Kids Connect today offers social skills classes for children, teens and young adults with autism.

HorseTherapy Center is devoted to bettering the lives of children with special needs by providing some horse powered fun! In addition to our hippotherapy program, where we offer physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy, we also have been able to provide our Breeders’ Cup SummerCamp in 2021, 2022, and upcoming in 2023! This camp will be a half day camp where our campers get to experience therapist lead equine-assisted activities, sensory trails, music, arts and crafts, life skills cooking activities, and story time with one-to-one child-to-counselor ratios. This camp is put on by our clinical team, and counselors are Masters in Speech-Language Pathology students from JacksonvilleUniversity - Palm Coast Location. Last year, we were fortunate enough to be supported by HEAL to do the Breeders’ Cup Special Needs Camp free of charge for our campers!

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Many children in Northeast Florida are unable to access fun summer activities simply because of theirdiagnosis, personal care needs and/or behaviors. For the last 20 years, we have been fighting for therights of people with developmental disabilities. At Henderson Haven's Camp Possible (as well as ALLour programs), we believe in the potential of each camper and their abilities. We rely on communitypartners to help us fund these enrichment activities for families in Northeast Florida. Each week willhave a different theme which will provide campers with an awesome fun summer experience. We willutilize community resources and volunteers to enhance the experience.

Henderson Haven, Inc is seeking funds to support our 6-week summer day camp experience, CampPossible 2023. Funds will help provide learning in a fun environment while promoting age-appropriatesocial skills. Funds will also be used for art & craft activities, music therapy, waterplay activities,puzzles, games, and Friday Funday experiences.

The "Snoezelen" room is a combination of two Dutch words that mean "to explore" and "to relax". It is aunique environment for individuals who live with sensory processing disorders. It's a space where theycan control their surroundings.
Snoezelen room is a multi-sensory environment that offers therapeutic benefits for individuals on theautism spectrum and people of all ages who need help managing anxiety or sensory overload.Snoezelen multi-sensory environments are spaces, intended to be relaxing, that help reduce agitationand anxiety, but also engage and delight the user, stimulate reactions and encourage communication.The room offers a relaxed atmosphere with pleasant surroundings, soothing sounds, captivatingaromas, tactile experiences, massage and vibration, and gentle movement.

In this room, it’s completely safe and they are not being told no. They can come in here and they canjust explore as much as they want. It can calm and relax or it can stimulate. It’s all about engaging thesenses.
The individuals served by the BASCA Life Skills Program are individuals with mobility issues, autismand individuals with other more involved physical and behavioral disabilities that require a therapeuticprogram room in order for them to be able to be worked with more effectively.

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The  funds will be used to create a sensory garden for our students.  We would love to have planter boxes, soil,  plants, and tools so out students may explore while learning about the  environment.  So many of our students  enjoy the dirt and the sensory satisfaction and this is a perfect opportunity  for us to teach a functional skill.  We  also will utilize the funds to keep up with much needed sensory toys that  continue to be outdated and broken over the years.  Calming cubes and cube chairs are also on  the list as we have tried to get from district although have not been  successful.

As  part of the day program, BIG North Florida community members will participate  in part-time employment job training, which is aimed at providing a variety  of creative and meaningful work opportunities for our members.  Work opportunities will include making  screen-printed items and creative gift baskets incorporating many artisan  items like infused olive oils, soaps, fragrances, and uniquely designed  mugs/glasses.  These items will be sold  both online and in our local community.     Heal Grant funds will be used to purchase the necessary equipment and  supplies to enhance our small business ventures.

Since  we do not currently charge for our riding participants, the HEAL grant will  help fund our School Year Adaptive Riding and Equine-Assisted Learning  programs.  We will also use funds to  pay for our movie outings, recreational events and for Caregiver Respite  meetups.

BridgeHaven  Academy is seeking grant funding to support our wellness / recreation  initiatives.  Many of our students  struggle with motor control and intentional movement, and therefore often do  not have the opportunity to participates in games and sports.  Grant funds will be utilized to purchase  much needed exercise equipment, which will provide our students with the  opportunity to develop new skills.   Benefits will include increased motor control; purposeful movement;  gross and fine motor skill development; socialization; and wellness.    Our goal is to acquire a variety of outdoor sports equipment through HEAL  grants and donors and create an outdoor exercise area.  We intend to name this area in honor of  HEAL’s sponsorship and commitment to our programs.

