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‘In Case You Missed It’ Highlights – 10/31

‘In Case You Missed It’ Highlights – 10/31

October 31, 2022
Happy Halloween! That’s a wrap for October. Before we go full Thanksgiving and holiday cheer decorations, we are celebrating the creative costumes from the children and adults who utilize our services. Plus, we are recognizing those who passionately help the people we support day in and day out. And our Early Head Start team shared their work at a national conference. Keep scrolling!
 
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Halloween Highlights with Costumes and Treats
 
Nothing spooky to see here. It was all smiles and fun at our pediatric service location in Torrance. Thanks to the help of Assisteens, we kicked off the week of costumes on Sunday. Fast forward to Thursday – dozens of children and families once again made their way to our clinic for treats and enriching items. Thank you to all who attended and to those who volunteered their time, making each event special.
Meanwhile, we put out the call to get creative this season and people stepped up! At Chatsworth, we saw a number of costumes that incorporated their chair; talk about adaptive design. We love it! Cheers to all the staff who have made it a successful spirit week. Check out the photos below!
 
Physical Therapist Spotlight: Rachel K.
 
What do you want people to know about the therapies you provide?
“I want people to know that physical therapy can benefit a wide variety of children and that it really is a collaborative process between the therapist, the child, and the parent. Pediatric therapists are trained to be able to identify and understand the barriers to a child achieving the ‘typical’ milestones, however, it is family unit and child working with the therapist that determines the goals and works to help the child achieve their greatest potential.”
 
What do you think about the Momentum PTN physical therapy department?
“I have truly enjoyed working in the Momentum PTN PT department. All of the therapists care about the children coming here and go above and beyond to provide the best care possible. Working in this environment fosters my creativity and helps me to be the best therapist I can be.”
 
What is the biggest misconception about physical therapy or physical therapists?
“One of the biggest misconceptions about physical therapy that I have experienced is that physical therapists are only for injured individuals. While physical therapy can be beneficial for injury recovery, physical therapy can be beneficial for so much more. Physical therapists can work on developing skills and more efficient movement patterns within those skills that will allow both children and adults to be able to accomplish everything they want to.”
 
What should parents ask physical therapists when figuring out a plan for their child?
“One thing that parents should ask physical therapists when figuring out a plan for their child is what are the building block steps or skills that their child needs to master that will allow them to achieve their bigger goals and how they can work on these skills at home.“
 
What are your favorite hobbies and activities outside of Momentum PTN?
“One of my favorite hobbies outside Momentum PTN is cycling. The bike allows me to explore so much more of the world than I could ever see by foot or by car as well as pushing me physically and mentally.”
 
What are your favorite tools to implement in your physical therapy sessions?
“One of my favorite tools to implement in my physical therapy sessions is an obstacle course as it can be adjusted and changed to meet the needs and interests of the child.”
 
Celebrating Dedication & Passion
We are recognizing staff members who have achieved milestone anniversaries with Momentum this year. These direct support professionals, therapists, teachers, and support staff are the heart and soul of this organization. We are grateful for their dedication and passion. We invite you, our supporters, to share your gratitude or even just a warm sentiment with a note, token of appreciation, or verbal congratulations next time you see them. Families and friends can send their good wishes directly to the home or clinic where the staff member works.
 
25 Years
Lucrecia I. Villafana
Verania J. Kostelny
Terry Emanuel
April Karley Fazio
 
20 Years
Frederick H. Macdonough
Rosa G. Arias
Magdalena Canas
 
15 Years
Rowena B. Barcega
Raul Hernandez
Carlos M. Alfaro
Marcela M. Austria
Betty Diaz
Karina Hernandez
Beatriz Briones
Carmen Gonzalez De Bernal
Lidia Pineda
Sandra Bahena
Denisse Duenas
 
10 Years
Blanca Lizet Navarro
Amy Simons
Megan Henry
Gely A. Espadas
Maria D. Roman
Adilene Lopez
Maria P. Medina
Roger G. Carrillo Jr.
 
5 Years
Micaela Escobedo
Aracely P. Cedano
Maritza J. Zaldana
Marlen Mejia
Wilfredo D. Jose
Mary Jane R. Rabe
Eduardo R. Dumas Domwing
Tatyana S. Chessani
Angelina A. Pacol
Genoveva Sierra
Nicholle A. Cash
Cameron L. Smith
Viola A. Patak
Evelyn Peterson
Daishana L. Hannah
Mary A. Gladness
 
 
Momentum’s Early Head Start Shares Knowledge
 
We had the honor of both attending and presenting at the “Family Engagement and Cultural Effectiveness Conference” held in Kailua Kona, Hawaii earlier this month. Six Momentum team members, including our Board Chair Dr. JJ Levenstein, travelled to present a workshop entitled “Enhancing Your Program’s Inclusive Practices.” With over 500 providers attending, we were thrilled to present our approaches and launch our consultation services while also learning from the experiences of other program administrators who are working hard for their own communities. Our team spoke about innovative concepts of universal design in curriculum and creating an environment that supports diverse learning approaches and sensory processing. This included a resource unique to our team — Board Chair, Dr. JJ Levenstein provided guidance on ways to navigate diagnoses and advocate with doctors and the medical community on behalf of families. Dr. Levenstein provided much needed encouragement and empowerment to our audience of providers and parents, while establishing connections to other programs that will continue far beyond our conference experience.
 
Fellowship, idea sharing, and connections were plentiful as we met colleagues and worked together to address challenges faced by families and providers around the country. We are also grateful have to spend time with leaders from the Office of Head Start, who continue to guide our understanding of new opportunities for federal funding that may expand the impact of our current services and pave the way for new ones. It was an extraordinary honor to represent Momentum, as well as the families and children of our community. 
 
 
 
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