ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020 BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2019-2020 LETTER TO THE COMMUNITY Special thanks and much gratitude to our board and committee members for their In a year like no other, we extend our deepest thanks for There has never been a more important time for our work. passion, discipline, and leadership—guiding us successfully through a significant year. your ongoing support of The Children’s Center and the The Children’s Center held firm in its pledge to never turn a young children and families we serve. 2020 was tumultuous, family away from services because of inability to pay. Your David Baldridge, Chair Jennifer Barlow Mike Gill Greg Summerhays to say the least. With all the challenges the year heralded, support allows us to provide young children and families CHG Healthcare Barlow Corporation and Dale Dominion Energy Chapman Richards and the increased need these challenges created for our with evidence-based treatments, with proven efficacy. Our Adria Swindle, Past Chair Corporation Paula Green Johnson Sandra Sweetland Shred 415 Millcreek Mark Cotter, ex-officio Community Advocate Coldwell Banker clients, we feel it is even more important to pause and reflect focus ensures that our treatments help families develop an Jon Lee, Vice-Chair Ray, Quinney & Nebeker Theresa Martinez Alexandra Von Maack on our accomplishments. Our 2019-2020 fiscal year was emotional foundation essential to providing young children Universal Synaptics Jennifer Dailey-Provost University of Utah Sociology Community Advocate tremendously successful, and our important work continued with the skills they need to thrive. The ability to build Kara Rogers, Treasurer Utah House of Representatives Department Katy Welkie on with your steadfast support. Thank you! resiliency and overcome adversity are paramount in a time Instructure Rebecca Dutson, ex-officio Beverly May Primary Children’s Hospital of increased chaos and strife. The Children’s Center May & Associates George Hofmann, Secretary Ze Min Xiao We remain laser focused on our mission to provide Community Advocate Jin Zhou Gibbons Kathleen Pitcher Tobey, Salt Lake County Mayor’s Office for Zions Bank Cambia Health Foundation New Americans comprehensive mental health care to enhance the We are grateful for you! Thank you for championing all emotional well-being of infants, toddlers, preschoolers, children in our communities. With your support, Utah and their families. Even in the face of great adversity, we children continue to hope, heal, and thrive. continued to treat young children in our community who BOARD COMMITTEES 2019-2020 need our specialized services. Through our outpatient With gratitude, clinical services, Therapeutic Preschool Program, and Early Childhood Consultation and Training Program, Executive Committee Jon Lee Development Commitee Adria Swindle we provided targeted therapies and interventions to Dave Baldridge, Chair Gary Gibson* Alexandra Von Maack*, Chair Ze Min Xiao 1,177 youth in our communities who face suspected and Jon Lee, Vice-Chair Jin Zhou Gibbons Darryl L. (Blue) Blueitt diagnosed mental health conditions. We also continued Adria Swindle, Past Chair Mike Gill Jin Zhou Gibbons Public Policy/Advocacy our APA-accredited doctoral training program, attracting George Hofmann, Secretary Davis Mullholand* Safia Keller* Committee four competitive applicants from across the country to our Kara Rogers, Treasurer Linda Laughlin* Paula Green Johnson, Chair widely-recognized and unique facility. Jennifer Barlow Clinical/Evaluation Victoria Luman* David Baldridge Alexandra Von Maack Committee Ashley Rothwell-Campagna* Rey Butcher* As the recognized Utah leader in children’s mental health, Kathleen Pitcher Tobey Kathleen Pitcher Tobey, Chair Greg Summerhays Bill Cosgrove* The Children’s Center took many critical steps forward Tammer Attallah* Jennifer Dailey-Provost Paula Green Johnson Nikki Walker* as we continue to advance our mission and increase our Dan Braun* Beverly May visibility in the community. Your volunteerism, advocacy, David Baldridge Rebecca J. Dutson Administration/Finance Bill Cosgrove* Governance/Ethics Holly Robb* Chair, Board of Trustees President and CEO and financial investments are key to our success, especially COO, CHG Healthcare Committee Brooks Keeshin* Committee Greg Summerhays during this time. Kara Rogers, Chair Brian Miller* Jenn Barlow, Chair Melissa Byington* Lam Nguyen* Paula Green Johnson Jennifer Dailey-Provost Shari Seiner* Theresa Martinez Dave Engel Eric Tadehara* Elisabeth McOmber* George Hofmann Katy Welkie Sandra Sweetland *Non-Board member The Children’s Center Annual Report 2019-2020 1 COVID-19 BRINGS INNOVATION TO TREATMENT success, and an endorsement of the critical importance of the center together