Community Care Resources, Inc.

Press Kit

Contents: (click to expand)

• Letter of Introduction
  Print    Email

  Community Care Resources was founded in April of 1989 by Dan Simon. Driven by his passion for serving the public, he recognized a unique need in the foster care community to heal foster children who display a range of emotional and behavioral disorders. As a licensed treatment foster care agency, CCR provides comprehensive community-based living and mental health services to children, adolescents and families in Wisconsin. The purpose of treatment is to provide a stable and normalizing family environment as a basis for children and adolescents to receive appropriate mental health, medical and educational services to become more adaptive and emotionally healthy. The mission of the agency is to successfully integrate youth into permanent home situations in which they can become productive members of society.

  While our goal is to successfully integrate children and adolescents into permanent home situations, we understand that this would not be possible without our network of foster parents. Therefore, we are committed to finding parents we believe will provide a nurturing, patient, and stable environment. All of our potential foster parents are subject to extensive screening, licensing, and training. We provide an extended support system to foster parents to help them deal with the many challenges that come with transitioning foster children into their homes.

  In an effort to carry out Dan Simon's vision to heal foster children in need, we implement a treatment-focused foster care program in which we provide therapeutic mental health services for the area's most vulnerable youth. This profound focus has made, and will continue to make, a significant difference for hundreds of Wisconsin foster children as it provides much needed hope for a bright and healthy future.

• Programs & Services
  Print    Email

  Treatment Foster Care
  Community Care Resources, Inc. (CCR) accepts referrals from any of Wisconsin's 72 counties. We serve youth aged birth to 18 who are diagnosed with a wide variety of child/adolescent disorders, and may be at risk for residential placement due to moderate or severe emotional and behavioral disturbance. Our services include intensive case management and weekly personal visits by a Master's level Clinical Case Manager, care and supervision provided by skilled and committed treatment foster families and individualized treatment planning and service delivery.

  Psychological Consultation and Evaluation
  Community Care Resources, Inc. (CCR) is unique in having the on-site services of a Licensed Child Clinical Psychologist, Dr. Donna A. Rifken. Dr. Rifken provides psychological evaluations for youth with mental health, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), learning and developmental disabilities. She tailors her evaluations to the specific and timely questions asked by clinical case managers, treatment foster parents, psychiatrists, and county partners. She also provides 'just in time' consultation for crises, pre-placement planning and placement adjustment issues. With youth who are aging out of the foster care system, Dr. Rifken can also provide Family Care and Guardianship evaluations.

  As a separate service, Dr. Rifken provides Parenting Assessments for teen parents and their children. She uses a multi-dimensional assessment tool specifically developed for young parents in crisis. This tool includes information from direct observation and from historical and collateral sources. Parenting Assessments can be requested by our county and community partners.

  Continuing our 20 year effort to provide specific and measureable treatment plans, Dr. Rifken coaches treatment foster parents and clinical case managers to create useable 'road maps' for our youth in care. The goal is to create a plan that treatment foster parents can use to guide their daily interactions with youth in care. She has travelled the state in order to coach all of our treatment foster family partners in our 'road map' effort.

  Dr. Rifken is an experienced cognitive behavior therapist who provides Treatment Focused-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) in-house to youth in our care. She also has over 25 years of experience in family therapy, eating disorders treatment, and working with young child victims of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. She is National Register certified and licensed in the State of Wisconsin.

  Trauma Informed Outpatient Programs/Services
  Community Care Resources, Inc. (CCR) believes that Treatment Foster Care should be focused and supported by mental health principles, practices, and services. We are a State certified Mental Health Outpatient Clinic offering psychological evaluations, psychotherapy and comprehensive treatment planning. Our wraparound services provide quick access to services, quality assurance, and communication. Our outpatient clinic also serves as the foundation of our Sexual-Abuse Treatment Offender Program (S.T.O.P.).

  Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
  On March 1, 2010, Community Care Resources, Inc. (CCR) staff began a year-long learning collaborative with nationally recognized TF-CBT expert, Jennifer Wilgocki, MS, LCSW. The goal of this learning collaborative was to create a paradigm shift in clinical practice from generalist practice to trauma-informed practice throughout the agency (foster parents, clinical case managers, and therapists).

  A national study of adult "foster care alumni" found higher rates of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (21.5%) compared with the general population (4.5%).

