A program that is new to the Family Crisis Center (FCC) is now nationally recognized as the Central Kansas Drug Endangered Children (DEC) Alliance, which supports families facing problems associated with substance use.

“Barton and other central Kansas counties have a large number of drug-endangered children,” said Kylee Graves, FCC executive director. “Offering any resources and support we can to families is not only important, it is necessary.

“We also know that drug use, domestic violence and child abuse often go hand-in-hand. Therefore, by incorporating interventions for the whole family we can help more parents and children.”

Now that the National DEC Alliance has recognized the local effort, its resources are available here. “The national group has a tremendous amount of free training materials; we couldn’t be more grateful,” Graves commented.

Requirements for recognition include initial training, a commitment to continuing education and the establishment of a local multi-disciplinary team. So far, this team has eight members.

The group was represented at the recent Kansas Alliance for Drug Endangered Children’s Conference in Wichita.

Anyone interested in joining the team is encouraged to contact Graves or Aimee Peschka at the FCC, 1924 Broadway in Great Bend, by calling 620-793-9941.

One local project of this new alliance is already in the works. The FCC plans to hand-deliver “Timbi Talks About Addiction” kits to elementary schools in Barton and Pawnee counties when the next academic year begins.

Timbi Talks is designed to help children who have a parent struggling with addiction. An illustrated book helps them validate their emotions, while teaching them to recognize physical responses to chronic stress and achieving a sense of control in their lives.

“We will talk with principals and counselors about this great program and offer to present it to their classrooms,” Graves said.

Background

Previously, the local DEC program was under the umbrella of Rise Up, a Central Kansas Partnership task force. The grant funding expired, which means the coordinator is no longer available to continue.

Juvenile Services also was involved because its executive director, Marissa Woodmansee, wrote and submitted the original grant; it was awarded by the Kansas Alliance for DEC, in partnership with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

“The work that Rise Up and Juvenile Services performed in the last couple of years gave this program such a great start,” Graves emphasized. “They focused a lot on parents and recovery for those in active addition.

“We hope to continue what they started and increase the momentum by finding ways to empower parents and their children.”

Woodmansee is gratified that Graves and her staff have “eagerly stepped up to administer the local DEC program. The Family Crisis Center is giving the program the attention it deserves. It is in good hands.”

Goals/Stats

The main goal now is to secure funding so that the alliance gets off to a good start in Barton and Pawnee counties. A long-term objective is to branch out into the other eight counties in the FCC’s service territory.

“I would love to do that now but we need to find funding first,” Graves commented. “Currently, the whole staff is helping with this new venture.

“If we could sustain substantial funding in the future, we could entertain the idea of hiring someone specifically for this program.”

Other goals include getting more training; enhancing community awareness; adding to the multi-disciplinary team that has already had its first meeting; helping more families; and decreasing child abuse.

National statistics include:

• One in four children live with at least one caregiver with substance-use disorder.
• More than 100,000 drug-related deaths annually leave thousands of children without caregivers or trapped in homes where addiction, violence and neglect are prevalent.
• Overdose deaths leaving one or more children behind has risen 345 percent since 1999.

The FCC serves families in Barton, Barber, Comanche, Edwards, Kiowa, Ness, Pawnee, Pratt, Rush and Stafford counties.