Lincoln Hills Development Corporation
Receives Spotlight Award
On January 10, 2007, Lincoln Hills Development Corporation (LHDC), a community action agency serving primarily Crawford, Perry and Spencer counties since 1965, but also serving additional counties in southern Indiana with some services, was awarded one of five Spotlight Awards from the Indiana Community Action Association (IN-CAA), the Indiana University School of Social Work, and the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA). The Spotlight Award recognizes and honors innovative effective practices run by Indiana ’s Community Action Agencies. The award is designed to recognize effective, replicable, collaborative and innovative practices of agencies to respond to a need or problem within their service areas.
Indiana University School of Social Work Professors Sherry Gass and Elsa Iverson presented the Spotlight Award to Lincoln Hills Development Corporation at IN-CAA’s special award luncheon and annual state-wide meeting at the IN-CAA meeting facilities in Indianapolis . IHCDA Executive Director, Sherry Seiwert, was a guest speaker and many of the state’s other Community Action representatives were in attendance to witness the award presentation.
LHDC was recognized because it exemplifies excellence in addressing a national community goal of helping low-income people – especially vulnerable populations – achieve their potential by strengthening families and other supportive systems. LHDC’s Family Preservation/Child Welfare Services program provides needed services throughout a 12-county area in southern Indiana , designed to strengthen families so they remain intact. Program staff provide services in a number of critical areas, including Homemaker/Parent Aide, Home-Based Therapy, Parent Education, Visitation Supervision, Home-Based Intensive Family Reunification Services, Home-Based Intensive Family Preservation Services, Home-Based Casework Services, Individual and Family Counseling, Independent Living Services, and Pre/Post Placement and Post Adoption Services.
Funding for the program comes from a combination of Regional Title IV-B funds through the Indiana Department of Child Services, as well as local county funds, with services provided in Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Gibson, Harrison , Martin, Orange , Perry, Posey, Spencer, Vanderburgh and Warrick counties.
The program originally began providing services in only a 5-county region 1984 and has grown substantially since that time. In the last year nearly 300 families have received services through the LHDC Family Preservation/Child Welfare Services Programs.
LHDC’s and the other award winning program descriptions are posted on the IN-CAA website in order to provide a resource for all agencies looking for effective models and innovative successes at http://www.incap.org.