National Safe Place Network Announces 2021 Award Recipients
National Safe Place Network (NSPN) recognized several individuals, organizations, and businesses during its 2021 national awards ceremony on Wednesday, July 28 at Focus 2021 held at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“We are honored to celebrate youth service professionals, volunteers, advocates, and community partners who have made a positive difference in the lives of youth and families,” said Laurie Jackson, President/CEO of NSPN. “The 2021 NSPN Award recipients have contributed their time, money, expertise, and voices to ensure youth safety and for that, we are grateful.”
NSPN is proud to recognize the following 2021 NSPN Award winners:
- Community Involvement Award – Terrible Herbst
- Culture of Respect Award – Dr. Frank McAlpin
- Executive Leadership Award – Susan Frankel, National Runaway Safeline
- Helping Hands Volunteer Award – Anne and Dan Henriksen, 360 Youth Services
- HEREOS for Youth Award – Dr. Diane Tanaka, Children’s Hospital L.A.
- Lifetime Achievement Award – Mark Wolf and Susan Harmon, formerly of National Safe Place Network
- Model Program Award – “Value You” Campaign, Bellefaire JCB
- Safe Place® Coordinator of the Year Award – Hanna Tacha, Youth Services Tulsa
- Youth in Action Award – National Youth Advisory Board, National Network for Youth
- Together We Can Award – David Mount, Seton Youth Shelters
- Essential Voice Award – Mark Horvath, Invisible People
Congratulations once again to all of the 2021 NSPN award winners. Visit www.nspnetwork.org/2021-nspn-awards to read more about the awards and their winners. Nominations for the 2022 NSPN awards can be submitted at www.nspnetwork.org/2022-npsn-awards-nominations.
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A Guide to Gender Identity Terms
 (Image courtesy of Human Rights Campaign; www.hrc.org)
In recognition of Pride Month, NPR and GLAAD have released “A Guide to Gender Identity Terms”. This glossary is not exhaustive but is intended to promote courtesy and acceptance. In addition to the glossary, there is also a Q&A on the importance of proper pronoun usage.
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Upcoming Youth in Focus Webinars
"Creating Safe Space for Difficult Discussions: An Introduction to Engaging in Conversations on Race and Equity"
Summary:
Creating a safe learning environment is essential in facilitating growth. Adding the challenge of facilitating conversations around race, privilege, and oppression can create fear and anxiety in even the most seasoned facilitator. Please join Youth in Focus for this introductory webinar examining the concept equity and how to begin thinking about strategies to incorporate equity into training facilitation.
Objectives:
At the end of the webinar, participants will be able to:
- Provide a coherent case for the need for equitable and culturally sensitive facilitation
- Introduce training attendees to the concepts of the cycle of socialization, cultural imperialism, diversity, equity, and decentering
- Provide training attendees an opportunity to discuss and dialogue on their needs as facilitators of equity content
- Provide training attendees with resources on engaging in difficult conversations around race, equity and inclusion
CYC Certification Competency Domain: Cultural and Human Diversity
This workshop is provided free of charge for Youth Thrive U, Youth and Families Thrive Trainers and Academy Trainer Community members using your member coupon. All others pay $35.00.
Date: April 26, 2021, 3:00 - 4:30 p.m. EDT
Trainer: Kim Frierson, DSW, CYC-P
Training Specialist,
Youth Catalytics
"Building Cognitive and Social-Emotional Competence One Day Training Module"
Summary:
This one-hour webinar is designed to help Youth and Families Thrive trainers use the one-day BUILDING COGNITIVE AND SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL COMPETENCE module. All the materials you need to present this workshop to your staff or community group are available. The webinar will focus on how to plan and use the course materials to present the one-day module on Building Cognitive and Social-Emotional Competence.
The one-day Building CSE Competence module takes the material presented in the Youth and Families ThriveTM courses to the next level in understanding the HOW of using the competencies. It presents important ideas from the full course and allows participants to explore how the CSE competencies operate in daily experience and personal lives…and what we can do to help young people develop and strengthen them in their lives.
The module can be presented as two days of training. The first day focuses on helping participants explore their own CSE competence and develop a plan for increasing their use of the competencies in their work with youth. The second day provides program staff with a process for identifying how CSE competences are currently being taught and identifying opportunities and strategies for expanding their use in an organization’s youth programming.
Objectives:
Participants will:
- Become familiar with the workshop materials and options for presentation
- Network with other instructors to create training teams
CYC Certification Competency Domain: Developmental Practice Methods
This workshop is provided free of charge for Youth Thrive U, Youth and Families Thrive Trainers and Academy Trainer Community members using your member coupon. All others pay $30.
Date: May 6, 2021 2 - 3 PM Eastern
Trainer: Frank Eckles, BA, CYC-P
Director, Academy of Competent Youth Work
"Ethics for Trainers: Applying the NSDTA Code of Ethics for Training and Development Professionals"
Summary:
This workshop will introduce participants to the NSDTA Code of Ethics for Training and Development in Human Services, the most widely used code of ethics specifically for trainers. It provides practical examples of how to integrate the Code into training, and applying its values and principles in ethical scenarios. Its application enables trainers to plan ethically informed learning events.
Since the inception of the National Staff Development and Training Association (NSDTA), increasingly complex social problems (e.g., poverty, homelessness, domestic violence, child maltreatment, unemployment, substance abuse, Covid 19) co-existing with increased funding challenges, have elevated the need for a well-trained human services workforce.
Changes have also occurred within the human services training and development work environment (e.g., increased funding for training in many human services areas, advent of the private training consultant, increased litigation of training, learners who have experienced trauma, availability of distance technology and alternative delivery models). These changes have created the need for highly competent training and development professionals who can deal with ethical issues emerging from new practices and/or conflicting values and responsibilities.
