A MONTH OF DISCOVERY NOVEMBER 2024
SHARE
|
TCFD: A Month of Discovery Dear Friends, As we approach the close of the year, it’s been an exciting few weeks here at The Center for Discovery. We’ve had the privilege of sharing our groundbreaking work on national television, experienced moments of gratitude and reflection at our Thanksgiving Conference, and enjoyed many holiday gatherings that spread cheer across The Center’s extended community. What’s more, our many teams have continued pushing the boundaries with innovative work that’s made it a season like no other. From all of us here at The Center, we wish you and your loved ones a bright holiday season and a joyful, fulfilling New Year. |
TCFD is on National Television – Watch Us on CBS Saturday Morning! In early December, The Center for Discovery was featured in an inspiring segment on the CBS News broadcast, CBS Saturday Morning, showcasing its transformative nutrition program and innovative approach to care. Dr. Jon LaPook, CBS News Chief Medical Correspondent, was the correspondent on the story.
The inspiring segment took viewers inside the heart of our transformative programs, highlighting our groundbreaking nutrition program and one-of-a-kind lifestyle medicine approach. During the segment, you’ll get to hear from one of our pediatric residential families (the Bove Family and their son, Tommy), our President & CEO Dr. Terry Hamlin, and our Chief of DNA – Nutrition, Health, and Research, Jennifer Franck.
If you missed the CBS Segment that aired on CBS Saturday Morning please view it here.
Without all of you, and our staff members, these life-changing programs and the incredible care we provide to the individuals here would not be possible. Thank you, all for being a part of our community!
Please make sure to share with your friends and family! |
Our Most Important Fundraising Campaign of the Year
Contributions to our 2024 Annual Appeal help support a variety of unfunded programs here at The Center, like the Integrated Arts, nutrition, and AAIE programs, capital improvements across our vast campuses, research, staff benefits, and more.
We are on the way to our goal, but there is still a lot more work to do with our end of the year fundraising appeal. This holiday season, we ask you to please share our most important campaign with your network of friends and family. Visit: https://thecenterfordiscovery.
Together, we can continue to help transform – and change – so many lives.
Celebrating Resilience: A Heartfelt Thanksgiving Conference Reflection
Each year, we host a Thanksgiving Conference for our school program. Here’s an excerpt from Kerri Muzuruk, our Executive Chief of Education Services on how this event brings people together in so many beautiful ways.
At The Center for Discovery, we often speak about the power of community — and this year’s Thanksgiving Conference brought that spirit to life in a truly unforgettable way. Six remarkable families opened their hearts and shared their personal journeys with us, offering a rare glimpse into the love, courage, and resilience that define their daily lives.
Dr. Cheryl Stenzel, Chief of Family Services, Education, opened the conference with an essential framework for our staff, sharing research on the long-term effects of chronic stress on families. Her insights were powerful, helping us understand how the persistent demands of caregiving alter the biological makeup of parents and caregivers — a phenomenon akin to the impact of combat-induced PTSD. This knowledge shapes our perspective and sharpens our commitment to offer families grace and support. It reminds us that healing and growth happen in tandem, for both students and their families.
Kaitlin Haas, Executive Chief of Operations, and Susan Sayers, Executive Chief of Nursing thoughtfully led the panel discussion with compassion, empathy, and even a well-timed box of tissues! Their presence set the tone for openness and connection, ensuring that every family felt seen, heard, and valued.
The stories were raw, honest, and profoundly moving. We laughed together, we cried together, and we left with a renewed sense of purpose. These moments of connection are why so many of us say that this day is the highlight of our year. The magic that happens when families and staff come together in this way is unparalleled.
For our staff, hearing directly from families about their experiences fuels the work we do every day. It reminds us of the deep responsibility we have to support not only our students but also the parents and caregivers who are walking this path alongside us. This conference challenged us to go even further — to consider how we can better support families in their own journeys of healing. How can we be more intentional about extending empathy and understanding to parents navigating this path with us. Their words remind us that behind every student is a story of love, hope, and the process of reimagining expectations.
The journey of parenting a child with unique and complex needs is not without grief — grief for the vision families may have once held for their child’s future. But through their stories, we witnessed the profound transformation of that grief into resilience. This resilience inspires us to consider how we, as a community, can better support parents as they navigate this emotional terrain.
We are committed to doing more to help families prioritize their self-care. We understand that parents and caregivers must feel seen, heard, and supported so they can continue to pour their love and energy into their children. Their openness challenges us to find new ways to walk beside them on this journey.
