Family Empowerment Network
Staying Connected and Growing Together
At Hillside, families are at the heart of everything we do. We formed the Family Empowerment Network (FEN) as another way to bring families together—to offer support, share perspectives, and provide invaluable guidance that strengthens the entire Hillside community.
In-person and virtual FEN workshops and parent education classes are offered multiple times each month, and are free of charge to attend. The meetings are open to all current or former Hillside parents, caregivers and family members, as well as family and youth peer advocates, and interested staff. FEN groups include:
- Discussions that empower parents and caregivers
- Opportunities to meet other families, staff, leadership and community and state partners
- Educational opportunities to keep you in-the-know about beneficial information and resources
- Opportunities for parents and caregivers to build leadership and advocacy skills
Whether you’re currently a parent or caregiver looking for support, or you’re simply looking to stay connected with other like-minded individuals, you don’t have to go through your situation alone.
FEN Virtual Groups
Each month, Hillside’s Family Empowerment Network hosts groups that are facilitated by Hillside Family Peer Advocates. Any Caregiver/Parent of a youth currently or previously served by Hillside is welcome to join.
April 2025 Groups
Who can attend:
*All Caregivers whose youth currently are receiving or have received Hillside services
*Any Caregiver who resides in the following counties may also attend these groups: Chautauqua, Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, and Wyoming (no affiliation to Hillside req.)
Register at fen@hillside.com, by calling Carrie at (716) 220-6850, or your Hillside Family Peer Advocate
RSVP required 5 days prior to group
*****
Mondays
Crisis Response Training; 5:30-7:30 pm via Zoom. Dates 4/28,5/5,5/12 and 5/19. – A workshop on Behavior Support Techniques Caregivers will learn how to respond when the children in our care become escalated. Join us to learn and practice some support techniques to better equip you in handling these challenging moments.
Tuesdays
Active Parenting Continued; 5-7 pm via Zoom or in person at our Syracuse (215 Wyoming St) and Rochester (1 Mustard St) offices.4/1,4/8,4/18 and 4/22. Sharpen your parenting skills and tackle today’s world’s problems with strategies that work. Participants completing all 6 sessions will receive a certificate.
Wednesdays
Parenting the Love and Logic Way Continued; 6-8 pm via Zoom. Dates,4/2, and 4/9. This class is six sessions designed to help parents equip kids with character, this parenting program will give you practical skills that can be used immediately! Certificates available for caregivers completing all 6 classes.
Parenting the Love and Logic Way; 1:00-2:30 pm via Zoom. Dates 4/9,4/16,4/23,4/30,5/7 and 5/14. This class is six sessions designed to help parents equip kids with character, this parenting program will give you practical skills that can be used immediately! Certificates available for caregivers completing all 6 classes.
Thursday April 3rd
Injury Prevention: 6-7 pm via Zoom or in person at our Syracuse (215 Wyoming St) and Rochester (1 Mustard St) offices. Injury Free Coalition will be presenting on Injury Prevention, reviewing such topics as window safety, burn, and poison protection. Participants who attend in person will receive window locks, rubber ducks with a temp gauge on the bottom, and lock boxes.
Tuesday April 8th
It Takes a Village: Caregiver Support Group 5:30-7:30pm via Zoom or in Person at Patterson Library 40 S Portage Street Westfield. A group of caregivers who connect to provide support to each other on the issues that caregivers face when raising children.
Thursday, April 10th
ODD Group: 4:30-5:30 via Zoom or in person at our Rochester (1 Mustard St) office. This workshop will focus on interventions apply cognitive-behavioral principles and emphasize more effective problem-solving skills and anger control training for those diagnosis with Optional Defiance Disorder (ODD).
The Man Cave: 6-7pm via Zoom and in person at our Rochester office (1 Mustard St). Come together as a group/male identifying folx to be heard, build community, engage in good conversation and good therapeutic discussions, explore and learn about helpful resources for men and their families, prepare for job readiness, learn how to make money and keep it, grow, rest, have fun, and heal.
Stopping the Argument Before it Starts: 6-7 via Zoom. Caregivers will learn useful tools to utilize to prevent a fight from escalating.
