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Our mission is to provide quality services, public awareness, and integrated community supports for children, adults, and families facing social, emotional, and/or developmental challenges. |
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NEWS AND EVENTS
“Throughout his accomplished career Mr. Davidson has grown organizations through effective fiscal management,” said Rubina Cohen, President of the agency’s Board of Directors. “He has attracted and managed government and privately funded contracts and programming, been deeply involved in fundraising and development of nonprofits, and managed organizations with diverse programming/populations/funding sources, all while working on behalf of people with disabilities.” “We welcome Mr. Davidson's solution-oriented approach, his friendly, open demeanor, and his proven track record as a wonderful opportunity for Las Cumbres’ growth,” she added. Mr. Davidson brings 32 years of highly successful nonprofit CEO experience to Las Cumbres. Until last year he served as President and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey Inc. Along with his lengthy and successful record of accomplishment in management, Mr. Davidson holds a BS in Sociology and an MS in Psychology. During its lengthy search the Board solicited thoughts from many diverse voices throughout the community, including funders, staff members, other service providers and Las Cumbres stakeholders, Board president Cohen said, adding, “The selection of Mr. Davidson was influenced by the community we serve, and we greatly appreciate everyone’s input in the process.” “I am excited to join an agency that provides such strong programs that are critical to supporting the community,” said Mr. Davidson. “I believe we will go far together, with a shared vision that the client in service always comes first, and shared values that will strengthen and support our mission.” Mr. Davidson and his wife have been residents of Ojo Caliente since 1999.
COMMUNITY WORKSHOP: PSYCHOPATHOLOGY IN INFANTS AND YOUNG CHILDREN
Identification of clinically significant behaviors in infants and young children presents unique challenges for infant and early childhood professionals. In this workshop will begin with a framework in which to consider these challenges and the major approaches to understanding psychopathology in infancy. We will then focus specifically on the symptoms of two disorders, Attachment Disorders and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. Because symptoms of other disorders can overlap, we will consider differential diagnosis as well. Finally, we will end with a discussion of the use of psychotropic medications in young children. Paula Zeanah, Ph.D., M.S.N. is Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Pediatrics at the Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans. She has served as a mental health consultant for the Louisiana Office of Public Health, Maternal Child Health Section for over 12 years. In this role, she has been involved in professional training, consultation, and program development regarding infant, child, and maternal mental health issues. She is currently the Clinical Director of the Louisiana Nurse Family Partnership Program, a nurse home visitation program serving first-time, low-income mothers. She also serves as co-director of the Pediatric Psychiatry Consultation-Liaison service at Tulane Hospital, and as Chief of the Psychology Division within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Tulane. She has extensive experience in training non-mental health professionals in infant mental health. Registration for the workshop is $75, and includes 6 CEUs. The location in Santa Fe is to be determined. To register, please contact Mary Hendrix with the Las Cumbres Early Childhood Mental Health Training Institute by phone at 505.955.0410, extension 106, or by email at mary.hendrix@lascumbres-nm.org. Please RSVP as space is limited to 60 people.
COMMUNITY INFANT PROGRAM TURNS 10!
Las Cumbres thanks everyone who attended and contributed to our 10th birthday party for the Community Infant Program on October 1st! The party celebrated ten years of service and therapeutic support for at-risk families with infants and toddlers in Santa Fe County. This success would not be possible without the strong collaboration and partnership of so many other providers and businesses in the community. Special thanks to the business that donated food and beverages for the party, including:
Special thanks also to the Brindle Foundation for helping to underwrite the event. CIP was conceived in 1998 when a number of collaborating agencies, including the Santa Fe County Maternal and Child Health Council, recognized the need for a program to address the factors of at-risk infants and toddlers up to age 3 and their families in Santa Fe County. CIP was launched in 1999, and has been under the umbrella of Las Cumbres since 2001.The program is based on the precepts of infant mental health, which recognizes that infant-parent relationships shape the course and quality of social-emotional development, and early experiences set the stage for how each individual will perceive his/her environment at home and in the world at large. Children who have not experienced a consistent, secure, and nurturing relationship with a parent or caregiver could experience significant social and emotional problems, such as difficulty developing empathy for others, regulating their emotions, and developing healthy relationships in the future. From a single full-time employee and two families in service at its inception, CIP has grown to a staff of eight serving more than 100 vulnerable children and their families each year. The program works with families where there are concerns about the parents’ or caregivers’ ability to provide a secure and trusting relationship with their infant or child, or are determined to be at risk for abusing or neglecting their children. Licensed Master’s level therapists provide assessment, intervention, education and treatment to strengthen parent-infant attachment in these families, who are referred to CIP through primary care physicians, hospital discharge social workers, therapists, the judicial system and other agencies in Santa Fe.Current funders include Santa Fe County (which provided the initial funding to launch the program), the City of Santa Fe, Brindle Foundation, Doris Goodwin Walbridge Foundation. The Buckaroo Ball and SF Community Foundation have also been supporters. The most frequent reasons for referral are concerns for the risk of—or substantiated cases of—child abuse or neglect; substance abuse; domestic violence; maternal depression; and/or significant lack of parenting skills. Many client parents have experienced the same type of emotional trauma in their own childhoods, and without early identification and intervention, the cycle is perpetuated from generation to generation at an extreme cost to families and society. Long-term studies indicate that crime statistics, teen pregnancy rates, drug use and incarceration all decrease for people who experienced mental health intervention as an infant. CIP enables parents and caregivers to have greater understanding of their child’s behavior, development and non-verbal cues, to better respond to their children’s needs, and feel a greater sense of competence and satisfaction in their role as parents. Current funders include Santa Fe County (which provided the initial funding to launch the program), the City of Santa Fe, Brindle Foundation, and the Doris Goodwin Walbridge Foundation. The Buckaroo Ball and SF Community Foundation have also been supporters. For more information on the program, please contact Kathleen Benecke, Program Director, by phone at (505) 955-0410, ext 101, or by email at kathleen.benecke@lascumbres-nm.org.
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The Board of Directors of Las Cumbres Community Services is excited to announce the appointment of its new Executive Director. Mr. Rex Davidson, who began his new position on January 11, was selected following an extensive executive search process.
Dr. Paula Zeanah will present a one-day workshop on Psycopathology in Infants and Young Children. The workshop, offered through Las Cumbres’ Early Childhood Mental Health Training Institute, will be held on 