To the families who shared their hearts with us — thank you. Your courage, honesty, and love are gifts that will carry us through this holiday season and beyond. You reminded us all of why we do this work and the profound impact that true partnership can have. We are so grateful that you are part of this vibrant, ever-growing community.
As we move into the holiday season, we invite everyone in The Center’s community to reflect on how we can continue to lift one another up — not only in moments of celebration but in moments of challenge as well. Together, we create a community rooted in grace, resilience, and shared humanity, because resilience, like love, grows when it is nurtured together.
If you’d like to hear directly from a residential family member who joined the panel during the Thanksgiving Conference, read her blog post here. “I cannot properly express my gratitude to these people–and to the Center itself, whose well organized, well funded, well oriented structure allows the hundreds of people who work there to be at their best and in turn makes for levels of stability, attention and care that are well beyond the abilities of a normal nuclear family, no matter how well intentioned.”
TCFD Behavior Analyst Presents at the New York State Association of Behavior Analysts Annual Conference Recently, one of TCFD’s Behavior Analysts presented a poster at the New York State Association of Behavior Analysts annual conference. The poster highlighted our team’s work completing Competing Stimulus Assessments with two residents to identify items and activities that were associated with a high-level of engagement and low levels of interfering and high-risk behaviors. This intervention resulted in significantly decreased behaviors in both the school and residential program. Great work! |
Innovative Solutions for Everyday Challenges
This month, our Innovation Team is excited to unveil two groundbreaking devices designed to enhance safety and efficiency wherever they’re needed. These tools are crafted with creativity and practicality in mind, offering simple yet effective solutions to common challenges.
Introducing the Glove Donner |
Meet the Communication Device Stabilizer The Communication Device Stabilizer is a smart solution for keeping communication devices secure and accessible in classrooms. Inspired by a suction-based lip dish, a Thanksgiving Farm and Community School teacher collaborated with the Innovation Team to develop this holder. Its strong suction cup base prevents both intentional and unintentional movement, protecting devices from being easily picked up or thrown while allowing portability across environments. The stabilizer is customizable to fit various device sizes and adjustable for ideal angles, it enhances safety and functionality during seated activities. To remove, simply slide the suction cup off the surface—no pulling required! Upon successful completion of training, which we expect will take approximately 1-2 years, his projected handler will be our Occupational Therapist, Michelle Barone!” |
Holiday Adapt-A-Thon: Spreading Joy, Building Skills, and Transforming Futures This holiday season, TCFD brought joy and empowerment to life through our Holiday Adapt-A-Thon! As a proud Chapter of the Makers Making Change organization, TCFD is dedicated to creating a more inclusive world through innovation and community collaboration. For many children with disabilities, traditional toys can be challenging to use due to physical or developmental limitations, and adaptive options are often expensive. Thanks to the creativity of our Innovation Makers, the dedication of our day habilitation residents, the support of our Recreation Team, and a generous grant from the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation, we’re changing that! Our team—including the individuals we serve—transformed ten battery-operated toys into universally accessible ones by integrating mini-jacks and 3D-printed switches. Residents learned and practiced technical skills like wire-cutting, soldering, and assembling components, tackling challenges with determination while developing problem-solving, hand-eye coordination, and teamwork skills. They also assembled custom gift boxes, and children in our school program handcrafted heartfelt holiday cards to accompany the toys. These adapted toys were gifted to children in Sullivan County’s Early Intervention Program. Residents had the remarkable opportunity to personally gift a toy to a child at the Discovery Health Clinic, experiencing firsthand the joy their efforts created. Rita Burns, Early Intervention Service Coordinator at Sullivan County Public Health, was deeply touched and expressed heartfelt gratitude as she accepted several toys to distribute to infants and toddlers in the community. Her gratitude and excitement underscored the meaningful impact these toys will have on families this holiday season. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved, families can enjoy the gift of play this holiday season, free of charge. This initiative beautifully highlights the power of collaboration, and community care while providing meaningful, skill-building opportunities for individuals in our day habilitation program. Together, we’re spreading joy, empowering individuals, and transforming futures. |
Dive in With The Discovery Dolphins Our inaugural Discovery Dolphins Swim Meet took place in mid-December and it was nothing short of spectacular! Our President & CEO, Dr. Terry Hamlin, kicked off the event, which was live streamed for parents, classrooms, and day hab groups. The students who participated have been working incredibly hard throughout the year to prepare for this event. Thank you to everyone who helped put this together and congratulations to all of the swimmers. Everyone at TCFD is cheering you on! |
Our AAIE Team Shares Their Successes at IAHAIO’s Annual Meeting
Sarah Merrick, OT and Clinical Director of AAIE here at The Center, attended the IAHAIO General Annual Meeting where she introduced The Center for Discovery as a new member. During the meeting, Sarah provided an overview of our clinical and educational programs and collaborations – highlighting our mission to help individuals in our care achieve their goals. She also shared the impact of our program – including that to date in 2024, the team had completed 2417.5 clinical sessions, 797 educational sessions and 13916 vocational tasks with students throughout our program – INCREDIBLE!
