Partner Spotlight: Juana Adames, Parent Coordinator, Pan American International High School

This piece is part of a series of spotlights on our New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) Suicide Prevention Program (SPP) team members at Pan American International High School and Civic Leadership Academy. We asked each team member 1) why this work is important to them and the people they serve, and 2) to describe a memorable moment or client that stands out to them about why they do this work. 

Parent Coordinator Juana Adames is an employee of Pan American International High School who works closely with our team.

I have served as the parent coordinator at Pan American International High School for the past 19 years. I would like to express my immense gratitude to The Child Center of NY for the incredible support they have provided to our school community throughout the years.

This past year especially has been a true blessing, knowing that our students and families have been able to count on their continued support in new and important ways through the Suicide Prevention Program (SPP). This support comes to life through the dedicated SPP team.

For example, School-Based Counselor Dayana Pazan provides wonderful workshops that offer valuable emotional support to both our parents and students; and Benefits Access Case Manager Darling DaSilva Ortiz has been an incredible resource to our families, connecting them to community services, employment opportunities, benefits, and other needs that extend beyond what we can provide within the school. I know that I can confidently refer families to Darling and trust that they will be treated with care, respect, and dedication.

Parents have personally shared with me how thankful and appreciative they are to have such a wonderful team supporting them and their families. On behalf of myself, our school community, and Principal Waleska Velez, who is extremely grateful for the continued support and services provided to our families, I would like to sincerely thank The Child Center of NY for everything they do. Your partnership has made a meaningful difference in our school community, and we are truly grateful.

My job is extremely important. I am the bridge between the school and the parents or families. I also connect families to important services they might need in order to support their children. Families sometimes arrive in the school with a great number of traumas: social-emotional, socio-economic, unstable housing, food insecurity, and legal needs. A big part of my job is listening to families, identifying their needs, and helping them so that they can help their children succeed.

One of many stories: We had a family who arrived in New York, invited by someone who had promised the American Dream. Unfortunately, an abusive relationship caused her to become afraid for herself and her three children. She had to leave the house, and the only resource she had was our school. She thought of me because I was the only person she trusted. I was able to refer her to services such as shelter, food stamps, and social services through The Child Center. Nowadays, the family is very happy because their application for food stamps was approved, and they were also approved for a voucher to get an apartment. The mom is working as a home attendant. Thanks to the important services (mental health, Benefits Access and school-based counseling) that The Child Center offers at Pan American International High School, with people whom families can trust, the family is stable, and the children attend school and live safely in their new home—something all children and families deserve.