NYC Nurse-Family Partnership E-News October 2016 www.nyc.gov/health/nfp

Jamaica NFP Celebrates 13 Years With TenthClient Graduation CeremonyOn Friday, October 7th, NYC NFP's Jamaica site held its annual client graduationceremony. The sunny afternoon brought out 47 graduates and their loved ones tocelebrate all they had achieved in the two and half years they'd spent in the program.NYC NFP Director Roberta Holder-Mosley welcomed the group and introduced guestspeaker Bureau of Maternal, Infant and Reproductive Health Assistant CommissionerDeborah Kaplan, who had been instrumental in bringing NFP to the Health Departmentback in 2003. Dr. Kaplan congratulated the clients on successfully completing theprogram, and also offered praise and gratitude to the family members who supportedthem in their journey—with a special shout-out to the grandmothers.

Jamaica NFP nurse Jacqueline Stewart (right) poses with proud grad Anaelia Aquino,partner Roger Puebla and their son, Jacob Puebla-Aquino.

The highlight of the afternoon was the speech delivered by Jamaica graduate TanishaAlleyne, whose words clearly touched her fellow graduates as well as everyone in theroom. It is our privilege to share several excerpts with you here.

“My name is Tanisha Alleyne. I am a 21-year-old mother of a smart,handsome 20-month-old boy. His name is Azeleo. I was referred to NFPby my clinic at Queens Hospital at five months pregnant. I joined theprogram, not knowing what to expect. I knew I would be a mother andneeded guidance, and I agreed to allow a stranger into my home. Twoand half years later, I am graduating as a knowledgeable, assertive,confident mother, ready to take on the world, utilize the skills that I’velearned and create lifelong experiences for my son and I. My journey withmy nurse has truly been rewarding. I have grown so much as a daughterand a friend, but most important, a mother.”

IN THIS ISSUE

• Jamaica NFP Celebrates13 Years With Tenth ClientGraduation Ceremony

• New Partnership ProvidesVision Screening andGlasses to NYC NFP Clients

• Health Department HostsSexual and ReproductiveJustice CommunityEngagement Event

NYC NFP ISEXPANDING!!

In the February issue of NYCNFP E-News, we reportedthat with the words, “Whensomething works—and worksas profoundly as the Nurse-Family Partnership—wemust support its expansion.”in her State of the Cityaddress, City CouncilSpeaker Melissa Mark-Viverito had proposedseveral million dollars inadditional funding for theprogram.

It is with great pleasure thatwe announce that anadditional $4 million for NYCNFP has been put into NewYork City's budget for thisfiscal year. This new fundingwill enable the program toexpand its client capacitycitywide, including three new

teams of nurses andadditional Central Officepositions to support the new

“My story started in Barbados. Shortly after learning of my pregnancy, Irelocated to New York. I had no idea what would happen next. I hadassisted in the care of children my entire life but this child would be myvery own. I knew that I would have to parent my son alone and although Iknew that it would not be easy, I was encouraged to be the best that Icould be for both him and I. My nurse promised me that I would not do italone and, as promised, I did not.”

“Nurse Charles has been there for my son, my family and I on moreoccasions that I can count and today I want to say thank you. I am notsure what I would have done without her but I will continue to rememberthe many lessons that I’ve learned. I am working full time, enrolled inschool full time and I am raising a smart, busy little boy. Last but notleast I would like to thank all of the NFP nurses for their continueddedication to helping first-time families succeed.”

2016 NYC NFP graduate and Jamaica NFP graduation client speaker TanishaAlleyne, who said of her time in the program: “I have created lifelong friendships with

other moms who are a part of the elite NFP group.”

After a luncheon served to the clients by their nurses, the group was honored by a visitfrom New York State Senator Leroy Comrie, who stopped in to congratulate the newgrads and wish them well. Praising NYC NFP for the work it is doing with first-timemothers in Jamaica and throughout the city, Senator Comrie stressed to the audiencehow important he believes such supportive services are in strengthening families andcommunities.

We couldn't agree more. Congratulations and best wishes to this year's 73 Jamaica NFP graduates!

and existing NYC NFP sitesin mental health, qualityimprovement and theimplementation of a newelectronic case managementsystem.

NYC NFP is deeply gratefulto Mayor de Blasio, SpeakerMark-Viverito and the entireCity Council for supportingthe work we do to servesome of the city's mostvulnerable first-time families.With this support we will bebetter able to help thesefamilies thrive and succeed.

With expansion, of course,comes hiring for the newpositions created. Do you ordoes someone you knowwant to be part of the NYCNFP team? Please seebelow for listings of all openpositions at the NYC NFPCentral Office as well as atour sites around the city.

All Central Office, Jamaicaand Targeted CitywideInitiative (TCI) positions canbe found on the NYC Jobswebsite. Just click on“Modify Advanced SearchCriteria” and search using thetitles and job IDs indicatedbelow.

NYC NFP Central OfficeClinical Nurse SupervisorJob ID 267317Communications ManagerJob ID 268710Data ManagerJob ID 267025Outreach CoordinatorJob ID 268533Principal AdministrativeAssociateJob IDs 235008 and 268957

Social WorkerJob ID 267002

Jamaica NFPNurse Home VisitorJob ID 268443

Jamaica NFP graduate Diamond Stevenson, partner Feron Gordon and theirdaughter, Destiny Stevenson-Gordon, enjoy the post-ceremony lunch at the site's

October graduation.

