Cornerstones Cares

On this episode of Cornerstones Cares, we talk about our Foster Care and Reintegration services with Makaila Gay.

On this episode of Cornerstones Cares, we speak with Jennifer McKinney and ABby Kay about Homeroom Health. Homeroom Health is a fully-integrated health center for infants, children, teens and young adults. Located at 30th and Troost, we connect children and families to medical, dental and behavioral health care – regardless of insurance status and ability to pay.

On this episode of Cornerstones Cares, we speak with Tracy Suteledge, program specialist in Foster Care Case Management for Cornerstones of Care and Kim Keaton, director of data and analytics for the Corporation for Supportive Housing. Supportive housing is very affordable rental housing forming a platform of stability for vulnerable people who do not have a home or are leaving institutions or hospitals. It is linked to intensive case management and voluntary, life-improving services like health care, workforce development and child welfare.

On this episode of Cornerstones Cares, we speak with Margaux Guignon about vaping. As of October 22, 2019, 1,605 cases of e-cigarette product use associated lung injuries have been reported to the CDC from 49 states (all except Alaska). Margaux's role as Director of Prevention Services at First Call gives her a unique insight to this troubling trend and how it is affecting youth in the greater Kansas City area.

On this episode of Cornerstones Cares, we talk with Donna Rozell and Kristalle Hedrick about our new programs in the state of Kansas: Foster Care, Reunification and Adoption Case Management services. Foster Care Case Management — Once a child enters into the child welfare system, we provide comprehensive foster care case management services to focus on reunifying the family in a safe environment. These services are automatic upon entering into foster care. Recognizing the importance of a strong family unit, our in-home family services program helps Kansas families who are struggling to safely alleviate challenging situations. We partner with the entire family to help them connect, communicate and make positive changes to last a lifetime.

On this episode of Cornerstones Cares, we speak with Jacqueline Williams about the Functional Family Therapy program. Functional Family Therapy (FFT) is a well-documented, short-term, in-home family intervention service for families with youth who have been categorized as delinquent or pre-delinquent youth. We currently offer FFT in 31 counties throughout Kansas and Missouri. The high-level goals of Functional Family Therapy are to: -Improve family communication and supportiveness -Help the family adopt positive solutions to family problems -Develop positive behavior change and parenting strategies -Keep the family safely together Each family in the program will receive an outline of goals based on their unique situation and areas for growth.

On this episode of Cornerstones Cares, we discus Happy Bottoms Jill Gaikowski and Teresa Winfield. Life. Liberty. And Diapers for All. Happy Bottoms is Kansas City's diaper bank. It's vision is to positively impact the mental, physical and financial stability of a family in crisis and need through diaper assistance, education and connection to services.

On this episode of Cornerstones Cares, we speak with Ashley Johnson about our Family Services program. We recognize importance and value of the family unit. Through our in-home family services program, we help Kansas families who are struggling with safely alleviating challenging situations. Many times, the families we work with feel stuck and/or powerless in their current situation. We’ll partner with the entire family to learn to connect, communicate and ultimately empower the family to make positive changes that will last a lifetime.

On this episode of Cornerstones Cares, we talk with Shontel McGee and Lauren Collins about the Pathways program offered by Cornerstones of Care. Our Pathways program offers a variety of options for young adults, ages 16-23, to learn the life skills they need in order to become more self-sufficient. We provide young people with encouragement and guidance in a safe and supportive environment that matches their needs. Our goal is to help them gain greater independence and integrity.

On this episode of Cornerstones Cares, we speak with Doreen about her experience with the YES Program. Like most students, foster youth have post-secondary aspirations to attend college or vocational school. Unfortunately, foster youth often face many barriers — such as a lack of financial resources, lack of emotional support and lack of social opportunities — that make it difficult to obtain a higher education. Our Youth Educational Success Program (YES) addresses these barriers to increase the number of foster youths attending and graduating from a higher education program. Read more about Doreen's story here: https://www.cornerstonesofcare.org/our-impact/Your-Stories/2019/02/11/Doreens-Story

On this episode of Cornerstones Cares, we speak with Dr. Dana Christensen, the model developer of Solution Based Casework (SBC). SBC is an evidenced-informed casework practice model that prioritizes working in partnership with families, focuses on pragmatic solutions to difficult situations, and notices and celebrates change.

