Boys Town Iowa
Boys Town Iowa Family Consultant
Helps Families Help Themselves
Amy Hennies has been helping youth and families at Boys Town for ten years. Now, as a Boys Town Iowa Family Consultant, she is a vital part of helping parents and children in various stages of their development as a family.
“There is no such thing as a typical day in our world as Family Consultants,” said Hennies. “We are involved in everything from attending court hearings and supervised visits to teaching parenting and social skills and showing the families how to function as a unit.”
Hennies began her career at Boys Town in 1998 as an Assistant Family-Teacher. She and her husband, Jason, became Specialized Treatment Program Family-Teachers in 1999, providing support, care and supervision to boys with psychiatric disorders. In 2001, they moved to Home Campus to assist youth with community and skill building as Family-Teachers. In July of 2007, Hennies began commuting to Iowa for her most recent position as a Family Consultant.
Working with 14 families, Hennies helps with a wide range of cases. Family Consultants are an integral part of Boys Town’s In-Home Family Services, which is designed to build family strengths, teach new skills and reduce the need for out-of-home placement of children. In cases where children are removed from the home, Hennies helps the family rebuild and assists with the reunification process.
“The families I’ve worked with have invited me into their lives to share some very important experiences,” said Hennies. “Teaching them the skills so they know how to help themselves is key to what we do as Family Consultants and getting to see the results is very rewarding.”
Amy Hennies |
