HORIZONS A NEWSLETTER FOR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS OF CROTCHED MOUNTAIN FALL 2007 VOLUME 7 NUMBER 4 SWINGING INTO AUTUMN AT CROTCHED MOUNTAIN UP IN THE SKY! IT'S A BIRD...IT'S A PLANE...NO, IT'S... THE COOLEST KITE! By Don Shumway President and CEO HERE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE,autumn is such a vivid time of year. Smells,colors and textures leap to the fore as the nights cool and the sun makes its brilliant appearance against azure skies. And here at Crotched Mountain, we celebrate!!!! The riches of the season informed our autumnal observations here at Crotched Mountain in October when we held our Second Annual Kite Festival in conjunction with Crotched Mountain School’s Fall Festival. There’s something so festive about kites. The playful shapes and bright colors bring out the awestruck child in all of us. Kites Over New England (KONE), an organization that promotes kite-making and flying (what a wonderful mission!!), were on hand to share their aerodynamic skill and whimsy with everyone. Giant flow-form kites, ground kites, huge colorful hexagonal kites, ballet kites, sports kites, you name it, it was flying above the campus at Crotched Mountain! Students, patients, family-members, staff and guests—all were invited to join in and try their hand at flying or to just sit back and enjoy the view. When we’re all looking up at those magnificent pieces of art soaring overhead, it strikes me that we’re all sharing the same perspective. Differences disappear and we’re brought together into a common humanity by wonder, laughter and fun. Our gratitude goes out to all who attended and all who helped to make the day happen, with special thanks to KONE, the Masons from Massachusetts led by Herb Simpson and his family, who have helped with the Fall Festival for 25 years; Colby Sawyer College students who volunteered their time to help with arts activities; drummer Michael Wingfield; sculptor Emile Birch; and the Crotched Mountain staff who bring such skill, caring and dedication to everything they do. HOME IS WHERE YOUR HEALTH IS THE MEDICAL HOME: PRIMARY CARE IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY IMAGINE THIS: You have a child with chronic asthma and allergies. You’ve been to a dozen specialists who have prescribed a raft of medications and treatments. It’s 2AM, your child is having his third asthma attack this week and you’re headed to the emergency room. Your head is reeling and your child’s well-being depends upon you keeping it all straight. This scenario is not uncommon. It happens all the time, to people of all ages, who have chronic and complex medical conditions. Carl Cooley, MD, medical director at Crotched Mountain, thinks there ought to be a better way, and he’s making it happen all across the country. The better way is called a Medical Home, “a kind of home-base, usually in primary care settings, where families can get information, support and resources to help them manage the complexities of medical care,” explains Carl. Carl is co-director with Jeanne McAllister, RN, MEd, MHA, for the Center for Medical Home Improvement (CMHI), an organization with a national scope based at Crotched Mountain, which works to build, strengthen and promote the medical home model as a new way of thinking about primary care. How does the above scenario play out in a medical home model? First of all, the family has a care manager located at their primary care practice who maintains a record of every specialist visit, every medication and every treatment recommendation. The manager is aware of the child’s current condition, and the local emergency room physician knows where to access a comprehensive picture of the case. Data collected since the center’s inception in 2001 bears out the value of medical homes. In practices implementing the medical home model, emergency room, hospitalizations and specialty visits have decreased while the general health status of patients has improved. The number of care plans in use is up, patient and family feedback is positive, and consumer and parent self-assessments show they are worrying less, while children with chronic conditions have fewer absences from school. It makes a lot of sense, yet many practices perceive they don’t have the staff, the time or the resources to implement it. The job of CMHI is to show physicians the wisdom of managing complex cases in a new way, and to support the often challenging process of implementing change. “When I ask them who does care management currently, it’s usually the physician—making phone calls between appointments or after hours,” says Carl. “That’s just not efficient. The physician is the most expensive person in the practice and the only one who can generate income by doing other things. A care manager frees the physician to do what she’s trained to do.” So far the model has made sense to practices in 20 states across the nation, and to a number of federal and state agencies and foundations who have supported CMHI’s effort, most recently the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services and the Endowment for Health. It’s an idea whose time has come, says Carl. “With 15 percent of American children