Connect

What is Connect?

Connect is a caregiver-mediated program that focuses on supporting people with profound intellectual multiple disabilities (PIMD) and increasing wellbeing for the entire family. This service line supports caregivers to teach their loved one new skills, while also better connecting to their needs and wants. We believe that caregivers who prioritize their wellbeing are able to better support themselves, their loved one with PIMD, and their family. This service line is provided by Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) clinicians with mid-level support from a qualified service professional who has experience implementing behavior modification intervention.

Program Components

Assessment

Assessment includes a functional skills checklist which supports treatment planning decisions to focus on areas of strength and need for the individual, such as skills in communication. In Connect, your clinician will focus on your loved one’s strengths to develop certain skills. A sensory and behavioral assessment are also included to help identify other areas of focus for the plan. Connect treatment is focused on the needs and priorities of the caregivers and family, and the assessments can help guide this.

Treatment

Treatment involves working with family members or caregivers of people who have PIMD, who have cognitive disability, physical limitations, and sensory impairment. The clinical team establishes a collaborative partnership with the caregivers and together they identify the functional abilities that are meaningful to the family. Caregivers are supported by their clinical team in gaining confidence and independence to teach new skills to their loved one to meet them where they’re at.

What are the Goals?

The goals of Connect include improving communication so the family has a better understanding of the client’s wants and needs and can support the client’s self-determination – the ability to make choices for themselves. The Connect program can also help lower stress of parents and caregivers and increase their confidence in their own ability to interact with their child in meaningful ways. Another goal for Connect is increased wellbeing for the PIMD client and their family members.