cornerst neA NEXUS NEWSLETTER

MAY 2015

IN THIS MONTH’S ISSUE Creating a Nexus Practice ModelPartners in Healing: A Customer Service Model

Becoming Outcomes-Oriented and Data-DrivenUnderstanding Fund Raising & Development

Startsomething new

CEOFrom the Corner Office of the

1 | MAY 2015

In April, I presented in Savannah, GA, at the Annual Board Meeting of the American Association of Children’s Residential Centers (AACRC), an organization that advances professional knowledge and clinical practice for therapeutic living providers who work with children.

My presentation was part of a larger presentation made by the Alliance for Children and Families, which Nexus joined in 2014. We were also named a cohort on the Alliance’s Residential Transformation Project, a venture that created a team of 15 peers working to lead transformational change to produce durable, positive outcomes for children and families.

As a leader in the transformative change of our business model, Nexus has been working toward a shift from campus-based residential services to a continuum of family-centered, community-based services for the past six years. Early on, we identified a shift in our industry and started to expand our service line and funding stream.

Back in 2008, Nexus was a $38 million company with only 2-3 services that aided about 300 kids on any given day. Today, we are a $73 million organization with more than 20 distinct services that help more than 750 kids on any given day. And in the next three years, we are poised to make another dramatic shift toward community-based care.

Analysts have been predicting this change in the delivery of treatment for quite some time, and many residential providers are sitting up and taking notice. It truly is an idea whose time has come. The presentation we made to industry leaders in April was testament to that.

Whenever there’s change, there are leaders and there are followers. The leaders have a tough job; they are traveling uncharted territory, and that can be frightening. The road isn’t necessarily easier for the followers, however. For some, the journey will begin too late. For others, there can be too much ground to cover.

Some look to the future with trepidation and fear. I look to the future and see opportunity and hope. Remember that challenge and change is not new to Nexus. For more than 40 years, we have been transforming. It’s part of our history. Our ability to meet the changing demands of the marketplace is the very reason we have thrived in the decades since we began as Port Alpha back in 1972.

I believe in each and every one of you. I’ve seen what you can do. I’ve seen your passion for our mission. Together, we will do extraordinary things!

“There is nothing so powerful as an idea

whose time has come.”

–Victor Hugo

David Hutchinson

COOOperations Outlook

loyalty. The goal is to behave so partners perceive they can trust us and that we respect them. We also discussed the proper use of email, which is a major problem area for many companies today.

3. Stress Reactions. People react to stress in predictable ways. Most people slip into Fight, Flight, or Freeze. When people are working well together, they are in the “Flow.” That means they are problem-solvers, balanced, have options, are positive, respectful, caring, responsive, professional, and provide service excellence. We discussed at length ways to move ourselves from stress reactions to flow, and to work with others in ways that move them from stress to flow so we can be perceived as being safe to talk to.

4. Can-Do Mindset. We talked about having a can-do attitude that informs our partners of what we can do for them, rather than what we can’t do for them. Professional Always!

5. Lastly, we discussed communication strategies for organizations in change and transition. Obviously, Nexus is experiencing a great deal of change and transition in how we provide services, each and every day. This was an excellent subject that we want to explore more in the future.

All in all, we had a fantastic training, and we hope that our working relationship with the sites and programs improves as a result. We truly can become Partners in Healing.

MAY 2015 | 2

Partners in HealingTraining for Customer Service Excellence

The Corporate office put together its own strategic plan this year, and we chose customer service as a focus area. Our goal is to improve overall service to our stakeholders, with a particular focus on our relationships with the sites and programs. On Wednesday, May 13, the entire Corporate staff attended a day-long training on Customer Service Excellence.

After much research and evaluation, we chose to work with Davis-Mayo Associates out of Colorado. Bob Davis-Mayo, president of the organization, was our training facilitator. Bob has more than 20 years experience in supporting organizations through field-tested programs and services. Additionally, he has a therapy background that adds depth to his understanding of human behavior.

Bob spoke about being Partners in Healing in customer service. He says this terminology puts both sides of the equation in the proper mindset to work together to find solutions.

The training we received was excellent and received unanimous praise from staff. It focused on several key elements:1. Brand. Each of us has a personal brand; it is

how we project ourselves to the people we work with. To maintain a professional brand, we must demonstrate respectful, balanced behavior at all times, listen to understand, and speak to be understood.

2. Excellence. Excellence is a perceived quality. In other words, you’re only as good as your customers think you are. To achieve excellence, we must conduct ourselves in ways that lead to partner

Brock Wolff

3 | MAY 2015

Creating a Nexus Practice ModelBy Dr. Michelle K. Murray, LMFTVice President of Clinical Services

One of our goals as an organization is to clearly define the positive outcomes that our youth and families achieve. As we turn our attention toward the results of our work, we are challenged to be clear about the specific practices we use to help achieve that success. To help us more clearly distinguish those outcomes and our specific service activities, we are creating a Nexus practice model. A “. . . practice model implies a broader framework for an organization’s overall approach to child welfare work — from vision through outcomes — and the specifics in between.”1

Just recently, several employees at each site were surveyed about the work values and practices they hold dear. The results of that survey are providing valuable information to Nexus and site leadership as we draft our Nexus Practice Model. A good practice model starts by including the organization’s vision, values, and principles. We are off to an excellent start because Nexus is already well-grounded in its mission and in the use of our cornerstone values and guiding principles. A good practice model takes the mission, values, and principles a step further and outlines 1) the outcomes the organization is trying to achieve, 2) the core interventions and practice skills utilized, and 3) how performance is measured.

“Simply stated, practice models are the basic principles and approaches that guide an agency’s work. The principles are descriptive enough to suggest the performance required to practice consistently, help shape the thinking and behavior of frontline child welfare workers to improve safety, permanency and well-being, and address organizational issues such as

The Clinical View

agency leadership, management, supervision and relationships with the community.”2

Ultimately, a well-integrated practice model will impact how we supervise and train our staff, identify the specific treatment elements we hold sacred, and influence how we assess our clients to determine progress and specific treatment needs.

A Nexus Practice Model will help us integrate our treatment and service identity throughout the valuable work we do. A Nexus model will help ground us; it will create a purposeful roadmap that outlines the daily practices that lead to the positive outcomes achieved by the youth and families we serve.

The Nexus and site leadership staff will continue to collaborate to develop the Nexus Practice Model and define all of the elements contained within it. More information will be communicated to staff as leadership works to finalize this project. If you want to learn more about practice models, please read the “Guide for Developing and Implementing Child Welfare Practice Models,” by Jan McCarthy, October 2012. This guide can be found online by following the URL provided in the footnote references below.

