MCH Family Outreach in Tyler reached out to their
community and sponsored a day of training on Friday, Jan. 23, at Marvin United
Methodist Church. Jason Gillentine, Department of Family and Protective Services
(DFPS) permanency practitioner, and Kristi Hatchel, DFPS family group decision making
trainer, provided Permanency Values training.
Permanency is defined as the highest level of physical,
legal and emotional safety and security that can be attained for each
individual child or youth within the context of a family relationship. Eighteen
participants including DFPS employees, child placing agency staff, and family court
agents and officers attended the training.
Gillentine and Hatchel set out to give participants a
better understanding of concepts, related skills and developmental aspects of
permanency values and show a link between family engagement and permanency and
its lifelong benefits.
“Permanence is NOT a place,” explained Traci Wagner, MCH
Family Outreach eastern regional administrator. “Permanency is a state of mind,
and not a placement. Permanence is having the feeling that you are connected – that
there is someone in the middle of the night who will answer your collect phone
call or miss you when you do not show up.
“Another way to think about permanency is a parenting
relationship with an adult, a mutual understanding that this relationship is
meant to last forever; unconditional commitment by the adult(s); participation
by all parties in the relationship; lifelong mutual support and involvement;
and belonging.”
The Permanency Values training is being offered
throughout the State of Texas and several MCH Family Outreach offices have
attended in their areas.
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