By Jennifer Yates
Nurse Practitioner, Children’s Wisconsin
Willow Tree Cornerstone Child Advocacy Center

Over the last decade, the number of abused and neglected children being referred to Willow Tree for a medical evaluation has been steadily rising. Our community partners in law enforcement and social services have repeatedly told us about the value of this service.

As a nurse practitioner with Children’s Wisconsin, and a member of the Willow Tree team, I specialize in the evaluation of these vulnerable children. I am often able to identify abusive injuries in very young children under the age of 2 that would have been missed without proper imaging or screening. These assessments done at Willow Tree to diagnose physical abuse are not often used by other medical providers. However, it is these very assessments that often keep children safe.

The number of children being referred for drug endangerment has substantially increased as our partners increasingly turn to us for these services. I have seen so many vulnerable children test positive for illicit substances like cocaine and methamphetamines. Recently, we screened a 5-year old-boy who was positive for cocaine, methamphetamines, and three other controlled substances that he was not prescribed. Oftentimes, young children get these substances in their system after touching surfaces in the home where the drugs are present, and then putting their fingers in their mouths.

Child Advocacy Centers like Willow Tree initially served mainly victims of child sexual abuse, which now make up only about half of the children seen due to our expanding services for other types of child maltreatment. In cases of child sexual abuse, explaining to children and their families that their body is okay and that they look normal is often a critical step in their healing process, and they are often relieved. Identifying unmet health care needs and providing referrals for mental health services is the goal to help mitigate the adverse childhood experience of abuse.

Without Willow Tree, the signs of abuse and neglect may be missed and children may stay in unsafe situations.

Today, August 12, 2020 is our online Day of Giving in place of the 6th Annual Life Saver River Cruise benefit, which would have raised critical funds for our services. We need your support to continue giving expert medical evaluations to children in our community.

Please consider giving a gift and help us ensure that even more children are able to access our services at Willow Tree!

Child forensic interviews are a critical part of what we do at Willow Tree Cornerstone Child Advocacy Center in Green Bay. These types of interviews allow abused and neglected children to talk one-on-one with a specially trained adult about what happened. This is not only a better experience for the child, but it can often result in stronger court cases.

Tomorrow, August 12, 2020, is our Willow Tree Day of Giving in place of the 6th Annual Life Saver River Cruise. And we need your support!

One of Willow Tree’s forensic interviewers, Megan, recently sat down with one of our partners to talk about the importance of our team approach to helping children who experience abuse, neglect, or other forms of maltreatment. Please watch the video to learn more about this important service your donations support.

On Wednesday, August 12, 2020 Willow Tree will be asking for support to help abused and neglected children build a bright future. This important Day of Giving will be held in place of the 6th Annual Life Saver River Cruise Benefit, which had to be canceled this year.

Ahead of the big day, Willow Tree’s Prevention Education Specialist, Becca Wilbershide, wanted to share this quick video with you about her work. Please watch to learn more about how YOUR support helps us prevent child abuse and ensures that children who are abused know how to tell if someone is hurting them.

By Kristie Sickel
Program Supervisor/Forensic Interviewer
Willow Tree Cornerstone Child Advocacy Center

On August 12, 2020, Willow Tree will host a Day of Giving in place of our 6th Annual fundraising event, the Life Saver River Cruise, which unfortunately had to be canceled this year. The event raises critical funds to ensure that abused and neglected children can access our care.

Our interview numbers at Willow Tree are down compared to last year at this time, but we believe this is due to children having less access to trusted adults and mandated reporters. Willow Tree has, however, noticed a trend of seeing kids that are more severely physically abused, neglected and sexually abused. As well as more kids in need of basic necessities from our clothing closet, such as shoes, clothes, hygiene supplies, etc.

