Caledonia Argus

Collaborative seeks to help youth

Posted: 9/17/02

by Andrew Miller
Argus News Reporter

Founded in 1993, the Houston County Family Services Collaborative (HCFSC) is an agency directed toward providing effective services for children, adolescents, and families. It consists of a group of administrators, county officials, and service providers aimed at coordinating efforts within the county to meet this goal.

ìThe idea is that by working together everybody can do a significantly better job than if they worked alone,î said HCFSC director John Seem. ìItís synergisticñ the total is greater than the sum of the parts.î

Seem, who has been Director of the Family Services Collaborative for three months, left a career as a college Sociology professor to fill the position, in hopes that the Collaborative would be a chance to apply to the real world what he taught as a professor.

ìI wanted to do something outside of college, working to help families and kids,î he said. ìThe whole idea is just so right, I was thrilled to be hired. This is the opportunity to do a lot of things I taught about and itís really exciting.î

As director, Seem works closely with HCFSCís two formal administrative bodies. The first, the Governing Board and Management Team, is comprised of school superintendents, school board representatives, directors of county agencies, and county commissioners. The second, the Collaborative Council, includes community education directors, county service providers, and county agency representatives.

One of the principal duties of these groups involves initiating and reviewing grant proposals and distributing funding to programs within Houston County that provide services for kids, adolescents, and families. When groups in Houston County that provide services to county youth wish to seek grant money, the proposals often go through HCFSC.

The programs that receive grant money through HCFSC must document a clear need for dollars, as well as broad support from the community and an intent to benefit county youth.

ìWe wonít just give money to anybody,î Seem said. ìWith proposals we look for broad support and genuine need.î

At present, a moratorium has been called on all new grant proposals. The hiatus has allowed the organization to evaluate the process by which they fund programs.

ìWe need to look at what kind of things we want to fund in the future,î Seem noted. ìWeíre reconsidering what we do to make sure weíre doing the best job. This is an ongoing process, and thereíll always be times when we assess what weíre doing.î

Though no agencies have grant proposals pending right now, money received through HCFSC is still being put to good use at present. The money HCFSC receives through the state of Minnesota is being used toward a number of programs benefitting county youth. Funding is provided to Teen Support Workers and Family Support Workers, who provide education opportunities that are not available in the typical high school curriculum.

Teen Support Workers assist adolescents in Houston County with adjustment-related issues, helping teens to integrate into society and engage in productive behavior. The program has been so successful in helping teens in Houston County, Winona County has adopted a similar program. Family Support Workers are social workers who provide a broad range of support services for kids within county school districts.

ìSchools are an ideal place for these Family Support Workers to be located,î Seem noted. ìSchools are really a big part of thisñ a lot of our services are offered in schools.î

HCFSC also provides funding for a program that enables Houston County schools to have the appropriate nursing staff on duty. Schools within Houston County were having difficulty meeting the level of nursing staff mandated by the state of Minnesota, so HCFSC channeled funds to the schools to meet this need.

ìSome kids donít have access to good health care,î Seem said. ìSince all kids attend schools, schools are such a good place for our nursing services.î

Friends of Families, another program funded by HCFSC, provides services to some county youth well before they enter the school system. Shortly after a child is born, a volunteer will go to the childís home three times and offer the parents information on child development and on resources in Houston County for families with young children.

ìFriends of Families is about health and the development of the child,î Seem said. ìFamilies are of utmost importance in a childís life, and this helps the parents be more informed about their children.î

HCFSC has so far proven effective in providing effective services to county youth, due in large part to the staff and workers that administer the programs, the people who work directly with the youth.

ìAnyone associated with the Collaborative loves kids,î Seem noted. ìThese people are the best kind of people you can meet.î

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