  Foster care alumni have higher rates of major depression, social phobia, panic disorder, generalized anxiety, addiction, and bulimia. (Pecora, et al., 2003)

  A study of children in foster care revealed PTSD in 60% of sexually abused children and 42% of physically abused children. In addition, 18% of foster children who had not experienced either type of abuse had PTSD (Dubner & Motta, 1999) possibly because of exposure to domestic violence or community violence (Marsenich, 2002). One out of three children entering foster care ages 6 to 8, met criteria for PTSD (Dale et al. 1999).

  Child traumatic stress is serious and CCR recognizes that generalized practice does not adequately meet the needs of the youth referred to us. After careful research and consideration of TF-CBT as an evidence-based treatment model, CCR now offers trauma informed services for every youth placed with our agency. Every youth will receive a trauma assessment within 30 days of placement. If a criterion for PTSD is met, the youth will be treated by one of our own in-house therapists or will be referred to qualified therapists in the community.

  If a youth's treatment team would like to refer their youth for TF-CBT, there are several therapists trained to provide this specialized treatment program. These therapists are located throughout the State so on-site therapy is possible.

  CCR accepts referrals for TF-CBT for youth placed in our treatment foster homes. Depending upon availability and location, CCR can offer TF-CBT on an outpatient basis.

  Sexual-Abuse Treatment Offender Program (S.T.O.P.)
  S.T.O.P. provides individualized outpatient treatment for male and female youth who display sexual acting out issues. S.T.O.P. emphasizes a team approach in addressing each youth's individual treatment goals. This approach provides consistent treatment and communication with team members. S.T.O.P. also provides treatment to those youth who have sexual victimization issues. Services for both programs include group, individual, and family therapy/education. As a separate service, S.T.O.P. provides a comprehensive Psychosexual Assessment that details a youth's perception of the offense, sexual attitudes and development, potential risk factors for committing future offenses and recommendations for placements, treatment, and registration on the juvenile sex offender registry.

  Specialized Group Care
  Community Care Resources, Inc. (CCR) also offers Specialized Group Care (SGC), a three- to four-bed hybrid model of care that incorporates the best of Treatment Foster Care and Group Home Care. These homes offer the programming and structure of a group home setting but the "family-like" environment of a foster home. These homes do not have young biological children. A maximum of four foster youth are placed in SGC homes. Program components include independent living skills training, point, level and charting systems, daily logging of youth's behaviors and target goals, in-home individual, group and family therapy; psychological services and clinical case management services.

• Facts and Statistics
  Print    Email

  Company Information

  Established	April 1989
  Executive Director / Owner	Daniel Simon, MSSW
  Employees	26
  Website	www.communitycareresources.com
  Company	Private corporation licensed by the State of Wisconsin as a Child Placement Agency
  Mission Statement	It is the mission of Community Care Resources, Inc. to provide comprehensive community based living and mental health services to children, adolescents and families regardless of national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or disability. The purpose of treatment is to provide a stable and normalizing family environment as a basis for children and adolescents to receive appropriate mental health, medical and educational services to become more adaptive and emotionally healthy. The goal of the agency mission is to successfully integrate youth into permanent home situations in which they can become productive members of society.
  Licensed Homes in Wisconsin	87 (June, 2011)
  Children in Care	150 (June, 2011)
  Clinical Staff	Clinical Case Managers: 15 Clinical Supervisors: 2 Child Psychologist: 1
  Other Staff	Programs Manager: 1 Referral Coordinator: 1 Foster Care Coordinator: 1 Financial Manager: 1 Office Staff: 3
  Specialized Treatment Programs	Sexual-Abuse Treatment/Offender Program (S.T.O.P.) Trauma Focused-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
  Levels of service	Respite care Short-term care (30 days or less) Long-term care (more than 30 days) Foster care adoption

  Wisconsin Foster Care Statistics

  Children in Foster Care	Approximately 8,000 24.6% of foster children are between ages of 0 and 5 22.9% of foster children are between ages of 6 and 12 52.4% of foster children are between ages of 13 and 21 Source: Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS)
  Time Spent in Foster Care	Wisconsin: 2 years (27.2 months) National: 2 years (28.8 months) Source: Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS)
  Foster Care Placements (3 or more)	Wisconsin: 35% National: 42% Source: Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS)
  Foster Children Waiting to be Adopted	Wisconsin: 1,291 (15.9%) National: 115,893 (22.9%) Source: Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS)
  Time Spent Waiting for Adoption	Wisconsin: 45 months National: 42 months Source: Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS)
  State Foster Care Age Requirement	21 years old
  State Licensed Providers	Over 5,100 Source: Wisconsin Department of Children and Families
  Children in Most Need of Foster Homes	Children with special needs, including teenagers, siblings and children with physical, emotional or behavioral disabilities. Source: Wisconsin Department of Children and Families

