$10,000 Grant from the Brian & Patricia Giese Foundation for Everstand’s Parent Support Group and Therapeutic Drum Circle Programs

Everstand is proud to announce it has been awarded a $10,000 grant from the Brian & Patricia Giese Foundation to support the creation of a Parent Support Group and a Therapeutic Drum Circle program at its Outpatient Mental Health Clinic (OMHC) in Pasadena, Maryland. This generous funding will enable Everstand to provide vital, evidence-based mental health services to families and youth in Anne Arundel County and beyond.

“We are deeply grateful to the Giese Foundation for their generous support, which has made it possible for us to offer a regularly scheduled Drum Circle to aid in healing from complex trauma,” said Bradley Spoon, LCPC, CCTP, Clinical Supervisor for Everstand’s Outpatient Mental Health Clinic (OMHC). “Their contribution is also helping us provide essential parenting support and training groups for families of children with severe mental health needs. Together, we’re fostering healing, resilience, and a stronger, more compassionate community.”

The Parent Support Group will offer parents and guardians a safe and supportive space to learn effective parenting techniques, build confidence, and reduce feelings of isolation. Over the course of three 6-week sessions, parents will gain valuable mental health education and peer support, helping them better navigate the challenges of raising children with mental health needs.

The Therapeutic Drum Circle, a unique musical therapy experience, will engage youth in rhythm-based activities using percussion instruments. This innovative program will help participants process trauma, develop communication skills, and discover healthy ways to cope with stress, fostering personal growth in a supportive environment.

Kathy Wiles, daughter of Brian Giese, shared: “Everstand struck us as a quality organization after impacting family friend’s children who recently were adopted through foster care. We have seen first-hand the growth of daily functions due to evidence-based practices and trauma-informed care through individual therapy and parent coaching. It’s a long road ahead and Everstand’s therapists have been integral to providing vital tools for our friends. One particularly impressive aspect from the organization is the investment in helping parents understand best practices in encouraging a healthy attachment style. They provided direct tools in caring for their kids and understanding behaviors and trauma responses. Thank you, Everstand, we are very excited to partner to encourage more impact on the community by expanding access!”

Both programs will track outcomes to ensure measurable impacts, using tools like the Parent/Client Impact Survey and assessments designed to capture improvements in emotional well-being and family dynamics.

“Everstand is committed to enriching our community one family at a time,” said Laurie Anne “LA” Spagnola, MSW, President & CEO of Everstand. “This grant will allow us to address critical mental health needs by creating spaces where families and youth can find healing, connection, and hope.”

Everstand thanks the Brian & Patricia Giese Foundation for their partnership in expanding access to essential mental health services in the Pasadena community. For more information about these programs or to get involved, please visit the Outpatient Mental Health Clinic page on our website or email omhc@everstand.org.

About Everstand

Everstand’s holistic range of services include residential programs, mental and behavioral health support, trauma recovery, case management, and educational services. We stand as a beacon for youth and families, equipping them with vital tools that build resiliency for life’s greatest challenges. With roots dating back 150 years, we pledge to stand beside, stand up for and stand strong with those we serve.

In 2024, Board of Child Care began doing business as (dba) Everstand. It’s legal name and Federal EIN remain unchanged. Our intention is to maintain our legal name of “Board of Child Care of the United Methodist Church, Inc.” to provide easier continuity with our operating licenses, state and federal databases, state and federal registrations, trademark office, our finance and HR teams, and referral sources.

About the Brian & Patricia Giese Foundation

The Brian & Patricia Giese Foundation is a grant-giving family foundation dedicated to supporting faith-based initiatives and partnering with local nonprofits that advocate for youth. With a focus on making a lasting difference, the Foundation is committed to creating and implementing God-loving causes, specifically related to the future generations. Please visit the Brian and Patricia Giese Foundation’s website to learn more about their great work.

Board of Child Care is among 18 health care providers in West Virginia to receive a combined $6.1 million from Aetna to support services for children with serious emotional disorders

CHARLESTON, West Virginia, Dec. 13, 2022 — The Board of Child Care (BCC) announced today that it is one of 18 health care providers across the state to receive a combined $6.1 million from Aetna Better Health® of West Virginia, a CVS® company, to help them expand community-based waiver services for Children with Serious Emotional Disorders Waiver (CSEDW) Program

The community investments will assist children by helping to open or improve specialized residential settings within the state of West Virginia to best meet their needs. The funding can also help transition youth back to their families and/or provide supports to make sure they don’t need residential services at all or won’t need them again in the future.

“Currently, there are over 500 West Virginia children living in some form of residential mental health treatment facility,” said Todd White, CEO Aetna Better Health of West Virginia, in a press release announcing the funding. “Aetna wants to assist current in-state residential treatment providers in expanding their services to help move these children back home. The objective of our community investments is to allow these facilities to assess the strengths and needs of children already in or entering residential placement, evaluate mental health and other social support services those children will need to return to their communities, then develop a plan to address barriers to accessing those services.”

BCC, like many of the state’s residential treatment providers that received Aetna’s community investments, is also hiring clinical staff, therapists and community service coordinators to achieve a continuum of care by broadening the scope of their residential work through adding an in-community care component. The child and family will receive high-intensity behavioral health and other social care services in an environment that is loving and the least restrictive.

“We are extremely grateful to Aetna Better Health of West Virginia for their generosity and support of organizations such as BCC that are helping youth of West Virginia at a critical and vulnerable time in their lives,” said Laurie Anne Spagnola, Board of Child Care CEO.

