Filling the Gaps: How Pact For Families Builds a Community Safety Net
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Show Notes
In this episode, host Kim Madsen sits down with Sarah Vonderharr, Executive Director of Pact For Families Collaborative, to explore how five rural Minnesota counties banded together to create a seamless safety net for children and families facing mental-health or substance-use challenges. Sarah recounts the Collaborative’s legislative origins and explains its wrap-around philosophy, which keeps family voice & choice at the center while coordinating schools, county services, nonprofits, and healthcare providers. Listeners hear about signature programs—Road to Success for high-schoolers and Journey to Independence for young adults—that teach budgeting, cooking, hygiene, and career skills; discover how federally funded “system-of-care” trainings equip teachers, social workers, and police with a shared toolkit; and learn why early, whole-family support is both cost-effective and life-changing. Sarah closes with a road map to 24/7 crisis lines, volunteer opportunities, and partnership options, ensuring anyone in need—or eager to help—knows exactly where to start.
Key Programs & Resources
Pact For Families Collaborative: www.pactforfamilies.org
Road to Success (high-school skill building)
Journey to Independence (young-adult life & work skills)
Upcoming professional-development trainings (see website events page)
Woodland Centers Crisis Line: 800-992-1716 (24/7)
Episode Credits
Host: Kim Madsen, Chief Impact Officer, Woodland Centers
Guest: Sarah Vonderharr, Executive Director, Pact For Families Collaborative
Show: The Hope Exchange