Championing Care for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Determined to play a critical role and provide empathetic and innovative services for families raising children with autism spectrum disorder, Envision Unlimited is embracing those families and taking action to break barriers and make a lasting difference.

“We want to provide meaningful care and new hope for these families,” said Danielle Gender-Walters, Ph.D., BCBA-D, Director of the Behavior Analysis Department.

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after diagnosis, added Gender-Walters.

But as more children are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, Envision Unlimited is disrupting the space. Our organization’s ABA Therapy Program is aggressively moving to provide resources to Chicagoland families. Research shows that the earlier children receive therapy, the better their outcomes in life. In 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that one in 44 children were diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, an increase from the early 2010s when it was one in 68.

Through the Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) Therapy Program, Envision Unlimited is disrupting the cycle. The organization is poised to significantly increase the numbers of families receiving this highly individualized and impactful care, thanks to its creative solutions in finding ways for families to access services due to complicated legislative requirements and insurance obstacles.

Historically, families raising children with autism — or searching for a proper diagnosis — have been on a waiting list and struggled for better access to behavioral health care because of expensive therapy solutions and a fragmented and polarized insurance landscape. Compounding the challenges, there is concern that children from Black and Latinx homes are not diagnosed early enough-and do not have convenient access to therapy

Last year we saw a breakthrough as Illinois legislation will pave the way for increased access to our ABA Therapy program. The law created more provider options by adding Medicaid coverage for this new type of treatment. While waiting for this to go into effect, Envision Unlimited already is seeing an increase in referrals by meeting Medicaid requirements that most providers have not been able to do.

“This has been significant for those families with great barriers to care,” said GenderWalter, explaining that “many of our South Side neighbors have been especially hard hit.” Giving hope, support, and paths of progress for children and their families living with autism and related disorders is the goal. The Envision Unlimited program is created to be convenient for all families through one-onone in-home and virtual online sessions with children and training for their caregivers.

In the midst of a mental health crisis, Envision Unlimited continues to step up with new, unique ways to cultivate resources and build better mental wellness for an often-overlooked population of people with disabilities.

With our comprehensive, individualized approach, clients with serious and persistent mental illness living in long-term care facilities and nursing homes are making significant transitions. Over the last year, 78 transitioned to the community from institutional settings, doubling the number of individuals served.

“We’ve played a key role in the State’s strategic plan for deinstitutionalization of the mental health system,” said Envision Unlimited President and CEO Mark McHugh. “With services including housing assistance, clients can return to their communities where they can lead healthy and productive lives.”

Consider these breakthroughs:

• Trauma-informed mental health services for our most vulnerable neighbors who have experienced home or community violence.

• Mental health services now available for families in Chicago Public Schools and women through integrated living community-based programs.

• An expanded safety net for people with no

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Minds and Creating a Safety Net for People with Mental Health Issues

insurance, Medicaid or who cannot pay outof-pocket expenses to prevent health issues escalating to hospitalization or a higher level of care, like a nursing home.

• Our Mental Health Recovery Drop-In Center brings people with mental illness together in a non-clinical space to socialize, participate in recreational activities and field trips, and learn new skills. Peer mentors who are advanced in their recovery, work with clients to support successful community integration.

• Team-based, on-call 24/7 services for higher-need clients with acute psychiatric conditions, who have not responded well to traditional mental health services, and typically experience multiple hospitalizations, incarceration, intense poverty, and homelessness.

• Our new mental health center serves a growing population of people with psychiatric issues with individual and group therapy, case management, and a wide variety of skill building groups through our day program, and employment services.

Mental health conditions are treatable. At Envision Unlimited we remain committed to a resiliency and recovery model that helps people achieve their highest potential.

Groundbreaking Expansion for the Elderly with Disabilities

The housing crisis has been felt far and wide, but it hasn’t affected everyone equally. For many elderly people, especially those with limited resources and disabilities, the search for a home can be even more of an uphill battle — the already minuscule pool of housing options further reduced by care and accessibility needs.

It’s a clarion call for change inspired by the fast-growing senior population. More than 46 per cent of people aged 60 years and over have disabilities and more than 250 million older people experience moderate to severe disability, according to the United Nations Department of Social and Economic Affairs. There are real and profound challenges. But with the groundbreaking in April 2022 of the Dream Home, an ADA-compliant group home in Chicago’s Auburn Gresham neighborhood for seniors with disabilities, Envision Unlimited is creating a new vision for older adults with disabilities who need access to affordable housing, health equity and care.

“It’s a real milestone in our efforts to serve our most vulnerable,” said Mark McHugh, President and CEO. “As our state faces a severe crisis in housing, essential projects, like this development, are critical to ensuring a place for seniors to call home, where they can receive compassionate support and focus on our resident’s medical and mental health concerns.”

The home fulfills a long-held dream for Envision Unlimited. Its construction will enable seniors who are currently living in one of the group homes to age in place rather than move to a nursing home.

Generous support from donors has been received. In addition to cash contributions, in-kind donations include architectural, engineering, interior, civil, electrical, landscaping, environmental design and general contracting services, along with bricks, bricklaying, roofing, windows and doors, lighting, plumping fixtures, tile, granite countertops; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning and installation labor for more donated materials.

The home is expected to be completed in 2023.