Annual Activity Report: 2010-2011
Letter from the Executive Director of Nitzan
Dear Friends,
I am delighted to share with you Nitzan's achievements for the year of 2010-2011. The past year was blessed with an extensive range of activities in all areas of the Nitzan Association: diagnosis and treatment; parents groups and coaching; courses for professionals and parents; rehabilitation programs; and Nitzan Baby, the Center for parents with severe learning disabilities and their children. Existing activities were further established, improved and updated, and new initiatives blossomed. Every year, Nitzan has worked on three main levels. In the traditional areas of activity ― particularly in diagnosis and treatment― Nitzan has deepened and updated work procedures according to today's demands. In newer areas of activity that have been developed over the past few years, Nitzan continued to expand and establish its' status, particularly in working with parents of children with learning disabilities. Finally, new initiatives in all realms of activity were significantly advanced this year.
In the field of parents, after a process of professional training led by Professor Tzipi Shechtman, 12 emotional groups for children began to meet at various branches. As a result of the recent survey conducted by Nitzan, and of the increased awareness of the high rates of emotional and social difficulties in children and adolescents with learning disabilities, the Nitzan Association, for the first time, is offering a response to emotional and social difficulties for the children themselves. Another area that was developed this year was support groups for parents. Results of a research study which compared the feelings of parents who participated in support groups and parents who participated in individual coaching, found the support groups to be more effective. Given these findings, we intend to expand this activity across the country in the coming year, and to train groups of facilitators assigned to this purpose. In the rehabilitation department, a highlight of the year was Nitzan's first adult delegation to ever be sent to Poland, joined by Langdon alumni, on a journey of recognition and learning about the Jewish European Holocaust. The delegation included adults from three Nitzan residential facilities; Nitzan Onim Kfar Saba, Nitzan Rehovot, and Nitzan Tel Aviv. The trip proved to be a resounding success, paving the way for similar trips in the future. The Nitzan Baby Center developed and expanded this year, with the number of families at the Center growing to 30. A fathers' group was introduced to the various support groups that are operated there, providing training and empowerment for parents that come to the Center. In the field of diagnosis and treatment, this year an emphasis was placed on specialization and professionalization of our professional team. Evaluators from each of our 34 branches, from Nahariya to Eilat, underwent specialization courses. Amongst our
courses for professionals, the programs "an expert teacher in remedial instruction and learning disabilities in elementary school", "an expert teacher in remedial instruction and learning disabilities in high school", and "a specialist teacher in remedial teaching in English" were run again, following their previous success. Following our fruitful cooperation with Ashdod municipality, and in light of the positive feedback received about these courses, in the coming year we aim to cooperate with other municipalities in order to meet the growing demand in the educational system, for school teachers to be given the tools to assist children with learning disabilities in their classrooms.
I look back over this past year with satisfaction, and look forward to the challenges that the approaching year will bring in the knowledge that there is much more work to be done. In the new year we will expand our work with parents with an emphasis on advocacy; in all Nitzan branches we hope to recruit parents to create a network of volunteers, who will help and support other parents of children with learning disabilities. We will also launch a program for at-risk young adults who fall between the cracks, to help them integrate into society and the world of work.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my deep gratitude to our generous donors, who help make these projects possible, supporting us in our mission of helping children, youth and adults with learning disabilities, functional difficulties and adaptive problems.
I look to the coming year with hope and determination, that we at Nitzan will do our very best in all fields of activity, to ensure that every child of Nitzan may bloom.
Respectfully Yours,
Dr. Maly Danino
Executive Director
Nitzan
Annual Activity Report: 2010-2011
Diagnosis and Treatment
Nitzan offers diagnoses for learning disabilities and ADHD, consulting services, personal coaching sessions, career counseling services and occupational guidance (in cooperation with the "Everyone Has a Path" center).
The focus in 2010-2011 was the process of professionalization and specialization that carries forward Nitzan's professional committee in the field of diagnosis. During this process, professional criteria were established to evaluate the quality of diagnosis, a clear format was determined for the diagnosis process including a uniform format for writing diagnostic reports, control procedures were developed as well as procedures for counselors that coordinate the diagnoses in the branches; in this way clear procedures were developed for providing feedback and follow- up programs after diagnosis. Once- a- month professional seminars were held for counselors in accordance with the pre-planned program, who then transmitted the content of the seminars to their staff of evaluators at their respective branches.
A new technological literacy project was held this year at Nitzan branches in Ra'anana, Kfar Saba, Nazareth Illit, Ashdod and Ofakim. It was managed in conjunction with Bezeq, Israel's national telecommunications services provider, and NGO Lev Ohev, under the guidance of Dr. Betty Schreiber. The project's goal was to promote technological literacy in the academic and social fields, for students from financially underprivileged families who have learning disabilities and learning difficulties. Following the success of the project, the second cycle is currently underway and is expected to expand in the coming year.
