Cat a lyst noun : a person or event that causes change or action

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1 Welcome Packet

2 Cat a lyst noun : a person or event that causes change or action Buying a farm certainly caused change in my life. A lot of change. There have been so many amazing times, but also some hard times adjusting to this new life. But the one thing I know is that the farm is a healing place. I feel it every time I walk into the barn. Every time I snuggle up on a horse. Every time I feed treats to the goats. Every time I do anything in the barn. There is no place I'd rather be. There are no words to describe it, it's just a feeling you get when you're there. Connecting with an animal, with nature, provides something that nothing else can. The idea of sharing that feeling with children who need therapy makes my heart want to burst! We want this farm to be the catalyst for children to reach their therapy goals. I just know you're going to love it as much as I do! - Jillian D. Pelland, OTR/L About Us Catalyst Farm is a unique therapy facility offering, what we call, farm based therapy. We see the entire farm as one big clinic - with everything from interacting with the animals to gardening and even completing barn chores, there is so much fun to be had while working on therapy goals! For days and/or sessions when farm activities aren't appropriate/desired, we offer a therapy space where traditional sessions can take place. We are located at The Stables at Rose of Sharon, a 14 acre farm in Sharon Township. The Stables also operates horse boarding, horse training and riding lessons. Besides horses, our animal staff" includes mini horses, chickens, goats, sheep, and a bunny... it is an ever growing menagerie so that we may offer a diverse sensory experience!

3 Our Therapy Team Jillian D. Pelland, OTR/L (Owner, Director of Occupational Therapy Services) Jillian is a 2001 graduate of Xavier University's Occupational Therapy program. She has experience working in hospital settings, schools and also in private practice. She is a member of the American Occupational Therapy Association as well as the American Hippotherapy Association (AHA) and has completed the Level 1 Hippotherapy training through AHA. Jillian has long had the dream of operating a farm based therapy practice. She has a passion for working with animals and understands how powerful the human-animal connection can be. In 2013, she took the first step towards making this dream a reality by purchasing The Stables at Rose of Sharon. She has spent the years since learning the ins and outs of running a farm and preparing for the therapy practice to open. Jillian is married to her high school sweetheart, David, and is the proud mother of 4 children, who you are bound to see running around the farm. She is an active member of the community through her involvement in various local organizations, including St. Hilary School, City Hope, and the Akron Art Museum. Mindy Zimmerman, PT (Director of Physical Therapy Services) Mindy received her Bachelor s degree in Physical Therapy in 1999 from the University of Findley following her earning of an Associate degree in Physical Therapy Assisting from Stark State University in Her experience base includes working with a variety of clients from infants to adults with neurological and musculoskeletal impairments. Mindy has worked in a variety of settings including public schools, Home Health, Inpatient and Outpatient Rehabilitation. She has been working with clients in individual and group settings for more than 20 years with the past several years intensively focused on the pediatrics and early intervention population. Mindy feels privileged to be working with children to facilitate the development of their functional skills and to achieve their fullest potential in a fun and supportive environment. She is very excited to be a part of the Catalyst Farm Team. Dianne Bertuzzi, M.A., CCC-SLP (Director of Speech Services) Dianne has extensive experience in providing speech and language services to children. Her special interests include treating children with autism, expressive and receptive language delays, apraxia, and phonological disorders. Dianne earned a Bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro and a Master's degree from Kent State University. She is a member of the American Speech-Language- Hearing Association (ASHA) from which she has earned a Certificate of Clinical Competence

