 |
|
Ann Martin Center
|
Spring 2015
|
|
|
| Spring Greetings from Our Executive Director | |
|
|
A Special Thanks to Our Major Corporate Sponsors
|
Our recent spring fundraising gala in April has become such a special convening of friends, colleagues, and supporters, new and old. In a big way, Ann Martin Center is part of the community fabric in the East Bay with a broad and deep network of connections all focused on helping strengthen children and families.
|
| | From Left to Right: Gibor Basri, Peter and Galia Szurley, Linda Baker (Board President) and Jessica Broitman. |
The Center is unduplicated in Northern California, with our dual emphasis on psychotherapy and educational support programs, as well as teaching and training. We reach over 1,300 families annually while delivering more than 31,000 treatment hours at our clinic, nine Oakland elementary schools, and now also at Oakland Housing Authority.
In additional to psychotherapy and educational therapy, our services include psychological and educational testing, the bereavement counseling project, the Cornerstone social skills group for young children, parenting workshops, as well as our professional development lectures for colleagues in the community.
We're growing and transforming as an organization... and at our gala, it was powerful to see the tremendous enthusiasm and generosity of our guests whose financial support will further our momentum reaching vulnerable youth.
Our gala was a grand celebration of the ideals of Ann Martin Center. We are incredibly fortunate to have the backing and support of so many individuals, businesses, and foundations.
We're so grateful to our gala honorary chair, Kathy Hull, the co-founder and president of George Mark Children's House, a pediatric palliative care center in Alameda County. Thanks also to our gala co-chairs, Betty Simpson and MaryAnn Pearson who guided us to such a remarkably successful event. We also thank Hanan Ibrahim for her poignant and compelling speech about her personal experience with our clinic. Finally, a huge shout out to our Development Director Lynn Peralta and Development Associate, Nu Nhi Nguyen who oversaw the endless details of event planning over the past year.
At the event, I quoted the poet William Yeats who wrote: "The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper".
Indeed, when we listen closely and patiently to children, there is a kind of transformative magic getting into their world, understanding their struggles, helping them develop persistence, and together discovering a path to real confidence and capabilities.
Sincerely yours,
David S. Theis, DMH
Executive Director
 Visit our flickr page for more photos from the event!
|
|
"Thank you for those who support Ann Martin Center so that a single mother like me can save her boys from violence and drugs. Thank you for changing two boys' lives -- change is one life at a time. I am a firm believer that the work of Ann Martin changes lives, I tried it first-hand."
- Hanan Ibrahim, Testimonial Speaker at Spring Gala 2015
|
|
PEP partners with Oakland Housing Authority
| |
|
|
By Cristina Benki, PhD, PEP Coordinator
As summer inches closer and the school year draws to a close, the Parent Education Program is wrapping up its winter/spring programs as well. During these last several months, PEP was fortunate to introduce several new topics and speakers focused on exploring diversity both in our children and in our parenting. In particular, PEP was proud to host its very first Spanish-language workshop in partnership with La Cl�nica, presented by Moises Garcia-Lemus.
Beyond our center-based workshops, we also launched a new partnership with the Oakland Housing Authority (OHA) that has allowed us to reach out to parents in communities in West and East Oakland. In March, we connected OHA with a presentation from the Disability Rights Education Defense Fund (DREDF) on Understanding the Special Education Process, and in April we introduced OHA to pediatric nurse practitioner, Meg Zweiback, who tailored her talk to provide practical tools for positive discipline strategies and promoting self-reliance in children. Finally, with the support of OHA, we initiated a parent support group led by clinical psychologist, Dr. Frank Davis. The group has met weekly throughout March and April in west Oakland to provide opportunities for parents to network, build supportive relationships, and share ideas. Through the OHA partnership, PEP looks forward to connecting with and serving further parents and families. Stay tuned for more PEP developments in Fall 2015. |
|
|
New group therapy for school-aged children
| |
|
Since earlier this Fall, Liz Beers, MA and Adam Moss, MA (both fourth year psychology graduate student trainees), have gathered together along with a handful of energetic and enthusiastic children. Each week in our outpatient clinic, they co-lead a therapy group that is based on developing relationships though the emergence of dynamic and creative play.
|
| | Stock photo above used for illustrative purposes [to protect client confidentiality]. |
A Recap from Adam Moss:
The children in our group therapy sessions range in age from 7-10 years old. They come to Ann Martin Center with a variety of different life stories and from diverse backgrounds, but share in common past and current struggles, along with a yearning to connect with their peers and feel good about themselves. Each child brings a unique set of strengths, challenges, feelings and ideas to the group. Together we create a safe space, through playing and talking, for interpersonal exploration and growth.
Group therapy is a great modality for learning about ourselves in the context of relating to and learning about others. Each week our group comes together and navigates the complexity and nuances that relationships require. The children are working together to learn how to compromise, how to share thoughts and ideas, how to communicate their feelings, and how to repair relationships when feelings have been hurt. They come together to learn that relationships can and do endure conflicts, and that conflicts are in fact an important part of learning who we are and how we make meaningful connections with others.
