Oakland County In The News

MI 'Emerging Sectors' Maps New Type of Summer Camp - What will your kids tell classmates they did this summer? Attend soccer camp? Swim at the pool? Study nanotechnology? Instructors at Oakland Schools hope the response will be the latter as the school system is modeling much of its summer enrichment programs after the county's Emerging Sectors initiative.

The Mental Illness Needs Discussion Sessions (MINDS) organization is an awareness program that aims at educating young people about mental illness. To achieve this goal, MINDS conducts free seminars in high schools throughout the Detroit metropolitan area. The MINDS curriculum includes a hands-on look at a model brain, discussion of the symptoms of mental illnesses, and interactive activities that allow students to participate actively during the seminars.

Resources specific to this county

 
Oakland County Youth Assistance Human Resource Directory - Oakland County's local youth assistance program has recently completed a county-wide human resource directory. To view this document, visit www.oaklandhelplink.org. Click on the Youth Assistance Logo at the top of the welcome page. The directory, in PDF format, is listed under publications, and is titled "Human Resource Directory".

Beaumont Hospital’s Support Groups - click here.

Autism Society of America: Oakland County Chapter - The Mission of the Autism Society of America, Oakland County Chapter is to foster knowledge, promote awareness, provide information and opportunities related to educational, medical, social and life skills issues for families and individuals with autism spectrum disorders, and to promote awareness to the general public in and around Oakland County.

Oakland County Community Mental Health
Phone: (248) 858-1210
Hotline: (248) 543-2900 (24-hour emergency)
Web: www.occmha.org

Even Start - Even Start programs help parents improve their reading skills and learn to help their children read and succeed in school.

Michigan Disability Resources Database (MDRD) - Find local information on disabilities, education, support groups, organizations, transportation, emergency services, etc., by zip code, address, disability, service, or county.

Michigan Assistance and Referral Service (MARS) - This system allows you to find programs offered by the State of Michigan that help families in need with their medical, nutritional, food, day care or other expenses.

Beaumont Hospital's Parenting Program (information below)
For more information about how you can participate, call 248-551-1455 (Royal Oak) or 248-964-5822 (Troy).

It seems that every week there's a new study on how best to raise a child. Sometimes, though, there are no better experts than parents who are experiencing the same challenges you are. If you're a new parent, join a community where they understand through experience -- the Parenting Program.
 
The Parenting Program matches new parents with experienced parents. After you deliver your first baby, a trained parent volunteer will answer your questions.

The Parenting Program combines hospital staff, community professionals, volunteers and experienced parents to teach child development, safety and wellness, nutrition and other topics of interest to you as a new parent. Your group is headed by a parenting volunteer who completes a comprehensive training course and continually updates his or her skills.

The program begins during your hospital stay and lasts until your baby is one year old. But the friendships you make with other parents can last for years.

The program serves new parents, single mothers, parents of multiple births or families with babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Our services include:

Individual family support
If you decide to participate, a volunteer will call you weekly and, if requested, visit you in your home for the first three months. Your volunteer can give you information and support that meets your unique needs.

Personalized support for families with neonatal intensive care babies
Families with babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit have special medical issues and questions. You are matched with a volunteer who has had a similar personal experience. Your volunteer can give you the information you need.

Breastfeeding phone support
After you leave the hospital, a parenting volunteer can call you and answer your breastfeeding questions. If you have additional breastfeeding concerns, call the Breastfeeding Support Service at 248-551-8497 (Royal Oak) or 248-964-6455 (Troy).

Parenting groups
When your baby is four to five months old, you are invited to join eight to 12 parents and their babies in a new parent group. Your group meets twice a month for six months. Each meeting lasts about two hours. A parenting volunteer helps run the meetings and arranges for speakers.

Topics may include:
infant growth and development
playing with your baby
changes in your marriage and life
starting solid foods
common illnesses

Single mother group
After delivering your baby, you are invited to join other single mothers and their babies in a single mother group. Your group meets twice a month for six months. Each meeting lasts about two hours and consists of mothers around your age. A parenting volunteer helps run the meetings and arranges for speakers.

Topics may include:
paternity issues
financial issues
the special situations as a single parent

Lecture series
Participants in the Parenting Program and members of the community are invited to attend lectures throughout the year. Each two-hour lecture is held in the Administration Building at Beaumont, Royal Oak. A parenting volunteer or staff member runs the meeting and arranges for speakers. There is a nominal fee to attend. For more information, call Beaumont's Physician Referral & Information Service toll-free at 1-800-633-7377.

Topics may include:
returning to work
discipline
first aid
wills, guardianship and financial planning

Children's Trust Fund Direct Service Grant Recipients

Fiscal Year 2003 Continuing Programs
St. Joseph Mercy Oakland
44405 Woodward Ave
MB: H-19
Pontiac, MI48341
County: Oakland
Phone:(248) 335-5638
Contact Person: Kathleen Strader
Project: Facilitates the MELD for Young Moms and Young Dads program targeted at teen parents.
Project: The Healthy Start program will be expanded to hire an additional bilingual family support worker to target Hispanic families. Home visits, information/referral, and developmental assessment will be provided.

OPC: The Older Person's Commission is a top notch senior activity center located in Rochester, MI. It services the Rochester, Rochester Hills and Oakland Township area. They receive funding from several sources, and work with the Area Agency on Aging. It is volunteer run. Something like a YMCA for over 50 set, but better. They run a bus program for seniors and people with disabilities. They have a wonderful adult day care program, that also accepts adults with disabilities. They run the Meals on Wheels program that delivers thousands of meals a day to shut in low income seniors and those with disabilities in Oakland County. They have a full senior theatrical program, music department, social clubs, and sports program. There is a baseball team, hockey team, golf events, swim team and they run the Senior Olympics from the OPC. There are two full musical theatrical productions with an orchestra every year and a Mrs. Senior Michigan pageant. The social work office provides a low cost meal supplement (Ensure) program, counseling, a durable medical equipment loaner closet and assistance finding services and shut in visits. They provide affordable continuing educational programs for seniors such as computer classes, financial planning courses, speakers on just about anything from gardening to Medicare and monthly theme dinner dance. They have an unbelievable arts and craft program - anything from watercolor, quilting, knitting, miniature doll house classes, clay and ceramics. They provide support groups, outings, trips around the world, just about anything you can think of. It's the kind of support system and community involvement that our special needs families dream of having.

 
Active Rehab Center, Inc. is a physical therapy facility located in Madison Heights. Our goal is to aid cerebral palsy children in regaining physical fitness, thereby enhancing everyday life. Also our therapists have many years of experience in working with children who suffer from gross motor delays, developmental delays, scoliosis, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, sensory integration dysfunction, multiple sclerosis and other. Services are provided fee-for-service. For more information about us please visit www.activerehabcenter.com.