December 2021 News
Program Updates
Conference Recap
The Project LIFE team hosted our fall youth conference in the month of November. We had a blast. A big thanks to our wonderful facilitators (Jeff May, Chef Jay Wiggins, Katherine Lawrence, and Danielle McDowell), special guests, panelists who really pulled it all together. We are so thankful for all of the youth that attended and for the professionals and parents that helped make that happen, too. Spring conference details will be posted on our conference page as they are available. Stay tuned!
Casey Life Skills Assessment is Changing
This message comes from the Casey Life Skills team. “The toolkit has been revised in collaboration with foster care alumni, resource parents, service providers and child welfare experts to reflect the current needs of the youth. This aligns with Casey Family Programs’ focus on empowering communities, and centering a diversity, equity and inclusion lens. The updated versions will be going through test-retest and other validation processes. In the future, we will also be providing a Spanish translation to the assessment tools. Future updates to the toolkit will be posted to https://www.casey.org/casey-life-skills.”
We’ve posted the whole message on our website; you can learn more here or at casey.org.
Upcoming Statewide Events
Talk it Out Tuesdays
Dates: December 7 + 21, 2021 | Time: 5:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. via Ring Central
Feeling isolated due to COVID? Need someone to connect with? Miss talking with peers? Talk it Out Tuesdays is an open platform for youth to talk with other youth and trusted adults about anything on their minds. Hosted by Jamesia and Melissa, you can join in this social session by registering with the button below.
For Professionals: Meet Project LIFE + VDSS
Date: January 12, 2022 | 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. via Ring Central
Come and meet your Project LIFE and VDSS IL teams. Hear about us, and our services for both youth and professionals in Virginia. Public and private provider professionals, foster parents, and adoptive parents are invited to attend this “get to know us” session. VDSS Letha Moore-Jones and Monica Cabell will give a brief “NYTD 101” presentation. Register below and contact George with questions.
Vision Board Workshop
Date: January 19, 2022 | Time: 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. via Ring Central
What’s your vision for 2022? Maybe you haven’t thought about it yet. We are here to help. Join Project LIFE for our annual Vision Board Workshop. Gather your old magazines, poster board, and glue, and together we’ll map out a visual plan to help you achieve your short term and long term goals for the new year. Led by Jamesia and a youth co-facilitator, we’ll have plenty of fun and giveaways. Make sure to reserve your spot today by registering using the button below. Contact Jamesia with questions. Contact Jamesia if you need more information or have questions.
Upcoming Regional Events
Eastern Region Independent Living Coordinators Committee (ILCC) Meeting
Date: December 1, 2021 | Time: 12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. via Ring Central
All Eastern region DSS agencies and private providers are invited to attend to discuss independent living needs for youth transitioning out of foster care. (*Note the difference from the usual time.) This meeting will cover topics related to transitioning youth into adulthood, virtual workshops and opportunities for youth and working professionals, and any other youth opportunities in the region. This meeting will also feature a presentation by VDSS on the Youth Welfare Approach (YWA). Contact Melissa through email if you plan on attending to get the link for this meeting or if you need more information.
Piedmont Region hosts “More Than a Job” 2 Part Series
Date: December 2, 2021 | Time: 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. via Ring Central
Join us for part 2 of this series. Youth will deep dive into career options based on interests, skill-sets, and salary. This series is a great opportunity for youth who are unsure of what career path they wish to take. Space is limited. Contact Jamesia if you need more information or have questions.
Western Region’s Independent Living Coordinators Committee (ILCC) Meeting
Date: December 8, 2021 | Time: 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. via Zoom
Please take part in the Western region ILCC meeting in December. Western DSS agencies and private providers are invited to attend to discuss independent living needs for youth transitioning out of foster care. This meeting will also feature a presentation by VDSS on the Youth Welfare Approach (YWA) and other VDSS updates. This will be a great opportunity to learn more as we move into 2022. Contact Aros through email if you plan on attending to get the link for this meeting or if you need more information.
Northern Region’s Independent Living Coordinators Committee (ILCC) Meeting
Date: January 25, 2022 | Time: 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. via Ring Central
All Northern DSS agencies and private providers are invited to attend this ILCC to discuss independent living needs for youth transitioning out of foster care. This meeting will cover topics related to transitioning youth into adulthood and will be joined by Monica Cabell with VDSS to share statewide updates. Contact George through email or at 804.239.1044 if you plan on attending to get the link for this meeting, or if you need more information.
Additional Events and Resources
Healthy Minds Fairfax Youth Advisory Council
Attention Fairfax youth, ages 14-22 years old: Do you have some experience around mental health or some interaction with human services systems in Fairfax County? if so, the Healthy Minds Fairfax Youth Advisory Council is looking for more youth participants and is accepting applications. For more information, you can head to their website: www.jssa.org/healthyminds. (Note: The Youth Advisory Council information is the bottom section of the page). Youth can click here to apply.
