info@HeartlandFamilyService.org   Call to Get Help: (402) 552-7400

Counseling & Prevention

The Counseling & Prevention program focus area offers services that share a central focus on therapeutic treatments to help manage chronic mental health illnesses, provide early intervention services, and work to prevent problems with substance use and problem gambling before they occur. These services also include therapeutic education for children, K-12, providing support today for a brighter future.

Heartland Family Service provides services based on clients’ ability to pay.

To get help with our Counseling & Prevention services contact:
(402) 552-7400 or info@HeartlandFamilyService.org

Community-Based Behavioral Health

Assertive Community Treatment

Our Heartland Family Service Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) services are an evidence-based approach to working with adults living with serious mental illnesses. The ACT advantage is that interdisciplinary mental health clinicians are organized as an accountable mental health team, which functions in a coordinated manner to provide treatment, rehabilitation, and support services. The goal is to help adults with serious mental illnesses live successfully in the community.

ACT is sometimes referred to as a “hospital without walls” because our work is community-based, and we can make adjustments quickly to help clients stay out of the hospital and in the community.

Area Served
Iowa: Pottawattamie County

Eligibility & Fees
Primary diagnosis must be one of the following: Schizophrenia, Schizo-affective Disorder, Bipolar Affective Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder; must also be unable to consistently perform basic, daily living tasks, unable to sustain employment, and unable to maintain a stable living arrangement; must also have established a pattern of high-service needs, such as an extended psychiatric hospitalization or persistent and severe major psychiatric symptoms.
Fees: None

Make an Appointment

Assertive Community Treatment Referral Form

Funding: Heartland Family Service’s Mental Health Counseling services in Iowa are partially funded by the Iowa Department of Public Health.


Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics

The Heartland Family Service Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHC) are a new model for our clients in southwest Iowa and north east Nebraska, to utilize throughout the time they’re involved in our services.

Heartland Family Service (HFS) clients that are enrolled in the CCBHC are assigned a HFS case coordinator, who will do an assessment to learn their specific needs and offer any needed additional resources. Once assessed the client will be introduced to the appropriate HFS services(s) and/or community resources to help them meet their needs.

The purpose of the CCBHC is to increase access to and improve the quality of community mental and substance use disorder treatment services and provide person- and family-centered, recovery oriented and trauma-informed integrated services.

These services include 24/7 crisis intervention for individuals with serious mental illness, or substance use disorders, including opioid use disorders; children and adolescents with Serious Emotional Disturbance; and individuals with co-occurring mental and substance disorders.

Clients who are enrolled will receive an assessment to learn their specific needs, then HFS staff will assist them by linking them to services both at HFS and in the community to help meet their needs. CCBHC will include a drop-in peer center, which is a powerful resource available for anyone needing assistance to stop-in and receive peer support.

The following services are in the CCBHC model of care. To see the area(s) they serve, eligibility, and fees, click on the service below:

Funding: The Heartland Family Service CCBHC is wholly funded by the Department of Health and Human Services/SAMHSA under award 1H79SMO83065-01 in the amount of $4,000,000 for the period 2/15/2020 – 2/14/2024.


Heartland Bridges

Heartland Family Service Heartland Bridges offers two services, Transitional Living and Crisis Care. Staff are available 24 hours at Heartland Bridges for resident oversight and assistance.

Transitional Living provides short-term housing for people in transition to and from mental health or substance use treatment, support services, and/or permanent housing. The goal is to help clients secure permanent housing and connect them with community-based mental health or substance use services and avoid unnecessary incarcerations.

Transitional Living aims to provide a home-like, trauma-informed experience for clients. The 11 beds are arranged in double-occupancy bedrooms and bathrooms, and also offers a family-style kitchen, dining room, and living room. Laundry equipment is available.

Crisis Care is a 3–5-day Crisis Stabilization Residential Service for individuals experiencing a mental health crisis to receive therapeutic services for mental and emotional stabilization.

Areas Served
Transitional Living | Iowa: Cass, Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Monona, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie, & Shelby Counties
Crisis Care | Iowa: All Iowa residents.

Eligibility & Fees
Transitional Living:
Men and women ages 18 and older who live in the listed areas served in southwest Iowa. Participants must meet all southwest Iowa Mental Health and Disability Services Region eligibility requirements.
Fees: Residents pay 30 percent of their gross income toward facility room rent.

