New Hope Happenings – Update From Our Executive Director
April 4th, 2022
Dear Parent/Legal Guardian/ Treatment Ally:
I wanted to provide some updates regarding happenings at New Hope Carolinas.
We continue to have ZERO positive Covid-19 cases with our residents. The Yorke County COVID-19 positivity rate is sustaining at below 5% so we are continuing to move towards more normal operations.
Therapeutic Home Visits (THTs) are back in full effect. These home visits are scheduled through your child’s care team, led by their therapist. These are absolutely critical for your youth/loved one to be prepared for an eventual successful transition out of the program. Research shows that increased home visits are linked directly to positive long-term outcomes for kids coming out of residential programs. Please reach out to your therapist to schedule your next home-visit with your child!
We recently had a fantastic event recently facilitated by our education department where our female residents were able to participate in a “Shark Tank” themed activity. It taught them public speaking, cope with some anxiety, fostered teamwork and helped build confidence.
We will be taking all female residents out over the next 30 days to a local salon to get their hair done. We are looking into other local activities and outings for our residents to enjoy while they’re in our care.
Our residents are participating in day-room decoration activities throughout the month of April as well as a design contest to re-paint one of our outdoor gazebos. This teaches/encourages creativity as well as a sense of pride in one’s space that can transfer back home as well as making New Hope a more therapeutic environment in general.
Outdoor family visitations resumed effective 3/14. If you have questions/concerns regarding how to facilitate these visitations, please reach out to your assigned therapist. We STRONGLY encourage you to routinely visit your child. If you have barriers to coming to the facility, please reach out to your therapist to see if we can assist in removing those barriers.
We will begin using the cafeteria for meals by the end of this month so that residents are able to have that communal eating experience. We will continue to monitor COVID spikes locally and take all necessary steps to prevent the spread of COVID while also ensure your child has the best possible experience at New Hope.
Thank you!
Sincerely,
Matt Simon, LMFT
Executive Director