Juvenile Court Judge Zimmerman, from Shelby County, was guest speaker at the Ada Kiwanis Club last week.

Zimmerman is a graduate of O.N.U., as is his wife and three of their children.
He was joined by Amy Simindinger, who is the liaison between the Shelby County juvenile court and the schools. 

Simindinger and Zimmerman visit schools to educate young people about the dangers of misusing cellphones. 

Simindinger spoke about a Shelby County program called IMPACT (Imagine Making Positive Accountable Changes Together).  She helped start the program in 2011 and the program is supported completely by the United Way. 

Families are provided services free of charge for a year. Information about the program is given at the end of the minutes. In the last five years there has been a marked drop in the percentage of juvenile cases. Zimmerman believes that the drop has been due largely to the IMPACT program.

IMPACT is a program developed to proactively identify school age children who are facing obstacles towards academic, social, and community success.  This preventative program allows families to receive support, resources, and counseling to meet the needs of each unique child and family. 

Targeted for preschool, elementary, and middle school youth and their families, the program provides individual and family counseling, case management, psychiatric services, and other supports specific to the family.

Families interested in learning more about the program should contact their school office, but may also contact the program coordinator directly.