Crisis Care/Crisis Stabilization Residential Services: Available to all Iowa residents.
Fees: Free

Heartland Bridges Screening Form


InSHAPE®

Heartland Family Service InSHAPE® is an innovative, evidence-based wellness service developed at Dartmouth College for adults experiencing Serious and Persistent Mental Illness (SPMI).

The goal of the services are to improve physical health and quality of life, reduce the risk of preventable diseases, and enhance the life expectancy of individuals living with SPMI.

Studies show that individuals living with SPMI have a lifespan that is 20-25 years shorter than the general population. These individuals are also at an increased risk of chronic diseases, including diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and nicotine dependence.

Areas Served
Iowa: Council Bluffs & southwest Iowa counties

Eligibility & Fees
Must be 18 or older have a diagnosed mental illness and must be able to obtain a medical clearance for exercise by a physician.
Fees: $10 YMCA membership (voluntary)


Integrated Health Home

Heartland Family Service Integrated Health Home (IHH) provides care coordination for adults with a severe mental illness. Members must have full active Iowa Medicaid coverage. A team of IHH staff, including a care coordinator, a nurse care manager, and a peer support specialist, provide mental health and physical health coordination to ensure members are accessing the medical, physical, and social services they need for their recovery.

It is estimated that individuals with a severe mental illness lose approximately 30 years of life. Some of the clinical risk factors include the co-occurrence of mental health with diabetes, heart disease, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, or other medical conditions. The IHH model is designed to improve health outcomes for people with mental illness. The team works with healthcare providers and community providers to ensure collaborative care for these individuals.

While using these services, gaps in care for each member are identified through various assessments and can include, but are not limited to, annual physicals, dental check-ups, and flu shots. Additional services can be accessed by individuals who qualify for a higher level of care. These supports include group homes, vocational services, and in-home supported community living.

Areas Served
Iowa:
Harrison, Mills, & Pottawattamie Counties

Eligibility & Fees
Clients must have full Iowa Medicaid coverage and a severe mental illness diagnosis
Fees: None


Intensive Psychiatric Rehabilitation

Heartland Family Service Intensive Psychiatric Rehabilitation (IPR) services are designed to restore, improve, or maximize the level of functioning, independence, and quality of life for people experiencing a disabling mental illness. The goal of IPR is to assist the client with being able to use the necessary support systems to be successful and happy.

How it works:

  • A IPR practitioner helps each client set a goal based on areas of need and awareness
  • The client chooses a living, working, or social environment goal
  • The practitioner will help the client develop skills and supports to accomplish his or her goal
  • When the client achieves his or her goal, he or she will take assigned steps to maintain it

Areas Served
Iowa: Council Bluffs, & southwest Iowa Counties

Eligibility & Fees
Must have a designated mental illness which results in a functional deficit in achieving and/or maintaining a desired living, working, or social environment; must be at least 18 years old; medical treatment and symptoms of diagnosis must be verified with medical records; client displays a willingness to participate in the IPR  services.
Fees: None

Intensive Psychiatric Rehabilitation Referral Form

Contact: IPR@HeartlandFamilyService.org


Mental Health for Youth in Detention

The Heartland Family Service Mental Health for Youth in Detention services provides mental health outpatient services to youth, and their families, when possible, for the youth detainees at the Sarpy County Juvenile Justice Center (JJC).

We provide crisis intervention services, short term individual and/or family counseling, and planning for transitional services as well as continuity of care. Services will address emotional crisis, including suicide risk assessment, depression, anxiety, and trauma exposure – including traumatic grief when the youth has lost significant others.

Services are provided to youth at the Sarpy County Juvenile Justice Center.

Area Served
Nebraska: Sarpy County

Eligibility & Fees
Services are provided at the Sarpy Juvenile Justice Center.
Fees: Free.

Funding: This project is supported by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021 funding for State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) and is being administered by the Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska (BHECN) at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) by way of an award totaling $541,680. The contents are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, BHECN, UNMC, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit: Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska


Peer Support

The Heartland Family Service Peer Support is a peer drop-in center, run by peer support staff, for anyone with a mental health diagnosis. These services are designed to be not only a safe place for people to go to combat boredom, but a safe place to go to find and build supports and friendships with others who may be living in a similar situation and experiencing similar barriers. 

The Peer Center staff member is a person with lived experience with a mental health diagnosis who has reached a level of recovery and can provide engagement, encouragement, education, and input into helping others manage their lives. Peer Support employees run the day-to-day functions at the Peer Center, offering individual and group sessions/opportunities.