1 http://muskie.usm.maine.edu/helpkids/practicemodel/PMguide.pdf2 http://muskie.usm.maine.edu/helpkids/practicemodel/PMguide.pdf

Continuous Quality Improvement

MAY 2015 | 4

Becoming Outcomes-Oriented and Data-DrivenBy Becky SchedinDirector of CQI and Research

“With the increasing recognition of the importance of behavioral health comes a challenge to be more outcomes-oriented and data-driven. National healthcare reform focuses on sustained, measurable results, and accountability. All healthcare providers are expected to be increasingly transparent with data and with outcomes.” Evaluating and Improving Outcomes for Youth, SAMHSA Building Bridges Initiative, 2014

Working in the social services sector, you may have heard the terms “outcomes-oriented” and “data-driven,” and are aware of their importance. But what do these terms mean to our work at Nexus?

Being “data-driven” is the degree to which information (data) impacts and supports our decision-making process — in essence, how we use the information to make choices in our day-to-day work. This information can be anything that tells us how we are doing in terms of the care we provide, and can come from anywhere, be it assessments, satisfaction surveys, audits, or even conversations. It can be used to support decision-making at a number of levels: in regard to individual youth or families, programs or units, and organizationally.

Being outcomes-oriented flows from data-supported decision-making, and involves seeking to achieve clearly defined goals by using information, evidence, and practice-based strategies to achieve those goals; and monitoring progress toward outcomes, assessing success, and making appropriate course corrections.

The idea is simple: the more we use data to support decision-making at the client, program, and organizational levels to back clear goals, the more we can purport to be “data-driven” and “outcomes-oriented.”

A simple idea, maybe, but not necessarily an easy task. Information used to make decisions is largely situational,

and data can be challenging. After all, not all information is good information. It needs to be accessible, accurate, consistent, timely, and, most of all, relevant to be useful. We also need clearly defined goals to determine what successful outcomes really mean. So, where do we begin?

First, we can see how effectively we are using our data with these questions:• Are stakeholders throughout our system (staff,

clients, administrators, etc.) familiar with tools and practices used to assess and evaluate client progress?

• Are we speaking a common language related to data?• Do we continuously collect, record, and visually

display data and make them easily accessible?• When the data suggest a need for change, do we

consistently make adjustments to optimize progress and functioning?

With those questions in mind, we’ve started rolling out Nexus-wide indicators to expand on the work we are already doing and the various measures we already collect and track. These indicators help us understand the clients we serve and measure trends over time, and tell us about a number of areas, such as client background, experience of care, safety, and well-being. They might tell us about performance (how things are going at a point in time), or outcomes (how things went, overall).

In the coming months, we will continue to discover what information and measures are available to be used meaningfully in decision-making and will also identify areas to build upon, as well as let go. As we develop a Nexus-wide Practice Model (see article on page 3) to help define the measurable impact we strive for, we will continue to use our information meaningfully to support our mission.

Fund Raising: an activity conducted with the intention of raising money for a nonprofit organization or charity.

Development: building relationships with people (potential donors) and other organizations that will support our mission.

Development & Fund Raising

5 | MAY 2015

Why in the world would Nexus commit time and resources to fund raising and development when we have a proven track record of fiscal responsibility?

Fund raising and development are key components to an aggressive strategic plan that includes diversifying our funding streams and enhancing our continuum of care. By engaging the community in supporting our work, Nexus programs will be better positioned for the future and will be less reliant on government funding. Many use the terms “fund raising” and “development” interchangeably, but they are quite different in their base definition and scope.

Fund raising is an activity conducted with the intention of raising money for a nonprofit organization or charity. Fund raising describes an activity that is transactional in nature. It usually involves asking people to donate or purchase a product or service, or participate in an event that supports the non-profit organization or charity.

Development is about building the relationships and the process by which an organization uses fund raising to build capacity and sustainability.

Development is part of the strategic marketing of a nonprofit organization. It is concerned not only with raising money, but doing so in a way that develops reliable revenue streams that will sustain the organization through the realization of its long-term mission and vision.

What are Fund Raising & Development?By: Bill Mojica, Maryland Director of Development and Joelene Evenson, Minnesota Director of Development

Development involves building relationships with people (potential donors) and other organizations that will support our mission. It requires a comprehensive strategic plan that relates funding to the purpose and programs of the Nexus vision, as well as an annual development plan that coordinates and measures the various fund raising and marketing activities of an organization.

Today, development and fund raising are in full bloom at Nexus’ Maryland and Minnesota sites.

Woodbourne Center in Maryland has had tremendous success in rebuilding a dormant Development Department.

Development & Fund Raising

MAY 2015 | 6

In 16 months, Woodbourne raised more than $332,000 in cash and in-kind gifts. More importantly, the development team has rekindled relationships with former donors and stakeholders, and established relationships with a variety of foundations, civic organizations, local universities, and the community at large.

Minnesota development efforts launched in February of this year and span the entire state, encompassing multiple program sites. The current focus is on creating the infrastructure needed to support a development program, building internal and external relationships, and assessing opportunities to increase support for Minnesota programs.

Nexus’ Illinois sites will dive into the development pool later this year. When the Illinois Development Director is hired, the Maryland, Minnesota, and Illinois Fund Raising and Development teams will collaborate on individual and Nexus-wide development efforts.

Over the next year, we will write a fund raising and development column in the Cornerstone to keep you informed about Development efforts and successes. This month, we note the important role that each of us can play in the success of our development efforts. See the sidebar at right for information on how you can help support Development and make a difference for your site.

When you stop and think about your professional and personal connections, you will quickly recognize that you know a network of prospects who might be interested in supporting our mission. Never underestimate the value of any potential donor, whether they contribute with an in-kind gift, cash donation, or volunteer time — all donations are valuable.

One donor has the power to change a life; changing one life changes everything.

Supporting development doesn’t mean just asking stakeholders for money, there are a variety of ways you can help Nexus and your site’s Development efforts.

• Write thank-you letters to donors.

• Introduce potential donors to Development Directors.

• Provide vendor or stakeholder names for our contact database.

• Give tours to prospective donors.

• Listen to what stakeholders are telling you, identify “hot button” issues, and pass that information along to Development.

• Identify families and youth who have found success in our programs and may be willing to share their stories.

• Invite families and youth to join our mailing list and keep apprised of Nexus-wide activities.

7 | MAY 2015

Our Transformative Journey

One theory of language has been proven over and over again: words affect the way we think.

That’s why it’s so important for us to speak about Nexus’ shift from campus-only programs to a continuum of services as a transformation – not a change.

