In Southwest and West Central Nebraska, families don’t always need “more services.” They need clear direction, trusted guidance, and someone who knows how to connect the dots. That’s where Families 1st Partnership shines, and why our relationship with them at AmanaCare is such a meaningful one.

Families 1st Partnership serves as a central navigation hub, offering a single point of entry for families and individuals seeking stability. Their team helps people understand their options, prioritize next steps, and follow through with critical needs like housing, utilities, benefits, healthcare, and financial support. The goal isn’t just short-term help, it’s long-term stability and prevention of repeated crises.

A Shared Mission: Care That Goes Beyond Services

At AmanaCare, we believe care is about walking alongside people, not just showing up with a checklist. That’s why our partnership with Families 1st Partnership is so powerful. Together, we support families who may need everything from at-home companion care to personal care home health services, while also helping them navigate the broader systems that shape their daily lives.

Recently, Heather Schanou, AmanaCare’s Marketing Director, had the opportunity to present at Families 1st Partnership’s monthly inter-agency meeting, a well-attended gathering that brings together representatives from healthcare, education, nonprofits, faith-based organizations, and public agencies across the region. These meetings are all about collaboration: sharing what each organization offers, identifying gaps in services, and making sure families don’t fall through the cracks.

During that meeting, Heather spoke about AmanaCare’s Legally Responsible Individual (LRI) Program, which allows eligible family members to be paid caregivers for loved ones with disabilities. The conversation that followed was exactly what community partnership should look like: questions, referrals, and real-world problem-solving focused on helping families stay together, supported, and financially stable.

More Than Navigation: Building Community

Families 1st Partnership isn’t just a referral hub, they are deeply woven into the fabric of their communities. Their team organizes and supports a wide range of free, community-based programs that meet people where they are, at every stage of life.

Families 1st Partnership supports these initiatives and programs:

• Central Navigation: serves as a single-entry point for families and individuals seeking stability. Through assessment, planning, and coordination, families are connected to appropriate resources and supports. These services include intake and needs assessment, resource navigation, and referral coordination.

• Family Stabilization Support: when appropriate, financial assistance may be provided to support stabilization efforts. This assistance is paired with case management and planning to support long-term success. Support may include: utility assistance, housing-related support, and other critical expenses when available.

• Community Collaborative: bringing together healthcare providers, schools, nonprofits, faith-based organizations, and public agencies to strengthen local support systems and improve outcomes for families. This focuses on coordinated referrals, shared problem-solving, system improvement, and reducing service duplication.

• Straight Up Advocates: supports individuals and families impacted by substance use, maintaining sobriety, parenting, and/or have experienced system involvement. Participants receive: peer and system support, connection to resources, educational opportunities, and community engagement.

• Plan of Safe Care: a program for expecting parents who have a history of substance use. Benefits of the program are: resource connection, support navigating pregnancy and post-partum, emotional well-being balance, and a binder of resources to track information in one place.

They also show up in powerful ways through community service, volunteering with organizations like The Salvation Army, and helping the American Red Cross reach donation goals — proving that their mission extends far beyond their own programs.

Creating Space for Families to Be Heard

Families 1st Partnership is also known for organizing impactful, educational events that elevate family voices and community awareness, including:

• Fall in Love with Self-Care: Women’s Health Fair
• Your Child, Your Voice: Parent Conference on Disability Programs & Services

These events create space for families to learn, ask questions, and connect directly with the organizations and agencies that can support them — something we deeply value at AmanaCare.

Stronger Together

When Families 1st Partnership and AmanaCare work side by side, families gain more than services — they gain clarity, confidence, and a community of support. Whether someone is navigating disability services, seeking in-home support, or looking for guidance during a challenging season, our shared goal is the same:

One door. Many resources. Real support.

So, who should you contact at Families 1st Partnership? And what can you expect?

Executive Director – Jessica Vogt

• Contact for: Organizational partnerships, community collaborations, funding inquiries, and program development. 
• Jessica oversees the agency’s mission, strategy, and partnerships.
• Email: director@fam-1st.org 

Central Navigator – Delicia Mata

• Contact for: Family support, resource navigation, referrals, and intake. 
• The Central Navigator is the primary point of contact for families seeking assistance and support. Delicia guides families and individuals through available resources and helps coordinate services. 
• Email: info@fam-1st.org

To learn more about Families 1st Partnership or to connect with their team, visit:

https://families1stpartnership.org/

https://families1ststaff.findhelp.com/

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AmanaCare Staff

The word Amana means “faithfulness, loyalty, constancy, devotion, integrity, trust.” It also means “support, confirmation; a guardian.” At AmanaCare, our goal is to confirm the inherent value of our clients and to support them through their unique circumstances. By providing constant, reliable care tailored to each person, we seek to be the guardian that they and their loved ones can trust. Every person is a unique gift from God, and therefore care is not one-size-fits-all. We craft our care plans to assist with your specific needs, the way you want them done. We set your care plan according to family needs and help you remain an active member of your family and community.

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