on their own bus. Our bus drivers now therapy in the lives of our clients as they endure a crisis. take temperatures of children and make wellness checks Some therapists reported that the ease of therapy by before the children board. Sanitization efforts increased phone—as opposed to bringing several children into the on the buses and in the building. Temperature checks also In March of 2020, as COVID-19 reached Utah, things contacting, scheduling, and charting for each individual office—and the ability to implement advice in real time to take place at the center, and all employees and clients are changed swiftly and drastically. Like so many businesses family had to be completely reworked to accommodate families in the comfort of their homes, has in some cases masked when they are onsite. As we embarked on the and organizations, The Children’s Center suspended our remote work for our intake specialists, administrative staff, increased the effectiveness of therapy. staged re-opening of the Therapeutic Preschool, our clinical on-site Therapeutic Preschool Services and worked nearly and clinicians. All clinicians were trained in new telehealth team also started its own re-opening of some in-person around the clock developing solutions that would allow us platforms in order to make the pivot to providing services Simultaneously, our team was monitoring the situation outpatient family therapy services. While these in-person to continue our outpatient services while helping to slow to very young children via telephone or video formats. and working to get our services safely back onsite. It was services continue to be limited to protect our clients and community spread. It was a distressing time and as Vice important to us and to the families we serve that we reopen staff, both families and clinicians are thankful for our efforts President, Clinical Strategy and Innovation Jennifer Mitchell Thanks to the tireless efforts of our clinical team, and our Therapeutic Preschool Program. In early June, we began to welcome those most in need back into our facility. shared, “Not once during the onset of this pandemic did because of technology upgrades to mobile laptops the a successful staged re-opening of our preschool classrooms. our phones stop ringing. Families were still calling because previous year, within about a week, we transitioned the These small classrooms were reimagined to function in they needed our help. It was imperative that we find a way to outpatient services we have provided for decades in closed cohorts, with each classroom riding to and from safely re-open all of our services.” person, to telehealth. More than 85% of clients opted in to our telehealth platform, an early indication of the To meet our community’s needs, it was vital that our THE ABC’S OF A NEW EVIDENCE-BASED TREATMENT outpatient clinical services be transitioned to a telehealth format. This required a strategic shift for every phase of a family’s contact with The Children’s Center from their initial intake call to request services, to scheduling family therapy In our continued efforts to utilize evidence-based appointments with their clinician. Every method of tracking, treatment modalities beneficial to our clients, we recently added Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up (ABC) to the list of the therapies we provide. ABC is an intervention “Because of the safety measures led by our that supports healthy relationships between children and medical and clinical teams, we have been able to their caregivers. keep our Therapeutic Preschool Program open, The ABC intervention is available for children between invigorating our team in our sustained efforts to six months and two years of age. The goal is to support provide hope and healing to the children and caregivers in re-interpreting children’s signals with sensitive families we serve. That first day that the pre- responses, to build upon children’s behavioral capabilities, school reopened was amazing. Just to hear the and to foster secure attachments between children and kids’ voices and their laughter, gave us all the caregivers. Typically, this treatment is provided in-home and in-person, though with the COVID-19 pandemic, ability to see why we’re doing what we’re doing. the services are being offered through telehealth. We look I think everyone needed that—to hear the kids forward to expanding to in-person services as soon as it is and see them back.” feasibly safe to do so, and enriching children’s and families’ – Sara Johnson, Therapeutic Preschool Manager. lives with this outstanding and proven treatment. 2 The Children’s Center Annual Report 2019-2020 3 STRENGTHENING OVERSIGHT AND IMPACT 2020 AT THE CAPITOL With an eye toward engagement, two new board-level planning Ready! Resilient! Utah Early Childhood Mental