A NEXUS NEWSLETTER

NOVEMBER 2014
cornerst ne

the spirit of
Giving
IN THIS MONTH’S ISSUE Cultivating Great Internal Customer Service
Practicing Humility
Servant Leadership
Understanding a Family’s Hierarchy of Needs
 from the corner office of the
CEO
“Your customer doesn’t care how much you
know until they know how much you care.”
David Hutchinson
Customer service is a term we generally
associate with companies that sell goods and
services. If we go to a coffee shop, we expect to
get good customer service: the person behind
the counter helps us place our order; then he or
she completes it. If that server is pleasant, takes
our order quickly, and delivers our coffee to us
correctly, we feel we’ve gotten good service for
our money.
But what happens when no money is
exchanged? Do we see a coworker as a
customer when he needs a financial report
to finish his budget? Is a Clinical Director a
customer when she asks to discuss a case with
you? Is a Communications Coordinator a
customer when he needs some pictures from
your program’s field trip for his story?
Helping coworkers do their jobs better helps
Nexus do a better job overall. Customer service
is key to success, and internal customer service
is key to exceptional external customer service.
According to Entrepreneur magazine, “superior
internal customer service improves morale,
productivity, employee retention, external
customer service, and, ultimately, profitability.”
As Nexus staff, we are all both customers and
1 | NOVEMBER 2014
–Damon Richards
servers many times throughout a workday, and
we need to remember to consistently treat each
other with our Cornerstone Values of Honesty,
Responsibility, Courage, Care & Concern.
Entrepreneur magazine offered these tips from
a roundtable discussion on internal customer
service. Use them regularly in your dealings
with coworkers. See what a difference they can
make.
Treat coworkers and other departments as your
customers. Treat them like VIPs, not nuisances.
Do whatever it takes to help. One day, your
coworkers will return the favor.
View coworkers’ requests as opportunities
to help Nexus reach its strategic goals. Build
helpful and productive coworker relationships.
Exceed your internal customers’ expectations.
Do things faster, better, easier. Follow through.
Let your coworkers know they can count on
you.
Say thank you. It means so much.

COO
“Leadership is INFLUENCE;
nothing more, nothing less.”
–John Maxwell
At our recent Annual Conference, I presented on a
subject that I am extremely passionate about: Servant
Leadership.
Many organizations, including Nexus, spend a great
deal of time training staff to do the essentials of the job,
but very little time raising up and training people to be
true leaders. Leadership is an awesome responsibility,
and I was very happy to spend some time addressing
the subject with Nexus staff. Below are some excerpts
from that presentation.
Servant Leadership has been around since 1970, when
Robert Greenleaf first coined the term in an essay
entitled “The Servant as Leader.” The key conclusion he
made can be seen in the following quote:
“The servant-leader is servant first. It begins with the
natural feeling that one wants to serve. Then conscious
choice brings one to aspire to lead. The best test is:
Do those served grow as persons; do they, while being
served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous,
more likely themselves to become servants.”
Servant leadership is not a soft approach to leadership.
On the contrary, it is difficult. Accountability is a key
component of this approach’s effectiveness. Leaders
must be honest with the people they lead, and must
hold them accountable when they are not performing
well. They must also be open to hearing honest
feedback.
Today, Servant Leadership is practiced by many major
companies, including 35 of the top 100 Fortune 500
companies in the United States. The list includes
Southwest Airlines, Starbucks, and Marriot.
Operations Outlook
Anyone who
influences others
can be a leader.
Leadership is the
B rock W olff
ability to inspire
people to action, to influence them to be the best
they can be. Leadership is the combination of Skill,
Influence, and Character.
The full definition of leadership is the SKILL of
INFLUENCING people to enthusiastically work
toward goals identified as being for the common
good, with CHARACTER that inspires confidence.
Integrity and compassion are necessary components
of character, as are serving and sacrifice. A true leader
utilizes all of these elements through a lens of love.
In leadership, love is a verb. It is the act of extending
yourself to others by identifying and meeting needs.
It is an ACTION. It is a choice. It means seeking the
greatest good of another person.
A leader must demonstrate the loving characteristics
of Patience, Kindness, Respect, Trust, Giving, Honesty,
Forgiveness, Commitment and Humility – qualities
that are not unlike our Cornerstone Values.
Servant Leadership is hard work. It must be continually
practiced and measured until intentions align with
actions. It really is a matter of the will.
The Ken Blanchard formula for Servant Leadership
says
Intentions – Actions = Nothing
Intentions + Actions = The Will
May we all aspire to become servant leaders wherever
we are.
NOVEMBER 2014 | 2
 Internal Giving
Ways to Donate A Time for Giving
• Contact your site Human Resources Supporting the Nexus Mission
Department to register for a one-time
or ongoing donation to Youth Without
Resources.
As the holiday season approaches, many people look for
• Go online at www.nexustreatment.org ways to give back through end-of-year donations. As a
or GiveMN to donate directly to a Nexus nonprofit, Nexus counts on donations to help purchase
site. the essentials that youth in our care need and to provide
those special things that make the holidays bright for all
• Contribute to Nexus CARES – A fund that kids.
benefits foster youth and families.
• Make a donation or volunteer time to What better way to give back than within your own
the Crisis Nursery Serving Wright County. organization? In addition, when you give to Nexus, your
donation is tax-deductible.
• Sponsor a personalized pillowcase for a
foster youth. Each Nexus site has a number of ways for employees and
donors to contribute to the Nexus mission, programs, and
• Donate to the sites’ Wish Lists. youth.
Commonly needed items are listed
below: YOUTH WITHOUT RESOURCES
• Gift Cards Youth Without Resources helps fulfill the basic needs of
• Hygiene Products youth on each campus. Donations help pay for medical
• Books treatment not covered by insurance, community college
• School and Craft Supplies tuition, apartment security deposits, and caps and gowns
• Coloring Books for high school graduation ceremonies.
• Markers & Crayons
• Playing Cards Fund money comes from personal contributions – much
• Board Games of it from employee contributions – either one-time
• Outdoor Games donations or payroll deductions. If you are interested
• Sports Equipment in donating, contact your site’s Human Resources
department for registration information. Outside donors
• Toys
can also contribute to the Youth Without Resources Fund.
Contact each site directly to make a contribution.

One-hundred percent of all contributions go directly to

benefit the youth on campus.

ONLINE DONATIONS
NEXUS WEBSITE
You can make donations directly to one of our sites
through the Nexus website: www.nexustreatment.org.

