Unfortunately, I can’t contact her directly, so I’m using the blog to respond.

The Iowa Department of Human Services established Community Partnerships for Protecting Children (CPPC), a collaborative approach designed to bring families, social service professionals, faith ministries, local business, schools and caring neighbors together to help design, govern and participate in programs that seek to create a continuum of care and support for children, youth and parents in their neighborhoods.

It’s an opportunity for literally anyone to get involved and become part of a solution for their own community. And it’s a resource for Iowans.

I’ll speak directly to the grandmother:  You have a couple of options. Depending on where you live, you can use this CPPC contact list to find your nearest representatives. They can help connect you to resources in your community.

You can also call LSI’s central intake specialist, Katie, at 888.457.4692 about Behavioral Health Intervention Services, an in-home program that helps youth build skills such as anger management and coping skills.

And I’ll give our employees a plug here – whenever someone inquires with a need, and we don’t provide a service to address it, our employees go all out to connect them with a service elsewhere. Human services is a great field for many reasons – one being we all have the common goal of helping people, and turf just doesn’t matter when it comes down to doing what’s best for individuals and families.

To this grandmother and all of our neighbors who may be facing a struggle – blessings to you, and remember you don’t have to do it alone.

I did miss an opportunity to thank all our staff, who are super heroes in their own right. But I have another opportunity to brag about them. A few weeks before this nationally recognized appreciation week, we asked our staff to share some of the comments they’d heard from the people we serve. I’ll share a few:

“Small things go a long way”

“Awhile ago a program assistant told me about this, and it just meant a lot to me to know that even the small things we say go a long way with our clients. This was her conversation with the client. It still makes me smile whenever I think about it”:

Program Assistant: “You look pretty today.”
Client: “Yeah, I know.”
Program Assistant: “How do you know that?”
Client: “Because [my direct support professional] always tells me that.”  (Submitted by services for people with disabilities staff)

“The best endorsement I’ve ever received”

“Recently a teenager I have been working with mentioned to a hospital social worker he did not like the in-home worker he was working with. When the social worker explored his reasons, my teen stated, “My worker is too good of a guesser.”  I told him his statement was one of the best endorsements I have ever received.” (Submitted by behavioral health intervention services staff)

“I can’t say enough about your direct line staff”

“I want you to know that I appreciate everything Bremwood has done for [client]. Bremwood was willing to give [client] a chance when no one else in the state would, and they stuck with him for almost two years . . . [Bremwood staff member] did an amazing job working with [client]. He was able to connect with him and truly care about him! [Staff] did a great job at helping to think outside of the box to maintain [client] at Bremwood. I also cannot say enough about all the direct line staff that helped with [client]. They had a very tough job . . . I appreciate all their dedication and support . . . Please share my gratitude with all the staff at Bremwood.”  (A message residential staff received from a DHS social worker)

About an hour ago someone on my team forwarded a photograph, which made me so proud! I just have to share it. So, I figured it would make a pretty well-rounded post to combine some kudos to our staff.

Following is a picture of a message that a client created for some of our staff. He reached his goals, which means we worked ourselves out of a job – he doesn’t need our services any more! This gentleman illustrated our partnership with all our clients (the people named are LSI staff):

And, finally, today I saw a copy of a letter from a fellow non-profit organization (Flickinger Learning Center in Muscatine) thanking LSI staff for helping them with a Day of Caring project.

It’s a great day.

LSI’s Beloit Residential Treatment Center is gearing up for just that – going WAY above and beyond. This weekend, LSI will host another Family Weekend, which is a time when we bring families from all around the state, provide them meals and a place to stay, and get right down to the business of helping their kids move forward in their treatment.

It makes perfect sense – involve the whole family in the treatment, so that when we get to send the kiddo back home, the family is more prepared to help him be successful at home. However, it’s not a reimbursed cost. (here’s where we get to the “above and beyond” thing)

We believe that family weekends make a significant impact on treatment, so we found the resources to support it.

