Gov. Christie praises NJ hospitals

Gov. Christie at the NJHA annual meeting.

New Jersey hospitals are “an indispensable asset in so many ways – not just in the most obvious way in terms of the care they provide, but also as an extraordinary economic engine.”

So said New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who praised New Jersey hospitals and the New Jersey Hospital Association at the NJHA’s recent annual meeting. Matheny is a member of NJHA, which is a not-for-profit trade organization committed to helping New Jersey hospitals and health systems provide quality, accessible and affordable care to their communities.

Gov. Christie recognized the financial pressures confronting hospitals in the state but said the government cannot “continue to buttress up [struggling] hospitals. That’s not the way to sustain a viable and vibrant health system in the state.” The Governor commended New Jersey hospitals for managing to serve their communities and patients through difficult times, adding, “I appreciate what you’ve done – how you’ve hung in there.”

 

Matheny’s court appeal

Matheny has filed an appeal in New Jersey Superior Court to overturn the Peapack-Gladstone Land Use Board’s decision that Matheny is not a “permitted use” in its current location. The Land Use Board made this decision even though Matheny has existed in its current location since the 1950s and has received many land use approvals for various projects over the years.

The appeal also seeks to overturn the Board’s decision to deny Matheny’s expansion plans. The long period of time that elapsed during the Land Use proceedings has exacerbated what was already a criticial situation — the number of children with medically complex developmental disabilities who need a residential facility.

Matheny is proud to be a member of the Peapack-Gladstone community and appreciates the support of the majority of its residents.

 

WANTED: smiling volunteers

A happy crew at the end of the Lu Huggins Wheelchair Walk in 2011.

We are looking for volunteers to help make the 15th Miles for Matheny fundraiser and community event the best ever. We need people to assist with set up, registration, tee shirt distribution, rest stops and lots more!

Face painters, strolling musicians and magicians and wheelchair pushers are also needed. Opportunities for groups and individuals are available. Be a part of a great day!

Want details? Ready to sign up now? Contact Gail Cunningham at 908-234-0011, ext. 282 or email volunteers@matheny.org.

Progress in baby steps

Sandra Van Nest.

Sandra Van Nest believes in taking baby steps.

A licensed clinical social worker and developmental interventionist in New Jersey’s Early Intervention system, Van Nest often is confronted with “two-year-olds who don’t know how to indicate what they want.  They don’t have any words.  They don’t really pay attention to the people around them.  By slowly and surely working with them for several hours a week, over a year or 1 1/2 years, I watch them go from that to, by age three, looking at their mother when she comes in the door and saying, ‘Momma’. That’s absolutely the most amazing thing. They’re learning how to speak, and they’re doing those intellectual things; and they’re also catching up on that emotional side; and they’re really connecting with the people in their world.”

Van Nest is also a field supervisor in Matheny’s community services program.  In that role, she is now coordinating a new project  to teach social skills to two-and three-year-old children with autism spectrum disorder or ADHD, or who have difficulties with sensory integration. “Parents of the children I see,” she explains, “often report to me that their children really have a hard time being in a group or out in public.  Their children have a hard time with the loud sounds, bright lights and unpredictability of their toddler peers.  And, if you are a child who doesn’t speak, the only way to show your displeasure is to yell, cry or tantrum.  These parents are looking for a way to help their children feel more comfortable in groups of peers and other public places.”

The New Jersey Early Intervention system, she points out, “does not usually provide for group work.  It is a wonderful system that emphasizes the individual child and his or her family.  However, the parents are looking for other therapy options that include small groups with an emphasis on social skills.  We, at Matheny, are excited to be filling this need within our community.”

If you’d like more information about this program, call (908) 234-0011, ext. 751 or email lnewsome@matheny.org.

‘My wheelchair is a part of me’

Anthony LaFond, an artist in Matheny’s Arts Access Program, is celebrating the publication of one of his poems, “God’s Gift to Me” in the winter 2012 issue of Breath & Shadow, a journal of disability culture and literature. The 30-year-old LaFond, who has muscular dystrophy, has been writing since he was 17 years old. While he enjoys writing stories, his real passion is poetry.

God’s Gift to Me

My wheelchair is a part of me.
When he moves, it is like a tank under my control.

My wheelchair has a chair like a portable bed.
His wheels are round like a balloon.
And his motor moves me as fast as a 10-speed bike.

