Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/699348
R ATES OF CHILDHOOD DE VELOPMENTAL DISORDERS, SUCH A S AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER ŸA SD¡, CONTINUE TO CLIMB IN MINNESOTA. ST. DAVID'S CENTER FOR CHILD & FAMILY DE VELOPMENT PROVIDES CONVENIENT ACCESS TO COMPREHENSIVE CLINICAL DE VELOPMENTAL DISABILIT Y SERVICES. FI V E Y E A R S OF meticulous planning come to fruition July 20, at the o„cial opening of St. David's Center's newly rei- magined 10-acre campus in Minnetonka. The facility is dedicated to enhancing local behavioral health and early intervention services for children. "For years, we have served our local community from our primary facility, which is housed in a 90-year-old former school bui lding," says Ju lie Sjorda l, Executive Director of St. David's Center. "While we have always o•ered the highest levels of care, we saw the opportunity to further enhance our impact by optimizing the space and expanding it to address the most pressing health concerns in the area." St. David's Center delivers comprehen- sive pediatric services under one roof. The facility's expansion ensures optimal coverage at all points on the continuum of care, but it also addresses areas of unmet need in Minnesota. In 2010, the St. David's Center team conducted a local population health study to inform its strategic plan for the facility's expansion. The team had already flagged ASD as a need, and the study's results emphasized the importance of increased access to behavioral healthcare services and early intervention for the full array of developmental issues. PEDIATRIC THERAPY T h e b u i l d i n g p r o j e c t e x p a n d e d S t . D a v i d 's C e n t e r 's f o o t p r i n t b y 6,800 square feet, relocated community- b a s e d pr o g r a m s t a f f t o a n of f- s it e location, a nd reorga nized a nd repr i- oritized the use of existing spaces. The center a lso opened its new Pediatric Therapy Clinic, which quadrupled the number of assessment and treatment ro om s a nd si g n i f ic a nt ly i ncrea se d its capacity. The Pediatr ic Therapy Clinic ha s 14 treatment spaces, including five speech therapy rooms a nd f ive occupationa l therapy (OT) gyms, one of which Sjordal calls a "super gym," with a climbing wall, zip-line and other activities that can be modified to appropriately challenge each patient and encourage progress. " T her api s t s who u nder s t a nd t he unique needs of the children we work with informed the design of the spaces," Sjorda l says. " The therapy g y ms a re designed to maximize progress on goals with spaces that challenge kids to build the skills they need." Bringing for Children under one Roof BRINGING EARLY INTERVENTION SERVICES BY VALERIE LAUER 0 6 0 6❱❱❱❱❱ C O V E R S T O R Y