On this episode of Cornerstones Cares, we speak with Amanda Johnson & one of her clients named “Joe” about the benefits of solution based casework (SBC) in our Intensive In-Home Services (IIS) program. SBC is an assessment, case planning and casework approach that helps our team of social workers, therapists and behavioral health specialists focus on the entire family’s well-being. Its three core elements are: 1. To create a partnership based on program consensus in a language the family understands; 2. To focus that partnership on the patterns of everyday family life that are directly related to threats to safety; and 3. To target solutions specific to prevention skills needed to create safety and reduce risk in those family situations. Intensive In-Home Services (IIS) are for families whose children are at immediate risk of out-of-home placement. IIS provides immediate, intensive, short-term, in-home crisis intervention and family education when families need it the most. Families who have a child or children at imminent risk of removal from the home due to neglect, abuse, family violence, mental illness, emotional disturbance, substance abuse, behavior disorders, etc. may be candidates for IIS. Our trauma-informed team believes that families can, through intervention, learn to strengthen their family, improve functioning, and gain support within their communities, enabling them to remain safely together. This 4 – 6 week program provides individualized immediate services to families in their home or within a natural setting. Each family will have a principal specialist who will have an average of 8 – 10 hours of direct contact a week (or more if needed) with the family. Each specialist is trained in brief solution-focused therapy, strengths-based model, and certified in trauma-informed care. Additionally, the in-home specialists are available 24/7 to their families for additional support and guidance. Throughout the program we also provide information and support to encourage growth and advancement of problem-solving, communication, parenting, and life skills that will benefit the family far beyond the program completion date.

On this episode of Cornerstones Cares, we speak with Austin Lentz and Anh Dao about the Outpatient Counseling options offered in conjunction with Tri-County Mental Health Services. Tri-County Mental Health Services is a nationally recognized behavioral health services organization serving the Kansas City Area counties of Clay, Platte and Ray County.

On this episode of Cornerstones Cares, we speak with Chelsea Daniels and Lori Wegman about our Pathways program, as well as some of the challenges for transgender youth in the social services area. Our Pathways Program offers a variety of options for young adults, ages 16-23, to learn the life skills that they need in order to become more self-sufficient. We provide young people with encouragement and guidance in a safe and supportive environment that matches their needs. Our goal is to help them gain greater independence and integrity.

On this episode of Cornerstones Cares, we speak with Kristy Blagg about the potential impact of various state and federal legislation on foster care and adoption services being available to everyone, regardless of their religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, family structure or marital status.

On this episode of Cornerstones of Cares, we speak with Youth Behavioral Health Specialist Jesse Ronald about our day treatment program on the Ozanam campus and his efforts to expand the effectiveness of recovery rooms. Our educational day treatment programs provide individualized curriculum, small class sizes, and a variety of therapeutic options for boys and girls, ages 6-19 in grades K-12. They receive special education classroom teaching as well as therapeutic supports at one of our day treatment schools during the day before returning home each afternoon. Students acquire coping skills and new learning strategies that allow them to progress academically, socially, emotionally and behaviorally to help them successfully transition back to their school district or graduate from high school with plans for their futures. Our school services are located on our Gillis and Ozanam Campuses, as well as at our Blue Springs location.

On this episode of Cornerstones Cares, we speak with Lisa Wilson and Becky Hirner about some of the Relationship Education offerings at Cornerstones of Care. Healthy relationships between individuals in our neighborhoods help build stronger couples, families and communities. ShowMe Healthy Relationships is a relationship strengthening program that is inclusive to adults who are single or in a relationship. Our goal is to help you build and maintain strong, healthy family relationships. Our free programs are research-based and will promote healthy relationship skills and support family well-being. Participants build healthier and more stable relationships, become better parents and co-parents, and learn skills to manage stress, careers and money.

On this episode of Cornerstones Cares, we talk with Richard and Saleese Dixson to find out more about their experience as foster parents of their grandchildren. Also joining us is Family Development Specialist Rosalie Vaught. Foster parenting is an opportunity to provide a much needed service to a child in your community. Through no fault of their own, foster youth have come into state care due to abuse, neglect or abandonment from those who should have nurtured and protected them.

In this episode of Cornerstones Cares, we speak with Marty Bist about our BIST program. Cornerstones of Care developed the Behavior Intervention Support Team (BIST) Program in 1990 as a way to respond to the community’s need to better serve students in their own school districts. Today BIST consultants partner with educators and parents in order to develop proactive strategies tailored to help all students succeed. Cornerstones of Care's BIST Program currently provides training and support to more than 300 schools throughout the Midwest. Together with BIST, Cornerstones of Care envisions communities where youth and young adults have the hope, skills, and opportunities to live (and learn) safely and successfully, realizing their full potential.