We’ve noticed four concerning patterns related to the pandemic:

#1 – Increased Stress at Home: Children coming to Willow Tree have been experiencing a high level of stress in their home. Their parents or caretakers don’t have support to help them cope with the daily stressors that were heightened by the pandemic. Initially when the Safer at Home Order was put in place, Willow Tree began seeing an increase in physical abuse cases and children who witnessed violent crimes within their home.

#2 – Sibling Abuse: Abuse from older siblings also rose, due to parents working and schools closing. An older sibling might not intentionally abuse their younger sibling. However, they might not have the skills to properly take care of or handle them. Being alone and isolated is a huge risk factor for child abuse as well as economic insecurity, which a number of families continue to face.

#3 – Substance abuse within homes: This also became a trend in cases we are seeing. In June, a 4-year-old boy and his 1-year-old sister were brought to Willow Tree for medical evaluations due to allegations of neglect and drug abuse in their home. Medical evaluations were conducted on both children, resulting in the 4-year-old testing positive for 5 different substances and his sister testing positive for cocaine. Most often, children get drugs in their system from touching contaminated surfaces at home and then putting their fingers in their mouths. Considering the medical evaluation findings at Willow Tree, Child Protective Services was able to remove both children from the home and place them in safer environments.

#4 – Increased Acts of Sexual Abuse: A trend in sexual abuse we are seeing is not that the number of perpetrators is increasing, but rather that the number of acts of abuse is increasing. This is largely due to a perpetrator having more frequent access to the child in their home. Most children who are the victims of sexual abuse are abused by someone that they know and has close access to them. Kids are also spending more time unsupervised online, which is making them vulnerable to child sexual exploitation.

The silver lining in all this is that our community partners, such as law enforcement and Child Protective Services, are bringing these children to Willow Tree. 

By doing this, our partners and our staff ensure that abused and neglected children are physically healthy through a medical evaluation, receive appropriate mental health services, support through advocacy and receive a quality interview from a trained forensic interviewer to assist with the prosecution of any potential criminal charges.

Despite the uncertainty in the world today, one thing is certain: that Willow Tree will remain open to help and support abused children in our community. With your donations, we can continue providing quality care and services to children who have been the victim of abuse.

Please, consider making a donation to Willow Tree using the button below, and help us continue providing critical care to abused and neglected children in our community!

By Paige Dorn, LCSW
Therapist/Clinical Lead
Day Treatment

The most important relationship to a child is the one they develop with their parent or caregiver. Children learn about the world around them through a positive parent-child relationship. As they are growing and changing, children look to their parents to determine whether or not they are safe, secure, and loved. It is also the foundation from which they will build their future relationships.

You can build a positive parent-child relationship by being in the moment with your child, spending quality time together, and creating an environment where they feel comfortable to explore. There is no secret handbook or guaranteed approach to get this relationship right, and you’ll likely find hardships along the way. However, if you keep working on improving your relationship, your child will surely blossom.

Continue reading for eight positive-parenting techniques that can help you strengthen the relationship between you and your child:

Show Your Love
Human touch and loving affection is needed at every stage of our lives for healthy emotional and neurobiological development. It is important that your child receive gentle, loving touch (i.e., hugs) from you several times throughout the day. Treat every interaction as an opportunity to connect with your child. Greet them with warm expressions, give eye contact, smile, and encourage honest interaction.

Say “I love you” often
It is often implied that we love our children, but be sure to tell them every day, no matter what age they are. Even when your child is being difficult or does something you don’t like; this can be an excellent opportunity to remind them that you love them unconditionally. A simple “I love you” can have a major impact on your long-term relationship with your child.

Set boundaries, rules, and consequences
Children need structure and guidance as they grow and learn about the world around them. Talk to your children about what you expect of them and make sure they understand. When rules are broken, make sure to have age-appropriate consequences in place and be consistent with them. To learn more about age-appropriate consequences, visit https://www.familyeducation.com/kids/an-age-by-age-guide-to-setting-discipline-consequences-for-kids.

