Tampa, FL: Florida Institute for Community Studies (FICS) is pleased to announce the expansion of our signature program, Partners in Well-Being, through a new SAMHSA grant, to continue addressing identified gaps in health and mental health in the communities we serve. Through this initiative, FICS brings our multicultural, linguistically informed lenses to training high school students, providers, school personnel, parents and volunteers in Mental Health First AID and trauma-informed approaches. Right now, FICS staff are reaching out to partner and collaborate across agencies who are already implementing Mental Health First Aid and other SAMHSA grantees.
The first three months will be spent listening, training and planning the project, with services beginning March 15, 2023. To kick off services and trainings, FICS will be holding a weeklong series of events from 3/20-3/25 in both Wimauma and Town n Country. National Farmworker Awareness Week begins 3/24/23 this year so we are organizing a forum for farmworkers and their children to share their concerns. Exact times and locations will be announced in forthcoming press releases.
We are accepting applications from the community to serve as Community Advisors for 2023. Community Advisors can volunteer from fifth grade on and receive community service hours to represent their school, zip code, grade or at-large. We welcome service providers, representatives from the faith community, neighborhood and homeowners association members. Community Advisors meet once a month, usually in a library or other public space. In some cases, Community Advisors can join via zoom.
->To apply, please send an email to fics@ficsinc.org and you will be sent the link!
Partners in Well-Being builds strong relationships, which we know improves mental health. In Town n Country, we will be operating out of the Morgan Woods Recreation Center which we have repurposed as the FICS Multicultural Wellness and Arts Center. Currently, FICS only has the use of the building through September 2023, due to the Hillsborough County Parks and Recreation Department’s decision to use this space for storage and offices instead of leasing it to us, which they have done since 2016.
Partners include Hillsborough County Children’s Services, Hillsborough County Parks and Recreation, Hillsborough County Department of Health, Tampa Family Health Centers, Voz y Accion de Puerto Rico, La Estancia Apartments and RCMA. We are open to new partners all the time.
Please call ahead to 813.477.2882 for more information or if you are press. The Florida Institute for Community Studies (FICS) is a 20-year old statewide non-profit dedicated to partnering with communities to help them achieve their goals through research, services, education, training and the arts.
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Florida Institute for Community Studies (FICS) is pleased to announce the expansion of our signature program, Partners in Well-Being, through a new SAMHSA grant, to continue addressing identified gaps in health and mental health in the communities we serve.
FICS celebrated its Annual Holiday Celebration with a visit from Santa and Hillsborough County School Board Member Ms. Karen Perez