The difference is subtle, but important. Think of “transformation” as a process, whereas “change” is a replacement.

Nexus is, indeed, transforming its delivery of services. That’s a necessary and planful business approach to remaining relevant to changing customer demands and economic conditions.

Several indicators have led us to this journey. Trends suggested residential funding and referral sources were moving toward shorter lengths of stay, more performance-based contracts, and more case-rate contracts, but fewer overall contracts. Shifts in government were likely to hasten the timeline for these changes.

Most importantly, there was a coming need to demonstrate lasting positive outcomes and permanence.

All of this meant two things: 1) To meet the changing business environment, we needed to expand our continuum of care to include more community-based services; and 2) To achieve the long-term positive outcomes that were going to be required, we had to focus on the family and their success following treatment.

So Nexus began its transformative journey six years ago. Because we knew residential stays would get shorter, we started working to create a continuum of care that would allow us to strengthen youth and families as they moved from residential treatment to less-restrictive treatment options.

Today, we are about to take the next step in our journey. In the next 3-5 years, we expect to see youth come to our residential facilities for intervention services. Their stay will be shorter, but their need will be just as great. We must be ready to provide all the

services these youth will need to continue their transformative journey to better lives because, in the very near future, the bulk of their treatment plans will be delivered through these community-based services.

That’s why, today, we are working to develop more services in the community. We are working to make our services more family-centered. We are focusing on outcomes. And we are ensuring our programs are strength-based, trauma-informed, and individualized.

Any journey is a combination of planning, learning and adaptation. Our journey is no different. Nexus’ strategic plan is the roadmap for us to continue to provide the best possible care to youth and families, but we must be diligent and learn from the signs along the way. We must continue to adjust our services to ensure we meet the changing demands and arrive at our destination — Premier Provider; First Choice.

Keep your eye on the road and enjoy the journey.

The difference betweenand CHANGE

MAY 2015 | 8

Professionalism Always

If Nexus wants to be known as a leader in the delivery of services to youth, families, and communities, we must ensure our work is perceived as excellent – because, as customer service expert Bob Davis-Mayo says, “A brand is not what you say you are; it is what others say you are.”

Davis-Mayo recently trained Corporate staff on customer service excellence. He says, “Excellence is not always about reality. It’s about other’s perception of things. How a person perceives one of us, one of our teams, a department, or our entire organization becomes who we are in their mind.”

Fortunately, there are techniques we can all use to manage others’ perceptions.

First, we must always maintain professionalism when dealing with coworkers, clients, parents, and community partners.

When we behave in ways consistent with an excellent personal brand, we are “in the flow,” says Davis-Mayo. Flow creates a win/win dynamic for both parties and is associated with these positive traits:

• Problem-Solver• Balanced & Positive• Has Options• Positive Mindset• Respectful• Caring• Responsive• Professional

The first step toward establishing an excellent personal brand is to work on ourselves from the inside out, says Davis-Mayo. Practice the habits of excellence, detailed in the column, at right. And remember: Show respect whenever possible–it is always possible!

Delivering Excellence

Know Yourself:

• How do you react to stress? Do you shut down, try to avoid the situation, or get ready to fight? Understanding your own reactions will help you identify when you are in danger of losing professional balance.

Front of Mind:

• Write yourself notes and post them where you will read them. Remind yourself to be Professional Always, Show Respect, or Be Aware of Your Tone.

I Can:

• When faced with a request, start your answer with, “I can... .” That will put you in the right frame of mind to provide excellent service, even when you are unable to fulfill the request as stated.

I’m Okay; You’re Okay:

• Recognize that coworkers and business partners are people, too. Deal with what they present in the here and now – not the idea you have formed of them from past interactions. Sometimes a little forgiveness goes a long way. Treat people with dignity and respect. Even when you don’t particularly like someone, you can act profes-sionally.

Customer Service

Live Well, Everyday

The best compliment to an exercise routine is a healthy diet! If your eating habits could use a little improvement, these five research-supported strategies can help you get there.

1. Focus on making small and sustainable changes. Boost your confidence and stay motivated by achieving small changes. For example, if you currently eat one serving of vegetables a day, increase your portion to two. That’s an easier change than trying to get in the recommended four servings a day.

2. Keep a food journal. Most people underestimate what they eat in a day. Write down what and how much you eat to help you see trends.

3. Make a plan. Plan and prepare meals and snacks at least one day in advance so you always have healthy options available.

4. Control portions. There are many ways to control your portions: weigh and measure your food, use a smaller plate or bowl for your food, share meals when you eat out, or take half of your meal home. Drink water or no- or low-calorie beverages with your meal to feel full faster.

5. Slow down. Take your time when you eat. Don’t multi-task by watching TV or reading. Focus only on enjoying your meal. Mindful eating will help you enjoy your food more and realize when you’re full so you’ll be less likely to overeat.

With the warm weather finally here, summer’s a great time to start a fitness routine or add some new outdoor activities to your current plan. It’s also the perfect time to incorporate a wider variety of fruits and vegetables into your diet.

Get motivated and jump-start a healthier lifestyle with these tips from Mayo Clinic.

FIND YOUR INNER MOTIVATIONThe Mayo Clinic explains that to be successful with a fitness plan, you have to figure out what gives you an ongoing, burning desire to succeed. Take a few minutes to think about what motivates you to be more active. This motivation can connect your thoughts and feelings to action and give you a sense of purpose. By understanding your inner motivation, you’ll be more likely to stick with your fitness plan. Rank your top three reasons for being active and post the list where you’ll see it often.

TIPS FOR STAYING MOTIVATED• Make a commitment and don’t look too far ahead.

Ask yourself what can you do to make your fitness plan work for you today.

• Take the first step. You’ll likely get motivated once you start, so take that first step to get moving. Tell yourself you’ll try for 5 minutes.

• Expand your definition of fitness activity. Fitness is not just working out at the gym – any physical activity can make you healthier.

• Ask for support. Explain your fitness plan to friends and family. Ask someone to exercise with you, or have them support you in other ways, like joining you in better eating.

• Focus on the process and take small steps. Set realistic, attainable goals and continue to assess them.

• Make it fun. If you’re not enjoying yourself, it’s much harder to stick with a fitness plan. Remember when being active all day was called “play”? Find that again.

Getting Motivated to Live Well

9 | MAY 2015

MAY 2015 | 10

Mille Lacs Academy

Mille Lacs AcademyCelebrating 35th Treatment Graduation

State Representative Sondra Erickson Speaks to MLA Graduates

Mille Lacs Academy (MLA) welcomed an honored keynote speaker at its 35th Graduation Ceremony. Representative Sondra Erickson, who serves in the House Representative for District 15A, spoke to graduates.

