January 29, 2020 Census Mini-Grants Now Available The Pittsburgh Foundation, Allegheny County-City of Pittsburgh Complete Count Committee, and Census 2020 Philanthropic Fund recently partnered together to create a mini-grants program to support census-related activities. Community-based organizations in Allegheny County are eligible to apply for a grant of up to $2,500 to advance the work of the 2020 Census with populations identified to be at risk of an undercount. Eligibility Eligible applicants must be either: an incorporated 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operating in the City of Pittsburgh and/or Allegheny County; a school or educational institution operating in the City of Pittsburgh and/or Allegheny County; or a municipality in Allegheny County. Community-based organizations that are not schools, municipalities, or incorporated 501(c)(3)s must obtain a fiscal sponsor that is an eligible 501(c)(3) in Allegheny County to apply. For questions on how to obtain a fiscal sponsor, contact Emmie Calland at callande@pghfdn.org. Priorities Proposal submissions should focus on outreach activities to increase participation in the 2020 census and must benefit historically undercounted and hard-to-reach communities in Allegheny County. These populations include: seniors, people of color, foreign-born residents, children ages birth to five, low-income residents, persons experiencing homelessness, persons with disabilities, and persons who do not live in traditional housing. Use of Grant Funds Proposed activities should take place between now and July 31, 2020. Grant activities should focus on increasing census participation among the hard-to-count groups above. Activities could include: alleviating language barriers in promoting census awareness and completion, hosting events that encourage people to answer the census, creating unique materials to encourage census participation for the populations you serve, and purchasing technology to allow people to fill out the census on the spot. How to Apply To apply for a mini-grant, complete the online application. All applications must be submitted no later than February 1, 2020. For technical questions related to the application, contact Jennifer Steinmetz at steinmetzj@pghfdn.org. More Information To learn more about the 2020 Census, visit the Allegheny County-City of Pittsburgh Complete Count Committee website. For questions about the program or content of the grant application, contact Emmie Calland at callande@pghfdn.org. *Information provided by The Pittsburgh Foundation
October 4, 2019 Day of Play in Indiana County For just $1 per person (max $5 per family), families and children can enjoy a range of fun activities at this year’s Day of Play fall event. About Day of Play is a low-cost event that provides recreational activities that promote physical activity for families with young children (ages two to ten recommended). The event features: multiple bounce houses for all ages, games with a variety of activities for young children, a photo booth session with festive props, handprint activities, live demonstrations, and opportunities to view and touch trucks, police cars, fire trucks, and a school bus! Ice Skating Immediately following the Day of Play event, White Township Recreation will be running a special rate for their public ice skating! Saturday public skate will be from 2 to 4 p.m. $3 public skate admission for all ages (skate rental included). More Information Day of Play is sponsored by White Township Recreation/S&T Bank Arena in conjunction with the Children’s Advisory Commission of Indiana County. For more information, call 724.465.2665. Share this flyer with your network.
September 16, 2019 Postpartum Depression Symposium Are you interested in gaining insight on the detection and diagnosis of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders and on new and existing treatment options? Join Washington County Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (BHDS) on October 30 for their free Postpartum Depression Symposium! About Guest speakers will include experts in the field as well as a video featuring local mothers who have been impacted by perinatal depression, anxiety, or other mood disorders. Resource tables will also be available. Lunch and snacks included. Rebecca J. Weinberg, PsyD Clinical Psychologist, Allegheny Health Network Dr. Priya Gopalan, MD University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine / UPMC Magee-Women’s Hospital Robert Gallen, PhD, IMH-E® Associate Professor of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh Stephanie D. Wier, LPC, NCC, BSL Mental Health Therapist, Sprout Center for Emotional Growth and Development, LLC Co-Sponsors Trying Together will offer PQAS and Act 48 credits free to participants. California University of PA will offer CEU’s in Social Work & Psychology at the cost of $15 per participant. Registration To register, visit the symposium Eventbrite page! Learn More For questions, contact Washington County BHDS at 724.228.6832.
August 16, 2019 Understanding The Court System | Child Support Laws Join the Fathers Collaborative Council of Western PA on September 30 for “Understanding the Court System – Child Support Laws” to learn more about Child Support Law and procedures as implemented in Allegheny County. About This workshop will be led by Patrick W. Quinn. Included topics will discuss: the importance of communication with the Court; appearing in court; ways to litigate your case; how child support orders are determined and enforced; the importance and procedure for modifying a child support order; and services available to non-custodial parents, including work search, training assistance, and the Social Security Disability Monitoring Program. 2.5 hours of Social Work Continuing Education credits are available for a fee of $10. Call 412.394.5955 for details. Registration Registration for this workshop is free and can be completed via Eventbrite. More Information For more information, call 412.394.5955.