That’s pretty powerful. When I think of customer testimonials, I normally think of someone who loves the mileage they get in their car or someone in a shiny advertisement talking about how fast a product whitened their teeth. But this kind of testimonial HAS to be the best, if not one of the best anyone could ever get.

At LSI, we now have a better way to share these testimonials with more people.

Today we launch a new, improved Web site. Our new site makes it easier to see who we are; what we do. Our new site makes it easy for you to support LSI – through sharing of resources, advocating on behalf of LSI and those we serve, or helping raise awareness about what we do. Our new site makes it easy for potential volunteers and employees to not only find an opportunity at LSI, but learn why it’s a good idea. It’s easier for people to find services that meet their needs. Best of all, our new site tells the story of the people we partner with every day in their journey to make positive change.

But don’t take my word for it – check it out yourself at: www.lsiowa.org.

This is information that should be interesting to most people for many reasons:

1. The writer points out how much more cost efficient home health care is than living in a nursing home. (What our home health care staff would tell you is that it’s better for the individual’s emotional and physical health, too)

2. Iowa is second in the nation in number of nursing home residents per 1,000 people age 65 or older. (And that population will continue to grow)

3. Iowa spends two-thirds of its Medicaid dollars on institutional care. (This is where I’ll stray from the article.)

At Lutheran Services in Iowa, we get it. We know that community-based care is more efficient and better for individuals. We’ve been doing it for a long time.

• Our staff work with individuals with disabilities all over the state to help them achieve independence, assisting them in mastering life skills that allow them to live in the community instead of a facility.
• Our staff go to the homes of children who have met significant challenges and teach them skills such as coping or anger management, and help them process grief or loss.
• Our new residential treatment enhancements bridge the gap between facility care and a child’s return home.
• Our early childhood visitation programs take LSI staff to the homes of families to teach, support and empower parents.

While I’m not endorsing the  opinions expressed in the article about funding, I am encouraged to see the limelight shine upon the value of community-based care.

If you’d like to know more about how Lutheran Services in Iowa adds value to your community while contributing to the lives of your neighbors, contact us.

It is. And I do feel great – it’s the greatest job I’ve ever had. In fact, if you were to say this to me, you would be toast. Meaning, I would talk for longer than you’d probably like about how great LSI is.

Well, today I’m fawning a little extra on LSI. I’ve been working on some projects around our new program on our residential treatment campuses. It’s called Family Guided Group Care, and it’s something not many, if any, Iowa agencies are doing. And certainly not to this extent.

Family Guided Group Care adds components to residential treatment for children that are not covered by reimbursement. The crazy thing about that is that everyone knows it makes treatment more successful. So, you’ve got something that makes the treatment of youth successful, but no one can pay for it. Well, at LSI we believe that it’s too important not to provide, and the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust based in Muscatine, Iowa agreed.

Residential treatment for kids is highly structured mental health care that is delivered 24/7 to kids age 5-18. Our professionals help kids overcome significant trauma and mental health barriers. These kids have endured things in their life that many adults just couldn’t handle, and although our humble staff wouldn’t admit it, they are often lifelines for the kids.

When kids leave our campus, it’s tough for everyone. While a kid may have made amazing progress while in treatment, they’re leaving a highly structured environment and 24-hour care by professionals. The family/guardian that they return home to is most likely not a mental health professional, and can’t be expected to maintain what the child had while in care.

That’s where this program comes in.

LSI’s Family Guided Group Care is centered around the fact that meaningful family involvement in treatment gets better results. So we’re adding:

• Family Team Meetings at intake. This is cool – it gathers important people in the kid’s life together to unearth their strengths, and what can be done to help them. All from people who know the child best. Naturally, this helps LSI prepare the best treatment plan.
• Home visits within 45 days of intake. An LSI therapist visits the child’s home to encourage family involvement and process the child’s home environment, which again makes a better informed treatment plan, and an even better plan for transitioning home.
• In-home services during home visits. LSI provides 24-hour support and intervention services to families when the child leaves our campus for a home visit.
• Family engagement weekends. LSI brings families to our campuses and we use evidence-based curriculum to provide intensive training and support for parents/guardians to help the child succeed at home. Families also have the opportunity to meet other families who are having similar experiences, which has proven to be a considerable benefit. LSI assists with family transportation and lodging costs.
• Family training events. Family fun days and skill building/strengthening training bring families together for an enjoyable and educational experience.
• Aftercare services. After a child is discharged, LSI makes follow-up calls to the home, visits the home and responds to crisis calls.

