Nebraska Statewide Respite Network

Families often feel high levels of emotional, physical and financial stress when they care for someone with special needs in the home. Because of the demands, many families do not have the occasional short term periods of rest and relief that are so important to everyone's health and family stability.

By providing breaks to the family, respite services are a vital support to the ability of families to provide continued care in the home. Respite services provide temporary, short-term care for families in crisis, foster parents, care givers of adults and children with disabilities or special needs person with Alzheimer's, frail elderly, or families simply needing a break.

Not only is respite a relief to families, it is often a relief to the service delivery system. By enabling the individual to remain in his/her own home, the need for out-of-home or institutional placement is reduced.

The Nebraska Respite Network was created in 1999 with the passage of legislation and is currently being implemented by Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The purpose of the Nebraska Respite Network is to establish a statewide system for the coordination of respite resources that serve the life span.

Contracts are in place between DHHS and six local entities (one in each Service Area) who are responsible for Information and Referral for families needing access to respite, recruitment of respite providers, marketing activities to increase the public's awareness of respite, coordinating training opportunities for providers and consumers, and quality assurance and program evaluation.

Below is a list of the respite coordinators in each area:

Central Region - Tracy Brummer 626 N Street • Loup City, NE 68853 Phone: 308-745-0780 Ext. 139 Toll Free: 800-737-7483 Ext. 139 Fax: 308-745-0446 Email: ltbrummer@cennecs.org	Southeast Region - Janelle Clifton 1432 N Street • Lincoln, NE 68508 Phone: 402-434-3494, Ext. 141 Toll Free: 888-311-0017 Fax: 402-476-0519 Email: jclifton@ywcalincoln.org
Eastern Region - Chris Stewart 4223 Center Street • Omaha, NE 56105 Phone: 402-996-8443 Fax: 402-444-6503 Email: omaha.respiteresources@yahoo.com	Southwest Region - Gaylene Stinman 322 Norris Suite 12 • McCook, NE 69001 Phone: 308-345-4990 Fax: 308-345-8859 Email: gaylene@swhealthdept.com
Northern Region - Lucy Lutjelusche 3362 53rd Ave • Columbus, NE 68601 Phone: 402-564-1124 Ext. 250 Fax: 402-563-0710 Email: llutjelusche@cennecs.org	Western Region - Sherri Blome 848 Morehead Street • Chadron, NE 69337 Phone: 308-432-8190 Toll Free: 877-932-8190 Fax: 308-432-5092 Email: specialprojects@wchr.net
For more Respite information, please contact: Marcia Alber Statewide Respite Network Program Coordinator 301 Centennial Mall South • Lincoln, Nebraska 68509-5044 Phone: 402-471-9282 Toll Free: 800-358-8802 Fax: 402-471-6352 E-mail: marcia.alber@nebraska.gov

Also, search the Nebraska Resource and Referral System to find more respite services.

Visit the Nebraska Respite Network. To download a Life Span Respite Subsidy Program Application, visit the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.