The Family Partnership Revealed
Ashley explains how access to light is an equity issue identified by stakeholders and incorporated into all areas of the building. Other design elements include solar-powered electricity that can be sold back to Xcel for cash. TFP earned back $2,000 in the first year alone, which can go right back into programs.
Another example of the way the space is imbued with meaning is a meditation/centering space in which the carpet design gestures toward Mecca.
Interested in getting involved with The Family Partnership? Email info@thefamilypartnership.org or visit thefamilypartnership.org/donate to support their work.
We’ve all seen the prominent building (over 48,000 square feet!) at the corner of Bloomington and Lake, but how much do you know about what happens inside The Family Partnership? REACH was curious too, and dispatched Christina Beck for a tour conducted by Development Manager Ashley Hemnarine to learn more about the services of this enduring community non-profit. Because The Family Partnership has existed in one form or another for just shy of a century and a half, its programs have changed and adapted to meet the pressing needs of the times.
We started off at Four Directions, the multicultural, therapeutic preschool program. Here at the South Minneapolis location, the infant care room just opened! The program is holistic in that screening and therapeutic services are offered to all. The building hosts dedicated areas for mental health,] play, physical, occupational, art and speech therapies which are all available as needed. Meals are provided with food from the garden, and as much cultural significance as possible. Partner organization Wicoie Nandagikendan provides Dakota and Ojibwe language immersion.
The Diversity Social Work Advancement Program (DSWAP) engages master’s level students as interns to offer mental health services that are trauma-informed by historically underrepresented populations such as people of color, refugees, immigrants, and LGBTQ+ individuals. Mental health outpatient treatment rooms are serene and unique- so clients can be matched with a room that will best serve them. A broad array of therapies is offered including narrative exposure therapy, which is one of the only methods that has been proven effective for people of color.
A Big Little Library, Work Café, and staff lounge provide space where people can gather and have conversation knowing that these kinds of connections positively impact work. The community room is just that – a room that holds up to 76 people for community meetings versus the traditional Board Room. And the administrative offices are lined with inspirational large-scale images from local artist and organizer Ricardo Levins Morales.
Mikki Mariotti is the Director of the PRIDE (Promoting Respect, Independence, Dignity & Equality) Program. PRIDE is designed to provide support services to sexually exploited adults, youth, and their families. Mikki met us in the open workspace which encourages staff exchange so they can benefit from the best of each other’s knowledge and experience. Mikki explains how the typical mindset of survivors is that relationships are transactional. Here, therapists are paid through PRIDE vs. through insurance companies with the intention that being salaried employees changes the nature of their engagement. With English, Somali and Spanish speakers on staff, resources abound. As drop ins or members with a case manager on site, anyone can access clothing, food and a kitchen, a 2-hour respite room to rest, a luxurious bathroom and a community room for working, socializing and playing games.
We also encountered Terry Forliti, who identified herself as a survivor working with UPSIDE, the innovative outreach and anti-sex trafficking initiative that takes a whole community approach. UPSIDE furthers TFP’s ability to advocate for the changes needed to address the issue, even for those over 24 who are not covered by the State of Minnesota’s Safe Harbor laws.
As neighbors, familiarizing ourselves with the services offered by and at The Family Partnership can only serve to uplift community. For when we see a need and respond to it with concrete resources, we are all better for it. REACH thanks TFP for their work and the generosity of time and energy they give back to us here at PPNA and throughout the city.
“The whole families approach dictates that we meet folks where they are. That’s why we have so many services. It’s a wholistic two-generation healing approach.”
WHO
The Family Partnership’s South Minneapolis location
WHERE
WHEN
Founded in 1878 as the Minneapolis Humane Society. Read more about TFP’s rich history here
WHY
To partner with individuals and families to address the needs of the whole family and to clear the path towards greater health and well-being. Our holistic services include: mental health therapy, early childhood education and care, family home visiting and advocacy services.
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