Upstream Impact: How a County Partnership Transformed Marriages and Families

Bob Suver and Lavern Nissley share a moment at the Encompass Connection Center 20th Anniversary event in the Fall of 2024

By Dr. David Marine Mabry
Executive Director, Encompass Connection Center

When we talk about partnerships that make a lasting difference, we often look downstream—at the outcomes, the stories, the families restored. But to understand the impact of Encompass Connection Center and the Clark County Department of Job and Family Services (DJFS), we have to go upstream. 

That’s where Bob Suver started. 
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As the former Executive Director of DJFS, Bob saw firsthand the heartbreak and complexity of families in crisis. Too often, the interventions available were reactive—addressing symptoms but not causes. “I found the tools the community had to deal with family disintegration were insufficient,” he shared. “We had to do something different.” 

A Vision Rooted in Prevention 

At the time, DJFS was already piloting prevention-focused initiatives—developing curriculum with Franklin Covey to strengthen at-risk families and equipping mentors to teach middle schoolers the habits of healthy choices. But Bob’s travels and research soon exposed him to something deeper: marriage-strengthening programs across the country that were delivering real, measurable results. He began asking the question: What if we could prevent these crises before they started?
 
That question led to collaboration with leaders like John Landess at the Turner Foundation and others across the community. Together, they launched a bold experiment in 2004: Marriage Savers of Clark County, the organization that would eventually become Encompass Connection Center. 

DJFS provided critical financial support from the beginning—alongside generous churches, local donors, and federal grants. With Lavern and Ronda Nissley at the helm, the initiative grew quickly, earning a reputation for excellence, accountability, and meaningful outcomes. 

“We went upstream,” Bob said, “instead of just pulling drowning children from the river. We started asking why they were falling in to begin with.” 

Measurable Impact—and One Life Changed 

The shift worked. At the time, Springfield and Clark County’s divorce rate was nearly double the national average. Today, it’s significantly lower—below the national rate—and Bob credits this drop, in part, to the work begun through Marriage Savers and carried forward by Encompass. 

The statistics are compelling, but sometimes it’s the individual stories that leave the deepest mark. Bob remembers one in particular: 

A man, devastated by the breakdown of his marriage and ready to do irreversible harm, drove past the Marriage Resource Center. Something about the sign called him to stop. He walked in. He asked for help. And because someone was there to meet him with compassion and skill, his story didn’t end in tragedy—it took a turn toward hope. 

A Deep and Enduring Partnership 

Today, that upstream work continues stronger than ever through the partnership between DJFS and Encompass Connection Center. It’s a model of what can happen when government and faith-rooted nonprofits come together around a shared mission: stronger families, healthier marriages, and better outcomes for children. 

DJFS continues to provide funding and referrals that connect individuals and families to: 

• RINGS coaching and marriage education, equipping couples with practical communication and conflict resolution tools 

• Parenting 4 Kids’ Sake, a skill-building program for caregivers 

• REACH and Within My Reach, empowering individuals with healthy relationship mindsets 

• Advocacy and wraparound support, for families navigating life’s toughest seasons 

As Bob put it: 

“Encompass Connection Center has proven to be an important resource for DJFS and the community. They deal with the root causes—not just the symptoms.” 

A Partnership That Reflects the Best of Clark County 

This is more than a funding agreement. It’s a partnership marked by trust, shared values, and sustained commitment. From Bob Suver’s early leadership to Dr. Virginia “Ginny” Martycz’s ongoing support more recently, DJFS has stood with Encompass to ensure families receive not just services—but transformation. 

As Executive Director of Encompass, I can say this with confidence: 

“The partnership between DJFS and Encompass represents the best of Clark County. Both organizations share a heart for people—for the health of marriages and families, and for the protection and well-being of children through stronger home environments. Together, we’re seeing real impact as we offer a hand up toward healthier households and more resilient communities.” 

A special thank you to Bob Suver, Ginny Martycz, and the many leaders and workers with CC DJFS who have done, and continue to do, wonderful work in our community. We truly have been better together in accomplishing the mission.
 
What You Can Do 
Are you facing challenges in your relationship, family life, or parenting journey? Or do you know someone who is? 

Encompass Connection Center is here to walk with you—offering judgment-free, evidence-based support rooted in faith and compassion. Referrals from DJFS, churches, and individuals are welcome. 

👉 Visit us at www.encompasscc.org to learn more or schedule a free intake. 

​Building stronger families takes all of us. And because of the visionary leadership of partners like DJFS, that’s exactly what we’re doing—together. 

Lavern Nissley and Bob Suver after Bob's retirement from DJFS