OCR Text |
Show :HRISTMASLDI'nON. Tuesday, December 24, 5374 5 Chri 7: 1 ft' 4 n ' 3 y y f V 3 N "A 6 Bt V:5f H Si) k4 F I:? V, U 1. , y g Li v I y IV I' '3 n 1 3 83 f" Vi -v ..J 3 1 ! 1 Menial retardation is the least understood of man's social ills. As we become- aware of the needs and rights of the retarded,, retard-ed,, we discover that their sociai emotional, vocational and educational needs are real and must be met. ' Meeting the needs of the mentally men-tally handicapped of Utah is the purpose and focus of Utah State Training School. Dr. Paul 5. Sagers, superintendent of the school, notes that this is the only residential institution for the retarded in the state. The Training Train-ing School was established by the Utah State Legislature in 1929, with programming beginning begin-ning on the hilltop campus in 1931. T!!e intervening years have brought new awareness that the handicapped person is entitled to be treated with respect as a human being and is entitled to the basic needs of the "normal" such as privacy, the right to learn, the right to property, the right to achieve, the right to worship, the right to play, the right to work, and the right to be part of a family. Through a progressive leadership in the field of mental retardation, the Training School is delivering service to the retarded to meet these needs of ail the mentally handicapped of Utah. The impact of the Training School is statewide. Services are not limited to the 850 persons per-sons who reside on the spacious campus. The school is part of the community and provides innovative in-novative day care centers for the adult retarded in several locations throughout the state, as well as offering guest admission, admis-sion, respite care, and day care services for the retarded who reside at home, in foster homes or nursing homes. Community programs also include in-clude the 14 community group homes which are staffed with foster parents of conscience and ability. People who have the interest and capacity to build a positive home influence for the children trusted to their care. These interim parents have all the supportive services of the training school at their disposal to assure that the. educational, medical and recreational needs of the group home residents might be me. The past year has brought the introduction of several new programs at Utah State Training Train-ing School. The impact of delivery deli-very of services to those who need services has been broadened broa-dened to include all residents from age five through 21 who now receive an educational experience ex-perience each school day under the implementation of Senate Bill 218. Perhaps the most signi- jl f Is p. y fill J f 3 ; i i i t i1 M U r P y i iui iw ficant piece of legislature for the handicapped ever to pass the Utah State Legislature, SB 2i8 provides that every person shall receive sa educational experience, ex-perience, irregardtess of capacity capaci-ty or level of functioning. Where 229 children were enrolled in the USTS education program during the last school year, more than 500 school residents are now benefiting from this new program. The young child has not been neglecied in the search for appropriate ap-propriate programming. An early ear-ly infant stimulation program is demonstrating that every child can learn - and that every child is worth helping. The expansion of the professional profes-sional areas of expertise is evident evi-dent at the Training School in both therapy and diagnostic fields. The staff includes such professional specialties as psychology, social service, physical therapy, occupational therapy, 'vocational training, medical services, dental services, ser-vices, speech and hearing, sensory sen-sory motor and psehiatry. As a community facility, the school has an open campus policy which permits an expanding expand-ing intern program in many of the above professional fields. This open communication between the school and the community com-munity encourages the development develop-ment of an advocacy program with depth and meaning. The roie of the employee is to make a positive difference in the lives of the people served. Employees now totat almost 900 according to Superintendent Sagers. The economic impact of the school is evident, with a yearly payroll of 5,250,000 paid to employees residing from Salt Lake City to Nephi. ' - Says Dr. Sagers. "We recognize recog-nize the fact that most people do not always work for the salary we can pay them, but for the challenge we offer. Our staff members have to want to serve , people. We offer every benefit the state can provide, but we also try to counteract the possibility possi-bility of job boredom with the antidote of human contact," he continued. "We can give this, along with the personal knowledge know-ledge that what you do matters -now and in the long range view." ' One of the most rewarding employment programs at the-Training the-Training School is the SWEAT program, or Summer Work Experience Ex-perience and Training, which . enabled the school to hire over 100 high school and coilege students this past summer. These student employees work in various assignments on campus cam-pus and discover much about themselves and their relationships relation-ships with those less fortunate. j I i"f '..'i "' j4 kK s Hi ) hi. They may use this experience as an opportunity to learn if they are making the right decision deci-sion in choosing a health service profession. Ali employees learn how they fee! about people and the person rewards gained from helping others. The Utah State Training School is a progressive, alternative alterna-tive service, giving the parent of a handicapped child the choice of therapy and residential residen-tial services that are relevant by any standards. Says Dr. Sagers, "We have made much progress, but we have not yet solved all the prob-. lems, nor met all the challenges," chal-lenges," but we are no longer considered a last resort. We are a first resource. We know that the retarded have the right to live as normal a life as possible and