Representative Erickson has been a long-time supporter of Mille Lacs Academy. She was keynote speaker at the Academy’s graduation in 2001, and supported MLA in the 14 years since.

Her keynote address didn’t focus on politics, however. Instead, she shared a personal story of her husband’s struggles and the journey he took to individual responsibility, accountability, and, ultimately, success.

She told the graduates they each faced that same choice to succeed.

The graduates also spoke, which created the most powerful segment of the ceremony. The graduates referenced the struggles they had before coming to MLA and the ones they faced during their time at MLA. They also spoke directly to current MLA youth, and provided a very tangible example of what those youth could accomplish if they dedicate themselves to working through their treatment plan.

The graduates thanked numerous people in attendance for helping to make a difference in their lives. They recognized the efforts of parents, fellow graduates, and MLA staff, and said those efforts had helped them become better people, heal relationships with their families, and had given them a brighter future.

11 | MAY 2015

Representative Sondra Erickson (left and above), District 15A, addressed MLA graduates at the Academy’s 35th Graduation Ceremony.

Jason DonahueExecutive Director

Director’s ReportI previously outlined MLA’s drive to become uncommon. We are now focusing on expanding our beliefs and refining the way we operate. A service provider’s belief system can provide a major distinction between average and uncommonly good.

Average service providers’ belief systems avoid pain at all costs. They promote a “playing not to lose” mentality. Uncommonly good service providers maintain a “playing to win” mentality that addresses risk, but challenges their own beliefs, empowers them for the reality of change, and positions them to meet new demands. Uncommonly good providers understand they are ultimately competing with themselves to meet the needs of clients in the best possible way. The best service providers transform throughout the journey.

MLA is examining how we provide service and what we may need to modify to meet the challenges of the changing health care landscape and the individual needs of youth, families, and communities. Our path to be uncommonly good continues with these actions:• The initiation of the Family Collaborative Model in our intake and

admission process has been a success. We’ve received very positive feedback from those involved, especially from families expressing their gratitude for being heard and being part of the treatment planning process.

• Several staff completed the trainer certification process from the National Resource Center for Youth Services to provide the Residential Child and Youth Professional Course. We are now redesigning our New Employee Orientation training to incorporate this training with trauma-informed practices, human growth and development knowledge, and milieu management strategies to empower our staff for healthier and more meaningful interactions with the youth and families we serve.

• The clinical teams are redesigning the way treatment planning is performed to help meet the individual needs of youth and families at a greater level than in the past.

• We are implementing a new vocation program that will stand separate from our recreation program. In the past, both activities were tied together. The separation will allow us to accomplish the desired levels of operations in both areas, with more structured focus that will create a greater benefit for our youth.

Finally, I am grateful for the team and the individuals that we have here at MLA. While we are continuing to monitor the various conditions that can impact us (market, government, legislation, struggle to hire people, etc.), MLA is positioning itself to meet new challenges as we continue to develop a team that is truly dedicated to serving our youth, families, and communities in the best way we can.

Mille Lacs Academy

MLA and IOA Student Councils Connect Through Videoconferencing

Recently, the MLA Student Council was able to successfully connect via videoconference with the Indian Oaks Academy Student Council in Manteno, Illinois. Despite a few technical hurdles, it was definitely worth the wait. The videoconference provided both Student Councils the opportunity to share ideas, compare and contrast locations, brainstorm, and connect with another group of youth leaders.

The MLA Council touched on these topics: • Welcome Kits – MLA listed items that are included

in the kits and how the purchasing of items is funded.

• Fund Raising – The boys explained a candy fund raiser that is on the horizon.

• Student Council Selection – MLA described how program staff pick Council representatives; IOA described their elections.

• March Madness – Students reflected on events such as tug-of-war and sled dog races from the annual festivities.

• Camping – MLA youth explained the annual camping trips each program takes in August.

The IOA Student Council shared these topics: • IOA Spring Break – The Council described the week-

long celebration and the themes for each day.• Student Council Shirts – IOA discussed the shirts

the Council was proudly wearing.• Teacher Appreciation Week – IOA shared some of

the things they do to recognize school staff.• Veteran’s Home Visit – IOA explained their effort to

reach out to local veterans in the community.• Parent/Teacher Conferences – IOA announced they

will be trying out this new initiative soon.

MAY 2015 | 12

Gerard Academy

Gerard Academy

13 | MAY 2015

Opening the Door to Hope

Gerard recently opened its doors to fill a wider need.

Instead of checking in to the Academy’s residential program, area residents can now access services on a walk-in basis. A new outpatient program provides therapeutic care to children, teens, and adults living in the Austin and surrounding communities.

With more than 40 years of experience delivering services through residential treatment, Gerard is poised to deliver a wealth of experience through its new outpatient program.

Gerard Executive Director Brent Henry said, “It just seemed like the next evolution of our growth. Our mission is to strengthen individuals, families, and communities, and this new program offers us a new way to do that.”

The program began in March and has already served about 15 patients. Gerard offers a variety of services to ensure that individuals, their families, and the community have access to affordable, quality, efficient, and easily accessible care:• Diagnosticassessments• Individualpsychotherapy• Familyandcouplestherapy

Executive Director Brent Henry (right) and Clinical Director Pam Retterath (left) have opened the doors to Gerard Academy to serve residents living in and around the Austin area through a new outpatient service program.

Brent HenryExecutive Director

Director’s ReportStephen R. Covey said, “Personal development precedes the building of trusting relationships, and trusting relationships are an absolute prerequisite to developing an organization characterized by teamwork, cooperation and contribution to the wider community.” A trusting relationship is what facilitates everything at Gerard Academy —our work with each other and the work we do with youth and families. So, if relationships are so important, then personal development is crucial to our success.

If we are not careful, the focus of our culture becomes one of managing problems and disruptive behavior rather than fostering healing and growth. The essence of what we do at Gerard Academy is to promote growth and healing in those that we serve. However, this is sometimes easier said than done, as there is a natural law that governs this process. Simply stated, that natural law is, “You cannot give what you don’t have,” which means, on a scale of 1-10, if you are at a 3 or 4 in a certain area of your life, you aren’t able to help someone else grow past that point. For example, if I don’t know how to form candid relationships with others, I cannot help someone else do that.

For this reason, Gerard Academy has high expectations for our staff when it comes to personal development and growth, and we put our money where our mouth is. During the past 15 months, Gerard Academy has invested more than $36,000 in the training of our counselors, alone. Has this investment paid off? Without question it has, not only in the areas that Covey mentions — teamwork, cooperation, and contribution to a wider community — but also in very measurable areas.

