L to R: Amy Rubacky, Dr. Trish Gibson, & Kathi Wilson
getting the HELP you need in your COMMUNITY Last August, AMY RUBACKY relocated her family from Washington, DC, to the Lake changing world Norman area. As a pediatric nurse with more than 30 years of experience (and three children of medicine, we who have special needs), Amy was familiar have access to more with “the niche network.” She went in search of an in-home behavior intervention specialized treatment specialist to work with her eldest child’s than ever before. But anxiety. Amy knew that meeting a child in their home environment allowed the sometimes it is more practitioner access in a way an office setting than the diagnosis. could not. In “their” space the child is more relaxed, and you see the whole How does a community family unit—it is indeed the whole family become aware of that is affected. Amy contacted a local counseling center that referred her to Dr. the niche group of Trish Gibson.
I N TO DAY ’ S
specialists that are beyond the family
medical doctor, the psychiatrist/psychologist, or school system? They do exist; they treat the whole family; and very often they make all the difference in a successful outcome. Three local professionals share their story …
DR. GIBSON began working with Amy’s teenager to provide weekly in-home sessions based on the teen’s individual needs. A retired school principal and instructional specialist, Dr. Gibson has spent the last fifteen years focusing on student behavior (specifically positive behavior interventions). She realized that being reactive to a child’s behavior (yelling, suspending from school, etc.) were ineffective strategies; she believes in a proactive approach. Last fall, Dr. Gibson began Lake Norman In-Home Behavior Interventions to assist individuals and families struggling with
behavioral dysfunction in the home and at school. As Dr. Gibson visited Amy’s home to work with one child, Amy mentioned she needed an educational advocate, an expert in the North Carolina school system, to help with her son, who has dyslexia, as he transitioned from private to public school. Enter KATHI WILSON, MA, MEd—Kathi is a retired educator with experience as a teacher, counselor, and administrator. She possesses a driving passion to support exceptional children, their parents, and their teachers through her company KSW Educational Concepts. Amy reached out to Kathi when it became apparent that going from a small, special needs private school to a public middle school would be quite the challenge. Kathi was able to create a tailored plan that met everyone’s needs, making the transition a smooth and successful one. For Amy, finding these outstanding local resources was only possible due to her experience with her own children and her background as a pediatric nurse. Amy’s private practice here in Lake Norman, Pediatric Nurse Navigator, helps families obtain access in a timely manner to the specialists they need. She is also connected with the new pediatric emergency room opening in late 2018 at Novant Huntersville Hospital—complete with all the pediatric subspecialty areas of medicine. “It was only recently,” Amy shares, “that I drove my youngest to Duke for an intractable 18-day migraine because I knew where the migraine specialist resided … the folks in our community are unaware of the lack of pediatric specialists, so as a member of the steering committee for the new ER, I am looking forward to the HUGE need for a Pediatric Nurse Navigator.”
Dr. Trish Gibson is an emotional and behavioral intervention specialist at LKN In-Home Behavior Interventions (LKNinhomebehaviorinterventions.com). Amy Rubacky is a registered nurse and the owner of Pediatric Nurse Navigator (pediatricnursenavigator.com). Kathi Wilson is an education advocate at KSW Educational Concepts (ksweducationalconcepts.com).
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50 LKN
| JULY 2018
Photography By: Chelsea Bren