Jodie Austin, President of KVC Nebraska, and Theresa Goley, Service Area Director for KVC Nebraska, were recently selected as new members of the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform (CJJR) Fellows Network based on the approval of their capstone project.

Theresa Goley

Jodie Austin

The KVC Nebraska team’s capstone project is focused on decreasing the number of youth entering detention and congregate care settings. As well as maintaining or decreasing the youth recidivism rate. The team is accomplishing this by implementing KVC’s unique Safe & Connected™ model, including a trauma screen and a full array of trauma-informed interventions.

“By promoting trauma-informed care, this capstone project has great potential to benefit youth served by KVC in Nebraska,” said Shay Bilchik, Director of CJJR. “Trauma-informed care can be key to better meeting youth’s behavioral health needs and facilitating their success within a particular placement – with the end result being improved youth outcomes and enhanced public safety.”

The Center for Juvenile Justice Reform at Georgetown University advances a balanced, multi-systems approach to reducing juvenile delinquency.  It promotes positive child and youth development, while also holding youth accountable. The Center works to focus the nation’s juvenile justice and related systems of care on the key principles embodied in an evidence-based juvenile justice reform agenda, utilizing a multi-systems approach.

Members of the KVC team attended the Youth in Custody Certificate Program in June 2014. They were admitted to the CJJR Fellows Network in August 2014.

“This project has great potential to benefit youth served by KVC in Nebraska.” — Shay Bilchik, Director of CJJR

In her role as President of KVC Nebraska, Austin manages the largest child placing agency in the state. Austin supervises both foster family recruitment/training efforts as well as the provision of intensive in-home services. She is a licensed clinical social worker.  Austin has completed clinical work in areas ranging from women’s issues and child welfare to intellectual disabilities and substance abuse treatment. Austin has served on the Foster Family Treatment Association’s National Board of Directors. She’s also has served as the Nebraska Friends of Foster Children Board of Directors and Chairs the Foster Family Treatment Association Research Committee. Austin was a recipient of the Midlands Business Journal’s “40 under 40″ Award for her work in foster care in 2011.

Theresa Goley, MA, LMHP, has worked with youth for over 20 years. Prior to joining KVC, she worked as a Juvenile Intake and Alternatives Program Specialist with Nebraska State Probation. Golly served as the Statewide Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative Coordinator. She took the lead in working for juvenile justice reform in Nebraska. Her work included the expansion of the Crossover Youth Practice Model. In her role at KVC, Goley manages the agency’s South Eastern Service Areas. This includes foster family recruitment/training and intensive in-home services for families.

For more information on CJJR Fellows Network, visit http://cjjr.georgetown.edu.

KVC Nebraska is a private, nonprofit child welfare and behavioral healthcare organization. KVC recruits, trains, licenses and supports foster families to care for more than 1,000 children and adolescents each year. Children served have been removed from their homes due to abuse, neglect or other family challenges. KVC is well known for its leadership in the area of trauma. It has partnered with Trauma Systems Therapy (TST) developer Dr. Glenn Saxe to create the NYU/KVC Midwest Trauma Training Center. The Center provides expertise to clinicians throughout the Midwest. They have been promoting the use of effective trauma treatment and services for children, adolescents and families.

For more information, contact Maggie Dworak at (402) 498-4700 or mdworak@kvc.org.

About KVC Nebraska

KVC Nebraska is a nonprofit child welfare and behavioral healthcare organization that provides foster care and intensive in-home services. As the largest child placing agency in the state, KVC recruits, trains, licenses and supports foster families, caring for more than 1,000 children and adolescents each year. KVC staff provide ongoing support to families including 24/7 crisis support, continuing education programs, mentoring coordination, community support groups, and educational programs and publications. KVC Nebraska is accredited by The Joint Commission. The organization is a subsidiary of KVC Health Systems which touches the lives of over 50,000 children and families each year. Learn more at https://nebraska.kvc.org.