Welcome to the April 2022 TCFD Newsletter.
April was a month marked by significant campus visits and conferences – which highlighted our non-stop efforts to educate professionals and families, and care for individuals of our complex community that live well beyond our borders.
Our Health Clinic received a prestigious award.
We prepared the farm for an incredible growing season. We connected to the earth and our many newborn baby animals.
And we bonded with America’s heroes on a ride of a lifetime.
Here’s a few brief highlights from April:
Children’s Specialty Hospital Update
Last month we had the great pleasure of showcasing our progress on The Children’s Specialty Hospital to USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) Regional Director, Brian Murray, who was impressed with the progress our construction and design teams are making, saying “he barely recognized the place.”
It was a $35-million low-interest loan from the USDA, secured by U.S. Senator Charles Schumer (D, NY), which has allowed us to break ground and make our dream a reality for thousands of families with complex children in need of our care.
Celebrating 10 Years of Medical Excellence – The Discovery Health Center
For the 10th consecutive year, our Discovery Health Center – right here on our campus – has received the highest level of recognition as a “Patient-Centered Medical Home.”
The clinic provides team-based whole-person care to all of TCFD’s residents, including acute and chronic care, and mental health care and prevention. Aside from scheduling doctor visits at the clinic, the busy team also coordinates residential care, specialist and hospital visits, testing and other supports like nutritional care, social work, psychological evaluation and education.
During the pandemic, the role of open, honest communication between medical practitioners and families became more important than ever. Our team has always made good, transparent communication their #1 priority.
Please join us in congratulating the Discovery Health Center team on this incredible honor!
It’s VEGGIE Time!
With the cold weather behind us, we are ready for some warmer days and farm-fresh veggies.
Our 2022 Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) prospectus is out and it includes nearly 50 different veggies, herbs, and fruits including bok choy, celeriac, rutabaga and the more traditional favorites like vine-ripened tomatoes, kale, string beans, corn, and carrots. A full share is $654.05, half-share is $386.25. There is also a fresh bread-share available again this year. The season runs from May 31- November 5th.
For the full season Prospectus and pick-up times and locations, including how to sign-up, please visit: https://thecenterfordiscovery.org/csa2022/.
Healing the World with Music – Our Music Therapy Conference
Our Integrated Arts in-person and virtual spring conference hit just the right notes.“Caring for Yourself and Caring for Community: Enhancing Emotional Health and Wellbeing through Music Therapy,” received praise for its information-rich and inspiring curriculum.
The conference commenced with an opening from TCFD President, Dr. Terry Hamlin. “If there was ever, a need on our planet to learn more about caring – this is the time,” she said, “I hope the lessons learned today will reach far and wide. We have such a need to better care for people and care for ourselves in our world today. “
Katie Down, Director of Sound Well Creative Arts Therapy and Instructor at SUNY, New Paltz, focused her session on stress reduction and listening. She highlighted the importance of including the 3 C’s (creativity, caring, compassion) in every music therapy session – whether in a classroom, with clients, or friends and family. She taught everyone how to begin to deeply listen, using our hands to listen outwardly and scanning our body to listen inward.
Our Senior Director of Music Therapy, Conio Loretto, described how The Center’s Music Therapy team has used music to improve health and wellbeing in our homes, classrooms, and across campus with the new RESST program (Relaxation through Sound, Stretching, Storytelling and Tactile Input), a mealtime program, and pop-up concerts with our own “Travelling Troubadours.”
RESST was developed by the Music Therapy team in collaboration with OTs, expressive art therapists and other specialists “with the thought of improving sleep health overall for one person or a group,” Conio said, and added that it was trialed in a residence with medically fragile adults who simultaneously started an adapted exercise program. “67% of individuals showed improvement in number of hours of sleep,” he reported – a critical improvement for our community.
Rounding out the conference was our own Music Therapist Rebecca Erson who spoke about the clinical use of Sound Healing techniques, as well as Carly Caprioli and Shawna Vernisie of Northwell Health’s Cohen Children’s Medical Center who highlighted their efforts to use live Environmental Music Therapy and Positivity Parades to improve the wellness of their staff and patients during the pandemic.
We hope if you didn’t get a chance to watch the conference live, you’ll click on the link. We think everyone can agree that the sounds you will hear are sounds of progress.
2022 Virtual Integrated Arts Training Series
The 2022 Virtual Integrated Arts Training Series continues in May. Please sign up and you will be notified as the innovative classes are released at https://forms.office.com/r/Q7Ljy5J3jY.
The sessions will help you keep your families, friends, colleagues and students – happy, healthy and entertained! Sessions include: “Organizing Seasonal Activities,” “Planning your Garden for Spring,” and “Activities for Sports Fans.”
TCFD Riding for Vets
Go Team TCFD!
A team of twelve Center staffers joined more than 300 other cyclists in the annual Face of America Cycling Challenge last month.
The Team rode side-by-side with veterans, military families, and civilians of all abilities in a 112-mile, 2-day ride from the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia through Maryland to the history-rich area of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Riders could stop every 10-12 miles, and stayed one night in Maryland.
“No surprise the TCFD team completed the ride with grace and grit while assisting countless challenged riders who inspired us all,” commented Jim Cashen, Assistant Chief of Integrated Arts and a cyclist.
Face of America is a project of World T.E.A.M. Sports, which brings together adaptive and able-bodied persons of all backgrounds, and has been our partner for the World Team Challenge event for 11-years.
Helping Our Community’s Children Realize Their Greatest Potential – The Dream Tank
This month we would like to highlight the incredible work of the Dream Tank in Sullivan County!
“The ripple effect of this organization is enormous,” said our CEO, Patrick H. Dollard, who has been involved since its inception. Founded by lifelong Sullivan County resident, Judge Josephine Finn, the Dream Tank helps disadvantaged and at risk youths find stability, enrich their minds, gain opportunity, dream big, and move towards those dreams.
“Given today’s stresses with rising food and gas prices, an opioid crisis, issues in education and so much more here in Sullivan County – which is home to a majority of our TCFD staff and their families , the work of this organization is more critical than ever. Our young people need a net and lifelines like mentorships, skill-building, and job opportunities. They get it all at the Dream Tank,” added Patrick.
Patrick will be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Dream Tank’s Evening of Gratitude on June 11th.
Please help us honor Patrick and keep this great work going here in Sullivan County by supporting the Dream Tank at: http://thedreamtankonline.com/.
Donations can also be mailed to: Dream Tank, P.O. Box 159, Kiamesha Lake, NY, 12751.