Encourage the Heart A Success

The Encourage the Heart Dinner, sponsored by Lykins Energy Solutions, Park National Bank, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, PNC Bank, Howerton Construction Co., LLC. and iheartmedia, was held on August 4. Money raised will go to the Child Focus, Inc. Encourage the Heart Fund, supporting the agency's greatest need such as client scholarships, funding gaps, emerging program needs and staff and facility development.  Thank you to those who helped make the night a success by sponsoring, attending, and donating auction items.  For pictures click here: http://studio125.zenfolio.com/p378298530.  You will need to type in a name and email to access the pictures. Awardees honored that night for their extraordinary service include:

Difference Makers:

Jim Wasserman

Child Focus, Inc. (CFI) has always approached developing new services for the unmet needs of children through collaboration. Jim Wasserman, CEO of the Clermont County Mental Health Board, was a significant collaborator and funder of CFI. When CFI approached him with the idea of a Day Treatment program, he was fully committed to seeing it developed. He found state development dollars for a new building to house the program, arranged land on which to build the facility through the County Commissioners and set aside Board dollars for a funding stream for start-up and ongoing sustainability. While Jim was working on the basics of building and funding, CFI was working with the schools, Juvenile Court and the Department of Job and Family Services in program design. It was an entire community effort. The Day Treatment program opened in 1996, and Jim tragically died in 1997. In his honor, we renamed the program to The Wasserman Youth and Adolescent Center, as a tribute to his strong advocacy and living legacy of mental health services for children and their families that continue in his spirit today. 

Jim Nuckols

Jim Nuckols, a Cincinnati Financial Corporation employee, is a long-time child advocate and volunteer for children and families in southwest Ohio.   As a 20-year veteran of the Child Focus, Inc. Board of Directors, Jim has been involved with all major decisions and activities of our early learning, mental health and foster care programs including service plans, facilities, staffing, budgets, program reviews and self-assessments.  Jim has also worked with Head Start Policy Council, our all-parent board to plan for and implement Head Start self-assessments and federal reviews.  Jim truly believes that every child, regardless of circumstance, has the ability to succeed in life if given the opportunity.  Jim has provided strong leadership, compassion and a long collaborative history to work together with internal and external partners to engage the most at-risk children and families and build strong, vibrant and healthy communities.

Sandy Lock

Sandy’s expertise and leadership has been invaluable in helping Child Focus, Inc. grow and diversify in early learning, community mental health and foster care.  In her role as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer, Sandy has served as a member of the CFI executive leadership team for three decades.  She has led Child Focus’ business operations and program oversight, and partnered with the CEO to provide governance, accountability and good stewardship of funds to meet the many legal, regulatory and policy requirements. She describes herself as the “less visionary but much more logical “numbers and contract person” behind Child Focus, Sandy has been highly instrumental in the management of our investments, business development, financial reporting and helping put CFI’s strategic vision into our daily operations.   Her leadership, service and commitment to children and families in exceptional.

 Tony & Rena Craver

Tony and Rena Craver have been therapeutic foster parents since 2004.  In total, they’ve had 24 children placed in their home; 22 foster placements with 2 being pregnant teens adding their babies to the group after delivery. They have adopted 3 children, have legal custody of another and are in the process of adopting one of their current foster children.  The Cravers do not shy away from working with some of our most challenging youth, advocating for their best interests every step of the way.  They truly care, encourage, support and love every child who enters their home.  The children become part of their family and that bond and support never seems to end.  Foster parents like the Craver’s are the every day heroes who give children the gift of safety, security, stability, nurturing and normalcy during a traumatic time in their life. 

Law Enforcement:

Sergeant Randy Ruehrwein

Williamsburg Police Sergeant Randy Ruehrwein believes in a community partnership between law enforcement officers and mental health providers and routinely utilizes Clermont County Mobile Crisis as a resource.  In one situation, an individual presented as disoriented, delusional and agitated in a manner consistent with psychosis. The person became more out of control to the point where the safety of all parties, including the Mobile Crisis Responder, was a concern and it became apparent that this person was going to need to be transported to the hospital for admission. Sgt. Ruehrwein was able to remain calm and relied upon his experience and well-honed de-escalation skills to keep the situation under control until back up arrived, where the person was taken into custody safely without issue and transported to the hospital for admission.  Thank you for your dedication to serving individuals with mental health issues and for your efforts to ensure their safety and the safety of those around them.

Health: 

Dr. Robert Shapiro

Dr. Shapiro, a strong ally of Child Focus in many areas of services to children, is the Director of the Mayerson Center for Safe and Healthy Children at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. Working in the community for over 30 years, he directs the hospital child abuse team and specializes in Child Abuse Pediatrics.  The Mayerson Center spearheads the Building Community Resilience (BCR) initiative that now spans over 40 organizations and sectors in the greater Cincinnati region.  Under Dr. Shapiro’s strong leadership, the Mayerson Center has expanded their prevention efforts by increasing community awareness of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES), toxic stress and resilience. This critical initiative “Joining Forces for Children” has resulted in a robust network of committed partners to address & prevent the risks of childhood adversity and works to strengthen families with the skills, knowledge, support and resources they need to impact the region’s child health & well-being indicators. 

Dr. Emanuel Doyne

Dr. Doyne has been a community doctor for over four decades, working in private practice, the pediatric resident program at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and as an adjunct professor of pediatrics at the University of Cincinnati. In private practice since 1976 with Pediatric Associates of Mt. Carmel, he has worked in the county with Child Focus Inc. and the Thomas A. Wildey School to organize children's health, mental health and special education programs. Dr. Doyne’s commitment to quality health care for children, dedication to education in pediatrics and his collaboration with all child-serving agencies in our community is only part of his legacy of excellence.

Capacity Building:

Ruth Ann Webb, Barbara Mattes & Robin Scanlan

Ruth Ann, Barbara and Robin helped plan an amazing holiday party for children in foster care this past December.  Utilizing a vast network of faith-based supports, family and friends, they secured a completely decorated venue complete with toy trains, Santa room, Mr. & Mrs. Claus, event photographer, food, craft area and giveaways.  Community volunteers worked with children and teens to serve food, dance and help with art activities. Each detail had the children’s joy as a goal.  It was a truly amazing night, with many of the children asking if they could come back again the next day because they had so much fun. 

Youth Leadership:

Donell Egan

Donell spoke at The BIG Day of Foster Care at City Hall to recruit foster parents, raise awareness on local issues regarding foster care and advocate for children in foster care.  Adopted by the Egan Family, Donell is an amazing leader and student in his own right!   He has enough credits to graduate already and will just be starting his senior year to get complete his license in Cosmetology at Grant.  Donell works and is also the President of Skills USA, which is a career and technical organization through school.  Donell said for accomplishments he said he thinks he “has grown and figured out who he is at a young age.”  He referred to himself as “everyone’s counselor” and said he “gets people, is very social and understanding.”  

Rhyann Johnson

A Milford student, Rhyann, collected over $300 in gift cards, snacks, art supplies and hygiene products for children in foster care. Many times when children are placed into foster care they do not have a lot of belongings or clothing with them, so these items helped children have a smoother transition when they come into our program.  The teens especially appreciated being able to pick out their own clothing and shoes at a store. Rhyann is an ally for Child Focus and an advocate for children and we wanted to recognize her efforts to support and build resources for children in care.