About
The Onondaga Proof Point Community (PPC) is anchored by a long-standing partnership between Upstate Pediatrics and the Early Childhood Alliance, serving approximately 10,000 children and families across Onondaga County. Through this collaboration, the PPC has focused on strengthening connections between pediatric care and community systems, recognizing that families’ needs extend well beyond the clinic setting. The work has been shaped by a shared commitment to listening, learning, and adapting in response to what families and providers experience on the ground.
When reflecting on the PSP experience, the team is most proud of the relationships that were built and the culture shift that followed. Required pediatric residency advocacy rotations, integrated maternal mental health services, and parent-designed engagement spaces are seen as efforts that should be celebrated and replicated. The project also surfaced both opportunity and challenge. While the impact of authentic partnership exceeded expectations, the work highlighted how busy families and providers are, how difficult it can be to shift long-standing systems, and how much effort it takes to move change forward. At the same time, the growth of parent leaders and the strengthening of cross-sector collaboration emerged as some of the most meaningful and encouraging outcomes of the project.
View Onondaga’s explainer video to learn more.
Innovations
The Onondaga PPC has learned that transformation happens when team members slow down to listen, show up consistently, and build trust.
Pediatric Residency Advocacy Rotation
This innovation introduces first-year residents to community-based advocacy through partnership with the ECA and Help Me Grow (HMG). Residents learn about the social and structural factors affecting children’s health and development in Onondaga County and the rotation provides firsthand exposure to community organizations, parents, and advocates. By experiencing “the other side of the referral,” residents build understanding of local resources, gain confidence guiding families to appropriate supports. This approach strengthens relationships between medical providers and community systems, aligning care with families’ real-world needs.
Integration of Maternal Mental Health Services in the Pediatric Medical Home
This PPC created a structured workflow for maternal depression screening and expanded its integrated behavioral health program to include direct maternal therapy services. PSP funding supported specialized training for an integrated clinical social worker in perinatal depression treatment, allowing mothers who screen positive during pediatric visits to access therapy in the same building where their child receives care. This model promotes timely support, continuity of care, and reduced stigma around seeking maternal mental health services.
Parent Voices in Action: Better Together Onondaga
A parent-designed initiative that created a dedicated space for families to connect and collaborate. Through shared learning sessions, parent-led discussions, and focus groups, families helped shape every aspect. The initiative grew from the ECA’s goal of creating an agile, family-centered space where parents could share experiences, build community, and drive change. Through centered family voice, belonging and meaningful impact are fostered within the early childhood system.
Family Partnership and Co-creation
The Onondaga team has learned that parents are resilient, insightful, problem-solvers whose lived experience is essential to designing care and community systems that actually work.
At the Onondaga PPC, partnering with families is understood as co-design rather than consultation. Families help shape priorities, programs, and the way information is shared, rather than offering feedback after decisions are made. Through Parent and Family Advisory Councils, community outreach, and parent-led spaces, families guide the development of tools, engagement strategies, and supports that reflect their lived experiences and real needs. This approach intentionally creates space for shared ownership and trust between families and pediatric providers.
What distinguishes this work is the depth of relationship building and the commitment to treating parents as equal partners. Rather than simply elevating parent voice, the PPC has focused on developing parent leadership and creating pathways for families to influence systems across clinical and community settings. Engaging families in this way is essential because pediatric care does not happen in isolation. Families are often navigating basic needs, stress, and complex systems, and partnership allows providers to better align care with family realities. Through this work, the PPC has learned that meaningful collaboration between families and pediatrics requires time, humility, and intentional trust building, but leads to more responsive, sustainable, and human systems of care.
Heather Bushnoe
“Once I was brave enough to use my voice the first time, everyone listened. When I didn’t have all the right words, they still got what I was trying to say.”
Strategies for Making the Case for Family Partnership and Co-creation
Co-creation Definition
Enabling Family Partnership
Honoring Lived Experience
Making the Case
Sustainability Efforts
View Onondaga’s case for investment video.
The Onondaga PPC is seeking to sustain their efforts by elevating family voice through interviews and storytelling from members of their Family and Parent Advisory Committees. They hope parents will be able to connect with other parents, see themselves in the work, and be inspired to get involved.
Community health workers are vital for successful connection to mental health resources.
Resources
This issue brief outlines the Pierce County PPC’s efforts to sustainably fund Community Health Workers (CHWs) within pediatric primary care to promote physical and behavioral health integration. Drawing on lessons from Pediatrics Northwest’s implementation experience, it highlights remaining barriers—including billing limitations—and offers actionable strategies to ensure the growth and sustainability of the CHW workforce to advance whole‑child, integrated care across diverse clinical and community settings.
