Vol 4 • Issue 1 • Jan 2013

January 22, 2013

Message from the CEO

As we begin a new year I am pleased to share a copy of Grafton’s first annual report with you. Click here to access annual report. The report summarizes highlights from fiscal year 2012, a pivotal year for our organization in which we focused our efforts on enhancing core service lines to deliver positive and sustainable outcomes for those served. We continue our mission to be your provider, partner and employer of choice.

“The marvelous richness of human experience would lose something of rewarding joy if there were no limitations to overcome. The hilltop hour would not be half so wonderful if there were no dark valleys to traverse.”
Helen Keller

Helen Keller’s powerful words seem to us to describe the essence of our organization. Over the years, our guiding principal has been the same—to give people their lives back. This tenet holds true for a parent seeking our services to assess their infant’s developmental milestones, or an individual who is partnering with a clinician to cope with a loss of a loved one or a family struggling with a teenager who is experiencing difficulty within their school, home and community. Our goals remains the same—create an environment that honors individual’s strengths by providing as many opportunities for growth as possible, guided by an individuals’ own power of choice and self-determination. Challenges are a universal human experience—overcoming challenges is what makes us feel alive! It is our intention to keep feeding that passion for living.

Our vision for the next year is to work closely with all of our stakeholders, including parents, clients, donors, referral sources, employees and others to rise to the challenge of giving people their lives back. I am honored to work with a dedicated group of employees at Grafton, who rise to this challenge daily to make that vision a reality.

I hope you enjoy this first edition of our annual report. If you are interested in receiving a hard copy of the annual report, please send an email with your contact information to communications@grafton.org.

Highlights

  • Therapists Kathy Birch and Marjorie Davis presented, “Current Trends in Adolescent Drug Use” on November 1st to parents at the Leesburg courthouse.
  • Between November 4th and November 17th, Lisa Marshall, Director of Research and Outcomes, Kim Sanders, Executive Vice President and Chief Outcomes Officer, Shamsi Sadeghzadeh, Director of Outreach Services travelled to Victoria Australia to provide consultation and training services. They conducted three two-day presentations for Yooralla in Australia and a two-day presentation for the Australasian Society for Intellectual Disability (ASID) and the Office of the Senior Practitioner. The presentation was titled “Fostering Quality of Life and Goal Mastery for Individuals with Significant Disabilities.
  • Kim Sanders and Shamsi Sadeghzadeh presented information on Grafton’s Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services to a parent group at the Mountain Laurel Montessori School in Front Royal, Virginia on December 5th.
  • Jason Craig, Director of ABA Services taught a five week long course on applied behavioral analysis at Lord Fairfax Community College.
  • On December 10th, Lisa Marshall and Kim Sanders conducted a workshop on Trauma Informed Care at the Lanterman Developmental Center in Pamona, California. Lisa and Kim were contracted as consultants through the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

Upcoming Events

  • Grafton’s Bradenton, Florida office hosted an open house of the Community Behavioral Resource Center on January 9th and January 10th to introduce the community to Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services. The Community Behavioral Resource Center will be available to members of the public in the Suncoast region in Florida to access educational materials and contact Board Certified Behavior Analysts for services. For more information about ABA services in Bradenton, please contact ABAFlordia@grafton.org.