Area Served
Iowa:
Pottawattamie County

Eligibility & Fees
Must have a serious and persistent mental illness and want to come to the Peer Center to socialize and attend groups and activities. Attendees are not required to have Medicaid.
Fees: None

Mental Health Crisis Response & Stabilization

Mental Health Crisis Response Teams

The Heartland Family Service Mental Health Crisis Response Teams (CRT) consist of licensed mental health therapists who provide face-to-face or telehealth risk assessments for at-risk individuals with mental health and/or substance use needs. CRT therapists are contacted by law enforcement, through the court system, or hospitals to assist with such people in crisis and are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. CRT interventions allow individuals to be cared for in a manner more suitable to their needs, while enabling law enforcement to respond more quickly to other calls.

Crisis situations might include disorderly/disruptive behavior; neglect of self-care; threats or violence toward others; suicide threat or attempt; or psychosocial stress arising from homelessness, poverty, family conflict, or other issues. The goal of the is to ensure that the individual in crisis is served in the least restrictive, most normative setting possible and to connect him or her with community-based services in order to avoid hospitalization, protective custody, and/or incarceration.

Iowa: Mental Health Crisis Response Team (MHCRT)

Nebraska: Assessment, Support, and Prevention (ASAP)

Areas Served
Iowa:
Cass, Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Monona, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie, & Shelby Counties
Nebraska: Cass & Sarpy Counties

Eligibility & Fees
Referral-based through law enforcement, hospitals, or the court system.
Fees: None

Funding: This project is supported by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021 funding for State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) and is being administered by the Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska (BHECN) at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) by way of an award totaling $541,680. The contents are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, BHECN, UNMC, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit: Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska


Crisis Stabilization Community-Based Services

Heartland Family Service Crisis Stabilization Community-Bases Services through Assertive Community Treatment, are short-term services that provide immediate care to individuals experiencing a mental health or substance use disorder crisis in community settings.

Areas Served
Iowa: Pottawattamie County

Eligibility & Fees
Primary diagnosis must be one of the following: Schizophrenia, Schizo-affective Disorder, Bipolar Affective Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder; must also be unable to consistently perform basic, daily living tasks, unable to sustain employment, and unable to maintain a stable living arrangement; must also have established a pattern of high-service needs, such as an extended psychiatric hospitalization or persistent and severe major psychiatric symptoms.
Fees: None


Crisis Stabilization Residential Services

Heartland Family Service Crisis Stabilization Residential Services are residential services through Heartland Bridges offering a safe, secure environment for individuals experiencing a mental health crisis to receive psychiatric stabilization and case management services. The goal of the voluntary 3-to-5-day service is to assist clients in understanding and resolving their crisis promoting individual stability as they return to the community where they live.

Crisis Stabilization Residential Services provides men and women who are struggling with a mental health crisis. The individual must be deemed appropriate for services by a mental health assessment and be determined to not need inpatient acute hospital psychiatric services.

A Crisis Care Team provides daily access to psychiatric, medication, therapy, peer support and other external resources to help participants in their journey. Clients participate in a comprehensive mental health assessment and short-term stabilization plan within 24 hours of admission. Contact with a licensed mental health professional and an additional hour of crisis stabilization services such as skill building, peer support, goal setting, progress review, action plans to integrate into the community or care coordination are implemented daily.

Areas Served
Iowa: Cass, Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Monona, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie, and Shelby Counties

Eligibility & Fees
Services are available individuals are aged 18 and older, must reside in Cass, Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Monona, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie, or Shelby counties in Iowa, and meet all Southwest Iowa Area Mental Health and Disability Services Region eligibility requirements. Fees: Free

Outpatient Behavioral Health Treatment

Child & Family Center

The Heartland Family Service Child & Family Center offers enhanced therapeutic counseling and treatment for children ages birth to 18 and their families. The goal is to help children and their families address past and ongoing trauma and improve relationships. Similar services are also offered in at our Central Administration and Sarpy Offices in Nebraska.

Area Served
Iowa: Pottawattamie County

Eligibility & Fees
Services are provided in Council Bluffs, Iowa, but are open to children and families throughout the metro area.
Fees: Varies

Funding: This program is supported in part by a grant from the United Way of the Midlands.