4 (CCC). Dianne holds a license from the Ohio Board of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology as well as a teaching license from the Ohio Department of Education. Dianne has a passion for helping others, which has led to a variety of volunteer opportunities. She has been a weekly volunteer at a local food pantry for the past seven years. Darcy Bishop, COTA/L (Occupational Therapy Assistant) Darcy is a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant with 10 years of experience working with children ages Since graduating in 2006 her focus has been in pediatric outpatient clinics and school based settings. She believes that each child is unique and truly special and that treatment should focus on the whole child and the family that nurtures her/him; that a holistic approach including movement, play and relaxation are essential keys to learning and making lasting changes. She incorporates yoga, Brain Gym, sensory strategies, energy work, aromatherapy and reflex integration to help engage the child s mind, body and spirit. She could not be more excited to be able to share her love of all creatures great and small with children and to watch the magic unfold. FAQ What is Farm Based Therapy? Here at Catalyst Farm, we have an array of farm experiences for your child to participate in while working towards therapy goals. While everyone's first thought goes to horses, we want you to know that what we do here is so much more than just horses! From the fluffy fleece of the sheep to the prickly feathers of the chickens, our animals each provide a unique experience to the sessions. Besides the endless fun of working with animals, we also offer opportunities for gardening and farm chores to be used in sessions. You'd be surprised how much fun mucking stalls can be - and how many therapy goals you can work towards while doing it! Will my child be riding horses? Can I request my child be on horseback for every session? Your child's therapy is completed with a team approach and you, as the parents, are an important part of that team. Treatment strategies will be discussed with the parents after the initial evaluation is completed and a plan will be made from there. You and your therapist may choose to use hippotherapy as a strategy in your child's plan of care. If so, your child will have sessions that involve being mounted on a horse while completing their therapy session - like a big, live therapy ball! From time to time, your therapist may find it necessary to have sessions off horseback as a way to transfer newly learned skills to the child's daily life. There may also be times that your therapist does not feel hippotherapy will be beneficial for the session. For example, a negative physical response to certain weather conditions in the child, such as increased tone in cold weather, could make hippotherapy counterproductive. But, worry not! There is plenty of fun to be had on the farm in every session!

5 *Please note: horsemanship skills are not taught during a hippotherapy session. It is not a riding lesson and typically saddle and reins are not used. What is Hippotherapy? What's the difference between Hippotherapy and Therapeutic Horseback Riding? Will I be playing with a real hippo?? Sadly, no...hippotherapy does not actually have anything to do with hippos! Hippo is the greek word for horse and hippotherapy is the use of a horse's movement as part of a treatment strategy in either an Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy or Speech Therapy session. Unlike therapeutic riding, hippotherapy never teaches horsemanship skills. It is not a horseback riding lesson, but rather the use of the horse's movement, and the resulting effect on the child's body, to enhance the therapist's session. A hippotherapy session must be run by either an OT, PT, or SLP whereas a therapeutic riding session is run by a qualified horse trainer. For Further understanding of how hippotherapy works, please see the information provided below from the American Hippotherapy Association "The term hippotherapy refers to how occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speechlanguage pathology professionals use evidence-based practice and clinical reasoning in the purposeful manipulation of equine movement to engage sensory, neuromotor, and cognitive systems to achieve functional outcomes. In conjunction with the affordances of the equine environment and other treatment strategies, hippotherapy is part of a patient's integrated plan of care. The three-dimensional movement of the horse s pelvis is within 1-2 cm of the movement of the human pelvis at the walk. This three-dimensional movement has been shown to affect the Central Nervous System which in turn stimulates the Motor Pathways and the Vestibular System in the Human Brain. This movement naturally affects all the systems in the human body. The horse s movement has rhythmicity and symmetry, providing a dynamic base of support and multiple planes of movement. It provides multi-sensory input, proprioception, movement through space, repetition, and variability. All of this is provided within a natural environment with the therapist able to modify both the movement of the horse and the environment. This encourages the patient to shift from his or her current preferred pattern of behavior in order to achieve new functional outcomes/behaviors. Patients explore, selforganize, make postural adjustments, and problem solve in a highly motivating and natural environment. The resultant development is an adapted response and the ability to use new movement strategies and incorporate them safely and appropriately in to their normal environment. Are your services covered by my health insurance? What is the cost? We are not in-network with health insurance carriers at this time. We feel this will offer a freeing and highly successful experience for all involved. The therapist and the family will be able to work together as a team to decide what treatments will be best for the child, rather than a third party dictating what strategies can and cannot be used, what goals are and are not "ok," and how often your child can be seen. We can focus solely on your child meeting THEIR goals! If, however, you are covered for out of network OT, PT, and SLP by your insurance company, you

