ADAPTING & DEVELOPING TO SERVE YOU!
Photo: CORA Staff
YouthCOR Virtual Meeting, March 2020
CORA has been working more than ever over the past two weeks for YOU!
This newsletter is hot off the press and w
e can't wait for you to read it!
As usual at CORA, we're all about adapting and developing to serve you better.
In fact, it's what we do best, and this virus will not stop us!
Like the rest of the world, we're adjusting to operating remotely, and our staff of professionals have been thinking up creative ways to be there for you when it's not physically possible.
You're going to love what we've come up with!
First, please watch this important video message from
CORA CEO & President, AnnMarie Schultz.
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"Rise above difficulties and go straight on.
With courage let us give ourselves entirely to the good of souls."
St. Mary Euphrasia, Conferences, p.436
CORA is dedicated to serving children and families even in the most challenging of times. Many of you have asked how you can help. Your support at this time will help us keep our staff employed and provide emergency funds for clients in need. Help ensure that we can continue the level of personal attention you have come to love from CORA!
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COMMUNITY SERVICES CHECK-IN
Introducing YouthCOR@Home
As you may know, YouthCOR is the name of CORA's Outside School Time programming that takes place at 8 different sites, serving nearly 500 youth across the city. Unfortunately, these programs have been on hold since March 16th. The brightside is that our YouthCOR staff have been cooking up a plan!
B
eginning April 6, YouthCOR will be bringing its fun, engaging programs right into the homes of our students! YouthCOR@Home will utilize Google Classrooms and YouTube Live to bring virtual programming to YouthCOR students. Log on between the hours of 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. and just like in the regular program, there will be enthusiastic staff with silly songs, stories, games, cooking activities, STEM and art clubs, and more. There will even be social emotional learning activities with our prevention team!
Not available during program hours? YouthCOR staff will be posting pre-recorded videos and resources that students can use to be engaged and enriched at home at any time.
This particular time in the world is unpredictable and trying for all of us, especially parents. Parents will have a place at YouthCOR@Home too with our Parent Lounge classroom! Roxanne Green will be creating videos and posting resources to support parents as they navigate this challenge.
Where is YouthCOR headed next?
Listen closely, we have some messy information to share with you! YouthCOR's Summer Camp
theme this year is "Mess Fest"!
YouthCOR Summer Mess Fest 2020 is coming your way soon
with an exciting, slimy explosion of science experiments and activities promoting literacy! YouthCOR summer camps are free programs. There is a $25 enrollment fee for the 6-week program which meets 5 days a week and includes breakfast, lunch and a snack.
Stay tuned to our newsletters and social media sites for more sticky information on how to register!
Information submitted by:
Rebecca Channing,
21CCLC Supervisor
Stacy Leonard, Managing Director, Community Services
Olga Stanislavova, OST Program Director
YouthCOR staff love
their kids...
And we've been feeling
the love back!
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CLINICAL SERVICES CHECK-IN
Our referral lines are open and we are accepting new referrals for services!
CORA's Clinical Services Division remains committed to supporting our community. Our innovative Clinical Services team will continue to work through quarantine by providing tele-health services
. C
ounselors and case managers are virtually serving their clients through tele-counseling, tele-psychiatry and video chatting. "How-to" videos have even been created to assist clients with applying for benefits to ensure they're covered during this uncertain time.
Speaking of going virtual:
IPS
CORA's Intensive Prevention Services team has also transformed their program to become 100% virtual! Group sessions are continuing to run 5 days a week, and counselors have even set up"drop-in" times where clients can chat with them individually.
It doesn't end there...
Staff have been quick to identify needs and creative solutions. One example of a great idea that our staff made happen FAST is, "IPS Survival Kits"! Last week, the
IPS staff assembled kits for their students filled with headphones,
adapters
, meditative coloring sheets, colored pencils, stress toys and more, which will be delivered to them.
Change can be a challenge, but it's clearly no match for TEAM CORA!
Our referral lines are open!
If you or family members need support, we're here for you! Also, if you need a service we do not provide, we can refer you to an agency that can help!
Phone: 215-342-7660
Information submitted by:
Kaitlin Kozole,
IPS Case Manager
Lindsay Cohen,
Clinical Supervisor/Manager
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SCHOOL SERVICES CHECK-IN
RELATED SERVICES
Sometimes in the midst of uncertain times, glimmers of light emerge.
That certainly occurred recently between CORA and one of its largest partners in the school system - charter schools. Over the past 10 years, CORA has worked with Mastery Charters in Philadelphia, PA and Camden, NJ as well as many other well known charter schools across the City of Philadelphia, to develop an excellent model of service delivery for Speech, Occupational Therapy, Psychology & Physical Therapy.
