News
Celebrity Chef 2007
Home cooking
By Julie Cellini
Springfield Journal Register Correspondent
Published Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Joe Nyre paces off a big portion of the playground at The Hope Institute campus just off East Hazel Dell Road near Lake Springfield.
"We're putting up a huge, climate-controlled tent here," says Nyre, Hope's chief executive officer. "We expect 350 to 400 people for dinner Saturday night, right here in the midst of our classrooms. Our chefs have got their work cut out for them this year."
Hope's new classroom at Capital Area Career Center
Laura Sandrolini started school with her Community Transition Classroom in their new location at the Capital Area Career Center (CACC) on August 23. This is the first time Hope is part of the CACC. The 10 youth are becoming oriented to the new building and are enjoying their new environment. "I would like to take this opportunity to greatly thank everyone who helped us make this happen. We are very excited and look forward to the year," Sandrolini said.
Sangamon Area Special Education District — A new partnership for Hope
Hope has developed a partnership with the Sangamon Area Special Education District (SASED). The classroom opened on August 23. Hope welcomes all teachers and staff back to school. We have formed this partnership to provide better delivery of care to children with autism and other disabilities.
Beach Party
Gray skies and scattered showers didn't dampen the spirits of the youth for the beach party signaling the ending of Judith Ann Jordan Summer Camp. The party was moved indoors, and was very successful. By the way — that HUGE beachball that was on the lawn took two hours to inflate!
Senator Durbin visits and congratulates The Hope Institute for 50 years of helping children and families rediscover Hope
U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) visited the main campus of The Hope Institute for Children and Families on Saturday, June 16, 2007. The senator met with the Hope Institute's executives and board members, toured campus, and spent time with children and youth who presented him with gifts. Durbin spoke of The Hope Institute's work of the last 50 years and said, ".I'm very proud of what I see here."
Click here to view Channel 20 News coverage of the event.
County fair
A Western theme marked the second annual County Fair this year on campus. Under very warm and sunny skies, Larry R. opened the event by leading the fairgoers in the Pledge of Allegiance. The cowboys and cowgirls helped themselves to cotton candy, popcorn, funnel cakes, nachos and cheese, and lemonade shake-ups. When they finished eating, the youth played games, took a hayride, or rode in a pony-driven cart. Chris C. was the champion of the water melon eating contest. Dr. Nyre was on hand to crown County Fair Princess Alesha Z.
As a special treat, Julio Barrenzuela arranged for Alba Pena, ESPN World Salsa Dancing Champion, to demonstrate his talent to Hope's youth. Anyone could join in and show off their dancing skills.
View Springfield Journal-Register story.
Hope graduates three youth
On May 25, Hope's youth, families, and staff filled the activity rooms in TLC for what Dr. Nyre calls, "the best day of the year" - Graduation Day. The Hope Institute graduated three youth this year, one of whom was honored on campus. To the tune of "Pomp and Circumstance," Cameron W. received his diploma from Principal Cliff Hathaway. In addition to Mr. Hathaway and Dr. Nyre, Ms. Donna Ferguson, Director of Special Education and Prevention for District 186; Illinois State Board of Education's Ms. Elizabeth Hanselman, Acting Superintendent of Special Education, Ms. Jodi Fleck, Acting Division Administrator of Special Education Services, and Ms. Sheila Stocks-Smith, Mayor Davlin's Education Liaison, took part in the ceremony.
Hope's prom - "Fiesta!"
Hope held it's spring prom on May 11, 2007, with over 70 youth participating in the much anticipated annual event. Beginning with the Grand March, the festivities moved inside where Prom King Sampson S. and Prom Queen Antoinette R. oversaw the dancing, eating, and general fun. Event coordinator Laura Sandrolini (Education) summed up the day with this sentiment, "Something magical happens when you put a formal on a young woman or a tuxedo on a young man. They seem to rise above what is ordinary in their lives and get a taste of the wonder of dreams."
Hope Institute in Final Stages to Purchase Medical Office Building
The Hope Institute for Children and Families has entered the final stages of negotiations with St. John's Hospital to purchase the medical office building located at 5220 S. Sixth Street adjacent to the former Doctor's Hospital building. Mental Health Centers of Central Illinois, an affiliate of Memorial Health System, is also engaged in discussion about co-purchasing the 55,000-square-foot building along with The Hope Institute.
The Hope Institute for Children and Families and the Mental Health Centers of Central Illinois are developing a partnership to create a center of excellence which will provide increased access to primary medical, behavioral and rehabilitative health care to underserved children, especially those with developmental disabilities or mental illness. This partnership, called Family Health Options, could provide an array of services including psychiatric care, speech, occupational and physical therapy as well as primary medical care under one roof.
