LORETTA JAY, MA
203/984-8736 | [email protected] | Fairfield, CT 06824
DIVERSE ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND SKILLS IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
Expertise communicating the challenges and advocating the abilities of underrepresented individuals. In-depth understanding of the needs of the community based on years of objective program development, change implementation, analysis and evaluations applied to diverse practice areas including specialty healthcare, educational, government and non-profit organizations.
- Parasol: Developed, coordinated and implemented accredited training programs and initiatives for healthcare providers. Identified the power in a common mission and negotiated the 5 leading celiac organizations into alignment.
- Justice of the Peace Association (JPus): Developed strategy, built and led coalition to successfully challenge JP for a Day legislation
- CT Department of Children and Families (DCF): Gained knowledge of human service organizations, legal system and legislature, navigating interface between three branches of government. Supervised a staff of MSWs, paraprofessionals and assistants.
- B Stigma-Free: Co-initiated, manages the national nonprofit to build collaborative teams and amplify messaging for people experiencing bias and discrimination on a national and local level. Promotes understanding of differences and diversity education. Moderator, panelist and presenter at national and regional conferences.
- District School Climate Team: Active member of team leading schools’ anti-bullying assessment, training and interventions.
- Led National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) affiliate statewide project in Connecticut.
- Diverse expertise in the areas of stigma, behavioral health, people with special needs, child protective services. Specialized experience with digestive diseases, food allergy and intolerances, and the social-emotional impact of dietary restrictions. Nationally recognized celiac disease expert.
- Passionate about the prevention and intervention of social problems and the promotion of respect and inclusion of all people. Leverages strengths of people, systems or facilities to accomplish larger goals.
- Efficiently maximizes resources, integrates systems and coordinates disparate community functions.
- Full spectrum understanding of revenue allocation and generation: RFP development and review as well as successful grant identification and application. An experienced manager who successfully motivates and inspires direct reports and colleagues in collaborative agencies.
Strategic Program Development | Executive Oversight | Evaluation | Quality Improvement | Budgeting | Funding Acquisition | Regulatory Reporting and Accreditation | Hands-On Operations Management | Training
PARASOL — COMMUNITY SERVICES CONSULTING, Fairfield, CT
2001-Present
Specializing in services to non-profits, schools, healthcare and government organizations; research and analysis, program development and implementation, program evaluation, quality improvement, needs assessments, grant writing (program and fiscal), awareness campaigns and training. https://www.parasolservices.com
Program development, evaluation, stakeholder engagement, needs assessments
- Created System of Care implementation plan for Connecticut’s DSS and DCF.
- Instituted criminal justice aversion program implemented by Bridgeport, CT Health Department.
- Developed autism intervention strategy for St. Vincent Behavioral Health Services.
- Extensive knowledge of resources for at-risk populations, and experience working directly and indirectly with community providers.
Strategic Planning – Developed Growth Business Plan addressing national non-profit’s goals and priorities with pharmaceutical industry, driving agency operations and critical partnerships with major pharmaceutical thought leaders and stakeholders.
Provided engaging and relevant training to lay people and professionals.
- Faculty, project manager of accredited multi-disciplinary training programs about celiac disease for healthcare providers; implemented national deployment.
- Oversaw and coordinated the development of Celiac Disease for Primary Care, involving internationally renowned faculty from Beth Israel Deaconess, Mayo Clinic and USC Keck School of Medicine.
Educational Systems
- Advocacy and strategic guidance navigating school systems to families with special education needs.
- Survey development for school climate assessment.
- Consultation with Fairfield Board of Education on food allergy policy.
Legislative Advocacy
- Successfully lobbied a Bill (PA-13-3) for educators to receive training to recognize signs of mental illness in children by engaging CT State Representatives, Department of Education decision-makers and leaders of statewide non-profit.
- Authored 2018 White Paper on mental health parity that bipartisan legislators (Connecticut) used as basis for change implementation bill, being resubmitted in 2019
- Testimony to state legislature on issues ranging from education and child welfare to health care and insurance.
- Tapped to advise US Congressman Tim Ryan’s office (OH-17) on approach and language of legislation, the “Gluten in Medicine Disclosure Act of 2013.”
- Invited by CT Congressmen Tony Hwang (R) and Jonathan Steinberg (D) to participate in planning to identify the need for and secure constituent support for medical food legislation.
Policy Development – Strategic management, consulting, planning with US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to significantly influence the FDA’s agenda to label or ban gluten in medication.
Public Relations – Achieved extensive media (newspapers, magazines, radio, television) coverage for identified topics, including A1 of the Washington Post (Feb. 11, 2003) and many other A1 and B1 stories.
