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| Program History
Chester County Respite Network (CCRN) was established by Donna M. Williams, MSW, LSW in 2004 in response to the overwhelming need for respite and other quality behavioral health services in the Chester County area. The program was originally designed specifically to provide supports for children and families of children with special needs. The ongoing success of the program has allowed for expansion and the provision of respite and other support services to adults of all ages as well.
Williams is herself a Licensed Social Worker and Behavior Analyst with a history of more than 14 years experience in the behavioral health field in Chester County.
Williams completed undergraduate studies at Bloomsburg University, graduate work at Temple University, and post-graduate work at Penn State. Her post graduate work includes the Applied Behavioral Anaylsis Certification and additional coursework specific to Autism.
In addition, Williams has completed endless hours of continuing education courses in the field of special needs via University of Pittsburgh, Shippensburg University,
Pennsylvania Department of Education (PATTAN), Pennsylvania CASSP Training, and much miore.
Williams is a member of the National Assoication of Social Workers (NASW) and a supporter of The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI), The Autism Alliance, Cure Autism Now (CAN), Down Syndrome Association, The MPS Society, St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, and many local organizations serving Chester County families.
Williams likes to think of CCRN as a small grassroots organization that has taken on a life of it's own, growing into the solid reputation it has established based on the outstanding quality of service provided.
CCRN is comprised of only the best professionals in the field, serving Chester County primarily and surrounding counties on a limited basis.
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Our Mission Statement
Chester County Respite Network strives to provide superior in-school, home, and community support services to children and adults with special needs. Our goal is to rejuvenate and strengthen families resulting in improved daily functioning and overall quality of life experienced by our consumers. We facilitate the provision of respite services, behavioral health supports, and resource coordination. | |  | |
Services Available
Respite allows caregivers opportunities for much needed breaks.
Our respite team caters to the challenging situations families face on a daily basis. Addressing unique needs is our speciality and we are honored to be of assistance.
Respite is provided on an hourly or overnight basis in the home of the consumer, in the home of the provider, or in the community via structured activities. Overnight respite is available on a nightly or extended basis, as needed, for sitautions such as a caregiver needing to leave town for business, vacation, or other personal reasons.
Some families utilize our respite service as a means of facilitating community connection for their differently abled loved one. This enables their loved one to experience opportunities that otherwise may be difficult to access. Our respite team will gladly escort consumers to preferred community activities, provide help determining and developing a new hobby, identify a peer or peer group with similar interests, facilitate peer activities, or simply help them to enjoy just about any socially appropriate activity. Our respite service helps family members to rejuvenate and strengthen while feeling confident in our expertise.
Chester County Respite Network's respite providers are well respected local community members who are currently working in a professional capacity with individuals with special needs in many settings acrossed Chester County. Respite Providers are required to have CPR and First Aid Certification, additional speciality trainings, as well as child and criminal clearances to assure the quality of the service being provided.
Behavior Consultation services include a Functional Behaivoral Assessment (FBA), treatment plan, and ongoing consultation in home, school, and community as needed.
Parents of children living with Attention Deficit Disorder, Autism, Down's Syndrome, Mental Retardation, and many other diagnosis presenting challenging behaviors utilize Chester County Respite Nework for private consultation.
School Districts contract with us for behavior consultation when children are presenting particularly challenging in-school behaviors that impede their abiltiy to learn or that of others.
Our Behavior Consultation team is comprised of Master and Doctoral level clinicians with years of experience and expertise in the implementation of specific strategies such as Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), Verbal Behavior, TEACCH method, and many others.
Behavioral Health 1:1 Staff provide additional support to families of children with behavior issues by implementing and modeling interventions outlined in a child specific treatment plan. This support service is available to be used at home, in pre-school environments, at summer camps, or elsewhere to enhance your child's abilities in a variety of settings.
Our 1:1 team is comprised of Bachelor level direct care clinicians with the intense training and supervision needed to postively effect change.
Behavioral Health Personal Care Assistant (PCA) support services are available for school-aged children when an IEP team deems them appropriate and necessary. Staff in these positions provide 1:1 in-school support services that help children to manage and monitor their behavior in a way that fosters growth and independence and creates a positive learning experience.
Our PCA team, which is predominately Bachelor level direct care clinicians and some Master level, generally have a minimum of 3-5 years classroom experience. They are well respected by teachers and school administrative staff for their professionalism.
Social Skills Group Instruction provides children and adolescents with opportunities to learn much needed skills in a nurturing and supportive environment . Our groups increase confidence and lay the groundwork for successful day to day interactions and improved overall functioning. Summer groups are a nice alternative to traditional Extended School Year (ESY) programming. | | |
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