivation Growth = Change As simple as that equation above might seem, there’s actually a lot of “math” that factors into it. As we’ve attempted to clear up the uncertainties surrounding our Short Term Residential Treatment Program (STRTP), we’ve gotten away from what truly works for our population. That makes NOW the perfect time…
DetailsKYJO Angel Tree Gift Drive We are gearing up for our annual KYJO Angel Tree Gift Drive. Our KYJO Angel Tree Program fulfills Christmas gift wishes for the all children associated with our agency who are in the Child Welfare system. This year the gift drive will run from November 16th through December 18th. Several…
DetailsHighlights Last month, we focused on improving our cross-department communication at KYJO. While we’ve always worked together (the KYJO team has always been a TEAM), ongoing changes and adjustments (mostly in response to state regulations) have spurred us to reorganize things a bit and make sure we’re facilitating communication across our entire team. Particularly, our…
DetailsHighlights This month we are kicking off our Eighth Annual KYJO Angel Tree Gift Drive. Our KYJO Angel Tree program fulfills Christmas gift wishes for the all children associated with our agency who are in the Child Welfare system. Various locations throughout the Central Valley are hosting angel trees from November 16th through December 18th. …
DetailsHighlights You’ll hear more about this later in the newsletter, but I wanted to take the time upfront to thank Zack Follett and the Kuppa Joy crew again for playing host to our AMAZING, first-ever KYJO Open Mic night. As you likely saw on our Facebook, our kids had a great time sharing their stories…
DetailsMeet Trish, a foster parent who has dedicated her life to helping youth in need. This interview explores the challenges and rewards of fostering, as well as the importance of creating a quality foster care home.
