Chapel Haven recently helped the Family Service Association of Bucks County, in Langhorne, PA, expand a new program for adults with Asperger Syndrome.
A consulting team from Chapel Haven, which included Michael Storz, President, and Virginia Hodge, Chapel Haven’s Vice President of Autism Spectrum Programs, spent a year helping the agency understand the “intricate nature of Asperger’s and the challenges young adults often face as they transition into adulthood.”
The agency credited Chapel Haven with helping to grow the AACES (Asperger’s Awareness, Community Education and Support) program from a single service socialization program, serving 25 individuals, to “a comprehensive program with four additional components focused on employment, post-secondary education, parent support and life skills instruction.” The program has grown to serve 125 individuals.
Staffers remarked that the staff trainings provided by Chapel Haven were invaluable. “As an old timer in the field of mental health, but a newcomer to the Asperger’s world, I found the support offered by the Chapel Haven team to be invaluable. The training sessions provided a foundation for understanding the major issues of Asperger’s, including: theory of mind, emotional regulation, executive functioning, communication differences and sensory integration. Ginny and Mike enriched me both professionally and personally and I am grateful for their efforts.”
The staff also credited Chapel Haven with helping the agency create a cohesive parent support group. “Chapel Haven staff affirmed the everyday challenges of raising an adult child with an often misunderstood diagnosis. While acknowledging those challenges, Chapel Haven was able to alter prevailing views as well as provide practical fixes for pervasive behaviors.”
To read more about Chapel Haven’s consulting services, click Bucks County letter
Chapel Haven offers a range of consulting services. To learn more, please call Chapel Haven’s Office of Admissions, (203) 397-1714. ext. 148, or send an email to admission@chapelhaven.org.
