Pace Insights

Aug

Pace Graduates Share Next Chapter and Parting Wisdom

Posted on: August 5, 2022

Pace girls come from all backgrounds, but throughout their time at Pace, we teach them to embrace growth and change while working to invest in their futures. Finding power through community, trusted support and self-discovery is an empowering moment in a girl’s life.

Graduation ceremonies are a huge milestone achievement for Pace girls, who have overcome various personal and academic trials in order to complete high school. Embellished in glitter and bold colors, each girl’s graduation cap is often personalized with an inspirational message that reflects on their own individual journey. One cap at Pace Lee read “with patience you grow, you heal, and you learn,” while another one quoted “girls with dreams become women with vision.”

Turning the page to their next chapter in life, these inspiring young women shared their parting wisdom and words of encouragement to help guide the next girl who finds herself in similar shoes.

Q: What advice would you give to your younger self?

“It’s okay to cry and talk about your feelings.” – Alexis

With the help of Pace, Alexis was able to transform her life, both physically and mentally. She plans to pursue a career in the real estate field, with her newborn daughter as motivation by her side.

“Be confident and love yourself.” – Alicia

Through tremendous strength and support, Alicia paved her way to becoming a first-generation college student. She has already started college courses and plans to pursue a career in the medical field.

“Be proud of yourself.” – Ciera

At Pace, Ciera was able to shift her mindset and overcome negative self-talk. Her next chapter includes continuing her education to pursue a career in the medical field.

“You can do whatever you put your mind to.” – Dallise

Pace helped Dallise see her full potential and achieve a happier life. Her sights are set on a career in cosmetology or with a veterinary practice.

“If you believe in yourself, anything is possible.” – Destiny

At a time of anger and rebellion, Destiny found the support she needed to transform into a confident young woman and dream big. Her plans are to pursue a career in her passion of cosmetology.

“Everything happens for a reason.” – Piper

Piper thrived at Pace and studied diligently so she could graduate early. She plans to pursue a career in emergency medical services.

Aug

Mental Health Matters: Pace Center for Girls, Collier at Immokalee Helps Girls Look Towards the Future

Posted on: August 2, 2022

Advocacy

Published in Old Naples News Aug/Sept/Oct 2022 Edition

Before coming to Pace Center for Girls, Collier at Immokalee, Kimberlee began to see her world unravel — and with it, her mental health. She slowly started opening up to her therapist, Ms. Jama, and together they created a strong partnership and plan grounded in trust and care.

“The mental health needs in Immokalee are significant. The stigma is real everywhere, but especially in this community. For many girls, coming to Pace is one of their first opportunities to learn about mental health and to see what self-care is,” shared Jama Thurman, Social Services Manager at Pace Collier.

Without support, many girls, like Kimberlee, can struggle to find the best path forward and consequently develop harmful coping mechanisms that hinder their journey to a brighter future.

“People should give therapy a chance. Therapy has helped me find my confidence and motivation in life,” shared Kimberlee. “I don’t talk to many people about my personal life, but I talk to Ms. Jama and she helped me.”

At Pace, we believe all girls, regardless of their story, deserve safe and supportive spaces to heal that help them to become strong, compassionate and successful women. Our exceptional team of counselors, therapists and educators take into consideration each girl’s unique strengths, experiences as young women, and history with trauma when creating their individualized plans of care.

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health challenges were the leading cause of disability and challenging life outcomes in young people, with the Surgeon General Reporting in 2021 that up to 1 in 5 children ages 3 to 17 in the US have a reported mental, emotional, developmental, or behavioral disorder.

Complex mental health challenges must be met with a multifaceted approach to support, which is why Pace’s model is designed to meet girls where they are both physically and developmentally.

“Part of the work we do here at Pace is to help girls find their voice. This is a huge part of any girl’s mental health journey,” shared Vitina Monacello, Therapist at Pace Collier. “For our girls, it’s really owning and embracing their stories in full context. It’s not disowning the difficult emotions or the hard things that’ve happened to them, or the struggles they’ve had. It’s finding their voice in all of that and making sense of their story for themselves so they can move forward.”

Beyond the pandemic and the added stressors this brought on, the adolescent and teenage stage is one of great transformation, both physiologically and psychologically. Navigating this crucial stage of development can be difficult and requires guidance, support, empathy, and safety.

“I found something at Pace that you can’t find at other schools. I found a family that cared about me and my future, and I believed I could do whatever I set out to do. I found an extension to the family I already had that was uplifting and a positive driving force in my change for the better. Like countless girls before me, I found myself as well,” shared Prescilla, a Pace alum.

Sometimes just asking a girl how she is doing can be a crucial step to prevention or to beginning a healing journey. If you know a girl who could benefit from Pace’s programs, please visit here.

Jul

Pace Macon Girls Express Themselves Through Art

Posted on: July 12, 2022

Partnerships, Uncategorized

Pace believes that all girls, regardless of their story, deserve safe and supportive spaces to heal and develop into strong, compassionate, and successful women. We incorporate self-reflection and mindfulness into curriculum and encourage creativity as a means of self-expression.

In all its various forms, art is a powerful tool for expression. We spoke with Pace Macon girls and Rebecca Richard, Reach Program Manager at Pace Macon, about their recent participation in an art therapy session at Booker T. Washington Center in Georgia.

Eric Gordan, an art educator from Taylor County High School, led the session and shared with girls that they were free to put on their canvases whatever spoke to them as they painted self-portraits.

“Activities such as these create a culture of camaraderie, which is very important because often girls with trauma build a defensive wall where they keep to themselves,” shared Rebecca. “This creative therapy technique allows girls to be vulnerable.”

