Description of the video:
Welcome to MALN Opinion+, a weekly program dedicated to discussing the concerns and opinions of Massachusetts’s Latino community.
This week we spoke with Director Maria Z. Mossaides of the Office of the Child Advocate on how COVID-19 has influenced the Office’s work over the past year and the launch of several brand-new websites, including one that explores the state’s juvenile justice data.
The Office released Hand Hold MA and Safe Kids Thrive this past October. Director Mossaides said the pandemic inspired the creation of the Hand Hold website, which can help parents recognize if their children are experiencing mental health or behavioral health issues, along with other related resources to support these local families. The website was developed with individuals representing the state’s diversity, according to Director Mossaides, and it is available in six different languages. She added that the Office is very excited to launch new modules within the next six months.
Resources mentioned in the video:
- Check out Hand Hold MA at: https://handholdma.org/
- Access Safe Kids Thrive here: https://safekidsthrive.org/
- Explore the Office’s interactive data website on the Massachusetts juvenile justice system at: https://www.mass.gov/resource/massachusetts-juvenile-justice-system-data-and-outcomes-for-youth
- View all of the Office’s services at their main website: https://www.mass.gov/orgs/office-of-the-child-advocate
(Photo cover credit: Alumnae Association)