Client Information: To help save time before your first appointment, please click to download our Child & Family Center Client PDF forms. Then print, fill them out, and bring them to your first appointment.


Mental Health Counseling

The purpose of the Heartland Family Service professional Mental Health Counseling services are to improve the psychological, emotional, and social functioning of individuals and families through an integrated and comprehensive system of professional therapeutic services. Professional counseling helps individuals and families change by achieving behavioral, emotional, and/or attitudinal changes in the client, family, and/or social environment. Services may address concerns of conduct, identity, mood, anxiety, affect, impulse control, addictive, or other behavioral concerns; other mental or emotional conditions; and adjustments to the expected or unexpected transitions in the family life cycle.

Our Child & Family Center helps children, and their families address past and ongoing trauma and improve relationships. Enhanced therapeutic counseling and treatment is offered for children ages birth to 18 as well as their families. Services are provided in Council Bluffs, Iowa, but are open to children and families throughout the metro area. Similar services are also offered in at our Central Administration and Sarpy Offices in Nebraska.

Mental Health Counseling services are provided in these primary areas of clinical concentration: Mental Health; Parent-Child, Family, Marital, and Relationship; Substance Use; Gambling; and Domestic Violence. Clients can participate in one or more of these service areas at the same time or in a certain order as needed, with support from agency service providers in an integrated treatment model. Clients will improve their level of functioning during the span of treatment. They will learn the skills to manage their symptoms and live their lives in a healthy manner to the best of their individual abilities.

Areas Served
Iowa: Harrison, Mills, & Pottawattamie Counties
Nebraska: Cass, Dodge, Douglas, Sarpy, & Washington Counties

Eligibility & Fees
Must live in one of the counties listed.
Fees: Services offered on a sliding fee scale.

Iowa Funding: Heartland Family Service’s Mental Health Counseling services in Iowa are part of the IDPH Integrated Provider Network, with services funded by the Iowa Department of Public Health and the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Nebraska Funding: Heartland Family Service’s Mental Health Counseling services in Nebraska are funded 72% by federal, state, and regional sources, and 28% by non-government sources. These programs are supported by CFDA 93.958 MHBG/CFDA 93.959 SAPTBG; Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Mental Health Services, Nebraska Health and Human Services, and Region 6 Behavioral Healthcare. This program is also supported in part by a grant from the United Way of the Midlands.

This project is supported by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021 funding for State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) and is being administered by the Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska (BHECN) at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) by way of an award totaling $541,680. The contents are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, BHECN, UNMC, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit: Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska


Problem Gambling Treatment

Our Heartland Family Service Problem Gambling Treatment services are to improve the quality of life for gamblers and to help them grow and live in recovery. Education of clients includes learning about the process of addiction, relapse prevention, and medical/psychological aspects of addiction. The outpatient structure enables the problem gambler to continue to meet job, school, and family obligations while managing his or her financial situation. Services include individual and group therapy and financial counseling.

Counseling, education, and support services are also available to family members or concerned others. The Problem Gambling Treatment services also provide prevention information and education to the community.

Areas Served
Iowa: Harrison, Mills, & Pottawattamie Counties

Eligibility & Fees
Must live in one of the counties listed in areas served and be seeking help for gambling diagnosis.
Fees: Sliding scale, co-pays

Funding: The Heartland Family Service Problem Gambling Treatment service is part of the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) Integrated Provider Network, with services funded by the IDPH and the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.


Psychiatric Services & Medication Management

Heartland Family Service Psychiatric Services & Medication Management is a form of outpatient treatment that includes an initial assessment to determine a person’s need for medications. Our qualified psychiatrists and nurse practitioners realize medications can vary per client. They meet regularly with each client to discuss and review the purpose and effectiveness of each prescribed medication, while also explaining any risks. We provide assistance to help clients achieve their desired outcomes. 

Areas Served
Iowa: Harrison, Mills, & Pottawattamie Counties
Nebraska: Cass, Dodge, Douglas, Sarpy, & Washington Counties

Eligibility & Fees
Must live in one of the counties listed in areas served.
Fees: Sliding scale, co-pays.


Substance Use Treatment

Heartland Family Service’s outpatient Substance Use Treatment services utilize various treatment methods to give clients the skills and knowledge they need to overcome addiction. Our treatment model consists of active treatment and long-term aftercare support that includes family and individual therapy and gender-specific groups.

The dual-diagnosis approach provides on-site integrated mental health evaluation and treatment, psychiatric evaluation, medication management, and 24-hour emergency access.

