Innovative has recently hired our new Board Certified Behavior Analyst, Lori Moorehead, in support of the Positive Behavior Support in Early Childhood Project. She is currently working in Early Learning with our most behaviorally challenged children and will be training our teaching staff in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) supportive techniques. Once her credentialling is complete, she’ll begin offering ABA therapy for children in our therapy program, particularly for those on the autism spectrum.
Learning to Manage Emotions
Pictured: Valentin and his friends, L-R: Kenneth, Derek (ECEAP Assistant Teacher), Valentin, Hector, Juan; Inset: Valentin and his mother, Mariana
Valentin joined Innovative’s Early Learning program just one year ago, after being expelled from two daycare centers due to behavior concerns and his tendency to be aggressive toward other children. Valentin’s mother, Mariana, enrolled him in Innovative’s Early Learning program hoping that Innovative might give her son another chance.
Whisper, Valentin’s teacher, and Judy, Family Support Specialist, gave Mariana resources to help with her son’s behavior, which they determined was likely caused by trauma in their family.“We worked with Mariana really closely to get down to the root of it,” Whisper said. Valentin would sometimes have up to ten incident reports per day. Valentin inspired Whisper to implement the Kindness Curriculum in her classroom, knowing that it might help him understand and regulate his own behavior. The program is designed to teach children about empathy and how to manage their own emotions. It helps children build character and then gives them the skills they need to help them grow into happy, caring, and productive adults. She saw a huge improvement in his behavior and attitude after just a few weeks of the curriculum, noting that he was better able to communicate his emotions, rather than acting out.
Innovative’s Board Certified Behavior Analyst, Lori Moorehead, has been working with Valentin and his family to identify what might be causing his impulse control concerns. She’s working to assess and document his tendencies as he prepares to graduate to kindergarten. Innovative’s staff wants to ensure that his behavior concerns don’t limit where he can attend school next year. “We want to be sure that he and his family have all the supports in place for his best outcome,” Lori shared.
Our Early Learning program has a non-expulsion policy, which means children like Valentin and their families get the support they need to help their child be successful in school. “The teachers just know him so well,” Judy said. “It’s much easier to redirect his behavior than it used to be. He’s genuinely happy now.” Mariana couldn’t be more grateful for the support and patience of the Early Learning staff, noting the improvement she’s seen in her son’s behavior, just in the last year.
The Giving Gala Raised $75,938 Net for Innovative’s Clients & Families!
We’re pleased to announce that the Giving Gala event held on April 27, 2018 at the Heathman Lodge, Vancouver raised $99,656 and netted $75,938 after event expenses and salaries! These proceeds will go directly to support Innovative’s programs that serve children, adults, and families in our community who have disabilities or other challenges.
Rod Hill, KGW Meteorologist, was the M.C. for the evening and Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle led the paddle raise. Guests who attended the Giving Gala event enjoyed an elegant plated dinner, games and activities, and an inspiring program featuring stories of individuals who have received services from Innovative. Throughout the night, they celebrated 55 years of service in Clark County and 10 years in the Mary Firstenburg Family Center with CEO Emeritus, Launda Carroll, as guest of honor.
We’re grateful to everyone who attended the event, contributed generously, and supported the event through sponsorship, including Presenting Sponsor: Pacific Lifestyle Homes, Hosting Sponsor: RSV Building Solutions, Co-Sponsor: The Vancouver Clinic, Community Partner: The Heathman Lodge, Media Partner, Vancouver Business Journal, and Supporting Sponsors: Columbia Credit Union, Christenson Electric, JD Fulwiler & Co. Insurance, Pacific Office Automation, Subaru, Sustainable Wealth Management, and Umpqua Bank. Special thanks to Innovative’s Development Functional Board for planning, coordinating and executing this great event.