The Pace Reach Program is designed to be community based and to meet girls where they’re at: in their schools, in their homes and in their communities. Our goal is to ensure that things like transportation and finances don’t become a barrier to providing the behavioral health services that girls need.

“Only a few of these girls knew each other before this activity,” noted Rebecca. “When these girls go back to school in August, they will be able to recognize and have had a positive experience with at least one more person in their community.”

With support from an MVP: Macon Violence Prevention grant, Pace will continue to expand its Reach Programming in Georgia by adding an additional Therapist. Girls who participate in the Pace Reach Program improve their skills and ability to make healthy decisions and reduce harmful habits to their health, wellness and safety. Pace’s holistic approach cares for their physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual and relational development needs. Through these services, girls learn how to manage stress and adversities, improve personal relationships, learn new communication skills and improve school performance.

May

Creating a Culture of Health and Well-Being

Posted on: May 26, 2022

Staff and Culture

Pace Center for Girls is a proud recipient of the Healthiest Companies Platinum Award presented by the First Coast Worksite Wellness Council. The award recognizes Pace’s dedication to creating a culture of health and well-being.

“Our staff cannot care for our girls unless we care for them first,” shared Yessica Cancel, Chief Operating Officer at Pace. “Our focus on health and wellness represents an investment in our staff that goes beyond their time at work.”

Pace’s leadership team is committed to investing in resources that support team members holistically. In addition to PTO benefits, team members receive a week off for wellness annually. This year an added benefit at no cost to team members is Modern Health, a mental well-being platform offering therapy, coaching, and self-guided courses all in one app.

“Pace does an amazing job of assisting in well-being so we can fill our cups,” shared Lena Neal, Academic Manager at Pace Manatee. “We need to be our best selves for our girls and to do that we need to care for ourselves.”

Company-wide actions and care, described as Pace Fit Wellness Challenges and Incentives, are designed to reset, refresh, and reinforce team members’ minds and spirits. To celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month, we asked team members what mental health means to them.

“I practice mental health and well-being by reading and spending time with my favorite people. I walk every day; it helps me clear my head and unwind,” shared Barbra Burt, Contracts Analyst at Pace.

Looking for a few easy habits to help build your mental strength and resilience? Find a series of personalized meditation tools developed and narrated by Naomi Osaka, made available for free by our friends at Modern Health.

*Pace Jacksonville Team Members at Open House Event. Photo: Tammi McGriff*

May

A multifaceted approach to care is essential to supporting girls. Here’s why.

Posted on: May 17, 2022

Advocacy, Health and Wellness

When the pandemic started, Brianna began to see her world unravel — and with it, her mental health.

Brianna loved going to school to be with friends. Although she didn’t love schoolwork, her social life helped her thrive. With schools closing due to the pandemic and more time spent at home, Brianna’s relationships began to suffer. Formerly extroverted Brianna now felt shy and reclusive.

At her new school, a counselor connected her with Pace. When she first entered Pace, she was nervous but found that the size of the classrooms and hours of the program fit her needs. Through wrap-around, personalized behavioral health support, Brianna has taken control of her mental health journey and developed healthy coping mechanisms. She actively engages with Pace programs designed to provide support, such as TOPs — a teen outreach program — Girls Leadership Council, and has taken up running and drawing as hobbies.

Today, Brianna is thriving as a Pace girl in Palm Beach.

As we observe Mental Health Awareness Month this May, stories like Brianna’s — and the untold millions struggling with similar issues amid a growing youth mental health crisis — should be our call to action to take much-needed steps to support our girls and young women.

“Mental health is the center of gravity,” said Heather Blaise, a Pace Reach program manager in Palm Beach. “Finding the support to value yourself and know yourself is foundational to living to your full potential.”

Heather, who shared her perspective sitting next to Brianna in a Palm Beach classroom, sees firsthand the value that a community-first approach to mental health support can deliver.

“The Pace Reach Program is designed to be community based — to go outside of the Pace day programs and meet girls where they’re at: in their schools, in their homes and in their communities,” she said. “Our goal is to ensure that things like transportation and finances don’t become a barrier to providing the behavioral health services that girls need.”

Barriers to access is a significant consideration in improving mental health care. Ripple effects of the pandemic including economic troubles, isolation and health problems are compounding issues that girls were already struggling with while navigating their social lives, their education and changes in their bodies. When these challenges are coupled with barriers to access, girls are left with limited places to turn.

Complex challenges such as these must be met with a multi-faceted approach to support, which is why Pace programs are designed to meet girls where they are both physically and developmentally.

In addition to programs like Reach, Pace employs a support system throughout our holistic approach that addresses three key pillars, including:

● Gender-responsive: We understand girls’ unique perspectives and tailor our approach to their lived experiences.

● Strengths-based: We talk with girls about what they love and help them advance those skills.

● Trauma-informed: We know that traumatic experiences can be at the heart of behavioral issues. Approaching a girls’ lived experience with empathy and compassion is critical to healing.

“People think there is only one way to address mental health issues,” said Brianna, “but when they become more educated on the topic, they can begin to understand mental health on a deeper level.”

Brianna’s words reflect our beliefs at Pace: positive mental health outcomes begin with communication, education and support. Every day, our exceptional team of counselors and therapists work to create safe, inclusive spaces and help girls realize and harness their power. Sharing this ethos is key to helping girls across the country navigate the ongoing mental health crisis.

As Brianna and Heather sat together in the classroom discussing their unique perspectives on mental health, one thing is clear: there is no substitute for genuine connection and care.

If you have a girl or young woman in your life, Mental Health Awareness Month is a great time to check-in with her. Sometimes just asking someone how she is doing can be an important step to prevention or to beginning a healing journey. If you know someone who may be a good fit for our programs, click here to learn more about Pace.

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