Surrounded by homes in the Lealman neighborhood in Pinellas County, sits a small family center. 

It is called the Lealman and Asian Neighborhood Family Center. The word “Asian” is in the title because so many of the students and families it serves are of Asian descent.  

What You Need To Know

• The Lealman and Asian Neighborhood Family Center has been serving the community for 23 years
• Leaders at the Center say 50% of the children they serve are of Asian decent
• Much of the funding for the Lealman and Asian Neighborhood Family Center comes from the Pinellas County Juvenile Welfare Board

Thuat Truong has worked at the center for 19 years. The kids call her Mrs. T. 

“We have lot of Vietnamese students, they came from Vietnam. And I help them to learn English here,” said Thuat Truong, the program coordinator.

Many of the students and their parents do not know English when they first move to the U.S. or arrive at the center. So getting homework done with the students is a big stress reliever for parents. 

But it is not just kids Mrs. T helps. She assists the parents too. Trang Truong is a friend and a person Thuat Truong helped several years ago. They are not related.

Trang Truong immigrated to the U.S. in the 1990s and remembers the fear that came with that enormous life change.

“A lot of struggle,” said Trang. “The first few months we feel like a fish out of water.” 

The center helped Trang and her husband with English classes. 

They both then were able to graduate from college in the Bay area, and their children have now graduated from college too. All of them are now successfully in the workforce. 

“My son Kevin is the manager of my alteration shop at St. Pete Beach,” said Trang Truong with a proud smile.

Trang Truong’s story is just one of many who have found community, friendship, and growth at the family center. 

“We have a growing Vietnamese community,” said Caterina Tassara Runyon, the head of Communications & Development at the Lealman & Asian Neighborhood Family Center. “We have a Laotian community that speaks Laotian from Laos. We have a Hmong community; we have a Chinese community.”

This part of Pinellas County has become a landing spot for many Asian American families. 

“Our demographics nationwide are at about 6%. So, the fact that a small city like Pinellas Park has 12% population of Asian descent, that’s a huge number,” said Runyon.

The staff at the center speak as many languages as the families they serve. But it is more than language, it is about culture and heritage. 

“English is not my first language,” said Runyon. “And as an immigrant myself to the United States, I so can relate to the challenges of being a child and having English not be your first language and being afraid.”

The recognition of keeping one’s heritage but also assimilating into their new nationality, that is the balance many families find important at the center. 

To Trang Truong, being American is very important. But she does not want to forget where she came from either. 

“I still want to keep my culture,” said Trang Truong. “Keep my culture, my language and some parts of Vietnam; we still want to keep them.”

Much of the funding for the Lealman and Asian Neighborhood Family Center comes from the Pinellas County Juvenile Welfare Board. 

They help people with finding many resources in the community including childcare, health insurance, jobs, and access to unemployment. 

Read the article and view the news segment as published at https://baynews9.com/fl/tampa/news/2024/05/28/lealman-asian-vietnamese-pinellas-family

Hundreds of Pinellas County School students participated in the Fred Fisher water safety program in Clearwater Wednesday.

The program is two weeks long for kindergarten through second-grade students in Title I schools.

Clearwater For Youth, the City of Clearwater, the Juvenile Welfare Board, and the Florida Swim Foundation worked together to provide the instructors, funding and transportation for the program.

“The blessing is that kids can come during the school day. Parents are signing the permission slip to allow get them to get on a bus and come to receive the water safety lesson,” three-time Olympic Champion and Clearwater For Youth Development Manager Brooke Bennett said.

During their lessons, students go over rules and tips on how to stay safe when around water.

Some exercises taught during Wednesday’s class included bubble blowing and back floating.

“It is very overwhelming at times because you can see the fear on their face, but you also see the trust that they have with the instructors,” Bennett said.

One way you can help fund water safety classes in Florida is by signing up for the new “Swim For Life” license plate.

A donor has already given the funds for 3,000 plates that will benefit the Florida Swim Foundation.

“They can sign up for free, and then the second year when they renew their plate, the $30 cost, $25 dollars of that fee comes right back to our foundation and all of that money goes for swim lessons,” Florida Swimming Pool Association CEO Elizabeth McMurray said.

For details regarding the “Swim For Life” license plates, click here.

