|
:: THE NEW MILLENNIUM In April of 1999, the tragedy at Columbine High School in Colorado brought into focus changes that were taking place in society across the country. Those changes included a widening differential in income between the wealthy and the less fortunate, along with a lack of shared values, reduced parental support and lack of civility. Several months before the Columbine tragedy, the Bert Nash Center had conducted focus groups with community leaders in preparation for a citizen forum. The purpose of the forum was to discuss the challenges the community faced as the new millennium approached. Focus groups of community leaders conducted in advance of the meeting confirmed that Lawrence was not immune to the broader changes happening in society. In January of 2001, the Center marked its 50th anniversary with a two-day summit titled “Building a Better Community”. The keynote speaker, Professor Robert Putnam, discussed his book, Bowling Alone: the Collapse and Revival of American Community. The summit was co-sponsored by Kansas University and the Hall Center for the Humanities. The Center continued to develop programs to meet the evolving needs of its clients. In 2002, the Supported Employment Services Program (SES) was restructured to follow guidelines developed by the Dartmouth Community Mental Health Program. The program is a nationally recognized model developed and tested at Dartmouth University emphasizing competitive employment as a pathway toward recovery. |
|
|
