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Program Restructuring in Progress
With our new Program Director Vicki Segers we are seeing exciting changes and additions taking place with our Programs. Executive Director Betty Bacalu is pleased to have Vicki on board and is confident that the program restructuring will better serve our members by further developing their socialization and work skills which will continue to assist them with community re-integration. Bacalu further believes that Vicki’s integrity, strong work ethic, as well has her compassion for the members will be an immense asset that will be displayed in a solid run program.
These changes will also allow us to enhance our mission and vision to strengthen brain injury survivors by decreasing their isolation while, at the same time, increasing their personal emotional, and spiritual growth.
Our first area of restructuring is taking place in the area of Work Units. With the clubhouse model known as the "work-ordered day" as our guide, we are currently expanding the variety of our cognitive learning opportunities so that members achieve maximum reduction of their disability along with restoration to their best possible level of functioning. The heart of the Clubhouse community, the work-ordered day exists to provide structure. As the work is being done, deficits, functioning, and performance are being monitored as would be the case in a normalized community setting. The Clubhouse Work Units, in essence, become a "like community setting," where members progress at their own rate and build on each previous success. Our members are gaining a greater sense of who they are, along with having an opportunity to identify their individual strengths, talents, and abilities. This is especially important for them, as they often deal with a variety of cognitive, behavioral, and physical deficits that keep them from returning to work and other activities they previously enjoyed.
The restructuring efforts have resulted in the formation of four Work Units: Business, Kitchen, Environmental, and Special Events. The Business Unit is responsible for the various clerical functions of the Clubhouse, such as writing thank-you letters and working on the mailing of this very newsletter which you are reading! The Kitchen Unit prepares low cost bag lunches for sale to members and staff, as well as one hot lunch each week that is served free of charge. Baking also takes place and is either enjoyed at special events or sold in our Clubhouse Cafe. The Environmental Unit is responsible for keeping both the indoor and outdoor Clubhouse areas in order. In the Special Events Unit, members plan and carry out community outings, parties, and fundraising efforts. In February, each member aligned themselves with a Work Unit of their choice for a period of one month. In future issues, we will report on the progress being made in each Work Unit.
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Welcome University of Akron Extern
Marian Niese, student extern from the University of Akron who is a first- year student in the Speech-Language Pathology Master’s Degree program, spends each Wednesday with us at the Clubhouse this Spring semester. Her hometown is Medina, OH.
Clubhouse members interviewed Marian recently. They asked her to name one thing she has learned by being at the Clubhouse that she did not know before. She answered, “One thing that I have learned by being here at the Clubhouse is that when a person suffers a TBI, their life changes, but they embark on a new journey that is full of wonderful moments and potential.”
They asked her what she is learning from her experience that will make her a better speech pathologist. Marian replied, “From this experience, I have learned that each person with a TBI has their own set of special talents, and it is the job of people working with them to discover these talents and build on them. This will help make me a better speech pathologist.”
When asked why she decided to study speech pathology, Marian answered, “I wanted to become an SLP because I grew up with an uncle who is deaf, and I witnessed the different ways that people communicate, as well as the frustration that ensues when one cannot express his/her thoughts and be understood. I wanted to make a career out of helping people over come communication barriers.”
Thank you, Marian, for sharing your time and talents with us!
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Clubhouse Cafe Opened
Another recent addition to our program is the members’ run café. The purpose of the café is to give members ownership of an endeavor to raise money to go to special out of town events such as the Ohio Brain Injury Association’s annual conference in Columbus. The members decided on what they wanted to see sold (and what they wanted to eat), priced the goods, then went about setting up the café. They are responsible for keeping track of the inventory and expiration dates. Calculating of the money and tracking the daily profits are done under the guidance of a facilitator. Members are then taken to the bank weekly to make the deposit.
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Information and Awareness Meeting for Survivors, Family,
and Friends
Where:
Edwin Shaw Hospital
Board Room
When: Thursday,
April 17, 2008
Time: 6:30 PM
Speaker:
Donna Pleli, LICDC,
Director of M.O.R.E. Program, Edwin Shaw Rehabilitation
Topic:
Substance Abuse & Brain Injury
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Walking by Faith
Jesus is our Hope
Perhaps the heaviest burden we try to carry is the burden of mistakes and failures. What do you do with your failures?
Even if you’ve fallen, failed, and everyone has rejected you, Christ will not turn away from you. He came first and foremost to those who have no hope. He goes to those no one else would go to and says I’m here waiting for you, “I’ll give you eternity.”
Only you can surrender yourself and your concerns to the Father. No one else can do that for you. Only you can cast all your anxieties on the one who cares for you. What better way to start the new year than by surrendering your life and your cares at His feet?
Read more...
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