Restoring Safety, Together!

May is National

Mental Health Awareness Month

Project Harmony has several providers on-site who provide evidence-based therapies to children and families who are seen at our Child Advocacy Center. We recognize that offering crisis counseling as an initial response to the trauma a child and family may be experiencing is critical to helping restore their sense of safety and starting the healing process.

Watch the video below to learn more about Project Harmony's mental health services and the professionals behind the care.

Meet Ines Gomez Job

Anti-Trafficking Youth Specialist (Bilingual)

Explain your position with Project Harmony: My role at Project Harmony is to advocate and support victims of trafficking and youth who are exhibiting high-risk behaviors.

What led you to work at Project Harmony: Before working at Project Harmony, I worked at another non-profit in Child Welfare. During this time, I learned about multiple other agencies in the community and Project Harmony was one that I admired.

Tell me about someone who has influenced your decision to work at Project Harmony or a mentor who has helped the most in your career: The person who has influenced me the most is my sister. During our childhood there were several circumstances that made our childhood more difficult than others. This experience has shaped me into the person I am today and allows me to relate better to the youth we serve. Now into adulthood, I continue to focus on being a positive role to my sister and use my experiences to better our community.

How do you enjoy spending your time when you are not working: When I’m not working I like to try new foods and watch new crime and reality T.V. shows.

What is the one thing you are most proud of about your job: I’m most proud to be a part of a program that is one of a kind and seeks to make a difference in the lives of young people.

Favorite quote that inspires you personally: One hundred years from now it will not matter what kind of house you lived in, how much money you had, nor what your clothes looked like. But the world may be a little better because you made a difference in the life of a child. - Forest E. Witcraft

May 25 is National

Missing Children's Day

Project Harmony is raising awareness for National Missing Children’s Day, recognized each year on May 25 to shine a spotlight on child safety. The observance also honors the professionals dedicated to protecting children around the country.

As a Child Advocacy Center, Project Harmony seeks solutions to the widespread community problem of exploitation, sex trafficking, and other victimization of our most vulnerable youth. Through our Missing Youth Services and Anti-Trafficking program, police have the option to take runaways to Project Harmony or refer the families here. Project Harmony staff also look through police reports and reach out to families who may need help. Staff meet with the young person and their family and create an intervention plan, including individual and group therapy.

The goal is changing the attitude towards runaways and not just labeling them as 'bad kids' but realizing there is something more going on – what are they running from or what are they running to? For families, it can be the critical support system that means the difference between a young person staying or running again.

If you are a caregiver or concerned party of a youth in Nebraska who has run away, please report them missing to your local police department and the Child Abuse Hotline at 1 (800) 652-1999. You can also call Project Harmony at (402) 595-1326 for support services.

Today is KETV

Giving Wednesday, April 24

Project Harmony is honored to be the featured nonprofit for KETV's Giving Wednesday! We believe every child deserves an opportunity for a safe and promising future, and we do everything we can to make that a reality for thousands of children every year.

Join us June 26

Hops for Harmony

Join us at Hops for Harmony at Werner Park on Wednesday, June 26! The Papillion Area Lions Club invites you to the ultimate summer beer festival. Help Project Harmony provide vital support to children in our community by purchasing your tickets! Learn more at https://projectharmony.com/events/hops-for-harmony/.

Congratulations to the

2024 Kids First Award Recipients

This annual award honors professionals or community members in our region (eastern Nebraska and western Iowa) who has make a significant impact in the field of child abuse in the area(s) of: victim services, victim education, systems issues, or prevention education.

Kelli Ceraolo – Assistant Attorney General, Nebraska Attorney General’s Office

Tony Jones – Senior Vice President of Successful Futures, Boys Town

Sgt Ryan Kilawee – Omaha Police Department, Child Victim Sexual Assault Unit

From mental health therapists and medical to grant writing, you can build a meaningful career at Project Harmony. Learn more at ProjectHarmony.com/join-our-team.

May 2024

Project Harmony is a child advocacy center whose mission is to protect and support children, collaborate with professionals and engage the community to end child abuse and neglect.

