For Immediate Release

October 5, 2010

Contact: Bev Carlson
Director of Public Relations
Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska
(402) 978-5654
bcarlson@lfsneb.org

Lutheran Family Services Program Receives $400,000 Federal Grant – One of Only Three Department of Justice Awards Nationwide

Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska (LFS), in collaboration with Project Harmony Child Protection Center, will receive a $400,000 Department of Justice grant to enhance its innovative and successful RSafe^® sexual abuse recovery program. 

“With RSafe^® 10-14, the goal is to intervene at the very earliest opportunity,” says Amy Richardson, Vice President of Programs for Lutheran Family Services. “Not only will it spare further victimization, but also allow the child who is acting out sexually the best chance for early intervention and treatment.”

In most cases, children with sexual behavior problems (SBP) have been sexually abused, and without treatment, their prognosis is poor.  Project Harmony Child Protection Center will identify eligible children and their families to the RSafe^® 10-14 project, and will coordinate regular multidisciplinary case reviews of their treatment.

RSafe^® is the only coordinated and comprehensive treatment program in the Omaha metropolitan area for children and their families who struggle with the aftermath of sexual abuse. The ten- year-old program provides a unique continuum of care that involves the entire family. The program has a 0-1% recidivism rate.

“We are excited about what this grant means for our ability to help families who are dealing with sexual behavior issues,” says Ruth Henrichs, President and CEO of Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska. “We know that when our therapists work with these children and their families— especially preteen and young teenagers—it plays a huge role in breaking the cycle of abuse.
We’ve seen it happen time after time.”

The Lutheran Family Services program was one of only three grants awarded nationwide. “The competition was quite stiff, so you all [in Nebraska] should be commended on your efforts,”says Will Bronson of the U.S. Department of Justice.

The federal grant dollars will go primarily to hiring a program coordinator and therapists for the program, specifically to work with children 10-14 years old. In addition, the grant will allow LFS to ensure access to treatment within 48 hours, as well as provide significant data analysis to find solutions.

RSafe^® has already demonstrated impressive outcomes since its inception in 2000. The RSafe^® program has been abundantly successful with positive treatment outcomes for both the families and victims. In 2009, RSafe^® served 94 youth with SBP from the ages of 4 to 18 and 77 youth victims ages 4 to 18.

Why is RSafe^® 10-14 needed? (*See Supp A for additional local and national stats)

Over 45 million American adults report being sexually abused as children. Research shows that approximately one-third of sexual offenses against children are committed by teenagers which includes older siblings and other relatives. Through working with these populations, RSafe^® therapists have found that the majority of youth with sexual behavior problems (SBP) are also victims of sexual abuse themselves. In fact, 100% of girls who have come to the program with SBP were also victims, and over half of the boys with SBP were as well. This is a critical consideration in the process of treating these youth and helps to better understand the complex struggles that they face.

How does RSafe^® work?

RSafe^® serves boys and girls ages 4 to 18 who are referred by the courts, child welfare and other mental health professionals. The program offers the following services:

• Screening and assessment
• Individual therapy
• Family Therapy
• Group therapy – age and gender specific
• Daughters and Sons United – support group for children and their siblings
• Parent Education Groups

RSafe^® also provides Treatment Foster Care for children with sexual behavior problems. These services are coordinated through extensive collaboration with other agencies and support systems involved, such as Project Harmony, Juvenile Court judges, District Court judges, Child Protection and Safety workers and service coordinators.

RSafe^® treats all family members regardless of their level of involvement in the sexual abuse issue. The program offers individual, family and group therapy coordinated through an extensive collaboration with other systems involved in the victim and family’s life such as the judicial, child welfare and education systems.

Contact:
Bev Carlson 402.978.5646 bcarlson@lfsneb.org
Building and Strengthening Families

For more information visit www.lfsneb.org.

Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska (LFS) is a faith-based, non-profit, multi-service human care organization with more than 30 locations. The organization impacts nearly 35,000 people annually through community-based programs in Children Services, Community Services, and Behavioral Health. The work of LFS is supported by caring members of our community whose contributions help make services available for those unable to pay. 87% of all donations go directly to client services.