Adults
The Nitzan Plus center for adults with learning disabilities offers a variety of services in various areas. Diagnostic services are offered for learning disabilities and ADHD, provided by the Center's staff and a psychiatric expert, as well as consulting services and personal coaching sessions. Beyond this, career counseling services and career guidance for adults are provided, in cooperation with "Everyone has a path" led by Dr. Orania Yaffa Yanai. Consultancy is provided to the company EZ Way, for psychometric exam preparation, and preparation for "Nitzanei Mehut" at the Kibbutzim College of Education.
In addition, a new project will be launched in the new year, whose aim is to integrate young adults, who are either unemployed or who work in temporary odd jobs and are at social risk, into stable, satisfactory and financially supportive occupations. A further goal is to encourage the development and operation of effective training and placement models that will have a long term impact. The project will address the identification and diagnosis of the population, and will include a development seminar about the world of work and strengthening basic skills, professional placement and support in the workplace. The project will be run with the support of foundations in Israel and abroad.
Parents
This field has gained momentum over the last few years, and each year an increased number of parents of children with learning disabilities turn to us for assistance in coping with parenting challenges. Many intervention programs, as well as professional training, are offered to parents and professionals. This year Nitzan also offered guidance and training for parents and teachers in dealing with conflicts that arise from emotional and social difficulties faced by learning disabled children and adolescent students. In addition, cooperation with the diagnosis and treatment department increased, and consultations are provided to parents at the multidisciplinary center or by telephone. Assistance is offered in conjunction with treatment for children and families according to need.
Three Nitzan intervention programs, "Parents University", individual and couple support groups, and training for parents, also continued to operate this year and the range of activities was expanded in relation to last year. At the "Parents University", a series of lectures were held for the sixth year, in collaboration with Tel Aviv University, in which 110 parents participated. For the first time, at the parents' request, the program this year focused on adolescence and included lectures that addressed typical challenges parents face at these ages. A new program is expected to open in the coming year that will focus on infancy. Parallel to the Parents University, a series of lectures were held at the "School for parents" in Modi'in.
Throughout the year support groups were held in Ashkelon, Tel Aviv and Ramat Gan, according to the "from support to advocacy" model that was developed by Nitzan. Two additional parents groups met for the second year in an online format. In light of the success of the parents' coaching, this year 30 individual coaching sessions and 3 couples training sessions were held in 6 branches across the country. By the end of the year another 17 individual coaching sessions are expected to be held. Most of the individual training courses were held in the framework of coaching courses for training Nitzan parents' coaches. In the coaching programs this year an emphasis was placed on the development of the coaching staff. In this framework, instructors participated in four training sessions on coaching, with Dr. Haviva Ayal, and Dr. Maly Danino.
The activities in groups and in coaching were accompanied by an extensive research study conducted throughout the year 2010-2011, and findings are integrated into today's coaching programs. Additionally, given the effectiveness of the parents support groups, that was proven by the results of the research, the support groups are expected to expand. In order to do this, training groups dedicated to parents' moderators will be opened.
Finally, based on the belief that we must address the tremendous need for emotional support for children, a new domain was developed - emotional group work with children. In October a training program consisting of 15 courses was opened under Prof. Zipporah Schetman's guidance. During the year, 12 groups met at 5 different branches, as well as in schools.
Courses for professionals and parents
The number of courses increased this year; 21 courses were run (including the parents' university) and there were approximately 630 trainees in total. We continued to promote training programs for professionals in group work and training with parents of children with learning disabilities and / or ADHD. As we did last year, we worked to expand the schools themselves and to build courses dedicated to teachers in the school setting. The programs "an expert teacher in remedial instruction and learning disabilities in elementary school", "an expert teacher in remedial instruction and learning disabilities in high school", and "a specialist teacher in remedial teaching in English" were run again, this time as structured programs (not modular like in the past), to allow teachers to complete the program in one year.
Cooperation with Ashdod city council continues this year and a two-year urban course was established. A course was also introduced in Ramot School in Bat Yam, at Ulpanat Tzvia in Hefetz Haim and at Pisga in Petah Tikva. The training programs for professionals, consists of a two- year training program, whereby the specialization courses for coaches are combined as part of the two- year model. In addition, for the first time, a program was opened for groups of students with learning disabilities and ADHD, led by Professor Zipporah Shechtman.
Rehabilitation
This year therapy and consultancy continued to be provided in various Nitzan accommodations. A special emphasis was placed on specialization and staff training.
Staff training: sessions were held on "Behavior Analysis" with Michael Ben-Zvi. Staff from all over the country participated in the training days, and discussed ways in which behavioral analysis may help solve the severe behavioral problems and violence in the social sphere and in the sphere of daily living skills.
