• foster family

    Saint Francis Kansas Foster Family of the Year: Lance and Mandy Tally

    June 21, 2021 · Foster Care / Adoption,Foster Family Features,Kansas

    Licensed more than four years ago, the Tally family didn’t hesitate to wade into the deep end with their first long-term placement – a sibling set of four. Shortly afterwards, they added a fifth placement while the child waited for a kinship assessment. They’ve also fostered a teen, so she could remain in the community until she finished high school. They gave her a car and helped her apply for college and open a bank account. As far as Lance and Mandy are concerned, these actions are all just part of being an advocate for children in their care.

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    Saint Francis Ministries welcomes Rachel Williams-Ehue as Regional VP in Texas

    June 7, 2021 · Ministry News,Press Releases,Texas

    "We are excited to welcome Rachel to West Texas as she is a proven leader who has dedicated her life to improving child welfare systems to better serve children and families," says Cristian Garcia. He emphasizes her long career in child welfare, having served countless children and families over a span of nearly 20 years as a case manager, supervisor, and director at Saint Francis Ministries.

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    Understanding Long-Term Effects: Trauma Treatment Evolves

    May 19, 2021 · Hi-Lites,Ministry News

    Trauma can result from a single incident, such as the death of a parent or child. Or it can manifest as what child welfare workers call “complex trauma,” exposure to multiple traumatic events over time, often of an invasive, personal nature and resulting in challenges with shame, trust, self-esteem, identity and emotion regulation. Saint Francis has recognized the need to understand trauma and its impact on emotional development since the mid-1970s, said Chief Clinical Officer Cheryl Rathbun.

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    Equine Therapy: Healing Through Horses

    April 19, 2021 · Hi-Lites,Ministry News

    Raised a Baptist, Robert Price didn’t quite get the whole saint thing. So, when he and his wife, Angela, came across a statue of St. Francis at their local lawn and garden center in March 2020, he knew little about the Saint from Assisi. Yet, the statue intrigued him – even more so after Angela shared what she knew about Francis and why he seemed to matter to so many people.

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    Saint Francis’ Own Pulls Double Duty in the Army Reserves

    April 9, 2021 · Hi-Lites,Ministry News

    Around this time last year, COVID-19 was mostly an ominous-sounding word hinting at a danger that the world was just beginning to discover. As the numbers climbed, healthcare workers watched anxiously and prepared, while scientists scrambled to learn more about this disease. In March 2020, none of us were sure what the virus was capable of. Into this risky and uncertain situation moved the 1908th Medical Detachment of the U.S. Army Reserve, based at Topeka, Kansas. Mobilized as part of the Urban Augmented Medical Task Force, they spent nearly four months in Texas, New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts providing behavioral mental health support to civilian patients and front-line healthcare workers in local hospitals. One of those soldiers was Sgt. Donald Holliday, a behavioral health social worker and an employee of Saint Francis Ministries.

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    HiLites 2021: Spring e-zine

    April 2, 2021 · Hi-Lites,Newsletters

    Welcome to the first edition of our redesigned Hi-Lites electronic magazine, or e-zine! You'll find 40+ pages of compelling stories, thought-provoking articles and highlight of people who are making a difference.

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