MONDAY MEMO #91
Happy Monday, partners! This week includes resources for child and family well-being, along with upcoming trainings, events, and professional development opportunities. Please Note: There will be no memo next week due to Labor Day. We'll resume on September 14. Before we dive in, here are a few updates and highlights from the Resilient Georgia team:
RG Highlights
Resilient Georgia Lunch and Learns
August Lunch & Learn Recap: Thank you to everyone who joined our August Lunch & Learn featuring Dr. Stephen Patrick from the Emory Center for Child Health Policy. Participants explored key findings from the 2026 State of Child Health and Well-Being in Georgia Survey and discussed how communities can use data to better understand local needs, inform advocacy efforts, and strengthen partnerships. For folks who missed, you can access the slides and recording here. We appreciate your engagement and encourage you to complete the session feedback survey to help inform future Lunch & Learn topics.
September Lunch & Learn: Expanding Access to Evidence-Informed Trainings Across Georgia: Join us again September 10th at noon for a virtual Lunch & Learn featuring Tiffany Sawyer of the Georgia Center for Child Advocacy and Dr. Jyll Walsh of the Positive Childhood Alliance of Georgia. The session will highlight training opportunities, including Connections Matter, Strengthening Families, Triple P, HOPE, Mandated Reporter Training, and child sexual abuse prevention programs. Participants will also learn strategies for building local training capacity through Train-the-Trainer models, partnerships, and other sustainable approaches that strengthen communities long-term. To request an invite, contact Alex at aenglish@resilientga.org.
Rural Health Community Inventory Project Seeking Participants: Amanda Juarez, Coalition Lead for Resilient Middle Georgia and MPH student completing her practicum with UC Berkeley, is seeking participants 18+ for a Rural Health Community Inventory Project. This Community Inventory Project seeks to understand how people in rural areas access healthcare and social services and make decisions about the resources they use. Eligible participants will complete a brief screening form and, if selected, participate in a 30 to 60 minute virtual interview. Participants who complete the interview will receive a $25 digital gift card. Amanda hopes to gather perspectives from rural communities across Georgia to help inform this important work. To learn more or participate, contact Amanda Juarez at amanda@resilientmiddlegeorgia.org.
Handle-With-Care In-Person Training: Join partners from across Georgia for an in-person Handle With Care (HWC) Implementation Training on September 24th in Clayton County. This session is designed for first responders, law enforcement, educators, school staff, mental health providers, community leaders, and other partners interested in implementing or strengthening the HWC model. Participants can earn 3 hours of CEU and POST credit by attending in person. Space is limited, register here!
Coalition Highlights
Resilient Chattahoochee Valley: The Mill District has launched “Parent University,” a new initiative designed to connect families with practical tools, resources, and trusted partners from cradle to career. As part of the initiative, parents participate in sessions on topics such as adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), positive childhood experiences, and strategies for supporting children’s development and learning. The program emphasizes a whole-family approach, recognizing the role of education, healthcare, financial stability, and community partnerships in helping children and families thrive.
Resilient Metro: On Friday, November 6th from 8:30 AM – 1 PM ARCHI will convene
more than 250 leaders, including healthcare providers, public health professionals, funders,
practitioners, and community advocates, to examine the State of Metro-Atlanta Health. The event will feature the latest health data and community perspectives while exploring cross-sector strategies to address health inequities and their root causes, including housing, workforce development, care coordination, and advocacy. Participants will have opportunities to collaborate and identify strategies and investments to advance health equity across metro Atlanta. This free event is expected to sell-out, save your seat today!
Family and Child Wellbeing
Why Kids Need Safe, Stable, Nurturing Relationships | Strong4Life: This resource from Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Strong4Life highlights the importance of safe, stable, nurturing relationships in building resilience and supporting children’s emotional and developmental wellbeing. It explains how trusted adults—including parents, teachers, coaches, and other caregivers—can provide consistent support by listening, showing up, avoiding shame, and responding to children’s needs. The resource also emphasizes that these relationships do not have to be perfect; repairing mistakes and maintaining dependable support can help children develop a sense of safety, belonging, and self-worth.