Listen and empathize
Connection starts with listening. Acknowledge your child’s feelings, show them you understand, and reassure them that you are there to help with whatever they need. Try to see things from your child’s perspective. By listening and empathizing with your child, you will begin to foster mutual respect.

Play Together
Play is so important to a child’s development. It is the tool through which children develop language skills, express emotions, foster creativity, and learn about social skills. Additionally, it is a fun way for you to strengthen your relationship with your child. It does not matter what you play. The key is to just enjoy each other and commit to giving your child your undivided attention.

Be available and distraction-free
Setting aside just 10 minutes a day to talk to to your child, without distractions, can make a big difference in establishing good communication habits. Turn off the TV, put away your electronic devices, and spend some quality time together. Your child needs to know that you believe they are a priority in your life despite the many distractions and stressors that come your way.

Eat meals together
Eating together as a family can often lead to great conversation and bonding time with your child. Encourage everyone to put their phones or other devices away and simply enjoy each other’s company. Meal time is also a great opportunity for you to teach your children the importance of a healthy and balanced diet, which also effects their overall mental health.

Create parent-child rituals
If you have more than one child, try to make a point of spending individual time with each of them. Quality, one-on-one time with your child can strengthen the parent-child bond, builds up your child’s self-esteem, and lets them know that they are special and valued. Some parents schedule in special “date nights” with their children to create that one-on-one opportunity (whether it’s a walk around the neighborhood, a trip to the playground, or just a movie at home – it’s important to celebrate each child individually).

Need Additional Support?

Family Services offers several programs to parents and youth throughout Northeast Wisconsin to support and guide parents in establishing a positive parent-child relationship. To learn more about our program offerings, click here. We also offer a number of parenting classes and workshops in the Fox Valley. You can view our current Parenting Class schedule here.

Sources:

https://www.parentingni.org/blog/parent-child-relationship-why-its-important/#:~:text=A%20child%20who%20has%20a,optimistic%20and%20confident%20social%20behaviours.

https://www.verywellfamily.com/tips-to-strengthen-families-617242

https://www.thepillarsclc.com/why-a-parent-child-relationship-is-important/

Andrea Peltier, LCSW
Day Treatment

Parents often feel alone and not good enough with the tough jobs they have to do. Whether it is coping with the challenging times we are currently facing or dealing with past trauma, abuse, neglect, divorce, loss, or other hardships. Children and teens can also face significant struggles in their lives and sometimes have extreme difficulty coping with them. Just like adults, they may begin to suffer from mental health problems. These problems can begin to emerge even from a young age.

When a child is younger, their behaviors may seem more manageable. But as they age, things may become more out of control or difficult to manage. Their emotions and behaviors may begin to have a negative impact on their relationships with family and friends. They might have trouble functioning within the community or at school. Eventually, the issues they are struggling with may begin to affect their ability to gain independence and hold a job or participate in other social activities.

While child mental health treatment and counseling is becoming more accessible, it is still difficult for parents, caregivers, and teachers to know when to take the first steps and where to go for help. It is often helpful to hear some concrete ways to know whether your child or teen’s moods or behaviors could be more serious and are cause to get outside support.

Below are five examples and explanations that will help you know the difference between typical concerns and symptoms of a real mental health problem.

If your child becomes upset when things don’t go their way, cries easily, regularly gets down on themselves, displays negative thought patterns, or blames others for their problems you may worry that your child is depressed. These characteristics not accompanied by any other serious trauma and for a child under 10 are typically normal at times. However, if your child cries every day and they can’t resume back to typical functioning afterwards, this may be more of a concern.

If in addition to a sad or depressed mood your child is also irritable more often than not, is overeating or has no appetite, or if they have insomnia or are over sleeping — this may be a sign of a more significant issue. If your child also displays low to no energy, has difficulty concentrating or with making decisions, and expresses feelings of hopelessness, your child may be suffering from depression.

