Continued on page 4

CIRT Team Provides Support in Critical Times of Need

2 Directorrsquos Corner

5 Internship Program Expands at DCHS

6 Community Events Raise Opioid Crisis Awareness and Action

8 DCHS Highlights

12 Hello Goodbye

14 News You Can Use

C nnectTHE NEWS YOU NEED | THE PEOPLE YOU WORK WITH

M A R C H | A P R I L 2 0 1 8

DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AND HUMAN SERVICES

Helping residents respond to and deal with unusually stressful eventsAt some point many of us will experience a crisis mdash and how we respond to that crisis

will affect how well we overcome it At DCHS there are resources for those in Alexandria who need immediate crisis support whether it is an individual crisis an incident impact-ing a group of people or a larger scale event

The licensed clinicians of Emergency Services respond 247 to calls about a variety of individual crises including acute episodes of anxiety depression unusual thoughts or behavior thoughts about hurting onersquos self or someone else drug or alcohol problems traumatic events and more

One emergency service the Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) offers specialized support-ive responses for critical incidents that occur in Alexandria

Following a critical incident such as a shooting hostage situation or an unexpected death CIRT brings support to individuals in the community with the goal of decreasing stress and disseminat-ing resources for further services

2 C O N N E C T M A R C H | A P R I L 2 0 1 8 3

Directorrsquos C rner

DCHS Director Kate Garvey

The work of our depart-ment never stops and rarely slows down

We are operating 247 in Emergency Services Child Protective and Adult Protec-tive Services our residential programs and other key programs We are focusing on the future with clients as they address their health employment safety housing child development and other key goals We are working with our partnersmdashnon-profit providers boards and commissions community groups city and state agen-cies and residentsmdashto assure that our fabric of support is strong and enduring And our internal enginesmdashincluding Finance Technology Human Resources and Facilitiesmdashare driving hard to provide the support that is needed to get

Moving in the Right Direction

The City has received proposals from three potential locations for a consolidated site to house the majority of its services along with programs from the Health Department and Neighborhood Health

Currently DCHS Leader-ship Team is working with the architectural firm of Kimley Horn and the Department of General Services to process the space needs expressed through staff interviews that were com-pleted last month as well as the results of several client focus groups conducted in March and April The team is also work-ing together with the Health Department and Neighborhood Health to explore preferences

Consolidated Site Update

and tools and training and drill activity Every month at a Leadership Team meeting an update is provided on the issues being raised and the strategies to respond

Adoption and implementa-tion of new technologies has occurred including the new EHR Credible and the use of more mobile tools in the field

We have begun to ex-plore how we can unify and strengthen our approaches

across the Department in the areas of serving older adults employment housing and integrated services

Key staffing gaps are being addressed as we continue to work on issues related to attracting and retaining our critically important workforce talent--you More work is needed in the areas raised through Employee Engage-ment and Common Ground

None of the items listed

our work done With this much activity and

the many demands placed on us it can feel overwhelming It can also feel as if things are not moving forward But as we begin reflecting on the work of this fiscal year there is much evidence that our programs and our department as a whole are on track and moving in the right direction

ProgressWith the approval of the

FY19 budget soon approach-ing the Department will not lose any filled positions or eliminate any services We may also receive funding to coordinate activities related to the Opioid Crisis and to in-crease ESOL and employment supports

Movement continues toward a single DCHS and

Health Department facil-ity Key milestones recently achieved include the identi-fication of viable locations the gathering of key space needs from each program and feedback from clients regard-ing their priorities and hopes for a new facility (For more information see the update on the next page)

Multiple programs through-out the Department received honors or became accredited including CARF accreditation Comprehensive One-Stop designation for the Workforce Development Center and the acknowledgement of exem-plary practice or exceeding ex-pected outcomes in multiple programs

Regarding the safety of our facilities improvements have been made to the physical structures security staffing

for first floor space which surpasses the available space in each of the three proposed site locations

The team also formed a sub-committee consisting of nine non-supervisory staff to assess parking the ease of commuting and amenities in areas sur-rounding the three potential locations The subcommittee includes two representatives from Neighborhood Health three from the Health Depart-ment and four from DCHS The DCHS representatives include

one from each center appoint-ed by the center directors

Read former updates and keep up with news and infor-mation about the consolidated site at alexnetalexandriavagovDCHSmdashand keep an eye out for upcoming opportunities to be involved and contribute your input

above came easily or without effort and importantly do not solve all of the challenges we have We need to continue to work together to surface the things that stand in our way and work together to address them With one of the greatest strengths of the Department being a workforce that focuses every day on problem-solving and creative thinking our odds for success are tremendously strong

4 C O N N E C T M A R C H | A P R I L 2 0 1 8 5

Internship Program Expands at DCHSHave you thought about

adding an intern to your program If not nowrsquos the time to start

DCHS hosts a broad range of interns in a vari-ety of programs and most of them are applying and interviewing right now for positions that begin in the summer or next fall says Peggy Stypula who super-vises the internship pro-gram as part of her respon-sibilities as Supervisor of Staff Development in Child Welfare

DCHS has hosted interns for decades but recently the numbers have in-creased as have the number of programs hosting interns

ldquoIn the past most interns tended to be in social work in Child Welfarerdquo says Sty-pula ldquobut the program has expanded and formalized across all of DCHSrdquo

Recent interns have been placed in clinical positions in child welfare adult services substance use treatment services mental health youth preschool early childhood and de-velopmental disability programs as well as pro-grammatic positions with the Office of Community Services and Organizational

Valuable program is a win-win for both DCHS and interns

CIRT accomplishes this goal by screening phone calls requesting CIRT inter-vention determining the appropriate intervention for the critical incident and providing evidence-based services to mitigate the impact of potentially trau-matic events It is important to note that crisis interven-tion is not psychotherapy it is a specialized acute emergency mental health intervention that requires specialized trainingmdashoften referred to as ldquoemotional first aidrdquo

CIRT was established 15 years ago to help Alexandria residents effectively respond to and deal with unusually stressful events The team is composed of a diverse group of DCHS employees with different areas of special-ization who are trained in critical incidence response

Although most of the team members have a mental health background it is not a requirement

Other City departments primarily affiliated with emergency response such as dispatch fire and police also have staff trained in crisis intervention response DCHS and these depart-ments are looking at ways to coordinate and integrate their responses to critical incidents

New staff members recently completed a three-day training course to become certified as CIRT members This course combines all the content of the International Critical Incident Stress Foundationrsquos (ICISF) Assisting Individuals in Crisis amp Group Crisis Inter-vention courses

The course prepares participants to understand a wide range of crisis interven-tion services and includes knowledge and tools to provide interventions like demobilizations defusing and the Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD)

Any individual or group who may have experienced an unusual stressful incident can receive assistance from CIRT When CIRT is not war-ranted the team will make an appropriate referral

Gun violence notably vi-olence within public facilities occurs nationally The City of Alexandria is not immune to this type of violence On June 14 2017 a gunman

entered Eugene Simpson Park site of a congressional softball practice and began firingmdashinjuring three people including a US congress-man CIRT responded pro-viding support to Alexandria residents impacted by the shooting

