L.A.Y.E.S. needs your help with our Family Involvement Enhancement Project. The project operates from the Louisiana Children’s Museum and involves a parent training workshop given by a speaker from the Louisiana Federation of Families while the children engage in fun, therapeutic arts and craft activities with a child psychologist. The project is not exclusive to L.A.Y.E.S. clients, and it serves the entire family. The summer workshop begins June 14th and is made of up eight sessions on the dates provided below:
June 14th
June 28th
July 12th
July 26th
August 9th
August 23rd
September 6th
September 20th
We need friendly, dedicated volunteers to assist families and help mentor the children during their activities. Volunteers can sign up for more than one date if they choose. Please see the attached volunteer form. For more information, please contact Nakina Eugene at nakina_eugene@yahoo.com or call 504-896-2636.
What is the LA-Y.E.S. Program?
LA-Y.E.S an acronym for Louisiana Youth Enhanced Services for Mental Health is a program that incorporates a comprehensive and coordinated system of care for children with serious emotional behavioral disorders.
LA-Y.E.S is a community based services system that is family friendly and culturally competent. The program recognizes every family’s cultural heritage and the differences that may exist.
What are the Goals of LA-Y.E.S.?
• To involve the community including the target populations and their families in the planning, governance, program development and service delivery in the system of care for children and youth with serious emotional disturbances.
• Provide early intervention and prevention of emotional and behavioral problems.
• To increase mental health awareness and decrease stigma associated with mental illness.
• To incorporate culturally competent practices for serving children and families from Orleans, Jefferson, St. Tammany, St. Bernard, and Plaquemines Parishes.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of the system of care and its component services.
For additional information about LA-Y.E.S. visit our website at WWW.LA-YES.org or call us at 1-866-39LAYES.
What is the LA-Y.E.S. FIEP Project?
The LA-Y.E.S. Family Involvement Enhancement Project (LA-Y.E.S.FIEP) is a collaborative initiative between the Louisiana Children’s Museum (LCM), Louisiana Youth Enhanced Services (LA-Y.E.S.), and the Louisiana Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health (LAFFCMH) designed to support family involvement in the System of Care development and activities by creating a series of family workshops that will help develop communication, advocacy, and leadership skills. The project focuses on families and children, incorporating cultural competence practices, increasing awareness in mental health, and decreasing stigma and barriers associated with mental illness.
What does the program involve?
The learning initiatives for the family workshop series will be delivered using a model similar to LCM’s successful Family Camp.
Two Family Camp Workshops – one scheduled in the spring; and one scheduled in the summer, will be offered at the LCM on Saturdays from 9 am until noon.
Each workshop has seven sessions.
o Adults: one hour individual parent training class at the LCM theatre for a workshop
o Children: structured art activity with therapeutic benefits.
After the individual sessions, parents and children will be reunited for joint structured activities within the museum.
Who can participate?
Up to 60 families can participate over a year-long period; based on first-come, first-served.
The target population includes youth ages 3 to 21 with moderate to severe emotional and behavioral problems.
Families are recommended to the program by teachers, counselors, or social workers.
Incentives for participation…
Sessions are free to all family members
Gift Card per family for participation in all sessions of the workshop
Transportation available to and from the sessions
Free one-year family membership after successful completion of the workshop
