Businesss Buzz

Apr. 28—Kersten joins Prairie View'sNewton, East Wichita offices

Prairie View welcomes Courtney Kersten, LCPC, to its clinical staff at Prairie View'sNewton and East Wichita offices where she works with children and adolescents ages 0 to 18. She particularly enjoys working with children 10 years of age and under as well as those with autism.

Kersten, a licensed clinical professional counselor, is responsible for evaluation, treatment planning and providing therapy to children, including therapeutic play. She holds degrees from Wichita State University and the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, and has more than 10 years of experience in the mental and behavioral health care field.

"I chose this field with a common goal of many providers: to help people," Kersten said. "I feel honored creating a space to process through and make meaning from my clients' experiences. Entering into a child's world through their play and supporting them while they figure out their world feels like magic."

An appreciation for the integrated team model utilized at Prairie View attracted her to the organization.

"Having that integrated team is crucial to caring for clients holistically," she says. "Each client has multi-dimensional needs and having a team feels like the most effective way to create successful therapy progress."

For more information about Kersten or to schedule an appointment, please call Prairie View at 800-992-6292.

KDOT requesting comments on STIP amendment

The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) requests comments on an amendment to the FFY 2021-2024 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) document.

The STIP is a project specific publication that lists all KDOT administered projects, regardless of funding source, and includes projects for counties and cities as well as projects on the State Highway System. The list of projects being amended to the STIP can be viewed at http://www.ksdot.org/bureaus/burProgProjMgmt/stip/stip.asp .

The approval of the STIP amendment requires a public comment period, which concludes May 5. To make comments on the amendment, contact KDOT's Division of Program and Project Management at (785) 296-3254.

This information is available in alternative accessible formats. To obtain an alternative format, contact the KDOT Division of Communications, (785) 296-3585 (Voice/Hearing Impaired-711).

SBA Announces Official Restaurant Revitalization Fund application and guidelines

SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman recenlty announced key details on application requirements, eligibility, and a program guide for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RFF). The restaurant industry has been among the hardest-hit sectors during the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. To help bring jobs back and revive the industry, the American Rescue Plan, signed into law by President Joe Biden, established the $28.6 billionRestaurant Revitalization Fund at the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The SBA will administer the funds to the hardest-hit small restaurants.

"Today, we are starting the process to help restaurants and bars across the country devastated by the pandemic, and this is our message: Help is here. With the launch of the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, we're prioritizing funding to the hardest-hit small businesses — irreplaceable gathering places in our neighborhoods and communities that need a lifeline now to get back on their feet," said SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman. "And, thanks to clear directives from Congress, we're rolling out this program to make sure that these businesses can meet payroll, purchase supplies, and get what they need in place to transition to today's COVID-restricted marketplace."

Administrator Guzman emphasized, "We're also focused on ensuring that the RRF program's application process is streamlined and free of burdensome, bureaucratic hurdles — while still maintaining robust oversight. Under my leadership, the SBA aims to be as entrepreneurial as the entrepreneurs we serve — and that means meeting every small business where they are, and giving them the support they need to recover, rebuild and thrive."

Under this announcement, details on application requirements, eligibility, and a program guide are now available in English at www.sba.gov/restaurants or in Spanish at www.sba.gov/restaurantes.

Ahead of the application launch and over the next two weeks, the SBA will establish a seven-day pilot period for the RRF application portal and conduct extensive outreach and training. The pilot period will be used to address technical issues ahead of the public launch. Participants in this pilot will be randomly selected from existing PPP borrowers in priority groups for RRF and will not receive funds until the application portal is open to the public.

Following the pilot, the application portal will be opened to the public. The official application launch date will be announced at a later date. For the first 21 days that the program is open, the SBA will prioritize reviewing applications from small businesses owned by women, veterans, and socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. Following the 21-day period, all eligible applicants are encouraged to submit applications.

The groundwork for this announcement is the result of a comprehensive effort to reach out to diverse stakeholders in order to understand the needs and barriers restaurants face in accessing emergency relief aid.

Community business leaders from underserved communities also welcomed RRF assistance as much-needed economic relief and are working with their broad membership bases to navigate the grant application process.

In addition to restaurant groups and leading advocacy groups for underserved business communities, the SBA has engaged national and state trade associations, and other small business stakeholders in recent weeks to understand their concerns about relief programs.

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