In comparing data from the first quarter of 2015 with the first quarter of 2014, we have reduced holdings 55% and reduced medication errors by 56%. Those are significant decreases!

Max Depree said, “We cannot become what we want to be by remaining where we are.” I would add to that by saying, we cannot become who we want to be by remaining where we are. We must be committed to our own change and growth. The beauty of it is, the more we change and grow, the more we have to offer others; and isn’t that our mission?

Personal Development

MAY 2015 | 14

• Multi-familytherapy• Grouptherapy• Medicationevaluationandconsultation• Trauma-focusedcognitivebehavioraltherapy (TF-CBT)• Psychologicaltesting• Specializedbirthtoage5diagnosticandtherapyservices

The leadership at Gerard spoke with the Minnesota Department of Corrections, Mower County, and Austin Public Schools to determine need in the area before starting the outpatient program, Henry said, “We heard from all three that there was a real need in Austin for more outpatient programs — especially a need for early childhood mental health services. Our history of working with children and families makes us a perfect fit to fill this local need, and it allows us to contribute even more to the community.”

Clinical Director Pam Retterath said she hopes the outpatient program will make it easier for people who are struggling to get the mental health care they need. “We’ve got some resources to help out,” she said. “We used to always have to refer people to other providers, but now we have the continuum of care to offer those mental health services right here.”

Retterath said the leaders at Gerard are passionate about helping children and families get on the right track. “Most of our therapists are cognitive-behaviorally trained, and all of them are trauma-focused, which is huge. We’re very family-centered,” she said. “Kids don’t get better in a vacuum. It has to be a collaborative effort between the family, the child, and ourselves.”

Both Retterath and Henry said they hope the new program will help change the perception of therapy, in general, making it easier for people to seek help, and they both hope the new service will strengthen the community of Austin.

Henry added, “I would hope, at the end of the day, that all of our work empowers and strengthens kids, families, and our community.”

Special thanks to Jenae Hackensmith, Austin Daily Herald, for the use of her article in the telling of this story. [“Help-ing families find a ray of hope; Gerard Academy of Austin implements outpatient program.” May 8, 2015. http://www.austindailyherald.com/2015/05/helping-families-find-a-ray-of-hope-gerard-academy-of-austin-implements-outpa-tient-program/]

Onarga Academy

Onarga Academy

In a continuing effort to self-reflect and raise the bar on Onarga Academy’s trauma-based treatment, Clinical Directors Mike Simpson and Jamie Kozma have been consulting monthly with Dr. David Burton, M.S.W., Ph.D., throughout the past year.

Dr. Burton has more than 25 years’ expertise working with children, adults, and adolescents with sexual behavior problems, and has published more than

50 works in professional journals. His recent areas of research include racism and delinquency, deviant sexual arousal, trauma, pornography, psychopathy, executive dysfunction, brain-based approaches to treatment, religiosity and sexual crime, and personality and crime, among others.

He has taught research and treatment at Smith College School for Social Work in Massachusetts and at the University of Michigan School of Social Work. Dr. Burton is known as a knowledgeable, compassionate, and humorous speaker, and has presented more than 500 sessions at conferences in more than 40 states and several countries.

He received the Model Teacher Award from the National Adolescent Perpetrator Network (NAPN) in 2011, and an award for his research from NAPN in 2012. The Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (ATSA) awarded

him the Lifetime Significant Achievement Award in 2014. He recently retired and is now living in Northampton, MA.

Dr. Burton consulted with Onarga Academy on a variety of topics in the past year, including the use of empathy in the treatment process; a review and critique of Onarga Academy’s sexuality assessments, family assessments, and psychological evaluations; and the Academy’s reunification and reintegration processes. Dr. Burton also provided case consultations for two specific clients.

During his work with Onarga over the past year, Dr. Burton identified some of Onarga’s strengths and identified ways that Onarga can continue to strengthen and improve its programs.

Overall, he expressed some very positive comments about the Academy’s work. He said Onarga’s sexuality assessments were “some of the best” he’d seen “in terms of depth and detail.”

He told Simpson and Kozma, “We are really impressed with what you guys are doing,” with the assessments. He also singled out Onarga’s foundational program work, psychological evaluations, and family assessments as examples of leading-edge work. His overall assessment was that “Onarga is really on top of its game.”

Spotlight on Treatment

15 | MAY 2015

David L. Burton, M.S.W., Ph.D.

Raising the Bar through Self-Reflection and Consultation

Dennis WileyExecutive Director

Celebrating 25 Years

Onarga Academy Celebrates 25 Years of ServiceOnarga Academy celebrated its 25th Anniversary on Thursday, May 21, with staff, youth, and community members. Activities began with a presentation in the Academy’s newly restored auditorium with messages by Nexus CEO David Hutchinson, Grand Prairie Seminary Board President Shane Cultra, Onarga Academy Executive Director Dennis Wiley, and Administrative Director Mike Tilstra. A look back on the Academy’s 25-year history took guests through the various stages of Onarga’s growth and transformations. Festivities continued with a picnic-style BBQ and a cake and ice cream bar at the Onarga Academy Grand Prairie School.

Director’s ReportWe just celebrated Onarga Academy’s 25th anniversary. It was a great day of looking back and honoring our history. The funny thing is, in the hustle of everyday operations, there’s often little time to stop, look back, reflect. There are so many moving parts, the next thing you know 25 years have passed, and you’re still moving quickly onward.

This anniversary marks a small, but significant, snapshot in time for us – a time to recognize and celebrate 25 years of existence and achievement. Onarga Academy is still quite young in residential years, very young. But we’ve come a long way in a short time.

We were much smaller back then, and seemingly a lot less complicated. Back in the day, we had maybe 40 kids, 2 direct staff. Flexible and creative milieu management was a must, and that ultimately became known as our strength, which we have carried into today.

But, we had no strategic plan, no employee orientation, no training, no written material to outline what our work consisted of, and no community involvement. So we created our own plan with a small group of leaders, each taking responsibility to develop a written manual, create a training program (second-to-none now in the state), form a community member advisory committee, rehab homes in Onarga, and enlist local churches to assist us with the provision of spiritual services, and so on.

From there we worked on campus development to create a healthier, more-attractive, and safer environments for our residents and staff, which wasn’t possible without strong clinical and financial viability.

Today, I think we’ve made a big difference for our staff and kids along the way – changing young lives, and assisting with the personal and professional growth of our staff—and in the process, meeting our mission of Strengthening Lives, Families, and Communities Through Our Cornerstone Values.

