Caring for More Kids, Closer to Home
With its recent expansion to a new location in East Greenwich, Bradley Hospital has nearly doubled the number of children it can serve through the Children’s Partial Hospital Program (CPHP). The outpost offers families in and around Kent, Washington, and South Counties access to the same family-centered care that is offered at the main hospital in East Providence.
Available to children ages 7 through 12 with serious emotional and behavioral difficulties, the program provides intensive care while allowing patients to spend nights at home with their families and, for those attending the after-school program, their days in the classroom.
Creating a welcoming therapeutic environment at the new location was a big priority for CPHP Clinical Director Mandy Witkin, LICSW, and it could not have been done without donor support. With philanthropic funding from The Everett F. Boyden Trust, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee, Mandy and her colleagues were able to create a space (pictured) that supports sensory and therapeutic movement, which is important for patients who require it throughout the day for regulation. The space includes an area where children can choose to use a variety of sensory items, including weighted blankets, body socks, noise-cancelling headphones, therapeutic balls, and scooter boards. It also has a sensory path that uses decals and images to cue activating or soothing activities. In addition, patients have benefited from custom-made, sensory-friendly furniture, as well as a projector that turns the floor into an interactive playground.
There’s so much therapeutic value to all of these tools and our program overall, and we see them making a difference in the kids we serve every single day.
– Mandy Witkin