Healthy
Families:
The Starting Point
[FEB.
21, 2000] Doesn’t
it make sense that if you have strong, sound families, you
will have a strong, sound community? That’s the feeling
of a group of volunteers known as the Healthy Families
Task Force. This group wants to impact our community with
the strength of healthy families. Their Mission Statement
says, "The Healthy Families Task Force recognizes
that the workings of a family’s dynamics affect the
health of the Logan County community as a whole.
Therefore, our goal is to provide support, education and
other activities to strengthen and enhance family
dynamics."
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Leading
this group of volunteers is Chairperson Becky Sank, local
office administrator at D.H.S. and Co-Chairperson Marcia
Dowling, R.N. and education coordinator at the Logan
County Health Department. Sank began chairing the task
force in December of 1999 after working with Reatha Owen
of the Lincoln Parent’s Center. The task force has been
operating since the early part of 1999 under the umbrella
of the Healthy Communities Partnership.
Topping
the list of objectives of the Healthy Families Task Force
for the year 2000, is an awareness campaign. At their Feb.
17 meeting, this was the first topic of discussion.
Feeling that many families and individuals are not aware
of the agencies and organizations in Logan County, the
task force wants to compile a simple resource listing of
all that is available for those seeking assistance. A task
force member referred to "something that people will
keep, maybe in or with their phone book for an easy
reference."
![](../images/healthy_families/healthy_families1.jpg)
[Members
of the task force meet to
plan the next step.]
Another
top priority of the task force is to address the issue of
teen pregnancies in Logan County, not only to prevent teen
pregnancies, but also to strive to meet the needs of teen
parents and those soon to be teen parents. With education
and counseling at Lincoln High School, through the Lincoln
Parent’s Center, the task force intends to begin to make
a difference. Barbara Follis, a parent educator for the
Lincoln Parent’s Center goes to the school once a week
to meet with young parents and young expectant parents.
"My favorite thing," says Barbara, "is the
look on the young, expectant parent’s face when I tell
them that their baby’s brain is developing at 250,000
brain cells per minute!"
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![](../images/ads/Ymca/ymca_ad.jpg)
Another
approach is to reach the young men involved in teen
pregnancies, and to help them understand their roles and
responsibilities, spotlighting on prevention. One task
force member expressed strongly that this was a key
interest, "This is something we (the task force) need
to take a look at quickly. We need to be working on this
issue." Others agreed, feeling that too much of the
time the finger is pointed at the expectant mother while
the expectant father is allowed to "walk away."
The
Healthy Families Task Force is also involved with the
Lincoln’s Promise job fair, helping to educate and
prepare young people who are going directly from high
school into the work force. Task force members will be
presenting the teens who attend the job fair with the
challenges of job interviews, properly relating to
employers and co-workers, and even proper attire.
These
are some of the volunteer efforts of a group of people who
want to be effective in their community by affecting the
families in it. According to Chairperson Becky Sank, the
task force is now comprised of several local agency
representatives. Her desire is to see more people from the
community get involved. "We’ve had some new people
join, but we need more. I know there are a lot of people
out there who would have a lot to offer and add to this
task force."
[Curtis
Sutterfield]
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Service
Is Our Business
[FEB.
18, 2000] Help
is available for those in need in Logan County.
Lincoln provides many of the services that are
needed by its residents. Some
services are offered by providers in Lincoln, others are
contracted with providers in neighboring towns, while
still others are included under a regional umbrella that
includes several counties.
One thing is clear: service is Lincoln’s
business.
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Lincoln’s
Capstone survey has generated a lot of interest in what is
available in Lincoln. In the area of service, the
following is an overview of places residents can go for
help. Some of the available services are fee for service
while others are income based or free. Crime was an area
that concerned many residents, specifically in the areas
of drug abuse, alcohol abuse and domestic violence.
Although the people responding to the survey hoped that
the number of these crimes could be reduced, victims
currently need support.
The
Logan County Domestic Violence Council is comprised of
police agencies, social service agencies and the Logan
County state’s attorney, circuit clerk and adult
probation agencies that work together to protect victims
from further abuse, neglect and exploitation. The Sojourn
Shelter and Service is the part of this council that
provides a safe place for women and children who are
abused, abandoned or undergoing crisis.
![](../images/domestic_abuse/dm_door.jpg)
Alcoholics
Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous and Al-Alnon services are
part of Lincoln’s "Recovery Community."
Although there are not any inpatient treatment centers for
drug and alcohol abuse in the county, there are some
inpatient treatment centers in Springfield, such as the
Triangle Center, Gateway, and Libertas at St. John’s
Hospital that will accommodate Logan County residents.
Lincoln
and Logan County offer a wide array of services.
Individual agency brochures are available at the Logan
County Health Department, the Department of Human Services
and the Lincoln Public Library. Some of the agency’s
telephone numbers are listed on the chart below.
