The department provides bio-psychosocial services to children and adolescents with disabilities and mental health conditions with an aim of supporting them to reach and sustain their optimal level of functioning while ensuring their inclusion into the society.
VISION
A society inspired by Hospitality, where the potential of each individual is achieved
MISSION
To identify, respond and support the needs of children and adolescents with disabilities and mental health conditions including their parents/guardians in the manner of Saint John of God using right based approach.
PROGRAMS
Portage service
It is a family focused home based programme delivered by parents in their natural environment. The program targets children with disabilities from the age of 0 to three years. The key to its success for this program is partnership approach between staff and parents. The department’s emphasis is on empowering parents with necessary skills to guide their children through early development but also train volunteers as home visitors who facilitates awareness in the community about the portage service.
Sensory Motor Rehabilitation service
This is a bio psychosocial service targeting children and adolescents with disabilities from the age range of 4-15 years. The program majorly enrolls children in portage who did not achieve milestones. Other clients are referred from other service providers. The services are provided through clinics in their communities twice a month.
Postural management
The program focuses on provision of assistive devices to children and adolescents with physical disabilities. Some of the examples are prosthetics, orthotics, adaptive chairs, walkers, corners sits, toilet sit, standing frames, wheel chairs etc.
Child and adolescent psychiatry services
The program focuses on children and adolescents with mental health issues. The department uses bio psychosocial approach in addressing the needs of clients identified.
Nutrition program
The program provides nutrition services such as nutrition supplementation to children with acute malnutrition, assessment and referral to other health providers for nutrition supplementation and training of caregivers/parents in nutrition.
Elvira institute of special needs education
The institute provides special needs education to children with special needs from the age range of 3-15 years. The institute is in three sectors; preschool, primary school and pre-vocation center. The institute is transitory in nature. This means that children do not write Government exams at the center instead they are referred to mainstream primary schools in order to learn together with their colleagues. Those with significant academic difficulties are oriented to the pre-vocation training programs for a maximum of 3 years in order to prepare them for vocation training program.
Respite care program
It is a program that mainly targets parents/guardians of children with severe and profound learning, intellectual and physical disabilities with an aim of providing them with a short relief. Thus when children are accessing the services at the department the parents/guardians are able to participate in socioeconomic activities hence improve their families.
Sports and recreation
The program provides different kinds of recreation and sports such as Special Olympics, Paralympics, unified sports and music and dance.
Other services
Other services provided to children and adolescents with disabilities and mental health conditions including their families include; pastoral care support, psychosocial support including positive parenting skills program, life skills and child rights.