Issue: 15March 2013
The Road Less Traveled                     Right Turn Newsletter 
At Right Turn, we are committed to Nebraska's adoption community. Whether you are a family considering adoption, fostering a child you plan to adopt, an adoptive family, or an adoption professional - Right Turn has something for you!  
Right Turn - Right Now
For What's New with Right Turn
Meet Sara Sanson - Permanency Support Specialist
For families in central Nebraska, Sara Sanson is here to provide quality support and services.  Sanson has been a Permanency Support Specialist for two and half years and has served over 60 families.  Covering the Tri-City and surrounding areas - one of Right Turn's largest coverage areas - she is quite the traveler, having put hundreds of miles on her car to be available for her families at a time and place convenient and supportive for them.  
 
As Right Turn has grown and expanded over the last three years, she has been instrumental in building connections in central Nebraska.  She is well connected with resources in her community and constantly seeks new resources to ensure families receive the best possible services.  In addition to being organized and a true professional, Sanson is fun and energetic and able to fill families she serves with positive energy and hope.  Most importantly, Sanson's persistent and strong advocacy underline her commitment to ensuring the best for the families she serves.
 
Sanson received her Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Nebraska at Kearney in May of 2010.  Currently, she is working towards her Master's Degree in Social Work from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, expecting to graduate in August of 2014.  
Healthy Kids Street
Information Related to Children's Health
Exploring Self-Injury
March 1st was Self-Injury Awareness Day and Right Turn would like to help connect parents to more information regarding self-injury.  Self-injury affects many teens in our homes and in our community. Be in the know - learn about the signs of self-injury and the causes.
 

 

Neighborhood Watch
Information about Community Resources
The Arc
For People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Arc is the largest national community-based organization advocating for and serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.  They encompass all ages and all spectrums from autism, Down syndrome, Fragile X and various other developmental disabilities.

 
With more than 140,000 members and 
more than 700 state and local chapters nationwide, they are on the front lines to ensure that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families have the support they need to be members of the community. The Arc was born 60 years ago from a grassroots movement of families working vigilantly to create services for children and adults who were being denied day care, educational opportunities and work programs.

 

Founded in 1950, The Arc was comprised of a small group of concerned and passionate parents and community members who would be catalyst for changing the public perception of children with disabilities.  For the past 60 years, The Arc has continued to grow and evolve along with the changing needs and issues people with disabilities and their families face.

 

Governed by a volunteer board of directors and managed by key staff of The Arc, they work passionately to uphold their vision that every individual and family living with an intellectual or developmental disability in the United States has access to the information, advocacy and skills they need to participate as active citizens of our democracy and active members of their community.

 
Nebraska's Waiting Children
Right Turn is honored to feature some of Nebraska's waiting children in our newsletter.  We are reaching out to Nebraska's adoption community to find more people like you.  Nebraska currently has over 500 children waiting for a permenent home.  
 
Introducing Courtnee . . . 

Courtnee is a lively girl with a smile that brightens a room.  She is almost always in a good mood.  Courtnee is polite and does a good job of making people feel welcome.  She is an animal lover, but she especially loves dogs.  Courtnee is a good athlete an
dher favorite sport is volleyball.  Courtnee is on the spirit council at school and had a part in the school play. 

 

She is a very good student and makes all A's and B's.  Courtnee's future career goal is to go to cosmetology school.  She is a typical teenage girl who enjoys time with friends, loves make-up, boys, and Justin Bieber. 

 

Courtnee would like to be the oldest child and in a home with a younger brother and/or sister.  Courtnee also wants to be in a home with at least one family pet.  She is an active person, so a family that enjoys doing things together will be a good fit. 

 

Do you know someone who might be a good match for Courtnee? 
Please encourage them to call.  
 

If you would like to learn more, please contact Lisa Kelly, Wendy's Wonderful Kids Adoptive Family Recruiter with Lutheran Family Services at 402.661.3135 or [email protected].

 

Nebraska's Waiting Children 

 

Self Care Circle
Tools to Stay at Your Best
Spring (or Leap, as this year has it) Into Self-Care!
by Dr. Teresa Evans ND, LM
 
As the days lighten and the air freshens, we feel a new spring in our step and often new motivation for healthy activities, especially outdoor activities.  Below are some ideas for maximizing your healthy benefits from your naturally increased Spring motivation. 
  • Increase your veggie intake by just one serving per day in order to increase your necessary vitamin and mineral intake.  See the green smoothie recipe below for a tasty easy way to get in more greens.  
  • Starting with small goals such as a one serving increase is easier then larger goals. 
  • Drink about 64 ounces of water per day to help cleanse the body.  Add 1 extra cup of water for each 30 minutes of sweating and 1 extra cup for each cup of caffeine you drink.  Again, have a small starting goal of increasing your intake by only ONE cup per day.  You will be much more successful this way.
  • Increase your sleep time by 1 hour per night to allow your body to heal & recover.
  • Nurture and detox your body with massage and craniosacral therapy. 
In This Issue
Right Turn: Meet Sara Sanson
Exploring Self-Injury
The Arc
Self-Care for Spring
Quick Links
Upcoming Support Groups
 

Grand Island 

Tuesday, 

April 16, 2013

6:30 - 8:00 PM

YWCA

211 E Fonner Park Road

Grand Island, NE 68801

 

Lincoln 

Monday, 

April 22, 2013

6:00 - 7:30 PM 

Nebraska Children's Home Society

4700 Valley Rd.

Lincoln, NE 68510

  

Omaha 

Monday, 
April 8, 2013

6:00 - 7:30 PM 

Nebraska Children's Home Society

4939 S. 118th Street

Omaha, NE 68137 

 

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Parent2Parent
Advocates Needed
Interested in supporting other parents?
Right Turn needs you! 


Adoptive and guardianship families often face special challenges in the day to day parenting of their children.  In addition, they often struggle with larger systemic challenges that require special time and attention. In response, Right Turn has a parent advocate program, Parent2Parent, to offer families additional support from those have experienced similar challenges in their families.  

 

Parent2Parent Advocates are adoptive or guardianship parents of children who offer peer support, guidance, resources and friendship to other adoptive and guardianship parents.

 

Parent2Parent Advocates receive a small stipend for their time and efforts.

 

Contact Brenna to learn more today!

 

Office:  402.661.3136

Cell:  402.889.8370

[email protected]  

Right Turn is a collaboration between Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska and