May, 2004

We thought the FY2005 Budget would be completed by now and that we would be working on the contracts for next year and planning our budget. At the time this is being written, the Legislature is finalizing the Budget in Special Session.  DFCS is in the process of completing plans for changes in the coming year and we are fortunate to have positive working relationships with the Directors in our District.

The New Choices and New Opportunities programs are now both housed at Good Hope Baptist Church in Augusta.  Dr. Hatney, pastor at Good Hope, has been most generous in his support of our programs.

We have added a third team in our Foster Care Transition program.  We are also providing foster parent training and DFCS staff training in many of the counties we serve. We have conducted staff training in Washington, Jenkins, and Screven counties; and foster parent training in Screven and Jenkins counties.

Ms. Montano attended an APS Providers’ Forum last month. There has been additional staff transition.  Ms. Bazinet resigned last month and we added Margaret McKie, Laurie Iski, Seema Kochery, and Jennifer O’Leary in Foster Care Transition.

April, 2004

It has been an interesting Spring so far. The State Legislature is considering the budget and redistricting, DHR continues its process of change in both the DFCS  and the MHDDAD divisions, and other providers of mental health services  in the area have also been in a state of change. Fortunately, the recent changes in GPS programs have been less dramatic. We have been able to move the locations of our New Choices and New Opportunities programs so that they now share a building. This allows for more efficient assignment  of staff and for the opportunity for more comprehensive services. I would like to thank pastors Moss and Williams and the staff at Tabernacle Baptist Church and at Servant of God Church for their hospitality and help over the past year. The Foster Care Transition program is growing.  We have been approved as a provisional provider of First Placement Best  Placement services so we can now expand the services we are able to provide to children in foster care, their foster parents, and their  caseworkers. We have begun our contracted training for DFCS caseworkers  and for foster parents in the counties we have been serving in the Foster  Care Transition program.

Staff at GPS have been involved  in a great deal of training themselves. Mr. Pritchett and Ms. Moses have completed First Placement Best Placement training. Ms. Bazinet  and Ms. Moses attended a Parent Empowerment workshop. Ms. Montano and  Dr. Nesbitt attended an APS Providers™ Forum. Ms. Wallace completed  her certification as a CPR and First Aid instructor. Mr. Vignati has  represented GPS at an MHDDAD Quality Improvement workshop. Dr. Proefrock attended the American College of Mental Health Administration™ Annual  Summit. There has also been some personnel transition. Ms. Gosa and Ms. Bradley have left GPS in the past few weeks and we have added two  new employees. Welcome to Mia Taylor and Kerisa Hill in our Adult programs.