Article archive / June 1, 2015
Originally published: . Volume 6, No. 6. Source pages: 2.
Instillation of Hope by J. Nelson
Amid the confusion and chaos of activities at the legislature, the bleak outlook as our lawmakers scrambled for footing with the budget, the politics, with its strange interpersonal dynamics and less that perfect critical thinking, I had the delightful privilege of speaking with leaders at the Child and Family Learning Foundation of New Orleans.
I had the honor of meeting the Lead Psychologist, Dr. Palmer-Seal and the Foundation’s COO, Ms. Connie Bellone. They described for me the innovations going on at the Foundation and I was immediately heartened for our species.
The group rose from the post-Katrina efforts to recover in New Orleans and they are working at the heart of the heart of our state’s culture of poverty. Connie told me about the children trying to climb their way out of generations, not just years, of poverty. Between the words, I heard the vision, dedication and especially the innovation. “You’re doing community psychology!” I said. And she said, “Is that what’s it called?” Yes!
The Foundation’s system approach, leaves out no variable– “We talk to every single person who has contact with the child,” Connie told me. They intervene at any level necessary. Work through any obstacle. Connect all the dots to serve the customer––the child. What I heard were pure waters. No ego, no bureaucratic mumbo jumbo, no faulty reasoning. Alignment.
I was heartened and helped to find these true innovators who are lighting up our world with their light bulbs, making something worthy and wonderful for these children, often with the resources that are already there, the alchemy of integrated care, of participative leadership, of innovation, where 2 and 2 can equal 5 or 10 or 50. The team at the Foundation is instilling hope for the children of generational poverty and they instilled some hope in me as well, and for that I’m very thankful.
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