Dawn Schott '92, '16 MACJ
Criminal Justice
Dawn Schott '92, '16 MACJ
Criminal Justice
From Compassion to Action
Dawn Schott ’92, ’16 MA, has worked at the juvenile center for 25 years, 从她从MMU获得刑事司法学士学位的第二天开始.
2013年，她从青少年咨询师一路升到主管, 她在那里管理拘留和六个社区转移治疗项目. The facility, licensed for 35 beds, is currently staffed for 21 youth. The diversion programs, which attempt to divert youth from detention placements, serve roughly 155 youth a day within the community
The diversion programs, which attempt to divert youth from detention placements, serve roughly 155 youth a day within the community. As director, Schott oversees a variety of staff, including a manager, four shift supervisors, 13 youth counselors, eight youth workers, eight intervention counselors, six trackers, two cooks, a nurse, a medical director, a case manager, and a receptionist.
The Linn County facility, one of nine in Iowa, 它被认为是爱荷华州最好的学校之一，因为它是唯一一个要求员工在就业前拥有四年制学位和一年高危青少年工作经验的学校. In addition, Schott和她的工作人员一直在寻找改进编程的方法, staying as fresh and engaging as possible.
Bernie Broghammer Bordignon ’80, a juvenile court officer and detention center board member, 看到了肖特的成功，因为她通过实施创新的节目来超越自己.
“道恩很有远见，她采取了额外的步骤，提供了有助于减少焦虑的实践活动, anger, and stress, while also presenting long-term coping and living skills,” she says.
“道恩很有远见，她采取了额外的步骤，提供了有助于减少焦虑的实践活动, anger, and stress, while also presenting long-term coping and living skills.”
Progressive programming garners results
肖特说，她最自豪的成就是帮助开发了高效的拘留规划概念，这种概念倾向于技能培养，而不是治疗. Initiatives include a mobile crisis unit for suicidal youth, 一个了解创伤的瑜伽项目，帮助年轻人处理情绪和这些情绪对身体的副作用, and a new garden project.
“It is incredible how many kids have never been part of planting, nurturing, and harvesting garden crops,” says Schott, who grew up and currently lives on an Iowa farm. 她喜欢种植和照料花园——她最喜欢的是劳动密集型的花园, 6英尺高的红色美人蕉，其球茎必须在每年春天种植，每年秋天摘除.
肖特特意来看看孩子们的花园进展如何，并称赞他们的辛勤工作.
一位居民想出了剪一些花，在餐桌上做装饰品的主意,” she says. “Although they were in plastic cups, they added some hominess to a very sterile environment, and, boy, was she proud of her idea. I tell you what, allowing kids to have a success goes a long way!”
Emily Blomme, the executive director at Foundation 2, an organization providing crisis mental health services, and detention center board member, 他说，看到斯科特的努力改变了中心，并对年轻人产生了积极的影响，这是非常了不起的.
“When youth have an opportunity to tend to something, 他们学习如何将这种积极态度转化为对待自己和他人的方式,” Blomme says. “道恩在解决复杂问题上的冷静、理性和合作方式令人难以置信.”
When the teachers initiated the idea of therapy dogs, Schott, who trained and showed dogs in obedience and showmanship in 4-H, instantly gave it her support and stamp of approval.
When youth have an opportunity to tend to something, 他们学习如何将这种积极态度转化为对待自己和他人的方式.
The success of the program was best seen when a young man, who was uninterested in interacting with the dogs, sat off to the side of the class. 其中一只好心的狗走过去，坐在男孩面前，把头靠在他的膝盖上.
“The next thing I knew, the boy was hugging the dog and sobbing. Talk about having an impact!”
“我知道一只狗是多么不挑剔，”肖特说，他有一只名叫里格斯的罗威纳犬. “That is what kids need—someone who loves them unconditionally.”
The next thing I knew, the boy was hugging the dog and sobbing. Talk about having an impact!
在另一种情况下，一名年轻女子上了法庭，经历了一段爆炸性的经历. 在返回拘留所的路上，她不得不被许多警察制服. 她踢出车窗，差点从州际公路上以每小时75英里的速度行驶的汽车上跳下来. When the judge in her case learned of her interest in the dogs, he requested a therapy dog attend her next court hearing.
“Fortunately, 一个教练愿意这样做，那个女孩的法庭经验是完全不同的下一次. 当她不停地抚摸坐在她旁边的那只狗时，她能够集中注意力。.
“Fortunately, 一个教练愿意这样做，那个女孩的法庭经验是完全不同的下一次. 当她不停地抚摸坐在她旁边的那只狗时，她能够集中注意力.”
CPR program in the works
在听到一个婴儿停止呼吸的新闻后，一位懂心肺复苏术的邻居救了他, 肖特说，她计划实施的最新项目是教孩子们心肺复苏术.
她说:“学校里教心肺复苏术，但我们的很多孩子都没有上这门课。. “我不希望任何人像那位年轻妈妈那样对待她的孩子, 所以我们有两名员工获得了心肺复苏术的认证，然后给所有年轻人获得心肺复苏术认证的机会.”
Advancing your work by advancing your degree
肖特承认，回到MMU攻读刑事司法硕士学位确实让她大开眼界，认识到在自己的职业中停滞不前是多么容易.
“阅读有关趋势的研究并得到肯定，我们的项目正在推广最有效的青少年司法方法和理论，这令人兴奋,” she says.
Because of her positive experience, she’s encouraged three of her staff, Dan Williams ’94, ’18 MACJ, Janelle Scott ’18 MACJ, and Rod Rasmussen ’20 MACJ, to advance their education at Mount Mercy, too.
“All too often we get stuck in our ways," said Schott. “回到学校可以帮助你识别其他概念，唤醒你日常工作中的困倦.”
All too often we get stuck in our ways. 回到学校可以帮助你识别其他概念，唤醒你日常工作中的困倦.
Schott is currently an adjunct instructor at MMU. 她说她想在大学任教，因为她觉得青少年司法没有得到它所需要的专门的课堂时间.
“Dealing with kids is very different from working with adults,” she says, “and the recruiting opportunities are also a bonus.”
Success stories
In 2016, there were 2,936 detention admissions in Iowa, and roughly 65 percent of those were returning youth. Linn County accounted for 354 of the admissions.
“Detention is not treatment, 我担心我们是否满足了我们所居住的年轻人的需求, especially when mental health needs are seemingly at an all-time high,” Schott says.
“Detention is not treatment, 我担心我们是否满足了我们所居住的年轻人的需求, especially when mental health needs are seemingly at an all-time high."
Because detention is not treatment, and the average length of stay is just two weeks, success stories are not your typical stories. Occasionally, staff will hear from a youth that has turned their life around but, more often than not, they just don’t know what happens to the kids, which can be hard and disheartening.
“几年前，我确实见过一位前居民在教堂做客座演讲者，”肖特说. 他加入了军队，并谈到他在阿富汗的旅行如何改变了他. 他的父亲报告说，他的拘留是他行为改变的开始, 他感谢员工们在他们生命中充满挑战的时刻给予他们的善意和支持.”
肖特在医院的电梯里遇到了另一位住院医生，她和身患癌症的母亲在一起.
“她现在婚姻幸福，有三个孩子，并以积极的方式成功地继续生活,” Schott says. “She is a CNA and loves her job. 她对拘留所的工作人员和作为榜样的我充满了感激之情.”
肖特说，她相信机会，并对新的运作方式持开放态度. 她说:“我希望这些孩子在生活中拥有丰富的工具。.