Category Archives: Bourbon County
Women’s Entrepreneurship Statewide Conference is June 14-15 in Fort Scott
Bo Co Coalition Minutes of April 3 Meeting
Bourbon County Inter-Agency Coalition
General Membership Meeting Minutes
April 3, 2024
- Welcome: Twenty-two members representing eighteen agencies attended. Billie Jo reminded members that the 2024 family swim pass applications to the Aquatic Center are available at Buck Run and The Beacon; applications must be returned to Buck Run by the end of April.
- Member Introductions and Announcements:
- Elizabeth Schafer, Pioneer Kiwanis and CASA – CASA needs volunteers!
- Angela Handly, Compassionate Ministries: There will be a bake sale fundraiser Friday, May 5, at the First Baptist Church.
- Lindsey McNeil, COPE: Since the COPE grant will be ending at the end of the month, she will be moving to a position with KRI.
- David Gillen, Beacon: 266 families and 614 people were served in March, twelve of the families were new. They had forty hours of volunteer service for March.
- Craig Campbell, GNAT and FSACF: GNAT is in the spring clean-up mode; April 22, 4-6 p.m. is the scheduled date for the Downtown Clean-up; contact Bailey Lyons to volunteer. Fort Scott Community Foundation grant applications open August 1; check the website for grant information.
- Tammy Alcantor, Crawford County Health Department: They are working toward virtual pre-natal classes for Bourbon County moms; this will eliminate the need to travel to Pittsburg for classes.
- Travis Wilcoxen, Angel Care Home Health: The specialty this month is wound care; they can help with this according to doctor’s orders.
- Nick Johnson, USD 234 Pre School: Kindergarten round-up will be held on April 10; Pre School round-up will be held on April 12. Spring Fling family night is April 18; contact Nick if you wish to have a space for your agency.
- Rachel Carpenter: The SEK Childcare Conference will be on April 20; the Dare to Dream Women’s Entrepreneurship conference will be held on June 14-15. Flyers for these events will be sent as an attachment with the minutes.
- Program: Mike Sharpmack, Executive Director, Kansas Renewal Institute (KRI) explained the concept behind the first ever institute of this type. Phase 1 of KRI will be a residential hospital with 58 beds in the adolescent unit, twenty beds in the adult unit, and an adult detox unit. Phase 2 will include an ER, hopefully within six months. Doors will open on April 15 with the first ten patients. The education proponent will be done in cooperation with USD 234. Ribbon cutting for this new facility will be April 18; 11:00 a.m.
May program: Amanda Classen, K-State Research Community Vitality Agent
June program: Tara Solomon Smith, QPR Suicide Prevention
- Open Forum: Nothing further came before the membership; Billie Jo did remind members that we do not meet in July.
- Adjournment: The next General Membership meeting will be May 1, 2024.
The Farmers Market Vendors Meeting Starts the 2024 Season This Evening
After several years of planning and execution, the Fort Scott Farmers Market will be under the new pavilion on North National Avenue on May 4.
Tonight is the first vendor’s meeting of the season. This meeting is for returning vendors and anyone interested in becoming a vendor in 2024, Teri Hamilton, president of Fort Scott Farmers Market said.
The meeting is at the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team office at 104 N. National Avenue, across the street from the pavilion, from 6-8 p.m.
At tonight’s meeting, there will be introductions, information about market guidelines, applications, and fees “and a time to get to know each other a little better,” she said.
Vendors are not just farmers, “but we give preference to farmers and agriculture businesses,” Hamilton said.
“There are also baked goods and craft vendors,” she said. “We have 15 returning vendors.”
“We have space for up to 24 under the pavilion,” Hamilton said.
“The vendors will park in the parking spaces under the pavilion and the customers will go around to each vendor in the parking stall,” she said.
If more than that number of vendors want to be a part of the market, the vendor spaces will have to be reconfigured, and will be thoroughly discussed, she said.
The Farmers Market Committee comprises Hamilton, owner of Hamilton’s Artisan Bakery, as president; Ethan Holly, treasurer, of Still Waters Farm; and Leanna Cain, secretary, of Sweet County Farms.