In this episode of Cornerstones Cares, we speak with Shelia Rancatore and John Dickey about Treatment Foster Care. We Believe: Every child deserves to be safe and healthy, in a loving home and supportive community. A safe place to sleep is a child’s first step to health and healing. Families deserve a chance to stay together. We know that children and youth have the best opportunity to thrive when they launch into adulthood from a caring and compassionate home. But we need your help. Our Greatest Need In Missouri, 13,000 children are in need of loving, temporary homes. Many of these children have experienced significant trauma, making it difficult to participate — let alone succeed — in school and in the home. Our greatest need is treatment foster care — a 24/7 support program empowering foster families to help youth overcome trauma and prepare for the future. It is our priority to ensure you are successful. Treatment foster care parents receive an enhanced and individualized level of care, including: 24/7 access to support. Specialized foster parent trainings and support groups. Regular communication to check on the child’s behavior and your emotional well-being.

In this episode of Cornerstones Cares, we speak with OunJaniese Cason about Foster Care Case Management. Once a child has entered into the child welfare system due to abuse or neglect, we provide comprehensive foster care case management services to focus on reunifying the family in a safe environment. These services are automatic upon entering into foster care and are provided in Jackson, Cass and Johnson counties.

In this episode of Cornerstones Cares, we speak with Hannah McCartney and Amber Maledy about Solution Based Casework. Solution based casework, or SBC, is an evidenced-informed casework practice model that prioritizes working in partnership with families, focuses on pragmatic solutions to difficult situations, and notices and celebrates change

On this episode of Cornerstones Cares, we speak with Carla Lee from Swope Health Services about opioid addiction. Swope Health Services has recently launched a new program to provide medication-assisted treatment for opioid addiction. The program addresses the increasing need for focused medical assistance in breaking the cycle of addiction to pain relievers, whether prescription or illicit drugs.

On this episode of Cornerstones Cares, we speak with Danica Harris about vicarious trama. Vicarious trauma is a transformation in the self of a trauma worker or helper that results from empathetic engagement with traumatized clients and their reports of traumatic experiences.

In this episode of Cornerstones Cares, we talk with Ryann Waller about the exciting career opportunities available with Cornerstones of Care and what we are doing to remain an "Employer of Choice" in our community. If you are interested in exploring a career with Cornerstones of Care, go to www.cornerstonesofcare.org, click on About Us and then Join Our Team.

On this episode of Cornerstones Cares, we speak with Kathryn Sterling about Outpatient Therapy. Major life events, traumatic experiences and mental health challenges can significantly impact a person’s ability to successfully function at seemingly easy day-to-day tasks. If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed and stressed about daily activities, then outpatient therapy could be an option to provide a positive impact on your life. Outpatient therapy can help individuals and families address the effects of trauma, improve stress management skills and reduce, or eliminate, the need for psychiatric hospitalization. Through outpatient therapy, clients experience personal growth and change by learning skills to process loss and prepare for the future.

In this episode of Cornerstones Cares, we talk with Dusty Scheiter and Carla McCarty about the Family Reunification Services (FRS) program. Parenthood isn’t always easy and we understand that sometimes families need additional support. Our home-based prevention teams work tirelessly to prevent the separation of families. Many families and individuals in these programs have a history of trauma, abuse and/or neglect, intimate partner violence, mental health challenges and/or substance abuse issues. We recognize the need to break the cycle, and our Intensive In-Home Services (IIS) serves families whose children are at immediate risk of being removed from the home by working intensely in the home to keep them safely together.

In this episode, we talk with Shelby Clark about the benefits of trauma informed yoga. Anxiety, depression, behavioral issues, relationship stress, and health issues are often the result of unresolved trauma. The goal of a trauma-informed yoga practice is to build resiliency and establish greater self-regulation. It is about feeling safe and at-home in our bodies so that we can feel stable, have good self-esteem, and healthy relationships. A trauma-informed yoga practice is sensitive to the needs of a participant with trauma symptoms and offers them tools to feel safe, empowered, and self-regulated.

In this episode, we discuss the IIS program with Dusty Scheiter and Cindy Janczewski. Parenthood isn’t always easy and we understand that sometimes families need additional support. Our home-based prevention teams work tirelessly to prevent the separation of families. Many families and individuals in these programs have a history of trauma, abuse and/or neglect, intimate partner violence, mental health challenges and/or substance abuse issues. We recognize the need to break the cycle, and  our Intensive In-Home Services (IIS) serves families whose children are at immediate risk of being removed from the home by working intensely in the home to keep them safely together.

On this episode, we speak with Theo Bunch about the horticulture therapy programs offered at Cornerstones of Care, as well as some exciting new partnerships we are forming with other like-minded companies in the region.

On this episode, we finish our conversation about Treatment Foster Care with Jennifer Smith and Missy Creed. Children and youth in our community who have been removed from their home are seeking compassionate treatment foster care parents. Treatment foster care is the highest level of care. It requires both strength and patience for children and youth who have experienced extreme trauma. Our trauma-informed team will provide you with an enhanced and individualized level of support to help children heal and prepare for the future: -24/7 access support -Specialized foster parent support groups. -Regular phone calls to check on the child’s behavior and your emotional well-being. It is our priority to support you in becoming a successful treatment foster parent.