Despite the complications of residential work, we have all worked collaboratively with our resources – community, corporate, and, most of all, Academy programs/departments – to continue to be viable, strengthen our culture, and make a huge difference in the lives of these kids.

There are many challenges ahead, as we all know; we will continue to work hard to meet them in our next 25 years.

MAY 2015 | 16

Nexus CEO David Hutchinson engaged staff and guests with his inspiring tribute.

(Left to right): Indian Oaks Academy Executive Director Mike Chavers, Nexus Director of CQI and Research Becky Schedin, and Indian Oaks Academy QI Supervisor Roger Baldwin enjoy the BBQ lunch.

Onarga Academy staff enjoyed the celebration. Seated (left to right): Steve Stahl, Donna Ryan, Kelsy White, Jenna Wells, and Gary Bishir. Standing (left to right): Melissa Harris and Michele Schroeder.

Staff volunteers manned the grills. (Left to right): Ty Herron, James Roth, Lee Regnier, and Woody Cowan.

Former Illinois State Senator and current Grand Prairie Seminary Board President Shane Cultra shared Onarga Academy’s history and impact on the community.

Indian Oaks Academy

Indian Oaks AcademyNew Group Home Opens at Indian Oaks

The new Lighthouse Girls’ Group Home recently opened on the Indian Oaks Academy campus, and will serve girls who have completed residential treatment. The Lighthouse is situated just across from the Horizon Home on the west side of IOA’s property.

Lighthouse Supervisor Megan Nemeth said IOA youth, DCFS youth, and non-DCFS youth will reside at the new group home. “I’m excited that we can provide this opportunity to IOA girls who have been on extensive wait lists for placement at other group homes,” she said. There currently are not enough group homes in Illinois to meet the needs of those kids in care.

“This is the third time we’ve responded to a request by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS),” said Executive Director Mike Chavers. “They had a need for more group home space, and trusted us to answer that need.”

Chavers credits the staff for IOA’s ability to open yet another program on campus. “Our staff work incredibly hard to take good care of all of our kids,

no matter what program they are part of,” said Chavers.

The eight-bed Lighthouse group home expands IOA’s continuum of care, providing a step-down (or less-restrictive) living option for the girls who have completed residential treatment, but are not ready to live more independently in a transitional living program or in the community. By the end of its third week of operation, six of the eight beds at the Lighthouse were full, and more admissions are scheduled.

Prior to the opening of the Lighthouse, IOA opened Flight School for boys on the main campus; the Journey Home boys’ transitional living program (TLP) in Kankakee; and the Horizon Home girls’ transitional living program (TLP) on campus.

Move Over, Monopoly... There’s a new game in town

There’s a new game in town, and it isn’t Parker Brothers’ famous Monopoly…it’s “Indian Oaks-opoly,” and it’s gaining ground!

Safe Harbor School Teacher Steve Paredes and the young men in his class recently modeled a board game after Monopoly, but based on IOA and the Cornerstone Values of honesty, responsibility, courage, care and concern. The game board consists of properties named after each campus program and other familiar places; even the parking lot gets a space.

Property cards include privileges like a trip to the softball field, chewing gum, and independent time. Indian Oaks Bucks replace the Monopoly money, and each player makes their own game piece.

17 | MAY 2015

The Lighthouse Girls’ Group Home opened on Indian Oaks’ campus in April. It has the capacity to serve eight clients.

Mike ChaversExecutive Director

Indian Oaks Academy

Colored Post-It Notes are property markers.

After seeing the board game, many people have offered to supply plastic houses and hotels for the game, but those offers have been met with a resounding, “Thanks,

anyway. We want to make our own.”

Although the game was one student’s brainchild, the whole class was excited by the project. “It definitely was a group project,” said Paredes. “We use the game almost every day in class.”

Paredes’ class has mastered all kinds of projects from building a wind turbine (like the kind that supply power to tent cities) to constructing a working radio from salvaged parts. He says he likes the challenges these projects present to his students.

Safe Harbor School named Read to Succeed National Contest Winner

Classrooms at Indian Oaks’ Safe Harbor School were recently named winners in Achieve3000®’s Read to Succeed contest.

Teacher Andrea Arens’ students received special honor for earning the most points during Safe Harbor School’s participation in the contest. The class was awarded a door poster, which they have proudly displayed to celebrate their accomplishment.

Achieve3000® is a leader in differentiated instruction, a teaching approach that recognizes the different ways in which students learn. The approach offers a more individualized plan to instruction and learning. Throughout the year, the organization sponsors a number of contests that encourage students to feature their differentiated instruction solutions and shines a spotlight on the teachers who are successfully integrating differentiated reading, writing, and science instruction solutions into their classrooms.

The Read to Succeed contest helps students accelerate reading and comprehension skills and improves their readiness for college and careers.

Director’s ReportIOA’s Horizon Home Unit Coordinator Kristina Justice, Horizon Home resident Kayla Harris, and Journey Home resident Thomias Steward testified at a recent legislative hearing on proposed cuts to DCFS services for 18- to 21-year-olds.

The IOA contingent met with Representative Greg Harris, chair of the Human Services Appropriations Committee, and spoke about what those cuts would mean to them and their treatment journey.

Legislators welled up while listening to the youth, and took an unplanned break to embrace the youth.

Kayla and Thomias were made honorary Pages, and stepped onto the House floor. They also received badges and certificates – definitely some mission moments!

Safe Harbor School recently held ceremonies for the largest

graduating class in the school’s history. Ten eighth-graders were promoted to high school, and ten Safe Harbor high school seniors graduated. In addition to our on-campus graduates, three more students graduated from Manteno High School. During Manteno’s Awards Night for graduating seniors, Safe Harbor School Principal Mary Shaffer presented the $1,000 Cornerstone Scholarship award to senior Madison Langlois, who will begin studies in Psychology next fall.

Our kids continue to work on give-back projects in their classrooms, as part of our mission to strengthen our community. On Earth Day, 20 youth participated in cleanup efforts at the Kankakee River State Park. Vocational Manager Jim Shrove and Job Coach Gary Burnette are leading a group of IOA youth in building Habitat for Humanity of Kankakee County’s 7th house. Teacher Mike Vegovisch’s class raised money for the Special Olympics Polar Plunge and the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, and continues to clean grounds at Wal-Mart and Legends Sports Complex in Bradley, Illinois.

MAY 2015 | 18

(Left to right): Illinois State Representative Greg Harris met with IOA’s Kayla Harris and Thomias Steward.

Woodbourne Center

Woodbourne CenterSaying Goodbye After 31 YearsAfter serving youth at Woodbourne Center for more than 31 years, Shift Supervisor Acquanetta Cabral — or Ms. Acquanetta, as she is known on campus — will retire this spring at age 70.

