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Child Guidance Center operates in its new home at old Mercy site
By James Borden, CORRESPONDENT 03/29/2006
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HAVERFORD TWP. - They moved in four months ago - late December of last year - and
the official ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring Congressman Curt Weldon won't happen
for another month.
Not that it matters; the new headquarters of the Child Guidance Resource Center,
which turned 50 this year, has been operating at full capacity for a while now, a
recent move and uncut ribbons regardless.
Occupying the former site of Havertown's Mercy Hospital on Old West Chester Pike,
the non-profit organization's new home plays host to a variety of behavioral service
programs. These include everything from a full-time special education learning program
for children whose needs are unable to be met by public schools to socialization
exercises for those afflicted with autism.
Kevin Olivo, director of the center's school, said one of its main goals is to re-integrate
students fully back into the school districts.
"We want to continue building nonstop, add more autistic programs and bring
in students from even more school districts," Olivo said.
In addition to the standard educational services offered at the center, there are
also several socialization programs aimed at helping autistic children adapt to a
variety of social situations.
"One of the things we do is dance movement therapy," said Gabby Desnouee,
director of specialized services. "It helps make them more aware of physical
boundaries, and the music makes it fun for them."
Desnouee said they make an effort to teach the children the appropriate way to act
in public, not just through pointing out mistakes, but showing them the right way
to do things.
Brad Barry, the center's CEO, said the desire to service more children with programs
such as these was one of the main motivations behind moving into the new facility.
The organization currently operates 25 different programs in 23 different locations
throughout southern Pennsylvania, Barry said, and will soon begin working in Delaware
as well. Through its variety of offerings, Child Guidance Resource Center serves
more than 3,000 children, adolescents and families throughout the region.
Barry said the new, 40,000 square foot site is a consolidation of several smaller
offices from throughout Delaware County, and was acquired to accommodate the organization's
recent expansions.
"We now employ more than 350 professional, clinical and administrative staff,"
Barry said. In addition to its size, the location also played a crucial role in choosing
the property.
"It's a convenient site for all of our service markets, our strategic plan covers
a 50-mile radius and this is a great access point, with the Blue Route and a lot
of public transportation so close by," Barry said.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony, scheduled for 2 p.m. on April 23, will offer area residents
a peek inside the new facilities and a number of information sessions on topics ranging
from autism to the organization's summer programs.
"We want everyone to come out, see our new home and meet the people who work
here," Barry said.
©News of Delaware County 2006 |
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