In a movement, they say you have to identify the problem, but the words you use to describe your actions are the direction you’re headed.
So much of the direction we’re seeing in child welfare is about a “movement away” from, not a “movement to.” The deinstitutionalization movement is about shifting a child’s experience within alternative care. It’s not about creating a whole new experience. We need to begin to think differently about this. We must start thinking about what it means to make a whole, integrated person, a whole family, and a healing community.
Over the past few years, our team has embarked on a groundbreaking research study. This study is focused on a crucial aspect of child welfare: understanding how to train caregivers working with children in residential care. Our research started with the theorem that advancing knowledge and expanding skills is the best pathway to better outcomes for children living in residential – often referred to as alternative – care. However, our grand hypothesis was quickly turned upside down, revealing the issue’s complexity.
Working closely with my esteemed colleagues—Stephen DiDonato, PhD, Billy Greenman, MFT, Karen Falkenstein, MPH, RN, and Lisa Werkmesiter Rozas, PhD, LCSW—we discovered that the barriers to learning new knowledge and skills for child welfare caretakers were less about curriculum or intellect and more grounded in awareness. In our research, we sought to create communities of learning with the hope that structuring a format and providing new knowledge would translate into better caregiving practices for children. We believed a space and place for learning was the key.
Instead, we found a simple perspective that is wholly complex – people don’t care how much we know until they know how much we care. Through intense work with child welfare caregivers and comprehensive surveys, focus groups, and interviews of key stakeholders, we learned that what people crave more than anything else is connection. We repeatedly heard that caregivers wanted practical knowledge and skills to implement immediately in their work. Yet, when we curated practical training – they walked away more confused than before we started on the journey.
It quickly became apparent that any learning—gaining access to new knowledge and integrating new skills—needed to take a back seat to create more significant connections. We designed experimental learning activities for over two years to unite child welfare providers as a community. We stumbled upon the world’s best secret that few seem to know. It’s not rocket science. We aren’t revolutionary. Our model is born from a rich tapestry of research, methodologies, and practices.
What we found—the key to any meaningful level of learning—is that awareness is everything. Awareness of our current state, where we want to be, and, more specifically, our true self. The great 20th-century thinker Carl Rogers said, ‘The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change.’ Inside all of us is the power to change. We need to connect more deeply with that part of ourselves.
To help empower wholistic connection, we’ve created a framework and roadmap to help us engage in a new worldview. We call the framework Communities of Excellence. It’s not some material or even physical space. It’s a philosophical approach. It invites us to look inside ourselves as a tool to connect more deeply with others. It calls forth the power that exists in all of us. It honors the whole person we are all seeking to manifest.
As we move to deinstitutionalize child welfare programs worldwide, let us not forget that we are not moving away from a care methodology as much as we are moving toward a whole-child philosophy. We are moving toward a world where every child has access to a life built on the integration of health, hope, home, and purpose.
Thank YOU!
/0 Comments/in Blog /by Wayne CentroneA gigantic and heartfelt thank you to the fantastic supporters in Perú and the U.S. who made it possible for HBI to purchase a new van for the boys at the Casa Girasoles. We are incredibly grateful for your investment in the future of formerly abandoned children—a giant hug of appreciation and solidarity.
Un gigantesco y sincero agradecimiento a los fantásticos simpatizantes de Perú y EE.UU. que hicieron posible que HBI comprara una nueva furgoneta para los niños de Casa Girasoles. Estamos increíblemente agradecidos por su inversión en el futuro de los niños anteriormente abandonados de la Casa Girasoles: un abrazo gigante de agradecimiento y solidaridad.
Impact Through Collaboration – wayne centrone
/0 Comments/in Blog /by Wayne CentroneThis week, we are excited to host a team from the University of Maryland School of Social Work and Artemis Consulting. This event is significant as we have received a small grant from the university to adapt an ecological screening tool for at-risk children and families. The Neurodevelopmental Ecological Screening Tool, or NEST, is the product of years of research and work by Dr. Carmela DeCandia and Dr. Katie Volk. Along with their colleague Dr. Jay Unick at the University of Maryland, Drs. DeCandia and Volk envisioned a resource that could be used to screen children and families in high-risk settings like homeless shelters to better access neurodevelopmentally appropriate care and resources.