• Story Ideas
  Print    Email

  Topic 1: Community Care Resources Brings Powerful Healing Through Therapeutic Foster Care
  Community Care Resources, Inc. specializes in comprehensive treatment foster care, serving children and adolescents aged birth to 18, who display a wide range of emotional and behavioral disorders. In addition to the stable, nurturing home that every child deserves, children in the therapeutic foster care system require special skills, attention and dedication. These children present special needs and require extraordinary foster families willing to dedicate time, energy and compassion as they struggle to cope with life's challenges related to various cognitive, emotional and behavioral disorders. SME: Brian Sullivan, MS, LPC, Referral Coordinator; Renee Wilberg, MSSW, Clinical Supervisor; Mary Simon, MSSW, LCSW, Programs Manager; Paulette Wijas, MSSW, LCSW, Clinical Supervisor.

  Topic 2: Children of Substance Abusers Find Compassion and Healing in Foster Care
  Three out of four child welfare professionals report that children of addicted parents are more likely to enter foster care, and 73% say that children of alcoholics stay in foster care longer than children without addicted parents, according to the National Association of Children of Alcoholics. Alcoholism and drug addiction can have serious consequences for children who live in homes with substance-abusing parents. Using a therapeutic foster care model, Community Care Resources, Inc. provides comprehensive treatment and support for this vulnerable population. The purpose of the treatment is to provide a stable and normalizing family environment as a basis to receive appropriate mental health, medical and educational services to become more adaptive and emotionally healthy. SME: Paulette Wijas, MSSW, LCSW, Clinical Supervisor; Mary Simon, MSSW, LCSW, Programs Manager.

  Topic 3: Community Care Resources Creates Comprehensive Partnerships with Foster Parents
  It's no secret that foster parenting can be difficult. According to the Foster Care & Adoption Resource Center, foster care agencies can lose between 30-50% of foster homes each year, and estimates that 40% of new foster parents quit within their first year of licensing. Community Care Resources, Inc. (CCR) maintains the position that there must be more effort placed on retaining existing foster parents by providing the much needed tools and support to cope with challenges, stress and frustrations associated with foster parenting. In doing such, foster parents are armed with skills essential in promoting a brighter future for a child in need. Once meeting the initial foster parent licensing requirements, CCR devotes extraordinary time and resources to developing partnerships with foster families, providing ongoing support and education through exclusive training sessions offered throughout the year. Foster parenting is a journey which requires strength, compassion and devotion, and is further enhanced through extensive agency support. SME: Renee Wilberg, MSSW, Clinical Supervisor; Brian Sullivan, MS, LPC, Referral Coordinator; Paulette Wijas, MSSW, LCSW, Clinical Supervisor; Mary Simon, MSSW, LCSW, Programs Manager.

  Topic 4: Healing the Wounds of Traumatized Youth in Foster Care
  Community Care Resources, Inc. (CCR) is an innovative, progressive agency that is committed to healing children through evidence-based treatment programs. In 2009 CCR implemented an agency-wide trauma informed practice, Trauma Focused-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) with all youth in care. Staff members were intensively trained in a one-year learning collaborative with a national expert in trauma-focused treatment, Jennifer Wilgocki. Every youth who is placed in a CCR home receives a trauma informed assessment within the first 30 days of their placement. Those youth that qualify for TF-CBT are then referred for this specialized treatment. (Case Study available) SME: Paulette Wijas, MSSW, LCSW, Clinical Supervisor; Donna Rifken, Ph.D., Child Clinical Psychologist; Mary Simon, MSSW, LCSW, Programs Manager; Renee Wilberg, MSSW, Clinical Supervisor.