Some other things to watch for are more significant behavior change, such as: lack of interest in things they used to enjoy, isolation, and lack of interest in playing with friends or socializing as they once did and especially talk of wanting to be dead or threats of killing themselves. If your child has only had these symptoms within the context of the loss of a loved one, they may only need help working through the grieving process. Loss of a loved one does not only occur when someone dies but may occur as a result of a move, loss of a pet, or while parents are going through a separation or divorce. If the symptoms above have gradually increased over time or are causing your child behavioral changes, withdrawal and talk of suicide, you must take it seriously and seek out help immediately.

If your child argues with you, talks back, is often snippy and doesn’t always listen to you, try and take comfort in knowing that these are normal kid behaviors. Children are constantly testing our limits to see what they can get away with. However, if your child’s outbursts are extreme overreactions for the situation, or turn into physical aggression or destruction of property after the age of 7, you may need to seek additional help. If these verbal or physical outbursts occur more days than not and have persisted for one year, this may be a sign of a more serious problem.

If your child only displays these behaviors at home and never anywhere else, you may benefit from seeking support for yourself and considering new or different strategies for discipline, rewards, incentives, etc. All children are different and what works for one child, doesn’t necessarily work for another. Parents should also remember the importance of taking care of their own mental well-being and stress levels. This will serve as a health model for your child. You’ll also have more energy and creative solutions to deal with your child’s most challenging of behaviors.

If your child becomes stressed before returning back to school in the fall, before a sleepover or a test, or when meeting someone new, your child is likely experiencing normal worry and anxiety. These are emotions that we all experience throughout life. But if your child’s regular daily functioning is impacted negatively by their worrying more days than not throughout a week, this may be cause for more concern.

If a child is having difficulty sleeping, seems on-edge, is tense or uneasy and becoming irritable more often, they may be dealing with more serious anxious symptoms. With that, therapy has proven to be very effective in helping children deal with anxiety. This intense worry would usually be present for more than six months and not within the context of a recent traumatic experience or loss.

Many parents and caregivers have concerns about a child’s arguing and defiance. It would be so much easier if their child would respond when called upon and do what is asked of them, without getting into an argument and yelling for 10 minutes over a simple task. Unfortunately, not listening is often a typical part of a child’s natural development.

Consider yourself lucky if your child rarely argues and usually listens! There is a difference, though, if your child’s argument or defiance also includes being vindictive, spiteful, and blaming of others regularly. A negative, irritable mood usually also accompanies these behaviors. Additionally, this would typically not be present until 5 years of age or older.

Keep in mind that at times children who are depressed may present with irritability as well. However, they may not necessarily present with aggression or to these extremes. It isn’t uncommon that the symptoms only present at home, however, would be considered more severe if they are displayed in other settings, such as daycare, school, or in social or job settings.

If your child seems to not hear you when you are talking, your child is not alone. However, not listening or responding back to you sometimes does not mean that your child has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD. It likely means that your child is engaged in an activity and is sort of tuned out while in the activity. Be open with your child that you expect them to at least acknowledge you and how soon you expect them to do what is asked. Parents and caregivers should also keep in mind that kids don’t have the same priorities or timeline as adults, so picking up those dirty socks may not be as high on their priority list as it may be on yours.

However, if a child displays inattentive, hyperactive and impulsive symptoms prior to the age of 12 years old and these symptoms have persisted for more than 6 months, your child may be dealing with ADHD. If your child’s lack of listening, problems with organization, and/or hyperactivity, and/or impulsivity is negatively impacting their functioning at home and their grades in school, they may have characteristics of ADHD. If your child often makes careless mistakes with work, lacks attention to details, has difficulty with sustained attention to tasks, or seems to be bouncing off the walls more often than not, your child may be struggling with more severe symptoms that need attention.

When and Where to Get Help

There are several factors to consider when determining whether a child or adolescent is truly suffering from a mental health disorder. Some of these factors are: age, culture, gender, history, trauma, genetics, and even societal influences. Many people have faced challenges with mental illness for many years and were unaware of what was happening to them. Many have felt alone, embarrassed or in disbelief that counseling or other outside interventions would help. Some are nervous to talk about their struggles, while others are concerned about the financial implications.

