PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Kim Mayo, Assistant Vice President of Community Services at JCCA
2:57:12
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154 sec
Kim Mayo from JCCA testifies about challenges faced by preventive services providers and the families they serve, highlighting issues such as workforce retention due to low salaries and systemic challenges faced by low-income families. She requests increased funding for ACS preventive contracts and calls for action to address systemic racism.
- Starting salaries for therapists with master's degrees in JCCA programs are as low as $56,500, leading to staff retention issues.
- Families served by JCCA face challenges including chronic homelessness, unemployment, and difficulty affording basic necessities.
- Mayo advocates for increased funding in ACS preventive contracts to provide additional resources to families and address systemic challenges.
Kim Mayo
2:57:12
Good afternoon, chair Stevens and members of the Children and Youth Committee.
2:57:16
Thank you for calling this meeting meeting and inviting JCA to testify on behalf of children and families we serve.
2:57:22
My name is Kim Mayo, and I am the assistant vice president of community services at JCCA.
2:57:28
I am a licensed clinical social worker, and I have 35 years in child welfare, delivering and overseeing preventive programs and evidence based models.
2:57:37
Like many nonprofit providers, JCA faces challenges in retaining a fully staffed workforce.
2:57:44
This is primarily due to low salaries.
2:57:47
The starting salary for therapists in the child parent psychotherapy and FTR program, programs that require a master's degree, begin at $56,500.
2:57:58
Due to low salaries, we often lose staff to hospital nonprofit community, our families are also facing systemic challenges.
2:58:11
There is very little housing available that is affordable for low income excuse me.
2:58:16
Low available for low income families.
2:58:18
Many of our families are chronically homeless, causing children to move around the shelter system, which often causes chronic absenteeism in school.
2:58:27
Many parents are unemployed and have limited access to job training or vocational supports.
2:58:33
They often receive public benefits and struggle to afford basic necessities, such as housing such as housing and groceries, due to inflation.
2:58:43
While we aim to address the to address our family's challenges, unfortunately, we are unable to provide all the supports and services they need, due to limited funding.
2:58:54
In our ACS contracts, our children require academic and vocational supports that will help them improve school performance, as well as behavioral functioning to strengthen relations within their family.
2:59:07
I ask that the committee increase funding in ACS preventive contracts.
2:59:12
With more fundings, preventive provider slots will be able to we'll be able to provide additional resources to our families.
2:59:20
I also encourage the city to take more action to address systemic racism and challenges that face preventive families and preventive programs.
2:59:28
Preventing Can you wrap it up, please?
2:59:30
Yes.
2:59:30
I will.
2:59:31
So in conclusion, thank you for taking the time to consider the needs of the families enrolled in preventive services.
2:59:39
Together, providers like JCCA, we can continue to achieve our goal to reduce the number of families in the child welfare system and help them thrive.