The  BridgeHaven Communication Clinic has been in operation since 2020, and over  the past three years has grown and thrived.   We are seeking funding for several reasons in order for our program to  continue to serve this community.     In an effort to expand our services to the community of typers and  spellers, the BridgeHaven Communication Clinic would like to offer ongoing  workshops to current and potentially interested families in the Jacksonville  area.  These workshops would be led by  our trained and accredited Facilitated Communication and Spelling 2  Communicate staff, and would be focused on implementing best practices,  developing fluency, and increasing individual independence.      Moreover, as our clinic continues to grow in name, reputation, and size, we  continue to receive requests for services from individual families that  cannot financially afford proper evaluations and coaching sessions.  We are hoping to secure funding to provide  financial assistance to these families so that funding is no longer a barrier  to individual communication.  The  financial assistance will be awarded to those families in need as determined  during the intake process, overseen by our Clinic Director.    Lastly, grand funds will be utilized to purchase the necessary equipment  for new typers and spellers, including Ipad stands and letter boards.

Funds  will help the students to continue to learn to grow visually with being able  to watch video's as a class together. To build social interaction to be able  to discuss what they learned about.     Some students also learn with being hands on and this will also help  enhance their education.

Adding adaptive seating and technology to my classroom for my students

Grant  funds will specifically be used to fund lessons for 7 children from our  clinic.

Facilitated  Communication is a valuable tool to provide people with autism and other  diagnoses which present barriers to communication to have a voice.  As one of our participants used to say/type  "no longer a quiet person".   Staff at Henderson Haven have been on the journey of supporting people  to access Facilitated Communication since 2015.  Sherri Henderson and Marla Henderson began  coaching in 2017.      Currently, Sherri Henderson is an  accredited coach and in the final portion of Trainer accreditation.  Many of the families in the Clay County area  have been unable to consistently access the only other services in the Ponte  Vedra area.  Henderson Haven is working  to expand their ability to provide Facilitated Communication to more  "quiet" people in our community. The funds we are requesting will  offset the costs to serve 15 current participants in Henderson Haven programs  and then branching out to others in our community.

Henderson  Haven provides a unique opportunity for students before and after school and  through school breaks.  Most of the  students in our programs come to us after being turned away from other  opportunities due to their diagnoses, personal care needs or behavioral  issues.  Henderson Haven's after school  program has been facing a lot of funding shortages while trying to keep  services affordable for families.  The  after-school program receives no state or insurance funding.  With the cost of labor increases over the  last 2 years, we are relying on community partners and private donations to  help us keep our program fresh, equipment up to date and safe.

Hope  Therapy’s immediate need is scholarship funding which is hugely driven by two  factors.  First is the gap that has  been created since Florida did not adopt a Medicaid expansion program to  continue coverage for eligible participants beyond the Families First  Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). Terminations began in April 2023 for those  participants who no longer qualified for Medicaid benefits.  Many patients that began equine therapy  before and through the FFCRA period are now automatically being terminated  until their individual statuses can be reviewed for eligibility  reinstatement.  The immediate  termination of these benefits has left several of our patients without the  coverage to continue their personalized equine therapy program.  Scholarship funding will allow several  patients to continue their assigned equine therapy treatment program until Medicaid  determination can be re-established.       The second area that is driving the need for scholarship funding is that of  mental health.  Mental health issues  have been on the increase since the start of the pandemic.  We have seen direct evidence of this  through the number of new applications we have received requesting equine  therapy for mental health conditions related to anxiety and depression.   What makes this challenge even more unique  is that in Florida, the Sunshine Health program only covers equine therapy  for those 21 years and older and only covers 10 sessions per year, nor is  equine therapy coverage offered to minors through the Florida KidCare  program.  The majority of new patients  reaching out to our facility are between the ages of 12 and 18.

This grant would go to continued scholarships for our low-income families to participate in hippotherapy  services. At HorsePlay Therapy Center, no child is denied the use  of horses in their therapy services due to ability to pay.

HEAL  Scholarships would provide group and individual art therapy scholarships for  young adults and teens with autism. Group and individual art therapy sessions  are created to support individuals with developing social skills, cultivating  self-care routines, navigating life transitions, and cultivating creative  self-expression.

For  children and adults facing serious disaabilities, the opportunity to play  baseball can be difficult to achieve. Baseball diamonds weren't exactly  designed with wheelchairs and crutches in mind. Miracle League teams play on  a custom-designed synthetic rubberized field that accommodates wheelchairs  and other assistive devices.     Our games are also played under modified rules:     - Every player bats once each inning    - All base runners are safe    - Every player scores a run before the inning is over    - Last batter up hits a home run each inning     - Community volunteers serve as "buddies" to assist the  players    - Each team and each player wins every game    *Safety is our #1 goal. The fun comes naturally!