Team members were available at the Walk for Solidarity event that took place in Del Ray following the shooting CIRT members provided supportive re-sources and were available on-call for one-on-one sup-port CIRT was also available during the subsequent vigil held for the park re-opening

CIRT responded more re-cently by providing support to group home residents after a death and provid-ing outreach to residents of a building where a suicide occurred

Following a crisis a thoughtful response is imperative Knowing there is help available in a time of need adds peace of mind often absent when dealing with a critical emergency sit-uation CIRT is that resource always ready to respond

For more information or questions visit alexandriavagovadultservices or call 7037463401 and ask for an Emergency Services clini-cian

For more information or questions visit alexandriavagovadultservices or call 7037463401 and ask for an Emergency Services clini-cian ~ Joseph Davis

Development and Equity The interns come from a

range of colleges and uni-versities including George Mason Virginia Common-wealth Catholic George Washington and Rutgers as well as the Chicago School of Psychology and the Medical School of the Caribbean They perform a variety of services ranging from direct contact services with clients to conducting outreach and research

Interns can be invaluable resources to DCHS pro-grams says Stypula who has personally supervised them in previous positions ldquoI love having interns I really do They bring fresh eyes have good ideas and do phenomenal workrdquo

Interns also value the op-portunity which helps them make career decisions and gives them hands on profes-sional experience as they look for full-time positions going forward

ldquoI knew I wanted to work with children but I didnrsquot know in what capacityrdquo says Maggie Marshall a gradu-ate student in the Masters of Social Work program at George Mason University who is interning at DCHS ldquoI was completely new to the

world of adoptions when I accepted my internship but after interning this past year I can honestly say that I want to stay in child welfarerdquo

Marshall encourages staff to consider working with an intern ldquoIt can potentially be the spark that turns some-one to a career they never would have thought aboutrdquo

If you are interested in exploring the possibility of hosting an intern in your pro-gram email PeggyStypulaalexandriavagov

TEAM PROVIDES SUPPORT IN CRITICAL TIMES OF NEED mdash CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

2 C O N N E C T M A R C H | A P R I L 2 0 1 8 3

Directorrsquos C rner

DCHS Director Kate Garvey

The work of our depart-ment never stops and rarely slows down

We are operating 247 in Emergency Services Child Protective and Adult Protec-tive Services our residential programs and other key programs We are focusing on the future with clients as they address their health employment safety housing child development and other key goals We are working with our partnersmdashnon-profit providers boards and commissions community groups city and state agen-cies and residentsmdashto assure that our fabric of support is strong and enduring And our internal enginesmdashincluding Finance Technology Human Resources and Facilitiesmdashare driving hard to provide the support that is needed to get

Moving in the Right Direction

The City has received proposals from three potential locations for a consolidated site to house the majority of its services along with programs from the Health Department and Neighborhood Health

Currently DCHS Leader-ship Team is working with the architectural firm of Kimley Horn and the Department of General Services to process the space needs expressed through staff interviews that were com-pleted last month as well as the results of several client focus groups conducted in March and April The team is also work-ing together with the Health Department and Neighborhood Health to explore preferences

Consolidated Site Update

and tools and training and drill activity Every month at a Leadership Team meeting an update is provided on the issues being raised and the strategies to respond

Adoption and implementa-tion of new technologies has occurred including the new EHR Credible and the use of more mobile tools in the field

We have begun to ex-plore how we can unify and strengthen our approaches

across the Department in the areas of serving older adults employment housing and integrated services

Key staffing gaps are being addressed as we continue to work on issues related to attracting and retaining our critically important workforce talent--you More work is needed in the areas raised through Employee Engage-ment and Common Ground

None of the items listed

our work done With this much activity and

the many demands placed on us it can feel overwhelming It can also feel as if things are not moving forward But as we begin reflecting on the work of this fiscal year there is much evidence that our programs and our department as a whole are on track and moving in the right direction

ProgressWith the approval of the

FY19 budget soon approach-ing the Department will not lose any filled positions or eliminate any services We may also receive funding to coordinate activities related to the Opioid Crisis and to in-crease ESOL and employment supports

Movement continues toward a single DCHS and

Health Department facil-ity Key milestones recently achieved include the identi-fication of viable locations the gathering of key space needs from each program and feedback from clients regard-ing their priorities and hopes for a new facility (For more information see the update on the next page)

Multiple programs through-out the Department received honors or became accredited including CARF accreditation Comprehensive One-Stop designation for the Workforce Development Center and the acknowledgement of exem-plary practice or exceeding ex-pected outcomes in multiple programs

Regarding the safety of our facilities improvements have been made to the physical structures security staffing

for first floor space which surpasses the available space in each of the three proposed site locations

The team also formed a sub-committee consisting of nine non-supervisory staff to assess parking the ease of commuting and amenities in areas sur-rounding the three potential locations The subcommittee includes two representatives from Neighborhood Health three from the Health Depart-ment and four from DCHS The DCHS representatives include

one from each center appoint-ed by the center directors

Read former updates and keep up with news and infor-mation about the consolidated site at alexnetalexandriavagovDCHSmdashand keep an eye out for upcoming opportunities to be involved and contribute your input

above came easily or without effort and importantly do not solve all of the challenges we have We need to continue to work together to surface the things that stand in our way and work together to address them With one of the greatest strengths of the Department being a workforce that focuses every day on problem-solving and creative thinking our odds for success are tremendously strong

4 C O N N E C T M A R C H | A P R I L 2 0 1 8 5

Internship Program Expands at DCHSHave you thought about

adding an intern to your program If not nowrsquos the time to start

DCHS hosts a broad range of interns in a vari-ety of programs and most of them are applying and interviewing right now for positions that begin in the summer or next fall says Peggy Stypula who super-vises the internship pro-gram as part of her respon-sibilities as Supervisor of Staff Development in Child Welfare

DCHS has hosted interns for decades but recently the numbers have in-creased as have the number of programs hosting interns

ldquoIn the past most interns tended to be in social work in Child Welfarerdquo says Sty-pula ldquobut the program has expanded and formalized across all of DCHSrdquo

Recent interns have been placed in clinical positions in child welfare adult services substance use treatment services mental health youth preschool early childhood and de-velopmental disability programs as well as pro-grammatic positions with the Office of Community Services and Organizational

Valuable program is a win-win for both DCHS and interns

CIRT accomplishes this goal by screening phone calls requesting CIRT inter-vention determining the appropriate intervention for the critical incident and providing evidence-based services to mitigate the impact of potentially trau-matic events It is important to note that crisis interven-tion is not psychotherapy it is a specialized acute emergency mental health intervention that requires specialized trainingmdashoften referred to as ldquoemotional first aidrdquo

CIRT was established 15 years ago to help Alexandria residents effectively respond to and deal with unusually stressful events The team is composed of a diverse group of DCHS employees with different areas of special-ization who are trained in critical incidence response