Finding Balance Through Purpose and Connection: For many families, balancing work, caregiving, school activities, and everyday responsibilities can feel overwhelming. Two resources from the Greater Good Science Center offer a helpful reminder that balance doesn't come from doing everything perfectly. Instead, it begins with identifying what matters most. The Life Crafting practice encourages individuals to reflect on their values, envision the life they want for themselves and their lives, and take small, intentional steps toward those goals. The article Are You Struggling With Work-Family Balance? suggests that focusing on purpose, rather than striving for a perfect work-family balance, can reduce stress and help families make decisions that align with their priorities. Together, these resources offer practical strategies for creating a more meaningful, connected, and balanced daily life.
Silence the Same 2026 Parent Cafe Series: The virtual 2026 Parent Café Series offers parents, caregivers, and adult allies of Georgia’s transition-age youth (ages 16–24) an opportunity to connect, share experiences, and strengthen family well-being. Sessions will be offered throughout the year and will provide a supportive space to learn practical tools and strategies for supporting youth as they transition into adulthood.
New Resource: Home Visiting Works- Georgia Essentials: Georgia Essentials for Childhood recently released Home Visiting Works, an infographic highlighting how evidence-based home visiting programs support expecting parents and families with young children. These free services connect families with trained professionals who provide parenting support, child development guidance, and links to community resources. The infographic also shares Georgia outcomes demonstrating improvements in child health, school readiness, family well-being, and child maltreatment prevention, reinforcing the value of early support for families and communities.
Systems Change
Third Sector Develops Systems Change Evaluation Approach: This article from Stanford Social Innovation Review explores how organizations can evaluate systems change, particularly when outcomes are complex and cannot be attributed to a single organization or intervention. Drawing on Third Sector’s evaluation of government systems-change projects, the authors recommend using a systems lens to examine structural, relational, transformative, and community-level changes; embedding culturally responsive and equitable evaluation practices that center lived experience and community voices; focusing on an organization’s contribution rather than claiming direct attribution; and beginning evaluation from stakeholders’ perspectives and experiences. The article emphasizes that systems change is long-term work and that combining storytelling, stakeholder perspectives, and systems-level analysis can provide a more meaningful understanding of how change occurs and is sustained.
Professional Development and Events
Family Crisis Center Conference 2026: The Family Crisis Center will host its “Empowered to Protect, Educate and Heal” Conference on Tuesday, September 29, from 9 AM –5 PM at The Colonnade in Ringgold, GA. The conference will bring together victim advocates, law enforcement professionals, healthcare providers, educators, social workers, and community leaders to raise awareness of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking and explore prevention, intervention, advocacy, and collaborative approaches to supporting survivors. Featured speaker includes Elizabeth Smart and seating is limited. Register here!
Middle Georgia Regional School-Based Behavioral Health Forum: This event on September 11th from 9AM-3:30PM in Macon will bring together educators, school staff, mental health professionals, families, students, and community leaders to explore practical strategies for supporting student mental health. The event will feature presentations from Dr. Katherine Pickard of the Marcus Autism Center at Emory on supporting neurodivergent youth and Dr. Oatanisha Dawson of Next Level Lead on school community wellness and engagement. Attendees will also participate in the inaugural SBBH Innovation Lab focused on strengthening school-based behavioral health planning and increasing access to services. Breakfast and lunch will be provided. Register here!
Training of the Trainer- Connections Matter Workshop: The Georgia Center for Child Advocacy will host a full-day Training of the Trainer course on September 29, from 8:30 AM –4 PM in Atlanta. The training prepares participants to become certified Connections Matter Georgia facilitators. Participants must complete the Connections Matter training before attending the Training of the Trainer. Register Now!
The Endorsement® for Culturally Sensitive, Relationship-Focused Practice Promoting Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health is an internationally recognized credential for professionals who support pregnant people, young children, and families. Offered by GA-AIMH, it helps strengthen skills in mental health, early childhood education, healthcare, home visiting, and child welfare. The Endorsement recognizes specialized knowledge and experience, enhances professional credibility, and demonstrates a commitment to high-quality, relationship-focused practice. Those interested can learn more during the upcoming Endorsement 101 virtual information session September 16th at 10 AM.
Additionally, don’t forget to register for the 2026 GA-AIMH Conference on November 12-13th. The $75 early registration fee ends TODAY. Register now!
THANK YOU FROM THE RESILIENT GEORGIA TEAM!