1-22-2024 8:54am

100% Otero Hosting Community Stakeholder Summit February 8th

Chris Edwards Editor

100% Otero is hosting a community stakeholder summit, February 8th, 2024, from 8:30 am to 4:40 pm at the Willie Estrada Center.

100% Otero is an affiliate of 100% New Mexico. The 100% New Mexico and 100% Otero initiative was developed by the Anna, Age Eight Institute to ensure safe childhoods, free from adverse childhood experiences, trauma and social adversity. It is a countywide mobilizing process that, working with all the leaders within a county’s borders, ensures the safety, health, education and job readiness of all children, youth and adults. The initiative is guided by decades of research focused on the social determinants of health, the ecological model of health, health equity, adverse childhood experiences, trauma-informed practice, historical disparities and historical trauma.

Given the unpredictability of crises, the 100% New Mexico and 100% Otero initiative can also be viewed as a local process of crisis readiness, response and recovery. 100% New Mexico initiative is a coalition, dedicated to social justice with the primary mission of ensuring all county residents have access to 10 vital services for surviving and thriving.

100% New Mexico and its affiliate 100% Otero is designed as a measurable, result-focused initiative. The county boundary sets a distinct goal, ensuring that all residents living within all cities and communities within a county’s borders, have timely access to the ten vital services for surviving and thriving. Within the county borders, there are revenue streams to support a funding formula for the 100% New Mexico initiative. County and city governments can earmark a percentage (1% or so) of their annual budget to support the work of the initiative. The long-term goal is to work county by county, as well as with regional collaboration and resource sharing, to eventually reach every county within a state. With determination, we can build 100% New Mexico in all 33 counties, customized to meet local needs, histories and cultures.

It all starts with one county surveying its residents to ask, “To what degree do you have access to the ten vital services for surviving and thriving?” The answers will most likely surprise you.

Addressing the homeless population is one of the many challenges to the community. The most recent Point in Time Survey can be found at Otero County 2023 PIT Report (100nm.org)

Anyone may participate in the 2023/24 Survey by clicking the link below...

100% Community Survey (qualtrics.com)

A copy of a past survey specific to Otero County that addresses the needs of the community can be found at AAEI_SurveyReport_Otero2020_final.pdf (100nm.org)

The summit planned for February 8thi s an opportunity to bring all our initiative members and partners together under one roof to strengthen our shared vision and goals, as well as offer practical information on how to remove barriers to ten vital services. The gathering will strengthen our collaboration across service sectors, improve the alignment of the work, and make stronger connections among county residents. We will have presentations on the power of being visionary and the practical aspects of the work that includes funding, policy, and moving from a scarcity mentality to the belief that we have the resources to make every childhood trauma-free, with families empowered to succeed in well-resourced schools and communities.

To learn more or to register visit 100% Otero Summit - OTERO COUNTY, NM (100nm.org)

The Summit Agenda includes

8:30–9:00 Welcome, Registration, and Coffee
9:00–12:00 Morning session
12:00–1:00 Lunch (provided)
1:00–4:00 Afternoon session with Keynote Speaker, Jessica Sinarski
4:00–4:30 Wrap-up

A little bit about the keynote speaker.

Per her bio: Jessica Sinarski LPCMH's superpower is making brain science accessible and entertaining for children and adults alike. Extensive post-graduate training and 15+ years as a therapist, consultant, and educator led her to create the resource and training platform—BraveBrains. In addition to speaking engagements all over the country, Jessica partners with schools, child welfare agencies, and other organizations to help adults become healers for hurting children. She is also the mom of 3 busy boys.

Jessica created a framework based on the concepts introduced in her award-winning picture book, RILEY THE BRAVE, which is available in English and Spanish. The series has grown and is now empowering children and their “safe big critters” in over 20 different countries. Jessica serves on the editorial board for The Journal of Child and Adolescent Trauma and on the board of directors at Cardinal McCloskey Community Services, the largest Head Start provider in the Bronx, NY. She is also the author of the Your Magic Backpack series, which helps kids talk about big feelings and tough topics.

Jessica was awarded the national Voice for Adoption Drenda Lakin Memorial Award in 2021 in recognition of her valuable post-placement support and services to families who have achieved permanence for children in the child welfare system. Compelled by her work with foster families in the South Bronx of New York, Jessica became a Certified Adoption Therapist in 2008 through Hunter College School of Social Work and began an adoption therapy program at her local agency. She earned a master’s degree from Boston College in Counselling Psychology following a B.A. in Psychology and Spanish from Taylor University.