| Join Our List |
 |
|
|
|
Greetings!
Welcome to CRG's first e-newsletter!!! Communicating with our patients, their families, and other professionals and providing the most current information have always been very important to CRG. We have worked hard to be "cutting edge" but not "trendy." We are launching quarterly e-newsletters to improve our communications with you in this digital age.
CRG was established in 1993 with the goal of bridging the medical, educational and psychological needs of children. Much has changed since then - but much has remained the same. We have added new services for our patients and their families over the past 18 years. Initially, we saw only children and adolescents but young adults quickly began to request our services, too. Today we are proud to work with a very diverse age group, from infants through retirees. Services have expanded from psychological and educational testing to therapy, medication management, educational support services, speech and language services, and forensic/legal services. Our medical records have changed from paper charts to secure electronic databases. And now we are moving from mailed notices and brochures to digital newsletters.
While much has changed, we strive to keep our core business and service delivery principles just as they were in 1993. Our goal is to meet the individual needs of each patient and family we see. We strive to put the needs of our patients first in everything we do. Our professional providers work hard to be fully informed about the most current research in their fields and to incorporate that information into their daily practice. Our support staff - from front office personnel to nurses, billing and management - are people-oriented, efficient and knowledgeable.
We look forward to using this newsletter to keep our patients, professional colleagues and other community partners informed about the most current "best practice" trends in mental health and education, as well as upcoming programs and offerings at CRG. We hope you will enjoy what we have in store for you. As you sit back and take time to read a single article or the entire newsletter, we hope you will feel that you are sitting in our office or talking to one of us on the phone. Back issues will be archived on our website so you can share this information over time with others. Here's to collaborative and informative conversation!
Sincerely,
 
Julie T. Steck, Ph.D., HSPP Dennis Ray Kinder, Ph.D., HSPP
Psychologists and Founding Partners |
|
Provider Spotlight: Beth Waite, MA-CCC/SLP-ATP | | |
David R. Parker, Ph.D. (Postsecondary Disability Specialist)
Although Beth Waite is one of the newest members of the CRG team, she brings a wealth of experience with her. As schools and colleges increasingly require students to develop proficiency with various learning technologies, Beth's services can meet the needs of a wide range of students and families who come to CRG. She can also help children, adolescents and adults learn how to use personal technology (such as cell phones) in creative and powerful ways away from school settings, too.
Click here to continue reading about Beth and her services. |
|
Meet Our Staff: Terri Graves, Practice Administrator | | |
Sarah Kelly, Marketing Coordinator
Terri Graves has been a significant part of CRG's administrative team since first joining the practice in 1994. Nearly 20 years of experience in medical offices and the health insurance industry gave Terri extensive knowledge of insurance policies, claims filing processes, and procedure and diagnosis coding stipulations, making her a perfect fit in the role of CRG's Billing Manager. Over time, Terri deservedly earned the title of Practice Administrator before leaving CRG in 2003 to pursue her college degree and act as a student mentor at IUPUI's Learning Center.
CRG was excited to welcome Terri back to the office as Practice Administrator upon completing her Bachelor's degree in English in 2006. If you ask her what the role of CRG's Practice Administrator entails, you will probably hear Terri describe it as "wearing many hats." Not only is she responsible for the day-to-day operations of the office, she also oversees all of CRG's information technology systems. Due to today's technological environment, these constantly changing responsibilities keep Terri busy! She strives to familiarize herself with universal improvements in behavioral health practice policies and procedures in order to assist CRG's partners in business decisions. Ultimately, her goal is to provide CRG's providers and staff with the tools needed to deliver the best care to our clients. Terri is the "woman behind the curtain" who ensures that CRG's entire team has a purposeful and efficient working environment.
When not donning one of her proverbial CRG hats, Terri loves exploring her artistic side. She enjoys participating in all sorts of creative endeavors from writing, painting and photography to gardening and cooking. Her chai tea cookies are a favorite among CRG staff. But good luck getting the recipe - it's top secret! |
|
"Must Read" Books on Autism Spectrum Disorders | | |
Julie T. Steck, Ph.D., HSPP
Over the past 20 years our understanding of autism has grown a great deal. Public awareness of this significant developmental disorder has increased the identification of and programming for individuals affected by autism. However, families' desperate searches for information and cures have also spawned a proliferation of misinformation and simple explanations to a complex problem. As I work with children and their families, I try to provide the most comprehensive, yet readable, information available to address this reality. In the area of Autism Spectrum Disorders the top three books I recommend are The World of the Autistic Child, Helping Children with Autism Learn: Treatment Approaches for Parents and Professionals and The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome. All three publications should be on the bookshelf of any professional who works with individuals with Autism or Asperger's Disorder or any family with a child on the spectrum.