“Come here with your heart and mind clear,” Cabral says. “Leave everything at home. Come here for the kids.”

Cabral is a former drill sergeant who worked at Sheppard Pratt for six years prior to joining Woodbourne. When she started in 1983 in a direct care position, Woodbourne Center consisted of one main building and four units of residents. She was later promoted to overnight monitor, and then became the first Shift Supervisor to work out of the Adolescent Diagnostic Treatment Services building.

Cabral’s most striking memory from her time at Woodbourne actually took place when she was off-duty. A resident had climbed a tree and refused to get down. Staff on duty had called in a fire truck, but the youth still refused to get out of the tree. He asked specifically for Cabral, and she walked from her home — luckily, only a few blocks from Woodbourne — climbed into the fire truck’s lift bucket, and got the boy to come down with her.

The leap to work at a therapeutic facility for youth may not seem like an obvious one for the ex-drill sergeant. Still, Cabral shows no regrets. “It’s almost like it’s your calling,” she says.

Boot Camp Brandon comes to WoodbourneThere’s nothing so powerful as a dream. Many of Woodbourne’s residents dream of playing professional basketball.

Addie Johnson, Principal at Woodbourne School said she wanted to support their dream, so she told the boys she would invite scouts from local colleges to campus to watch them play. First, however, Johnson thought the boys should prepare and train, so she invited Brandon Jones a.k.a. “Boot Camp Brandon” to host a voluntary, six-week boot camp on campus. Jones is a former marine, and an alumnus of The Gilman School. He received an A.A.S. in Exercise Science from Baltimore County Community College, where he is now employed.

Sixteen of Woodbourne’s residents signed up and began working out with Brandon three times a week.

Johnson says the boys’ confidence level boomed. The training taught them teamwork, focus, follow-through, and trust. They may have had to spot each other during weight lifting, or be paired with someone with different strengths or weaknesses. “They had to support each other,” she said.

Teacher’s Assistant, Quaneita Queen, who worked alongside the youth during training, noted that the boys enjoyed working as a group. “It gave the boys the feeling that ‘I can do anything’,” she says.

Queen said Jones was a good role model for the boys. He took the time and energy to connect with

19 | MAY 2015

Woodbourne youth trained at a six-week long boot camp.

Tony WilsonExecutive Director

Woodbourne Center

Director’s ReportIt’s really an exciting time at Woodbourne Center. Similar to our other sites, Woodbourne Center’s team has continued to work hard at creating and sustaining an environment and experience for our kids, families, and referral sources that is rewarding from the beginning of treatment through discharge and aftercare. The most recent results of our client satisfaction scores have really helped to motivate staff and validate that their efforts have resulted in the most satisfied clients we’ve seen at Woodbourne in years.

Woodbourne Center has the honor of welcoming all of the executive directors and Nexus’ COO Brock Wolff to campus for the annual Executive Council Retreat in June. We are very excited to host this year’s event and look forward to introducing our campus and team to the other executive directors of Nexus.

We are pleased to announce that Bill Spotts has joined the Woodbourne Board of Directors. The Baltimore County native is the CEO of Heritage Financial Consultants, LLC, a financial planning firm. He is also the former president of the Bill Spotts Foundation, which raised money for local children’s organizations, such as Make-a-Wish Foundation and St. Vincent’s.

Lastly, we continue to push for additional vocational opportunities for our kids. In the past, we’ve partnered with Habitat for Humanity of Chesapeake and Civic Works to impact Baltimore communities. These opportunities provide our kids with a combination of job training, skill development, and community service. This allows us to provide an opportunity for them to give back to the community, build a workforce portfolio, receive service learning hours toward graduation, and obtain job training that can be used as they prepare for the world of work.

the young men, and opened up about his own past troubles. “He had the boys’ attention completely,” she said.

Johnson said she has already seen a change in the young men since boot camp, and she believes that the newfound confidence creates individuality in the young men. They are learning that “you don’t have to be like everybody else,” she says. “We’re really building our men from the inside.”

The Boot Camp was the first phase in a five-phase collaboration project between students and school staff. Other phases include a mentorship program, a visual representation of the positive features in the boys’ lives, and professional portfolios.

Family Connections Created through FunSaturday, April 25, was a busy day on campus. Twenty-five young men from Towson University’s Sigma Alpha Epsilon helped out on campus by raking and bagging leaves, and assisting with a car wash fund raiser for Woodbourne’s next family event, a crab feast. Youths’ family members and caregivers brought their dirty cars to the car wash, and then enjoyed a family barbecue on campus. The car wash raised $233. Afterward, the group played board games, cards, kickball, and participated in arts and crafts.

Dr. Donna Beck, Clinical Director at Woodbourne Center, expressed the importance of youth seeing and relating to their families in a multitude of settings. “We invite family and caregivers as often as possible to participate in not only the planning and decision-making aspects of treatment, but to also celebrate the daily achievements, developmental milestones (birthdays, graduations, awards etc.), and to come have fun with their kids!”

Dr. Beck explained the positive impact of family visits. “We know that 85 percent of youth in residential treatment care will likely return to their homes in their communities,” she says. “One of Woodbourne’s core values involves demonstrating care and compassion for youth, and we demonstrate this value through our Family-Centered Programming.”

Dr. Beck considered the fun day a success. “It is always remarkable to see youth smiling and laughing and finding joy in their interactions with others. They remember to simply be kids and have fun.”

MAY 2015 | 20

Students from Towson University helped with an on-campus car wash.

Kindred Family Focus

Kindred Family FocusThe Circle of Peace Earns an Honorable Mention

Sarah Balenger, Kindred Family Focus’ Metro/South and Duluth Office Coordinator, and husband, Russel, were recently honored for their creation of The Circle of Peace group, which brings together families of warring gang members to end violence and reconnect the community. The couple received Honorable Mention for the 2015 Facing Race Ambassador Award, given by the Saint Paul Foundation.

The idea for the group arose five years ago, when tensions were at an all-time high in the couple’s Rondo neighborhood of Saint Paul. In this once-thriving African-American community, where families kept an eye on one another’s children and chatted over backyard fences, few parents allowed their kids to play outside. Fear of gang violence had a firm grip on the neighborhood consciousness. Lives were at stake, and people were scared. Clearly something had to be done.

Russel and Sarah Balenger were among the neighbors concerned about escalating violence on their streets. At the time, Russel was vice president of Amicus, a nonprofit organization that connects volunteers from the community with prison inmates in an effort to build lasting friendships and strengthen the social support system.

