Speech Language Pathologist and Speech Language Therapy

   Speech Language Pathologists (SLP's) are trained health care professionals who provide examinations and treatment in the areas of language (expression and understanding), articulation, fluency (stuttering), voice disorders, swallowing problems, oral motor skills, and augmentative communication methods. SLP's also provide hearing screenings and work with patients on adjusting to the use of hearing aids. Speech therapy addresses understanding of spoken and written language, using spoken language to express thoughts and feelings, memory skills, ability to follow directions, sequencing and organizational skills, strengthening oral musculature to improve articulation and eating skills, teaching safe swallowing guidelines and improving fluency of speech. SLP's focus on assisting the patient to attain the highest level of communicative abilities so that she or he may be able to express wants and needs required for daily functioning. 

Occupational Therapist and Occupational Therapy

    Occupational Therapists (OT's) are health professionals providing services to people whose lives have been disrupted by physical injury or illness, developmental disabilities, the aging process or social and psychological difficulties.  OT's address people's ability to attend work, reducing distractibility, positioning seating and working, use of adaptive equipment for work and home, activity tolerance and endurance, fine motor skills, reducing sensory defensiveness, planning and organizational skills, interpersonal skills and performing various activities of daily life (ADL's). The goal of Occupational therapy is to assist individuals in achieving independent, productive, and satisfying lives.

Physical Therapist and Physical Therapy

    Physical Therapists (PT's) are experts in the examination and treatment of musculoskeletal and neuromuscular problems that affect people's ability to move the way they want and function as well as they want in their daily lives. Physical therapy addresses a variety of health problems resulting from injury, disease or developmental disabilities. PT's are trained to assess muscle strength, flexibility, endurance, joint motion, performance of activities of daily living (ADL), and many other aspects of physical movement and motion. Physical therapy treatment involves therapeutic exercise, endurance training and training in ADL's. ADL training includes walking, climbing stairs and getting in and out of chairs and vehicles.

    Mental health services became available for our consumers in January 2002. Persons dealing with developmental disabilities, as well as emotional and behavioral disorders, now have resources on-site to help them manage their day-to-day lives. These services provide individual therapy, group therapy, and psychiatric services to our clients. With these services, clients are able to learn coping skills to deal with anger, anxiety and depression. Learning to communicate openly and honestly is also emphasized in the program in order to improve peer relationships and family life. The main objective of these services is to improve the functioning level and quality of life for our consumers.

    The program is federally funded through Medicaid, and works in conjunction with the Medicaid Waiver department and work center to provide a consistent and holistic approach to the consumers’ care. Individual therapy provides intensive counseling for the client to work through specific issues and establish goals. Group therapy gives clients opportunities to interact with each other in a positive social environment, as well as to learn about specific coping skills for day-to-day problems. Clients are also followed by an attending psychiatrist who can prescribe and manage medication for serious emotional and behavioral disorders.

    With therapy and psychiatric services provided on-site, consumers have the opportunity to deal with crises as they arise. Dealing with the challenges of having developmental disabilities and mental illness becomes less of a struggle with the constant, surrounding support of mental health professionals. With this support, clients can make the necessary changes and decisions to improve their overall quality of life.