Our focus is adapting the NEST tool for Perú, a huge task that we are just starting to imagine. Over the next week, we are meeting with key partners—the Universidad Catolica Santa Maria and the Peruvian College of Nurses—to chart a pathway for collaborating on the modification, translation, and cultural adaptation of NEST for use in Perú. This is a super exciting project that complements our work in child welfare settings by providing a mechanism to screen families before children are separated from their biological parents.
We are committed to creating a world where every child can access a life built around health, hope, home, and purpose. Collaboration with key partners allows us to tap into the brightest and best’s skills, talents, and resources. We may not change the world for child welfare serving agencies and providers alone, but we certainly can through solid collaborations with key partners.
May I have your attention please? wayne centrone
/0 Comments/in Blog /by Wayne CentroneIt did, however, get me thinking. Where are the sirens going off in our lives? We have become so numb to the call to action that we no longer consider them alarming. I felt this disconnect as I drove over the past week around Perú—through the streets of Lima, in the Sacred Valley, up into the high mountains of Huaraz, and along the desert coast to Ica. On multiple occasions, I witnessed “things” that were truly alarming. While driving in one of the most impoverished neighborhoods of the northern cone of Lima – a man with only one leg hopping on the shoulder of the road down a road tunnel, a half-naked young man with what appeared to be a fulminant psychosis wandering the streets of Huaraz, a woman and her child huddled together with an infant hiding in plain sight on the bus downtown streets of Cusco, a young boy washing car windows as cars screaming down the Pan-American Highway came to an abrupt stop while traversing through one of the many little towns that punctuate the Pan-Americana and slow the racing traffic with mountain-sized speed bumps. These are a few of the “emergencies” I witnessed on my seemingly uneventful drive.
I use the word emergencies in quotes in a tongue-in-cheek manner. We have become so conditioned to seeing tremendous human suffering that we no longer see the situations as emergencies. We need to pay more attention to the challenges and plight of others. The problem is that the call to action is only true for some. Plenty of people are working daily to respond to these emergencies and the many challenges facing communities. Yet, in many ways – whatever is happening, it is not enough. Sitting and waiting for further instructions is not enough; we need to act.
If we each took up the call to respond. If we each, in our unique, considerate way, connected with the emergencies in our lives and the communities around us, the world would be a very different place. We could change the narrative if we all saw it as our responsibility to respond to the alarms going off all around us. No longer would we be numb to the pulsing sirens and the flashing light; we would be engaged and connected – we would be in the lives of each other.
An accessible criticism of this call to action manifesto is: Okay, that is all good; get out and do something, but what? Be the change the world needs, but how? Just by connecting. The next time you are walking on a city sidewalk or driving on a rural road, stop . . . connect with what you see. Listen to the voice of compassion that is calling all of us. Yes, by all means – make sure the situation is safe for you, help another, and respond to an emergency should not put you into harm or make you another victim. It could be acknowledging the other person and their struggle by making eye contact or asking if they are okay. It could be offering financial or actionable support. It could be opening yourself up to see and feel the totality of pain and struggle.
May I have your attention please! Now is the time to respond to emergency alarms and flashing lights and build a world for everyone grounded in health, hope, home, and purpose. Now is the time to connect!
Fiestas Patrias – 28th of July
/0 Comments/in Blog /by Wayne CentroneThere is something refreshingly powerful about coming together, not just on this day but every day, and uniting in a shared pride and a common heritage. Our unity is our strength.
We are proud to be an organization with a three-decade history of dedication to the people of Perú and honored to be led by Peruvians for Peruvians.
Join us in extending a heartfelt felices fiestas patrias to all Health Bridges International staff, family, friends, and partners.
¡Viva el Perú!
Future Planning – wayne centrone
/0 Comments/in Blog /by Wayne CentroneOur work is uniquely centered on relationships. It’s about people connecting with people to share, grow, and transform together. This commitment to transformative connections is not just a part of HBI’s DNA, it’s our passion, our dedication, and the essence of our work. It drives the way we plan, do, study, and act.