Vendors pay $5 a week for a vendor space, and if payment is given for the whole year, it is $4 a week, she said.
The market is open on Tuesdays from 4-6 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon, starting on May 4 and continuing until the end of October.
There is a Healthy Bourbon County Action Team workshop on April 15 that will focus on how to get a license to sell at a farmers market, food laws and food safety.
“We want our vendors to have access to that resource,” she said.
Hamilton said the group is so thankful for the new space.
“The pavilion is so wonderful,” she said. “We are so thankful for the project and all the fundraising that took place and they didn’t have to give us the priority,” she said.
On opening day, May 4, there will be a ribbon cutting, live music and speakers for the pavilion’s first farmers market, Hamilton said. The Bourbon County Garden Club always has a live plant sale on the first day of the market season as well.
For more information, call Hamilton at 816-491-7884.
To see the latest on the Fort Scott Farmers Market:
https://www.facebook.com/fsfma
Kansas Renewal Institute Repurposes Mercy Hospital
The western part and administration portion of the former Fort Scott Mercy Hospital is in the process of renovation.
Kansas Renewal Institute, located at 401 Woodland Hills Blvd. is a behavioral healthcare center specializing in treating adults and adolescents. The building has approximately 120,000 square feet.
JG Healthcare Solutions is the parent company that owns K.R.I.
The institute administrators e are Jonathan Gross, Chief Executive Officer; T.J. Denning, Chief Operating Officer, Erik Engebretson, Chief Financial Officer, Joe Tinervin, President of Operations and and Mike Sharpmack, Executive Director.
This group of men has worked together at Universal Health Services, Acadia Healthcare, and most recently Discovery Behavioral Health.
“We worked for years together, but towards the end of our time at Discovery, we said we could do this ourselves, help a lot of people and have fun along the way,” Tinervin said.
“The whole idea is to provide safe, effective care that promotes successful outcomes,” he said. “We hope to have a staff environment where people love to come to work.”
K.R.I. will open with 82 licensed beds across four units. The State of Kansas has told Tinervin that the licensure process will be finished by April 15.
There is a 50-bed adolescent psychiatric residential treatment facility, with two units, one for males, and one for females.
These units are located in the former maternity unit and adjacent hall on the north wing of the building.
In addition, there are 32 beds in two units for adults: one for adult residential services and one for detoxification services.
The detox unit is located in the former intensive care area of the hospital with the adult residential services in the hall just adjacent.
“We have thrown a significant amount into the renovation so far,” Tinervin said. “Flooring, paint, equipment, and furniture,” he said.
“It’s all happening right now as we get the units ready to go,” he said.
“The State of Kansas has a significant waitlist,” he said. “We will be servicing residents from all over Kansas, not just southeast Kansas.”
“The state was here last week, and licensure might take until April 15,” he said.
“Our job is to reintegrate people back into their home communities,” he said. “If someone is from another place, they will return.”
“We are not opening with an outpatient level of care…only residential,” Tinervin said. “When and if we build an outpatient level of care, patients from the Fort Scott area will be able to commute for services while those who live outside of the Fort Scott area will be transitioning home and will have the opportunity to participate in KRI Outpatient services remotely through a virtual telehealth platform.”
K.R.I. will be collaborating with USD 234.
“We are excited about the partnership we are developing with Unified School District 234,” Tinervin said. “As part of this partnership, Unified School District 234 is committed to providing general and special education services to KRI residents within school age. These services will be provided on-site at Kansas Renewal Institute and the programming provided will be individualized according to the educational needs and levels of each student served at the KRI.”
To view job opportunities at KRI:
AD: Kansas Recovery Institute Is Hiring For All Positions
Once licensure arrives, people can make appointments at 620-644-1195 and they will also take walk-ins, Tinervin said.
Front Row from left to right: Sheila Guinn-Peters, Admissions; Sheila Nami, Admissions; Pamela Johnson, Nurse; Mary Wilson, CMA; Candice Wyatt, BHT; Jessica Whitley, BHT; Tracy Serna, BHT Lead; JoDanna Simon, DON; Makenzie Brown, BHT; Stefani Brown, Nurse; and Jessica Allison, Clinical Director
*acronym key: BHT: Behavioral Health Technician; DON: Director of Nursing; CMT: Certified Medical Technician. Submitted photo.
