Nebraska

Nearly half of Nebraska foster kids suffered parental substance abuse, report shows

Published

2 months ago

October 18, 2024

Nearly half of Nebraska foster kids suffered parental substance abuse, report shows

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – A new report shows nearly half of the children in the custody of Nebraska DHHS were removed from their home because of parental substance abuse.

The Foster Care Review Office’s annual report to the Nebraska Legislature also indicated that most families in the child welfare system struggle to access the treatment they need.

Julie Larson, of Malcolm, knows the impact of addiction firsthand. Her adult daughter has struggled on and off with substance abuse for years and is unable to reliably care for her 7-year-old child, Emory.

“We would have Emory for a period of time when she was in treatment. She’d get out of treatment, do well for a period of time, and then relapse,” said Larson.

Emory has been living with Larson and her husband for more than two years. Larson is her parental delegate, but now they are working to gain guardianship of Emory.

“It got to the point where I just felt like the relapse was too much and Emory needed a more stable environment,” said Larson.

Julie Larson, of Malcolm, and her husband are working to gain guardianship of their 7-year-old granddaughter, Emory.(Julie Larson)

Larson said getting the guardianship process started was intimidating. “I didn’t know where to go, where to start,” said Larson.

A recommendation from Emory’s school to contact Lutheran Family Services led them to join the free Kinship Navigation program.

“They take you step by step through everything that needs to be done, including getting services for the child, getting services for the grandparents that are taking in the child, and getting through the legal system without having to retain that attorney,” said Larson.

Larson said the program has lifted an emotional and financial burden off her family. The process has also helped Emory understand what is happening.

“We’ve been very open and honest with her about her mother’s addiction and substance abuse. Going through the guardianship program, she loves when our navigator comes, she draws little pictures for her. She understands that once this program is complete, that it will be a more permanent home for her,” said Larson.

Larson added, the program has also helped them gain a better understanding of addiction and has made it easier for them to speak with their family and friends about it.

“Nobody chooses to be an addict or an alcoholic or a substance abuser. It just sneaks up and it gets these claws in you that are very, very difficult to get out of,” said Larson.

Lutheran Family Services also offers treatment programs for adults struggling with substance abuse, including parents who have had their children removed from the home or are at risk of removal.

“If they are not successfully tending to everything that comes with addiction, then they won’t be able to provide a healthy home for their children,” said Jamie Rich, Clinical Supervisor of the Adult Behavioral Health Program & Treatment Court Program at Lutheran Family Services.

LFS offers outpatient treatment with therapy, groups, and medication-assisted treatment, regardless of someone’s income or if they have insurance.

“My team’s job is to work with the parents to help them find the resources and treatment they need to get well, to find a solid recovery program and to be able to reunify with their family,” said Rich.

Rich said she’s seen countless stories of parents getting sober and regaining custody of their children but said it can take time to get there.

“It’s a disease that effects so much of the person’s life and those around them. Recovery is a process and sometimes a very long process. The more support and the more resources that we can build around a person, the more chance they have for success,” said Rich.

Parental substance abuse can lead to child abuse and neglect, according to the Nebraska child advocacy center, Project Harmony.

“It’s not unusual for children to be experiencing more than one type of abuse, including possible addiction of parents. What that means is those caregivers as well as those children are much more vulnerable to other types of abuse when there’s substance abuse happening,” said Colleen Brazil, the VP of Children’s Services at Project Harmony.

Brazil said that this can impact a child’s brain development. “When children have adverse childhood experiences, they become adults that then maybe struggle with mental health, addiction, and chronic health conditions,” said Brazil.

Project Harmony conducts forensic interviews with children to identify abuse and offers preventative resources for families. They also stress the importance of kids having other adults looking out for changes in behavior and making a call if concerns arise.

“That would be calling child protective services. We don’t have to know that something is definitely happening to make that call. I think it’s important to keep in mind that we won’t regret that we’ve made a call to check on a child, we might regret if we haven’t,” said Brazil.

Both Lutheran Family Services and Project Harmony can connect families with mental health services for kids as well.

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Nebraska

900 Square Feet: Recapping Louisville-Pitt, Penn State-Nebraska

Published

7 hours ago

December 21, 2024

Press Room

900 Square Feet: Recapping Louisville-Pitt, Penn State-Nebraska

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky — One match left: Louisville, which knocked out Pittsburgh, plays Penn State, which ousted Nebraska with a five-set reverse sweep.

ESPN and Big Ten Network analyst Emily Ehman and VolleyballMag editor Lee Feinswog look back on an incredible Thursday night at the NCAA Division I Volleyball Championship:

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Nebraska

Dana Holgorsen, John Butler talk bowl prep and being “light on your feet”

Published

15 hours ago

December 21, 2024

Press Room

Dana Holgorsen, John Butler talk bowl prep and being “light on your feet”

In today’s college football, coaches must have their head on a swivel.

