Some Good E-News

February 2024

Some Good

E-News

LCSNW Spokane's Monthly Newsletter

Follow us on social media for even more good news - program highlights, upcoming events, volunteer opportunities, and celebrations!

From all of us at LCS Northwest we wish you a healthy, hopeful, and just Valentine's Day.

Did you know, February is also Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month (TDVAM), a month-long campaign dedicated to raising awareness about teen dating abuse.⁠

Dating violence is more common than you may think, especially among teens and young adults: 1 in 3 U.S. teens will experience physical, sexual, or emotional abuse from someone they’re in a relationship with before becoming adults.

If you have experienced teen dating violence please reach out for support!

YWCA Spokane 24/7 helpline: (509) 326-2255/text: (509) 220-3725
MiA - Mujeres in Action 24/7 hotline: (509) 795-2028
LCS Northwest 24/7 support line: (509) 624-7273

Child Welfare Program

23 URM Youth in Care | 96% URM Youth in School or Working | 25 WISe Families

100% FOCIS Hospital Diversion

URM Foster Care Info Night

Wednesday, February 21st

5:00-6:00pm

Online via Google Meet

If you live in the Spokane or Columbia Basin area and are interested in learning more about how to help refugee foster youth or become a foster parent, them mark your calendars!

Attend our next (virtual) Foster Care Info Night where we'll give an overview of our program, answer some frequently asked questions, and share more about the licensing process.

Email theirhope@lcsnw.org or call 509-319-5346 to RSVP or ask questions.

Attend a Session

Learn More about URM

Diversity is welcomed and respected!

We license foster families regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, marital status, citizenship, or other children in home.

Our Unaccompanied Refugee Minor foster care team is working with Hutton Settlement to expand our placement availability and continuum of care for youth who are able to live more independently.

We hope to begin placing youth there later this spring.

Our WISe teams assist families across multiple life domains. One such area they have focused on recently is helping youth and families advocate for their school and IEP needs.

Kelsey Doerr, URM Foster Home Recruiter, recently wrote an article about the impact of human trafficking, experienced by nearly half of our URM foster youth, and how you can help.

Ulfa Hall has been promoted to URM Foster Care Supervisor. Congratulations Ulfa!

Complete a Referral

Know a youth struggling with a mental or behavioral health crisis?

We have immediate openings in our Family Outreach Crisis Intervention (FOCIS) program!

FOCIS is a 30-day intervention for families with children (18 and younger) who are experiencing a mental or behavioral health crisis. Our in-home and community-based services include:

Mental health therapy
Therapeutic aid services
Intensive case management
24-hour crisis on-call support
Care coordination and connection to resources

At this time, we are only able to accept Medicaid insurance.

Advocacy & Education Program

152 Clients | 263 Calls to 24/7 Support Line | 16 Hospital Responses | 290 Service Hours

Mark & Walker

Our dynamic Courthouse Facility Dog duo have been very busy this month!

Mark and Walker teamed up with Partners with Families & Children to present to a class of social work students at Eastern Washington University about the important role facility dogs can have in enhancing and supporting an individual's journey through the investigation and criminal justice process.

Mark and Walker were invited to Spokane County District Court Judge Jenny Zappone's courtroom to help welcome a group of 4th graders from Cataldo Catholic School that were there to learn about the judicial system and what happens in a court room.

Mark and Walker got to talk about the work they do both inside and outside the court room to support crime victims. Walker was very happy to visit with the kids, show them some of the commands he knows, and share a coveted Walker plushie with each class to help them remember their experience.

Mark and Walker participated in an extra-special event at the courthouse called "Color of Justice." The event was designed to inspire young students of color to consider careers in the legal field. They spoke about their work with victims of crime and how our LCS Advocacy team supports them.

They met several Supreme Court Justices, judges, and attorneys, along with Justice Mary Yu, the first woman of color to be elected to a statewide office in Washington State.

Walker loved the time with the students and it was inspiring to hear them talk about how they could be lawyers or judges when they grow up. Maybe some of them will join our team one day!

Walker celebrated his 8th birthday this month too!

2018

2024

Finally, Mark and Walker celebrated their 6th anniversary as a team. They were paired, completed training, and began working together as a team in January 2018.

Together, they've created a whole lot of health, justice, and hope for victims of crime throughout the community since then.

Cheers to many more years!

Sexual Assault & Family Trauma (SAFeT)

Clinical Program

299 Clients | 855 Service Hours | 182 Calls to Intake | 38 Intakes Completed

Kendall Watson has completed the licensure process and is now a Licensed Mental Health Counselor. Congratulations Kendall!

Clinical Intern, Bailey Reifenberger has been hired as a part-time Mental Health Associate. Bailey continues to lead LCSNW's Youth Advisory Board.

Mental Health Clinician, Liz Jacobs and Clinical Intern, Po Popelka completed the Office of Crime Victim Advocacy Therapist Core Training.

The 23-hour training is a requirement for therapists treating victims of crime and sexual assault and emphasizes an empowerment approach to working with survivors.

Inland Northwest District Updates