Tuesday, April 15th
Power of Play: 11:30-1:30 via Zoom or in person at our Rochester (1 Mustard St) office. The Power of Play: Unlocking Potential Through Fun and Connection. Parents and caregivers will learn how play fosters creativity, builds resilience, and strengthens relationships. We will discuss how to use play to support children in processing emotions, developing problem-solving skills, and building healthy relationships. Additionally, the presentation will highlight strategies to incorporate play into daily routines, emphasizing its role in creating positive, lasting connections.
Wednesday, April 16th
Residential Mix & Mingle- 6:00-7:30pm via Zoom. The Residential Mix & Mingle is a place to meet with other caregivers who have children in residential care. There will be a topic of discussion each month and a time to connect with each other.
Thursday, April 17th
Parents ADHD Group: 4:30-5:30 via Zoom or in person at our Rochester Office (1 Mustard St) Learn the 8 stages of psychosocial development and the brain with ADHD Facilitators will provide help with treatment and tools for parents to manage and overcome the behaviors of ADHD.
Tuesday, April 22nd
It Takes a Village: Caregiver Support Group: 5:30-7:30pm via Zoom or-In Person at Prendergast Library 509 Cherry St Jamestown NY. A group of caregivers who connect to provide support to each other on the issues that caregivers face when raising children
Thursday April 24th
The Man Cave: 6-7pm via Zoom and in person at our Rochester office (1 Mustard St). Come together as a group/male identifying folx to be heard, build community, engage in good conversation and good therapeutic discussions, explore and learn about helpful resources for men and their families, prepare for job readiness, learn how to make money and keep it, grow, rest, have fun, and heal.
Monday, April 28th
Partnering with 911 for Mental Health Needs: 5-6 via Zoom. This workshop’s goal is to educate families on some of the language, rules and regulations when calling for an ambulance during a behavioral crisis. Education on what first responders can do and what a family can do to help support their youth during a crisis. families will then be able to talk about past experiences, address some questions and concerns around the stigma of interactions with these services.
Tuesday, April 29th
Grief Presentation: 6-7pm via Zoom. In this workshop you will learn about Grief, ways to address it and how it effects your mental health.
May 2025 Groups
Who can attend:
*All Caregivers whose youth currently are receiving or have received Hillside services
*Any Caregiver who resides in the following counties may also attend these groups: Chautauqua, Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, and Wyoming (no affiliation to Hillside req.)
Register at fen@hillside.com, by calling Carrie at (716) 220-6850, or your Hillside Family Peer Advocate
RSVP required 5 days prior to group
*****
Mondays
Crisis Response Training Continued; 5:30-7:30 pm via Zoom. Dates 5/5,5/12,5/19. A workshop on Behavior Support Techniques. Caregivers will learn how to respond when the children in our care become escalated. Join us to learn and practice some support techniques to better equip you in handling these challenging moments.
Tuesdays
Active Parenting; 11:30-1:30 via Zoom or in person at our Syracuse (215 Wyoming St) and Rochester (1 Mustard St) offices. Dates 5/6,5/13,5/20,5/27,6/3 and 6/10. Sharpen your parenting skills and tackle today’s world’s problems with strategies that work. Participants completing all 6 sessions will receive a certificate.
Wednesdays
Parenting the Love and Logic Way Continued; 1:00-2:30 pm via Zoom. Dates: 5/7 and 5/14. This class is six sessions designed to help parents equip kids with character, this parenting program will give you practical skills that can be used immediately! Certificates available for caregivers completing all 6 classes.
Thursday May 1st
Parents ADHD Group: 5:00-6:00 pm via Zoom or in person at our Rochester Office (1 Mustard St) Learn the 8 stages of psychosocial development and the brain with ADHD Facilitators will provide help with treatment and tools for parents to manage and overcome the behaviors of ADHD
Sensory Processing and Broad Spectrum Disorder: 6:00-7:00 pm via Zoom. Caregivers will learn the signs of Sensory Processing and Broad Spectrum Disorder and ways to address the youth’s needs.
Wednesday May 7th
Parenting from the Heart: 4:45-6:15 via Zoom: Learn useful parenting techniques that help to maintain positive and supportive relationships while still enforcing structure in a loving way.
Thursday, May 8th
The Man Cave: 6-7pm via Zoom and in person at our Rochester office (1 Mustard St). Come together as a group/male identifying folx to be heard, build community, engage in good conversation and good therapeutic discussions, explore and learn about helpful resources for men and their families, prepare for job readiness, learn how to make money and keep it, grow, rest, have fun, and heal.
