道恩·肖特，92届，16届
刑事司法
道恩·肖特，92届，16届
刑事司法
从同情到行动
Dawn Schott ’92, ’16 MA, has worked at the juvenile center for 25 years, starting the day after she graduated from 皇冠体育 with her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.
2013年，她从青少年咨询师一路晋升为主管，负责管理拘留和六个社区转移项目。 该设施有35张床位，目前有21名青少年。 这些转移项目试图将青少年从拘留所转移出来，每天在社区内服务大约155名青少年
这些转移项目试图将青少年从拘留所转移出来，每天在社区内服务大约155名青少年。 作为主任，肖特管理着各种各样的员工，包括一名经理、四名轮班主管、13名青年辅导员、八名青年工作者、八名干预顾问、六名跟踪者、两名厨师、一名护士、一名医疗主任、一名病例管理员和一名接待员。
The Linn County facility, one of nine in Iowa, is considered one of Iowa’s best because it is the only one that requires staff to have a four-year degree and one year’s experience working with high-risk youth prior to employment. 此外，Schott和她的员工一直在寻找增强编程的方法，尽可能保持新鲜感和吸引力。
Bernie Broghammer Bordignon ’80, a juvenile court officer and detention center board member, has watched Schott’s success as she goes above and beyond by implementing innovative programming.
“Dawn has the foresight to take that extra step and provide hands-on activities that help reduce anxiety, anger, and stress, while also presenting long-term coping and living skills,” she says.
“Dawn has the foresight to take that extra step and provide hands-on activities that help reduce anxiety, anger, and stress, while also presenting long-term coping and living skills.”
渐进式编程获得成果
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。 这些举措包括为有自杀倾向的青少年设立一个流动危机小组，一个了解创伤的瑜伽项目，帮助青少年处理情绪和这些情绪对身体的副作用，以及一个新的花园项目。
“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. She loves to plant and take care of flower gardens—her favorite being the labor-intensive, six-foot-tall red cannas whose bulbs have to be planted each spring and removed every fall.
Schott makes a point of coming to see how the youth’s garden is progressing and complimenting the kids on their hard work.
“One resident came up with the idea to cut some flowers and create centerpieces for the dining room tables,” 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, says watching Schott’s diligence to transform the center and positively impact youth is remarkable.
“When youth have an opportunity to tend to something, they learn how to turn that positivity into how they treat themselves and others,” Blomme says. “Dawn’s calm, reasonable, and collaborative approach to solving complex issues is incredible.”
当老师们提出治疗犬的想法时，在4-H训练并展示狗的服从和表演技巧的肖特立即给予了支持和认可。
当年轻人有机会倾向于某件事时，他们会学习如何将这种积极态度转化为对待自己和他人的方式。
当一个对与狗狗互动不感兴趣的年轻人坐在教室的一边时，这个项目的成功就得到了最好的体现。 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。
“我所知道的下一件事是，男孩抱着狗哭泣。 说到产生影响！”
“I know how nonjudgmental a dog can be,” says Schott, who owns a Rottweiler named Riggs. “That is what kids need—someone who loves them unconditionally.”
我所知道的下一件事是，男孩抱着狗哭泣。 说到产生影响！
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。 当她的案件的法官得知她对狗的兴趣时，他要求一只治疗犬参加她的下一次法庭听证会。
“Fortunately, a trainer was willing to do this and that girl’s court experience was totally different the next time. 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, a trainer was willing to do this and that girl’s court experience was totally different the next time. She was able to focus while she constantly touched that dog sitting next to her.”
心肺复苏术正在进行中
在听到一个婴儿停止呼吸，但被一个懂心肺复苏术的邻居救了的新闻后，肖特说，她计划实施的最新项目是有机会教孩子们心肺复苏术。
“CPR is taught in schools, but many of the kids we work with miss the lesson,” she says. “I don’t want any person to feel the way that young mom did about her baby, so we are having two staff certified to teach CPR and then give all youth the opportunity to be CPR certified.”
通过提升你的学位来推进你的工作
Schott admits going back for her master’s degree in criminal justice at 皇冠体育 really opened her eyes as to how easy it is to become stagnant in your profession.
“It was exciting to read research on trends and get affirmation that our programs are promoting the most effective methods and theories of juvenile justice,” 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。”
我们常常被自己的方式所困。 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目前是皇冠体育的兼职讲师。 She says she wanted to teach at the college level because she felt that juvenile justice doesn’t get the dedicated class time it needs.
“Dealing with kids is very different from working with adults,” she says, “and the recruiting opportunities are also a bonus.”
成功的故事
2016年，爱荷华州共有2936人被拘留，其中约65%是返乡青年。 其中，林恩县占354人。
“Detention is not treatment, and I worry whether we are meeting the needs of the youth we are housing, especially when mental health needs are seemingly at an all-time high,” Schott says.
“Detention is not treatment, and I worry whether we are meeting the needs of the youth we are housing, especially when mental health needs are seemingly at an all-time high."
因为拘留不是治疗，而且平均停留时间只有两周，所以成功的故事并不是典型的故事。 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.
“I did see an ex-resident several years ago as a guest speaker in church,” Schott says. “He had joined the army and was speaking about how his tour in Afghanistan had changed him. His dad reported that his stay in detention was the beginning of his behavior change, and he was grateful to the staff for their kindness and support during that challenging time in their lives.”
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。
“She is now happily married with three kids and has successfully moved on with life in a positive way,” Schott says. “She is a CNA and loves her job. She spoke with such gratitude for the staff at detention and for me as a role model.”
肖特说，她相信机会，并对新的运作方式持开放态度。 “I want these kids to have an abundance of tools in their tool belt of life,” she says.