Teacher Lynn Madden Recognized as Early Learning Champion
Pictured, L-R: Melody Partridge, ECEAP Director & Early Learning Program Manager; Lynn Madden, Lead ECEAP Teacher; Dena Strong, President & CEO
Friends of EOCF (Educational Opportunities for Children and Families) honored Innovative’s own Lynn Madden with the 2018 Early Learning Staff Person Award for her demonstrated dedication, knowledge, care, professionalism, and passion for children and families! She was presented this award at their Early Learning Champions Awards Luncheon on May 9th. Lynn has worked at Innovative Services NW as a preschool teacher for the last eighteen years. Lynn was awarded a position in the Community Fellows Network which engages teacher leaders in English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science and Early Learning. Lynn pilots what she learns in her own classroom and then mentors other teachers. Her true passion is to prepare students for and transition to kindergarten.
Click here to learn more about Innovative’s Early Learning & Child Care program.
April Showers Bring May Job Opportunities!
Six (count them, six!) participants in our Employment Services program secured new positions last month with the support of Innovative’s Job Coaches & Job Developers!
(Listed left to right, top to bottom)
Brent – KFC
Cevin – City of Vancouver Operations Center
Joseph – Joe’s Crab Shack
Nate – Hyatt Place Portland Airport/Cascade Station
Melody – Wal-Mart
Buri – Naydenov Gymnastics (not pictured)
Congratulations on your new positions!
Innovative’s Employment Services program has been a leader in employment services in Clark County, Washington for over 40 years. Our dedicated staff of Job Developers and Coaches assist individuals in overcoming disability-related employment barriers to realize their full potential as productive members of the community. Click here to learn more.
Beginning A New Journey
It’s hard to imagine a face more beaming with pride than Ashley’s. She recently started her new position as the Dish Washer at The Hammond Kitchen & Craft Bar in Camas. Ashley is Deaf and has struggled for several years to find an employer who would be accommodating to her disability. Her Job Coach, Christy, worked with Ashley on her interview skills and résumé and found an opportunity for Ashley to meet the employer at a hiring event. The management team felt that her enthusiasm for the position made her a good candidate, and now that she’s been hired, Christy is helping Ashley to develop a routine at work that will make her successful in her new position.
So far, she’s enjoying her job and shared that she“loves the challenge of washing lots of dishes!” The other staff has gone above and beyond to be accommodating, working with Christy to learn how to sign common phrases so they could more easily communicate with Ashley.
The Hammond’s Director of Culinary, Dylan, told us, “It is so fantastic to have Ashley on the Hammond team! She is such a hard worker that it inspires everyone to put in as much effort as she does! Ashley always has a smile and a great attitude!”
Congratulations on your new employment, Ashley!
Innovative’s Employment Services program has been a leader in employment services in Clark County, Washington for over 40 years. Our dedicated staff of Job Developers and Coaches assist individuals in overcoming disability-related employment barriers to realize their full potential as productive members of the community. Click here to learn more.
Kindness Curriculum Comes to Innovative
Pictured: Teacher Cynthia Conner practicing mindful meditation with the children in her classroom.
“What if kindness and compassion were taught in schools, just like math and reading? What if kids were taught how to pay attention not only to lessons, but also to their own emotions? What if we all took steps to improve well-being in our lives and communities?” These questions, posed by A Center for Healthy Minds at The University of Wisconsin-Madison, caught the attention of Innovative’s Early Learning Program staff.
To address this concern, A Center for Healthy Minds came up with a plan for classrooms: a new 12-week curriculum called the Kindness Curriculum. “The Kindness Curriculum is designed to build character and the skills children need to grow into happy, caring, and productive adults. It creates the opportunity for children to practice kindness, empathy, conflict resolution, and respect.”
