About

Community Advocates for Family & Youth (CAFY) purpose is to serve individual and family crime victims in Prince George’s County. 

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About

Our mission is to embrace, educate, and empower those affected, impacted or harmed by crime on their journey to healing and justice.

Our Goal

The goal is to give voice to the most vulnerable and voiceless citizens who lack knowledge of or resources to seek restitution for their victimization and provide therapeutic service for trauma caused by crime.

CAFY’s vision is to help victims of crime and their families become confident and empowered survivors who help to hold offenders accountable and increase family restoration and community awareness through continuous education.

About CAFY Counseling and Family Center

CAFY Counseling & Family Center provides therapeutic and family support services to help move individuals of all ages through their feelings to find harmony, meaning and purpose in their lives and to close the gap between where they are right now and where they want to be in the future.

CAFY Counseling Center has a diverse group of professional therapist skilled in working with trauma and able to help survivors of crime, adults, children and families with:

  • Immediate crisis counseling and support
  • Help to stabilize an emotional situation
  • Trauma—informed care to help with expressing feelings and develop coping skills;
  • Managing and overcoming problems with family, friends and significant others; and
  • Connecting to CAFY Case Managers for services on:
    • Victim services
    • How to work within and what to expect during judicial process
    • Applying for crime victims compensation benefits
    • Registering for safe address program and more.

Meet the Director

 

Arleen B. Joell, MBA, Founder/CEO for Community Advocates for Family & Youth (CAFY, Inc.) and Owner of Peers Available to Help Seniors (PATHS, LLC) a senior program help seniors live independently.  She has been the catalyst for CAFY’s continuous growth which now includes CAFY Counseling & Family Center and Legal Clinic.

Ms. Joell has a long history of advocacy and intervention to help those harmed by crime.  She has presented at numerous conferences focused on violence and its impact.  Sharing her expertise at conferences such as NOVA’s North American Victim Assistance Conference, Maryland Association of Resources for Family & Youth (MARFY) Conference, the National Aerospace Retiree Conference and in 2016 at National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health. 

Prior to CAFY, Ms. Joell worked with victims at Prince George’s Hospital’s Sexual Assault Center as an Exam Volunteer, Victim Advocate, then developed The Victim Advocacy Program and became its program’s coordinator.  After founding CAFY, in 2005 and 2010, respectively, she collaborated with the Prince George’s County and City of Laurel Police Departments to act as their victim services unit providing support and services to anyone impacted, harmed, or affected by any crime. Ms. Joell also orchestrated a partnership with the County’s Court Administration and its State Attorney’s office to conduct a unique Court Education Program for children, developed by her in 2003.
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Ms. Joell was voted 2016 Woman of the Year by Southern Prince George's Business and Professional Women (SPG/BPW) organization. Her most recent work supports the Office on Violence against Women in partnership with Howard University, Dept. of Family Services and Progressive Life Center training local faith-based leaders on domestic-sexual assault awareness and engagement.  In 2017, she received a citation from Senator Chris Van Hollen in recognition of her leadership and engagement in empowering women in the workplace when under her leadership, CAFY, Inc. was recognized as 2017 Employer of the Year for Southern Prince George’s County by the Business and Professional Women of Maryland. Her most recent recognition, April 2017 came from the Prince George’s County Council for work in serving and supporting survivors who are impacted or affected by crime.
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She is a proud resident of Prince George’s County, holds a Bachelors from the University of Pittsburgh and MBA from the University of Maryland.