 |
The CCSR helps strengthen
nonprofits, government agencies, community coalitions, health
departments and
other Kansas organizations. It is one of the largest centers at WSU and
recognized nationally for its efforts in leadership, organizational capacity building, community collaboration
and applied research.
The CCSR, located in downtown
Wichita at Third Street and Main, has more than 45 full and part-time staff who
work to transfer best practices and evidence-based strategies from across
academic disciplines to more than 100 partner organizations in Kansas communities
and beyond.
And all of this started from
one woman’s kitchen table.
History
In 1984, a local social worker
named Evelyn Middlestadt, who served families and children involved in adoption
and foster care, became familiar with the difficulties of parents with special
needs kids. Challenges in those families were common and heartbreaking for
Middlestadt, say colleagues, because the parents often turned to her with their
burdens.
That’s when she decided to connect
those parents and form a self-help support group so they could talk about their
issues and provide comfort and understanding to one another.
Her idea grew and became The
Self-Help Network of Kansas. Eventually, Evelyn connected with Greg Meissen,
WSU professor of psychology, and the Self-Help Network moved to the Wichita
State campus, where the group served as a statewide clearinghouse for more than
2,000 local and national self-help groups and organizations.
As the Self-Help Network
matured, its purpose expanded. Under the leadership of Meissen, the
organization began involving WSU students and operated as a center for
research, working with a growing number of nonprofits and community coalitions.
In 2005, having exceeded the
space available on campus, the center relocated to its downtown location. It
became involved in an ever-evolving number of projects and initiatives,
including working with mental health consumer-run organizations, faith-based
organizations, leadership development programs and other civic groups. The
Self-Help Network changed its name to the Center for Community Support and
Research to better reflect the diversity of its work.
 |
| Wituk |
Looking forward
Middlestadt’s legacy is
something CCSR Executive Director Scott Wituk has embraced. Wituk has been involved with the CCSR for 20
years, and succeeds Meissen in its leadership.
“While much has been accomplished, CCSR and
its Kansas partners have much more to do,” said Wituk. “Recently, we’ve made
new connections with health departments across the state, which I think has
great potential.”
In recognition of the center’s
work and anniversary, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback declared January “Support
Group Awareness Month.” Wituk, however, is focused on pushing forward.
“We are
looking for new ways to enhance student involvement at CCSR,” he said. “We want
to connect more students from across disciplines with CCSR’s staff to develop
and implement creative and innovative approaches to address community and
organizational problems and challenges.
With its 30 year history, connections
across the state and interdisciplinary staff, CCSR represents one of the
flagship centers that will make WSU recognized as a leader in applied learning
and research.”
###
Contact: Angela Gaughan, CCSR project
specialist, 316-978-5496 or angela.gaughan@wichita.edu.
The Center for Community Support and Research, http://www.wichita.edu/ccsr.
No comments:
Post a Comment