The piece that often gets overlooked when we talk about the power of connections is the urgent need for funding for annual salaries to staff an organization to work in such a way. Most grants will not fund overhead. Most funders like to support specific programs and projects with definable outcome measures. However, there is an urgent need for more opportunities to approach a foundation and request funding for annual salaries. To create these powerful relationships, the world needs to drive change and build new bridges of collaboration, and we need dedicated people. We need the right dedicated staff in the right defined roles. Your support is crucial in making this possible.
HBI operates with a very low overhead. One reason is that we have very few full-time funded positions outside our on-the-ground staff. We have a phenomenal Director of Operations who works full-time for HBI . . . AND continues to work as an emergency medicine nurse to make ends meet. As the Executive Director, I do not draw any salary whatsoever. Building a transition plan for our top leadership requires a salary. Yet, we do not have human resource staffing, nor do we have anyone dedicated to fundraising. We cobble together our research team thanks in great part to the many academics who volunteer their time and talents. Truth be known – I carry out all our communications, and I am not a savvy social media contributor. There is nothing sustainable about running an organization with this model.
We are at a stage in our development where we need solid, dedicated support to advance our organization. We are not seeking an annual salary comparable to the private sector or trying to provide ourselves with bloated compensation. We want to build an organization that can be here well into the future.
I am not one to make overt requests for financial support. However, I now know that securing funding to appropriately compensate our team is critical to our organization’s long-term health and impact. We would appreciate your help. Consider making a recurring donation to support HBI’s operational activities. Become an annual donor who pledges to support our administrative team. Please help us build the model we need to thrive.
We are changing the world with your help. Now, we need your help securing the team that will allow us to continue making a difference for children, families, and the communities that care for them well into the future.
Support our team. Make a donation or pledge today. Thank you.
Impact – wayne centrone
/0 Comments/in Blog /by Wayne CentroneI bring this same enthusiasm for what can and will be to the world of HBI. I know that some days will be easier than others, that money will flow, and that tomorrow is a new take on life. This is especially important for our work on systems change.
Building a model training program capable of training every healthcare professional in Peru who attends births in newborn resuscitation is not for the weak of the heart. The task requires a “slow and steady” commitment, which is only possible with a never-say-done philosophy. Our training model is going places. Yes, it is a slow grinding pace, but it is happening. Things are happening. Trainers are getting trained. They are, in turn, putting on trainings and providing their colleagues with the life-saving knowledge and skills of newborn resuscitation. Most of all, even if we can never empirically demonstrate such a sustained impact, we know babies’ lives are being saved.
Walking alongside a child who has lived through unspeakable trauma is a process that requires a daily if not hourly, commitment. It is the kind of work that puts the child as the focus and then creates opportunities to address that child’s unique needs. The job requires a daily recommitment – recognizing that life is complex in the best circumstances. There are millions of children living in violence, trauma, abuse, and neglect. Thousands of children in Peru do not have a loving, supportive home. Should we get overwhelmed by the sheer enormity of the challenge we face? Or should we take a “we got this” attitude and keep moving forward? There is no option. I will always choose an unbashful, over-the-top, super-optimism.
This is our impact. We are committed to never giving up.
Saying Goodbye – wayne centrone
/0 Comments/in Blog /by Wayne CentroneToday, the team said a sad goodbye to one of the remaining Girasoles. He was so happy to be reunited with his family.
Many of you have walked alongside us on this journey for years, supporting our mission to provide a safe and loving home for children in Ica, Perú. Today, we come to a turning point. With mixed emotions, we announce the closure of the Casa Girasoles Ica.
The decision to close the Casa Girasoles was challenging. We understand the deep connections many of you have with the children we serve. However, the landscape of child welfare in Ica is changing. Over the past decade, Perú has made significant strides in strengthening family support systems. The changes in child welfare services mean more children can now thrive in permanent, loving homes. The impact of this change in child welfare-focused programming at the Casa Girasoles is that our census of boys dropped to only three.
Transition Plan – While Casa Girasoles Ica will close, our commitment to the children of Ica remains unwavering. Here’s what this means:
Looking Ahead – Our mission remains to champion children, families, and the communities that care for them. We will be focusing our efforts on the following:
We know this news may be difficult to hear. However, we hope you’ll join us in celebrating the incredible progress made in Ica’s child welfare system. Together, we’ve helped create a future where children have more opportunities to thrive in permanent, loving homes.
