A request from Duncan N. Bethel, Community Connections of New York‘s Director of Development & Training.
I'm sending this inquiry on behalf of Ken Pryor (see contact information below); you may know him via either his past work as a Family Advocate in our System of Care, or via his long history of tireless work with youth, families and community outside of his past System of Care duties.
Mr. Pryor is trying to identify minority clinicians, or non-minority clinicians with an existing track record of culturally competency, with training, certification and experience specific to grief counseling. This inquiry is time sensitive as his hope is to identify those individuals and their agencies for community members that will be taking part in an upcoming prayer vigil - specific time/ date are can be requested from Ken.
As we know, recent community events and their continuing aftermath are highlighting life stressors and challenges that too many of our families live with directly and/or indirectly every day.
If you have a minority therapist with the back ground noted on your staff, are therapists with a culturally competent back ground or know of someone who is - please contact Ken Pryor at the email address or number listed below. Part of the vigil event will be Ken and other vigil leaders representing the eastside religious community, to provide more education regarding the potential benefits of exploring the use of formal grief counseling versus relying solely on spiritual counseling, or no support at all.
This is not a formal System of Care request as time does not allow me to get approval; so, please consider this as a request from a colleague looking to support a trusted and proven committed community stakeholder with a need.
People or agencies that meet the need will have to make own decision regarding having themselves listed as a community resource at this upcoming vigil.
If an individual decides to contact Ken purely as a marketing, or potential money making opportunity- I'd ask that you not waste his time. This is a specific, targeted need. This is one of those requests that is for the greater good. There may be opportunities for formal referrals that arise, but, obviously, that is not guaranteed.
Thank you for your attention to this request and for any assistance you can provide
Kenneth A. Pryor
Executive Director
Ellicott-Masten Family YMCA
585 William St.
Buffalo, New York 14206
716.845.5440 (office)
716.830.5513 (cell)
716.845.5443 (fax)
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