The
Rural Health Partnership of Logan County was established
to improve the health and wellness of residents of rural
Logan County. It includes youth prevention programs that
address alcohol and drug use among rural Logan County
youth. It offers a wide range of health, wellness and
safety issues through mini-seminars for children and
adults. A 36-foot mobile, handicapped-accessible health
unit staffed by a nurse practitioner and public health
nurse brings medical care directly into rural communities.
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![](../images/today/gossetts.jpg)
The
Central Illinois Economic Development Corporation (CIEDC)
offers adult day care programs that provide services in
social recreational and health monitoring, as well as
respite services for family members. It offers a Head
Start program, energy assistance, loan and other community
programs for residents who meet their criteria.
For
parents in need of support, the Lincoln Parents’ Center
is available for parents to share in the joys and
challenges of parenthood. They provide direct services to
parents and school personnel in Lincoln
United
Cerebral Palsy of Land of Lincoln is a local organization
dedicated to advancing the independence of people with
disabilities. These individuals are encouraged to become
as independent as they can be.
Land
of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation, Inc. provides free
legal representation to low-income persons in certain
types of civil cases involving five main areas of law
housing, family law, public benefits, consumer and special
education.
More
than one provider or agency offers the same service in
some instances. But most providers work with other
agencies to avoid duplication and to offer the most
comprehensive assistance to residents.
Editor’s
Note: Over the next month LDN will take a closer look
at each agency that offers assistance to residents of
Logan County. If you have special knowledge of a specific
organization or if you would like to share a success
story, email LDN at ldneditor@lincolndailynews.com
with your information, complete with your name, address
and phone number where you can be reached.
[Kym
C. Ammons-Scott]
![](../images/domestic_abuse/dm_brocures.jpg)
[Literature available at the Logan County
Health Department at 109 3rd St., Lincoln]
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Service
Need/Group |
Name of
Agency/Provider |
Address |
Telephone # |
Disabled/
Everyone |
UCP
of Land of Lincoln |
130
N. 16th St. Springfield, IL 62794
|
217-525-6522 |
Seniors/
Everyone
Pre-school
Energy
assistance
|
Central
Illinois Economic Development Corporation (CIEDC) |
1800
5th St., Lincoln, IL 62656 |
217-732-2159 |
Health/
Rural
residents |
Rural
Health Partnership of Logan County |
315
8th St.
Lincoln,
IL 62656
|
217-732-2161
ext.
409 |
Domestic
Violence/
Everyone |
Logan
County Domestic Violence Advisory Council |
Call |
Sheriff
217-732-4159
Police
217-732-2151
Others
available
|
Domestic
Violence/
Everyone |
Sojourn
Shelter and Service, Inc. |
Call |
24-hour
Hotline
217-726-5200
|
Alcoholics
Anonymous/
Everyone |
Lincoln
Recovery Community |
Lincoln,
Clinton, and Mason City locations. Call |
24-hour
Answering Service
217-525-9423
|
Narcotics
Anonymous/
Everyone |
Lincoln
Recovery Community |
Lincoln,
Clinton, and Mason City locations. Call |
24-hour
Answering Service
217-525-9423
|
Al-Alnon
Meetings |
Lincoln
Recovery Community |
Lincoln,
Clinton, and Mason City locations. Call |
24-hour
Answering Service
217-525-9423
|
Legal
Assistance/ Everyone |
Land
of Lincoln
Legal
Assistance foundation, Inc. |
500
West Capitol
P.O.
Box 2206
Springfield,
IL 62705-2206
|
217-753-3300
800-252-8629
TDD:
217-753-8291 |
Car
Seat Loan Program/infants/toddlers |
Logan
County Health Department |
109
3rd Street P.O. Box 508
Lincoln,
IL 62656
|
217-735-2317 |
Financial
& Medical Assistance/
Families
with children |
Temporary
Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program- DHS |
Bureau
of Client Inquiry Assistance
100
S. Grand Ave. East
Springfield,
IL 62762
|
800-252-8635
(TTY)
800-447-6404 |
Pregnancy/
Women |
Living
Alternatives |
#5
Arcade Building
Lincoln,
IL 62656
|
217-725-4838 |
Foster
Care/
Families |
Camelot
Care Centers, In.
Catholic
Social Service
Rutledge
Youth Foundation
Youth
Service Bureau
DCFS
|
Call
for address |
217-522-4578
217-732-3771
217-525-7757
217-529-8300
217-782-4000 |
Seniors |
Project
Life
Area
on Aging
|
Call
for address |
800-252-2918 |
Health/
Everyone |
Logan
County Health Department |
109
3rd Street P.O. Box 508
Lincoln,
IL 62656
|
217-735-2317 |
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