About two weeks ago, when all schools were ordered to shut down, we immediately began contacting our partner schools. What we found right away was a clear desire on their part to reach out to their students with Individualized Education Plans. While all public/charter schools could not present direct instruction, Mastery and others asked CORA's related services staff to develop activities, exercises, hand-outs etc. that could be given to parents to help them, while they have their children at home. Setting up regular check-ins with parents to give ideas and support was also discussed.
The Speech, OT and PT staff immediately conducted virtual meetings to brainstorm creative ideas. Separate meetings were held to develop ways to help with Psychological evaluations that needed to be completed. All along there was on-going back & forth sharing of ideas on how we could support the parents.
As of this week, these support services have been launched and have been very well received by parents and school staff. It has been a clear "win-win-win' during this difficult time--CORA has been able to keep their staff very busy to help one of our largest partners and help the families we serve (which is what it is all about).
From all of our partners, we have experienced a strong desire to keep working with CORA in order to help their students. We are grateful that
during confusing times, our true connections can be strengthened.
EARLY INTERVENTION
The CORA EI team is gearing up for an exciting venture during these interesting times.
With the approval to begin tele-intervention, the team has been busy determining caseloads, collaborating on ideas and supporting families. These are the situations that test our families, test our therapists and test CORA. However, the dedication and willingness to use this time to be a "helper" shines bright in this group. Ready or not, EI will be coming to a family near you and our dedication to serving families and enriching their childrens' development is stronger than ever before.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
The CORA Training Center
has quickly pivoted to respond to our changing environment. By meaningful collaboration and a desire to keep close our friends in learning, we were able to virtualize all of the remaining events scheduled, along with adding a few new and relevant topics presented by CORA's own experts.
Get ready to engage, provide feedback, earn credits, and learn in the comfort of your remote set-up at home.
While we count the days until we can gather again, for now, when life gives us lemons, we'll be making lemonade (to enjoy while we we do remote PD! )
Information submitted by:
Dr. Paul Haughton, Psychology Director
Erica Dura, School Services Administrator
To contact our School Services department:
Call: 215-342-7660
ENROLL NOW IN CORA'S
EARLY YEARS SUMMER PROGRAMS!
Our Early Years staff have been communicating with their students and families regularly to keep the children engaged! Kids were thrilled to receive phone calls, video messages and even song recordings from their teachers!
They've also been preparing for fun and educational summer programming at all three locations. If you aren't already following, please visit the Early Years pages on Facebook (Fox Chase, La Salle and Huntingdon Mills) for excellent resources from our early education staff as well as updates about the programs.
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On March 7, 2020, the CORA Services building at 8540 Verree Road magically transformed into the imaginative world of
Dr. Seuss!
From the moment you walked up our steps, you were greeted with an explosion of fun, from bubbles and Dr. Seuss music, to of course all of the lovable Seuss characters like Horton, the Lorax, the Cat in the Hat and the Grinch!
With more than 15 children's games throughout the building, each carefully created to promote literacy, we were able to successfully host 300+ families during this fun-filled event. Games such as "The Wheel of Opposites" and "Wocket in my Pocket", hand-crafted by CORA staff, helped to develop and strengthen children's reading and problem solving skills. Games were incentivized with fun prizes that kids could take home, encouraging them to succeed and move on to accomplish the lesson at the next station.
Seussville was designed to shift a child's focus from when they "learn to read" to when they "love to read". Foundational reading skills need to be built in the early years of a child's life s
o it is not more difficult for them to keep up in later years.
Check out some of these fun photos from Seussville 2020!
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As you know, things are changing quickly and we do not yet know enough to know fully, how this year's Golf Classic will be affected. We promise to keep you posted! In the meantime, if you are able, we encourage you to
register because whenever it takes place, this event will be very popular again and
WE WANT YOU BACK!
Thanks very much to those who have already committed! Questions?
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CORA's COVID-19
Updates and Resources
We have been monitoring the COVID-19 Crisis, and have put together a list of resources and articles. You can find them by visiting our
website:
Here is a beautiful children's story about social distancing, written and illustrated by Allison Talbot, CORA School Psychologist!
Click Link Below:
CORA Free Events
In addition, CORA has been using
Facebook Events as a means of connecting you to exciting events and educational activities for all ages. From taking a Virtual Reality 360 Safari ride, to building a homemade kite, we've thought of it all for you.
See below for an example of just a few of many events we have lined up for you and your family.
Information Submitted by:
Brett Cohen, Marketing and Communications Associate
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