Each site homepage has a “Donate Now” button that will

take you to a secure PayPal page, where you can enter

3 | NOVEMBER 2014
 Ways to Give
your donation information.
Other Ways to Give Your
GIVEMN Time or Talent
Our Minnesota sites – Gerard Academy, Mille Lacs
Academy, and Kindred Family Focus – are all part of
Nexus offers many ways for you to get
GiveMN, an online giving forum for Minnesota nonprofit
involved throughout the year. We are
organizations, schools, and causes. Simply go to www.
always looking for sponsors and donors for
givemn.org, enter one of Nexus’ Minnesota site names, or
events like golf tournaments, graduations,
type “Nexus” in the search bar to choose the program of
family fun days, field trips, auctions, a Tool
your choice.
Bash, and more.

NEXUS CARES Additionally, our youth appreciate a special

Kindred Family Focus has a few unique giving meal for the holidays and gifts on holidays
opportunities to benefit Minnesota youth in need. and birthdays.

Nexus CARES benefits both foster youth and foster If you want to help, please contact one of
families who need assistance with uncovered expenses, our sites directly to discuss ways to get
such as clothing, eyeglasses, hearing aides, and braces involved.
for foster youth. Funds also help pay for activity fees for
athletic and academic clubs, and school events like prom Mille Lacs Academy
and graduation. This past summer, one foster family even Jeremy Janski: 320.532.4005
used funds to take their foster kids on a their first ever trip
outside of Minnesota. Gerard Academy
Damien Londino-Green: 507.433.1843
To donate to Nexus CARES, contact the Nexus Corporate
office or Kindred Family Focus. Onarga Academy
Arlinda Zaucha: 815.268.4001
CRISIS NURSERY SERVING WRIGHT COUNTY
The Crisis Nursery Serving Wright County is operated by Indian Oaks Academy
Kindred Family Focus. Giving your time or money to the Bobbie Ruyle: 815.802.3700
Crisis Nursery provides telephone help lines, emergency
child care, and other support services at no cost to Wright Woodbourne Center
County families in crisis. To donate or volunteer, contact Sarah Weissman: 410.433.1000
Jill Gatzke at jgatzke@nexus-kff.org.
Kindred Family Focus
PERSONALIZED PILLOWCASES Lorie Gratke: 763.271.1670
A Kindred Family Focus volunteer has begun making
personalized fleece pillowcases for foster youth. With Crisis Nursery Serving Wright County
funds provided by individual donations and Nexus Jill Gatzke: 763.271.1674
CARES, foster children get pillowcases embroidered with
their name and featuring their favorite color, sport, or
character. Contact Kindred Family Focus if you’d like to
sponsor a personalized pillowcase for a foster youth.

NOVEMBER 2014 | 4
 Family Partnership
A Family’s Hierarchy of Needs
Dr. Michelle K. Murray, LMFT
Director of Clinical Services
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a psychological
theory that describes human motivation. The
central premise of Maslow’s theory is that an
individual’s most basic level of needs must be
met before one is able to desire, or focus their
motivation around, meeting secondary or higher-
level needs.
Basic level needs include physiological needs like
food, water, breathing, sex, and sleep. Second level
needs include personal and financial security,
health and well-being, and having a safety net
against illness or accidents. According to Maslow’s
theory, our physiological and safety needs must be
met before we can focus on meeting our needs for
love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization.
In much the same way, a family must have their
basic physiological, safety, and security needs met
before they can attend to higher-level needs and
demands.
If a family is worried about food, housing,
clothing, and employment, they will have a more
difficult time focusing on their child’s behavior.
5 | NOVEMBER 2014
Therefore, if we want to truly engage families and help
them meet their children’s needs, we must first ensure
they can meet their own basic needs of safety and
security. Once those basic needs are met, families will
be able to attend to the complex therapeutic processes
that focus on emotional and relational needs.
Although Nexus does not have the resources to directly
provide families with food, shelter, and employment
to families in treatment, we can design processes
within our services to help connect families to essential
resources within their communities.
This next year, we will work to become more familiar
and connected with community resources in the
communities in which our families in treatment live.
These connections will also help Nexus establish
relationships and partnerships between our sites and
the communities in which we serve. The result will be a
wider range of resources to help families in need.
Several of our sites have already begun the process of
developing such awareness and resource development.
In particular, Stephen Johnson, Aftercare Coordinator
at Mille Lacs Academy, and Allyson Taylor, Aftercare
Transitioning Social Worker at Woodbourne Center,
have begun to compile community connection resource
lists.
Stephen and Allyson have offered to help other sites
design the tools necessary to make similar connections
in their vicinities. Please feel free to contact them
directly for assistance: sajohnson@nexus-mla.org;
ataylor@woodbourne.org.
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NOVEMBER 2014 | 6
 CQI Corner
I Can’t Get No Satisfaction (Surveys)
Onarga Academy’s Experience in Gathering and Using
Family Satisfaction Surveys
Becky Schedin
Director of CQI and Research
This CQI Corner looks at one example of CQI in action
at Onarga Academy. We talked with Jamie Kozma,
Clinical Director, and Steve Greenlee, QI Supervisor, on
their efforts to boost return rates for Family Satisfaction
Surveys, and what they are doing with the information.
Throughout Nexus, we constantly seek feedback
from youth and stakeholders to better understand
their experience with the care we provide. One way
we gather feedback is through Family Satisfaction
Surveys (FSS) that family members of youth fill out
while their child is in our care and at the time of
discharge. These surveys help us understand families’
experiences, gather their opinions of our teams,
services, and facilities, and identify areas of strength
and improvement.
While these surveys are used across Nexus, gathering
information from families can be challenging for a
number of reasons. Many youth do not have family
who are regularly involved with their care, and
finding a person to speak with can be difficult. Others
have family who live far away and are not often
available. Combine these factors with the many other
responsibilities and limited time that our staff has, and
it becomes clear why getting good return rates can be
challenging.
When Jamie Kozma became Onarga’s Clinical
Director in 2006, she began supervising Onarga’s
family therapists and all related activities, including
Family Satisfaction Surveys. She noticed that return
rates for surveys were consistently low. They only
received a return of about 30-40% of surveys. After
talking to her teams about the challenges and issues
contributing to the low return rates, they decided on a
new approach.
7 | NOVEMBER 2014
Jamie started by creating a tracking spreadsheet that
listed all youth in Onarga’s care and due dates for each
youth’s Family Satisfaction Surveys. She then started
sending out due date reminders to therapists and
supervisors. When a survey came in, it was checked
off. If a survey was overdue or missing, she sent out
additional reminders to therapists and supervisors.
“I knew we had
to improve the
return rates,
and that it was
essential to
keep everyone
invested and
involved. I
started sending
out reminders
and updates, using humor; I would include jokes,
pictures, whatever I could find.”
Response rates improved gradually with this new
approach, but rates really started to improve when
Onarga included Satisfaction Surveys in a Key Focus
Area (KFA) for the year. The goal was to improve
distribution and return rates of the FSS. Their
approach was a contest between programs to see
which could get the best return rate.
“The contest and attention we paid to it really
energized programs, and we saw a positive impact
almost immediately,” Kozma said. “Having that
friendly competition and offering a reward as well as
having everyone focus on it really made it important
and kept the issue at the forefront of everyone’s
attention, which was crucial to success. We also tried
to make the reward meaningful, with the winning
program’s milieu being covered by administrative staff
 CQI Corner
for a shift. In addition, they got a commemorative
plaque and a pizza party. We also began sharing the
information from the surveys with teams–both to
celebrate compliments and remarks that were shared
by families, as well as to monitor areas of concern.”

