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Special Needs - Research

SweetenLife Research Study: Outcomes
 
 
AN INNOVATIVE APPLICATION OF the WHOLISTIC SLS APPROACH TO EMPOWER  FAMILIES WHO HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS TO BUILD A LIFETIME OF GREAT RELATIONSHIPS WITH GOD, SELF AND OTHERS.

SPECIAL LIFE SKILLS

There are few opportunities in life to change a whole system of care, counsel and healing.  But just such a door Providentially opened for SLS in early 2009. The Hatton Foundation gave us a generous grant to study the needs of families with children diagnosed with special needs. The research team, headed by P&G Research fellow Jim Donovan, asked parents to describe their major needs and how to create support systems for the whole family.  The research revealed: 
  • Almost no support exists for the parents.
  • The greatest needs are for practical support from peers and lay helpers.
  • These families often develop great ways to survive and thrive but no one asks for their wisdom.
  • Stress brings a high divorce rate.
These unique upstream insights offer a clear picture of the family needs and assets. They allow churches and community organizations to offer specific, welcome assistance. Help that can prevent marital conflict and divorce, family dysfunction, spiritual hopelessness and financial ruin. Yes, the parents need insight, training and support, but they have a lot to contribute to organizations and other families. Their expertise, innovation and creativity is incredible.  We discovered many of them had invented "Best Practices" for medical, church, and disability care.  The research and its applications can change the paradigm of service delivery, reduce its financial cost and dramatically improve the emotional/spiritual condition of the whole village.
 
WHAT CAN YOU DO

This work is a story of collaboration and community. To support Sweeten Life Systems and this important work, you can:

• Pray specifically for the families in your church and neighborhood
• Pray for Sweeten Life Systems
• Volunteer to help us work with the families
• Attend our events to learn about our research and actions steps
• Ask your church to start a ministry
• Donate to our ministry so we can continue our work

For more information about the "It Takes a Whole Village” project, contact Andrea Bowsher, Program Coordinator, at [email protected]   or by cell phone at (513)744-4630.


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