that they have the right to reach out for a life of dignity and hope. Here at Utah State Training School, we are working work-ing together to help both happen. Jack and Sylvia P. were working work-ing hard to achieve the American Amer-ican Dream. They had recently purchased a new home, and were still able to set aside enough enou-gh money each month to build a savings account for the children's chil-dren's education. Their dream collapsed: Jack was found to have terminal cancer. The doctors knew, Sylvia knew, their six children knew, and Jack knew it, too - 1973 would be Jack's last Christmas. Jack declined rapidly. Sn he was too weak to go to work, then he was forced to go into the hospital. He was even veaker when he got out, forcing Sylvia to quit her job and devote her full time to caring for her husband husb-and at home. With no salary coming in, the P. family quickly began to feel the pressures of a financial pinch, but they held on, struggling together. Just before Christmas, Jack took a turn for the worse, and was returned to the hospital, allh-. allh-. ough the doctors promised that he could spend several hours at home on Christmas Day. With Christmas approaching Sylvia realized she could not afford to celebrate this year. Yet a celebration was most important to the entire family since this would be their last Christmas together. Couid The Saivaiion Army heip? indeed they could. Through the Salvation Army, the family received a decorated tree, a festive dinner, new shoes a toy for the yoti'iger children and a camera to record the happy days and treasured memories. And Jack revived enough to seem more like his old self again, participating whole-heartedly in the family gathering. Together the family faced the physical problems, and the financial fina-ncial pressures brought on by Jack's illness. Together they sought strength and comfort. And because they stayed toge ther, they found me strength to continue. Jack is (lead now. His widow and children sti'l need The Solvation Araty from tints to time. They come to The Salvation Salv-ation Army, knowing that they wilt receive the aid they request. requ-est. They remember The Salvation Salv-ation Army every evening in their family prayers before dinner. Better tha.i tightly rolled cvspspers for burning as "logs" in your fireplace, are paper balls. Soak the newspaper in water, roll inio a tight bait. Keep adding wet paper until the ball is very large. r f if; 1 vi r i J ' FOSTER GRANDPARENT program ct Training School a!!ows Senior Ciikcra and handicapped children to share their lives and their love. Arnold Richins, left, was one of the first grandparents to participate in the eight year old program. if " 4 Tips to Make Yule Brighter The Christmas card made from a photograph of children chil-dren or lamily group Is highly popular as a means of bringing a sense of togetherness to-getherness to relatives and friends when geOgTaphlcal " separation makes the real thing Impossible. The best time for such pictures, naturally, Is when presents are being opened and the family co'JP 1 together, sharing and showing show-ing their Joy In Christmas surprises. A good second opportunity opportu-nity may be found when the family is gathered at the table for Christmas dinner. Other possibilities Include "stockings hung by tne chlmnpy with care" and children playing, indoors or out, with new gifts, - Whatever subject you choose, tx iter do It today tomorrow may be too late to capture the best ' shots" to share with others. In most cases, Christmas cards become waste raper. Before you consign this year's cards to the trash ran, consider removing personal per-sonal messages fom them and turning them over to a church or other group whose members devote their time to creating attractive scrap-books with the cards. Many beautiful and colorful col-orful cards, carefully selected se-lected and arranged In these Inexpensive and casy-to-make jcrap-books, provide pro-vide hours of enjoyment to older people and others whose activity is curtailed for one reason or another. You mlfiht enjoy making a scrap-hook for yourself. Whatever the cas,., the neccnd life given these Christmas and greeting cards can be rewarding and useful. . Christmas novelties, glass ornaments and tinsel decorations, deco-rations, from America and abroad, will enjoy grrat popularity during the 1974 Vuh'tklc season. V TEACHING the handicapped opens doors to new life skills and a feeling of self worth. Emma Lou Brummit works with a child In training school reading class. Senate bill 218 has had dramatic effect on education program. 1 i i 3 J .'' t f': ;..': it 4 - t r i ,- - v.v A ' ,;;;;. CC?.""L'NTY rtci'ta?kfil ilnfy center otJrf i'..y-tftrt asi itcret!cR pr-,u Ut .t:t retarded living In nursing homes or la the comtnutUty. Clyde O'fphant, li'il, wk$ mhh a client p the universal gym al the American l ark Center. I i " v" I r " j mhristmas"'y'r . . . and we wish you the best of giftsi peace on earth, good will toward men! Thanks for your kindness and loyalty. Howard B. Brovn Your Agent for , Occidental Life Ins. of Calif. 1 Lehi Fhom 763-2453 WISHES We wish you sweet dreams f t and happy thoughts in anticipation cf this . I. . I" J ... . Tl .. .1 warm noiiaay. i nanus. J ' hi JII S oioue o West Q Fcrk g itw - ' lift, T.V U Ci V if tttay you and yours be greatly blessed by the spiritual radiance of Christmas. For your valued patronage we express sincere Yuletime thanks. Ren Cardon Farmer's Insurance American Fcrk j J r v i ciil i -4 !f-ATI V- f . " V I : f ' S r -.1 i tl i V i 1 ; i. a v - i I J jll; f''"" ? , ..-.qpw. Try.. . ..,.. f . 'JSr a. .--. - 71 - Hp 'i folate merry Zio cheery! It's Christmas! We'd like to extend our good wishes to friends everywhere. For your kind patronage, our hearty holiday thanks. Durfey Dry Cleaners and Shirt Uundry I ; ' " " ' tJ ; ' . - "if" f It's all around that Christmas feeling! May it fill your holiday with warmth, joy and loving thoughts. We hope you enjoy this time to the fullest. Thanks, friends. i ... Bono flar;oy CSiourolct hzz;z: Fc.1i |