In addition to the contest, Onarga also tried a variety

of new and persistent approaches to gather responses.

“We started out with just the family therapists

being the ones to collect the surveys, but eventually
broadened it to include supervisors, as well as QI,”
Kozma said. “We were able to get more people beyond
the therapists involved in collecting the survey
information, and could be more persistent, which
was a huge help. Having other staff who were able to
follow up with families was really helpful, and also
allowed us to come up with guidelines and training
for everyone on how the process works.”
Onarga continued to brainstorm new approaches
and designed ways to streamline the process. Regular
reminders began going out to staff well before survey
due dates approach. But that only solved part of the
problem.
Steve Greenlee, QI Supervisor, recalled, “We still
noticed there were struggles with reaching certain
family members and getting them to return written
surveys (i.e., “Oh, I forgot it at home,” or “I’ll be sure
to mail it in,” were common responses with these
families). Because of confidentiality issues, it was
tough to reach families who we didn’t see on site.
We were finally able to figure out a way to gather
electronic information securely using a HIPAA-
compliant solution. We can now receive electronic
responses from families that we would not have
otherwise been able to reach.”
The electronic solution was responsive to families’
needs and allowed them to complete their survey on-
site, which reduced paper forms and eliminated later
manual data entry.
quarters of 2014 show a 100% return rate – the result
of tremendous effort and teamwork.
“We’re looking forward to doing more with the data
and thinking about how this information aligns with a
family’s level of involvement throughout services and
their internal family satisfaction and communication
dynamics with one another, as well as change in the
data over time.” Kozma said.
“In trying to make sense of the data being returned
on surveys, we are taking a strengths-based approach
and identifying what families are consistently pointing
out that we do well,” Greenlee said. “We recognize
that our greatest opportunity for distinguishing our
agency from competitors is to develop our strengths.
One-hundred percent of family respondents indicated
that they feel Onarga Academy is a safe place for
their child to do treatment, that there are sufficient
opportunities for visits and contact, and that our
facilities are clean and attractive. We are currently
focusing on these areas within our strategic planning
workgroups.”
“We’re very pleased with what we are learning, and
are proud of ourselves and our progress, and plan to
keep up the good work!” said Kozma.

The result of these efforts has been remarkable— We’ll look at other examples of CQI in action across Nexus
return rates for discharge Family Satisfaction Surveys in future issues of the Cornerstone. If you have an idea or
were 43% for the first two quarters of 2013, and grew any questions, please contact Becky Schedin, Director of
to 81% in the last two quarters of 2013. The first two CQI and Research at rschedin@nexustreatment.org.

NOVEMBER 2014 | 8
 Live Well, Everyday
Beat the Winter Blues
Before the cold weather and gloomy days get you down,
use these tips to make this a happy and healthy winter.
Embrace the season. Relish in winter’s pleasures; hot
cocoa, holiday lights, and fun winter activities. Always
dress for the weather. Sure, stuffing yourself into a parka
can make you feel like the abominable snowman, but
staying warm is a surprising secret to feeling merry.
Get your group on. Bears may hibernate all winter, but
we humans weren’t built for that. In fact, socializing is a
very powerful spirit-lifter. Make time each week or each
day to have a “buddy moment,” whether it’s grabbing
lunch with a coworker or taking a class with a friend.
Establishing get-together routines are also great; make
dates with your friends and family, or join a local club.
Winterize your workout. Low temps make it tough
to stay motivated, but exercise helps boost your mood
and can keep you happier throughout the season. Brave
the elements if you can; research shows outdoor activity
creates more feel-good endorphins than indoor exercise;
if the weather is too harsh, do an at-home routine or keep
an exercise DVD handy.
Eat happy. Resist fatty, sugary comfort foods. Highly
refined carbs and sugar can wreak havoc on blood sugar
levels, which can leave you feeling cranky. Some comfort
foods, however, can double as healthy pick-me-ups,
especially if they contain nutrients like omega-3 fatty
acids, good carbohydrates (think whole grains and
vegetables), protein, and B vitamins.
Rise and shine. Waking up to a brighter bedroom can
help you feel happier all day. Leave curtains and blinds
open, or put lamps on a timer to switch on a few minutes
before your alarm sounds.
Lighten up. Exposure to sunlight is a powerful way to
lift your spirits. Go for a walk when the sun is out, but
make sure to bundle up. You can also swap out some light
bulbs for compact fluorescent bulbs (CFL) that have color
temperatures around 4,000 degrees Kelvin. These bulbs
mimic sunlight better than incandescent bulbs and give
off some of the feel-good benefits of natural sunlight. Try
putting CFL bulbs in high-traffic areas of your home, such
as in the kitchen and family room.
9 | NOVEMBER 2014
Be Humble, Be Happy
Using Humility to Create Stronger
Relationships
When we think about wellness and health, we often
focus on two major parts: healthy eating and physical
fitness. But wellness is so much more than that. Wellness
also encompasses our emotional, spiritual, intellectual,
social, and occupational health, according to the National
Wellness Institute.
Introducing these lesser-acknowledged parts of wellness
into our daily activities is essential. A new wellness
practice focuses on humility. Humility is often negatively
interpreted and seen as synonymous with low self-esteem.
However, Webster’s dictionary defines humility as the
quality or state of not thinking you are better than other
people: the quality or state of being humble. That definition
encourages us to look at humility in another light.
Humility is growing in popularity as companies seek
leaders who can recognize and exemplify this trait.
Why has humility in leadership become so desirable?
According to Doug Guthrie and Sudhir Venkatesh of
Forbes, humility can “be a powerful tool for leaders –
actually increasing legitimacy.” When practiced regularly,
the authors say, humility can help “build a culture that
actually increases solidarity, innovation, openness to
change and many other positive features of organizational
life.” The authors go on to say that leaders who show
humility by taking responsibility for an error instead
of blaming someone else quickly gain the respect and
admiration of their team. “By admitting you are wrong, by
taking blame, you will have a group of more committed
followers.”
Humility isn’t just for leaders, we see it in all kinds of
people and positions, like the employee who goes above
and beyond but does not call attention to him/herself
for recognition. We see it when an anonymous donor
doesn’t feel the need to be recognized for a generous gift.
Humility is even found when we admit that we don’t know
the answer.