Seeing the value of such a progressive new program, Whisper Camara, ECEAP/Early Learning Supervisor, implemented these new techniques in the classroom. Using mindfulness, meditation, the planting of vegetables, and caring for small animals, she was able to teach children about empathy and how to manage their own emotions. Through the Kindness Curriculum and her own added practices, Whisper saw a decrease in behavioral incident reports well before the 12 weeks were up. When asked about why this is such a beneficial program, Whisper said, “Kids don’t always have the ability to think through a problem, especially when they haven’t learned coping skills to handle their own emotions. They resort to a physical response, sometimes even hurting others around them. We have been able to teach them to understand and work through their feelings and solve conflicts effectively. Having these skills in Early Childhood (ages 1-5) increases their chances of continuing to be able to problem solve as they approach their adolescence and enter into adulthood.”
With the great success of the Kindness Curriculum pilot, this innovative program will soon be implemented in all seven of our Early Learning classrooms.
To learn more about Kindness Curriculum, please visit The University of Madison-Wisconsin’s website, centerforhealthyminds.org.
MOMS Club Vancouver-South Chooses Innovative to Receive Donation
Pictured, L-R: Dena Strong, Innovative Services NW President & CEO, and Crystal Moore, Vice President of MOMS CLUB Vancouver-South
We are so grateful to MOMS Club Vancouver-South for their generous donation of $1,310 to Innovative’s programs & clients! MOMS Club (Moms Offering Moms Support) is a non-profit, service-oriented organization specifically for at-home moms. They recently held a preschool fair and voted that the proceeds should be donated to Innovative. Thank you for your support!
Umpqua Bank Awards Innovative Funds for Positive Behavior Support in Early Childhood Project
Pictured, L-R: Bobbi Heitschmidt of Umpqua Bank; Dena Strong, Innovative’s President & CEO; Melissa Jaacks, Innovative’s VP of Operations
We’re proud to announce a $4,000 grant from the Umpqua Bank Charitable Foundation for the Positive Behavior Support in Early Childhood Project. This project will provide Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services to children with developmental disabilities, especially those on the autism spectrum. The project will also provide ABA-related training to staff and parents of our Early Learning program to help children with extreme behaviors due to risk factors such as homelessness, disabilities, foster care or CPS involvement. The goal is to help children, especially those from low-income families and/or on Medicaid, improve their socially significant behaviors including academics, social skills, reading, communication, and adaptive living skills. Thank you, Umpqua Bank Charitable Foundation!
An Opportunity to Excel
“This is a really big step for him,” said Rickie’s mom, Kimberly. Rickie started working for Innovative’s Janitorial Services program three months ago and already loves his new position, team, and new-found independence.
Rickie spent many of his teenage years struggling to feel accepted. When he was thirteen, he was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, a condition on the autism spectrum that can cause affected individuals to have trouble with social skills. Unsure whether the world would ever accept him for who he was, Rickie attempted to take his own life. “He was having an extremely difficult time,” his mom, Kimberly, shared. “There was some really unsafe behavior like jumping out of windows and running into the highway. We ended up in the hospital with crisis support.”
Feeling desperate for a solution, Kimberly enrolled Rickie in a therapy program that utilized horses as animal therapy for youth with difficult behaviors. The program helped him find structure and learn respect and compassion for himself. It gave Kimberly hope that her son would one day be happy and independent. With time and dedication from Rickie and his family, “he completely turned around,” she said.
Once Rickie graduated from high school, he was excited at the prospect of getting a job. He jumped at the opportunity to apply for an open position in Innovative’s Janitorial Services program. “They accept people like me, even if they have autism,” he said. He started cleaning at a childcare center and took the initiative to ask for a second site only one month into his position. “He’s talking more to people, which he doesn’t normally do. It’s been great for him.” Kimberly said. He’s even purchased his first truck and he’s planning to move out on his own for the very first time.
Rickie is enjoying his new position, and sees the opportunity to excel, “I plan on just staying here, and continuing to clean. After a few years, maybe I could become a supervisor,” he smiled. “That’s my goal.”
Innovative Services NW Janitorial Services is a nonprofit that delivers a quality janitorial service while providing employment opportunities for people with disabilities or other challenges. We’ve offered a full range of services to private businesses and State, County, and City facilities for over 25 years. If you know someone who might be interested in our Janitorial Services, you can visit our website here.
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