The Gazette: Mary Beth O’Neill’s guest column, “Iowa needs diverse foster families”
Guest column by Mary Beth O’Neill that appeared in The Gazette: As an organization that spans the whole of Iowa, Four Oaks faces many needs in the coming year. While
Iowa Department of Human Services Hosts Roundtable Discussions
| On June 22, Four Oaks was honored to be invited by Department of Human Services (DHS) Director Kelly Garcia to participate in a discussion on children’s mental health services and supports across Iowa. The event was held at the Independence Mental Health Institute (IMHI) where Health and Human Services (HHS) hosted representatives from the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH), Intergovernmental and External Affairs (IEA), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
The event included two roundtable discussions with representatives from University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, several Iowa Mental Health and Disability Regions, Blank Children’s Hospital, Orchard Place and Four Oaks. The group toured House of Mercy and UnityPoint Health Behavioral Health in Des Moines and Independence Mental Health Institute.
Mary Beth O’Neill, President and CEO of Four Oaks, and Four Oaks therapist Roger Pollock, LISW, were afforded the opportunity to provide insight into service gaps and systemic barriers impeding service delivery to children. “We had a collaborative and engaging discussion that bodes well for the future direction of children’s services,” said O’Neill.
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Welcome to our new blog!
Welcome to our new blog! Educators, we see you, and we hear you. The last few years have narrowed everyone’s windows of tolerance, and you need practical support over philosophical.
Trauma-Informed looks like… Part #4 – Paying Attention to Basic Needs (while bowling)
My niece and nephew had never been bowling before. When my sister and I visited over Thanksgiving Break, we had a Grand idea: we take them bowling for the first