New Partnership Provides Vision Screening andGlasses to NYC NFP Clients

Targeted Citywide Initiative(TCI)Nurse SupervisorJob ID 268021Nurse Home VisitorJob ID 268457

Brooklyn NFPNurse Home VisitorVisit the SCO Family ofServices website and searchfor “Nurse Home Visitor.”

Northern Queens NFPNurse Home VisitorVisit the Public HealthSolutions website and searchfor “Nurse Home Visitor.”

Staten Island NFPNurse Home VisitorEmail Program Director Jo-Ellen Brannigan.

FOLLOW US ONTWITTER

For news and updates onNYC NFP, please follow Dr.George Askew, the Divisionof Family and Child Health'sDeputy Commissioner, at@DrGeorgeLAskew. Andkeep up on all the NYCHealth Department's newsand program updates at@nycHealthy.

FACEBOOK PAGE:OUR LITTLESTNEW YORKERS

Jamaica NFP client Nalah Buckley brought her son, Noah, along for last month's vision screeningevent.

NYC NFP is pleased to report on our newest partnership. This fall, working with HelenKeller International's (HKI) ChildSight program, we were able to offer vision screeningevents for clients at two NYC NFP sites. Clients who participated were given eyeexams and, if the optometrist found they required a prescription, the opportunity tochoose from a variety of fashionable frames that, in three weeks’ time, would becometheir brand new eyeglasses—all at no cost to the client or NYC NFP. ChildSight hasserved New York City for more than 20 years, offering students with limited or noaccess to quality vision care free vision services, which have been provided almostexclusively in schools. Starting in 2015, however, the program branched out and beganserving homeless and other vulnerable youth populations in New York City. As part ofthis pilot initiative—which is funded by New York Community Trust and featured in thisrecent Mashable article—clients of the Ali Forney Center, Women in Need, CovenantHouse, Project Renewal and now NYC NFP are receiving ChildSight services.

The first NYC NFP vision screening event was held at our Jamaica site on September26th. Some of the clients in attendance said they had come because they hadconcerns about their vision and wondered if they needed glasses. Others knew theywere in need of an updated prescription but could not afford to buy new glasses.Clients without insurance were especially enthusiastic about being tested and receivingglasses. (Even for those with Medicaid, which provides some vision coverage, there isstill a cost involved, and finding a provider can be difficult and time-consuming.) Forthe 13 clients who needed glasses, the most exciting part of the day was choosingtheir frames. This also proved difficult for some, who found it a challenge to settle on afavorite style. For one Jamaica client who has been in the U.S. for two years, this washer very first eye exam—and resulted in her very first pair of glasses. In all, 13 of the15 clients screened received prescriptions and ordered glasses, which, once receivedby the Jamaica teams, would be delivered to clients by their nurses at their next homevisit.

In addition to commenting on how impressed they were with the selection of glassesoffered, the clients in attendance were quick to express their gratitude. As the Jamaicateams learned, a pair of glasses can make a difference beyond just being able to readthe blackboard in class. One client told her nurse, “Now I can read to my baby.”

NYC NFP is grateful to the good folks at HKI’s ChildSight and New York CommunityTrust for enabling us to provide our clients with such an important—and needed—resource.

Health Department Hosts Sexual andReproductive Justice Community EngagementEventThe NYC Health Department’s Sexual and Reproductive Justice CommunityEngagement Group—from NYC NFP's home bureau, Maternal, Infant and Reproductive

Health—is hosting an event on November 4 entitled Sexual and Reproductive Justice &NYC: Voices from the Community. Please click here for more information and to

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To join our mailing list, send an email with "subscribe" in the subject line tonycnfp@health.nyc.gov.

Keep up with NYC NFP andall of the Division of Familyand Child Health on the “OurLittlest New Yorkers”Facebook page, where NYCparents and families aretalking about the joys andchallenges of raising youngchildren. Visit it daily for tips,events, photos and more:www.facebook.com/LittlestNYers!

ABOUT USNurse-Family Partnership(NFP) is an evidence-basednationwide nurse homevisiting program committedto improving the health, well-being and self-sufficiency oflow-income first-timemothers and their children(national NFP website). Theprogram is voluntary andthere is no cost to the client.NYC NFP is the largesturban program in the country,having served approximately14,000 clients since itsinception in 2003 andcurrently servingapproximately 1,700 clientsacross all five boroughs.

The New York City Nurse-Family Partnership is administered by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene,which contracts with the following agencies

to provide services: Harlem Hospital Center, Public Health Solutions,Richmond Home Need Services, SCO Family of Services and

Visiting Nurse Service of New York. The program is funded by New York City and State as well as with federalMedicaid, MIECHV (Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program) and TANF dollars. In addition, since

register.

Medicaid, MIECHV (Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program) and TANF dollars. In addition, since2003 it has received generous support from dedicated individual donors and private foundations, including the AltmanFoundation, The Arthur Foundation, The Dunn Foundation, the Jonas Center for Nursing Excellence, the New

York State Health Foundation, Newman's Own Foundation, The Pinkerton Foundation, Robin Hood, theSamberg Family Foundation, Schwartz Cousins Fund, The Edith Glick Shoolman Children’s Foundation andStarr International Foundation. All private grants for NYC NFP are managed by the Fund for Public Health in New

York, a nonprofit organization that works with the NYC Health Department to develop innovative, valuable and lastingpublic-private partnerships that increase the agency’s capacity and reach.

NYC Nurse-Family Partnership | Call 311 | nycnfp@health.nyc.gov

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