We Support Families
At Mandala, our top priority is supporting families. It is part of
our mission. We believe that parenting is the most important job in
the world! It is also one of the most challenging. We created our
Family Services Program to help parents be the best they can be. By offering on-site consultation to families, we help parents understand their children and their development. We help parents learn effective parenting strategies. We help parents access the resources and enrichment their child needs. Above all, we help parents to feel less alone because we work in partnership with them to nurture and educate their child. |
What Services Do We Offer?
We have both a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and an OT Consultant (Occupational Therapist) working with us to guide our staff and support the optimum development and learning of all children in our program. |
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"PARENTING COACH"  LCSW THERAPIST ON STAFF
Anne Kangas, L.C.S.W. (#LCS 14384)
works on site as our Family Services Director. With
over 25 years of experience as a child and adult therapist, her specialty
is early intervention, child trauma, adoption, developmental difficulties, and family issues.
What Is Offered?
Our Clinical Social Worker is available as a Parenting Coach and a resource for
parents, teachers and staff to provide:
Information about parenting and child development
Counseling and Support for parents and children
Classroom Observation and Teacher Consultation
Strategies for dealing with behavior problems
Referrals and Resources for identified needs
Collaboration with Consultants
Parent Workshops
Parent Resource Library (books, tapes, videos on loan)
Parenting Newsletters (parenting topics and advice)
Personal Guidance (for teaching staff)
The Social Worker's job is to support families and assist children in healthy emotional development. She also facilitates the healthy emotional climate for our staff.
Anne is in the Mandala office four days a week. You may come in or call and leave a confidential message. She will talk with you over the phone or set up a time to meet privately in her office. Anne also has a Private Psychotherapy Practice
(confidential voicemail:
408-259-3163).
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Toileting, Eating, Sleeping
Speech/Language, Sensory, Learning, Social Delays
Tantrums, Defiance, Whining
Attachment, Telling the Story, Creating a Lifebook
Separation Anxiety, Nightmares
New Sibling, New Home, Divorce, Death
Transitions, Shared Custody
Hospitalization, Accidents, Trauma
Birth, Sex, Death, Disasters
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OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST STAFF CONSULTANT
Atty Rosas, OTR/L works with Mandala as our OT Consultant to provide activities and training to benefit all children in our program. Atty is a licensed Occupational Therapist whose specialty is working with children from birth to five years of age. She comes with 10 years of experience working with typically developing children, as well as with children who have sensory integration needs, developmental delays, autism spectrum disorders, and ADHD. |
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What is OT?
Occupational Therapy helps children coordinate their movement and organize information coming from their senses, which enhances their cognitive skills. We know that all young children need movement, so we use the expertise of our OT to build this in our classroom program. |
What Is Offered?
Atty works for Mandala on a regular basis as a consultant several hours per month to assist our staff. Atty observes in our classrooms and helps us incorporate new activities to help the children regulate their bodies, improve coordination and movement, listen and process information, and "calm their motors." Sensory-based activities offer a fun and easy way for children to feel better inside their own bodies.
Atty offers these OT services to the school:
In-class Observation
Sensory Assessments and Recommendations
Consultation with Staff
Parents may also consult with Atty privately for these fee-based services:
Home Observations and Consultation
Individualized Home Programs
("Sensory Diet, Therapeutic Listening, Brushing Program, Fine and Gross Motor Activities)
Parent Training
Assessment (Sensory Profile)
Hands-on Assistance in the Classroom
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Some children can use extra help. If a child seems to lack body awareness and tends to bump into things or people, appears clumsy or has difficulty with coordination, exerts too much force when playing with others, has poor small motor skills, seems extra sensitive to food, smells, tags, clothes, touch, or sound, or is always in motion and has difficulty paying attention, he or she may have sensory issues that could be helped by OT activities. Atty can be a great resource to parents. She can design a program of sensory activities that parents can do at home with their child to help him or her calm and focus. More Information
TEAMWORK: Our social worker and our occupational therapist work together to support the classroom and to support parents and children at Mandala.
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