July 5, 2019 General Assistance Program Ending August 1, 2019 As required by Act 12 of 2019, which amended 62 P.S. § 403.2(a), the General Assistance program will end on August 1, 2019. No General Assistance cash assistance will be dispersed after July 31, 2019. Additional Benefits Information Current General Assistance recipients were notified of this change via mail. If they are currently receiving other benefits like Medical Assistance or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), those benefits will continue. The Department of Human Services (DHS) will notify clients before making changes to other benefits for any reason. This change will likely result in an additional need for resources from charitable and social service organizations around the commonwealth. DHS is working closely with their partners to identify potential resources for people affected by this change. Receiving Benefits If you, someone you know, or someone you work with currently receives or thinks they qualify for General Assistance, they may qualify for other benefits. Individuals can contact their local County Assistance Office or apply online via COMPASS at www.compass.state.pa.us. More Information For more information, contact the DHS Helpline at 1-800-692-7462. TDD Services are available at 1-800-451-5886. *Information provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services
July 3, 2019 Refugee and English Learner Access Day Want to learn more about the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh and other local organizations? Join Literacy Pittsburgh and the Library on July 28 for Refugee and English Learner Access Day! About Refugee and English Learner Access Day (R.E.A.D.) is an opportunity to enjoy fun informal activities, tour the Library, chat with people from local community organizations, get a library card, and find out more about local literacy services. Light refreshments will be available. More Information For more information, contact Shayna at newandfeatured@carnegielibrary.org or 412.622.3151.
Allegheny County Community Health Assessment Survey The Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) and its advisory coalition are developing the next Community Health Assessment (CHA). As part of this process, they have created a survey for residents to help identify the priority health issues impacting their communities. About the Survey This survey has a particular focus on health equity and will be used to design a new Community Health Improvement Plan, which will outline goals and strategies to improve the health and wellbeing of all Allegheny County residents. By taking the survey, you are helping ACHD identify the key needs of Allegheny County communities. The survey will be available from June 26 through October 4, 2019. This survey is open to all residents of Allegheny County over 18 years of age. ACHD is also working with various organizations to make paper versions of the survey available to residents. Both versions are identical – if you take the online version, there is no need to complete a paper version. All answers are private and anonymous. Take the Online Survey If you’re interested in sharing your voice, complete the survey today! Spanish Survey La encuesta de salud de la comunidad del condado de Allegheny está disponible en español. Haz click aquí para realizar la encuesta. Partner Organizations ACHD is looking for partner organizations to help distribute the CHA survey to populations that they serve. Partners are encouraged to distribute and collect these surveys to community residents. Strategies for distribution include bringing paper surveys to events, making surveys available at their locations, and seeking other opportunities for Allegheny County residents to complete the survey. If you are a local organization that is interested in helping with this effort, please contact Alaina Conner via the ACHD website or by calling 412-578-8364. *Information provided by the Allegheny County Health Department
Family Support Site Directors Meeting This meeting is for Site Directors of the 28 centers in the Allegheny County Family Support Network. Learn More For more information and to register, visit the event page.
July 1, 2019 Theiss Community Resource Fair Join the Family Engagement Team of the Matilda H. Theiss Early Childhood Behavioral Health and Trauma Treatment Center on August 23 for the Theiss Community Resource Fair. About Held at the Hill House Association, the Theiss Community Resource Fair seeks to provide families and the community with information about local organizations and opportunities to engage with Allegheny County Community Providers that serve families and children. More Information For more information or to host a table, contact Ms. Dee Burgess at 412.383.1557. Share this flyer with your network.
June 3, 2019 Implicit Bias, Cultural Humility, & Parent Engagement Workshop Join the Partnerships for Family Support Office of Child Development on June 27 for their Implicit Bias, Cultural Humility, & Parent Engagement workshop. This training is for staff of centers in the Allegheny County Family Support Network. About This interactive workshop explores various strength-based strategies to increase immigrant and refugee parent engagement. Participants attending this training will have the opportunity to reflect on their current practice, understand and apply the cultural humility perspective when designing and implementing parenting activities, and identify specific steps to enhance their knowledge and skills in working with diverse families. Learning Objectives Participants will: Reflect on how social stereotypes impact their work with immigrant and refugee families; Apply a cultural humility perspective to analyze scenarios and propose solutions that respond to the characteristics and interests of immigrant/refugee families; and Discover key strategies and best practices to develop relationships with diverse families, support families in their parenting, and advocate with them for culturally relevant services and resources. More Information To learn more and register, visit the Eventbrite page.