6 may be eligible for reimbursement for all or a portion of the cost. All services provided are fee for service and payment is due at the time of treatment. We will provide you with a detailed invoice, known as a superbill, at the end of each session, which may be submitted to your insurance company for out of network reimbursement. Families may also apply for grants through various organizations. would like help finding available grant options. Please let us know if you The cost of a session is as follows: OT and SLP $45 per half hour session; PT $55 per half hour session. There is a discount if you purchase a 6 session package. The total for this package is $ for OT and SLP and $300 for PT. The cost of the initial evaluation is $200 each (OT, PT, SLP), with multi-discipline packages available for those requiring more than one discipline. **If your child has had an evaluation completed elsewhere within the last year, we can use this data to create goals and there will be no need for a new evaluation at the farm. We also offer group sessions. Please see addendum for more details and contact us for session dates. Do we need to leave our existing therapist to come to you? Absolutely not! While we believe strongly in the farm model and know that the best results will come from regular sessions, we understand that families may want to keep their current therapists and use the farm as a supplemental and alternative therapy option. We are not an "all or nothing" facility. We welcome your child to come engage with our facility with whatever frequency best suites your needs. What should my child wear? If your child is coming for a farm based therapy or hippotherapy session, they will want to wear comfortable play clothes and closed-toe shoes. Please be prepared for your child to get a little messy while playing on the farm! In cold weather, please dress your child appropriately - our barn is heated, but only to 40 degrees. If your child is coming for a traditional session in the clinic, he/she may wear any comfortable clothing. What if the weather is bad? We have an indoor arena and plenty of indoor treatment space. If it is cold, the barn and arena will be heated to 40 degrees. If your child is negatively affected by cold temperatures, a farm based session may not be appropriate and a traditional session will be completed in its place, but we'll make sure to get your child some "farm time" at the end of their session, if they so desire. Where can I wait while my child is in therapy? In the barn, there is a lounge where family can comfortably wait. In the winter, the temperature is maintained well above the 40 degrees of the barn. The lounge is equipped with wifi, a kitchenette and a bathroom.

7 Is Farm Based Therapy for everyone? While animal assisted therapy is a wonderful choice for most people, there are some exceptions Contraindications for Farm Based Therapy: Severe allergies to the environment Dangerous behaviors Extreme fear of animals Contraindications for Hippotherapy: Exacerbation of MS Hemophilia with recent episodes Open pressure wounds Uncontrolled Seizures Tethered cord or Chiari Formations Unclipped aneurysm or angioma not resected Spinal Fusion or unstable spine Indwelling catheter ( females ) Severe osteoporosis Pathological fractures Spondylolisthesis A-O instability Acute stages of RA For questions or to schedule an appointment Catalyst Farm, LLC info@catalytfarm.com

8 Therapy Groups on the Farm Small Talk: This group offers the children an opportunity to practice their social skills with their peers through both structured and unstructured activities. For children in preschool through Kindergarten. Facilitated by both a Speech and Language Pathologist and an Occupational Therapy assistant. 45 mins. Scribbles: Does your child have difficulty with handwriting? Scribbles provides a chance for your child to work on the fine motor skills necessary to improve their motor coordination, leading to more legible writing. For ages Facilitated by an Occupational Therapy Assistant. 30 mins Flow: Yoga can provide so many benefits to children with therapy needs. It helps develop both fine and gross motor planning skills, improves muscle tone and joint mobility, reduces negative behaviors and offers a chance to socialize with peers. For ages 3-11 (grouped by age) Facilitated by an Occupational Therapy Assistant. 30 mins. Velocity: Through play and work in a farm based setting, this group will provide your child with an opportunity to improve gross motor planning, strength and coordination. Facilitated by a Physical Therapist. 30 mins. Farm Life: Taking care of animals and completing barn chores provides many opportunities for a therapeutic experience. The children will learn how to take care of the animals, including feeding, cleaning stalls and grooming. This group is open to children of all abilities. Facilitated by all disciplines on a rotating schedule. 45 mins. Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Farm Life 9:30am Flow (3-6 years old) 10:00am Farm Life 5:15pm Flow (7-11 years old) 5:00pm Small Talk 5:30 Velocity 2:00pm Scribbles 11:00am There is no denying the connection humans share with animals and nature. We are thrilled to offer these groups in a farm setting where we can incorporate the unique and exciting environment that a farm naturally provides. Unless otherwise noted, groups will run in 6 week sessions. Cost is $150 per session. Discount available for multiple groups in same session. For questions or to register, please info@catalystfarm.com or call