During the meeting, IAHAIO members and the Board of Directors unanimously voted our program in as a new member. Congratulations to our AAIE and clinical teams for this outstanding accomplishment!
Spreading Holiday Cheer This holiday season, the Music Therapy team has been busy spreading cheer across TCFD, from caroling in residences to concerts during the school day…and everything in between! Here’s a link to a recording of a recent holiday concert for everyone to play back and enjoy. Happy Holidays! |
Giving Back to Our Overnight Staff Nothing beats our annual holiday breakfast for our incredible overnight staff – a favorite tradition of ours where we have the opportunity to thank the amazing team who works tirelessly through the night to care for the residents at TCFD. This year’s event was filled with delicious food from our DNA team, bright smiles (even after a long shift!), swag bags, and unforgettable memories. Tremendous thanks to our overnight staff – your dedication means the world to all of us!
And thank you to all staff who helped make this event such a success! |
Presenting Rhythmic Festivities – a Holiday Special from the Integrated Arts Department
TCFD’s Integrated Arts Department recently presented RHYTHMIC FESTIVITIES: A WINTER SKILLS SHOWCASE at Center Stage in Hurleyville. From graceful ballet performances to lively tap numbers and the exciting debut of our newest Sticks Up ensemble, the showcase was a celebration of the hard work and passion TCFD students and residents have poured into their dance classes and music therapy sessions. For many, it was their first time performing on stage, while our seasoned performers showed off new moves that wowed the audience. The intimate venue was the perfect space for everyone to shine, take risks, and share what they had learned.
Our Great Annual Chicken Move Along with Some New Chicks on the Block In November, our final chicken wagon move of the season was completed. Two classrooms helped put the chickens away for the winter, while other classes assisted in moving the feeders and preparing the supplies for the move. This was a significant task, and everyone worked diligently to ensure that all the chickens were safely inside and that the fencing and supplies were cleaned up from the pasture where the hens had been. That same day, the team received a wonderful surprise: the delivery of new chicks! One of the classrooms helped construct the brooder setup, which includes the saw horse from which the heat lamps hang. After the chicks’ first night in their new home, the team added additional insulation to trap heat and make the chicks more comfortable as they continue to grow. The new chicks are a mix of Rhode Island Red and Rhode Island Blues. Once the chicks are a little larger, classrooms will be in charge of their care as well as the older hens that are housed in a different polyhouse. What an amazing example of the teamwork that goes on here at The Center! |
Making Music Therapy a Mission at TCFD The Center was proud to once again host the annual Passages Conference of the student organization of the Mid-Atlantic Region of the American Music Therapy Association, Inc. Fifty music therapy students and new professionals attended the conference at TCFD’s Big Barn, representing ten universities from across the region. In addition to hosting the event, Center for Discovery music therapists and music therapy interns were well represented in the conference program, which included presentations on a variety of diverse topics. |
Last Minute (Local) Holiday Shopping? Yes, Please!
When it comes to holiday shopping, we love to shop local. If you haven’t been to Hurleyville, you’re certainly missing out. This holiday season, and as we enter 2025 it’s the one-stop-shop for all of your gift giving needs.
Step into the warm and inviting Forage & Gather café and marketplace – right on Main Street – for curated gift baskets, gift cards, local goods, Christmas and Hanukah decorations, holiday-themed tabletop décor, and much more. While you’re at it, grab a snack and a warm beverage – we hear the baristas are top notch!
Hike on over to Morgan Outdoors for gifts that the outdoor enthusiast in your life will adore!
All That Glitters Is Old is an incredible vintage shop (overconsumption is out, vintage is in!) that has just about everything – a vinyl records collection to swoon over, vintage denim, outerwear for these chilly days, artwork, band tee’s and much more. Treat someone to a little shopping spree!
Foodie? La Salumina is your spot. An artisanal Italian salumeria like this does not disappoint. Put together a pasta-themed basket or whip up a charcuterie board with mouthwatering eats for your holiday gathering. Gift cards, too!
Last but not least, TCFD swag is available to purchase on Spirit Shop – another great gift option for all of those Center for Discovery enthusiasts! Shop here.