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Menu
  • About Us
    • A Message From FSW’s Board Chair, Lisa Copeland
    • Our Leadership
    • Licenses, Accreditations, Affiliations & Memberships
    • Junior Board of FSW
      • Join the Junior Board of FSW
      • Junior Board Enrichment Grants
    • FSW Financials
    • Notices
    • Careers
    • Internships
  • Our Programs
    • Family Mental Health Centers
    • Adoption and Children’s Services
      • Adoptive Parents
      • Expecting Parents
      • Upcoming Adoption Events
      • Meet Our Adoptive Families
    • Therapeutic Foster Care
      • Role of a Foster Parent
      • FAQs About Therapeutic Foster Care
      • Foster Care Success Stories and Videos
      • Meetings and Events for Current Foster Parents
      • Information and Forms for New Therapeutic Foster Parents
    • Early Childhood Programs
      • Early Step Forward
      • Early Head Start
      • Head Start
      • Prime Time Therapeutic Preschool for Special Education
      • Early Childhood Respite
    • Older Adults
      • RideConnect of Westchester
      • Elder Abuse Prevention
      • Home Health Care Services
      • Gatekeeper and PIOAP
      • Livable Communities Connection
    • Strengthening Families
      • Children’s Health Homes
      • Intensive In-Home Family Preservation
      • Family Strengthening
      • Latino Connections
      • Mobile Crisis Response Team
    • Youth Programs
      • Community Residence for Children and Adolescents
      • Respite and Camp Success
      • Sleepy Hollow Middle School After School Program
      • Westchester County Junior & Senior Youth Councils
      • Youth Forum
    • HIVAIDS Resources
      • Legal Family Stabilization Supportive Services
      • Community Resources
    • Veterans Outreach and Support
      • Comprehensive Case Management
      • Vet2Vet Peer Networking for Service Members Veterans
      • Resources for Veterans and Families
    • Restorative Justice Programs
      • Community Credible Messengers Initiative
      • EMERGE
      • Mount Vernon SNUG of FSW
      • Navigating Fatherhood
      • REAL Parenting
    • NY Project Hope
  • Get Involved
    • Donate
    • Volunteer Opportunities
  • Media Resources
    • Press Releases
    • Press Clips
  • Blog
  • COVID Response

EMERGE

EMERGE, which stands for Educating Mothers to Embrace Reentry and Gain Employment, is a voluntary program provided at no charge to mothers, ages 18 and older, who are currently incarcerated and about to be released from the Westchester County Department of Correction.

EMERGE offers these women the opportunity to make a new start as they transition back into their home communities upon release. EMERGE helps these women prepare for employment and learn effective parenting techniques.

Janet Donat (right) watches EMERGE participant Juanita demonstrate cake decorating skills. She has since opened her own company, Mas Cakes.

Learning More Effective Parenting and Life Skills

When mothers are incarcerated, their children suffer. Without a mother at home, children lose the emotional and financial support they need to grow into healthy adults. EMERGE is working to change that here in Westchester County by helping mothers released from jail learn more effective parenting skills.

Participants attend an eight-week, culturally sensitive, trauma informed, reflective parenting workshop, where they learn about the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), the toxic stress that results from them, and the importance of building future resilience for themselves and their children.

Healthy child development, effective parenting skills, positive discipline, identification of feelings, and mindfulness are all covered in the EMERGE curriculum. Participants also receive assistance with pre-employment and employment readiness, as well as a referral to the 20-week Coming Home restorative community re-entry program. Workshops are held once a week at the Westchester County Department of Correction, and the series is offered quarterly.

EMERGE also teaches financial literacy to women so that they can improve their economic situations and confidently assume all the challenges of responsible motherhood.

Proud EMERGE graduates pose with program director Janet Donat (back row, far right).

The women participating in EMERGE:

  • Attend an eight-week Responsible Parenting workshop to learn about healthy child development, effective parenting skills, discipline techniques, conflict resolution and anger management.

     
  • Receive assistance with employment readiness and the job search process. EMERGE provides help with resume preparation and interviewing strategies.

  • When appropriate, women receive individual counseling sessions and referrals to address other issues, such as mental health or chemical dependency.

Contact Information:

Janet Donat, MS ED, Program Coordinator
(914) 305-6843
jdonat@fsw.org

Joann Jaen
Program Supervisor
914.719.5815
joann.jaen@fsw.org

Angela DeRossi
Program Facilitator
914.336.0371
angela.derossi@fsw.org

 
EMERGE “give-back gardening” participants grow organic food for Westchester restaurants.
Family Services of Westchester is proud that its programs are accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA) and by the Better Business Bureau (BBB).
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