Rose-Mary Center Recieves $162,000+ Grant From the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities for Trauma Informed Care

EUCLID, OHIO- The Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities awarded over $162,000 to Rose-Mary Center in Euclid Ohio. Over the next two years, the grant will fund capacity building in the Developmental Disabilities provider system to serve complex individuals using trauma informed care principles.

An estimated 90% of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) have experienced traumatic stress (aldridgepalay.com). Trauma Informed Care is an organizational structure and treatment framework understands the impact of trauma on the individuals they serve and adopts a culture that considers and addresses this impact (mha.ohio.gov/traumacare).

Rose-Mary will work with Aldridge Palay, a consulting firm specializing in mental health and intellectual and developmental disabilities, and Dr. Stephen Ruedrich M.D. of University Hospitals, to create a person-centered approach for healing trauma, based on brain science and implemented through relational interventions.

“The brain can be damaged through experience, and it heals through experience,” says Lara Palay, managing partner of Aldridge Palay Group and independently licensed social worker/psychotherapist.

The new approach  will including training staff to respond in practical, compassionate ways to help people feel safe, connected, and in control rather than simply “addressing behavior” as has been the culture of the field. 

“This is an exciting time for Rose-Mary,” says Behavior Support Specialist Brad Wyner. “By the end of  this process, we’ll be a regional leader in trauma informed care, and we’ll  have the capacity, knowledge and skill to not only share with the rest of the system, but also to grow  as a provider and welcome new individuals as they age out of the foster care system and leave Developmental Centers.“

Rose-Mary is a non-profit organization separately incorporated under Catholic Charities, Diocese of Cleveland. Established in 1922, Rose-Mary Center continues the ministry of Jesus Christ by nurturing individuals with intellectual disabilities and celebrating love, family, dignity and faith. Through residential, vocational, summer camp, and respite programs, Rose-Mary Center helps individuals to achieve lives of personal fulfillment, become more self-reliant, and realize their full potential as independent and integrated members of the community.  Learn more at rose-marycenter.com.