Community RtI

Over the past several years the Beach Center on Disability has formed a successful partnership with the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City. This funding provides a unique opportunity to address the needs of parents and other family members who struggle with co-occurring disorders such as social-emotional problems, depression, psychological issues, social isolation, and/or those with a history of family violence or substance abuse. Through a strategic, university-community partnership, we were able to jointly work to meet the needs of families and children who struggle with challenging behavior. This partnership facilitated numerous positive outcomes for the agency and its families including: (a) the development of a leadership team focused on improving behavioral outcomes and building staff capacity; (b) a comprehensive training series for agency supervisory staff and hands-on staff including case managers, family therapists, attendant care staff and parent support providers; (c) the development and initiation of an autism study and intervention group, and (d) an intensive family and child training series.