The K.R.I. website: www.kansasrenewal.com
Also housed at 401-405 Woodland Hills Blvd.: Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center, Ashley (Medical) Clinic, Care to Share (cancer family support group), I Am Rehab( physical therapy/fitness center), Regional Economic Development Inc., and Diamonds In The Marketplace ( a beauty salon).
Agenda For April 1 Bourbon County Commission Meeting
Bourbon County Courthouse
210 S. National Ave Fort Scott, KS 66701 Phone: 620-223-3800
Fax: 620-223-5832
Bourbon County, Kansas
Nelson Blythe
1st District Commissioner
Jim Harris, Chairman
2nd District Commissioner
Clifton Beth
3rd District Commissioner
Bourbon County Commission Agenda 210 S. National Ave.
Fort Scott, KS 66701
April 1, 2024 5:30 p.m.
- Call Meeting to Order
- Flag Salute
- Approval of Consent Agenda
- Approval of Minutes from 3/25/2024
- Public Comments
- SEK-CAP Request for Funding
- Communities Grant Application/EMS Stats
- Commission Comments
- Adjourn Meeting
Executive Session Justifications:
KSA 75-4319 (b)(1) to discuss personnel matters of individual nonelected personnel to protect their privacy.
KSA 75-4319 (b)(2) for consultation with an attorney for the public body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the
attorney-client relationship.
KSA 75-4319 (b)(3) to discuss matters relating to employer/employee negotiations whether or not in consultation with the
representative(s) of the body or agency.
KSA 75-4319 (b)(4) to discuss data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of corporations, partnerships, trust and individual proprietorships
KSA 75-4319 (b)(6) for the preliminary discussion of the acquisition of real property.
KSA 75-4319 (b)(12) to discuss matters relating to the security measures, if the discussion of such matters at an open meeting
would jeopardize such security measures.
REDI on the Green Golf Tournament Woodland Hills Golf Course Friday, April 19
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The Bourbon County Coalition Meets April 3 at Scottview Apartments
The Bourbon County Coalition will have a regular April meeting on Wednesday, April 3, at 1:00 p.m., in the Conference Room at the Scottview Apartments, 315 S. Scott.
Bourbon County Inter-Agency Coalition
General Membership Meeting Agenda
April 3, 2024
- Welcome: 2024 family swim pass applications to the Aquatic Center are available at Buck Run and The Beacon.
- Member Introductions and Announcements:
- Program: Operations Manager with the new mental health facility.
May program: Amanda Classen, K-State Research Community Vitality Agent
June program: Tara Solomon Smith, QPR Suicide Prevention
- Open Forum:
- Adjournment: The next General Membership meeting will be May 1, 2024.
Starlite FCE Minutes March,2024
The Starlite Family and Consumer Education Unit held its March meeting at the Presbyterian Village Meeting Room. Before the meeting the members stuffed two hundred plastic Easter eggs for the Tri-Valley clients.
President Glenda Miller called the meeting to order. Vice President Joyce Allen led the club in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and the Club Collect. Ten members and one guest were in attendance. They reported that they had volunteered for thirty-eight hours and had recycled one hundred and ninety-five pounds.
Terri Williams read a Thank you note from Preferred Home Living and also presented the Treasurer’s report in Doris’s absence. Karen Peery presented the Council report. She announced that the FCE Recognition Day will be May 2nd at the Neosho Vallely Event Center in Erie, and that the Spring Tea will be held April 11th at First Southern Baptist Church in Fort Scott. Bourbon County is providing salads and has been requested to bring the recipes also. Karen also reported that Deb Lust had been named the Heart of FCE recipient for the SE Kansas. The Council had awarded a $200 scholarship to Mackenzie Robertson. Karen also reminded us that the State FCE meeting will be October 7-9 in Chanute and that she is looking for footed glasses for the table decorations.
Glenda Miller presented the Citizenship spotlight. She highlighted Vietnam War commemoration day which is March 29th.
