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Therapeutic Services

Bridge to Care (BTC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting both children and adults with disabilities with a focus on rural populations.  The mission statement of BTC is:

“To promote dignity, individuality, independence, personal growth and community 

inclusion for people with Mental-Cognitive, Psychological & Psychiatric disorders”

Currently BTC offers a range of services including day-time, in-home, and overnight respite and transportation services.  

 

The Specialized Services/Rehabilitation Services center will provide: 

  1. Residential services including behavior support, in alignment with the current BTC model,  for adolescents with disabilities. 

  2. Specialized rehabilitation services, also available to the community at large and other BTC clients, will be provided.  These include: occupational therapy, physiotherapy, and speech-language therapy. 

  3. A sensory room will enhance the services of occupational therapy.

  4. Other services under consideration are:

  • Music therapy - has been demonstrated to support further engagement of clients with speech therapy services (Geist,McCarthy, Rodgers-Smith and Porter, 

  • Animal assisted therapy: Animals, like therapy dogs, demonstrate that they can offer physiological, emotional, social, and physical support for children (Friesen, 2009) 

  • Addiction supports

  • Mental health counselling

GOAL OF THE PROGRAM

To provide children/adolescents with the opportunity to engage with behavior support, to promote independence through enhanced medical and rehabilitative activities, to engage in society, to achieve personal goals and to optimize community inclusion and involvement.  Rehabilitation Services will be available for children living with disabilities in the community with the same overall goal

Therapeutic Centre - Fort Assiniboine, AB

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Bright Path Therapeutic Centre - Edmonton, AB

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FOCUS

  1. Physiotherapy:  Focuses on gross motor skills, strength building, endurance, and fitness.  Prevention and reduction of impairments focuses on achieving optimal functional mobility and participation (Houdrow and Murphy, 2019).  The use of adaptive equipment such as braces and other mobility aids including walkers, wheelchairs and lifts prevent the progression of impairments.

  2. Occupational therapy:  In children, occupational therapy seeks to improve engagement and participation in life roles with a focus on tasks that support activities of daily living (Houdrow and Murphy, 2019).  Areas of focus are upper extremity functions, fine motor skills, visual-motor functions, and sensory processing skills.                                                                                        Occupational therapy often utilizes sensory rooms as a treatment modality.  Multi-sensory rooms provide a feeling of relaxation and stimulation by stimulating the senses and movement producing feelings of relaxation and well-being.  The benefits of sensory rooms include: 

Ø  Sensory stimulation

Ø  Improved balance, movement, and spatial orientation

Ø  A sense of comfort and calm to assist with behavioral challenges.

Ø  Engagement of inactive individuals 

Ø  Enhanced learning and play promoting retention of and absorbing more information.

 

  • Speech and language therapy:  Focuses on communication and cognition by enhancing verbal or alternate communication expressive language skills (Houtrow and Murphy, 2019).  

Regular team communication, including parents and caregivers, is important.  Discussion includes updates on the child’s status, the achievement of therapy goals, identification of new goals, the planned cessation of services and family functioning and concerns.

Bridge to Care’s Therapeutic Facilities 

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“Bright Path Therapeutic Centre” & "Fort Assiniboine Therapeutic Centre"  provides services in a therapeutic campus-based treatment facility for special needs clients with developmental, emotional and Behavioural problems. We strive to enhance every youth’s ability to become a contributing member of the community thereby maximizing their potential and improving their quality of life.

 

Both Centers are intensive campus-based treatment program that provides clinical interventions for male and female adolescents, who demonstrate mild cognitive challenges and severe deficits in social competency skills. Diagnostically, these youths present with multiple childhood disorders including; Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Conduct Disorder, Learning and Language Disabilities, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Dissociative Identity Disorder, Social Phobia and Intellectual Disability (borderline intelligence to mild cognitive challenges). Treatment practices follow a behavioral-family systems approach, where social learning methods are used for promoting positive behaviour development. Social skills are taught with the guidance of structured motivational systems that incorporate the use of point cards, skill checklists and genuine praise. There are five main teaching areas:

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  • Self-management skills

  • Problem solving

  • Decision making skills

  • Cooperation skills

  • Friendship skills

 

Bright Path Therapeutic Centre (six beds) & Fort Assiniboine Therapeutic Centre (20 Beds)  intensive campus-based treatment program that provides treatment for developmentally delayed adolescents with severe deficiencies in social competency. Youth admitted to the center often struggle to fit into social settings due to developmental delays, social awkwardness, in addition to  emotional and Behavioural challenges. Our program provides skills teaching in a structured and predictable environment, with an emphasis on improving social skills, emotional regulation, and increasing independence. The program also endeavors to strengthen family connections where possible, increase community support and level of involvement, help develop problem solving, decision making abilities and finally increase self-awareness, self-esteem and self-control.

As adolescents with severe competency deficits require broad based treatment interventions, the program provides a range of treatment activities which include; skills-based teaching of social skills and independent living skills.

When admitted to the program, youth are assessed over a six-week period. Counselors then work closely with the youth in order to develop a therapeutic relationship, to better acquire a baseline functioning of the youth in our care.

Individualized treatment goals are designed to address problem behaviours. Progress review meetings are conducted every three months where an update is given to all stakeholders.

Psycho-educational groups are provided in order to help develop specific skills like; anger management, hygiene and grooming, cooking, building self-esteem, friendship skills, etc. Our objective is to help our clients  integrate these skills in a broader environment. 

At Bright Path Therapeutic Centre, youth and families are viewed as valued partners in the treatment process. We therefore work towards building on existing strengths and personal resources of each young person. We believe that new skills and abilities can be learned. And the building of meaningful relationships are a key to effective treatment for the  future success of our clients in the community.

 

Bright Path Therapeutic Facility is 5000 SqFt facility situated in the City of Edmonton, on one acre of land, with easy access to numerous venues and activity based attractions for our clients. this location is also conveniently central to many AHS medical and therapeutic providers.

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Fort Assiniboine Therapeutic Facility is 9,000 SqFt facility situated in Fort Assiniboine, AB, on one acre of land.

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