“Anytime we can add services that help keep children with their families and avoid the need for residential services, we know that means better outcomes long term,” Spagnola said. “Aetna’s generous support will help us in our mission and make a meaningful difference to many lives in West Virginia.”

For more details on how Aetna is helping children in West Virginia, see the announcement by Aetna Better Health® of West Virginia, a CVS Health® company (NYSE: CVS).

About the Board of Child Care

The Board of Child Care is a private, 501(c)3 not-for-profit that has been serving youth and their families for over 145 years. The organization’s history is rooted in faith, with its early beginnings being several orphanages operated by the United Methodist Church throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Following several mergers, first in 1960 and another in 2019, it is known today as the Board of Child Care. With a staff of 700+, an annual budget around $50 million, and its network of partners, BCC supports communities via a national footprint of programs that extend across the Eastern half of the United States. Its broad spectrum of services to youth and their families include residential, mental/behavioral health, trauma response, family support, and education. To learn more or see how you can get involved, visit boardofchildcare.org

A Letter from Laurie Anne Spagnola, President & CEO

The best volunteers don’t necessarily have the time; they just have the heart.

On March 6, 2022, Board of Child Care (BCC) lost a longtime volunteer and loyal friend, Reverend Margaret “Peggy” Herr Spengler.

Peggy was a “semi” retired United Methodist Pastor in the Central Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church for more than 29 years. She served in many pastoral positions and other roles, most currently as Prayer Minister for New Cumberland through Trinity United Methodist Church.

For Peggy, volunteering was a family tradition. Her father, Nelson Spengler, served on the United Methodist Home for Children (UMHC) Board of Trustees for many years and Peggy assumed his board position when he retired. Peggy served as the co-coordinator for the Auxiliary in Pennsylvania and led UMHC’s Christmas candlelight service on gift opening night from 2014 to 2019. We were fortunate to welcome Peggy to the BCC Board of Directors following the merger of UMHC and BCC in 2019. Her generosity of spirit was a tremendous asset as we worked to bring together the shared history and mission of both organizations, and we remain grateful for her time and thoughtful leadership.

My thoughts and prayers are with Peggy’s family as they mourn her loss and celebrate her life of service. Peggy will be missed by everyone at BCC who was so fortunate to have known her. Please click here to view Peggy’s obituary.

In fond memory,

Laurie Anne Spagnola, MSW
President & CEO

BCC has earned its EAGLE reaccreditation!

Educational Assessment Guidelines Leading toward Excellence (EAGLE) is the only faith-based accrediting body in the world, focusing on ministry with older adults and children. EAGLE challenges organizations not just to compete in a challenging human services environment, but to soar above the competition while living their faith values.

BCC’s reaccreditation process was conducted in November of 2021. We are proud of the commendations from the EAGLE Accreditation Commission, including feedback that our values are prominent throughout every level and location of the organization, and our clearly articulated strategy on advocacy allows us to focus our collective efforts to make real progress at the state and national level.

We are grateful to our Board of Directors, leadership, and staff for their commitment to excellence and ensuring our ability to earn accreditation for another four years!

Open House Job Fair in Mechanicsburg, PA

We have immediate full-time openings for rewarding human services work with youth ages 12 – 21 in our Mechanicsburg, PA residential program. We are currently recruiting for 2nd and 3rd shift employees; applicants must be at least 21 years of age and able to pass background clearances and a physical examination.

Please join us for our Open House Job Fair! Learn more about open positions and/or interview on the spot.

Open House Job Fair
Wednesday, February 9, 2022
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

United Methodist Home for Children (A Board of Child Care Program)
5120 Simpson Ferry Road, Mechanicsburg, PA 17050

Current Open Positions Include:
Bilingual Child Care Worker Floater (Up To $2,000 Sign On Bonus)
Caminos Unit Supervisor
Child Care Worker (Sign On Bonus $2000)
Registered Nurse
Residential Child Care Worker ($500 Sign On Bonus)
Youth Care Professional – Residential ($500 Sign On Bonus)
Youth Care Assistant – Residential – Temporary Summer Position

For more information, call:
Kendra Maley, Human Resources Coordinator
717-766-7652 x219

If you are unable to attend the Open House, you can apply by faxing your resume to 717-766-4490 or emailing kmaley@everstand.org.

Meet Our Newest Member of the Executive Leadership Team

Board of Child Care is thrilled to announce Kelly Berger as our new Executive Director for Caminos Programs. As a member of BCC’s Executive Leadership Team, Kelly will oversee the Caminos Programs in Maryland, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania, as well as Caminos Nacional and the Home Study / Post Release Services Program.  As she transitions into this role, Kelly’s focus will be on developing and strengthening the newest Caminos service lines while also supporting the existing integration of Caminos residential and community-based services within the BCC continuum of care.

Working with youth and families for over 20 years, Kelly is excited to continue her journey by providing leadership to the Caminos program.  Believing that all young people deserve to feel safe and supported, families should be together, and everyone deserves the opportunity to live their life to its fullest potential, Kelly is proud of BCC’s commitment to supporting the growth and impact of the Caminos program since its inception in 2014.

Kelly holds a Master’s degree in Social Work from Florida International University and dual Bachelor’s degrees in Biology and Psychology from Assumption College.  She is certified through the University of Maryland to provide trauma treatment for children and youth and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker – Clinical in Maryland.  Kelly’s experience extends into macro areas of social work and includes the dissemination of implementation strategy, innovative program design and development, and social sector advocacy.

Outside of work, Kelly enjoys living in Baltimore City with her partner and their dog. She balances city life with a love of travel and frequent excursions to the woods, where she can likely be found wandering along a trail or climbing a mountain.