There is good news, though! Whether you or your child have ever received an actual mental health diagnosis or not, you can always seek out counseling. Therapists get into the field because they care about people and they have significant empathy for the challenging situations that occur in life. They are specifically available to give anyone an outlet to cope, talk, heal and process difficult times that have caused increased stress. Many insurance companies have eased restrictions and are allowing much better coverage for counseling services. With that, much of the stigma surrounding mental health is also decreasing, especially surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic. Individuals, businesses and insurance companies alike are recognizing the toll that these difficult times are taking on us all.

It is important for parents to allow their child to tell them how they feel and do their best to empathize with them, even if they don’t feel the same way. The more that a parent can provide their child a listening ear without criticizing, the more likely their child will open up about what feelings they may be experiencing. If you are concerned that your child’s symptoms may be more severe, let your child know you are worried about them and want to do what you can to help them, because the situations that have been occurring seem to be unpleasant for the child but also for you and others around.

Resources Through Family Services

In Brown County the Crisis Center is available 24/7 to help support you and your child in a time of crisis and you can reach them at (920) 436-8888. There are other crisis lines available throughout the state and in your own local counties. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is also always available at 1-800-273-8255 or text HOME to 741741.

Family Services’ Counseling Clinic is always available and has immediate openings for therapy. Call (920) 436-6800 to schedule an appointment with a therapist.

If you have already had your child in counseling but intense disruption still continues, Family Services’ Day Treatment may be the right next step for your child. Call us at (920) 433-3372 ext. 100 for more information or to enroll.

By Paula Miller
Day Treatment

Everyone has struggles getting along together as a family. But this? This is different. Your child is defiant and sometimes even out of control. They won’t tell you what is wrong. Or maybe, they don’t want to get out of bed. Getting them to go to school is nearly impossible. They don’t want to take a shower and they wear the same clothes for days. As a parent, you’re worried. You aren’t sure what to do, but you know that something needs to be done. The question is, who can help?

When a child is showing signs of mental or behavioral health issues, it can be confusing to try and figure out who the child needs to see. Your search for services may uncover several local providers – each with different titles, and each with their own expertise. It can be hard to know which one is the right one to help your child and your family.

To help take out some of the guesswork, we’ve put together a road map of four types of mental health providers and what they can help with:

Therapist or Counselor: Individual or family appointments are attended at this person’s office (called outpatient sessions). Clients can see them weekly, bi-weekly, or more or less often depending upon need. This person is not a doctor and does not prescribe medications.

Psychologist: Is a doctor in the sense that they are a PhD in their field which involves extensive education. That’s where the title “Dr.” comes from. If they have PhD at the end of their name they are this kind of doctor. They do not prescribe medications. Some provide counseling sessions while others do evaluations which involve intensive testing to determine a more precise diagnosis for your child.

Psychiatrist: This is the medical doctor and has M.D. at the end of their name. They can prescribe medications. Appointments with them are usually to get the basic information about what has been going on and then deciding if medications are a good choice for your child. They go over the effects of the medication and any possible side effects. After the initial appointment you return to give updates to the doctor and discuss how the medication is working. They do not do counseling sessions.

Nurse Prescriber: Many people think that this person is a doctor because they prescribe medications. This is a registered nurse who has special training and licensing to be able to prescribe medications. Many people go to a nurse prescriber because it is easier to get in for an appointment with them than it is to get in with a psychiatrist.

If you are concerned about your child’s behavior, of the most important things to remember is don’t wait. The way mental health is set up, you have a starting point with a therapist and then you progress from there. If behaviors have been going on for a while don’t hesitate to make that first appointment and talk to someone. If problems and behaviors continue, consider seeing a psychiatrist. You will need a referral from your child’s primary care physician. Getting in for an appointment can take months, so it is important to set this up as soon as you think you need to.

