“We’re here to walk with them through life’s ups and downs,” said Family Support Specialist (FSS), Karina Bedoy. Specialists, like Karina, are the heart and soul of the Family Support Program. Each team member, located at a school in Modesto City Schools and Empire Union School District, is dedicated to engaging families and providing them with food, housing, and counseling resources.
No matter the challenge, the Family Support Program seeks to empower and ease the burden for families seeking assistance. The program focuses on meeting physical necessities, as well as mental and emotional wellness.
“I see my job as connecting people to resources for any obstacles or problems they might be facing in life,” said a fellow FSS Danya Dominguez. “It’s the type of support that’s not available in a lot of places.” FSS’ provide services directly and refer clients to outside resources when needed. Either way, they work to raise awareness of the local resources available to families.
Family Support Specialists have witnessed the impact of the program in fulfilling client needs, and fostering a positive relationship between parents and schools. Because staff works with schools to provide resources, FSS Maria Nevarez says, “Parents that had a confrontational relationship with the school begin to see us as advocates.”
Each member of this team has experienced the joy of seeing a client receive the support they needed. For Maria, a memorable experience was when she walked alongside a single mother and her child with autism as they sought schooling resources while transitioning from living in a hotel to renting their own apartment. For FSS Veronica Nino, it was the tears in a client’s eyes as they received a stack of Christmas presents. In another instance, a client told Veronica, “Thank you for remembering that we exist.” This touched Veronica, and serves as a reminder of the impact our acts of service can have on a person.
Family Support Specialists are both grateful and excited about their role in changing lives. Summing up her experience, Karina said, “I have to pinch myself to remember that I’m going to work to help people. It feels really good to help someone who may not have had someone be there for them.”
By: Micaela Meyer, Marketing Assistant
Youth Services Programs
Student Assistance Program (SAP) provides short-term education, prevention, and intervention services for students in K-12 education. Some of the challenges addressed include family conflicts, anger management, relationship issues, academic issues, and anxiety. The program can accommodate students for up to eight weeks, and Student Assistance Specialists can refer students to off-site, long-term care when needed.
Family Support Program (FSP) works with families at schools or at their homes to help build parenting skills and link them to community resources including food, housing, and counseling. Family Support Specialists are based at select school sites in Modesto City Schools and Empire Union School District.