This is episode is a little bit different from other episodes. You're going to get some of the behind the scenes with your cohosts, Tecoria and Elliott. They share the backstory about why they wanted to part of the podcast and what they hope to accomplish as the hosts of the show. They also dive into a conversation about the insights and perspectives they bring to each conversation based on their personal and professional experiences. You're going to enjoy getting to know Tecoria and Elliott and hearing more about what to expect in future episodes.

For more information about Elliott's work at Unicorn Solutions you can visit the website. Unicorn Solutions

To learn more about some of the work happening to support Transgender, Nonbinary, and Gender Diverse youth living in out-of-home care you can read the newly released Safe Havens report. Safe Havens Report

To learn more about the Thriving Families, Safer Children Initiative you can visit the website. Thriving Families

Please email us if you want to connect with the creative team or find out how to engage with the family well-being movement. comminsite@gmail.com

In this episode, Tecoria and Elliott are in conversation with Tiffany Boyd and Justin Lee. Tiffany is a Lived Experience Expert and Advocate for Youth and Justin is the Senior Director of Strategic Consulting at Casey Family Programs. The conversation is largely about centering the work in communities, which is one of the four guiding principles of the Thriving Families, Safer Children (TFSC) initiative. They focus on what this principle means, when they know it’s happening and when it’s not happening, and how they are applying it in Los Angeles County.

In this episode, listeners will take away why systems and communities should partner and co-create together, why communities should be in a position to lead, and how to navigate the challenges and successes that are inherent in this approach. Other topics include equitable compensation, moving beyond compensation to enterprise building, lived expertise, and acknowledging different types of the expertise and power imbalances.

Links to resources shared in the episode

• Link to a video showcasing visioning sessions that started TFSC
• Link to the report that came from those visioning sessions
• Link to “roadmap” that describes key points along the development
• Link to most recent retreat report with list of innovative projects – this is also the best report to pull the model and partnerships (pages 2 and 3)

If you want to learn more about the Thriving Families, Safer Children initiative you can visit the website. Thriving Families

Please email us if you want to connect with the creative team or find out how to engage with the family well-being movement. comminsite@gmail.com

Welcome to Community In-Site, a podcast about the family well-being movement. Episode 1 highlights Valerie Frost’s story of how she became not only an advocate for families but one of the leaders of the Thriving Families, Safer Children site in Kentucky. Hosts Tecoria and Elliott talk to Valerie about her lived experience, the lessons being learned so far from the site work in Kentucky, and Valerie’s vision for what success could look like over the next 5, 10, 15 years.

If you want to learn more about Valerie's work at Kentucky Youth Advocates and her role with the Thriving Families, Safer Children initiative you can visit the KYA website and read her blog. Blog – Kentucky Youth Advocates

If you want to learn more about the Thriving Families, Safer Children initiative you can visit the website. Thriving Families

Please email us if you want to connect with the creative team or find out how to engage with the family well-being movement. comminsite@gmail.com