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LOCAL Closer Look: Norris Therapeutic Foster Care - Mukwonago

Becky Hansen talks with Teresa Cocker, Chief Program Officer of Norris in Mukwonago. Cocker shares that Norris began with a story about troublesome teenaged boys in 1911. She focused on the Therapeutic Foster Care Program and explained the program from the needs of the child to the training and support of the foster family.  (www.norriscenter.org)

Original airdate 5/22/2022 WDKV WLVE WPCK

Closer Look weblink may be shared or posted to social media and/or organization website, but audio may not be duplicated, altered, re-broadcast or streamed without prior approval. May not be used for organizational fundraising purposes. (Educational Media Foundation - All Rights Reserved)

Becky joined EMF in 2005 and covers Alaska, Minnesota, the Dakotas, Wisconsin, Illinois, Western Louisiana and East Texas including major markets Houston, Chicago and D.C.

 

original post: https://www.klove.com/News/Closer-Look/hot-topx/local-closer-look-norris-therapeutic-foster-care-mukwonago-3478

99.1 The Mix Public Affairs - June 2022

Teresa Cocker, Chief Program Officer from the Norris Center and Julie, a current foster parent inform you about the benefits of fostering kids who are in need!

 

411 Live Podcast

Norris’ Chief Program Officer, Teresa Cocker, joins Karen Shlindwein of Chosen in a discussion with Beverly Taylor on the 411 Live Podcast about the state of foster care in southeastern Wisconsin. Please take a moment to view the video and if you are interested in learning more about our foster care program, visit https://www.norriscenter.org/become-a-foster-parent/become_a_foster_parent/

Thank you to the 411 Live Podcast for their interest in this important community topic!

 

 

Need for Foster Parents

Norris' Chief Program Officer, Teresa Cocker, talks with Karen Schlindwein at

Chosen about the great need for foster parents in our community. Please take a moment to view the video and learn more about this great need.
If you are interested in becoming a Therapeutic Foster Parent, contact Norris at 262-222-2000, visit our website at www.norriscenter.org or visit our Facebook page for upcoming virtual information sessions.
Thank you to Chosen for this great opportunity and please visit their Facebook page to see how you can also support this great organization!

 

Chosen Interview

Norris is a proud partner of Chosen, a nonprofit adoption/foster support ministry in Waukesha. Norris' Chief Program Officer, Teresa Cocker, had the opportunity to speak with Chosen's Vice President, Karen Schlindwein about the great need for foster parents in our community.

Want to learn more? Click below to see if fostering is right for you!

New Residential Treatment Center for teens with mental health needs will promote healing

West Bend, WI – In an effort to bring comprehensive, evidenced-based and trauma-informed treatment services to Washington County youth, the County has partnered with Norris Inc., to open River Bend Place, formerly known as the Washington County Youth Treatment Center.

“One of the main responsibilities of county government is to provide Access to Basic Needs and perhaps nothing is more important than getting this done for our youth,” said County Executive Josh Schoemann, “That’s why the County invested more in this programming in 2019 than ever before. This updated facility and trauma-focused programming with Norris is just one of the ways that we are advancing this topic as innovative leaders and I am personally grateful to offer our youth positive opportunities to change their future while still holding them accountable for how their actions affected our community.”

River Bend Place is a combination program that provides both short-term residential treatment services and a short-term shelter care program to both male and female youth, aged 12 to 17, with mental health or behavioral needs who are involved in the Child Welfare or Youth Justice Systems.

Washington County has provided shelter services to youth since 1987, and added residential treatment services at the current site when it was built in 1996 due to the increased number of youth being placed outside the county for treatment services. Norris was chosen as the new contract provider after a competitive bid process that focused on reducing the amount of time that youth are placed outside the home for treatment services, which has increased 60% since 2015.

“Washington County is excited to partner with Norris to bring their services to youth in our community”, said Julie Driscoll, Director of Washington County Health and Human Services. “Norris’s track record of positive outcomes for youth and focus on data to analyze program effectiveness will help us continue to determine the best use of resources to ensure youth are getting the right treatment.”

Norris has been serving youth since 1917 at their main campus in Mukwonago, focusing on their mission of strengthening families through a circle of care, and providing a continuum of education, support, and treatment services. Youth at Norris receive services related to any combination of needs for which outpatient services may not be intensive enough.  Needs may include mental health, emotional behavioral disorders, sexualized behaviors and sexual abuse, AODA, and trauma, including physical, sexual, emotional abuse or neglect.

Therapeutic services offered by Norris include Trauma Informed Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) at the individual, family, and group levels. All Treatment and Program Plans are personalized to meet the youth’s needs based on an initial assessment. “The goal is to teach youth self-regulation strategies, independent living skills, and positive problem solving,“ said Denise Pilz, Executive Director of Norris.

The goal of programming at River Bend Place is to promote healing through a trauma-informed approach, improving family stability by providing services that are strength-based, solution focused, family-friendly, culturally sensitive with the goal of reintegration back into the community and to lessen the risk for further instability and recidivism.

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1/19/20 - Radio Interview

Thank you to Ellenbecker Investment Group and WISN AM 1130 for the opportunity to talk about the different ways people can support foster care, right here in our southeastern Wisconsin community.

Listen to Norris' chief program officer, Teresa Cocker, in the first segment and Karen Schlindwein, executive director at Chosen, in the second segment to learn more.

Want to learn more?  Click below to see if fostering is right for you!

Become a Foster Parent

 

 

5/5/19 - Radio Interview - National Foster Care Month

May is National Foster Care Month.  Listen to our own Teresa Cocker talk about the need for more foster parents in our community.  Verlin Bruns, one of our foster parents shares his experiences as a foster parent.

Want to learn more?  Click below to see if fostering is right for you!

Become a Foster Parent