Although most of the team members have a mental health background it is not a requirement

Other City departments primarily affiliated with emergency response such as dispatch fire and police also have staff trained in crisis intervention response DCHS and these depart-ments are looking at ways to coordinate and integrate their responses to critical incidents

New staff members recently completed a three-day training course to become certified as CIRT members This course combines all the content of the International Critical Incident Stress Foundationrsquos (ICISF) Assisting Individuals in Crisis amp Group Crisis Inter-vention courses

The course prepares participants to understand a wide range of crisis interven-tion services and includes knowledge and tools to provide interventions like demobilizations defusing and the Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD)

Any individual or group who may have experienced an unusual stressful incident can receive assistance from CIRT When CIRT is not war-ranted the team will make an appropriate referral

Gun violence notably vi-olence within public facilities occurs nationally The City of Alexandria is not immune to this type of violence On June 14 2017 a gunman

entered Eugene Simpson Park site of a congressional softball practice and began firingmdashinjuring three people including a US congress-man CIRT responded pro-viding support to Alexandria residents impacted by the shooting

Team members were available at the Walk for Solidarity event that took place in Del Ray following the shooting CIRT members provided supportive re-sources and were available on-call for one-on-one sup-port CIRT was also available during the subsequent vigil held for the park re-opening

CIRT responded more re-cently by providing support to group home residents after a death and provid-ing outreach to residents of a building where a suicide occurred

Following a crisis a thoughtful response is imperative Knowing there is help available in a time of need adds peace of mind often absent when dealing with a critical emergency sit-uation CIRT is that resource always ready to respond

For more information or questions visit alexandriavagovadultservices or call 7037463401 and ask for an Emergency Services clini-cian

For more information or questions visit alexandriavagovadultservices or call 7037463401 and ask for an Emergency Services clini-cian ~ Joseph Davis

Development and Equity The interns come from a

range of colleges and uni-versities including George Mason Virginia Common-wealth Catholic George Washington and Rutgers as well as the Chicago School of Psychology and the Medical School of the Caribbean They perform a variety of services ranging from direct contact services with clients to conducting outreach and research

Interns can be invaluable resources to DCHS pro-grams says Stypula who has personally supervised them in previous positions ldquoI love having interns I really do They bring fresh eyes have good ideas and do phenomenal workrdquo

Interns also value the op-portunity which helps them make career decisions and gives them hands on profes-sional experience as they look for full-time positions going forward

ldquoI knew I wanted to work with children but I didnrsquot know in what capacityrdquo says Maggie Marshall a gradu-ate student in the Masters of Social Work program at George Mason University who is interning at DCHS ldquoI was completely new to the

world of adoptions when I accepted my internship but after interning this past year I can honestly say that I want to stay in child welfarerdquo

Marshall encourages staff to consider working with an intern ldquoIt can potentially be the spark that turns some-one to a career they never would have thought aboutrdquo

If you are interested in exploring the possibility of hosting an intern in your pro-gram email PeggyStypulaalexandriavagov

TEAM PROVIDES SUPPORT IN CRITICAL TIMES OF NEED mdash CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

4 C O N N E C T M A R C H | A P R I L 2 0 1 8 5

Internship Program Expands at DCHSHave you thought about

adding an intern to your program If not nowrsquos the time to start

DCHS hosts a broad range of interns in a vari-ety of programs and most of them are applying and interviewing right now for positions that begin in the summer or next fall says Peggy Stypula who super-vises the internship pro-gram as part of her respon-sibilities as Supervisor of Staff Development in Child Welfare

DCHS has hosted interns for decades but recently the numbers have in-creased as have the number of programs hosting interns

ldquoIn the past most interns tended to be in social work in Child Welfarerdquo says Sty-pula ldquobut the program has expanded and formalized across all of DCHSrdquo

Recent interns have been placed in clinical positions in child welfare adult services substance use treatment services mental health youth preschool early childhood and de-velopmental disability programs as well as pro-grammatic positions with the Office of Community Services and Organizational

Valuable program is a win-win for both DCHS and interns

CIRT accomplishes this goal by screening phone calls requesting CIRT inter-vention determining the appropriate intervention for the critical incident and providing evidence-based services to mitigate the impact of potentially trau-matic events It is important to note that crisis interven-tion is not psychotherapy it is a specialized acute emergency mental health intervention that requires specialized trainingmdashoften referred to as ldquoemotional first aidrdquo

CIRT was established 15 years ago to help Alexandria residents effectively respond to and deal with unusually stressful events The team is composed of a diverse group of DCHS employees with different areas of special-ization who are trained in critical incidence response

Although most of the team members have a mental health background it is not a requirement

Other City departments primarily affiliated with emergency response such as dispatch fire and police also have staff trained in crisis intervention response DCHS and these depart-ments are looking at ways to coordinate and integrate their responses to critical incidents

New staff members recently completed a three-day training course to become certified as CIRT members This course combines all the content of the International Critical Incident Stress Foundationrsquos (ICISF) Assisting Individuals in Crisis amp Group Crisis Inter-vention courses

The course prepares participants to understand a wide range of crisis interven-tion services and includes knowledge and tools to provide interventions like demobilizations defusing and the Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD)

Any individual or group who may have experienced an unusual stressful incident can receive assistance from CIRT When CIRT is not war-ranted the team will make an appropriate referral

Gun violence notably vi-olence within public facilities occurs nationally The City of Alexandria is not immune to this type of violence On June 14 2017 a gunman

entered Eugene Simpson Park site of a congressional softball practice and began firingmdashinjuring three people including a US congress-man CIRT responded pro-viding support to Alexandria residents impacted by the shooting

Team members were available at the Walk for Solidarity event that took place in Del Ray following the shooting CIRT members provided supportive re-sources and were available on-call for one-on-one sup-port CIRT was also available during the subsequent vigil held for the park re-opening

CIRT responded more re-cently by providing support to group home residents after a death and provid-ing outreach to residents of a building where a suicide occurred

Following a crisis a thoughtful response is imperative Knowing there is help available in a time of need adds peace of mind often absent when dealing with a critical emergency sit-uation CIRT is that resource always ready to respond

For more information or questions visit alexandriavagovadultservices or call 7037463401 and ask for an Emergency Services clini-cian

For more information or questions visit alexandriavagovadultservices or call 7037463401 and ask for an Emergency Services clini-cian ~ Joseph Davis

Development and Equity The interns come from a

range of colleges and uni-versities including George Mason Virginia Common-wealth Catholic George Washington and Rutgers as well as the Chicago School of Psychology and the Medical School of the Caribbean They perform a variety of services ranging from direct contact services with clients to conducting outreach and research

Interns can be invaluable resources to DCHS pro-grams says Stypula who has personally supervised them in previous positions ldquoI love having interns I really do They bring fresh eyes have good ideas and do phenomenal workrdquo

