We have been trying things differently and innovating since our founding in 1973. This year, we developed several new initiatives that we believe will serve as best practices for programs everywhere.
The Susan Wayne Center for Excellence has opened in Thompson, Connecticut and is serving 15 boys and girls with mild to moderate cognitive impairment and concurrent behavioral, mental health, and medical issues. Groundbreaking in its treatment for these disorders, the program uses a trauma-informed therapeutic model with positive incentives to help students develop "pro-social" coping skills. One parent of a student at the program recently related how important it has been to their child. "We had lost all hope when our son was stuck in an Emergency Room for 15 days, I never slept... now I can sleep at night; this place has changed our lives."
Through the leadership of the Trauma Center at JRI, a trauma-informed yoga therapy program has been started at the Meadowridge Schools. In this cutting-edge program, a trauma instructor who has experience in teaching individuals with trauma disorders leads students through sessions that provide students with greater control over their present day lives and a tool for dealing with and managing traumatic episodes from their past.
The students have responded well to this program. "The trauma informed yoga program at Walden Street School has had a significant impact on the progress and overall well-being of the students," said Kari Beserra, who runs the school. "The students have not only learned the techniques but have been able to bring the techniques and philosophies into their everyday experiences. Some students regularly use yoga prior to bed each evening, some have taught their parents so they can use the techniques at home, and some have asked for their own yoga mats."
JRI has always been about pushing the envelope, testing the boundaries and developing promising new approaches in helping the individuals we serve overcome their challenges. These new approaches, which are grounded in principle, are then rigorously evaluated to ensure their success. This process, coupled with our longstanding evidence-based programs, is an example of how we lead.
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