Bruna Martiniuzzi, author of The Leader as a
Mensch: Become the Kind of Person Others Want to
Follow, says the benefits of humility include “being
in a state of non-pretense. It improves relationships
across all levels, it reduces anxiety, it encourages
more openness and, paradoxically, it enhances one’s
self-confidence. It opens a window to a higher self.”
In Don Emerson Davis, Jr. and Joshua N. Hook’s
article, Measuring Humility and Its Positive Effects,
humility is identified with benefits that strengthen
social bonds. That’s especially important in
relationships where conflict or differences could
threaten the security of the relationship, such as
in a marriage, a therapist/client situation, or a
supervisor/supervisee position.
“Something interesting happens, too, when we
approach situations from a perspective of humility;
it opens us up to possibilities, as we choose open-
mindedness and curiosity over protecting our point
of view,” says Martinuzzi. “ We spend more time
in that wonderful space of the beginner’s mind,
willing to learn from what others have to offer. We
move away from ‘pushing’ into ‘allowing,’ from
insecure to secure, from seeking approval to seeking
enlightenment. We forget about being perfect, and
we enjoy being in the moment.”
Martinuzzi offers many suggestions on practicing
humility. A few are listed below:
• There are times when swallowing your pride can
be particularly difficult. It’s times like that when
any intentions of humility can fly right out the
window. Its easy to get engaged in a contest of
perfection and wills, with each side trying to best
the other. Next time you find yourself in that kind
of no-win situation, consider trying this strategy:
Just stop talking; allow the other person to have
the limelight. You’ll discover there is something
very liberating in stepping back.
Be Humble, Be Happy
• There are three magical words that can produce
more peace of mind than a week at an expensive
retreat: “You are right.” Try it.
• If you catch yourself suddenly preaching or
coaching your listener without their permission,
ask yourself why you feel the need to impose your
point of view on the discussion. Perhaps your
correction or instruction is a reflection of your
own need for prominence.
• Seek others’ input on how you are progressing
along your leadership path. Ask, “How am I
doing?” It takes humility to ask such a question.
And even more humility to consider the answer.
• Encourage the practice of humility in your
company through your own example. Share
credit for successes with others, and reinforce the
ethos of humility for your constituents. Consider
mentoring or coaching emerging leaders on this
key attribute of leadership.
Guthrie and Venkatesh of Forbes state that when we
are open to the idea of being wrong and when we
truly believe that another path might be better, we
become more creative and innovative.
People who practice humility tend to take more risks,
explore more paths with unknown outcomes, and, in
terms of leadership, build better organizations. The
ability to embrace humility and publicly acknowledge
errors is a profoundly powerful link between
authenticity and the success of an individual and
organization.
NOVEMBER 2014 | 10
 Mille Lacs Academy

Mille Lacs Academy

Fall Happenings

New Trails Group Home

Celebrates Remodeling
Completion
The Home Opens its Doors to the Community

After 11 years of operation, the New Trails

Group Home (NTGH) got a facelift. The
facility recently underwent a floor-to-ceiling
remodeling project. Walls were painted, tongue-
and-groove pine paneling was added to the
^ The house
stairwell walls, and flooring was replaced. was decorated
with an
To celebrate completion of the project, NTGH autumn
hosted an open house on October 27 for friends, theme!
neighbors, local community professionals,
members of the Mille Lacs Academy (MLA) Walls got a
Community Advisory Committee, State fresh coat of
Representative Sondra Erickson, County paint. >
Commissioner Dave Oslin, and Lisa Fobbe, a
member of Senator Al Franken’s staff. Upon < Tongue-
arrival, guests were offered a variety of New and-groove
paneling
Trails-related information and a small fall gift was added
bag filled with goodies. NTGH youth mingled to the
with guests and showed them around the home, stairwell.
which was decked in autumnal colors and
décor. The atmosphere was fun and relaxed, and
guests enjoyed tasty hors d’oeuvres, treats, and
punch.
Guests
The New Trails Group Home was established enjoyed a
festive and
in 2003 and serves up to 10 youth at a time. It
colorful
offers transitional support to youth who have spread. >
successfully completed treatment at MLA. The
program facilitates continued growth during
the final phases of treatment and helps prepare
youth for a successful return back into their
home communities.

11 | NOVEMBER 2014

Welcome, Paula!
MLA Hires a Second Clinical Director
Paula Minske joined Mille Lacs
Academy (MLA) on October 13
as the facility’s second Clinical
Director. She was previously
employed with Anoka County,
where she supervised mental health
and waiver staff.
Paula Minske
New Clinical Director Paula hails from North Dakota and
moved to Anoka, MN, when she
was just two years old. For the past 16 years, she and her
family have made their home in Zimmerman, MN. In her
free time, she loves to travel, spend time outdoors, and
fish. In fact, Paula once landed a 180-pound Marlin while
fishing in Los Cabos!
Paula received her undergraduate degree in Criminology
from the University of Minnesota-Duluth. After college,
she went to work with Volunteers of America (VOA) as
a residential counselor. During her 15 years with VOA,
Paula enjoyed working with boys and girls, ages 10-18.
She gained valuable experience in several roles during her
ascent to Program Director.
After a long and successful run at VOA, Paula decided to
pursue her Master’s Degree. She enrolled at St. Cloud State
University and earned a degree in Marriage and Family
Therapy (LMFT) and Community Counseling. She then
took a job with Sherburne County, MN, as a Therapeutic
Foster Care Social Worker. She describes the work as an
intensive role in which she worked with a small caseload
and met with clients multiple times each week.
Paula’s move to MLA enables her to continue working
with kids and provides a good match clinically. In
working with our youth, she believes that creating a solid
relationship “goes a long way.” Paula has a background
in Trauma-Informed Care (TIC), as well as Dialectical
Behavior Therapy (DBT). She will work primarily with
the Castle Program (ages 13-16) and Safari Program (ages
14-19, special needs).
Fall Happenings
Director’s Report
We are very excited to introduce
our newly developed MLA
short-term program as an
additional treatment alternative
for counties throughout the
state. Jan Gibson Talbot
Executive Director
We are also happy to report
that our middle management group is back at
full complement, with the recent hire of a clinical
supervisor for our youngest boys’ Ship Program.
With the last of this middle management
leadership coming on board in early December, and
with both clinical directors now “at the helm,” we
are eager to see this group work to strengthen our
trauma-informed care, family partnership initiative,
and customer service. Additionally, we will be
implementing Language Choice Therapy as another
communication tool in working with our youth,
beginning with a pilot in our oldest boys’ Navigators
Program.
MLA hosted its Fall Treatment Graduation on
October 11. While graduation is always a very
moving and inspiring event, it was even more so
this year as, for the first time in MLA’s history, our
keynote speaker was a 20-year graduate of MLA. His
words of wisdom, encouragement, and hope left all
of us inspired and hopeful for the future possibilities
that await each of our youth and all of us who care
for them.
MLA’s New Trails Group Home Open House had
a wonderful turnout, including several elected
officials from local, state, and federal levels of
government. Our youth and staff gave wonderful
tours of our newly renovated home, which received
rave reviews by all.
Our annual MLA Holiday Open House will be held on
Tuesday, December 9 from 4-7 p.m. Plan to join us!
We wish you a wonderful holiday season, filled with
much joy and peace.
NOVEMBER 2014 | 12
 Gerard Academy