Interns also value the op-portunity which helps them make career decisions and gives them hands on profes-sional experience as they look for full-time positions going forward

ldquoI knew I wanted to work with children but I didnrsquot know in what capacityrdquo says Maggie Marshall a gradu-ate student in the Masters of Social Work program at George Mason University who is interning at DCHS ldquoI was completely new to the

world of adoptions when I accepted my internship but after interning this past year I can honestly say that I want to stay in child welfarerdquo

Marshall encourages staff to consider working with an intern ldquoIt can potentially be the spark that turns some-one to a career they never would have thought aboutrdquo

If you are interested in exploring the possibility of hosting an intern in your pro-gram email PeggyStypulaalexandriavagov

TEAM PROVIDES SUPPORT IN CRITICAL TIMES OF NEED mdash CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

6 C O N N E C T M A R C H | A P R I L 2 0 1 8 7

Community Events Raise Opioid Crisis Awareness and ActionOpioid Work Group works with Alexandria residents and organizations to flesh out community action plan

The Opioid Work Group hosted two events in the last month to raise awareness of and explore ways to address the local effects of the national opioid crisis

Incidences of opioid ad-diction overdoes and deaths have risen dramatically across the nation to levels on par with the peak of the AIDS epidemic The crisis affects all ages ethnicities income levels and communitiesmdashincluding Alexandria where the conse-quences of opioid misuse and addiction are affecting not

only those who are addicted but also their families local schools and neighborhoods

The Work Group is com-prised of representatives from a range of City programs and partners including social services law enforcement schools health providers and a local coalition The Work Group takes a multidimen-sional approach to confronting the crisis by focusing on opioid addiction and treatment over-dose response and recovery diversion of addicted persons into treatment and supply re-

Overdose Symptoms

Know what to do in the event of an opioid overdose

Naloxone (Narcan) can save the life of someone who is overdosing if given in time It is available without a prescription at all pharmacies Also obtain it for free at the Alexandria Health Departmentrsquos main office at 4480 King St (Monday - Friday 8 am - 430 pm Thursday 1245 pm - 430 pm) or call 7037464888 Anyone who assists a person in need is protected from liability by the Good Samaritan Law

+

What are opioidsOpioids are a class of highly addictive drugs used to reduce pain They include prescriptions opioids like oxycodone hydrocodone morphine and fentanyl as well as illegal opioids like heroinSymptoms of an overdose include pale face limp body blue-ish lips or nails vomiting or gurgling drowsiness or unconsciousness slow breathing or heartbeat and muscle spasms

How to Respond to an OverdoseCall 911 - do not wait Help will come immediately First responders want to save lives and help people recover

Help Save Lives Get Free Narcan

duction and law enforcement strategies

On February 28 the Work Group hosted ldquoA Commu-nity Conversation Heroin and Other Opioidsrdquo at TC Wil-liams Minnie Howard Campus About 75 attended the town hall which featured a panel of representatives the Work Group who described the crisis and the approaches offered to address it locally The panel answered questions from the audience as well as online viewers A video of the town hall is available at livestream

comAlexandriaVAGov OpioidTownHall

The Work Group followed up the town hall with a Community Action Planning Meeting on April 9 at TC Williams which was attended by around 60 Alexandria residents and representatives from various organizations including representatives from all OWG partner agen-cies community residents and family members of persons affected by the crisis

The participants broke into discussion groups based on the Work Grouprsquos multidimen-sional approaches to discuss ideas to address the local effects of the crisis Feedback generated from the night will be used by the Work Group to flesh out their priorities and expand their focus as resourc-es allow

Star Award Nomination Form surveyalexandriavagovs3

DCHS-Star-Award-Nomination-FormSuper Star Nomination Formsurveyalexandriavagovs3

DCHS-Superstar-Award-Nomination-Form

JANUARY 2018SUPER STAR NOMINEES

PIT Count Group Dana Woolfolk Wanda Santiago Yinka Olarinde Dena Wilson Stefen Caine Ramin Shaheedian Genevieve Fields LaToya Williams Mrudula Voruganti Betsy Hiers Joseph Perry

Yeme Mehari

STAR AWARD NOMINEES

Cathy HurrinZelma Cosio

Priscilla WillettLorena VillatoroFarjana Akhter

FEBRUARY 2018 STAR AWARD NOMINEES

Ana Martinez-CastilloBria Scott-Fleming

Adam GrobFanny SalgadoJamal Graham

Mutesa Bennett-JohnsonMichelle Mosley

DCHS Star AwardsIm

ages

by

freep

ikc

om

ldquoAttendance at both events and the feedback wersquove heard from participants confirms that we are on the right track in terms of attacking this crisis from all anglesrdquo says Liz Wixon ldquoWhile wersquove accom-plished a great deal over the last two years we still have a ways to go to ensure that this crisis does not continue to devastate the lives of people and families throughout Alexandria What we need to accomplish requires not only close collaboration among the many city agencies and partners involved in the OWG but also close collaboration with the people who live and work hererdquo

For more information about these events the national opi-oid crisis and the Cityrsquos efforts visit wwwalexandriavagovOpioids

The Community Conversation on February 28 held at the TC Wil-liams Minnie Howard Campus was also streamed live online

Participants in a discussion group during the Community Action Planning meeting on April 9 at TC Williams High School

IMAGE COURTESY OF ADAPT PHARMA

8 C O N N E C T M A R C H | A P R I L 2 0 1 8 9

DCHS Highlights

STAFF CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH

On February 28 staff gathered for a luncheon to celebrate Black History Month and raise money to provide a scholarship to a TC Williams High School student

This yearrsquos event featured an infor-mative and enlightening presentation by Audrey Davis the director of the Alexandria Black History Museum Davis was listed number two on Washington Business Journalrsquos top 100 list of Wash-ington Power players and is the founder and current director of Virginia Africana The Network of Museum History and Preservation Professionals She is also one of five authors of African Americans of Alexandria Virginia Beacons of Light in the 20th Century which chronicles the life of 63 African American men and women whose actions made a difference in the historic fabric of the city during the years 1920 through 1965

The event brought in $702 all of which was donated to the Alexandria Scholarship Fund

The event is sponsored each year by the Gift from the Heart Black History Committee The committee is always seeking new members if you are inter-ested contact AvisHunteralexandria-

vagov For more information about the Alexandria Black History Museum and the history of African Americans in the Alexandria visit wwwalexandriagovBlackHistory ~Chris Washington

DCHS YOUTH TOUR HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES

Over spring break 20 students from two DCHS programs toured seven of the top Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the South

Youth from the Peer Advisors Program and TC Williamrsquos Project Discovery used their time off to invest in their education-al futures Youth Development Counselor Theodore Jones and Community Health Education Specialist Kim Hurley served as chaperones and advisors on the trip

Students visited Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) South Carolina State University Claflin College Johnson C Smith University Livingstone College Fayetteville State University and St Augustinersquos University In addition to campus tours and admis-sions overviews youth explored model dorm rooms ate in several dining halls and heard from college presidents pro-fessors and students