View the video segment and read the article as originally published at https://www.wfla.com/news/pinellas-county/program-bringing-water-safety-classes-to-pinellas-county-title-i-schools/

It’s Mental Health Awareness Month and now, people in Pinellas County have a new place to turn to for help.

The county is launching a new program that will help residents get access to mental health and addiction services.

Officials said the new program is called “Care About Me.” It’s a number people can call that will help connect residents to local mental health and addiction services.

People in a non-crisis situation can call 1-888-431-1998, speak with specialists, and get an appointment scheduled with a local provider before hanging up the phone.

It’s something Kelly Lajb said is important.

“I lived my whole life with ‘I can do it, I don’t need anybody’…But once I had that humbling moment of ‘wait a minute, I can’t do this on my own’…I reached out for help,” said Lajb.

Lajb is three years in recovery from addiction and said reaching out to someone is the first step.

“That was the most difficult conversation I’ve had was asking for help, but the best thing I’ve ever done for myself. It’s an empowering thing to take your own life back,” said Lajb.

She now works at Footprints Beachside Recovery, which helps people who struggle with addiction, substance abuse, and mental health.

“This last year, our numbers are way higher than they’ve been in the previous years. We’ve been getting a ton of phone calls for different mental health resources,” said Lajb.

The organization houses clients who need recovery… and in 2024, it has seen a 16% increase in the number of people needing help compared to 2023.

“The strong demand of the mental health awareness and crisis in our area over the last few years is, I feel, directly correlated to isolation, working remotely that started during COVID times, people are isolated from their friends and family, they can order groceries online, they can order food online,” said Lajb.

That increase is a big reason why Pinellas County is opening up a new program to residents, called “Care About Me.”

“What kept being reported was that our residents didn’t really know how to access these services, until sometimes a crisis occurred,” said Karen Yatchum with Pinellas County.

Local leaders said the new program will help decrease the number of calls being made to the county’s crisis hotline.

County leaders say the 988 crisis hotline should only be used for people who are experiencing suicidal thoughts or who are in an emergency.

The “Care About Me” program is for people who need help finding services.

“We hired intentionally skilled clinicians with a multitude of experience…with a goal that they will be able to meet residents where they are,” said Yatchum.

Lajb hopes people take advantage of it.

“If anyone anybody is out there in that struggling position, I mean, I just encourage you. You are not alone,” said Lajb.

**Pinellas County has partnered with funders of Behavioral Health Services to create Care About Me, which is a Coordinated Access Model. These partners formed the Pinellas Integrated Care Alliance, which is comprised of Pinellas County Government, Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, Central Florida Behavioral Health Network, the Juvenile Welfare Board, and the Florida Department of Health Pinellas.

Collectively, these partners have committed to improving the performance of the Pinellas County Behavioral Health System and with that commitment have supported the development of the Consumer-Focused Coordinated Access Model which focuses on reducing barriers to access treatment, improving coordination and warm hand-offs, and increasing consistency in practices related to screening, assessment and triage.**

View the news segment and read the article as originally published at https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/region-pinellas/pinellas-county-opens-new-program-to-help-people-connect-to-mental-health-and-addiction-services

According to Tampa Bay Thrives’ 2023 Resident Mental Health Study, 14% of respondents (a 4% increase over the previous year), reported missing work due to a mental or emotional condition, and the typical employee missed four days per month. This corresponds to a loss of 524,500 workdays, per month, or 6.3 million workdays, per year, a significant increase from 2022.

Tampa Bay Thrives is the local affiliate of Mental Health America (MHA), a national organization advancing the mental health and well-being of all people living in the U.S. 

One of the pillars of what Tampa Bay Thrives is emphasizes mental health in the workplace through programs like MHA’s Bell Seal for Workplace Mental Health.

“Research shows that when leaders are comfortable talking about mental health, it helps their staff. According to Employee Benefit News, 88% of employees feel more comfortable identifying their own needs when their leaders are vulnerable and open about their mental health,” says Carrie Zeisse, president and chief executive officer of Tampa Bay Thrives. “There’s a real role for leaders to play here and also one for the benefits and human resources teams to think about.”