"This partnership will allow us to develop family-centered care that provides for an easy to access single-point of entry for a broad range of health care needs," said Joseph E. Nyre, president and CEO of The Hope Institute for Children and Families. "By making this care affordable for everyone who comes through the door, Family Health Options has the potential to improve the health and quality of life for families throughout central Illinois, especially those who are low-income or otherwise unable to access care."
Psychiatric Solutions, Inc., a for-profit company, was recently granted a Certificate of Need to open an 80-bed child and adolescent psychiatric inpatient facility at the site of the former Doctor's Hospital, next to the building that The Hope Institute for Children and Families is negotiating to purchase. Psychiatric Solutions will provide inpatient psychiatric care and will also have residential capacity. It is anticipated that the new hospital will play a role with The Hope Institute and Mental Health Centers of Central Illinois to better meet the needs of children with disabilities.
View WICS News Channel 20 video.
View Springfield Journal-Register story.
The Hope Institute featured on Local Radio Station (WTAX) to Discuss Autism Awareness Month
The hope institute was recently featured on local Springfield radio station WTAX during its weekly half hour program entitled, "Focus". The topic of the particular segment was Autism Awareness Month. The program also highlighted the Hope Institute's 50th anniversary and the many contributions that Hope makes to the greater Springfield community.
Over 100 Bikers Ride to Hope Institute Campus for 2007 A.B.A.T.E. Easter Basket Run
There were plenty of smiles when area motorcyclists - their bikes loaded with Easter baskets - arrived on the Hope Institute main campus for the 18th Annual A.B.A.T.E. (A Brotherhood Aimed Toward Education) Easter Basket Run.
Bikers gathered for the time-honored ride at the K-mart on East Clear Lake Avenue and Dirksen Parkway in Springfield. Then they fired up their engines and headed south to the Hope Institute's main campus.
This year, more than 100 motorcycles participated in the annual event to show their support for the children of Hope - the most successful event yet.
“This is an extra special year for this great Springfield tradition,” explained Joseph E. Nyre, President and CEO of the Hope Institute for Children and Families. “We are celebrating 50 years of serving children with disabilities and their families; and for the last 18 of those years, this event has been one of the most exciting for these children.”
The event was covered by local media outlets WICS News Channel 20 and The State Journal Register.
Applied Behavior Analysis Training and Certification for Local Educators and Clinicians
The Hope Institute for Children and Families (HICF) and The Autism Program (TAP) are
moving forward with a comprehensive workforce development plan to make behavior
analytic services accessible to more than 321,000 children with developmental
disabilities in Illinois. In 2006, Representative Rich Brauer, HICF, TAP, The Arc of
Illinois, and the Illinois School Board of Education drafted successful legislation that
provides additional funding to support Board Certified Behavior Analysts in public
schools. Today, a partnership comprised of HICF, TAP, The Sangamon Area Special
Education District (SASED) and District 186 announced an affiliation with Southern
Illinois University (SIU), that will provide on-line curricula; resulting in a major increase
in Behavior Analysts. SIU President Glenn Poshard, Ph.D. and Joe Glasford, Executive
Director of SASED were instrumental in ensuring that Illinois educators and clinicians
have access to this training, “This is another example of SIU’s ongoing commitment to
improving the lives of individuals in rural areas. Children in central Illinois schools will
receive enormous benefit from this outreach”.
Applied Behavior Analysis has been shown to be effective is treating a variety of
developmental and behavioral disorders, but it is rare to find a trained provider in
Illinois. The Partnership is determined to create local providers with expertise in
behavior analysis. Joseph E. Nyre, Ph.D. President and CEO of HICF reports, “We have
seen a tremendous benefit from having BCBAs on staff at HICF. This program is quite
consistent with TAP’s workforce development plan”.
The Hope Institute for Children and Families Present Research at National Autism Event
The Hope Institute for Children and Families presented the results of a recent study conducted on its Springfield campus.
As the number of staff providing special education services in public and private educational settings has continued to grow, administrators, teachers, and clinicians often struggle to identify meaningful, useful, and evidence-based quality improvement programs.
The study, which took place at the Hope School Learning Center, was a school-wide, classroom-specific quality improvement initiative designed to increase on-task behavior of students and quality of staff to student interactions.
A combination of equally distributed 10 minute remote observations utilizing 10 second momentary time sampling with classroom consultation and incentives yielded significant and sustained increases in both target behaviors.
The results were recently presented at a national Applied Behavioral Analysis conference that took place in Boston February last week.
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