Gerard Academy Beyond the Bully

Bullying is the use of force, threat, or coercion to
abuse, intimidate, or aggressively dominate others.
The behavior is often repeated and habitual. It’s
been the subject of many recent articles, and
news stories. Now, thanks to Austin’s local public
television station, KSMQ, it is also the subject of a
new documentary, entitled Beyond the Bully.

Gerard Academy was a sponsor of the

documentary, which aired locally in October
and is now available on public television stations
across the state. “We’ve talked about providing
social value as an organization, and supporting
the production of Beyond the Bully was one way
we could do that,” says Executive Director Brent
Henry.
President and CEO of KSMQ, Eric Olson, says,
“Having Gerard’s support was a morale booster
for the team that put this together. Knowing that
there was local support from an organization that
deals with mental health issues every day is a big
deal.”
Beyond the Bully is a documentary that provides
an up-close look at how school districts, youth
organizations, and students themselves address
the topic of bullying.
Hosted by longtime television personality Robyne
Robinson, it looks at more than just identifying
what bullying is; the program helps kids
understand what they can do to prevent bullying
when they see it happen. Beyond the Bully shares
programs that work, empowers bystanders to
stand up, and calls out offenders. It also addresses
some of the effects that victims experience.
Olson got interested in the subject of bullying
after reading a book on the topic by Dr. Sally
Kuykendall and seeing the theatre project AWARE
in Rochester, MN, both of which are featured
in the documentary. But it was also personal
experience that drove him to produce the
program. “I remember those feelings of isolation
and loneliness when I was in school, and I felt that
we could offer kids resources and tools in order to
help them. It’s important that kids know that there
are choices.”
In fact, the importance of choices is brought
home in the program, as one Southern Minnesota
family shares how bullying led to their daughter’s
suicide. “It’s heartbreaking,” says Olson, “but,
unfortunately, not uncommon.”
“Supporting KSMQ and this program fits perfectly
with our new mission statement: ‘Strengthening
Lives, Families, and Communities Through Our
Cornerstone Values,’” says Henry. “We couldn’t be
more proud to be associated with it.”

13 | NOVEMBER 2014

Kid President Inspires Gerard
Brad Montague created
Kid President in 2012
– a character developed
to give kids a voice and
showcase their inspiring
ideas.
Kid President, Robby Novak, created a
Montague’s brother-
“Socktober” challenge to collect socks for
homeless shelters. in-law, 10-year-old
Robby Novak, plays
Kid President in the online videos (www.kidpresident.com).
Novak has Osteogenesis Imperfecta, also known as brittle bone
disease, but despite his condition, creates high-energy videos
and encourages viewers to take part in challenges that can help
change the world.
As Kid President, Novak introduced Socktober, a challenge to
get more than 2 million people to donate socks to local shelters
during the month of October. He wanted to “prove that even the
smallest acts of love, like donating a pair of socks, can make a big
difference in the lives of our neighbors who are homeless.”
Lynn Smithwick, Clinical Supervisor of Gerard’s Cherbourg unit,
saw Kid President’s challenge and wanted to get involved. “The
girls [of Cherbourg] wanted to give back and help others that are
less fortunate. We discussed that there are over 600,000 homeless
people in the US, most being children, and it really struck a
chord with them. The girls readily accepted the challenge to
bring a sock drive to the whole campus.”
Gerard staff and youth donated 273 pairs of socks during
Socktober; and when one young man went home on a visit, he
specifically purchased socks
for the drive. The girls of
Cherbourg hand-delivered
the socks to the Dorothy
Day House, a homeless
shelter in Rochester,
MN. Dorothy Day Board
President Ray Ostfeld said,
The girls of Cherbourg hand-delivered “It is a great joy to see so
collected socks to a homeless shelter in many young people care
Rochester, MN.
about the homeless and to
work hard to help them. We have a big need for warm socks in
the winter, and this sock drive will help us a great deal.”
Needless to say, Gerard’s Socktober event was a success thanks
to the kindness of our youth and staff, and as Kid President says,
“People who make the world better for other people are some of
the best people.”
An Inspiring Autumn
Director’s Report
Life Coach Tony Robbins said,
“The key distinction that will
set you apart from the field is a
commitment to mastery.”
Gerard Academy is committed to
Brent Henry
giving our staff the opportunity Executive Director
to become masters of their
craft. The youth and families we serve deserve the
best that we can be and the best we have to offer.
This commitment to excellence and mastery has
motivated us to offer our staff National Residential
Child & Youth Care Certification through the
University of Oklahoma. Ten of our staff have been
selected to become certified trainers and will be
trained on our campus by instructors from the
University. Our staff-certified trainers will then train
all of our Youth Counselors. At the completion of
this training, each Youth Counselor will have the
opportunity to become a nationally certified youth
care worker by the University of Oklahoma. The
University says this certification process “means
your staff will maintain a common knowledge base
and residential care philosophy with consistently
high values and practices. And certification means
recognizable proficiency to placement organizations,
licensing and accrediting agencies, funding sources,
and the community at large.”
And what is the benefit to the Youth Counselor? “It
clearly denotes the skills you have learned, and it is a
commonly understood measure of your knowledge
and achievement. The certification process can
provide confidence in your ability for you and the
people with whom you work. More important, it will
benefit the children and youth in your care.”
I am excited to bring the University of Oklahoma’s
training and certification to Gerard Academy. Jack
Welch, former GE CEO, said, “The team that fields
the best players wins.” Bringing this training to
our campus is a statement that we are committed
to having the best players, and demonstrates our
dedication to being a Premier Provider.
NOVEMBER 2014 | 14
 Onarga Academy