For  the current school year, JSA is serving approximately 65 students, ranging in  age from 3 to 34, all diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). To  maintain an effective staff-to-student ratio, we employ nearly 75 staff  members. Our primary goal with our Annual Staff Training Program is to equip  our teachers, therapists, and administrative staff with the essential tools  required to facilitate each student's success.     Our training encompasses CPR/First Aid, Professional Crisis Management  (PCM), RBT Certifications (Registered Behavior Technician), and participation  in the Florida Association for Behavior Analysis (FABA) Conference. CPR,  First Aid, and PCM certifications are mandatory for staff working with  students with ASD. We actively support our paraprofessionals in obtaining RBT  certifications under the guidance of our BCBA's or BCaBA's.     Attending the FABA Conference keeps us abreast of the evolving field of  behavior analysis.    Ongoing training is essential to keep professionals updated with the latest  research findings, intervention techniques, and best practices. The field of  autism research and therapy is continually evolving, and staying informed is  paramount for providing the most effective and up-to-date support.    As our student and staff numbers continue to grow, the demand for these  critical training opportunities intensifies. Collaborations with community  partners have played a pivotal role in our expansion.     Presently, we are seeking a $2,500 funding award from the HEAL Foundation  to bolster our $20,000 training budget, exemplifying the transformative  impact of community partnerships on our students' lives.

Grant  funds will be used to offer scholarships to families who cannot afford our  classes.Saturday Social Skills Class series    Friday Night Teen Club series    Budget Details    (one eight-weeks session)    1 class every Friday for eight weeks    1 class every Saturday for eight weeks    Dates for Social Skills Classes    Friday Night Teen Club 7:00-10:00pm (3 hours )    Saturday Social Skills Class 10:00-12:00 pm (2 hours ) 8-Week Saturday  Social Skills Class Series: 10:00am-12:00pm 8 week Friday Night Teen Club  series: 7:00pm-10:00 pm    

Resources  needed for the sensory room:     -Mini Trampoline    -Bean bag chairs    -Noise machine    -Sit n spin    -Padded Floor Mat     -Sensory Pea Pod    Resources needed for sensory supports within the classroom:     - adaptive wobble seats    - kick bands for seats    - noise reducing headphones    - Chewies    - weighted lap pads    - visual timers

Mainspring  Academy seeks to introduce adaptive playground equipment for the sensory  input of our 63 students with autism and intellectual and developmental  differences (IDDs). The purpose of an adaptive playground is to help foster  progress in the self-advocacy and social-emotional development goals  specified in each student's individualized learning plan (ILP), which will  support the mission to provide quality, individualized education in a safe  learning environment where children with IDDs can thrive. In 1995, clinical  psychologist Patricia Wilbarger based the concept of sensory diet  interventions on the assumption that individuals (with or without ASD) need  certain types of sensorimotor experiences (i.e., passive [e.g., weighted  vest, massage], active [e.g., jumping, climbing]) to stay alert, stay  organized, and to successfully participate in many aspects of life. Wilbarger  further proposed that sensory diets can provide controlled sensory input or  utilize already existing sensory input for an individual to maintain a  “regulated behavioral state”. Particularly for students with neurological  disorders such as autism and other developmental and intellectual challenges,  current research on self-advocacy and emotional regulation, increasing  students’ abilities to focus and engage with learning, therefore we expect  students to improve in these areas. Equipment that encourages coordination,  motor development and vestibular and proprioceptive play such as climing,  rocking, creating sounds, riding, and swimming will be integrated into the  playground.

We  have a outside area out back. We have a fire pit and would like to clean up  our back area and get some cornhole and outside games. We have monthly  events for families and would love to have more outside now that the weather  is cooling off.

PossAbilities Plus seeks to serve individuals with autism and related  abilities in our local community. Through our many programs our participants  learn job skills and socials skills to enhance their opportunities to work in  the community. EDCESS drama club is a researched based program that allows  the participants the opportunity to learn to express themselves through many  forms. The program fosters teamwork and problem solving as well.  PossAbilities Plus understands how financially trying it is to live within a  disability bound budget. We strive to keep our programs affordable to all and  to provide scholarships to those in need. Funding from HEAL would allow us to  provide these opportunities to eight individuals this fall.

A  comprehensive program that works well with the students is called the  News2You Unique Learning System (N2Y).   The program help students through visuals, technology and presentation  of material.  It covers four core  academic subjects (Language Arts, Math, Social Studies and Science),  incorporates a library, a database for visual communication and a current  events activities. The grant funds will cover the following for 15 students  for one year.    

The  funds will be used to purchase a variety of adaptive sports equipment for our  Specially Designed PE program that will encourage students to not only get up  and moving, but have fun while doing so!     The Specially Designed PE program has a diverse group of learners, who have  a wide-range of abilities and interests. The funds will be used to motivate  and encourage movement in and out of the classroom.

