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After a year and a half of research and training, Ranch Hope welcomed three young men with diabetes to the Omega Program in January 2010. The Omega Specialty Bed initiative will help youth and families receive care in a program closer to home here in New Jersey.
Children with behavioral health issues who have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes have previously received care out of state. Ranch Hope accepted the challenge to help address this need, and to help reduce the hardship of families in New Jersey whose children were placed in out-of-state programs.
Ranch Hope put together a pilot project under the supervision of the Division of Child Behavioral Health Services. The 2009 pilot was successful; so successful in fact that the young man enrolled was able to leave the Ranch Hope program in less than a year.
"This new ministry is the first of its kind in New Jersey," stated CEO David L. Bailey, Jr. "It is the result of collaborative efforts on the part of both Ranch Hope team members and several visionary leaders within the Department of Children & Families, Division of Child Behavioral Health."
The Omega Project, as the diabetes initiative is titled, can accommodate up to 6 boys between the ages of 12 and 16 at the time of admission. (Ranch Hope is currently considering expanding this program to adolescent girls)
All the resources of the Ranch Hope program - behavior management, education, individual, group and allied therapies - plus weekly health education sessions and regularly scheduled meetings with a Pediatric Endocrinologist are available.
A registered dietician reviews dietary plans for each student and provides consultation on menus for all the meals served by the Ranch. Carbohydrate reference lists have been created and are available to staff and students.
Another benefit of this program is equine assisted therapy. The equine program provides an experiential learning environment. It can be used to address behavioral issues, attention deficit disorder, depression, anxiety, relationship problems and communication needs. It is a collaborative effort between a licensed therapist and an equine professional working with young people and horses to address treatment goals. |
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Helping Youth with Diabetes
- Advance Practice Nurse on Campus
- Weekly Health Education Sessions
- Regular Meetings with a Board Certified Pediatric Endocrinologist affiliated with A.I. duPont
Hospital for Children
- Dietary Plans reviewed by a Registered Dietician
- Equine Assisted Therapy
Admission Criteria
- Males, Ages 12 -16
- Diagnosis: Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes
- Classification: Conduct Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Behavior, Bipolar Disorder
To Make a Referral
Call: 856-935-1555 x460 or x452
Email: Iwulderk@ranchhope.org |
