News Blog
Mental Health Month Perspectives
Posted Date: 05/30/2017By: Marsha Smith and Dalinda Green, Licensed Social Workers at Arkansas Health Center
As part of National Mental Health Awareness Month observed each year in May, DHS employees who work with people who have mental health issues were asked to share their stories.
By Marsha Smith, LSW, Arkansas Health Center
Although planning to teach
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Reunification: Bringing Your Children Home from Foster Care
Posted Date: 06/08/2017By: Beki Dunagan, DCFS Assistant Director
June is National Reunification Month. As part of our focus on reunifying families when safe and appropriate, we thought we would offer some insight into what reunification really means and address some common questions people may have about how reunification occurs and why
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A New Normal: Jesse and Krystal’s Story
Posted Date: 06/16/2017By: Keith Metz, DCFS Communications Specialist
This is the second in our series of reunification success stories during National Reunification Month, shared by Carlos Torres in Crawford County. While last week’s story featured a single mother fighting against her own demons to achieve reunification with her daughter, this story centers on one
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Love, Comfort, Safety and Support: National Reunification Month Wrap-up
Posted Date: 07/06/2017By: Keith Metz, DHS Communications Specialist
Over the past few weeks, we have been sharing reunification success stories from across the state. We learned about Rosie and the redemptive power of a strong, positive support system. We heard from Jesse and Krystal and witnessed their willingness to focus on their
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Nolte family is grateful for ‘Early Intervention’
Posted Date: 08/02/2017By: By Christi Nolte, Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education (Family Support Unit), Pulaski South Office
As a mom, wife, and Department of Human Services (DHS) staff member, I’ve personally experienced the worth and innovative services of Early Intervention.
My name is Christi Nolte. I’m based in the Pulaski South Office, within the Division of Child Care and
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Learning at any age is important
Posted Date: 08/29/2017By: By James Washington Division of Youth Services Public School Program Coordinator
Education is a continual process.
Every moment, every situation provides an opportunity to learn something new. A person’s willingness to learn at any age does a lot to upgrade their standard of life.
I can personally attest to
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What Is FASD and Why Is It Important to the Department of Human Services?
Posted Date: 09/13/2017By: Paula Mainard, BSW, FASD Program Coordinator
FASD is an acronym for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders and is the number one cause of intellectual developmental disabilities in the United States[i].
Bet that got your attention.
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) are a group of conditions that
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Possiblities
Posted Date: 09/15/2017By: Dianna Varady
In January Governor Hutchinson and the Arkansas General Assembly took steps to fund 500 new slots for the Alternative Community Services (ACS) Medicaid Waiver (aka the DD waiver, and soon to be known as the Community and Employment Support waiver), which will allow 500 individuals with developmental disabilities to move
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Lane eager to help solve opioid epidemic
Posted Date: 11/03/2017By: Kirk Lane
My name is Kirk Lane. I’m a product of the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy and the FBI National Academy.
I’ll be frank – the task of undermining the opioid epidemic is vast.
Similar to many regions of the
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