The professional staff of "Alone and Together" in Nitzan Rehovot organized a highly successful seminar on "Sexuality - adult population risk assessment." The seminar dealt with the topic of dilemmas, difficulties and doubts over the issue of marriage and sexuality. We will continue to engage on this issue which concerns many of the graduates as well as ourselves, as therapists.
Nitzan Baby: Empowerment and Training Center for parents with learning disabilities, adaptive and functional difficulties- initiative of Tova Segoll
The year 2010-2011 was characterized by enforcing Nitzan Baby as a center of training and empowerment for parents with learning disabilities, parents with various functional difficulties, and parents interested in strengthening their connection with their children and acquiring parenting skills. Throughout the year there were unique training workshops for parents including parents' groups, joint workshops for parents and children, Psychodrama for mothers, a fathers' group, a mothers and babies group, a mothers' dialogue group, a joint workshop, a cooking workshop, and more. The unique structure is being maintained in which the children's groups are run at the same time as the parents' groups; this structure allows all parents to arrive in the afternoons and simultaneously enriches the children. Activities are offered to break the routine - trips, encounters with animals, puppet shows, celebrations of holidays and more.
Retaining the families that come to the center has been determined as an additional goal this year. They have membership cards that were previously introduced and there has been an expansion of benefits for card holders, in order to deepen their ties and sense of belonging to the center, and strengthening the center's position as a place for leisure and socializing. Simultaneously, the absorption of new families into the center continues. As part of this task the center has extended its hours and days of the activity center to provide a wide opportunity for parents to come to the center during the day, afternoon and evening.
A staff psychologist joined the expanding team to facilitate the fathers' group. Furthermore, the center became a training center for students of educational consulting, therapy and other fields (psychodrama, bibliotherapy, art and movement), who commit to volunteering at the center. In addition, the number of adult volunteers has grown.
The Nitzan Baby Center also created more connections in the community - for the first time the Center appears on the Herzliya municipality website under the category "education". Furthermore, the Center made contact with managers of nurseries and day school programs. This allows more exposure and experience working with teams in different educational frameworks. In addition, more contacts were made with baby clinics, child development centers, pediatricians, teachers and welfare officials and officials, and meetings were held with the Rehabilitation Division, Ministry of Social Affairs and relevant departments in the municipality.
Advocacy
Nitzan's Public Relations team ensured that there was ongoing coverage of relevant activities offered at Nitzan throughout the year, and publications of Maly Danino's responses to articles published in the field of learning disabilities. The topic of learning disabilities received much publicity in the media this year, and as a result there was an increase in the number of articles covering the activities of the Nitzan Association both in written literature and broadcast media. A special emphasis was placed on Op-Eds and exposure on what was happening at the branches themselves. Items were published with the aim of exposing the difficulties that are not sufficiently discussed or treated (emotional and social difficulties faced by children with learning disabilities and / or ADHD, the lack of tools, the role of the teachers in dealing with these difficulties, etc.). In the local press, projects and special events held at the branches were extensively covered (the Onim Center, the Alone and Together Center, the Technological Literacy Project, the book launch of "the guide to parents' coaching" etc.). In addition, articles were published in accordance with their relevance throughout the year (at the start of the academic year, before the holidays, etc.). Surrounding Donation Day a large number of items were published in many media outlets: internet; TV; and radio programs, aimed at raising public awareness about learning disabilities, social emotional difficulties that children deal with, and activities that take place within the Nitzan Association.
Special Projects
After the success of an exchange of delegations with the graduates of Langdon in London, we decided to send a representative delegation of our graduates to Poland, joined by Langdon alumni on a journey of recognition and learning about the Jewish European Holocaust. The delegation included adults from three residential facilities; Nitzan Onim Kfar Saba, Nitzan Rehovot, and Nitzan Tel Aviv. They were joined by Nitzan managers of the Nitzan residential facilities and branches, and representatives of Nitzan nationwide. The trip to Poland was preceded by preparatory meetings including a visit to Yad Vashem. The voyage was very successful both in terms of content and social aspects. Participants noted that the journey was a lot more than a trip abroad, and left them with heightened emotions and a greater understanding of what many of their grandparents and families had been through. The success of the trip will mean that more Nitzan adults will make similar trips in the future.
Nitzan Onim in Kfar Saba gained a center a year ago for the absorption of adults in satellite apartments. We hope that this year we will also receive permission of funding for therapeutic apartments and other apartments in addition to satellite housing that will allow us to better assist residents who need a more supportive environment.
In addition, we met with the Rehabilitation Division of Social Affairs in Jerusalem in order to develop other areas of Nitzan. We aim to advance the field of adults in both existing areas and additional areas; this will require wide professional and organizational investment.
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