While we started family engagement and home visits on a small scale a few years ago, this new program provides the framework for measuring outcomes and showcasing the success of these program components. Most importantly, it gives us the opportunity to offer these services to all our kids and families. That means better results for the kids, the families and the state of Iowa’s child welfare initiatives.

Hopefully the success of this program will help underscore the importance of funding these services. Imagine if you went to get a pair of glasses, and all you got to hold the frames together were simple plastic pins. The screws for keeping frames together cost $5,000 each. Sure, your glasses help you see, but as soon as those plastic pins slip out, it doesn’t matter how great the lenses are – you need them to stay on your head! But understandably, your insurance company isn’t going to shell out $10,000 for 2 screws to hold your glasses on. Where do you start?!

Thanks to the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust, who, like LSI, believes that this program is too important to Iowa kids and families to leave on the table.

It was an event to introduce the community to the new program; a time to say thank you to our donors, volunteers and other partners. It was also a time to showcase the Refugee Connection Center; a welcoming place for refugees to attend classes, meet with mentors, and other community activities. Even better, it’s a place for refugee community leaders to gather and collaborate on resources.

Collaboration is key to the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines deciding to fund the new program with a $25,000 grant. Dan Raedeker, community investment associate for the Foundation, spoke at the event about the incredible potential of the collaborative model in the program, even mentioning the possibility of LSI’s refugee services program as being a model for nonprofits nationwide. Pretty great compliment from an organization that knows their stuff!

In a nutshell, the program has four basic components:

1. Connecting elderly refugees to community resources
2. Providing employment readiness services for individuals facing high barriers to employment
3. Providing a platform for providers and refugee community leaders to collaborate on improving access to resources
4. Providing English as a Second Language (ESL) classes

Why this matters: As a nation, we have committed to welcoming people with refugee status. What have refugees gone through? If you can imagine waking up one morning and your whole world has changed: A party of power has invaded your town; members of your family have been killed; you can not go to the local police for your help; and you must leave as soon as possible for your safety. You may make it to a refugee camp, where you can not work. If you are a woman, chances are you will probably be raped. You will most likely have been separated from your family.

If you’re lucky, one day you may have the opportunity to be resettled anywhere across the globe (many refugees have been in refugee camps for decades). If you do have this opportunity, you will arrive with what few belongings you’ve managed to keep with you, and you’ll be inserted into a completely foreign culture. You don’t speak the language, you don’t know anyone and you have three months to find a job, a home and become self-sufficient.

At LSI, we’ve been involved in refugee resettlement for decades. At last, we have the opportunity to provide services that turn a three-month period into a shared journey of hope. With our new program, we aren’t limited to only three months. We walk hand-in-hand with our new neighbors and collaborate to make this new life a good one.

Our refugee services staff can explain better, of course, but the gist is that once again, our staff came up with a way to fill the gap in resources and reality.  You can see the pride in these pictures from the open house!

Left to right: LSI president and CEO Doug Johnson, former Governor Robert Ray, LSI refugee services director Jill Steucker

Left to right: Jill Steucker, LSI refugee services director, Dan Raedeker, Community Foundation of Great Des Moines community investment associate, Doug Johnson, LSI president and CEO

So I was doing pretty good last week when the Ames community started rallying around their neighbors. I’m sure there are plenty of posts sprouting up about being thankful right now. But it’s a classic topic that I feel never gets old.