Friday May 9th
Understanding Social Media’s Impact: Influencers, Body Image & Substances: 12:00-2:00 pm via Zoom. Hosted by Operation Parent: Social media has a powerful grip on almost everyone, especially our kids. This group will cover how virtual connections are affecting real-life relationships, the toxicity of social media influencers, and how all those perfect images are harming body image and self-esteem. It will also discuss the role social media plays in promoting risky behaviors like vaping and drinking. Gain practical, actionable steps to help your family navigate these challenges and foster a healthier, more balanced digital lives.
Tuesday May 13th
It Takes a Village: Caregiver Support Group 5:30-7:30pm via Zoom or in Person at Patterson Library 40 S Portage Street Westfield. A group of caregivers who connect to provide support to each other on the issues that caregivers face when raising children.
Thursday May 15th
Special education Mediation for Families: 6:00-7:30 via Zoom. Special education mediation is a resource for parents of children with disabilities and school representatives to work out differences in a collaborative way. This training provides information on the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and New York State Education Department (NYSED) Special Education Mediation to encourage the use of this voluntary process statewide. This training will include but is not limited to the following topics: The Basics of IDEA, Resolving Disputes Under IDEA and IDEA Special Education Basic Mediation Procedures.
Grief Presentation: 6-7pm via Zoom. In this workshop you will learn about Grief, ways to address it and how it effects your mental health.
Tuesday, May 20th
ODD Group: 5:00-6:00 via Zoom or in person at our Rochester (1 Mustard St) office. This workshop will focus on interventions apply cognitive-behavioral principles and emphasize more effective problem-solving skills and anger control training for those diagnosis with Optional Defiance Disorder (ODD).
Wednesday, May 21st
Residential Mix & Mingle- 6:00-7:30pm via Zoom. The Residential Mix & Mingle is a place to meet with other caregivers who have children in residential care. There will be a topic of discussion each month and a time to connect with each other.
Thursday May 22nd
The Man Cave: 6-7pm via Zoom and in person at our Rochester office (1 Mustard St). Come together as a group/male identifying folx to be heard, build community, engage in good conversation and good therapeutic discussions, explore and learn about helpful resources for men and their families, prepare for job readiness, learn how to make money and keep it, grow, rest, have fun, and heal.
Friday May 23rd
Spanish Support Group: 12-1 via Zoom Únase a nuestro Grupo de Apoyo en Español, que se lleva a cabo cada dos meses, el último viernes del mes. Este grupo ofrece un espacio acogedor y de apoyo para que las personas hispanohablantes se conecten, compartan experiencias y accedan a recursos en su comunidad. Juntos, discutiremos temas como la dinámica familiar, el manejo del estrés y los recursos comunitarios, todo en un entorno culturalmente sensible e inclusivo. Se ofrecerán refrigerios ligeros.
Este grupo está abierto a todas las personas hispanohablantes que busquen apoyo y conexión. ¡Esperamos contar con su presencia!
Join us for our bi-monthly Spanish Support Group, held on the last Friday of every other month. This group provides a welcoming and supportive space for Spanish-speaking individuals to connect, share experiences, and access resources in their community. Together, we will discuss topics such as family dynamics, stress management, and community resources, all in a culturally sensitive and inclusive environment. Light refreshments will be provided.
This group is open to all Spanish-speaking individuals seeking support and connection. We look forward to seeing you there!
Tuesday, May 27th
It Takes a Village: Caregiver Support Group: 5:30-7:30pm via Zoom or-In Person at Prendergast Library 509 Cherry St Jamestown NY. A group of caregivers who connect to provide support to each other on the issues that caregivers face when raising children.
Friday, May 30th
The Truths of Youth Screen Addiction: 12:00-2:00 via Zoom. Hosted by Operation Parent: Are you noticing your child’s screen time creeping out of control? Join us for an eye-opening webinar that will break down the science behind youth screen addiction and help you spot the signs. Discover how excessive gaming, social media scrolling, pornography, and other screen habits affect development. Plus, get practical tips for intervention and prevention that you can implement at home.
Class & Workshop Sign Up
Please fill out this form to join one or more sessions on this page. A Hillside team member will contact you and help you register. Please note that RSVPs are required five days before any group session.
If you’re interested in learning more about FEN, have an idea for a group, or have questions, contact Hillside at fen@hillside.com or 585-256-7500.