Empowering Kids Perham

TO EMPOWER CHILDREN, FAMILIES, AND THE COMMUNITY BY PROVIDING SUPPORT AND RESOURCES TO THOSE WITH AUTISM OR SOCIAL-COGNITIVE CHALLENGES: ENABLING A LIFE TO HOPE, HAPPINESS, DIGNITY AND PURPOSE.

AFTER SCHOOL AND SUMMER SKILLS GROUPS: EMPOWERING KIDS PROVIDED AFTERSCHOOL AND SUMMER SERVICES TO 20 INDIVIDUALS WITH AUTISM, ADHD, AND OTHER SOCIAL CHALLENGES, AGES 5TH GRADE- AGE 25 AND INDIVIDUALS ATTENDED 1-2 DAYS A WEEK (2 -3 HOUR SESSIONS). WE KEEP OUR RATES AFFORDABLE, BUT FAMILIES WHO ARE UNABLE TO PAY, QUALIFIED FOR A SCHOLARSHIP. EMPOWERING KIDS PROVIDED $9,788 IN PROGRAM SCHOLARSHIPS TO 13 CHILDREN DURING FY 20-21. DURING PROGRAMMING TIME, STUDENTS WORKED ON THE FOLLOWING SOCIAL EMOTIONAL SKILLS: JOINT ATTENTION, CONVERSATION, LIFE SKILLS, PERSPECTIVE TAKING, SOCIAL PROBLEM SOLVING, PLAY, GREETING, SELF-REGULATION, INDEPENDENT LIVING, HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS, AND FRIENDSHIPS THROUGH SMALL GROUP INSTRUCTION AND COMMUNITY OUTINGS. DESPITE THE PANDEMIC, WE PROVIDED IN PERSON PROGRAMMING OVER THE SUMMER, AND ALTERNATED BETWEEN IN-PERSON AND HYBRID WHEN COVID CASES INCREASED IN OUR COMMUNITY DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR. AS PART OF OUR PROGRAMMING, AND TO HELP OUR STUDENTS BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE COMMUNITY, WE COORDINATED MONTHLY OUTINGS DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR, AND WEEKLY OUTINGS DURING THE SUMMER. THE PANDEMIC MADE IT A BIT MORE CHALLENGING TO PLAN OUTINGS, BUT FOR THE MOST PART, WE MADE IT WORK OR IMPROVISED. THE MAJORITY OF OUR STUDENTS ATTENDED EACH OUTING, AND OUTINGS INCLUDED LASER TAG, MOVIES, PUMPKIN PATCH, ICE FISHING, BOWLING, RESTAURANTS, STATE PARKS, LAKE TUBING, AND MORE. NOT ONLY DID MANY OF OUR KIDS GET TO DO ACTIVITIES THEY WOULDN'T NORMALLY DO (DUE TO BEHAVIORS, COST, FAMILY DYNAMICS, ETC.), BUT PARENTS ALSO RECEIVED RESPITE DURING PROGRAMMING TIME.TO EDUCATE PARENTS AND HELP THEM WITH SKILLS THEY ARE WORKING ON AT HOME AND IN THE COMMUNITY, PARENTS RECEIVED A WEEKLY EMAIL FROM OUR TEACHERS. MANY OF OUR PARENTS ALSO REACHED OUT AT DIFFERENT TIMES FOR ADVICE ON A VARIETY OF ISSUES CONCERNING THEIR CHILD OR FAMILY. WHEN THIS HAPPENED, OUR TEACHERS WORKED 1:1 WITH PARENTS TO TRY AND RESOLVE ISSUES. EIDBI SERVICES: EIDBI STANDS FOR EARLY INTENSIVE DEVELOPMENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTION. THE INTERVENTIONS PROVIDED ARE A MEDICAL BENEFIT COVERED BY MINNESOTA MEDICAL ASSISTANCE. THESE SERVICES ARE PROVIDED TO CHILDREN, AGES 0-21, WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER AND RELATED CONDITIONS, AS WELL AS THEIR FAMILIES. THEY ARE INTENSIVE SKILL-BASED SERVICES THAT ARE BASED ON PROVEN METHODS ALONG WITH THE VALUES, CULTURE, AND PREFERENCES OF THE INDIVIDUAL AND FAMILY. THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES APPROVED OF FIVE MODALITIES FOR EIDBI SERVICES. EMPOWERING KIDS UTILIZES THE DIR FLOORTIME MODALITY FOR OUR EIDBI SERVICES. THIS IS A 1:1 SERVICE AND CHILDREN CAN RECEIVE UP TO 40 HOURS A WEEK OF SERVICE. DURING FY 20/21 WE PROVIDED 2995 HOURS OF SERVICE TO 8 CLIENTS. DIAGNOSTIC AND OUTPATIENT MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES: THERE ARE A NUMBER OF TREATMENT AND THERAPY OPTIONS FOR MENTAL HEALTH. WE FOCUS ON THE VARIOUS MODALITIES OF PSYCHOTHERAPY. PSYCHOTHERAPY IS TALK THERAPY THAT AIMS TO ENABLE PATIENTS, OR CLIENTS, TO UNDERSTAND THEIR FEELINGS AND WHAT MAKES THEM FEEL POSITIVE, ANXIOUS, OR DEPRESSED. OUR THERAPISTS WILL WORK WITH INDIVIDUALS TO IDENTIFY WHAT KEEPS THEM FROM FEELING THEIR BEST. MENTAL HEALTH SESSIONS VARY GREATLY DEPENDING ON THE CLIENT'S AGE, DIAGNOSIS, AND THE MODALITY BEING USED. THEY ARE INDIVIDUALIZED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE CLIENT. CLIENTS CAN BE PARTICIPATING IN ART, TALK THERAPY, GAMES, READING, ETC. A DIAGNOSTIC ASSESSMENT (DA) DETERMINES ELIGIBILITY AND NEEDS OF EACH INDIVIDUAL. IT ASSESSES THE CLIENT'S CURRENT MENTAL HEALTH STATUS AND FUNCTIONING. THE ASSESSMENT MUST INCLUDE REPORT THAT DOCUMENTS THE CLINICAL AND FUNCTIONAL FACE-TO-FACE EVALUATION OF A PERSON'S MENTAL HEALTH. THE REPORT MUST INCLUDE THE NATURE, SEVERITY, AND IMPACT OF BEHAVIORAL DIFFICULTIES, FUNCTIONAL IMPAIRMENT, SUBJECTIVE DISTRESS, STRENGTHS, AND RESOURCES. THERE ARE MANY APPROACHES TO PSYCHOTHERAPY. EMPOWERING KIDS OFFERS THE FOLLOWING MODALITIES: DIR FLOORTIME, PLAY THERAPY, AND COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY. DURING FY 20/21 WE PROVIDED 53 HOURS OF SERVICE TO 11 CLIENTS.