Last week Ames Community Bank  opened their lobbies to our first Ames LSI giving trees. The families we serve have a significant need this year for food, so Ames Community Bank employees and customers will help bring Christmas joy to Story County families through donated Christmas dinners. These are families who are struggling to become self-sufficient. Children and adults with disabilities. Families caring for children with significant needs. And older adults who don’t have a place to go for a Christmas meal.

Then the Ames Home Builders once again dropped off a slew of toys for the kids at Beloit. And these aren’t just toys – these are toys that make adults want to check to see if anyone is looking before playing with the toys themselves.

We also received donations from Lindsey Tucker, the P. Buckley Moss Foundation, and a local Boy Scout Troop.

Now understand I’m just talking about the past week, and only one of LSI’s statewide locations. Around the state, the giving season has begun, and our communities recognize the wide reach that LSI has to those who can make the most of a gift. Because LSI impacts tens of thousands of Iowans each year, we can put a focus to the giving of our communities. We know the needs because we walk with the recipients every day.

So THANK YOU to everyone who donates to LSI and to the other many, many worthy non-profits who provide vital services. Thank you for your compassion and thank you for brightening the season of giving.

Something we started a few years ago was our partnership in Iowa KidsNet, a collaborative of six non-profits charged with recruiting, training, licensing and supporting ALL of Iowa’s foster and foster/adoptive families.

During National Adoption Month, we’re celebrating with events throughout the state. We’ll have some fun stuff on the Iowa KidsNet Facebook  page, too.

When most people think of adoption, they think of families welcoming a baby into their home. However, each year 29,000 youth turn age 18 in the U.S. and leave foster care without a forever family. (Insert exclamation points or whatever you need here to realize the importance of  the need for teen foster and adoptive homes.)

Right now I’m going to focus on ALL families who are parenting teens – whether they are biological, adopted, temporarily in your home, or any other reason.

Everyone has heard someone talk about the struggles of raising teens. There are plenty of prenatal care and early childhood tips available, but not as many for teens. The top tips I found on the topic:

• Model positive, healthy behaviors; are your choices and habits good examples? (Sounds simple, right?  But challenge your child to let you know every time he/she sees you make/model unhealthy choices, then talk about them)
• Remember that even a “good” child finds trouble from time to time. Emphasize to your teen that, no matter what the trouble may be, you will always be there to offer help, love and support. (Ever had the thought, “Not MY child?”)
• Make arrangements to eat meals with your teen on a regular basis. (Totally underrated these days – make meal time quality time!)
  Avoid being over-protective; don’t allow your relationship with your teen to be based on reward and punishment. (What now?!)

For more tips, visit the Family Conservancy. LSI also has a collection of video tips  available.

So take advantage of National Family Week (always celebrated the week of Thanksgiving) and try some of these tips. Let us know how it works out!

In Ames, Lutheran Services in Iowa is combining the two for a great event this weekend!

LSI and downtown Ames businesses have partnered to create Chocolate Walk for Charity, designed to give attendees a fun afternoon and help the Ames community to boot!

You can buy a ticket for $20, then stroll down Main Street, where 16 businesses will have a different chocolate item for your consumption! Enjoy the chocolate, and enjoy everything unique Main Street shops have to offer. The following businesses will host “chocolate stops:”

American Country
Ames Silversmithing
Café Diem
Chocolaterie Stam
Cook’s Emporium
Duck Worth Wearing/The Loft
Evert’s Flowers Home and Gifts
Gilger Designs
Great Stuff, Ltd
It’s all about Me!
Lyla’s Boutique
Olde Main
PhotoSynthesis
Skunk River Cycles
Temptations on Main
Yummy’s Cupcake Emporium, LLC.

Thanks to our local chocolate aficionados from Chocolaterie Stam
and Temptations on Main:

$20 tickets can be purchased through Friday at LSI’s Ames office (1323 Northwestern Avenue), Hy-Vee Drugstore, Temptations on Main and Chocolaterie Stam.

Proceeds from the event support LSI programs that prevent child abuse, support people with disabilities, help families in crisis and provide home health care for kids and seniors.

For more information call LSI: 515.232.7262.