Onarga Academy
Auditorium Renovation Restores Original Beauty

1
The newly remodeled facility is more accommodating for
a multitude of functions.

After years of planning and a year of renovation,

Onarga Academy’s new auditorium is finally a
reality. Plans for a grand opening event are now in
process.
2
Renewing the original beauty of the 80-year-old
space and making improvements to enhance each
guest’s experience was quite an achievement.
According to Mike Tilstra, Administrative
Director, “We now have a more accommodating
facility for a multitude of functions.”

The seating capacity was increased to more than

230, and comfort was improved with better
quality and spaced seating. The space was made
more aesthetically pleasing, with the addition of 3
new paint, floor coverings, lighting, heating, and
1. Before the renovation.
air conditioning. And the facility was brought 2. Construction begins.
up to date with state-of-the-art technological 3. Renovated auditorium
advancements that included new audio/visual with new lighting and
equipment and automatic blinds. window coverings.
4. The new art deco seats.
Many thanks to Facilities Technician Corey
Matthews for the space’s physical transformation
and IT team members, Lee Regnier and James
4
Roth, for the technological improvements.

15 | NOVEMBER 2014
 Ambassadors of Excellence
Director’s Report
Our Ambassadors of 2014 has been a year of growth
and success on the Onarga
Excellence Nominees Academy campus.

This past September, Nexus recognized an Ambassador Onarga Academy’s staff

of Excellence from each site. Before selecting the 2014 continues to impress with Dennis Wiley
Ambassador of Excellence for Onarga Academy, we Executive Director
solid behavior management
nominated 10 candidates for the honor. We recognize
programming across the board resulting in
each of them here for the amazing work they do!
record lows for UIR’s /restraints in 2014 (74%
reduction from 2013). Kids are actively engaged
Congratulations to all Onarga Academy
in the treatment process as well as meaningful,
Ambassador of Excellence Nominees!
structured, and fun activities.
• The Grand Prairie School’s Behavior
Intervention team has worked quite well
with the clinical team, teachers, and aides
resulting in just 4 physical restraints within
the school setting since January 2014.
• Our HR department staff has also worked
diligently and aggressively to fill positions,
Gerald Rieken, Sarah Slimmer,
a contributing factor to the overall process
Janelle Bagley,
Therapist Counselor Case Manager to help ensure program stability.
• Onarga Academy’s training department
greatly assists behavior management
success through the provision of a strong
staff development curriculum.
• Nursing, Vocational, Food Service,
Admissions & Aftercare, Foster Parents
and TCI trainers – all play an important
Stacy Jewell,
role with therapeutic outcomes, and
Mark Zinger, Woody Cowan, Bill Chivers,
Training Therapist Vocational Grand Prairie productively engaging youth on this
Coordinator Specialist School Teacher campus.
• Our administrative, IT, and maintenance
staff excels behind-the-scenes to
develop, support, and enhance our work
environment.

As we enter into the holiday season, I am

thankful for our talented and dedicated team
Sandra Krekeler, Sarah Thomson, Steve Greenlee, members who are committed to Strengthening
Grand Prairie Counselor – Quality Lives, Families, and Communities Through Our
School Principal Onarga Academy’s Improvement
2014 Ambassador Supervisor
Cornerstone Values.
of Excellence
Award Recipient

NOVEMBER 2014 | 16
 Indian Oaks Academy
Indian Oaks Academy
Strengthening the Mission
“I want you to burn our new mission into your
minds and your hearts.”
That was the challenge posed by Executive
Director Mike Chavers to every staff member
and youth at the close of IOA’s first-ever
Mission Week. “We want to strengthen
not only our youth, but their families and
communities,” said Chavers. “My goal is
that every member of IOA understands the
significance of our mission to strengthen
lives, families, and communities through our
cornerstone values.”
The Safe Harbor School Eagle made his
debut during Mission Week.
IOA held a week-long celebration, November
10-14, to introduce the new Nexus mission
statement. Monday was Program Pride Day,
with each program and department donning
a specific color that was reflected in program
sportswear, athletic jerseys, and program décor.
Tuesday was Mission, Vision, and Purpose
(MVP) Day, and new MVP Committees
(replacing former Key Focus Area committees)
were introduced. Over 300 cookies –
decorated with the new mission statement
– were passed out to staff as they visited
17 | NOVEMBER 2014
The MVP theme was
everywhere on Tuesday.
Staff in IOA blue on
Program Pride Day.
recruitment booths for each MVP committee.
At day’s end, almost 100 people had signed up
for committee service.
Wednesday, staff wore their IOA gear in honor
of Spirit Day. Awards were given for the oldest
gear worn (including sportswear from 15
years ago), the oldest Tool Bash T-shirt, best
integration of program theme, and more.
Staff broke out their vintage IOA shirts for Spirit Day.
Even though the temperatures dropped
below normal, Thursday morning was the
start of our Mission Walk. Each Safe Harbor
School classroom walked the route around
campus during what would normally be their
vocational class period. Programs and classes
made banners for the walk, and gave back to
the community by donating winter items to
local charities.
 Strengthening the Mission
The Mission Walk:
< Mission Week committee
members ready the registration
table.
Teachers Peggy Michalik, Scott
Moore, and Juli Smith accompanied
their class on the walk. >
Director’s Report
Indian Oaks Academy and
Starfish Family Homes, (the new
foster care arm of Indian Oaks
Academy) are teaming up for the
third annual “Spirit of Starfish
Giving” holiday fund raiser, Dec. Mike Chavers
5, 4-7 p.m., at the Quality Inn, Executive Director
800 N. Kinzie Ave., Bradley, IL.
Prior to joining Nexus, Starfish hosted this
successful annual event as its main fund raising
effort. Indian Oaks Academy Executive Director
Mike Chavers said, “We are honored to add our
help to this exceptional cause.”