Objectives:
Participants will:
- Introduce child welfare trainers to the NSDTA code and its application
- Explore an 8-step process for applying the code
- Practice applying the code to training scenarios
- Network with other child welfare trainers
CYC Certification Competency Domain: Professionalism
This workshop is provided free of charge for Youth Thrive U, Youth and Families Thrive Trainers and Academy Trainer Community members using your member coupon. All others may participate for $40.
Youth in Focus is a national training collaborative dedicated to bringing brain-based youth development training into communities. The six founding member organizations are Academy for Competent Youth Work; Bolster Collaborative:National Safe Place Network;PHILLIPS Programs for Children and Families; and Youth Catalytics. |
National Volunteer Week – Together We Can
National Safe Place Network (NSPN) is excited to celebrate National Volunteer Week (April 18-24). As shared by independentsector.org, 63 million volunteers across the nation hold up the foundation of civil society. Volunteers commit time and resources to programs across the country. Whether it is serving as a local Safe Place® volunteer, participating as a mentor, engaging in gathering needed items for homeless youth and families, or any other of a number of activities – those who volunteer make a positive difference every day.
Involving volunteers adds incredible value to youth and family service organizations. Volunteers support your efforts to:
- Engage a more diverse range of skills, experience, and knowledge.
- Increase service delivery quality.
- Increase your reach to those you serve in your community.
- Raise awareness about your efforts and garner additional support.
- Build relationships within your community and strengthen your brand and reputation.
- Inform the development of current and new opportunities including programming, activities, projects by bringing new opinions, ideas, and approaches.
- Help your organization's efforts remain relevant by aligning services and approaches to community needs.
- Help improve health and wellbeing for staff and community members.
Whatever your reason is for including volunteers in your organization, thank you for taking the time to recognize their efforts to support your organization's mission.
NSPN Honors its Volunteers
NSPN would like to honor our volunteers who serve to help NSPN achieve its vision of a world where all youth are safe. Each of these individuals spend numerous hours each month helping our organization to develop new programs and to strengthen existing efforts. In addition, these individuals share their time to help increase awareness of services available to all youth in crisis.
Recognizing Volunteers Serving Your Organization
Do you have a volunteer you would like to honor? Submitting a nomination for the NSPN Helping Hands Award is a great way to thank someone who has served your organization by dedicating time and resources to enhance the lives of youth in your community. The Helping Hands award for outstanding volunteer achievement recognizes the valuable contribution of youth and adult volunteers who provide direct support and/or services to the organization, participate in fundraising, and/or engage in community awareness activities. You may nominate youth or adults and the award may be given to an individual or to a group of volunteers.
Maximizing the Impact of Volunteers: A Handbook for Nonprofit Organizations
NSPN has created a new resource for its members to help start or strengthen volunteer programs within nonprofit organizations. “Maximizing the Impact of Volunteers: A Handbook for Nonprofit Organizations” is available on the NSPN support center.
If you are not an NSPN member and would like to join to access this and other resources, please join here.
This resource provides information on:
- Volunteerism
- Position development
- Recruitment
- Screening volunteers
- Interviewing volunteers
- Orientation and training
- Supervision
- Recognition
In addition, the handbook provides samples which NSPN member organization may adapt for their volunteer program.
These sample items include:
- Position descriptions
- Volunteer interest checklist
- Application for volunteer services
- Reference check for volunteers
- Volunteer applicant’s statement
- Drug free workplace consent
- Commitment of confidentiality
- Volunteer contract
- Volunteer service record
- Program director and staff training outline
- Volunteer update meeting form
The pandemic has renewed interest in engaging individuals and groups who want to make a difference in their communities. This resource provides a solid foundation for building a new volunteer initiative and provides a tool for comparing existing volunteer recruitment and retention efforts to an existing program.
The NSPN team thanks all volunteers who are dedicated to local, state, and national efforts. You truly demonstrate the impact of, “Together we can!
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Save the Date for Focus 2021
What happens when a conference turns into an exclusive convene? Magic! In the city of Las Vegas, National Safe Place Network (NSPN) is excited to reintroduce a new structure for Focus 2021.
Earlier this month, NSPN released a survey to determine if your national conference should be held in person or virtually. The results are in! Of those who responded, 60% indicated they are ready to venture out into the world to attend Focus 2021 as an in-person event. While some respondents did share concerns of whether safety measures would be in place, it is anticipated that states will continue re-opening and Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) cases will decline. NSPN continues to monitor the status of the pandemic and is working with the venue to ensure safety measures are prioritized.
The magic begins Tuesday, July 27th and ends Thursday, July 29th. Click here to view the schedule for Focus 2021.
NSPN is raising the stakes at Focus 2021 by bringing together a select group of professionals committed to the following values:
- Positive change,
- Systems engagement, and
- Meaningful collaboration.
This event will feature your voice, your experience, your knowledge, and your ideas. The NSPN motto of “Together we can” drives the foundational concept of doing better, together. Alone, you have an idea, and together, we turn the ideas of our network into a source of solutions for youth, families, organizations, and communities.
NSPN is going all-in with you to help youth and families, build innovative programs, and develop community responses to unmet needs.
NSPN is working hard to help ensure you don’t have to gamble with your health and safety while attending Focus 2021. The planning team continues to monitor the status of the COVID-19 pandemic and is collaborating with the venue to ensure safety precautions are in place.
Registration will open soon. Don’t get lost in the shuffle! The NSPN team is doubling down to raise the true odds for you, your organization, and the youth you serve.
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