Parents sometimes delay getting help for their child until things are serious enough that they are causing terrible disruption in the family. These families may be desperate to get their child into a more intensive type of service such as Day Treatment, only to find out that their insurances require that less intensive services such as outpatient therapy be tried first. That is why it’s important to get started with a counselor or therapist right away.

The Counseling Clinic at Family Services is currently taking appointments for virtual, outpatient therapy sessions and can be reached at 920-436-6800. Sometimes parents hesitate because there is still stigma attached to mental health services, but please don’t be afraid to reach out. That’s what therapists are there for and they want to help.

If your child and family have already tried less intensive services, but are still struggling, then our Day Treatment program may be a good fit. Day Treatment can help your child learn how to manage their emotions and develop responsible thinking while participating in intensive group therapy for issues such as trauma, family problems, or abuse. Call 920-433-3372 ext.100 to get the intake process started with a phone interview. There is currently no wait list for adolescents ages 14-18 years old. We look forward to talking to you!

By Shelby Mitchell
Sexual Assault Center Advocate

With so much happening in the country and the world right now, teaching our children how to stay safe on the internet might not feel like a priority. But knowing how to keep your kids safe online is as critical as ever. Nearly all school-aged children have spent months adjusting to online learning and finished the school year in this way. Many summer schools and summer camps are also making the move to online learning. And next school year, many students can expect to continue learning online at least part-time. Our children are being presented with more technology and devices, for a greater part of the day, than ever before.

With technology playing such an important role in our lives right now, it important to be aware of the dangers your child’s devices and the internet may pose. Predators often use social media and other social networking sites and apps to gain access to vulnerable people – especially children.

The following resources can help you stay up to date on the dangers that exist to create a safer online environment for your child:

Protect Young Eyes: The website www.protectyoungeyes.com, can give you up-to-date information on the safety features and risks of a variety of different sites. This website is a great tool to help empower parents and caregivers about the apps that are out there and what they are used for. Being armed with this information will help you to have educated conversations with your children about their boundaries on the internet.

Family Share Accounts: Agent Carl Waterstreet of the Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigations works on internet-based crimes and states, “Some of the major things parents can do right now is set up a family share account on their phones.  This allows parents to control and monitor screen time, apps to download, and offer a backdoor way to turn their phones on and off.  It’s simple to set up, just go to settings on either your Apple or Android device and find the right tab to set it up.”

For instructions on how to set up a Family Share Account on iPhone or Android, click here.

Protect Kids Online: With all of this unexpected time at home, another great resource is the podcast Protect Kids Online. If you are not the podcast type, simply go to www.protectkidsonlinewi.gov and you can get the same content through your web browser.

The Protect Kids Online (PKO) Podcast is brought to you by the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.  This podcast is designed as a resource for parents, grandparents, guardians, or caregivers of children. It is an excellent resource to learn about trends and updates on the latest apps, websites, and online activity of children age 17 and younger.  Topics on the podcast include: activities of the Wisconsin ICAC Task Force; App of the Week; tips & methods for combating online child exploitation and sextortion; Internet safety laws; cyberbullying; healthy online habits; protecting your child from strangers online; safe sharing tips; and responses to listener questions.

With this new age of virtual connection and online learning, the American Academy of Pediatrics has also created a few tips for parents and caregivers of very young children that are tailored to these unique times. Here are those guidelines, categorized by children’s ages:

Age 2 and under: It is advised that children younger than 18 months avoid all screen media, except for video chats with close family and friends. Parents of children age 18 to 24 months who want to introduce digital media are advised to choose high-quality programming and watch it with their children. Talk to them and help them understand what they’re seeing.

Age 2-5 years old: Limit screen use to high-quality programs for 1 hour per day. Parents and caregivers should view all media with children to help them understand what they are seeing and help them apply it to the world around them.