Our  ASD VE classroom serves students of varying abilities and exceptionalities.  Our primary objectives are the academic advancement of every student and the  development of independent living/life skills. The classroom is home to  students from 9th grade all the way to transition age. We can potentially  have students for a total of 8 years. Because we are publicly funded by the  school board we lack essential equipment to meet each student's individual  needs. Grand  funds will be used to rebuild our sensory/calming corner as well as kitchen  items for living skills.    

These  are the items we believe will help our students: privacy blocker, water  cooler, kinetic sand, sensory toys, noise reduction headphones (3) color  printer, print ink, laminator, markers, hand sanitizer, bean bag  chair, white noise machine, microwave

The  Panther Challenge Transition program is offered to students who have  completed requirements for their  high  school diploma who have not reached the age of 22.  I see it like a college setting where the  main purpose is adult living skills.   We will learn about cooking food, following recipes and kitchen  safety.  Safety in the kitchen is  essential for the student to know to avoid accidents in the kitchen. The  funding would be used to purchase food to cook in the classroom.  Since Transition classes no longer get CBI  money we do not have funds to purchase food with is essential to this  program.  We do run a micro business  selling muffins to faculty and staff but its not enough to allow us to  cook.  On Fridays we all make lunch in  the classroom such as chili, spaghetti, hot dogs and fries to name a few  items.  My students are very interested  in the cooking process which helps them in their quest for independence.

The  funds were are requesting will go towards providing opportunities to take  these students out into the community in order to work on life and social  skills through experience learning. Some of the funding will also go towards  improving the students' work experience while at DIS.

Our  goal is to provide after school and weekend activities throughout the school  year for individuals with autism and related disabilities. Our activities  will include:    Regular Wednesday night Friends Group gathering at Redeemer Church and  other locations throughout the community including Peace of Heart and Bit of  Faith Ranch.  This is a time for  families to come together and enjoy community, music, and Bible Devotions. We  utilize adapted curriculum and object lessons during weekly meetings. Once a  month we will also celebrate the birthdays for that month and have Karaoke  night.    Special Nation at the Movies (partnering with Bit of Faith Ranch) - One  Saturday of every month up to 50 people can gather at the movies in a sensory  friendly, private theater.    Second Sunday Special Praise is an adaptive, family-friendly full church  service with worship, sermon, and communion for all abilities.  This is a very special time for the  community allowing families to go to church together where they find total  belonging and acceptance.    Sensory-Friendly Night to Shine – A prom experience in conjunction with the  Tim Tebow Foundation.    Fall Festival Sensory-friendly Hour - an hour dedicated to families  impacted by disabilities to utilize Fall Festival activities. The  grant funds will be used to pay for half of the movie outings over the school  year, gifts for birthday parties and special occasions, food, sensory items  and equipment, supplies, curriculum and staff for social gatherings.

We are  in need of funding to help provide students with reinforcements, and a  sensory space. We currently operate a store in our department to encourage  desired behaviors.  The students are  able to earn Wolverine bucks to purchase items from the store.  We would like to stock the store with  necessities such as food, clothing, school supplies, fidgets, sweets and  keepsakes. The  grant money will be used to help fund the development of the CSS program at  Westside High School.  We will use the  funds to purchase sensory kits for the classes and sensory room.  We will also use the funds for the  Wolverine store.

I was placed at  Lake Asbury Elementary as the new behavior site coach this year. My main job  is to support the ASD classrooms at Lake Asbury. When the students become too  dysregulated, they can come to my room as a place to de-escalate and calm  down they can come to my classroom. Unfortunately, I do not have many items  to help them regulate. I am requesting funds to set up a sensory room with a  swing, floor tiles, wall tiles, lights, etc for the students to use as they  need.

Our  Extra Special Moms Group, designed & led by Janeen Herskovitz, LMFT &  mom of two neurodivergent young adults, is designed to help special needs  moms adjust to their new normal & receive critical mental health support.  Janeen is grateful to have been able to create, launch & lead this  program while employed with HEAL in 2009, and the program has been running  ever since! Data has been collected over the past decade which has informed  the group curriculum, based on the needs of the group members, as well as  input from the autistic community themselves, which we view as a crucial  component.    Our Adulting 101 group will be the first of it's kind, designed for  neurodivergent and autistic individuals who need help learning the skills  that lead to independence. It is our goal to be able to serve the entire  community, regardless of income. Each program runs for 6 weeks and is lead by  licensed,  clinicians, trained in how  to work ethically with the neurodivergent community.     We have recently hired Starrina Paul, a certified life coach and  non-clinical counselor who works for vocational rehab and is experienced in  helping people with disabilities gain independence. Katherine Scott, marriage  and family therapist, will co-lead the Adulting group to oversee that our  mission and vision are adhered to, as well as provide mental health support. We would  like to offer partial and full scholarships to these programs, as well as  cover supplies including a research based curriculum.