That’s true during the season of course, but it’s now a way of life once the transfer portal opens in December and rosters start moving and shaking. And things get even more wild if you’re at a program that’s playing in a bowl game, or even the College Football Playoff.

It’s a balancing act that all staffs are going through right now. Nebraska’s included.

“You’ve got to be light on your feet, man,” Nebraska defensive coordinator John Butler said during a press conference over Zoom on Thursday. “I mean, you’re maybe in the middle of a game-plan meeting and all of a sudden you got to jump out and you’re having a 30-minute meeting with a prospect that’s in on a visit, or you’re jumping on a Zoom doing it. Or you’re watching 15 minutes of tape to make sure that, hey, this guy just jumped in and he wants to visit us. So I think you got to be a fast thinker and mover and a shaker, quite frankly.”

This whole process has taught Butler, who spent the 2024 season as the defensive backs coach under now-departed DC Tony White, that these traits are as important as ever: Being decisive. Being organized. Following a road map to achieve a goal and not deviating from it when there’s chaos all over.

“You’ve got to have a plan and a vision for what you’re looking for, because everything happens so fast,” Butler said. “You have a guy get in and get out, get in and get signed. And at the same time, you also got to keep an eye on your roster constantly, because there’s people reaching out. There’s people reaching out to your players, whether it’s direct or it’s people reaching out through a third party. And it’s unfortunate in this environment.

“People said, ‘Hey, it’s like NFL free agency.’ No, it’s not. NFL free agency is regulated.”

As Husker fans have come to learn, just because a player says he’s going to enter the transfer portal doesn’t mean he actually will. And sometimes when a player actually enters his name in the portal, there’s always a chance they could withdraw their name and return to their program if each side wants.

Nebraska saw that happen with defensive lineman Keona Davis, who briefly entered the portal before withdrawing and staying at NU for 2025. There was also running back Emmett Johnson — he announced he would enter the portal but never made it there.

Holgorsen played a key role in convincing Johnson to stay at Nebraska.

“We had some long talks after the season, and I got to know him better as a person,” Holgorsen said of his relationship with Johnson. “I did that with a bunch of them, but him in particular was probably about the first one that came in and was excited about what we did, but there was some buts. So we had some long talks. I think he’s a great kid and he’s going to be a special player here. Excited to coach him.”

On Holgorsen’s side of the ball, he’ll have to adjust his game plan now that he’ll be without a handful of players he was able to use during the regular season.

Running back Dante Dowdell transferred to Kentucky on Friday. A tight end Holgorsen really liked, Nate Boerkircher, transferred to Texas A&M. Receiver Isaiah Neyor has chosen to opt out of the Pinstripe Bowl to focus on his NFL aspirations. Offensive lineman Micah Mazzccua, who began the year as the starting right guard but finished the season rotating with Gunnar Gottula at left tackle, won’t play in the bowl because he’s getting surgery to fix a torn labrum he played through during the season.

There will be holes to fill on Holgorsen’s offense in the bowl game and beyond in 2025. But Holgorsen brushes all of this chaos off. He’s a go-with-the-flow guy. He doesn’t pretend to have answers to fix college football. What he does have, though, is a plan.

“There’s been a lot of talk out there about something needs to happen. That’s above my pay grade,” Holgorsen said. “So, the few kids who decided to do that (leave), we wish them well, and you just go replace them. It’s as simple as that.”

Part of that replacement process needs to happen for the bowl game with current members of the roster. Behind Emmett Johnson, expect Rahmir Johnson — he’s native of the Bronx and will have several family members and friends at Yankee Stadium — to play often as it’ll be his final game in a Husker uniform.

But with Dowdell and Gabe Ervin Jr. gone from the team, perhaps this Pinstripe Bowl will feature another big back on Nebraska’s roster who’s seldom been used: redshirt freshman Kwinten Ives, a 6-3, 210-pounder.

“You know, 23 (Dowdell) isn’t playing in the bowl game but 28 (Ives) is gonna go in there and he’s gonna play his tail off because he’s had nine spectacular practices,” Holgorsen said. “I think that’s how you got to look at it. You don’t worry about the ones that aren’t playing. You worry about the ones that are playing, and you coach them and you try to develop them, put them in position to hopefully be successful.”

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Nebraska

Purdue Transfer Quarterback Marcos Davila Commits to Nebraska

Published

23 hours ago

December 21, 2024

Press Room

Purdue Transfer Quarterback Marcos Davila Commits to Nebraska

KALEB HENRY

Kaleb Henry is an award-winning sports reporter, covering collegiate athletics since 2014 via radio, podcasting, and digital journalism. His experience with Big Ten Conference teams goes back more than a decade, including time covering programs such as the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Oregon Ducks, and USC Trojans. He has contributed to Sports Illustrated since 2021. Kaleb has won multiple awards for his sports coverage from the Nebraska Broadcasters Association and Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association. Prior to working in sports journalism, Kaleb was a Division I athlete on the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Track and Field team where he discussed NCAA legislation as SIUE’s representative to the Ohio Valley Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

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