Age 6 and older: Place consistent limits on the time spent using media, and the types of media, and make sure media does not take the place of adequate sleep, physical activity or other behaviors that are essential to your child’s health.

Stay informed, stay healthy, and keep your children safe!

By Chelsea McGuire, MAC, LPC
Counseling Clinic Therapist

June is Pride Month. It’s a time to celebrate diversity in sexuality and gender identity. It’s also a time to remember that, historically, those who identify as a member of the LGBTQ+ community have faced significant stigma and discrimination. Although society has made much progress in this regard, those who identify as LGBTQ+ are much more likely to deal with mental health concerns due to the persistent marginalization and trauma they have experienced on both a community and individual level.

A 2017 survey by Mental Health America found that 49% – nearly half – of participating LGBTQ+ identifying individuals had experienced significant suicidal ideation over the past two weeks, as opposed to 33% of the general population. The same survey also found that LGBTQ+ identifying individuals were less likely to seek out mental health treatment than those identifying as heterosexual and/or cisgender.  These results reflect the need for significant change on an institutional level to ensure that members of the LGBTQ+ community are provided with the mental health support and services they need, free from judgement or stigmatization.

Fortunately, there are ways we can ALL help to make a significant impact on the mental and emotional wellbeing of the LGBTQ+ community:

Acceptance is consistently found to make a meaningful impact. According to The Trevor Project, LGBTQ+ identifying youth who feel accepted by their family, community, and friends are two-thirds less likely to experience suicidal ideation and attempts than those who do NOT experience familial support or otherwise welcoming environments. Anyone can offer their acceptance and support at no cost, and even the smallest action can have a significant impact on the life and mental health of an LGBTQ+ individual.

Allies seek to educate themselves regarding the range of sexuality and gender identities that exist. To be a good ally, use the appropriate pronouns when talking with a transgender individual and ask for clarification when needed. Make yourself available to listen to those who need to talk and process their experiences without judgement. Speak out against any prejudice or discrimination you come across in your community.

These are two simple ways you can make a positive impact on the mental health of LGBTQ+ individuals in your life and in your community. If you know someone who is struggling with their mental health due to marginalization or trauma, work to connect them with the social and mental health supports that they need. Let them know it is okay to seek help and that there are therapists right here in Northeast Wisconsin who specialize in the concerns of LGBTQ+ individuals.

Dear Supporters, Partners, and Friends of Family Services,

As an agency with a mission to Protect, Heal and Care for vulnerable members of our community, Family Services cannot remain silent concerning the disturbing events of this past week.

With the senseless murder of George Floyd, old and festering wounds have been exposed, not just nationally, but here in Northeast Wisconsin as well. Guilty parties must be held accountable and we must move toward helping everyone in our community to understand why people of color continue to live in fear in this country.

Our responsibility is to listen and understand the needs of others more thoroughly. As a community and as individuals, we cannot turn a blind eye to the racism and inequality that has been with us since the founding of our nation. We must understand the systemic issues which contribute to people of color being over represented in our jails and prisons. We must understand the anger and fear that resurfaces every time we see instances of brutality and excessive force by those in authority.

Racism and inequality is our collective problem and not just a problem in Minneapolis or somewhere else. Rather than placing blame on one another, we must be willing to come together as individuals and as allies to solve these problems that continue to haunt us. As we have continually said during the COVID-19 crisis, we are in this together. These words are never truer or more necessary.

Paraphrasing a common expression from the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s, we are called to action with these words – If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem. We must commit and we must commit now to be part of destroying racism and inequality in our communities.

Family Services continues to have a vision for our community and this vision is simple – “A community of thriving children, strong families and healthy individuals.” There is no better place to begin to realize this vision than by doing what we can to fight social inequality whenever and wherever we encounter it.

Please join us as we take on this most crucial challenge! Our actions must now speak louder than our words.  Together, we can Protect, Heal and Care.

Sincerely,

Jeff Vande Leest
Family Services’ President & CEO