The Peer Advisors Program is an after school leadership program for teens Starting at the age of 12 Peer Advisors are trained in peer pressure resistance skills tobacco prevention anger manage-ment and mediation They act as men-tors and role models to younger youth Project Discovery helps students become the first members of their families to at-tend college or technical school Through workshops trips to colleges and enrich-ing experiences students learn how to achieve education goals select a college manage time improve study skills and ap-ply for financial aid ~Noraine Buttar

WDC LIGHTS IT UP BLUE FOR AUTISM

On April 2 Workforce Development staff wore blue in support of World Au-tism Awareness Day

The internationally recognized day was designated by the UN General Assembly in 2007 to raise awareness of people with autism In addition to encouraging people to wear blue buildings through-out the world ldquoLight It Up Bluerdquo in honor of the day including the White House and Empire State Building in the US the Burj Khalifa in Dubai the worldrsquos tall-est building and the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona one of the largest Roman Catholic churches in the world Autism-

friendly events and education activities also take place throughout the month To learn more about the day and autism visit wwwautismspeaksorg

CHRISTENSEN HONORED WITH SPAN AWARD

During a luncheon on April 6 Cindi Christensen received the SCAN Allies in Prevention Award

Christensen was nominated for her work as the lead social worker at the Child Protective Services Hotline where her primary responsibility is to answer document and screen calls from commu-nity members with concerns about abuse or neglect of children A highly skilled interviewer of callers Christensen helps callers feel comfortable to report on diffi-cult topics while gathering the maximum amount of information to help screen-ing decisions setting the stage for social workers in the field to address all poten-tial concerns for the child and family

In 2015 Christensen helped develop the training ldquoResponding Responsibly to Child Abuse and Neglectrdquo The train-ing kicked off Alexandriarsquos recognition of Child Abuse Prevention Month that year In 2017 36 trainings were conducted 26 of which Christensen conducted The newly-trained community members now have the understanding and skills to

respond confidently and compassionately with children at risk of maltreatment and know how to seek the correct professional supports to begin the helping process and prevent the abuse and neglect of children in Alexandria ~Doug Brown

BROWN BAG FOCUSES ON TRANSGENDER INCLUSION

On April 5 service providers from throughout the city gathered at the brown bag lunch event ldquoA Place at the Tablerdquo to discuss inclusion of transgender commu-nity members with Reverend Emma Chat-tin Executive Director of the Transgender Education Association

Sharing from her own journey and in-sight gleaned from working with transgen-der people Chattin said that inviting more people to a seat at the tablemdashor in other words creating more welcoming spacemdashtakes conscious effort Service providers can create a supportive effect and posi-tive outcomes by being better prepared for interactions with trans people and knowledgeable of the unique challenges they face Chattin also shared helpful local resources

The event was sponsored by the Alex-andria LGBTQ Task Force If you would like more information about this event or to join the Task Force please email Erika

The Black History Month celebration included displays a silent auction and featured speaker Audrey Davis Director of the Alexandria Black History Museum

1 0 C O N N E C T M A R C H | A P R I L 2 0 1 8 1 1

Callaway Kleiner at erikaockgmailcom For more information about the Transgen-der Education Association visit TGEAnet ~Debra Evans

RAISING AWARENESS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT

During April the Sexual Assault Center sponsored a variety of events to raise public awareness about sexual assault as part of the nationwide Sexual Assault Awareness Month

There were several displays throughout the City including a visual display at City Hall of T-shirts made by survivors and a display of jeans decorated by survivors and supporters at multiple places through the city as part of the Messages of Hope Campaign

The month also featured the fifth an-nual Poetry Share on April 17 at Metro-Stage in Alexandria This yearrsquos theme was Embrace Your Voice and participants shared words and stories related to and opposing violence against individuals from all walks of life

ldquoThe stage was shared with new and veteran poets alike including members from our own DCHSrdquo says Sexual Assault Center Outreach Prevention Specialist Ashley Blowe ldquoThe boldness courage and strength in their words left everyone

feeling powerful and inspiredrdquoYou can still participate in several

ways through the end of the month SAC encourages staff to wear jeans on Denim Day April 25 as a visible means of protest against myths that surround rape and sexual assault for more information visit denimdayinfoorgabout The Messages of Hope Campaign is on display April 23-27 at the Center for Alexandriarsquos Children at 1900 Beauregard Volunteers and staff will also be on hand at the Old Town Farmerrsquos Market and the Del Ray Farmerrsquos Market on Saturday April 28

CHILD WELFARE STAFF EN-JOY MONTH OF ACTIVITIES

During Social Work Month in March Child Welfare staff enjoyed a month of activities and inspiring tokens of appre-ciation Friday theme days and ldquoUnique Unit Unityrdquo outfits created excitement and reinforced teamwork On March 23 staff participated in a workshop with a grounding exercise and a short discus-sion on how to practice self-care as a way to sustain their capacity to serve our purpose through our work Vision boards were created with magazine pictures that were meant to inspire the magic in daily life and provide a renewed sense of fun and inspiration ~Peggy Stypula

DCHS STAFF COMPETE FOR CITY CUP

The competition for the City Cup has entered its third season After first round playoff losses DCHS finished fourth in the fall season Kickball competition and fifth in the winter season basketball competi-tion DCHS is currently in fifth place in the overall City Cup standings

The Police Department defeated the DCHS team in the first round and ulti-mately took third place in the Winter City Cup Basketball League Fire Department took first and City Hall came in second

With basketball season over the spring Corn Hole league starts on May 3 DCHS is still looking for employees to join the Corn Hole team Contact JeffBollenalexandriavagov to sign up

RECEPTION WELCOMES NEW CCF DIRECTOR

Dr Stacey D Hardy-Chandler who joined DCHS as the Director of the Center for Children and Families (CCF) in Febru-ary received a warm welcome during a reception in her honor hosted by DCHS Director Kate Garvey and CCF staff She was ushered in with smiles and introduc-tions from an array of staff from across the Department

Hardy-Chandlerrsquos vision for CCF and in-clusive leadership philosophy focuses on

Starting with Strengths Being Resilience-Driven Looking Upstream Living our Ethical Principles Building and Maintaining Collabora-

tive RelationshipsShe is excited to be joining the Depart-

ment and is looking forward to being part of our dynamic and dedicated team ~LaTanya Wooten

DCHS PROGRAMS PARTICI-PATE IN OPEN HOUSE

The Office of Community Services Public Benefits Program and Workforce Development Center participated in the annual Newcomers Open House hosted by Charles E Beatley Jr Library on April 15 2018

Center for Economic Support staff members Charles Washington Krystal Cooper Aster Alemayehu Patricia Huete Yoshabel Velazquez Delsa Chui Tara Brown Joseph Perry and LaToya Williams volunteered to respond to the needs and interest of our newest community mem-bers in the City of Alexandria

Staff welcomed new members of the community and shared relevant resources offered by DCHS which included but not

limited to employment services public benefits homeless service utility and rental assistance medical and case man-agement services ~ LaToya Williams and Jessica Lurz