On this episode, we talk about Treatment Foster Care with Jennifer Smith and Missy Creed. Children and youth in our community who have been removed from their home are seeking compassionate treatment foster care parents. Treatment foster care is the highest level of care. It requires both strength and patience for children and youth who have experienced extreme trauma. Our trauma-informed team will provide you with an enhanced and individualized level of support to help children heal and prepare for the future: -24/7 access support -Specialized foster parent support groups. -Regular phone calls to check on the child’s behavior and your emotional well-being. It is our priority to support you in becoming a successful treatment foster parent.

In this episode, we talk with Bart Ewing about Autism.

In this episode, we talk with Megan Sperry about the Horticultural Therapy program at our Ozanam campus. Students in our horticultural therapy program learn all about gardening in our full greenhouse, which also serves as an outdoor classroom and a work site for our vocational program. With guidance from Megan Sperry, our horticultural therapist, our youth begin to heal and let go of the past. They practice nurturing and watch small seeds grow into beautiful flowers - a process that mirrors their own growth.

In this episode of Cornerstones Cares, we speak with Allen Gould about Outpatient Counseling. Traumatic experiences and mental health challenges can significantly impact a person’s ability to successfully function at school, home and work. Outpatient counseling helps individuals and families address the effects of trauma, improve stress management skills and reduce, or eliminate, the need for psychiatric hospitalization. Clients will experience personal growth and change by learning skills to process loss and prepare for the future.

In this episode of Cornerstones Cares, we discuss Music Therapy with Music Therapist CharCarol Fisher and Daniel Shineberg, University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance student and intern with Cornerstones of Care.

On this episode with Cornerstones Cares, we talk with Leah Kent about the Learning Lab. The Learning Lab is a weekly study session designed to help residential students work on their education goals.

On this episode of Cornerstones Cares, we speak with Justin Horton, the Electronic Health Record Director for Cornerstones of Care. Cornerstones of Care and Netsmart have established a first-of-a-kind, multi-pronged affiliation agreement designed to innovate and implement together to positively impact the health and well-being of children and families. The partnership involves deep interaction and collaboration between clinical, IT and operational professionals from Netsmart and Cornerstones.

On this episode of Cornerstones Cares, we speak with Randall Jenson about his new role as the LGBTQ Program Consultant & Trainer with Cornerstones of Care.

On this episode of Cornerstones Cares, we speak with Pam Hamilton about Human Trafficking. According to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), human trafficking is the fastest-growing illegal activity, trailing only drug distribution and sales. Many people are unaware of human trafficking as it is not as visible to their community, or because they have made assumptions that it pertains to only certain types of work or certain types of people.

In this episode, we discuss secondary trauma with Lesa Chandler. Secondary traumatic stress is the emotional duress that results when an individual hears about the firsthand trauma experiences of another. Its symptoms mimic those of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Accordingly, individuals affected by secondary stress may find themselves re-experiencing personal trauma or notice an increase in arousal and avoidance reactions related to the indirect trauma exposure. They may also experience changes in memory and perception; alterations in their sense of self-efficacy; a depletion of personal resources; and disruption in their perceptions of safety, trust, and independence.

In this episode, we talk about music therapy Discussion with CharCarol Fisher. Activities like music therapy can be powerful tools in helping children with emotional, behavioral and learning disabilities as they attempt to express their thoughts and feelings.

In this episode, we sit down with Puck and Thrasher from the Bikers Against Child Abuse. Bikers Against Child Abuse, Inc. (B.A.C.A.) exists with the intent to create a safer environment for abused children. We exist as a body of Bikers to empower children to not feel afraid of the world in which they live. We stand ready to lend support to our wounded friends by involving them with an established, united organization. We work in conjunction with local and state officials who are already in place to protect children. We desire to send a clear message to all involved with the abused child that this child is part of our organization, and that we are prepared to lend our physical and emotional support to them by affiliation, and our physical presence. We stand at the ready to shield these children from further abuse. We do not condone the use of violence or physical force in any manner, however, if circumstances arise such that we are the only obstacle preventing a child from further abuse, we stand ready to be that obstacle.

On this episode of Cornestones Cares, we talk with foster parents Robert and Jennifer Flores to get a snapshot of what it means to be a foster parent.

In this episode of Cornerstones Cares, we talk with Mary Rinne of our Home Finding Center. The Home Finding Center places approximately 200 a month in foster homes in the 30-county northwest Missouri region. It works to match children in appropriate homes in their own communities to minimize disruption and keep siblings taken into state custody together.