Don’t hesitate to contact me directly if you have any questions. We are committed to transparency. Thank you for your unwavering support.
Toward Wholism – wayne centrone
/0 Comments/in Blog /by Wayne CentroneSo much of the direction we’re seeing in child welfare is about a “movement away” from, not a “movement to.” The deinstitutionalization movement is about shifting a child’s experience within alternative care. It’s not about creating a whole new experience. We need to begin to think differently about this. We must start thinking about what it means to make a whole, integrated person, a whole family, and a healing community.
Over the past few years, our team has embarked on a groundbreaking research study. This study is focused on a crucial aspect of child welfare: understanding how to train caregivers working with children in residential care. Our research started with the theorem that advancing knowledge and expanding skills is the best pathway to better outcomes for children living in residential – often referred to as alternative – care. However, our grand hypothesis was quickly turned upside down, revealing the issue’s complexity.
Working closely with my esteemed colleagues—Stephen DiDonato, PhD, Billy Greenman, MFT, Karen Falkenstein, MPH, RN, and Lisa Werkmesiter Rozas, PhD, LCSW—we discovered that the barriers to learning new knowledge and skills for child welfare caretakers were less about curriculum or intellect and more grounded in awareness. In our research, we sought to create communities of learning with the hope that structuring a format and providing new knowledge would translate into better caregiving practices for children. We believed a space and place for learning was the key.
Instead, we found a simple perspective that is wholly complex – people don’t care how much we know until they know how much we care. Through intense work with child welfare caregivers and comprehensive surveys, focus groups, and interviews of key stakeholders, we learned that what people crave more than anything else is connection. We repeatedly heard that caregivers wanted practical knowledge and skills to implement immediately in their work. Yet, when we curated practical training – they walked away more confused than before we started on the journey.
It quickly became apparent that any learning—gaining access to new knowledge and integrating new skills—needed to take a back seat to create more significant connections. We designed experimental learning activities for over two years to unite child welfare providers as a community. We stumbled upon the world’s best secret that few seem to know. It’s not rocket science. We aren’t revolutionary. Our model is born from a rich tapestry of research, methodologies, and practices.
What we found—the key to any meaningful level of learning—is that awareness is everything. Awareness of our current state, where we want to be, and, more specifically, our true self. The great 20th-century thinker Carl Rogers said, ‘The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change.’ Inside all of us is the power to change. We need to connect more deeply with that part of ourselves.
To help empower wholistic connection, we’ve created a framework and roadmap to help us engage in a new worldview. We call the framework Communities of Excellence. It’s not some material or even physical space. It’s a philosophical approach. It invites us to look inside ourselves as a tool to connect more deeply with others. It calls forth the power that exists in all of us. It honors the whole person we are all seeking to manifest.
As we move to deinstitutionalize child welfare programs worldwide, let us not forget that we are not moving away from a care methodology as much as we are moving toward a whole-child philosophy. We are moving toward a world where every child has access to a life built on the integration of health, hope, home, and purpose.
Thank you!
/0 Comments/in Blog /by Wayne CentroneA huge thank you to the many folks who contributed to the 2024 A Bridge to Change East Coast event. We had a great group of attendees, and all enjoyed delicious Peruvian food from Coracora Restaurant. The Silent Auction allowed everyone to bid on unique Peruvian items and great local offerings.
As a second-year event, the atmosphere and mingling of new friends and HBI stakeholders was festive and exciting.
Check out the following photos, and please consider joining us at one of our upcoming events in Wisconssin and Oregon. For more information – A Bridge to Change Events 2024
We’re Back on the East Coast
/0 Comments/in Blog /by Wayne CentroneThe Connecticut event is part of our A Bridge to Change tour that started in Colorado in March. In addition to Connecticut, we have events planned in Wisconssin and Portland. You want to attend all of these events . . . If that’s impossible, make your way to one of them.
The A Bridge to Change events are a great chance to learn how your support changes lives and hear about HBI’s future direction. In addition, we are fortunate to partner with some of the best Peruvian restaurants in the United States and always have a great group of people.
We will post photos and updates from the East Coast event on the HBI blog. To get tickets for one of the events or to donate in support of our work, check out https://hbint.org/attend-a-bridge-to-change-event/