April 9, 2025​​

Strengthening Mental Health Resilience for Family Support Workers

Webinar Link • Materials Link

Family support workers play a critical role in strengthening families and communities. However, the nature of their work often exposes them to heightened stress, secondary trauma, and emotional exhaustion. This webinar will introduce practical strategies to build mental health resilience, including mindfulness techniques, self-reflection activities, and coping mechanisms to foster long-term well-being.

​Presenters:​

• Brenda McChesney, Co-Executive Director, National Family Support Network, Way of the Happy Woman Coach, and Meditation Instructor

• Dr. Manoj Krishna, CEO and Founder of Happier Me

Moderator:​

• Brenda McChesney, Co-Executive Director, National Family Support Network 

 

February 26, 2025 ​

The Community Opportunity Map: A Workshop on Using Data to Engage Communities and Write Grants

Webinar Link • Materials Link

How can Family Resource Centers use the latest in geographic analysis and data to support their community engagement and grant-writing?

This hands-on workshop will train participants to use Casey’s Community Opportunity Map to support Family Resource Center operations, particularly community engagement and data-driven grant-writing.

Presenters:​

• Luke Gerber, Research Services, Casey Family Programs

• Raquel Pfeifer, Director - Strategic Initiatives and Engagement, Casey Family Programs

• Tecoria Jones, Consultant, Casey Family Programs

• Ronald Brown, Community Resource Support Director, Family Forward Virginia

Moderator:​

• Brenda McChesney, Co-Executive Director, National Family Support Network 

 

August 7, 2024 ​

Network Spotlight: Minnesota Community & Family Resource Network

Webinar Link • Materials Link

How did counties, communities, and a philanthropic foundation collaborate to lead FRC development in Minnesota?

This webinar will provide an in-depth look at the Minnesota Community & Family Resource Network, highlighting their grassroots efforts at the county and community levels to develop Family Resource Centers (FRCs) and FRC Network, the benefits they have found in partnering with philanthropy and state departments, and their lessons learned. They will also share the three pillars that ground their FRC’s development and ability to maintain fidelity: The Standards of Quality, Protective Factors, and the value of parents with lived experience.

Presenters:​

• Colleen O’Keefe, Executive Director, Sauer Family Foundation

• Angie Thies, Child Welfare Policy Analyst, Association of Minnesota Counties

• Suzanne Arntson, HHS Deputy Director, Scott County Health & Human Services

• Brenda Mahoney, Project Coordinator, Association of Minnesota Counties

Moderator:​

• Julie Matusick, Senior Manager - Membership & Events, National Family Support Network 

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​​​​July 31, 2024 ​

Family Resource Centers: Working with African American Families

Webinar Link • Materials Link

In what ways do Family Resource Centers effectively support African American Families?

This webinar will explore the experiences of Family Resource Centers working effectively with African American families, through developing programs, activities, and supportive environments specifically designed to be responsive to and supportive of their well-being and success.  

Presenters:​

• Marcel Boyd, Executive Director, Liberation Family Resource Center

• Pilar Waters, Family Success Navigator, Liberation Family Resource Center

• Ebony Glover-Epps, Lived Experience Expert, Families Forward Virginia

• Paul Taylor, Co-Executive Director, Virginia League for Safer Streets

• Nia Howze, Parent Leader, East Liberty Center Family Resource Center

• Dayna Jones, Program Coordinator, East Liberty Center Family Resource Center

• Joshua McKinley, Asst. Program Coordinator/Father/Men's Initiative
  Coordinator, East Liberty Family Resource Center

Moderator:​

• LaDonna Collins, Senior Manager - Standards Training & Implementation, National Family Support Network 

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June 26, 2024​

 Family Resource Centers Working with Families in Rural Communities

Webinar Link • Materials Link

Co-sponsored by Director of Family Partnership, Partners for Rural Impact

​In what ways are Family Resource Centers effectively supporting families in rural communities? 
How do FRCs cover great distances in rural service areas?
What have been the challenges, successes, and lessons learned from working in rural settings? 
 ​This webinar will illustrate how Family Resource Centers work effectively with families in rural communities with examples from programs in Colorado, Minnesota, and Vermont. Presenters will discuss their strategies for providing services, supports, and opportunities for families living in rural and remote areas, from the creation of mobile FRCs offering wraparound family support services to the importance of building local collaborations that unite resources for families.  
Presenters:​

• Cheryl Couture , Grandparent Participant, Northeast Kingdom Community Action

• Elizabeth Emmett, Director of Family, Youth, & Early Education Services, Northeast Kingdom Community Action

• Rosie Gomez,  Executive Director, Cornerstone Resource Center

• Victoria Ramirez, Site Manager, Polk County Family Resource Centers

• Jennifer Compeau, Family Resource Coordinator & Parent Leader, Polk County Family Resource Centers

Moderator:​

• Brenda McChesney, Co-Founder & Associate Director, National Family Support Network

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May 1, 2024​

 Network Spotlight: Washington Family Support Network 

Webinar Link • Materials Link

Co-presented with Children's Home Society of America

​How did the Washington Family Support Network come into being? 

​This webinar details the impressive success story of how the Children's Home Society of Washington (now Akin) saw the value of establishing a state Network of Family Resource Centers, and secured bipartisan legislative support and significant public and private funding to launch it in 2021.

Presenters:​

• Marlo Nash , Managing Director, Children's Home Society of America

• Janica Lockhart, Chief Impact Officer, Akin

• Nathan Koch,  Washington Family Support Network Director, Akin

Moderator:​

• Brenda McChesney, Co-Founder & Associate Director, National Family Support Network

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April 24, 2024​

 Family Resource Centers: Supporting Parents and Caregivers of teens 

Webinar Link • Materials Link

In what ways are Family Resource Centers effectively supporting parents of teens?

​This webinar illustrates how Family Resource Centers work effectively with parents and caregivers of teens, with innovative examples from the Palisades Family Success Center in New Jersey, and the Kailua High School Family Resource Center in Hawaii. Both Programs have seen a difference in serving families more comprehensively through providing supports and services for parents and caregivers of teens. Presenters will discuss the range of services offered, from lighter touch to more comprehensive programs, as well as the challenges, successes, and lessons learned.

Presenters:​

• Katrina Souza, Parent Advisory Council Member, Kailua High School

• Diana Baldwin, Family Resource Center Director, Kailua High School

• Christian Mejia,  Site Director, Palisades Family Success Center

• Caitlin Noonan, Program Manager, Partnership for Maternal & Child Health for Teen Speak Program

Moderator:​

• Brenda McChesney, Co-Founder & Associate Director, National Family Support Network

 

April 17, 2024​

Effective Program Implementation of the Standards of Quality

Webinar Link • Materials Link

What difference has implementing the Standards made for Programs?

This webinar highlights how two different kinds of Programs - a military Family Resource Center in Nova Scotia, Canada, and a Healthy Families home visiting program in Texas - have successfully utilized the nationally-adopted Standards of Quality for Family Strengthening & Support to enhance their work. 

Presenters:​

• Kara MacNeil, Learning, Engagement & Evaluation Director, Halifax & Region Military FRC

• Anika Adams- Collins, Family Support Specialist, Healthy Families Travis County

• Jennifer Johnson-Dungey, Administrative Manager, National Family Support Network

Moderator:​

• Julie Matusick, Senior Manager - Membership & Events, National Family Support Network​​​​

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