alone meeting the definition of Special Needs, it’s important to have a user-friendly system in place that can consistently follow, advocate for and provide the best medical care possible.” said Carl. “By investing more in primary care through the medical home model, we can reduce hospitalization costs significantly and ultimately realize not only a cost savings, but healthier, happier patients as well,” he added. The Learning Collaborative CREATING A MEANINGFUL FLOW OF LIFE KEVIN IS THIRTEEN and diagnosed with autism. Among other symptoms, this puzzling neurological condition makes Kevin painfully sensitive to sounds and sensations. He perceives the world as a confusing and chaotic place. It affects almost every aspect of his life—from relationships to tying his shoes. His parents observe that he functions best with consistency, and among familiar routines and people. They say this reduces his anxiety and makes learning possible. At Crotched Mountain, we’re listening. This is the impetus behind The Learning Collaborative, a new approach for students on the autism spectrum at Crotched Mountain School. Autism affects one out of every 150 Americans. It is the most frequent diagnosis of new students at Crotched Mountain School, accounting for just over 30 percent of the student body. And although the autism spectrum is broad and encompasses a wide range of symptoms and behaviors, there are commonalities that can be addressed under a conceptual model that is flexible, inquisitive and responsive. According to Lori Benjamin, Learning Collaborative coordinator, this is what The Learning Collaborative is all about. “Everything we do with a student is driven by three questions: What is its meaning to the student? What is its purpose to the student? And what will it mean for them in the real world?” These questions frame a holistic approach to learning that is child-and family-centered, grounded in the latest developmental research and methods, and takes place in the context of meaningful routines and activities. At the center of this initiative is the opening of two new classrooms specially designed to address the educational needs of fourteen students. Learning for these students happens all day, in contexts that offer both experience and relevance in an effort to “create a meaningful flow of life,” says Jan Holland, Director of the TRUST Center for Positive Behavior Support at Crotched Mountain. “We believe that with every child, we must consider how to help them access the most life has to offer while experiencing the least amount of stress.” To accomplish this, students are supported by Learning Facilitators who follow them across all settings—from home to school and back again. A student begins the day with people he orshe knows, and follows a familiar routine that reflects his or her individual interests, abilities, needs and plans for the future. “The facilitators are generalists—that is, they’re equipped to address learning whenever or wherever the opportunity arises,” Lori points out. “This allows for contextually-appropriate learning that makes sense to students, which is the ultimate goal of all our efforts.” Two classrooms equipped to address the sensory needs of the students are close to completion, with more planned as the program expands. Acoustics, lighting and other aspects of the physical space are taken into consideration with a goal to reduce stress and increase learning. For example, because change of environment is often difficult for students with autism, most therapies will occur in these new, larger rooms. Parental and family involvement is crucial to the success of the effort as well. “Parents are the experts on their children. We proceed under the assumption that families know best; that we are their hands and feet,” says Lori. Parent Robin Abbott, mother of fifteen-year-old Jon, a student here for four years, is excited about the new model and eagerly awaits its implementation. “They used to tell parents to not expect progress. Now an autism diagnosis can mean hope, faith and recovery,” she said. “The folks working with the autism initiative have got it. We’ve got people now. As a parent, it’s so encouraging.” EXPERIENCE HAPPENS PEDIATRIC OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY AT CROTCHED MOUNTAIN JENNIFER BOOTH isa pediatric occupational therapist. What, you might ask, does a child need with an occupational therapist? Plenty, according to Jen, who has worked with children at Crotched Mountain for twelve years. “We often think of occupational therapy as being connected to employment,” says Jen. “Well, the job of a child is to play and learn. A pediatric OT helps children learn functional activities—like dressing, eating, walking or writing—through play.” Jen runs a group at Crotched Mountain’s outpatient clinic for children with sensory integration issues, a kind of hypersensitivity or under sensitivity that can affect one or many senses. Through play, Jen creates mild environmental challenges for the children who then learn to tolerate sensations, sounds and other stimuli that may produce anxiety in other settings. Jen begins by asking the children to think about “how their engines run” in feeling states represented