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KidsNet helping troubled youth
CHATSWORTH — Having grown up in an orphanage and foster care homes, Cheryl Blackwell knows well the effect going from family to family might have on a young life. That’s why she believes KidsNet — a state Department of Human Resources funded program that works with children who have emotional or behavioral problems — is a good fit for her.
“My heart’s always been with the kids,” she said. “Working with kids is something I’ve always wanted to do.”
Formerly with the Murray County school system, Blackwell tried selling advertising after the school outreach program was ended due to a cut in grant funding. But she missed the interaction with young people. KidsNet focuses on youth ages 5 to 21.
“Growing up in foster care, I feel like I have a lot I can share,” she said. “The training for this position was pretty intense, with the state requiring that I go through a lot of online classes.”
Now as a KidsNet family advocate, Blackwell tries to steer troubled kids away from Juvenile Court and out of the foster care system. She works closely with local mental health agencies, Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS) and juvenile agencies.
“We’re working with kids who are having emotional problems in school, we’re trying to keep troubled youth in our community and work with them here instead of elsewhere, and keep those families intact,” said Heather Stanley, the service coordinator for the program.
Stanley noted KidsNet tries to keep children at home through counseling, networking with other social service agencies and schools — and also saves communities money.
“We’ve seen a decrease in hospitalization, in juvenile detention placements, in suicide-related behaviors and kids spending less time in the Juvenile Court system,” she said. “We’re trying to prevent these things from happening.”
KidsNet offers “therapeutic residential treatment” in facilities for 30, 60 or 90 days, but “not state hospitals,” said Stanley, who is a board certified art therapist. Those facilities are foster homes where parents have been trained to care for children with mental illnesses.
KidsNet is located in the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) office in Chatsworth at Murray Plaza. Probation officer Danielle Jones said the agency has only been in town six weeks, but already offers DJJ a “very positive” outreach and helps with their caseload.
“KidsNet is hosting a ‘system of care’ meeting where all the different programs — DJJ, DFCS, (mental health provider) Highland Rivers and others — elaborate on the families’ needs and then put together a plan,” she explained. “Our families are receptive to them, and it adds another layer of care to the families in need in our community.”
A case in point, Jones shared, is when Blackwell went out to see why a family had missed their appointment with the DJJ office. What could have been a “sticking point” before was found to only be a problem with affording the gas to make the appointment.
KidsNet also partners with local school systems, child care providers and community advocates through a county’s Family Connection Collaborative.
“So far, so good,” said Jones. “We’ve got lots of kids on our case load, 30 or 40 for our two case workers, and they’re able to spend more time with them — it’s been very positive.”
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Preparing for the big game
Kayla Webb, 15, performs a cheer with the varsity and junior varsity members of the North Murray cheerleading team Wednesday as they walk laps around the track at Murray High School. The team is getting ready for their first game of the season, scheduled for Aug. 20, a scrimmage against Murray High. Matt Hamilton/The Daily Citizen
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