Click here to read Dr. Steck's reviews of the recommended books noted above. |
|
To Medicate or Not to Medicate? | | |
Julie T. Steck, Ph.D., HSPP
With summer upon us, many parents are questioning the need to have their children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) take stimulant medications when they are not in school. When trying to answer this question, it is important to remember that ADHD does not just affect individuals when they are in school. While the deficits in ADHD may be most apparent in academic settings, the core symptoms impact all aspects of an indiviual's life. Through research we are learning more and more about the genetics and brain mechanisms involved but we already know a great deal.
|
|
Summer Resources | | |
David R. Parker, Ph.D. (Postsecondary Disability Specialist)
Summer is time to relax, catch up on home projects, work in the garden, take vacations, and (if you are a student) enjoy a well-deserved break from a busy academic year. Summer can also be a time to plan ahead, enrich your learning, develop new skills, and explore new resources that can help you or your child/teen thrive. Here are some summer resources that can help you with these goals.
Summer Tech Programs at CRG:
Beth Waite, CRG's Assistive Technology Specialist, is offering a wide range of timely, fun, and effective classes and workshops for children, adolescents and adults. These services help people identify the technology tools they need to learn better or be more organized. Beth provides individual or group training to help maximize the use of that technology to meet personal needs.
Transition to College Programs:
It may be surprising that colleges and universities regularly admit and provide services to students with disabilities. Whi le this process is very different from Special Education in high school, nearly 9% of college undergraduates register with campus Disability Services offices to receive accommodations and services each year. If you would like more information about these college services or help in finding a college that provides disability services matched to the your needs or those of your son or daughter, schedule an appointment with CRG's Postsecondary Disability Specialist, Dr. David Parker.
High school students with LD, ADHD, Asperger's or other learning differnces who plan to attend college can get a "leg up" and experience a taste of college by participating in a summer transition program. These programs help students understand what college is really like so they can better prepare for this all-important transition. By participating, students also get to know other college-bound students with learning differences, which can boost their confidence and empower their self-advocacy skills. The following are several programs for your consideration:
- Ivy Tech's First Year Seminar Class - If you have a documented disability and plan to start classes at Ivy Tech (Indianapolis) this fall, consider enrolling in the DSS IVYT 101 First Year Seminar Class.
- College Internship Program (CIP) Summer Program - CIP specializes in working with college students with Asperger's and other learning differences. CIP offers 3-week summer programs for high school students at several locations around the country, one of which is in Bloomington, Indiana.
- Landmark College in Putney, Vermont is a highly-regarded two-year college for students with LD, ADHD and other learning disorders. They offer a 3-week summer program for high school students and a 2-week summer program for high school graduates preparing for college. Landmark College is famous for its approach to teaching study skills, helping students learn how to use technology for academic success, and empowering students with greater self-advocay skills.
- View HEATH Resource Center's listing of national summer transition-to-college programs for students with learning differences.
Summer Reading:
Looking for an article, website, or book that provides more information about you or your child's learning, mood, or medication issues? Check out the many resources on CRG's website! |
|
Reaching Out to You in New Ways: CRG Webinars | | |
David R. Parker, Ph.D. (Postsecondary Disability Specialist)
The mission of CRG is to provide an array of services to bridge the medical, educational and psychological needs of childrens, adolescents and adults. We take our educational commitment to heart. Helping families and clients learn more about the issues that bring them to CRG is a central component of our treatment approach. Historically, one of CRG's most popular services has been our annual conference. Past topics include bipolar disorders, helping students with "hidden" disabilities transition to college, and ADHD. We look forward to conductin future conferences but recognize that many of you may not be able to attend due to scheduling, financial, or other reasons.
Last fall, we conducted a patient/client survey to learn if there are new ways we could help meet your needs. Given the growing presence of technology in our busy lives, it was not surprising to learn that many of you showed interest in CRG webinars. If you have never participated in a webinar, you may be wondering, what is it? Do I have the capability of watching one?
If you have access to a computer with an internet connection, you can participate in webinars. These are online ways to share information about a specific topic. Webinars often allow you to follow a Powerpoint presentation. Most webinars last between 20 and 60 minutes, so you can learn a lot during a small window in your day (or night). There may be an audio component that allows you to listen to the presenter discuss the slides. Sometimes you can see a video image of the presenter, who appears on screen near the Powerpoint slides. Some webinars are "live" (synchronous), allowing you to send quesions to the presenter who is teaching/talking on scree at that very moment. Most webinars are asynchronous, which means you can watch/listen to them at any time that is convenient for you.
We are actively building the capacity to launch a webinar series at CRG this fall. We look forward to offering some at no cost but will also need to charge a nominal fee for others. Stay tuned!
Based on last fall's survey, here are some of the requested webinar topics:
- What is ADHD?
- Information about depression so others can understand what it is and how it affects people.
- How Bipolar Disorder affects relationships.
- Organization tools for kids with ADHD.
- Tips and Techniques in handling certain behavior issues in children.
- Transition to adulthood: what should high school students with LD look for in college?
- How to help siblings cope with a brother or sister with aggressive behaviors.
- Teaching your child to self-advocate/Special Education rights
If you would like to suggest other topices as we develop this new service, feel free to talk with us in person at CRG or reply with your ideas.
|
|
|
