VOCA Grant Expands For All Seasons Staff

EASTON, MD – For All Seasons has received a significant grant from Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) to provide support, advocacy, and mental health services to primary and secondary victims of violent crime at no charge. This includes victims of rape, sexual assault, adults molested as children, child and adult victims of domestic violence and child victims of physical abuse and neglect. The grant will enable For All Seasons to provide timely response to the emotional needs of victims; provide primary and secondary victim assistance to bring stability and safety to their immediate circumstances; educate victims about their rights under the criminal justice system; provide access to mental health treatment for victims and their families as appropriate and ensure that all victims wanting civil legal assistance get an attorney through partnership through Mid-Shore Pro Bono.

According to Beth Anne Langrell, Executive Director, “The VOCA grant will enable our agency to expand our services and have a greater presence in the Mid Shore counties we serve. By providing professional development for our staff and trauma certifying all staff who work with clients and victims of trauma, we can tailor these services to meet specific mental health needs.” She adds that the grant will also provide for trainings for community members, expanded mental health and rape crisis services, and allow the agency to bring awareness of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) in the schools.

Several staff positions have been added through the grant, including Director of Education and Community Programs which has been filled by For All Seasons staff member Katie Pittsinger of Easton. Previously, Pittsinger was Assistant Clinical Director at For All Seasons. Prior to working at For All Seasons, she was a Social Worker, Advanced Criminal Justice with the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services in Easton. She completed her Master of Social Work from the University of Maryland, School of Social Work and Bachelor of Science in Family Studies from the University of Maryland, College of Health and Human Performance at College Park. She holds The Ferentz Institute Trauma Certificate Level I and is a Certified Instructor for Youth Mental Health First Aid. In her new position, Pittsinger will be working on developing For All Seasons’ Training Academy, including training for school systems on Trauma-Informed Schools and providing consultation to school systems on becoming trauma-informed. Pittsinger will be working on bringing continuing education to the community and mental health professionals to the Eastern Shore and will work to ensure that people throughout the five-county region have an awareness and understanding of services provided by For All Seasons.

In response to the growth of the Rape Crisis Program at For All Seasons, which has tripled in three years, two additional staff members have been hired to new positions in the Rape Crisis Center. Stella Lee Coulbourne of Preston was recently hired as the For All Seasons Director of Rape Crisis Programs and Katharine Petzold of Easton was recently hired as For All Seasons Anti-Human Trafficking Program Coordinator.

Coulbourne previously worked as Deputy Director of Critchlow Adkins Children’s Centers, Program Administrator for Early Head Start, and Site Coordinator for the Federalsburg Judy Center. She holds a Master of Science in Public Administration and a Bachelor’s of Science in Human Services from Bellevue University in Bellevue, Nebraska. She also completed an Associate’s of Arts in Liberal Studies and Business Management from Chesapeake College and an Early Childhood Mental Health Certification from John Hopkin’s University. She serves as a Maryland State Department of Education State Validator to Accredit Early Childhood Programs. In her new role, Coulbourne will work as a team member with other staff members and volunteers in order to achieve the mission of the Center, including providing direct client services, community outreach programs and/or professional training when needed. She will also develop, implement and monitor short-and long-term goals through a strategic planning process, including Anti-Human Trafficking.

In addition to her role as Anti-Human Trafficking Program Coordinator, Petzold also works as a psychotherapist for For All Seasons. She has worked at the Ben Franklin Center for Community Schools in Baltimore and at the National Human Trafficking Resource Center in Washington, DC. She was a member of the Court Appointed Special Advocates Association in Caroline County and served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate. Previously, she worked on the Human Trafficking Resource Project and the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking both in Los Angeles, CA. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Theater from Northwestern University and a Master of Social Work from the University of Maryland at Baltimore, School of Social Work. In her role as Anti-Human Trafficking Program Coordinator, Katharine will be expanding For All Seasons’ anti-trafficking programs which provide services to survivors and outreach and education to our Eastern Shore community.

For All Seasons offers individual and group therapy, general, child and adolescent therapy, marriage and couples’ counseling, grief counseling, school-based mental health therapy, urgent care services, Rape Crisis Response, Rape Crisis Counseling and Support, 24-Hour English and Spanish Hotlines, and education and outreach programming. For further information about For All Seasons or make a donation, call 410-822-1018 or visit forallseasonsinc.org.

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~ For All Seasons