This year, Tampa Bay Thrives is partnering with companies including The Mosaic Company, Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County, and Polk County Board of County Commissioners, to guide them on their journey to becoming Bell Seal certified.  The Bell Seal for Workplace Mental Health is a national certification program recognizing employers committed to creating mentally healthy workplaces.

The founding of Tampa Bay Thrives goes back to a group of community leaders who posed the question, “Why aren’t people getting better?”

With their support, Tampa Bay Thrives began to take form in 2018.

“Leaders from BayCare Health System looked at the data from a community health assessment and noticed that despite strong programs in place and significant investment in mental health, residents in Tampa Bay were still experiencing high levels of mental health pressures,” Zeisse says. “This made them first turn internally, and then externally, to pose the question, ‘Why aren’t people getting better and what can we do to help our community heal?’”

BayCare brought together a group of leaders including Tampa General, Advent Health, HCA Healthcare, Florida Blue, Raymond James, Mosaic, local government, school districts, public safety, and behavioral health providers, that committed to two full days of planning to determine an innovative way to move ahead.

“They looked at communities across the country who had success in generating momentum in mental health and sought to understand what made those programs successful. They also evaluated the local landscape to identify the top priorities and needs, and to determine the operating model for this new venture,” Zeisse explains.

The result was the creation of a separate 501c3, dedicated to being a convener and thought partner. This organization, which would become Tampa Bay Thrives, would evaluate the landscape and bring the community together to work together on increasing access to services, easing the challenge of navigating the system, and decreasing the stigma associated with seeking care for mental health.

Originally founded as the West Central Florida Mental Wellness Coalition, the first project launched was the Let’s Talk navigation line and Immediate Care access program, which has helped over 5,000 individuals with phone-based support and referrals and provided direct connection to almost 600 behavioral health urgent care appointments.

Today, Tampa Bay Thrives has engaged over 1,000 individuals, youth, parents, teachers, and providers in an effort to understand and support children’s mental health and will convene stakeholders and leaders to build a transformational approach in 2024, Zeisse says.

“We are taking a flexible approach to support existing programs and connect resources to deliver a comprehensive framework for school aged children and the adults that surround them,” Zeisse says. “And this approach needs CEOs, employers, and business leaders to join the effort, as parents are impacted by the mental health challenges of their children.”

“May, Mental Health Awareness Month, is a big month for us. You’ll notice Tampa Bay landmarks like Sunshine Skyway Bridge, Old City Hall, and more lighting up green, shining for the color of mental health. We’d love to see photos of the city glowing in green showing up in social media posts to show overall support,” she says.

June is Men’s Mental Health Awareness month, and we know that men are typically more reserved in talking about this issue. Dave Mishkin, the Tampa Bay Lightning radio announcer has written a book called “Blind Squirrel,” which highlights this issue. We’ll be hosting a special author talk on June 13th and would welcome others interested in joining us.

Read the article as originally published at https://tbbwmag.com/2024/05/07/tampa-bay-thrives-utilizes-community-partners-to-improve-mental-health/

The role of parent does not always fall to a child’s mother or father. In Tampa Bay counties, there are thousands of grandparents taking on that role.

What You Need To Know

• Joan Broughton is raising six of her grandchildren permanently.
• The Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County (JWB) is hosting a series of family-friendly events across Pinellas County to celebrate and support grandparents raising their grandchildren.
• According to the ACS, in Pinellas County just over 6,000 grandparents are the sole providers for their grandchild or grandchildren.
• Mid-County Grand Families Event is happening Saturday, May 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Pinellas Park Performing Arts Center. It is located at 4951 78th Ave. N., Pinellas Park.

Joan Broughton knows the job of being a parent well. She has three children.

In her St. Petersburg home, a 16-year-old boy sits at her dining room table.

“This is Daevon,” said Broughton. “Only no one calls him Daevon. What does everybody call you, baby?”

He smiles and says, “Jack.”

Despite Jack calling Broughton momma, he is not her son. He is her grandson.

He is diagnosed with cerebral palsy.

“It is harder for you with your hands,” said Broughton, ripping the plastic around an eight pack of juice boxes. “Momma got it, and I will open up your juice because you can’t do it.”

Tuesday and Thursday are good days in her home, because her church family brings over food, like the pizza they were eating when we visited.

“Right now, since I do not have to cook, wash dishes and whatever, I can actually do homework and spend time with them,” said Broughton.