Russel was concerned about his grandchildren and the fact that someone in his neighborhood had fired shots at them, so he decided to establish The Circle of Peace movement to provide a safe place for everyone to talk. He hoped to begin a conversation about how to end the violence and return a sense of connectedness to the Rondo community.

Russel talked it over with Sarah, and then paid a visit to families whose children were members of warring gangs, inviting them to come and talk. “You’ve got to come,” Russel urged, “or we could be facing a funeral.”

The first meeting of what would become known as the Rondo Peace Circle was held at Unity Church Unitarian in St. Paul on a Monday evening in March 2010. As members from both sides of the gang conflict arrived, they hurled accusations at one another from across the room: “Your kid shot up my house!” “Your kid beat up my daughter!” Russel’s heart sank a bit. He was so nervous. But he was even more determined. This had to work.

Sarah served a dinner of roast chicken, green salad, bread, fruit, and something sweet. Eating together dissipated the tension enough for Russel to explain the rules of the group — rules that still stand firm today: No one speaks without holding the talking piece (usually a small stone), no one speaks for more than two

21 | MAY 2015

Sarah and Russel Balenger created The Circle of Peace group to provide a safe place for the community to talk.

George HendricksonExecutive Director

Honorable Mention

minutes. Members must be respectful of others and themselves. Speakers must use “I” statements, not “you” statements. It’s okay to pass; you don’t have to speak. What’s said at the group is confidential. Don’t leave the circle angry. And, the most important rule, everyone in the circle is equal.

By the end of that first anxious circle meeting, people were beginning to talk, laying the foundation for hope. Participants had originally been asked to commit to only four meetings, but, over the past five years, the Rondo Peace Circle has met more than 222 times, with a total of 5,525 people ranging in age from 13 to 93 signing in. Between 25 and 30 people typically attend each circle, including people from the community, as well as local police officers; judges; kids from Totem Town, a locked facility for offenders under the age of 18; people from Save Our Sons; and members of Unity’s Racial and Restorative Justice Team. The Rondo Peace Circle has become one of a few places where people from many racial and cultural backgrounds can come together in one room, safely, to talk.

Russel leads the circle, introducing a topic or question for discussion or simply asking members how they are doing. By sharing their experiences, circle members have learned they have more in common than they realize. Establishing these connections seems to be making a difference. According to Saint Paul Police Chief Tom Smith and Senior Commander Paul Iovino, who have both attended the Rondo Peace Circle many times, gang violence in Saint Paul is lower than it’s ever been. The Circle of Peace Movement has expanded its reach, now holding Parent/Teacher Circles on the East Side of Saint Paul, with plans to branch out to other Saint Paul Public Schools this fall.

Russel Balenger says, “One of the best things that has happened is that there are many people in the circle who would not have known each other if they didn’t have the safety of the center room here and the opportunity to sit down and eat and talk together and share their experiences.”

Director’s ReportKindred Family Focus finally has clarity on the labeling of our therapeutic foster care services. The recent accreditation process introduced new definitions for service types, and, as such, our Alternative to Residential (ART) and medically fragile clients receive therapeutic services as defined by our accrediting agency, the Council on Accreditation (COA).

Our agency’s transition necessitated a revision of our practices and policies. We also identified a strategic goal to address internal customer service to attract and retain valued foster parents and employees. Two workgroups were created, one comprised of foster parents and another of employees, to recommend efficiencies to our work, keep both parties engaged in our current and future direction, and recognize the value added to client outcomes.

One MN private foster care agency recently had their license revoked by DHS for poor practice and endangerment to clients. Nationally, the Senate has requested information on private foster care programs in light of recent happenings in homes licensed by National Mentor Holdings, a for-profit agency. In both cases, children died or were victims of abuse. We anticipate stricter state licensing oversight, and have already submitted data requested by the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Thankfully, our data is solid.

In honor of March’s Social Work Month, I’d like to say that KFF is blessed to employ such a great group of workers. Given the past year of consolidating our agencies, our practices, and our cultures, I’m proud to say that our group has created a monthly outcome that reflects everyone’s effort to make us successful. Many agencies struggle with recruiting new families, but this past year, KFF licensed 32 new homes; currently, we are licensing another 29, and have 32 families that have made licensing inquiries – outstanding!

May is National Foster Care Month. I’m occasionally asked why I spent my career with one agency; this is an easy question, I believe in what we do. I am regularly reminded that our work can and does change lives and creates life-long relationships between foster parents and youth. These relationships create the change, and each relationship starts and ends with our families!

Our service goals for the coming year reflect increased programming for youth victims of sex trafficking, broadly expanding the community mental health services (CTSS) to all offices, implementing both the mentoring and behavioral aide programming with Dakota County, the identification and development of a clinically based, foster care, 30-day assessment program, and expanding our rapidly growing adoption program. We’re excited to see KFF morph into a full-service, responsive, community-based program, which is exactly what we dreamed our partnership with Nexus would bring.

MAY 2015 | 22

Retrieved from http://saintpaulfoundation.org/ambassador_awards/2015/russel_and_sarah_balenger/

Have an idea for a story? Contact Nancy Baldrica, Cornerstone editor nbaldrica@nexustreatment.org763-551-8671

Nexus: Strengthening Lives, Families, and Communities Through Our Cornerstone Values

Nexus is a national, nonprofit organization that helps youth rehabilitate and reintegrate through a continuum of diversified services from residential to in-home counseling.

Nexus offers residential treatment programs, group home living programs, transitional living programs, treatment foster care, inpatient acute psychiatric care, in-home counseling services, alternative to residential

treatment services, adoption, referrals to other treatment providers, and ongoing support to youth in our care.

The Nexus Family of Treatment Programs is a group of programsoffering diverse programs and services for children and families that is operated by Nexus, a Minnesota nonprofit corporation and its subsidiaries: Gerard Treatment Programs, LLC. While these programs are operated by separate and

distinct legal entities, they share an underlying adherence to the Nexus Cornerstone Values and Guiding Principles and enjoy the efficiency and economy of coordinated management functions.

Nexus locations include Mille Lacs Academy, Gerard Academy, Onarga Academy, Indian Oaks Academy, Woodbourne Center, and Kindred Family Focus.

Cornerstone is published bi-monthly by Nexus. All articles are copyrighted by Nexus. Reproduction of any part of this publication is prohibited without written consent.

Editor: Nancy Baldrica 505 Highway 169 North, Suite 500 Plymouth, MN 55441-6447

Corporate: 763-551-8640 Editor: 763-551-8671 nbaldrica@nexustreatment.org www.nexustreatment.org

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