An Update from the Executive Director
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As the pandemic begins to fade, I wanted to take time to reflect on how the pandemic has impacted the communities and individuals we work with. But first, I would like to thank JJPI's staff, who have gone above and beyond to care for our participants during the last two plus years!
Isolation in response to the COVID-19 pandemic was necessary for our greater public health, but it also led to great hardships. Even before the pandemic, the CDC reported that 1 in 7 children experienced child abuse and/or neglect in the previous year, and we know this number is even higher for poorer children and families, who were also the most impacted by the pandemic. Interestingly, JJPI saw a drop in referrals during the first year of the pandemic (we believe this was due to the need for individuals who might otherwise seek therapy to focus on their immediate day-to-day survival), but in the last six months, referrals have increased. Overall, mental health problems, already significant prior to COVID-19, have increased substantially due to isolation and additional stress.
JJPI did an excellent job pivoting to telehealth to continue much-needed services. Since June 2021, JJPI has been operating in a hybrid format, with our services available on-site and via telehealth.
Lastly, I want to refer you to JJPI’s first annual report in quite some time, for more information about the reach of our services and our excellent outcomes.
– Ivan Haskell, Ph.D.
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2021 Program Recap
Delaware County Healing and Resolving Trauma (DelcoHART):
- The Delaware County Healing and Resolving Trauma (DelcoHART) is a federally funded program designed to help children in Delaware County that have been sexually or physically abused and need help with anxiety, depression, problematic sexual behavior, and other symptoms of trauma. This program is free to all Delaware County families. JJPI is working in partnership with a great organization, Family Support Line, and now has two full-time trauma therapists located on site at their offices in Media, PA. Our DelcoHART therapists help children and families heal after sexual abuse and other traumas by using Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy (TF-CBT), the gold standard treatment for helping children heal from trauma. The therapists also provide trauma and screening services in Delaware County schools.
You can learn more about our expansion in the Delco Times.
JJPI Expands to Bucks County:
- On January 1st, 2021, JJPI took over the practice of a former JJPI employee, who has been providing treatment services for adults with sexual offending histories for around twenty years. The practice is located in Newtown Borough, Bucks County, and serves primarily individuals living in Bucks and Montgomery Counties, with some other clients also coming from surrounding counties in New Jersey. We were fortunate that one of JJPI’s long-time employees, Dr. Traci Lordan, lives in the area and was willing to be hired as the practice’s primary clinician. Dr. Lordan has done a fantastic job of absorbing this practice and transferring the existing clients to become JJPI clients, which involved new intakes, all new paperwork, and so on. Dr. Lordan has also done a fantastic job building relationships with our partners in the area, especially the Bucks and Montgomery County Departments of Probation, and has also received a number of new referrals.
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Zhengtian Hao was promoted to full-time clinician, and he is well deserving of this new role due to the many clinical skills he embraces, including his strong clinical judgment, attention to detail with documentation, and amazing ability to connect with participants, especially children. On top of all these qualities, Zhengtian is also particularly passionate when it comes to working with other staff, whether it is providing clinical feedback or a smile on a difficult day. Zhengtian also consistently provides thoughtful, constructive and genuine feedback to others during consultation groups and is willing to make himself vulnerable with his clients and co-workers in a very special way. Congratulations Zhengtian on your new role!
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Brianna Stewart volunteered at one of JJPI’s food drives in 2020 and while we did not have any openings at that time, the impression she left us that day carried into the following year when we added a new case manager position. Brianna started with Survivor Services’ Case Management Department in September 2021, and she has shown to be an all-star. Some of her notable work experiences before JJPI include RISE Program at NAHS, Coatesville Kids to College and SPIN! Brianna has an independent work style that meshes perfectly with the CM department and diligently organizes the daily paperwork for participant files. Brianna has jumped into other CM duties without hesitation, including phone calls, Modivcare verifications, interpretation requests, and Alchemer. She is really an exceptional team player. Brianna is professional, courteous, friendly and her smile brightens up a room!
Brianna stays busy in her personal life as well. She is the fundraising chair for the Black Alumni Chapter with West Chester and is often involved in various activities.
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JJPI Is Hiring
JJPI is actively hiring many positions ranging from case management coordinators to clinicians. You can find all of our openings here.
Please help us spread the word about these openings.
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Civic Education
With the 2022 general elections just around the corner, here at JJPI, we encourage civic participation and want to provide you with some critical information.
- Register to vote and change your address
- Get a vote by mail application
- General Election: Nov. 8th, 2022
Learn more about who you are voting for at Better Civics. Better Civics creates FREE educational resources for community organizations, including presentations, posters and social media to better explain how government works and to encourage individuals to be more involved in the system and process of civic engagement.
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