Today we’d like to introduce you to Felisha Burleson.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Felisha. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I transitioned from the Texas foster care system and upon aging out I realized the need for a strong support system which I did not have. This is common among young adults who begin their transition to adulthood after exiting foster care. I felt like I needed to make a change, so as many foster youth do, I became an employee of the child welfare system. During that time, I was vocal about the need for systemic changes for youth and worked with the youth to change their outcomes. I began to be invited to speak and present at conferences mostly during undergraduate years and that expanded my opportunities for growth. I have attended several conferences, participated in groups and have been a member of several panels for issues that are faced by foster care youth and alumni including, but not limited to medication, disproportionate representation of races, and accessing educational resources. Foster care agencies, universities, companies, and youth associations began to reach out to me not only for the professionals but to connect with the youth as well.
Although I no longer work directly for the child welfare system, I am highly interested in the outcomes that they face during the transition to adulthood. I am involved at the forefront which also includes attending legislative sessions, speaking at conferences held higher education institutions, and providing services directly for the youth. Participating in community efforts has allowed me to continue with my participation in efforts to create better outcomes for foster care youth. I currently work side by side with agencies and professionals to understand the challenges faced by foster care alumni and young adults. Once the challenges are understood, we collaborate to implement changes to be as efficient as possible with as little stress on behalf of the professional.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has not been a smooth road but my life journey literally led me to where I am now. One of the biggest challenges has been finding a balance between transparency and strategic sharing. In order to perform the type of service you have to be comfortable with your life and your situations. I share my story of aging out of the foster care system quite often with youth, agencies, universities and social service professionals. You also have to be comfortable with comforting others through their time of need. After speaking I normally meet with some of the young adults or professionals individually and they share their experiences and goals that is also what motivates me to keep going.
For a while, I had a hard time with others being convinced that I was capable of providing education materials differently than what they had been used to. And as a case manager, I know that sometimes when you work in social services (case management, counseling, therapy, etc) workshops and mandatory training courses can become bland and mundane. I set out to create courses and workshops that are interactive and fun, because since we “have” to be here, we can have a good time and build on our existing knowledge. However, once agencies and organizations partner to provide workshops for their employees, young adults or both, they find the information to be thought-provoking as well as the presentation to be engaging.
We’d love to hear more about your organization.
The Patchwork Society is a multicultural institution dedicated to providing access to lifelong learning opportunities. As an organization, we hold the belief in the ability to choose and take action to achieve goals that are fueled by self-determined motivation. At the Patchwork Society, we look beyond the individual and focus on the life direction. We strive to create structural supports that are conducive to positive reform, self-regulation and self-development for both young adults thorough E.L.I.T.E. services, as well as professionals through our A.C.E. services.
We consider it our duty to address changing demands in education and welcome the opportunity to shape the future. Through A.C.E. (Assertive Community Engagement), we place professionals at the center of all that we do, supporting and promoting excellence in their endeavors so that they can be of greater service to the community. The Patchwork Society understands that it is necessary to continue to develop and thrive professionally, it is also a requirement for those licensed by the Department of State Health Services, so we provide continuing education credits (CEU’s) for all workshops, meetings, and online courses.
We partner with agencies and organizations to establish a foundation for nurturing and encouraging growth among youth. We want to inspire youth to accomplish their goals. Our youth development program, E.L.I.T.E. (Enhanced Life-skills Initiative Through Engagement) includes psychology-based life, academic, career coaching, skills development, and goal pursuit oriented around our model: resource optimization, personal development, social development, and structural support development. By meaningfully engaging, these youth will obtain skills and a sense of empowerment and make healthy connections with positive role models.
The Patchwork Society differs from other organizations because we are not a brick and mortar organization. Your location is our location, meaning we travel to your community to deliver our experiences, resources, and services to our partners. Another distinct feature is that we not only serve the youth but we encourage participation from anyone involved in the lives of these young adults. Our professional development courses are designed for case managers, social workers, therapist, foster parents etc. who will have a long-lasting impact on the social service industry.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I used to think that if it weren’t for bad luck, I wouldn’t have any luck at all. I do not believe that it has played a role in my life or business. I have purposely put forth effort to be where I am now as a business. My favorite word is resilience which according to Merriam-Webster, it is an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change. I set out on a mission late in my teenage years to decide that I would not allow myself to settle for less. I told myself that I would accomplish every single thing in my life that I want to do despite whatever obstacles I would have to endure.
Contact Info:
- Website: patchworksociety.org
- Phone: 940-441-3230
- Email: info@patchworksociety.
org - Facebook: facebook.com/
thepatchworksociety
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