To deepen working relationships with a key prevention partner, Prevent Child Abuse Georgia hosted several sections of the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services on July 16 for a collaborative meeting.
Close to 30 team members from the two organizations participated in the day’s activities.
Both organizations presented current projects and compared notes on best practices and approaches to their vital role in building strong families.
Additionally, Pastor Christy Rae Robinson with Cr8tive Lyfe Unlimited, LLC led team-building activities.
Prevent Child Abuse Georgia Executive Director Jennifer Stein said feeling united in the common goal of serving families with dignity and respect for their unique circumstances was a key takeaway from the experience.
“Spending time in person and getting to know the work of the various departments of DFCS allowed us to find connections among our work and areas where we can collaborate at a deeper level to ensure their employees and the families they serve are aware of the tools PCA GA has available to help meet their needs and goals,” Stein said. “When we take the time to get to know one another and hear the successes and challenges faced, we can take action together to support each other and have better results for the families we serve thanks to building solid relationships.
DFCS Prevention and Community Support CANP Unit Manager Laura E. Griggs, LMSW, said meeting so many representatives from DFCS and PCA Georgia was wonderful.
“As partners in prevention and family strengthening, it was invaluable to share ideas and learn more about the work each of us does to promote stronger, healthier families in Georgia,” Griggs said. “We tend to work independently in our silos on the day-to-day. Our session reminded me of the many ways we can collaborate and involve one another in our various projects. I was also reminded of the challenges of our work and how important it is to encourage one another and work as a team towards a common goal of strengthening families and promoting positive outcomes.”
In the future, Griggs said, the two entities will continue to find ways to collaborate.
“If this session becomes an annual event, it will be a great way to keep everyone informed of our ever-changing and expanding work. We all have a common goal: to expand support to families and communities and ultimately keep families together,” Griggs added.