SUPER STARS HONORED AT PIZZA PARTY

Super Star nominees were honored at a pizza party earlier this month Each was nominated for their actions outside of normal work expectations that had a significant impact on internal or exter-nal DCHS customers or departmental operations

In addition all nominees were entered into drawings for cash prizes Each year group Super Star nominees are entered in a drawing in which two groups per year receive $500 to be shared among the group Each Individual Super Star nominee receives a $25 gift card and is entered in an annual drawing in which two Super Stars receive $250 each

The nomination process is open to all staff--anyone can nominate anyone else in the Department Nomination forms for Star Awards and Super Star Awards are available online (see links on page 7) Printable nomination forms are still avail-able in the DCHS Information folder under Shining Stars Award Program

embrace

yourvoice

JOIN THE MOVEMENT

DENIM DAYAPRIL 25 2018

Wear jeans during this worldwide event

to honor victims of sexual assault and

promote discussion of misconceptions

that surround sexual violence

for more information call the sexual assault hotline

7036837273DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY

AND HUMAN SERVICES

The fifth annual Poetry Share took place on April 17 as part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month activities

DCHS is still looking for staff to join the Corn Hole team competing for the City Cup Contact JeffBollenalexandriavagov to sign up

1 2 C O N N E C T M A R C H | A P R I L 2 0 1 8 1 3

Hello amp GoodbyeNEW STAFFJILL BURNETTEJill Burnette joined DCHS as a Family Services Specialist with the Domestic Violence Program

ANNA CONNORAnna Connor joined the Work-force Development Center as a Business Services Special-ist Previously she worked in the Department of Employ-ment and Workforce in South Carolina where she instruct-ed career readiness work-shops for job seekers taught job skills at the Catawba Indian Nation and briefed inmates on the labor market and potential job opportunities as they were scheduled for release from the state prison While in her position she became a valu-able asset to both clients and businesses organizing hiring events and creating synergy while helping hundreds of job seekers get back to work She plays music in her spare time

YESHI GEBREMARIAMYeshi Gebremariam joined DCHS as a Public Health Nurse with Aging and Adult Services

NARDOS GHIRMAINardos Ghirmai joined DCHS as a part-time Residential Counselor with the Linden and Seminary residential programs REBECCA HERNANDEZRebecca Hernandez joined DCHS as a Forensic Discharge Planner with Jail Services Men-tal Health Team

ASHLEY HOUSERAshley Houser joined DCHS as a Senior Residential Counselor with the Domestic Violence Program

GOUSS JOSEPHGouss Joseph returned to DCHS as a Therapist with the Alexan-dria Residential Treatment Cen-ter formerly known as Detox

REGINA PATENTERegina Patente joined DCHS as a Family Services Specialist II in the Family Engagement

Unit where she will conduct Family Partnership Meetings She comes from Southern Maryland where she worked as a facilitator of family meet-ings for the past 10 years She resides in Alexandria with her husband and four-year-old son She enjoys spending time in Old Town Alexandria sing-ing and Nationals baseball

RASHAD PRICERashad Price joined DCHS as a Youth Development Coun-selor with the Youth Develop-ment Team Price is a native Alexandrian who grew up participating in Alexandria youth initiatives and mentor-ing programs He is a former President of the Untouchables male youth group and became a Peer Advisor in 2001 He graduated TC Williams High School in 2005 where he was a varsity athlete in basketball and football and was involved in youth leadership roles He attended West Virginia State University where he received his Bachelor of Arts in 2009 He has more than 17 years of experience in youth interven-tion and prevention Over the past five years he served as Community Service Aide in Montgomery County Maryland working with gang involved youth and adults providing culturally based programs

intensive community outreach gang mediation and life skills His goal has always been to build mold and inspire young people to become the best version of themselves

EMILY SINEEmily Sine joined DCHS as a Child Protective Services Caseworker She received her MSW from Salisbury Univer-sity and is a Maryland native In her spare time she enjoys traveling and spending time with friends and family She is grateful and excited for the op-portunity to work for the City of Alexandria assisting families in need

BARCLAY TODDBarclay Todd joined DCHS as a Nutritionist and supervisor at the Alexandria Residential Treatment Center formerly known as Detox A certified nutritionist specializing in plant based diets Todd is a graduate of Boston College and eCornell and is currently working on her Masters of Public Health and Nutrition She began her career as a lead reporter for an 11 pm newscast of a North Carolina news station Through her time in public broadcast-ing she spoke on a variety of topics such as financial consumer and nutritional health It was through public broadcasting that she found her passion for nutrition She moved on to teach nutrition for the Alexandria City Public Schools and then worked for a leading health foods com-pany as a nutrition specialist Todd also works with ldquoInova Wellrdquo as a Health Educator and public speaker and has

produced numerous articles and documentaries on food and health She is excited to work to improve meal of-ferings and clientsrsquo over all nutritional health at ARTC In her free time she is an advent gardener traveler and film buffmdashand warning ldquoShe stops for Farmerrsquos Marketsrdquo

RACHEL TOWNESRachel Townes joined DCHS as Senior Therapist with the Youth and Family Team in the Center for Children and Families She is originally from the tidewater area of Virginia and moved the NOVA in 2016 She has experience in com-munity based therapies such as Intensive In Home and Therapeutic Day Treatment services as well as Outpatient Therapy since late 2011 Her target population is children and adolescents and she en-joys working with individuals from all walks of life In her spare time she loves to work out read and spend time with family and friends She is

excited to be working with the City of Alexandria

KENYETTA WAKINIKenyetta Wakini recently joined the DCHS family as a Family Services Worker II with Child Protective Services Kenyetta obtained her BSW and MSW from the Univer-sity of North Dakota She is a licensed social worker with experience working in North Dakota Oregon and Georgia She and her husband are the proud parents of an active fur-baby named Pepe

JOB CHANGENelly De Luca is a Family Ser-vices Specialist III and Cross-over Youth Coordinator in Child Welfare Services Ruvimbo Katerereis a Therapist at Safe Haven Jacquelyn Lainez is an Administrative Support III with Substance Use Disorder Outpa-tient Services

Imag

e by

Jan

noon

028

Fre

epik

1 4 C O N N E C T M A R C H | A P R I L 2 0 1 8 1 5

News You Can UseTRAININGS RAISE AWARENESS OF CHILD ABUSE

The Child Abuse Preven-tion Coalition of Alexandria (CAPCA) offers free trainings to raise awareness and prevent child abuse in Alexandria

Last year Child Protective Services conducted 549 family assessments and investigations resulting from allegations of child abuse and neglect From inadequate supervision to sexual abuse each allegation represents a community mem-ber who is concerned enough about the safety of a child to make a call seeking help

A variety of training ses-sions are available for both individuals and organizationsmdashfrom parents and community members to mandated report-ers Learn how to prevent abuse and how to respond when concerned about the safety of a child More infor-mation is available at wwwalexandriavagovChildAbuse If you suspect child abuse or neglect call 7037465800 247

SUPPORT FOSTER CHILDREN IN MAY

In honor of Foster Care Month in May DCHS is provid-ing multiple opportunities for you to show your support of children in foster care