She said the word them because Jack is not the only one coming home from school, hungry for dinner.

“How was school?” said Broughton, as three more kids, elementary aged, walk up her front steps and into the house.

There is Diezel, Dominic, and Arianna. They all make themselves a plate and happily talk about their day at school.

Minutes later, Da’Mya comes in and begins helping with homework. She is the oldest of Broughton’s grandchildren.

Finally, the door swings open one more time, and in walks Annie, smiling. She is in middle school.

In total, Broughton has six of her grandchildren permanently living under her roof.

“So you got first grade, third grade, fifth grade, ninth grade, senior and eighth,” said Broughton, pointing to each one as they eat or do homework.

In a few months, Broughton will take in a seventh grandchild, and within a year, most likely, an eighth grandchild.

“When school starts, I will have seven. I will have seven,” she repeats, closing her eyes. “I will have seven. I don’t know how, but…”

Broughton’s children had kids young, work unusual schedules, and are working to support themselves right now. That is why, from the birth of her first grandchild, Broughton and her husband Tyrone chose to take on the roles of caregivers.

“Thirty-nine years,” said Broughton, when asked how long she and Tyrone had been married. “And we dated for three.”

But then tears fill her eyes, and she begins to weep. The high school sweethearts will not make 40, because this past year Tyrone died of a heart attack.

“I still don’t believe he is gone. I still don’t know why God took it from me,” said Broughton.

The hardest job in the world, that of being a parent, has now been made harder because she must be both the father and mother.

In April, she decided to seek out help by attending a Grandfamilies event hosted by the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County.

“Sometimes they’re taking care of the children informally,” said Yaridis Garcia, Community Engagement Manager, Juvenile Welfare Board. “They’re not the formal provider. So we want to make sure that we have legal organizations that they can ask questions.”

Garcia says in Pinellas County, there are almost 6,000 grandparents who are the sole providers for their grandchildren. Twenty-two percent of those families live below the poverty line.

The reason as to why grandparents are having to parent their grandchildren varies from family to family.

“Unfortunately, we have mental health issues in our communities, substance abuse, domestic violence, family separation for a lot of reasons that are affecting our families,” said Garcia.

Despite those hardships, there are many resources available within the county.

Overall, many of the grandparents watching their grandkids do it willingly, knowing they are the best chance for their grandkids to grow up healthy and happy.

“That misconception of they’re just taking care of them because it is a task they were they were forced to do that. They are there because they want to raise those kids. They want to make sure that they’re getting the resources and they’re thriving in their school, in their community and in their homes,” said Garcia.

Broughton’s home is certainly a place of learning, love, and laughter. She just has one hope for each of them.

“Each one of them, I just want to be productive citizens. I’m not going to sit here and say they must be a doctor, they must be a lawyer. That’s not for everyone. But I want them to be God-fearing, good people,” said Broughton.

The last Grand Families Event of the year is happening on May 4 with over 46 community resources available. It is happening from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Pinellas Performing Arts Center.

Read the article and view the video segment at https://baynews9.com/fl/tampa/news/2024/05/02/grandparents-custody-juvenile-wellfare-board

May is National Water Safety Month, and Florida leads the nation in drowning deaths, according to national data.

Pinellas County officials said there was a record increase in the number of drownings among kids in 2023. Firefighters responded to 37 pediatric submersions, and four children died.

St. Petersburg Fire Rescue, the City of St. Petersburg Aquatics, the Juvenile Welfare Board and Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital are emphasizing the importance of awareness for families in the area. They’re highlighting the importance of preventative safety measures including:

• Life vests
• Alarms for doors & pool enclosures
• Swim lessons
• CPR education

“We like to have fun here in Florida, nice pool days, beach days,” said Captain Garth Swingle with St. Petersburg Fire Rescue. “Because we have that higher risk in our area, I think we need to have a much higher interest in it.”

The City of St. Petersburg and Pinellas County will distribute life vests for kids and vouchers for swim lessons during an event Saturday. The resources will be available at the Walter Fuller Pool from 11 AM to 1 PM.

Read the article and view the segment as originally published at https://www.wfla.com/news/pinellas-county/first-responders-warn-of-drowning-risks-emphasize-awareness-during-national-water-safety-month/