  Topic 5: Creating a Family for Forgotten Teens
  Nearly half of the young people in foster care are older than age 10. For many years, the number of young people aging out of foster care has increased. Approximately 30,000 young people exit foster care without the appropriate family connections, resources, mentorship, employment, skills or options they need to live independently. Teens can be the most challenging to place into foster care, often bringing with them psychological damage from physical or emotional abuse, neglect, lack of discipline, depression or substance abuse. The need for a safe, compassionate family is overwhelming. Community Care Resources, Inc. takes a unique approach which focuses on treatment, healing and stability. SME: Brian Sullivan, MS, LPC, Referral Coordinator; Paulette Wijas, MSSW, LCSW, Clinical Supervisor; Renee Wilberg, MSSW, Clinical Supervisor; Mary Simon, MSSW, LCSW, Programs Manager.

  Topic 6: From Foster Care to Adoption: Finding a Permanent Home for Children in Need
  (November is National Adoption Month)
  Every year, approximately 30,000 young people leave the foster care system without permanent families - most at age 18. They need and deserve caring families who will support and nurture them. Permanent adoption can be a deeply rewarding way to form or expand a family, at the same time providing a sense of security and belonging for a child or young adult. According to U.S Department of Health and Human Services, 54 percent of children who were adopted in 2009 were adopted by their foster parents. Community Care Resources, Inc. provides extensive information and resources when adoption becomes a consideration for foster families. SME: Renee Wilberg, MSSW, Clinical Supervisor; Mary Simon, MSSW, LCSW, Programs Manager.

  Topic 7: Sexual Offender Treatment Program Rehabilitates Juveniles in Foster Care
  S.T.O.P. (Sexual abuse Treatment and Offender Program) provides individualized outpatient treatment for youth who struggle with sexual issues, emphasizing a team approach in addressing each youth's individual treatment goals. The program is supervised by Mary Simon, Licensed Clinical Social Worker and owner of Community Care Resources, Inc.. With 20 years of experience, Mary provides assessment and treatment of victims and offenders. S.T.O.P. features individual, group and family therapy, as well as sibling reparative and family reunification focused therapy. Psychosexual assessments conducted on an outpatient basis provide a comprehensive assessment of youth's risk for sexual offending. The assessment details a youth's perception of the offense, sexual attitudes and development, potential risk factors for committing future offenses and recommendations for placements, treatment, and registration on the juvenile sex offender registry. SME: Mary Simon, MSSW, LCSW, Programs Manager; Janette Gunn, MSSW, LCSW, S.T.O.P Therapist.

  Topic 8: Paying It Forward Through Foster Care
  When asked why they want to become foster parents, many will say that the reason they are compelled to help a child in need stems from a deep yearning to give back, to help others just as they have been helped at one time or another. Perhaps fill a void for a child - and for themselves. Adults willing to provide a safe, stable environment for foster children are vital crusaders in a mission to pay it forward, and are ultimately helping to make our communities better places to live, work and play. In the state of Wisconsin, Community Care Resources, Inc. has approximately 200 youth placed in 87 licensed foster care homes. All provide food, shelter, compassion, structure and hope for children in an effort to significantly improve a child's future. In exchange, foster parents receive extensive support, education and the gratification of knowing that they have saved a child's life by paying it forward. SME: Brian Sullivan, MS, LPC, Referral Coordinator; Paulette Wijas, MSSW, LCSW, Clinical Supervisor; Mary Simon, MSSW, LCSW, Programs Manager; Renee Wilberg, MSSW, Clinical Supervisor.

  Topic 9: Distinctive Approach to Foster Care Parenting Restores Hope for Foster Youth
  Many children in the foster system have experienced hurt, loss and grief resulting in various emotional, behavioral or cognitive disorders that can prohibit healthy development. As such, it's no longer enough for foster parents to simply do their best and hope that a child will grow up to be a well-adjusted adult. Community Care Resources, Inc. (CCR) implements a distinctive approach by teaching professional parenting skills and performing evidence-based interventions in order to better measure a child's improvement and progress. Using state-of-the-art treatment, intervention and tracking tools, CCR foster parents are highly-skilled professionals armed with skills and resources imperative for healthy development. SME: Donna Rifken, Ph.D., Child Clinical Psychologist; Paulette Wijas, MSSW, LCSW, Clinical Supervisor; Mary Simon, MSSW, LCSW, Programs Manager.

