April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
ALBANY AGENCY
For St. Catherine's Center, 125 years of helping children with special needs
That happened in the past when the original orphanage, founded by the Daughters of Charity in 1886, changed locations and shifted its focus away from infants affected by the measles epidemic.
In the 1970s and '80s, the agency grew to include a school for children unable to attend school in traditional settings because of emotional disorders or developmental delays.
A therapeutic daycare center and a homeless shelter for families were also added. Newer programs include the Byron Center for Loss and Healing, which offers grief counseling for individuals and families; the ARCH program, which counsels homeless mothers with mental health problems; and a community-based, after-school and summer program for City School District of Albany students living in motels.
"It's all about improving life for people - giving people the hope they need to go on and lead productive lives," said Helen Hayes, executive director for 19 years and a staff member for 30.
Small successes
"What we do is not easy to measure," she continued. Still, some milestones do spell success: for instance, when a foster child leaves the system, when an R & E May School student returns to public school or when a child no longer requires medication.
For Mark Manderville, assistant director of group living, the results needn't be so major.
"Just to see a kid smile and be a kid for a day - that's a huge accomplishment for us," he said, adding that trips to the mall, movies, bowling alleys and parks are incorporated into the residents' schedules.
It's also gratifying to him when children open up about their family situations, learn to curb their anger, earn their diplomas and get jobs.
Mr. Manderville started at St. Catherine's Center as a childcare worker when he was in college. He said the only down-side to his job has been paperwork.
"I get to play with kids," he explained, laughing. "I'm a master kickball player now. I enjoy my job every day. If [the students] have behavioral problems, it kind of just rolls off me."
Behavioral problems exhibited by the children St. Catherine's serves include ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), mood disorders and PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder).
"You hear some of their stories, and they're horrific," Mr. Manderville said. "They're suffering from physical abuse. They've got a lot of things to deal with. They have a lot of disadvantages that normal kids don't have - but they get up out of bed every day."
One 21st-century change at St. Catherine's revolves around paying more attention to trauma the children have experienced - something Mr. Manderville termed "realizing how traumatic events re-wire how kids think."
Children may receive individual and family counseling, group therapy and integrated therapy with staff members who watch their progress on a daily basis.
Coping methods
"Every day, I see them persevere," Mr. Manderville said, describing his young charges' successful use of coping skills like deep breathing, counting to 10 and taking a break.
"Things that we take for granted that we do when we're upset, these kids have probably never learned," he said, adding: "I think I've learned patience from the kids."
Mr. Manderville recounted an incident involving a blue ice pop a child decided to cut into six parts so everyone could share it: "Our kids think outside the box more than other kids do. What little they have to work with, they use it well."
St. Catherine's Center served 897 children last year, down by 128 from the previous year - something leaders attribute to cash-strapped school districts making tough decisions.
Children hail from about 20 counties and school districts at any one time and come as far as western New York, the southern tier and Long Island, though the agency aims to keep children as close to home as possible.
Funding cuts
The agency receives funding from the New York State Education Department, the New York State Office of Mental Health and - for community-based programs - individual counties. St. Catherine's foundation fundraises to meet extra needs, like giving a child music and art lessons or sending a child to Catholic Charities' Camp Scully.
Recent funding cuts have led to the consolidation of the residential and day treatment programs. Some staff positions were eliminated, others frozen. Cuts also mean the end of a family-based treatment program that serves as an alternative to hospitalization for children with mental illnesses.
"It's a big loss for us," Ms. Hayes said.
The agency may expand a foster care program in the same location or develop new programs: "If you want an organization to survive, you have to be willing to change, to grow, to be in very close communication with funding services," Ms. Hayes noted.
The director's goals include expanding the Berne-Knox-Westerlo Connections Program to include middle school students; it currently provides after-school and summer academic and recreational activities and family counseling for elementary students.
She also wants to seek other funding sources, collaborate with other community agencies and connect with civic leaders, schools, community leaders and the extended families of children.
The staff of St. Catherine's Center are determined to continue helping children in great need.
"I think the most important thing we do is really intensive services for the kids," Mr. Manderville concluded. "We provide a safe place for the kids to be where they can work out their problems. The key to that is acceptance."[[In-content Ad]]
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