The Substance Use Treatment services goals are to:

  • Establish abstinence
  • Initiate a long-term and stable recovery, including relapse prevention plan
  • Strengthen the family to support the client in stable recovery
  • Establish and/or maintain effective treatment for any co-occurring mental health condition which may impact the client’s recovery process
  • Establish healthy living environments

Areas Served
Iowa: Harrison, Mills, and Pottawattamie Counties
Nebraska: Cass, Dodge, Douglas, Sarpy, & Washington Counties

Eligibility & Fees
Must live in one of the counties listed in areas served.
Fees: Services offered on a sliding fee scale.

Iowa Funding: The Heartland Family Service Substance Abuse Treatment services are part of the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) Integrated Provider Network, with services funded by the IDPH and the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Nebraska Funding: This project is supported by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021 funding for State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) and is being administered by the Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska (BHECN) at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) by way of an award totaling $541,680. The contents are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, BHECN, UNMC, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit: Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska

Outreach and Prevention

Outreach

Heartland Family Service connects with community members, organizations, and service providers to share information and resources through Outreach, to let people know about services provided, and to collaborate to improve the impact of services.

Areas Served
Iowa: Various Counties

Eligibility & Fees
Must live in counties we serve.
Fees: None


Prevention

At Heartland Family Service, we believe Prevention is as important as treatment. We believe in taking action to empower our community and youth to remain healthy and productive. The services we provide are research-based and evidence-informed, with the assurance that all people have access to quality services that are culturally responsive and
trauma-informed. We utilize the
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) six prevention strategies to guide all our prevention work in Iowa and Nebraska, as well as the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) Steps to guide our prevention plan overall.

Our Prevention goal is to promote youth development, reduce risk-taking behaviors, build assets and resilience, and prevent problem behaviors throughout a person’s lifetime. We utilize evidence-based prevention strategies to provide primary prevention services on substance use and problem gambling to the community. Prevention is comprehensive and involves utilizing a variety of strategies to be effective.

Heartland Family Service Prevention collaborates through with other community prevention services to leverage resources and make the greatest impact on increasing perception of harm of substances and reducing substance use in our community. Through our services in both Nebraska and Iowa and through our active involvement in prevention coalitions and community networks, Prevention Means Progress (PMP) and Metro Omaha Tobacco Action Coalition (MOTAC) we work to reduce substance misuse in our community through education, outreach, and legislative education/advocacy.

Heartland Family Service actively participates with the following coalitions to provide community Prevention services:

Metro Omaha Tobacco Action Coalition (MOTAC)
MOTAC is a is a dynamic coalition comprised of more than 50 health-related individuals, organizations, and educational groups that strive to strengthen tobacco control and prevention efforts in the metro area. This coalition addresses tobacco-related issues through public education and community action, relying on community involvement to accomplish its mission.

Prevention Means Progress (PMP)
PMP is a community coalition with more than 50 partners in both Iowa and Nebraska. The vision of PMP is empowering people to take action against substance use and the culture values everyone’s contribution to prevention, treatment, and recovery. The coalition provides information, education, and awareness of substance use through events, presentations in schools and workplaces, and legislative advocacy. PMP’s unique Me360 presentations are offered to middle and high schools in the local service area and are designed to meet the substance use prevention needs of each individual school or district.

Areas Served
MOTAC | Nebraska: Douglas County
PMP | Iowa: Harrison, Mills, & Pottawattamie Counties Nebraska: Douglas & Sarpy Counties
Problem Gambling | Iowa: Harrison, Mills, & Pottawattamie Counties

Eligibility & Fees
None

Funding: The Heartland Family Service Prevention  is part of the Department Integrated Provider Network, with services funded by the Iowa Department of Public Health and the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Residential Co-Occurring Mental Health & Substance Use Treatment

Family Works

The purpose of the Heartland Family Service Family Works is to promote stable sobriety and economic
self-sufficiency for mothers, and enhance a strong, protective maternal bond for their children. Women accepted into
Family Works will live with their children in an apartment and community setting while they progress through the treatment and aftercare process. Support will be intensive in the beginning, with steps for continuing care through the remainder of the stay to ensure lasting sobriety for parents and safety for children, as they establish independent or transitional housing.