Project Harmony Website

Training Catalog

Our Wish List

Training Calendar

May 1

Working with People in Poverty

Webinar

9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Attendees will assess the internal bias they may have related to this population. Activities will help participants understand the dilemmas that drive the behaviors of those in poverty.

May 2

Building Hope in Yourself and Others

Webinar

9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Over 2,000 research studies have shown that hope is the #1 predictor of future well-being outcomes. Participants will learn how to apply hope science to their own lives and in those around them.

May 3

UnMasking Hope Film

In-Person at Project Harmony

11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Watch how trauma and resilience shape the lives of survivors of 9/11, the Las Vegas concert mass shooting, sexual abuse and combat trauma. Feel free to bring your lunch.

May 3

Reclaiming Your Why

In-Person at Project Harmony

12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

This immersive 4-hour experience will delve into the essence of your professional journey, equipping you with techniques to overcome challenges that might have obscured your initial passion.

May 6

Working Together Across Cultures

Webinar

1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

In this training, participants will engage in introspective activities and group discussion that will elevate their understanding of culture and enhance their ability to work more effectively with different cultures.

May 8

Navigating Discord

Webinar

9:00 am. to 11:00 a.m.

This course discusses the nature of discord when it is experienced in a helping relationship, raises awareness about how we think and feel when experiencing discord, and teaches motivational interviewing techniques to deal with discord when it arises.

May 8

Meeting the Needs of Young Children

Webinar

1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

This training will provide a comprehensive understanding of the impact of the Child Welfare System on children under 5 years. Participants will gain a better understanding of the effect that trauma has on children and the resources that are available to assist children.

May 9

Mental Health First Aid

In-Person at Project Harmony

9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Mental Health First Aid is an early intervention public education program. It teaches adults how to recognize the signs and symptoms that suggest a potential mental health challenge, how to listen nonjudgmentally and give reassurance to a person who may be experiencing a mental health challenge.

May 9

Online Safety

Webinar

5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

This training empowers parents, caregivers, and those who care about kids to engage in regular, age-appropriate conversations with youth about benefits, risks, and what to do if something happens online.

May 10

Sextortion: The Hidden Pandemic

In-Person at Project Harmony

11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

This film is an investigation into the world of online grooming and sextortion - a present-day reality for one in seven children online.

May 13

Child Abuse and Neglect 101

In-Person at Project Harmony

1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

This course prepares mandatory reporters with the knowledge and skills to recognize and report child abuse and neglect along with an overview of the different types of abuse and their prevalence in Nebraska.

May 14

Trauma-Informed Care

In-Person at Project Harmony

9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.

In this session, trainees will learn about the impact of trauma on their clients, themselves, and in the working relationship between Child Welfare professionals and clients.

May 15

Darkness to Light: Stewards of Children

Webinar

9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

This is an evidence-informed, award winning two and a half hour training that teaches adults how to prevent, recognize and react responsibly to child sexual abuse.

May 16

Motivating Change

In-Person at Project Harmony

9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

This training helps those working with mandated or resistant families and individuals. This course discusses tools for evoking sustainable change using engagement and motivational interviewing techniques.

May 17

Home Visit Safety

In-Person at Project Harmony

1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

This course prepares case workers for situations that can arise while in the client's home directly with children and families.

May 20

Tour of Project Harmony

In-Person at Project Harmony

8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.

This is a first-hand look at our services and facility/campus. Participants will learn about about our collaborative relationships - the hallmark of Project Harmony's approach in ending child abuse and neglect.

May 23

Child Abuse and Neglect 101 in Iowa

Webinar

9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

May 28

Trauma and Resilience

Webinar

1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

This training helps participants recognize trauma, understand its impact on the brain and body, and identify and apply interventions to trauma behaviors.

May 29

Collaborating with Interpreters

In-Person at Project Harmony

9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

This training aims at improving languages access in mental health settings by providing a shared understanding of best practices for working with interpreters and mental health providers.

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