Take Me Out to the Ball Game Wear blue and join the Fund for Alexandriarsquos Child (FFAC) in support of Foster Care Month at Nationals Park on May 6 when the Washington Nationals will take on the Phila-delphia Phillies Buy specially priced ticketsmdashwhich include $10 concessions creditsmdashat Groupmaticseventseventalex-andriaschild For more informa-tion email KrystalFenwickalexandriavagov

Get your tickets now FFAC will host its 15th Annual Fostering the Future Gala ldquoUp Up and Awayrdquo on Friday June 8 at the Sheraton Suites in Old Town Alexandria Guests will enjoy a memorable evening with exciting livesilent auction items hors drsquooeuvres cock-tails music and dancing

ldquoIt will be a night to re-member as we recognize our foster parents of the year and come together to imagine an

oh so bright future for our youthrdquo says FFAC Coordina-tor Krystal Fenwick ldquoOh the places theyrsquoll go with your supportrdquo

If you are unable to attend but would still like to support consider purchasing a $20 raffle ticket for the chance to enjoy three nights in a luxury two bedroom residence in the city of your choosingmdashMiami Chicago New Orleans or Montreal For more informa-tion contact KrystalFenwickalexandriavagov

Foster Care Family Re-cruitment Throughout May the Beatley Library will be dis-playing foster care recruitment materials For more informa-tion about becoming a foster care family contact ChristineLevinealexandriavagov

SAC HOSTS YOGA CLASSES

The Sexual Assault Center is hosting yoga for survivors and co-survivors of sexual as-sault on a monthly basis All survivors and co-survivors are welcome at any place in their journey to reclaim their resiliency through the practice of gentle and mind-ful yoga Classes are free and are led by certified yoga instructor Kendra Martello To register or for more infor-mation for upcoming dates times and location please contact Monica Huerta at 7037463134 or monicahuertaalexandriavagov

KNOW WHAT TO DO IN AN EMERGENCY

Take a moment to review DCHS emergency procedures so you are prepared to respond to emergency andor disaster situations in order to protect clients staff and property and prevent the interruption of es-sential services These policies establish procedures to ensure the mitigation of preparedness for response to and recovery from natural or human-made emergency or disaster situa-tions as well as both required and recommended safety pro-tocols for staff to utilize while engaging in general daily work

Access to emergency pro-cedures is available from the DCHS homepage in Share-Point Choose the Policies and Procedures page and open the AP 01mdashEmployee Safety and Emergency or Disaster Proce-dures listed under the Table of Contents At the end of that document are links to attach-ments that give procedures for each location For residential

facilities choose Attachment 1 Response Procedures for Emer-gencies in CSB Residential Facili-ties for individual buildings and facilities choose Attachment 2 Response Procedures for Emer-gencies in CSB Office Facilities

HOW TO GET TRANSLATION SERVICES

DCHS staff may obtain translation services through the City-approved vendor Transperfect Translation refers to the transferring of written language from one language to another as opposed to inter-pretation which refers to the spoken transfer of languages

Transperfect translates to numerous languages including Spanish Arabic and Amharic They have a minimum fee of $75 per project although small translations can be bundled to avoid paying $75 for a short translation Billing is based on word count which ranges from $017 per word to $028 per word depending on the language

Please note translation of content in a graphic design such as a flyer or content laid out in a brochure format does not include layout or design The translated content will be provided in straight Word text although you may request that the text be aligned to show the English version of each section of the translation

Transperfect will also do the layout and design of a docu-ment in another language for an additional desktop publish-ing fee of $65hour pro-vided they receive the original desktop publishing file The additional desktop publish-ing service may be necessary when for example the font of the language consists of spe-cial characters not supported by staff computers

To obtain translation from Transperfect please email Mike Macrina at mmacrinatransperfectcom or call 3158682976 Turnaround times depend on document length with 2000 or fewer words taking one to two days

fund for alexandriarsquos child day at

specially priced tickets available

NATIONALS PARK

Join us in support of Foster Care Month as the Washington Nationals

take on the Philadelphia Phillies Purchase specially priced tickets

in Section 108 which include $10 concessions credits and

wear blue and raise your voice in support of foster youth everywhere

SUNDAY MAY 6 s 135 PM

BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW

GROUPMATICSEVENTSEVENTALEXANDRIASCHILD

Parking is available for a fee at the stadium which is located at

1500 South Capitol St SE Washington DC 20003 Metro use is encouraged

Questions Email KrystalFenwickalexandriavagov

DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY

amp HUMAN SERVICES 49

18

Up

Name

Address

Phone

Email

Drawing will be held

June 8 2018during the Fostering the Future GalaDonation $20eachOnly 350 tickets will be soldTicket holder need not be present to win

Winner will choose a 3-night stay in either historic New Orleans H-O-T Miami shopperrsquos paradise

Chicago or a foodie dream in Montreal CanadaEach residence accommodates four mdash perfect for a family just the girlsguys or a couples getaway

The winner has 18 months to redeem tripFor more information visit501auctionscomfosteringthefuture

Golden Ticket Raffle to BenefitThe Fund for Alexandriarsquos Child

Oh the Sights Yoursquoll See

Oh the Places Yoursquoll Go

UpandAway

1 4 C O N N E C T M A R C H | A P R I L 2 0 1 8 1 5

News You Can UseTRAININGS RAISE AWARENESS OF CHILD ABUSE

The Child Abuse Preven-tion Coalition of Alexandria (CAPCA) offers free trainings to raise awareness and prevent child abuse in Alexandria

Last year Child Protective Services conducted 549 family assessments and investigations resulting from allegations of child abuse and neglect From inadequate supervision to sexual abuse each allegation represents a community mem-ber who is concerned enough about the safety of a child to make a call seeking help

A variety of training ses-sions are available for both individuals and organizationsmdashfrom parents and community members to mandated report-ers Learn how to prevent abuse and how to respond when concerned about the safety of a child More infor-mation is available at wwwalexandriavagovChildAbuse If you suspect child abuse or neglect call 7037465800 247

SUPPORT FOSTER CHILDREN IN MAY

In honor of Foster Care Month in May DCHS is provid-ing multiple opportunities for you to show your support of children in foster care

Take Me Out to the Ball Game Wear blue and join the Fund for Alexandriarsquos Child (FFAC) in support of Foster Care Month at Nationals Park on May 6 when the Washington Nationals will take on the Phila-delphia Phillies Buy specially priced ticketsmdashwhich include $10 concessions creditsmdashat Groupmaticseventseventalex-andriaschild For more informa-tion email KrystalFenwickalexandriavagov

Get your tickets now FFAC will host its 15th Annual Fostering the Future Gala ldquoUp Up and Awayrdquo on Friday June 8 at the Sheraton Suites in Old Town Alexandria Guests will enjoy a memorable evening with exciting livesilent auction items hors drsquooeuvres cock-tails music and dancing

ldquoIt will be a night to re-member as we recognize our foster parents of the year and come together to imagine an

oh so bright future for our youthrdquo says FFAC Coordina-tor Krystal Fenwick ldquoOh the places theyrsquoll go with your supportrdquo