Old Business consisted of Discussion about the Operation Christmas Child, Karen Peery announced that she will obtain the boxes for us and Glenda announced that she had copies of suggested items for the boxes if anyone needed one.
Betty Johnson moved that the meeting be adjourned, LeAnna Taylor seconded the motion, motion carrier. After the meeting Terri Williams present the program on “Make Active Habits Stick.” Glenda Miller and Terri Williams provide refreshments of Irish brownies, pretzel shamrocks, mints, candy Easter eggs, nuts and water for the club.
Total solar eclipse to cross North America on April 8
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Unapproved Minutes of the Special Meeting of the Uniontown City Council
The Special Council Meeting on March 25, 2024 at Uniontown City Hall, was called to order at 5:30PM by Mayor Jurgensen. Council members present were Jess Ervin (5:31), Danea Esslinger, Amber Kelly, Mary Pemberton, and Bradley Stewart. Also in attendance for all or part of the meeting was City Clerk Sally Johnson.
Motion by Kelly, Second by Esslinger, Approved 4-0 to enter in to executive session pursuant to non-elected personnel matters exception, KSA 4319(b)(1), in order discuss offer of position of non-elected personnel, the open meeting to resume at 6:05PM
Johnson in at 5:41, out at 5:42. Open meeting resumed at 6:05.
Motion by Ervin, Second by Kelly, Approved 5-0 to authorize Mayor Jurgensen to hire a City Clerk at $15/hour with benefits as specified in employee policy manual
Moved by Ervin, Second by Kelly, Approved 5-0, to adjourn at 6:08PM
DCF Announces Grants
DCF announces Innovative Capacity Building Grants for Therapeutic Family Foster Homes
Kansas to invest more than $4.7 million to grow availability and training of needed services to support families and prevent foster care
TOPEKA – In response to the need to provide more Therapeutic Family Foster Homes (TFFH), the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) announce that seven agencies will receive $4,765,355 in grants to build capacity through innovative approaches that will significantly increase the number of homes available and provide needed training and supportive services.
Last year, the Kansas Legislature appropriated $6 million in State General Funds to support the TFFH capacity building program. TFFH receive increased training and supportive services to provide a temporary home for youth with significant emotional, behavioral, or mental health needs. The homes are part of the continuum level of care and support as a resource for children and families.
“Together, the selected agencies will grow the network of Therapeutic Family Foster Homes while providing meaningful services and supports,” said DCF Secretary Laura Howard. “The approaches by the agencies span a number of thoughtful innovations with an ability to have resources customized to meet a child’s or family’s individualized needs.”
The innovative mix of service delivery options will result in specific recruitment strategies and increased wraparound supports to resource families, biological families and youth. Some grants include collaboration with agencies who operate similar programs or support youth requiring a therapeutic level of care.
“DCF is committed to providing supports and services to all agencies sponsoring these types of homes,” Howard continued.
The grants are effective March 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025 with the possibility of three one-year renewals. The remaining $1.2 million of the allocated resources will be available to provide other TFFH supports, training and services.
|
Agency |
Area of focus |
Counties |
Estimated support |
Initial Award Amount: March 1 to June 30, 2024 |
Full grant amount |
|
Cornerstones of Care |
Prevention |
Marshall, Nemaha, Brown, Doniphan, Pottawatomie, Jackson, Jefferson, Wabaunsee and Shawnee |
Therapeutic prevention-based care |
$177,123 |
$512,766 |
|
DCCCA |
Prevention and Foster Care |
Douglas, Johnson, Sedgwick and Crawford |
50 children per year |
$143,905 |
$1,017,306 |
|
Eckerd Connects |
Foster Care |
Butler, Cowley, Reno, Sedgwick and Sumner |
5 to 8 TFFH |
$131,117 |
$332,014 |
|
EmberHope YouthVille |
Foster Care |
Sedgwick |
12 TFFH + 25 percent growth in outyears |
$360,509 |
$1,221,644 |
|
Foster Adopt Connect |
Foster Care |
Bourbon, Crawford, Douglas, Ellis, Johnson, Leavenworth, Reno, Shawnee and Wyandotte |
Rapid expansion of Behavioral Intervention Program |
$82,930 |
$189,507 |
|
KVC |
Foster Care |
Shawnee |
Implementation of The Mockingbird Family Model |
$245,643 |
$532,255 |
|
Pressley Ridge |
Training, Data Collection & Learning Management Software |
Statewide |
Training to staff |
$231,584 |
$959,863 |
Cornerstones of Care: Cornerstones will support families identified through open family preservation cases by supporting safety plan or respite placement options. Additional support will be available to the placement providers such as access to a virtual resource library, a daily reimbursement rate, incentive payments to placement providers, access to functional family therapy, and an in-home support specialist. This program will support increasing the capacity of TFFH homes by engaging in prevention activities to support youth in their homes and communities rather than in out of home care.