Download Now
This episode features the brilliant and passionate Dr. Mary Ann Woodruff and Rachel Lettieri from Pediatrics Northwest. They have piloted a program within their practice that is a great example of the impact of treating families. They have embedded community health workers within their practice, and are seeing fantastic results.
Chaudhary, J. (Host). (2025, August 11). Putting Families at the Center (No. 4) [Audio podcast episode]. In Favorable Thriving Conditions.
The Washington Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (WCAAP) has been a critical partner in this work. Please visit their website for additional information.
Meet the Pierce County Team
Heather Bushnoe
Family Leader, PSP Initiative
Heather Bushnoe began as a Parent Leader on the Parent Advisory Council (PAC) for the Early Childhood Alliance (ECA) in Onondaga, New York and then served as a Family Leader on the Governance Body for the Pediatrics Supporting Parents (PSP) initiative for the past three years. She now facilitates the Parent Advisory Council. Heather is involved in this work to support policy and systems change for all children and families. She believes families deserve to be lifted up, not limited. Her daughters EveLynne (10) and Madison (7) are reminders of the world she wants to help create, and her angel baby Grace Lynne, who passed away after six precious and impactful minutes in 2014, is the quiet strength behind her commitment. She advocates for systems that hold families with compassion, dignity, and understanding, and a world where children are safe, supported, and surrounded by opportunities to grow and thrive.
Jenica O'Malley, MD
Associate Program Director, Pediatric Residency Program at SUNY Upstate
Dr. Jenica O’Malley is a general pediatrician in Syracuse, New York, where she was born and raised. She attended medical school at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine in Maine and completed her pediatric training at SUNY Upstate in Syracuse, NY. She has spent her career as a pediatrician working in early childhood development, early relational health, building parent voice in the medical home, and building strategies to help buffer the effects of poverty and chronic stress. Dr. O’Malley currently serves as an Associate Program Director for the pediatric residency program at Upstate and strives to educate residents on the importance of hearing, supporting and uplifting all parent perspectives
Brandi Mee
Director of Family Wellbeing, Early Childhood Alliance Onondaga
Brandi Mee is the Director of Family Wellbeing at the Early Childhood Alliance Onondaga. She is engaged in this work because, as a single mother who has navigated many systems, she believes the lived experiences of families should guide the policies and programs meant to support them. Brandi’s background spans IT, direct family support, healthcare improvement, and policy research, all grounded in a commitment to equity and prevention. She is passionate about elevating family voice and building systems that are responsive, humane, and impactful.
A fun fact about Brandi is that she grew up on the U.S./Canadian border and has a sanctuary for rescued animals. She can be reached at [email protected].
Bethany Creaser
Executive Director, Early Childhood Alliance Onondaga
Bethany Creaser has served as Executive Director of the Early Childhood Alliance Onondaga since 2023. She is engaged in this work because, as a lifelong Syracuse resident, she is deeply committed to improving systems that support young children and families in her community. Bethany works closely with staff and partners to strengthen early childhood services and elevate Onondaga County’s youngest residents. Her career includes leadership roles in youth, family, and mental health services, grounded in collaboration and prevention.
A fun fact about Bethany is that she has spent her entire life in Syracuse and remains passionate about giving back locally. She can be reached at [email protected].
Nathaniel Slater
Parent Support Navigator
Nathanial Slater Sr. was born in Johnson City, NY and is the proud father of five children. Nate is engaged in this work because he believes showing up for families, especially fathers, can strengthen the entire community. Nate joined the Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) last year after learning about it through a partnership with the Fatherhood Group at P.E.A.C.E. Inc. He is now a part-time Parent Support Navigator and was recently elected to lead on the policy council for P.E.A.C.E. Inc. He finds the greatest fulfillment in helping other parents and seeing the confidence that comes from feeling seen, valued and supported.
A fun fact about Nate is that he is also a chef and enjoys cooking for his family and others. He can be reached at [email protected].
Denita Jones
Parent Support Navigator
Denita Jones was born and raised in Syracuse, NY and is the proud parent of four children. Denita works hard to meet parents where they are to make a meaningful difference for families. Denita first came to work for the ECA as a Parent Partner and was an active member of the Parent Advisory Committee (PAC). She is a full-time Parent Support Navigator and is engaged in this work because she is passionate about creating safe spaces for families, especially other moms. Denita values her personal growth as both a parent and community leader and loves using her knowledge of systems to help families navigate resources.
A fun fact about Denita is when highly competitive when it comes to football! She can be reached at [email protected].