Awareness
- Co-founded National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) affiliate statewide project addressing stigma related to mental illness and led activities engaging state and local officials and the community
- Conceptualized, designed and managed multi-state billboard campaign.
Principal Investigator of clinical research, Gluten in Medication, funded by the FDA. Developed, managed budget.
Member of Connecticut Consortium of Municipalities’ (CCM) Municipal Consulting Services team.
JUSTICE OF THE PEACE ASSOCIATION, Fairfield, CT
2017-Present
Managing Partner
Lead association for professional secular marriage officiants representing members throughout New England, and connecting them with engaged couples http://www.JPus.org and http://findaJP.com
Increased SEO ranking by __% in 10 months
Advocacy and Engagement on issues that affect JPs and notaries marriage-related duties
- Mobilized membership, collaborated with CT Town Clerk Association and testified before state legislature to successfully squash JP for a Day bill
- Surveyed MA town clerks to ascertain positioning on the state’s 1-Day Solemnizer rule
Established formal partnerships with stakeholders
- Municipal and state leaders
- National organization working to end child marriages in the US
B STIGMA-FREE, Fairfield, CT
2014-Present
Co-Founder and Executive Director
Launched national non-profit social change organization focused on full inclusion and respect of all people. Manages budget and strategic plans. Established 501c3 status and other legal needs http://www.bstigmafree.org
- Forged partnerships with national thought leaders with a total reach of 7M+ people: American Association of People with Disabilities, Mental Health America, Howard University, American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, Little People of America, LGBT CenterLink, and more.
- Moderator, panelist and presenter at numerous regional and national conferences.
- Outreach through social media, workshops, blog articles (writing and editing), media platforms
CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES (DCF) 1989-2001
Social Work Supervisor: Investigations, Ongoing Services and Training Units
Children’s Services Consultant, Contracts and Community Services, Southwest Region
Social Worker: Investigations and Ongoing Services Units
Started on the front lines in the state’s child welfare agency doing family system and legal work; managed and trained protective service staff; and oversaw state-funded community programs
- Integrated policies and protocols with program management to yield effective services.
- Developed performance-based measures; assured programmatic and fiscal quality of funded programs.
- Analyzed regional resources and needs, and recommended to the Commissioner how to allocate funds to meet the community’s needs.
- Developed and ran training programs for field staff and community providers.
- Oversight of DCF funded community organizations including QA, QI, contracts including budgets.
- Applied laws, statutes and regulations in legal documents and court testimony.
ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE:
Director of Program Development, Beyond Celiac, Ambler, PA
Assistant Teacher/Acting Head Teacher, Hall Neighborhood House, Bridgeport, CT
ADDITIONAL SKILLS:
- Superior analytical skills and ability to conceptualize complex and abstract requirements in order to achieve objectives; exceptional attention to details
- Excellent computer skills including social media, word processing and database management; adept at writing and editing so messaging is compelling and tight.
EDUCATION and CERTIFICATIONS
M.A. Community Psychology, concentration in Program Development. University of New Haven
- Outstanding Achievement in the M.A. in Community Psychology Award
- Psi Chi Honor Society for Psychology
B.E.S. Social Sciences. University of Bridgeport
- Cum Laude
Spanish. Universidad de las Americas, Puebla, Mexico
Certificate, 2011. Protecting Human Research Participants. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Extramural Research
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
Society for Community Research and Action (SCRA)
American Evaluation Association (AEA)
SELECT LEADERSHIP and VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE
- National Alliance on Mental Illness – Fairfield, Board Member, 2011-present; President 2017-present
- Fairfield (CT) District-level School Climate Team, 2012-present
- Fairfield (CT) Town Ethics Commission, Secretary, 2015-present (Term ends 2019)
- Fairfield Public Speakers, Director of Communications, 2017-present
- Bridgeport Child Advocacy Coalition (BCAC), 1995-2003, 2006-2013
- 2011 Testifiers Award, Mental Health Association of Connecticut, Inc.
- Congregation for Humanistic Judaism, Board Member & Publicity Director 2012-2014
- American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders (APFED), Public Relations, 2007-2009
- League of Women Voters of Fairfield, Board Member, 2006-2007; Director 2007-2010
- Greater New Haven Celiac Group, Co-Chair Children’s Group and Board Member, 2003-2007
- Communities Against Violence in the Home, YWCA (now The Center for Family Justice) Steering
- Committee 1996-8
- Fairfield Recreation Department Soccer Coach, 2011-2013; FUSA Soccer Team Manager, 2013-2015