Jodie Austin

Each day, KVC is committed to enriching and enhancing the lives of children and families through social services, education and behavioral healthcare. “Our goal is to always serve the children and families in our care, but we know there are so many more we could be helping,” said Jodie Austin, President of KVC Nebraska. “We are always looking for ways to help more people have healthy childhoods and create healthy communities.”

Continuing our mission of serving more children, teens and families in our communities, KVC Nebraska is pleased to announce that we have been chosen to help implement Systems of Care by expanding our services to include Parents and Children Together (PACT) and Youth Peer Support. These two new programs are intended to reduce the need for further system involvement by providing early intervention to children with Serious Emotional Disturbances and their families in Douglas, Sarpy, Cass, Dodge and Washington counties. These services were awarded by the Nebraska Systems of Care Expansion & Sustainability Grant SM063392 and are funded through Region 6 Behavioral HealthCare, an organization that works to provide mental health and substance use services in the community with the Department of Health and Human Services; Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Center for Mental Health Services.

About Parents and Children Together (PACT)

The PACT program aims to improve outcomes for children and adolescents who have a serious emotional or behavioral disorder. PACT works with youth who are at a high risk for struggling in school or encountering the juvenile justice system or public child welfare services. The program provides home-based therapy, parenting skills, emotional and social skill building, and concrete supports.

Early intervention with families through programs like PACT are designed to help prevent abuse, family struggles and neglect and to improve child and family well-being.

About Youth Peer Support

The Youth Peer Support program is designed to help a child or teen participating in the PACT program maintain ongoing wellness and recovery. This program is provided through a Youth Peer Support Specialist who has experience with mental health in the youth service system. The Specialist will use his or her experience with wellness and recovery to empower other children and teens to lead a healthy life.

With expanded services, KVC aims to ensure that more children are safe and that families in every community can have the support they need in order to keep their family safely together.