Just this last week our group hosted a "talent show" where each member had the opportunity to showcase a talent. Liz and I thought that after this time together we had a pretty firm grasp on the children we work and play with each week. Little did we know that in fact we are working with a group of talented singers, poets, dancers, jugglers and comedians. Whether one prefers to perform standing on a table, all eyes glued to their mastery, or whether that performance comes from a hidden corner, barely visible but still audible, there is an important place for each child in our group: a place to be seen, known and belong.
Many thanks to Mahima Muralidharan, PsyD, Practicum Program Coordinator and to group co-leaders, Adam Moss, MA and Liz Beers, MA, both of whom are Advanced Level 4 Practicum Trainees.
|
|
"Our son has gained social skills experience with the support of the AMC clinical staff. He has learned to view the therapists as his support and is able to express feelings and ideas through play. We as parents, are learning how to support and what to expect as we employ methods learned through observation and through discussion. Our goal is to create a space where our child feels safe and supported as he learns how to operate in the world, and we see him gaining that at AMC.
- Parent, Psychotherapy Therapy Program
|
|
Educational testing evaluates student learning
| |
|
|
By Shawn Usha, MA, Educational Testing Coordinator
 Ann Martin Center's Educational Testing Program provides an in-depth understanding of a client's educational strengths and weaknesses. The process determines the presence of a learning disability, helps with making recommendations for services and remedial activities, and provides learning strategies tailored to the specific individual.
Our program staff members, Andrea Miller, PhD, and Shawn Usha, MA, Educational Therapist have over twenty years experience completing assessments. Dr. Miller is a clinical psychologist and is experienced in differentiating learning and behavioral concerns. Shawn Usha is experienced in working with basic academic skill development.
When a child enters our testing program, an educational therapist gathers information from family members and instructional staff on the developmental and educational history of the child. The therapist then administers standardized tests for cognitive processing (visual-auditory processing, memory, fluency, verbal and nonverbal reasoning) and for academic achievement including basic skills, fluency and applications. Afterwards, the therapist addresses emotional and behavioral questions (typically ADHD) through a screening process with recommendations for further assessment. A report from the assessment details the findings and ends with a summary, list of strengths and weaknesses, and recommendations. Lastly, the therapist meets with the family to discuss the results, and plan the next steps.
Educational assessments are designed to find the barriers to academic progress and then set the path leading to success. The program provides services for all age ranges and academic needs from Kindergarten through graduate programs.
|
|
|
Our Clinical Program pending APA accreditation
| |
|
By Beth Berkowitz, PsyD, Clinical Director, Training & QA
 Internship year is an exciting yet daunting time in a psychology doctoral student's training. It is typically the capstone clinical experience of a student's graduate program and serves as a significant developmental step into the profession.
Ann Martin Center has had a stellar training program for over 30 years. To further advance our clinical training program, we are currently in the process of applying for accreditation with the American Psychological Association (APA).
In the past several years, the APA has pushed training sites all over the country to adhere to a set of standards that exemplify the highest pillars of training.
We recently completed a 10-month study of our training program during which time we rigorously reviewed and amended our training program model. The study served to both solidify the foundation on which our training program was built, and to expand upon it to elevate us to a new pinnacle of success.
This spring, we submitted our study to the APA for accreditation approval.
We believe the process of accreditation will ultimately open doors to graduates of our program for licensure and employment throughout the country in multiple settings, including community mental health clinics, hospitals and Veterans programs. Additionally, APA accreditation will help us to attract exceptional students to provide the highest quality of care for children and families.
We look forward to keeping you updated on our progress.
|
|
|
Meet Deborah Kaminksi, our newest Board Member
| |
|
Deborah joined the board in October of 2014. She is a tax manager with over 20 years experience in the nonprofit taxation and trust industry.
Before joining the accounting profession, Deborah built the framework for her career during her undergraduate and graduate studies in social work at the University of Nevada, Reno, and the University of Alabama, respectively.
Her professional focus is now on tax compliance and planning for nonprofits, and is augmented by her memberships in the California Society of Enrolled Agents, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants (Cal CPA), where she is on the planning committee of the annual Not-For-Profit Accounting Conference.
In addition to serving on the finance committee at Ann Martin Center, she also serves on the board at Family Support Services of the Bay Area.
Deborah enjoys traveling, cycling, gourmet cooking, and dabbling in craft projects that "can be done by any third grader." She also has a witty sense of humor.
|
|
|
Save the date! Donor Appreciation Breakfast, Sept. 24
| |
|
 To all our new and long-time donors, thank you for your incredible support and generosity! Because of you we can continue serving more at-risk children and families in our community.
As thanks, we would like to invite you for a Breakfast gathering at Ann Martin Center on Thursday, September 24, 2015. Meet our Board of Directors and experience a personal tour of the center with our Executive Director, David Theis.
Come and learn how your contributions have been instrumental in the growth of current programs and services as well as new initiatives benefiting the children and families we serve.
Light breakfast, coffee and assorted beverages will be served.
More details to follow! |
|
|
|
|
|