DCCCA: DCCCA will focus on the recruiting, training, and sponsoring TFFH to serve youth in DCF custody as well as through therapeutic stability placements. Therapeutic stability placements are designed for youth who are not in the custody of DCF but may be receiving support through Family First Prevention Services, Family Preservation, or Post Adoption Support. DCCCA will employ a dedicated TFFH recruiter, provide in-person and virtual support groups, specialized training for TFFH providers, mentoring, and incentives for youth, parents and placement providers. DCCCA will utilize Behavioral Interventionists as well as Functional Family Therapy when appropriate.
Eckerd Connects: Eckerd Connects will establish five to eight TFFH homes in Sedgwick, Butler, Cowley, Sumner, and Reno counties to provide TFFH services to youth placed in these homes. The approach will include a recruiter/trainer, clinical licensed mental health professional, respite, support groups, mentoring, flex funds and specialized training for TFFH. Eckerd will make their Functional Family Therapy program available to assist with care coordination and rapid response to support TFFH placements. Eckerd is creating a TFFH Peer Respite model to ensure respite support is available to families providing TFFH as well as accessing flex fund supports for TFFH.
EmberHope YouthVille: EmberHope will recruit TFFH families in Sedgwick County for youth between the ages of three and 18. They will provide specialized training for TFFH providers. EmberHope will create a TFFH team including a therapist, foster care worker, supervisor, TFFH recruiter, and quality improvement coordinator. EmberHope will also provide a resource room for TFFH to supply youth and families with hardgoods needed during placement.
Foster Adopt Connect: Foster Adopt Connect will support a rapid expansion of their Behavioral Intervention (BI) Program into Johnson, Wyandotte, Bourbon, Crawford, Shawnee, Douglas, Leavenworth, Reno and Ellis counties. BI is an in-home support that engages both parents and children with daily management of behaviors to decrease the need for short term hospitalization and assist with crisis de-escalation, re-direction, and the teaching of positive replacement behaviors to the youth. BI services can follow the child and be available to support the transition to either the parents’ home or an adoptive placement.
KVC – Mockingbird: KVC will create a Mockingbird Family Model of foster home constellations. These constellations consist of a maximum of 11 families, 10 foster homes and 1 Hub Home. The Hub Home serves to provide support to the homes within the constellation of families. Constellations may include licensed foster homes, relatives or non-related kin placements. The Mockingbird Family Model is designed to assist placement providers in utilizing supports not only from professionals involved in the child welfare system but also their peers. Hub Homes are specially trained to build community within the constellation and maintain open beds to provide respite and emergency supports to other constellation families, and plan social activities for the constellation. KVC will provide support to the hub and constellation through a KVC Liaison staff person, as well as attendant care workers. KVC will utilize the Registered Behavior Technician training to prepare their attendant care staff.
Pressley Ridge: Pressley Ridge will provide TFFH training statewide to agencies in Kansas who wish to utilize this model. Pressley Ridge training will be available in multiple cohorts throughout the state.
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The Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) mission is to protect children, strengthen families, and promote adult self-sufficiency. DCF’s more than 35 service centers across the state offer a wide range of support services, including food, utility, child care assistance, child support services, and employment education and training. DCF also partners with grantees to provide foster care services to children, including case planning, placement, life skills, and foster parent recruitment and training. DCF works in partnership with organizations, communities, and other agencies to support families, children, and vulnerable adults, connecting them with resources, supports, and networks in their home communities.