• Subject Matter Expert Bios
  Print    Email

  Dan Simon, Executive Director, Owner
  As the Director and Owner of Community Care Resources, Dan fills many of the business and management roles for the organization. Driven by his passion to establish a foster care agency that delivers children and adolescents with comprehensive mental care services, Dan recognizes none of this would be possible without a great team of foster care and mental health professionals. He offers a wide breadth of knowledge when it comes to the foster care industry, ranging from current practices and trends to the philosophies that have kept his business flourishing for over 23 years.

  Mary Simon, MSSW, LCSW, Programs Manager
  With over 19 years of experience in the treatment foster care industry, Mary is Community Care Resources' Programs Manager, as well as the wife of founder Dan Simon. While she fills a variety of roles including an active role in education and development of policy, procedure and protocol, Mary's passion is in her clinical work with children. Mary has extensive expertise in the treatment of children and adolescents with severe trauma and mental health issues. She also provides individualized outpatient treatment for youth who struggle with sexual issues in her role as supervisor of the Sexual Abuse Treatment Offender Program (S.T.O.P.).

  Paulette Wijas, MSSW, LCSW, Clinical Supervisor
  Paulette is a Clinical Supervisor here at Community Care Resources. Along with her Masters Degree in Social Work, Paulette is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with Substance Abuse Specialty Authorization and has a background in psychiatric inpatient work, in home family therapy, and outpatient mental health counseling in the public and private sectors. She works closely with many of our Clinical Case Managers to find effective solutions for children with behavioral and mental health issues and offers a calm, clinical, and thoughtful approach to problem solving.

  Renee Wilberg, MSSW, Clinical Supervisor
  Renee is a Clinical Supervisor, who works closely with parents and children throughout the foster care process. Renee plays an important role in the training and education of new foster parents and also provides the necessary support and guidance to Clinical Case Managers. She has extensive experience in Child Protective Services which she is able to bring to her role within the organization. Most importantly, Renee offers invaluable personal experience to the job, both as a former foster parent and current adoptive parent.

  Joan Albright, MSSW, LASW Foster Care Coordinator
  As Foster Care Coordinator, Joan plays an integral role in the recruitment, screening, training, and licensing of foster parents. She also provides direct support to the many foster parents within the Community Care Resources' system. It's her goal to establish professional and trusting relationships with these parents, while providing them with an honest approach regarding the successes and challenges that inevitably come with foster care. Prior to her position as Foster Care Coordinator, she served as a Clinical Case Manager with Community Care Resources for over 11 years. As a result, Joan is very familiar with the many traumas foster youth bring to care.

  Donna Rifken, Ph.D., Child Clinical Psychologist
  With a Ph. D. in Child Clinical Psychology, Donna offers the Community Care Resources team over 28 years of experience in the assessment and treatment of youth hurt by abuse, neglect and mental illness. Donna is a pragmatic clinician, treating and assessing youth using a variety of evidence-based, proven strategies. Her goal is to find ways to stabilize youth in care so that their Community Care Resources placement is their last placement. She is dedicated to ending the cycle of moving children from one foster home to another. Donna is also the developer of Peaceful Warriors, a program that teaches youth how to reduce stress and make better decisions about behavior through the use of mindfulness practices, yoga and cognitive behavioral skills. She is a National Register Psychologist, a certified yoga instructor and is experienced in Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy (TF-CBT).

  Brian Sullivan, MS, LPC, Referral Coordinator, Clinical Supervisor
  Brian serves as both Referral Coordinator and Clinical Supervisor for the Community Care Resources team. In addition to providing Case Managers with supervision and guidance, he also manages all referrals to Community Care Resources for children in need of foster care, carefully matching them with families and facilitating all placements. He enjoys seeing children thrive and succeed in foster care as well as building relationships with the social workers who refer them. Over his 13 years with the organization, Brian has also been actively involved with writing, editing and producing the Community Care Resources newsletter.

  Janette Gunn, MSSW, LCSW, Therapist
  Janette is a licensed psychotherapist specializing in treating children and youth who have complex sexual abuse histories and offending behavior in her role as therapist in the Sexual abuse Treatment Offender Program (S.T.O.P) at Community Care Resources. She strives to facilitate healing for youth and their families who have often lost hope. As a member of the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (ATSA), Janette works with both victims and perpetrators of abuse, in some circumstances bringing them together to heal through reparative family therapy. In her 7 years with the organization, Janette strives to bring a strength-based approach to the youth and families by incorporating evidence-based Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) to individuals in treatment.