Clinical Services
Support That Matters
At New Hope Community, the well-being of our residents takes top priority. Clinicians with Master’s Degrees trained in psychology play an extremely important role for both the people who live at New Hope Community as well as for the staff who support them.
Our clinicians are available for a wide range of services, from crisis intervention and counseling, to therapeutic workshops and support groups. Clinicians also support our staff by offering training in crisis intervention, individualized support, and education to help understand the complex and varying psychiatric/psychological conditions people may experience.
What are Developmental Disabilities?
Developmental disabilities are birth defects related to a problem with how a body part or body system works. Many of these conditions affect multiple body parts or systems. Developmental disability is a term used to describe lifelong disabilities attributable to mental and/or physical impairments, manifested prior to age 22 and have negative impact on two or more areas of your life with an IQ equal or less than 70. The term refers to disabilities affecting daily functioning in the following areas: capacity for independent living, economic self-sufficiency, learning, mobility, receptive and expressive language, self-care, and self-direction. People with Mental Retardation, Cerebral Palsy, Epilepsy, Neurological Impairment or disorders are frequently described as having developmental disabilities or delays. Developmental disabilities are usually classified as severe, profound, moderate or mild, as assessed by the individual’s need for supports, which may be life long.
Developmental Disabilities Terminology
Autism Spectrum Disorder – Autism is a general term used to describe a group of complex developmental brain disorders known as Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD). The other pervasive developmental disorders are PDD-NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified), Asperger Syndrome, Rett Syndrome and Childhood Disintegrative Disorder. Many parents and professionals refer to this group as Autism Spectrum Disorders.
Mental Retardation – Mental Retardation is a disability that has to do with how well or how fast a person can think and learn. Mentally retarded persons vary in their reading skills and mathematical abilities. There is difficulty learning and thinking in abstract terms and adapting what she/he hears to everyday situations. A person who has mental retardation has needs, desires and joys like most of us and wishes to succeed.
Neurological Impairment – Neurological impairment refers to a broad group of disorders in which the central nervous system does not function properly and leads to some form of physical or mental problems. The central nervous system is made up of the brain and the spinal cord. A neurological impairment, which affects the brain or spinal cord, can have affect a wide range of different capabilities, from motor skills to memory. Cerebral palsy and Tourette’s syndrome are two common examples of neurological impairment; the first affects motor skills and the second involves both motor skills and speech skills.
Cerebral Palsy – The term Cerebral Palsy refers to any one of a number of neurological disorders that appear in infancy or early childhood and permanently affect body movement and muscle coordination but don’t worsen over time. Even though cerebral palsy affects muscle movement, it isn’t caused by problems in the muscles or nerves. It is caused by abnormalities in parts of the brain that control muscle movements.
Epilepsy – Epilepsy is a medical condition that produces seizures affecting a variety of mental and physical functions. It’s also called a seizure disorder. When a person has two or more unprovoked seizures, they are considered to have epilepsy.