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Contact Information
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Agency Description
History/Background
In 1991, a coalition of community leaders and service providers came together to discuss the need for developing strategies to assist families in Phelps County. The effort produced the Phelps County Family Action Support Team, "FAST."
FAST recognizes that a public and private partnership must exist to address the concerns of the county. FAST is dedicated to planning and implementing processes that promote prevention through education, to early identification of problems, and to early intervention so as to break the cycle of erosion of our families. Two initial programs (immunization clinic and day camp) now stand alone.
Our current programs reach out to meet your needs in child care–parenting–support systems for youth and new parents. FAST receives calls from in county (schools, doctors, churches, hospital, and families) and out of county (hospital, doctors, therapists, SAFE center, Crisis Pregnancy Center, ministers, schools, community organizations, and families). An out of state school requested information on starting one of our programs.
Mission Statement
The Phelps County Family Action Support Team (FAST) seeks to develop a community-based system of care that is proactive and family centered. We believe that services, programs, and activities that exist in isolation cannot effectively address the issues of families and children. We recognize that in order to be truly effective, a public and private partnership must exist to address the concerns of the county. We are dedicated to planning and implementing processes that promote prevention through education, to early identification of problems, and to early intervention so as to break the cycle of erosion of our families. FAST is an effective method of coordinating services and maximizing local, state, private, and public resources designed to support stronger and lasting families.
Priorities
This Phelps County Comprehensive Community Plan for Children, Youth, and Families is established upon the action plans that resulted from Focus Group meetings and committee meetings that addressed concerns of the community. Furthermore, this plan reflects the belief that community planning is an ongoing process and will change as the community changes, and problems are resolved while new ones emerge. However, three priority areas will be addressed within the next two years. They are:
Priority 1: Substance Abuse.
The first six months will be spent in development of a means to communicate and coordinate information within the four counties of Franklin, Harlan, Kearney, and Phelps. The first step will be communicating with the county judges, attorneys, magistrates, and county court clerks to develop a system to gather baseline data. The second step is coordinating the law enforcement agencies to share information across county lines regarding juvenile arrests. Step three will be the designing on an e-mail newsletter to share community events, workshops, parenting programs, and training across county lines.
Priority 2: Lack of Parental Involvement.
The first step is to contact the Extension Service to request technical assistance to facilitate the evaluation of available parenting skills programs. Step two is to identify and recruit presenters to share information of importance to parents and youth and provide this information to all four counties (Franklin, Harlan, Kearney, and Phelps). Step three is to identify and publicize 800 number hotline sources.
Priority 3: Anti-Social Behavior.
The first step is to educate the citizens in each county about the wraparound process. The second step is development of community wraparound teams in each county. The third step is to define at-risk youth who will be referred to wraparound. The fourth step will be to initiate the wraparound process in Franklin, Harlan and Kearney Counties and continue the wraparound process in Phelps County. Step five will develop a system to document out-of-home placement costs for youth in all four counties. Step six will explore the feasibility of combining juvenile diversion programs in all four counties.
Funding
Support comes from cash (individuals, organizations, fundraisers, and grants) and in-kind sources. Office space is provided in-kind by the St. Elizabeth's Episcopal Church. Grant support comes from the Nebraska Children and Families Foundation and the State Incentive Cooperative Agreement. Other funds through County Juvenile Service Aid Funds.
Board Members
Kathy Veal
Cindy Schinzel-Hald
Julie Freburg
Tonya Ingram
David Sites
Terry Nelson
Dina Rathje
Affiliations
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Region III Behavioral Health Services
Voices for Children in Nebraska
Nebraska Children and Families Foundation
Special Recognition
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Nebraska Good Beginnings Community
On-Site Partners
FAST is currently co-located with the St. Elizabeth's Episcopal Church.
Programs & Services
CHUMS
CHUMS is a one-on-one adults/youth mentoring program designed to match partners by interests and activities. They sign a contract to meet once a week for an hour for one year. Emphasis is on doing things together without spending money, thus learning how to make and keep friends and have fun. Many have chosen to have matches continue when the year contract is over. Matches are male to male or female to female. Participants are single parent families, male head of households, female head of households, grandparents raising grandchildren, and two parent families. Adults interested in becoming mentors and youth interested in finding a new friend are encouraged to call.
ALL STARS
ALL STARS is designed to delay use of alcohol, and promote abstinence of tobacco, other drugs, intimate relations, and violence. The program is used in schools and community organizations and promotes family, church and community support in making positive decisions concerning risky behaviors. For additional information, visit ALL STARS on the Nebraska Council to Prevent Alcohol and Drug Abuse web site.
LIONS QUEST
Lions Quest is a program
that provides understanding of substance abuse by young people and then
offer the opportunity for youth to identify what their peers believe in
and do when confronted by illegal substances. It opens discussions with
parents and other adults on outcomes of using these illegal substances
and where their parents stand on these issues. They learn what damage
takes place in their bodies and the harm that brings to not only themselves
but their family and friends.
WRAPAROUND
Wraparound is a process that brings families, friends, relatives, community members, church, and agencies together as a support system. The process is designed to address issues such as behavior, school, respect, and discipline. The support system assists the family in setting outlined goals and the steps to accomplish those goals.
Affiliate Partners
To accomplish its mission, FAST coordinates with other private and public agencies. Primary partners include:
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Central Community College – Holdrege
Child Abuse Resource and Education Center
Community Action Partnership of Mid-Nebraska
Educational Service Unit #11
Holdrege Area Public Library System
Holdrege Day Camp
Holdrege Head Start
Individuals in County
Legal Community
Local Businesses
Methodist Memorial Homes
Ministerial Association
Nebraska Health and Human Services
Nebraska Workforce Development
Phelps County Community Foundation
Phelps County Schools
Phelps County Senior Center
Phelps Memorial Health Center
Private Therapists
Region III Behavioral Health Services
SAFE Center
Service Organizations
Trinity Child Care Center
UNL Cooperative Extension Service — Phelps County
WIC Supplemental Food Program