| CRG Nuts & Bolts | | | The office will be CLOSED all day on:
Monday, Sept. 5th (Labor Day)
Friday, Sept. 23rd
(CRG Annual Retreat) |
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CRG Newsletter:
Back to School Edition
Sept. 2011, Volume 1 (2) | |
Greetings!
The days are getting shorter, the evenings cooler, and the bedtimes earlier. After a wonderful summer of fun, sun, heat, and more relaxed schedules, we are heading into fall. Each spring I hear families yearning for summer days with fewer scheduled sports events, homework stresses, and the early morning rush. By August, those same families are eager to get back into a routine. Suddenly homework and schedules do not sound so bad. Fall is a time of year when we try to create better structures and organization in our lives. This issue of the CRG newsletter is dedicated to organizing our lives, whether we are children, teens, or adults. We hope you will enjoy the articles below that focus on organizational technologies and the use of "coaching" techniques to help your son or daughter organize the transition to college. You will also meet one of our superb psychiatrists and a key member of our administrative staff. At CRG, we strive to use the latest research to perform our practical, evidence-based interventions. We are launching a new Speakers' Bureau with this issue. Consider inviting a CRG provider to come speak to your office, organization, or school about the ways that children, teens, and adults can organize their use of services to live happier, more successful lives. Finally, consider signing up for one of the 10 groups we will be offering this fall at CRG. Weekly group sessions can enhance the structure and support in your life or your family's life. We hope that our years of experience in responding to the needs of children, teens, and adults will help you improve the quality of your relationships and life experiences. Sincerely, Dr. Julie T. Steck, Ph.D., HSPP |
| Get Organized with Technology | | |
Beth Waite, CCC-SLP, ATP (AT Specialist)
There are two times during the year when we take a look at our lives and vow to become organized. This typic  ally happens on New Year's Eve as we consider new possibilities and as we begin a new school year with freshly sharpened pencils and empty notebooks. Today's tech savvy students can use technology to become more organized. Children, parents, and adult students can benefit from basic technology to manage time, materials, and workspace.
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| Organizing Your Child | | |
Julie T. Steck, Ph.D., HSPP (Psychologist)
After 35 years of working with children, teens, and families, I have come to realize that organizational skills are the result of both heredity and environment. Some children and families are inherently organized. Their homes are clean and orderly, the children's lockers are neat, homework is completed promptly AND turned in, and family dinners start on time. Other families are not as well organized. Those families have great intentions but find it difficult to stay on schedule. They want to be on time for the bus, sports practices, and church/synagogue but struggle with follow through. Some children in organized families are disorganized but learn how to follow routines. Some children in less organized homes have better internal organization and develop their own coping strategies. But all children seem to benefit from external help in developing organizational strategies. Organization relies on executive functioning, a set of cognitive abilities that continue to develop as adolescents grow into adulthood. Dr. Thomas Brown is a Yale University researcher who has written a great deal about executive functioning. You can find an excellent, non-technical overview of this concept on his website.
So what can we do to help our child or teen develop better organizational skills? Continue reading to discover some concrete steps parents (and teachers) can take. |
| Book Review: "Ready for Take-Off: Preparing Your Teen with ADHD or LD for College" | | |
David R. Parker, Ph.D. (Postsecondary Disability Specialist)
 As any parent knows, the teen years can be a complex time of transition for the entire family. Older adolescents desire a growing amount of independence but may wait until the last minute to start working on big projects such as college applications. Parents want to support their son's or daughter's emerging autonomy but worry that such important deadlines will be completed poorly or not at all. When teens have learning disabilities (LD) and/or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD or ADHD), concerns about organization, time management, and motivation can become even more intense. While these situations create important "teachable moments," they can also results in frustration, open conflict, and even tears. What's a parent to do?
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| Provider Spotlight: Jason Rowland, M.D. | | |
David R. Parker, Ph.D. (Postsecondary Disability Specialist)
Dr. David Parker: What is your role at CRG? 
Dr. Jason Rowland: As a child and adolescent psychiatrist, I see some adults but 90% of my patients are under the age of 18. My role usually revolves around a question of diagnosis to a certain degree, although a lot of other people here address those issues too, particularly our psychologists. So, in addition to looking at diagnosis, I am usually more involved in the question of whether there are medications that would be helpful to a particular person to help them with mood, behavior, or the ability to focus. And how that fits in with any other medications for a particular child and looking at other medical factors such as nutrition, exercise and other aspects that may impact how they're doing.
Continue reading Dr. Parker's interview with Dr. Rowland... |
| Meet Our Staff: Lisa Shoemaker, Billing Specialist | | |
Jessica Bostwick (Front Office & Intake Coordinator)
Lisa Shoemaker may not be a face you commonly see during your visits to CRG, but since March 2008, she has been an incredible asset to the CRG team. With over 20 years of experience working in accounts receivable for pharmacies and home medical equipment companies, Lisa has developed quite an expertise in billing administration, making her a perfect fit as CRG's Billing Specialist.
Continue reading our interview with Lisa... |
| Introducing CRG's Speakers' Bureau | | |
Sarah Kelly (Front Office Coordinator)
CRG strives to stay at the forefront of patient care by keeping up-to-date with the most current clinical research and "best practices" in diagnosis and treatment. In order to share our knowledge with schools, offices and other community organizations, CRG has recently developed a Speakers' Bureau consisting of several clinical providers of varying disciplines including psychologists, psychiatrists, therapists and educational specialists. This group of professional providers is available for formal and informal presentations, professional training workshops, and consultations lasting one hour to a full day in length based on the needs and goals of the event or gathering. Presentation topics range from ADHD across the lifespan and pharmacologic treatment for comorbid disorders to nonverbal learning disorders and disability documentation required for college accommodations.
To learn more about the speakers and topics that exist within our Speakers' Bureau, please click here. |
| New Fall Groups Forming at CRG | | | David R. Parker, Ph.D. (Postsecondary Disability Specialist)
Over the years, one of CRG's most popular services has been the groups our providers run each semester. While some groups are therapeutic in nature, others focus on building skills, sharing information, or simply providing a structure in which peers can get to know each other through shared experiences. This fall, CRG's groups will begin the week of September 19th. The following is a list of our fall groups:
- Solutions (Social Skills for Boys Ages 7-10)
- Navigators (Social Skills for Boys Ages 11-13)
- Challengers (Social Skills for Boys Ages 13-16)
- Older Challengers (Social Skills for Boys Ages 16-18)
- Adolescent/Adult Skills Group for Young Men Ages 18+)
- Social Skills Group for Girls Ages 10-13
- Girls in Action (Social Skills for Girls Ages 14-16)
- Girl Power (Social Skills for Girls Ages 13-17)
- Mothers' Support Group
- Ready for Take-Off for Parents of College-Bound Students with LD and/or ADHD
For more information or to sign up, please call CRG at (317) 575-9111. Don't delay, though - groups tend to fill up quickly!
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Reflections of a CRG Intern | | |
Hannah Kimyon (Student)
Over the years, CRG has had the opportunity to host several students who are majoring in psychology as undergraduate summer interns. These interns participate in a variety of clinical experiences and work in the office to view the behind-the-scenes work of a behavioral health practice. These internships are arranged through their universities to meet class requirements. This past summer, CRG hosted Ms. Hannah Kimyon from the University of Wisconsin. Hannah wrote this article to summarize her impressions of CRG and the children and families with whom she interacted. While CRG provides services to adults, adolescents and children, Hannah chose to work primarily with children. As adults and families seek better ways to organize their lives this fall by enlisting the services of CRG, we thought Hannah's reflections could speak to some of your own questions or areas of interest.
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