Rotarians hear about several programs

The Rotary Club of Livingston recently heard about several different programs, including Faith in Practice Medical Mission, CASA of the Pines and Texas Family Care Network. (l-r) Rocky Hensarling, vice president of community-based care with Texas Family Care Network; Mindi Ellis, with Faith in Practice Medical Mission; Kecia Davis, director of intake and placement with Texas Family Care Network; Natalie Thornton, executive director of CASA of the Pines; and Rotary President Brandon Wigent. Photo by Emily Banks Wooten

By Emily Banks Wooten
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The Rotary Club of Livingston had a full meeting Thursday, with programs provided by Mindi Ellis, with Faith in Practice Village Medical Mission; Natalie Thornton, executive director of CASA of the Pines; Rocky Hensarling, vice president of community-based care with Texas Family Care Network; and Kecia Davis, director of intake and placement with Texas Family Care Network.

Faith in Practice Village Medical Mission is an organization through which more than 2,500 volunteers provide healthcare to more than 17,000 people in Guatemala each year through an integrated and coordinated network of care. The organization was introduced to the club years ago by the late Rotarian Reed Brooks. The organization became the club’s international service project for many years, with several Rotarians making trips to Guatemala over the years. Mindi Ellis has been involved with Faith in Practice Village Medial Mission since 2015 and said that after Reed Brooks’ passing, she wanted to continue in his honor and legacy.

Ellis spoke of the Guatemalan people lined up and waiting for medical attention when she first arrived. Now, however, she said that volunteers in the village give out vouchers with staggered times so the people don’t have to wait all day. She said they try to prioritize patients according to need. She said she works in the pharmacy, passing out medication and explaining how it is to be administered. They also give out several modes of transportation, specifically wheelchairs with bicycle tires.

Natalie Thornton, executive director of Casa of the Pines, said her favorite part of the job is getting to know the wonderful advocates. The purpose of CASA of the Pines is all about making the lives of children who have been impacted by the child welfare system better and safer. Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) are trained volunteers appointed by a judge to advocate for the needs of children whose families are in crisis and who have entered the child welfare system. She said that volunteers are vital to the mission and that they wouldn’t be able to transform lives without the volunteers.

She spoke of something that she said is very important and very new and that is legislation that will privatize Children’s Protective Services (CPS). Although CASA is not in transition, she said this transition to privatization is going to be tough. She emphasized that if anyone has ever been interested in becoming a CASA, now is a good time to do it.

Rocky Hensarling, vice president of community-based care with Texas Family Care Network, said he has worked all stages of service and has worked in every region in the State of Texas. He said that community-based care – the new Texas foster care model that allows local communities to meet children’s and their families’ unique and individual needs by tapping into the strengths and resources of each community – is “relatively newish” to Texas but is gaining a lot of traction.

“When kids in network are served by people in their communities, they tend to receive better care,” Hensarling said.

He said the parent organization of Texas Family Care Network is Presley Ridge which has been in operation for nearly 200 years. It started as two orphanages that eventually merged and now operates 70 programs in seven different states. He said their policies and practices are peer-reviewed and that their mission is whatever it takes to create success for children and families. He said their vision is that all kids thrive and that when they thrive, they turn into successful adults. He said they have implemented the neurosequential model of therapeutics which is why we do what we do.