He is shaped like a throne that is sitting on top of the world.

He rides like he is flying me through the air.
The wind blows by like I’m going downhill on a rollercoaster.

Sometimes when I go fast, my eyes start to cry.
I feel what he feels.

He goes where I go, just like a shadow.
He tells me when he is hungry and tired.

Sometimes he reminds me, he has a mind of his own.
He shows me when he needs a change of feet.
His one eye glows at night when I need light.

He carries my bags all day long and never lets go.
He is my defense weapon against anyone who wants to hurt me.

His timing is one of a kind.
When I let go of his messenger, he stops on a dime.
When I need him to zig and zag, he does it with such skill.

He reminds me of who I am, and I am very thankful for that.
He reminds me of what I have and not what I don’t have.

He is God’s gift to me, and when he dies,
I will have to get another.

But each gift God gives me does not make me feel the same way.
They each have their own talent.

My chair’s name is Junior, after my first chair,
Lightning,
And I his father.

He is me
And I him,
And I shall never forget that.

LaFond, above, read “God’s Gift to Me” at Full Circle 2011 Dimensions, the annual celebration of the Arts Access Program. Arts Access enables people with disabilities to create fine art, assisted by professional artist-facilitators. Breath & Shadow is the only online literary journal with a focus on disability. It is written and edited entirely by people with disabilities.

New law eases research restrictions

Thanks to Sen. Christopher “Kip” Bateman (R), Sen. Robert W. Singer (R) and Assemblywoman Mila M. Jasey (D) for sponsoring bills that were signed into law by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie on January 17 providing families of persons with developmental disabilities greater autonomy in making decisions about participation in potentially beneficial research.

The original bill was drafted by Sen. Bateman in response to a suggestion by Matheny.

The law resolves an inconsistency regarding guardian requirements contained in two previous pieces of legislation: The Developmentally Disabled Rights Act of 1977 and the Access to Medical Research Act of 2007. It also expanded the range of studies that are allowed to include ones that might not have direct benefit to the individual participant, but might have broader benefit to persons with disabilities.

The practical benefit of the new law is that families of persons with developmental disabilities will have the freedom that other families enjoy to weigh the risks and benefits of an appropriately reviewed and approved research study. And they will make their own informed decisions about whether or not their family members will participate.

Above, from left: Matheny student Bryan Desatnick, teaching assistant Josh Burke, Sen. Bateman and student Mason Walsh during a previous visit to Matheny by the Senator.

A special art exhibit

“Pure Expression,” an exhibition opening February 12 at the Monmouth Museum in Lincroft, NJ, will feature paintings by artists in Matheny’s Arts Access Program.  Arts Access enables people with disabilities to create fine art, assisted by professional artist-facilitators.

Through the use of specialized communication and choice systems, the artists are able to follow their creative passions and are encouraged to build upon their instincts and inner strengths. The ability to create fine art lets the artists define themselves by their achievements rather than by their disabilities. In addition to painting, the Arts Access Program encompasses digital art, sculpture, drama, writing, dance and choreography.

The Monmouth Museum is a private, non-profit organization located at 765 Newman Springs Road in Lincroft on the campus of Brookdale Community College. Admission is $7. The exhibit will begin with a reception, free and open to the public, from 3-5 p.m. on Sunday, February 12. It will run through March 18.

For hours and additional information, call (732) 747-2266 or visit www.monmouthmuseum.org.

Above, “Wisdom,” by Annie Paloff.

Below, “Beautiful Squares,” by Amy Ring.

Improving social skills

Matheny is planning a new series of social skills groups for children with special needs. Parents will learn techniques to facilitate their child’s social skills and ability to interact in a group. This group will mirror a typical preschool experience with songs, crafts, games and play. It will be a fun and therapeutic way for families to meet others in their communities and interact with their children.

We recognize the escalating need for social skills intervention for children on the autism spectrum as well as those having other developmental delays that impact social skills,

The series will focus on children 2 to 3 years of age and will be held in locations in Somerset and Morris Counties.

The classes will involve both child and parent participation and are designed for children with a diagnosis or symptoms of autism spectrum disorder, ADHD and/or sensory integration difficulties.

For more information, call (908) 234-0011, ext. 751, or email lnewsome@matheny.org

Above, a Matheny speech-language pathologist works with a child in early intervention.

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