Starfish Advisory Board Chair, SueAnn O’Connor,

^ Below-normal temperatures didn’t dampen spirits at the Mission Walk.
Mission Week also included a scavenger hunt with a
questionnaire that tested how well staff knew their coworkers.
Questions ranged from what three areas the MVP committees
will focus on, to which staff member tried out for Jeopardy and
met Alex Trebec!
The week wrapped up with a pep rally on Friday, where awards
were given for the Mission Week competitions, and staff and
kids entertained the audience.
Youth made great Mission Week banners.
and event organizers have been rounding
up donated items that will be distributed as
Christmas gifts for every foster child in Kankakee
County. “Each year, many children in our county
spend Christmas day hoping for that special toy
or item they’ve been wishing for all year long,”
explained O’Connor. “Many generous people
work hard to help us provide gifts and toys that
make their holidays memorable.”
Event supporters will “purchase” a gift from
donated items on display that evening. They
then have the option to include a handwritten
holiday card and a photo-booth photograph for
the foster child who receives the gift.
Volunteers, including youth from IOA, will be
on hand to wrap gifts and oversee cards and
photos. The night also includes an auction of
raffle items, music and entertainment, snacks,
refreshments and a cash bar.

Those interested in donating a gift or auction

item can contact Monique Davis at Indian Oaks
Academy at (815) 802-3700.

NOVEMBER 2014 | 18
 Woodbourne Center
Woodbourne Center
Redefining Masculinity
“I ask you: How
do you define your
masculinity?”
So began the
speech of former
NFL coach Joe
Ehrmann to the
young men at
Guest speaker Joe Ehrmann Woodbourne.
and Woodbourne Case Ehrmann, former
Manager Erika Johnson.
Baltimore Colts
coach and player, joined Woodbourne’s campus
to celebrate Cornerstone Values Day.
Ehrmann played professional football for
thirteen years, and was once named Colts Man
of the Year. Most recently, he is featured in a
video against domestic abuse that serves as
required viewing for the NFL, and he also works
with many NFL teams to educate them about
such issues.
Ehrmann has founded two nonprofits with his
wife, Paula: The Door, and Building Men and
Women for Others. Building Men and Women
for Others challenges ideas of masculinity and
femininity, and works to redefine the roles of
sports, coaches, parents, and athletes.
“24/7 we’re sent all kinds of misinformation
on what it means to be a man and about our
own value and worth,” said Ehrmann to the
young men. He discussed what he called the
fundamental lies of masculinity.
The lies, he said, are that one’s size, strength and
athletic ability are related to being a man;
19 | NOVEMBER 2014
and that one’s masculinity relies on sexual
conquest and financial success. “The lies of
masculinity create a world of domestic violence
and substance abuse.”
Ehrmann also said that men are socially
influenced not to express themselves, which
leads to more unhealthy behavior, like
dependency on alcohol and violence.
“The challenge for every man is to make sure
your heart is related to your head,” he said.
Ehrmann inspired the young men to figure out
their own masculinity, and told them they are
more than what has happened to them.
“None of us are hardwired; we can rewire
ourselves every time we make a self-
determination.”
Ehrmann described how the fundamental
lies, and the lack of ability for men to express
themselves, create a culture of shame. Men don’t
feel bad necessarily for what they have done, but
for who they are.
He offered up a new measurement for standards
of masculinity: “I think masculinity first and
foremost has to be defined by your heart – the
capacity to love – and for relationships,” he
said. “The second measure of masculinity is
commitment to a cause.”
Ehrmann encouraged the young men at
Woodbourne to mine their negative experiences
for purpose. “Whatever life has dealt you, you
can find meaning in it...and add value for other
people.”

Drama Club
Last month, Woodbourne Center
saw the inception of a Drama Club
on campus, led by Unit Coordinator and experienced
actor, Curtis D. McNeil, Jr. The Drama Club held a staged
reading of their first piece, entitled Indigenous Minds.
McNeil arranged the story and directed the piece.
The subject matter of Indigenous Minds did not shy
away from difficult subjects. The play covered poverty,
addiction, and struggling families, but ended on a positive
note.
Indigenous Minds was a melding of different forms of
media; the show combined original poetry, monologues
from movies and films, and well-known rap, rock, and
alternative music. Both staff members and students
participated in the performance. All of the original
content was poetry written by one Woodbourne Center
youth. McNeil expects the next performance to be held
around Christmas.
Welcome, Walt!
We are happy to welcome Walt
McCullough as Woodbourne Center’s
new Business Office Manager.
Walt has nineteen years of experience
in the management/finance/
accounting fields, and holds an MBA
and an undergraduate degree in
Accounting.
Walt hails from Edgewood, MD. Before making his
way back to the area, he lived and held executive-level
positions in Tennessee and Alabama.
Inspiring Campus
Director’s Report
It’s been a whirlwind of activity
here at Woodbourne Center.
There have been changes at every
level within our leadership team
throughout the year; however,
we have skilled staff members Tony Wilson
that are up to the challenge of Interim Executive
Director
meeting the needs of the kids we
serve. I firmly believe our staff will also successfully
integrate families and the community further into
our work.
Some recent happenings and future endeavors:
• We welcomed Nexus Board members to our
campus in October. They toured the facility,
met with leadership, and enjoyed the first
performance from our Drama Club.
• Our Treatment Foster Care program was
recently asked by the state to accept families
to meet their needs for emergency placement
options. Our reputation of doing excellent
work with our families put us in the position
to receive this opportunity. We will receive 10
families; each family will have a minimum of
one child.
• We’ve formed a partnership with Morgan
State University to provide community
health resources for our youth in Treatment
Foster Care, and possibly for the kids that we
discharge. This partnership also provides an
opportunity for some of our youth to get work
experience with the university.
• We are in the process of closing our 90-day
Children’s Diagnostic Treatment Center (CDTC)
program. However, we look forward to the
opportunities that this will bring. Our team
is working hard to develop options for that
space that will serve both our agency and
the community as a whole. We are pursuing
multiple exciting options that will provide us
an opportunity to progress and expand what
we do here at Woodbourne Center. I will keep
you posted!
NOVEMBER 2014 | 20
 Kindred Family Focus
Kindred Family Focus
National Adoption Month
Children of all ages need permanent, stable,
loving families. To focus public attention
on that need, National Adoption Month is
sponsored every November by the Children’s
Bureau, in partnership with AdoptUSKids and
Child Welfare Information Gateway.
According to the Minnesota Department
of Human Services (DHS), 539 Minnesota
children were adopted from the foster care
system in 2013. However, more than 100,000
youth in the U.S. foster care system still await
permanent families.
By the Numbers – Minnesota
In Minnesota, as of September 1, 2014, there
were
• 804 children under state guardianship;
• 513 kids in need of immediate adoptive
families;
• 291 children in pre-adoptive families,
most with relative or foster parents who
planned to adopt them; and
• 7 kids in long-term care by a court order.
The focus of this year’s National Adoption
Month was “Promoting and Supporting
Sibling Connections,” which highlighted the
importance of sibling bonds for children’s
development and emotional well-being.
Sibling connections are a “unique bond
that is the longest relationship most people
have – longer than a parent-child or spousal
relationship,” says the Children’s Bureau. “Some
research suggests that children and youth in
foster care experience better outcomes when
placed with their siblings, and that sibling
relationships may promote resilience under
adverse conditions.”
21 | NOVEMBER 2014
According to AdoptUSKids, agencies may use
the term “sibling” as a “broad definition to
embrace the traditions, faith affiliations, and
unique family structures of various cultures
and extended families. Therefore, ‘sibling’
can include those who share a birth parent or
legal parent, step-parent and/or others who
have lived together in a family and identify
themselves as siblings.”
“Of the 513 children [in Minnesota] waiting
for adoption, 61% of these children are
siblings who need to be adopted together….
Most have been traumatized during their
critical developmental years. Many will
need additional educational, medical, or
psychological help as they grow toward
maturity,” says Minnesota DHS.
“When children experience parental losses,
neglect and abuse, they depend on one
another to survive,” says AdoptUSKids. “In
the absence of reliable parental care, children
turn to siblings for support, leading to strong
sibling bonds.” It goes on to say that siblings
placed together helps alleviate the impact of
separation and loss; having this connection
offers continuity, support, and a sense of safety
and security for children.
With the importance of sibling bonds in mind,
the Fostering Connections to Success and
Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 requires
states to make reasonable efforts to place
siblings in the same foster home, kinship
guardianship, or adoptive placement and to
provide for frequent visits or other ongoing
interaction between siblings who are not
placed together. Yet, many states struggle to
recruit families that are able to parent sibling