by pictures of faces. They place them on a chart in high, low or just right categories and talk about what states work best in school, at play or in other situations. The children do their “work” by taking part in activities designed to create a range of sensory experiences in a setting that is a child’s dream come true. A ball pool sits at the end of the room, a trapeze bar hangs above a queen size mattress and giant pillows fill the padded floor. “Everything is a sensory opportunity. Experience happens. Sensation happens. We simply set up a supportive environment and let them experience it,” explains Jen. THE FACE OF PHILANTHROPY PROFILE OF COMMITMENT By Shari Landry, Vice President of Development I RECENTLY became aware of an extraordinary donor who has made a gift to Crotched Mountain every few months for 40 years! Richard Beeman started giving to Crotched Mountain in the 1960s after learning about our work from his in-laws, Floyd and June Daley. He said they had never seen a place so focused on helping children with multiple challenges, and after a visit to our Greenfield, New Hampshire campus, he resolved to be a life-long donor. Richard last came to Crotched Mountain about ten years ago and says he’s looking forward to a return visit to see the many changes on campus, especially our accessible Tree House. I’m struck by the number of people who are similarly moved by a visit to our campus. It is a truly amazing place, with many inspiring stories of hope, hardwork, dedication and recovery. I’m not surprised that it sustained Richard’s resolve to give for so many years. So, with that in mind, I’d like to extend an open invitation to visit Crotched Mountain. I know you will be awed by what you see. There is nothing like touring the campus to see how we support people as they learn, heal and live their lives to the fullest. I guarantee you an interesting and inspiring experience—one that just might stay with you for the next 40 years! For more information about visiting or making a gift, contact Shari Landry, Vice President for Development, 603-547-3311 ext.247 or shari.landry@crotchedmountain.org. BRIEFLYnoted PELLETIER CHAIRS STATEWIDE INDEPENDENT LIVING COUNCIL Dorine Pelletier, MBA, seniora ccountant at Crotched Mountain, was recently re-elected chair of the Statewide Independent Living Council(SILC) for the state of New Hampshire. Dorine has been on the SILC for four years, having served as chair, first vice chair, Membership Committee chair, and on the State Plan Committee. “I’m honored to be re-elected by members of the SILC,” states Ms.Pelletier,“and am looking forward to implementing the 2008-2010 State Plan. LEXUS GRANT CM president Don Shumway and Harry Gregg Foundation grants administrator Robin Boyd accept a$5,000 Pursuit of Potential award from Robert Vaillancourt, general salesmanager of Ira Lexusof Manchester. Lexus dealers across the country have generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations benefiting local children’s charities, thanks to the Dealer Matching Funds program, which matched the $2,500 donation made by Ira Lexus. The funds will be distributed through the Harry Gregg Foundation to children who are undergoing medical treatments. ANN FORTS SPEAKS AT HILLIARD SERIES ANN FORTS, a nationally-recognized motivational speaker, and disabilities rights advocate presented her 12 keys to a positive and productive life as part of the Hilliard Series at CrotchedMountain. Ann, who has Down Syndrome, has motivated people across the country with her energetic talks and through The Annie Forts UpSyndrome Fund, which provides enrichment opportunities to people with Down Syndrome and supports individuals pursuing careers in special education. FAT TIRE RACE NETS $5000 The Eastern Fat Tire Association (EFTA) held its inaugural HAMPSHIRE 100 Race on August 19. Winners of the 100 mile race over the hilly terrain of southern NewHampshire were Mike Broderick of Chilmark,Massachusetts and Katherine Evans of Concord, New Hampshire. Proceeds of $5,000 from the race were donated to Crotched Mountain. Thanks to all who rode to benefit Crotched Mountain. WOMENOFTHEWOODS CM recreation therapists treated CM employees to a lunchtime walk to the Knoll on Crotched Mountain. In addition to delicious box lunches, hikers enjoyed learning about hiking safety, geo-caching and local hiking trails. Oliver! Coming to Crotched Mountain! Tuesday, December 18, 2007 10 AM and 7 PM Carter Hall Don’t miss the Crotched Mountain School Holiday Production of Oliver!,a musical based on the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens. Our annual holiday production is a group effort on the part of students, teachers, aids and so many other people at Crotched Mountain—from maintenance crews, to art classes, to employees from every department, all lending their voices, skills and energy to this long-standing holiday tradition. HORIZONS Published by The Office of Advancement Editor: Robin Boyd robin.boyd@crotchedmountain.org Crotched Mountain Foundation One Verney Drive Greenfield, NH 03047 603-547-3311,ext.401 Please write us at the above address if you wish to have your name removed from fund-raising requests supporting Crotched Mountain.