If you are unable to attend but would still like to support consider purchasing a $20 raffle ticket for the chance to enjoy three nights in a luxury two bedroom residence in the city of your choosingmdashMiami Chicago New Orleans or Montreal For more informa-tion contact KrystalFenwickalexandriavagov

Foster Care Family Re-cruitment Throughout May the Beatley Library will be dis-playing foster care recruitment materials For more informa-tion about becoming a foster care family contact ChristineLevinealexandriavagov

SAC HOSTS YOGA CLASSES

The Sexual Assault Center is hosting yoga for survivors and co-survivors of sexual as-sault on a monthly basis All survivors and co-survivors are welcome at any place in their journey to reclaim their resiliency through the practice of gentle and mind-ful yoga Classes are free and are led by certified yoga instructor Kendra Martello To register or for more infor-mation for upcoming dates times and location please contact Monica Huerta at 7037463134 or monicahuertaalexandriavagov

KNOW WHAT TO DO IN AN EMERGENCY

Take a moment to review DCHS emergency procedures so you are prepared to respond to emergency andor disaster situations in order to protect clients staff and property and prevent the interruption of es-sential services These policies establish procedures to ensure the mitigation of preparedness for response to and recovery from natural or human-made emergency or disaster situa-tions as well as both required and recommended safety pro-tocols for staff to utilize while engaging in general daily work

Access to emergency pro-cedures is available from the DCHS homepage in Share-Point Choose the Policies and Procedures page and open the AP 01mdashEmployee Safety and Emergency or Disaster Proce-dures listed under the Table of Contents At the end of that document are links to attach-ments that give procedures for each location For residential

facilities choose Attachment 1 Response Procedures for Emer-gencies in CSB Residential Facili-ties for individual buildings and facilities choose Attachment 2 Response Procedures for Emer-gencies in CSB Office Facilities

HOW TO GET TRANSLATION SERVICES

DCHS staff may obtain translation services through the City-approved vendor Transperfect Translation refers to the transferring of written language from one language to another as opposed to inter-pretation which refers to the spoken transfer of languages

Transperfect translates to numerous languages including Spanish Arabic and Amharic They have a minimum fee of $75 per project although small translations can be bundled to avoid paying $75 for a short translation Billing is based on word count which ranges from $017 per word to $028 per word depending on the language

Please note translation of content in a graphic design such as a flyer or content laid out in a brochure format does not include layout or design The translated content will be provided in straight Word text although you may request that the text be aligned to show the English version of each section of the translation

Transperfect will also do the layout and design of a docu-ment in another language for an additional desktop publish-ing fee of $65hour pro-vided they receive the original desktop publishing file The additional desktop publish-ing service may be necessary when for example the font of the language consists of spe-cial characters not supported by staff computers

To obtain translation from Transperfect please email Mike Macrina at mmacrinatransperfectcom or call 3158682976 Turnaround times depend on document length with 2000 or fewer words taking one to two days

fund for alexandriarsquos child day at

specially priced tickets available

NATIONALS PARK

Join us in support of Foster Care Month as the Washington Nationals

take on the Philadelphia Phillies Purchase specially priced tickets

in Section 108 which include $10 concessions credits and

wear blue and raise your voice in support of foster youth everywhere

SUNDAY MAY 6 s 135 PM

BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW

GROUPMATICSEVENTSEVENTALEXANDRIASCHILD

Parking is available for a fee at the stadium which is located at

1500 South Capitol St SE Washington DC 20003 Metro use is encouraged

Questions Email KrystalFenwickalexandriavagov

DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY

amp HUMAN SERVICES 49

18

Up

Name

Address

Phone

Email

Drawing will be held

June 8 2018during the Fostering the Future GalaDonation $20eachOnly 350 tickets will be soldTicket holder need not be present to win

Winner will choose a 3-night stay in either historic New Orleans H-O-T Miami shopperrsquos paradise

Chicago or a foodie dream in Montreal CanadaEach residence accommodates four mdash perfect for a family just the girlsguys or a couples getaway

The winner has 18 months to redeem tripFor more information visit501auctionscomfosteringthefuture

Golden Ticket Raffle to BenefitThe Fund for Alexandriarsquos Child

Oh the Sights Yoursquoll See

Oh the Places Yoursquoll Go

UpandAway

1 6 C O N N E C T

CITY ACADEMIESThe City of Alexandria

Academies provide multiple opportunities to explore and understand how city govern-ment and services work while also providing a purpose for the work staff do Staff are en-couraged to attend alongside residents to learn about how the City works and functions across departments For more information about or to sign up for one of the academies below visit wwwalexandriavagovAcademies

Alexandria Senior Acad-emy This four week program

held on Wednesdays from 10 am to 12 noon is designed to engage inform and educate Alexandriarsquos Seniors (60+) about government functions and programs and organiza-tions that provide services available to seniors

Alexandria Common-wealthrsquos Attorney Community Academy A one-day session that combines lectures and discussions along with an in-depth look at how criminal offenses are prosecuted in the City of Alexandria by the Com-monwealth Attorneyrsquos office Other programs managed by

the office will also be covered Alexandria City Acad-

emy A nine-week course that provides residents with the op-portunity to learn about City government through first-hand experience with a wide range of government functions ser-vices activities and issues

Alexandria Community Fire Academy This academy educates the Alexandria com-munity members about fire safety and emergency medical response while learning about the history administration operations and apparatus of an urban public safety agency

What is ConnectConnect seeks to inform DCHS em-ployees about initiatives programs services and changes within the Department It also introduces staff to one another on a more personal level recognizes employee and team accomplishments and helps foster relationship between programs and employees across DCHS

Have a story to shareWe are always looking for news and story ideas If you have an idea for content email carmenandresalex-andriavagov or call 5753

See a Significant ErrorTo report significant errors in this newsletter please email carmenandresalexandriavagov

Are you leaving the CityDonrsquot miss out on important news and alerts Sign up for the Behavioral Health and Human Services subscription group on eNews to continue receiving Con-nect content The City of Alexandriarsquos free eNews service lets you sign up to receive information on nearly 100 top-ics including vital emergency alerts Go to wwwalexandriavagov Communications for the link to sign up

Want to know more about DCHS ProgramsCheck out our Department webpages at wwwalexandriavagovDCHS or read summaries of our Centers and programs with these summaries published in Connect Center for Adult Services Center for Children and Fami-lies Center for Economic Support and Center for Operations

IMAGE BY FREEPIKCOM

Participants will also receive hands-on training to experi-ence a ldquoday in the liferdquo of a firefightermedic

Alexandria Community Police Academy Classes are a combination of lecture and interactive activities Class topics include patrol opera-tions gangs crime preven-tion crime scene investiga-tions criminal investigations and the Special Operations team The curriculum covers the core elements that are essential for participants to gain a greater understanding of police operations