groups, and many children adopted from foster care are
separated from their siblings every year.
As November passes, we continue to promote the goals of
National Adoption Month, create awareness of the need
for adoption for the children and sibling groups awaiting
families, and celebrate the families involved in adoption. It
is our job to encourage our communities to secure safety,
permanency, and well-being for these children.
4th Annual Timber Dash
On the morning of October 4, more than 300 runners,
walkers, and spectators assembled in the autumnal
splendor of Lake Maria State Park for Kindred Family
Focus’ annual Timber Dash 5k. Luckily, the runners were
greeted with a bright and clear fall morning.
The Timber Dash raises funds for the Crisis Nursery
Serving Wright County. With big thanks to our sponsors,
donors, vendors, participants, and volunteers, this year’s
Timber Dash raised more than $8,000 for the Crisis
Nursery!
A special thanks to the staff at Lake Maria State Park
for helping us with this event. Save the date for the fifth
Annual Timber Dash – October 3, 2015. We hope to see
you there!
National Adoption Month
Director’s Report
KFF is busy managing our current
work volume and developing program
strategies for growth.
Mission 21, our community partner
that provides resources to child
victims of sex trafficking, placed George Hendrickson
its first youth in our foster care Executive Director
program. In this partnership,
KFF manages the foster care; Mission 21 provides
community support to youth and peer groups, issues
specific consultation, and promotes our work. I see this
relationship evolving into community mental health
supports, both for youth in our care and those placed in
the community; southeastern MN counties show strong
interest in these programs. Together, we held a foster
home recruitment effort to find homes for this population.
Much is happening with our CTSS Certification and the
credentialing with private insurance companies, so KFF is/
will be able to provide skills/therapy to clients throughout
MN. Our intent is to have mental health support services
available to as many clients as possible; we recently
started services in St. Cloud. We hope to bridge the service
gap by providing support to foster youth and family upon
discharge, offering post-adoption support, and reaching
community families in rural areas where services are
limited. This program is integral to both the Bridging and
In-home Behavioral Supports models being developed
with Dakota County. We are looking to fill more positions
in the Mankato, Rochester, and Austin areas.
Our Monticello office has moved to a different suite, from
#101 to #107, which allows us to consolidate all Family
Focus accounting records with KFF. The Metro office is
settled into their new office and recently sponsored both
an open house and a lunch and learn on “Placement
Stability for Foster/Adoptive Youth: What parents might
expect and how professionals can support” by Jae Ran Kim
of the University of Minnesota. Thirty people attended the
presentation, and plans are in the works for another.
Our adoption growth is beyond expectation. With the new
grant period, KFF has designated adoption workers who
are oriented to the work and are actively engaged. Having
a statewide presence allows us to provide service when
other agencies are unable, given the distance.
Needless to say, these are exciting times for Kindred!
NOVEMBER 2014 | 22
Nexus: Strengthening Lives, Families, and Communities Through Our Cornerstone Values
Nexus is a national, nonprofit
organization that helps youth
rehabilitate and reintegrate
through a continuum of
diversified services from
residential to in-home
counseling.
Nexus offers residential treatment
programs, group home living
programs, transitional living
programs, treatment foster care,
inpatient acute psychiatric care,
in-home counseling services,
alternative to residential
Have an idea for a story?
Contact Nancy Baldrica, Cornerstone editor
nbaldrica@nexustreatment.org
763-551-8671
treatment services, adoption,
referrals to other treatment
providers, and ongoing support
to youth in our care.
The Nexus Family of Treatment
Programs is a group of programs
offering diverse programs
and services for children and
families that is operated by
Nexus, a Minnesota nonprofit
corporation and its subsidiaries:
Gerard Treatment Programs,
LLC. While these programs
are operated by separate and
www.nexustreatment.org
Like “Nexus: A Family of Treatment Programs”
on Facebook and LinkedIn to get updates!
distinct legal entities, they share
an underlying adherence to the
Nexus Cornerstone Values and
Guiding Principles and enjoy
the efficiency and economy
of coordinated management
functions.
Nexus locations include Mille
Lacs Academy, Gerard Academy,
Onarga Academy, Indian Oaks
Academy, Woodbourne Center,
and Kindred Family Focus.
Cornerstone is published bi-
monthly by Nexus. All articles
are copyrighted by Nexus.
Reproduction of any part of this
publication is prohibited without
written consent.
Editor: Nancy Baldrica
505 Highway 169 North, Suite 500
Plymouth, MN 55441-6447
Corporate: 763-551-8640
Editor: 763-551-8671
nbaldrica@nexustreatment.org
www.nexustreatment.org