Northwestern, Western Plains and Youth Family Services Receive Regent’s Business Partnership Excellence Award

April 4, 2022

Western Plains and Youth Family Services (WPYFS), in partnership with Northwestern Oklahoma State University, has received the 2022 Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education Regents Business Partnership Excellence Award (RBPEA).

This award is designed to highlight successful partnerships and to further cultivate a higher learning environment through the State Regents’ Economic Development Grants.

“Our colleges and universities continue to collaborate successfully with public, private and nonprofit partners to strengthen economic and workforce development across our state,” said Chancellor Allison D. Garrett. “The State Regents and I are proud to celebrate the positive impact of these partnerships as we all work together to build the skilled workforce required to make Oklahoma competitive on a global stage.”

WPYFS has a long history of supporting Northwestern students. The non-profit organization has played host to seven social work practicum students in the last four years, along with other practicums for students with different degree focuses. As part of a field experience at WPYFS, students are exposed to multiple social services, including housing stability, outpatient counseling, infant mental health and early childhood consultation, emergency youth sheltering, and juvenile detention treatment. Students develop technical skills, learn to research areas of intervention and select practices effective for working with children and families within rural Oklahoma.

“Western Plains Youth and Family Services has been a great partnership for our department,” Dr. Kylene Rehder, department of social work chair, said. “Our students are exposed to situations they will encounter after graduation and have the resources they need to be prepared.”

WPYFS reaches youth and families in Cimarron, Beaver, Texas, Harper, Ellis, Dewey and Woodward counties. They have offices in Woodward, Guymon and Laverne, along with juvenile detention centers in Elk City and Woodward. The Woodward facility has an emergency temporary youth shelter and a mobile crisis unit to respond to emergencies. 

For more information about RBPEA and this year’s partnerships, visit www.okhighered.org/econ-dev/partner-excellence.

For more information about WPYFS, visit https://wpyfs.org/, or call (580) 256-3157. And, to learn more about Northwestern’s social work program, visit www.nwosu.edu/school-of-arts-and-sciences/social-work.

-NW-