Health Notes

By Connie Mitchell Photos courtesy of UCP Heartland

Shining a light for people with developmental disabilities, UCP Heartland’s Beacon Behavior Services is now registering patients for Applied Behavior Analysis therapy at its new Community Services North location in Berkeley. “We named the program Beacon Behavior Services because a beacon is a guiding light,” says Kathleen Beach, vice president of marketing and communications. “The lighthouse is the Beacon Behavior Services logo because historically, a lighthouse is a beacon to guide people and help them stay on course.”

The new facility, just southeast of St. Louis Lambert International Airport, houses two day programs and one weekend program. In addition to the Beacon program, the location provides an adult day habilitation program that develops physical, adaptive, intellectual and social skills leading to employment and independent living. The facility’s Saturday Respite Club is designed for students ages 6 to 21.

“We designed our new Community Services North building to allow flexibility for future use and expansion as our service needs change,” says Clint Bolser, UCP Heartland president and CEO. The building, which opened last October and adheres to universal design principles, includes 20,000 square feet of program space with an indoor gymnasium, a computer lab, training kitchens, day program classrooms, therapy rooms and areas to socialize. Employment resources, residential services, family support services and a services navigator program also are administered in the new building.

The Beacon Behavior Services program allows adults with developmental disabilities to engage in functional, meaningful activities and learn new skills through individualized treatment techniques and supports, Beach says. “By utilizing ABA therapy principles, the program provides engaging and stimulating activities that involve repetitive learning with positive reinforcement,” she continues.

The ABA therapy program aims to help young adults with autism and other disabilities transition from school to adulthood. “ABA uses therapeutic

interventions that support positive reinforcement and repetitive skills development targeted to specific behaviors,” Bolser says. “The goal is to improve these behaviors so the program participant can be successful in school, work and life.”

The new program will be directed by a credentialed behavior therapist whose role is to assess clients and create therapeutic plans. The director will be hiring a staff of registered behavior technicians to work directly with clients on their individual plans.

Bolser adds that the program was created in response to community need. “Autism diagnoses have drastically increased over the past 20 years,” he says. “As a result, there is a great need, and we need to be focused on integrating people living with autism into the adult population. UCP Heartland is rising to meet this challenge.” ln