The philosophy of Family Works is that women with substance use problems are more likely to enter, engage in, remain in, and benefit from treatment services if they are able to maintain their relationships with their children by residing with them during treatment. Our mission is to promote enduring Recovery Support for women/mothers and to preserve and strengthen their capabilities to raise healthy, well-functioning children. Both short-term and long-term treatment is available. Services are also available to women without children. 

Family Works has strong cooperation between the child welfare system and behavioral health system which is critical for successful reunification and improved parental functioning. These services will concurrently treat the substance disorder and the parenting concerns, saving valuable time in the lives of young children who need permanent, dependable, and capable caregivers.

Family Works also includes a supportive housing services designed to assist families in a sober living environment to achieve independent housing. This includes supportive services, such as case management and therapeutic services with the goal of self-sufficiency.

Areas Served
Iowa: Council Bluffs and southwest Counties
Nebraska: Cass, Dodge, Douglas, Sarpy, & Washington Counties

Eligibility & Fees
Must be recommended for residential substance use treatment and either be pregnant, have their children with them, or be able to be reunited with their children within 30 days.
Fees: Sliding fee, typically no cost to client

Iowa Funding: The Heartland Family Service Family Works (IA) is part of the Department Integrated Provider Network, with services funded by the Iowa Department of Public Health and the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Additional support for the program is provided by the Pottawattamie County Community Foundation’s Southwest Iowa Women’s Fund.

These services are supported in part by a grant from the United Way of the Midlands.

Nebraska Funding: This project is supported by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021 funding for State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) and is being administered by the Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska (BHECN) at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) by way of an award totaling $541,680. The contents are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, BHECN, UNMC, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit: Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska

Therapeutic Education for Children Living with Mental Illness

Therapeutic Education Center – Omaha Campus

Heartland Family Service Therapeutic Education Center – Omaha Campus (formerly called One Oak) is a therapeutic center for students who are experiencing behavioral, emotional, and/or mental health challenges. Students are referred by local school districts when they are not finding success at their home school.

The Center services feature individual, group, crisis sessions, and family therapeutic services facilitated by our experienced, licensed clinicians who use a variety of trauma-informed and evidence-based practices to improve a child’s ability to learn and function in an educational setting.

Therapeutic Education Center – Omaha Campus also offers psychiatric services and medication management to students in need. In addition,  Therapeutic Education Center – Omaha Campus implements individualized academic support so that each student’s educational needs are being met, with the goal of returning to their home school. Therapeutic Education Center – Omaha Campus uses a combination of strategies to improve behaviors in connection to their Individualized Education Plan, including token economy, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), and behavior tracking tied to each student’s individualized goals.

Therapeutic Education Center – Omaha Campus is a K-8 Level III Education Center approved by the Nebraska Department of Education. Our unique approach is designed to comprehensively stabilize students and families by providing direct wraparound services during the school day, including parent and family supports, individual and group therapy for students, and behavioral and emotional support services. The services deploy evidence-based and promising practices encouraging frequent and open reporting of outcomes to track effectiveness.

Areas Served
Iowa & Nebraska School Districts

Eligibility & Fees
Students in grades K-8 referred through home school district.
Fees: None


Therapeutic Education Center – Council Bluffs Campus

The Heartland Family Service Therapeutic School – Council Bluffs Campus offers innovative academic and therapeutic services for special education K-12 students with major mental health diagnoses. The center utilizes the trauma-informed care, collaborative, and proactive solution approaches.

Academic coursework is provided by special education teachers, and mental health services are supplemented with individual, group, and family therapy. Mental health clinicians identify and treat underlying emotional and psychiatric problems that are obstacles in the student’s academic, social, and/or emotional progress. Students are able to receive weekly consultation from a psychiatrist, and medication management is also provided.

Comprehensive wraparound services assist the student and family to begin a healing journey. Family involvement is heavily emphasized in this trauma-sensitive treatment setting. The Therapeutic School’s renovated Sensory Room assists students with autism and sensory processing disorders. Recreational Therapy is another essential aspect which consists of art, music, and physical activities.

Areas Served
Iowa: Adair, Adams, Audubon, Carroll, Cass, Clarke, Crawford, Decatur, Fremont, Harrison, Madison, Mills, Monona, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie, Ringgold, Shelby, Taylor, & Union Counties.

Eligibility & Fees
All students must have a mental health diagnosis, a referral from home school district in agreement with the Council Bluffs Consortium and have an active Individualized Education Plan (IEP).
Fees: None

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