Tips for Families Who are Waiting for Services

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February 8, 2023| Expert Series

Waiting for treatment or services can be challenging and frustrating. If you’re on a waiting list at ChildServe, we hope the tips below give you access to many resources and opportunities that will make a difference for your family:

1 – Review your evaluation materials.

If you already had an evaluation for therapy, or if you will be having one soon, be sure to review the information shared by the team after your evaluation. You will receive valuable resources and ideas specific to your child’s needs and goals, which you can use to begin working on some things at home while you wait.

2 – Touch base with our Social Work team if additional resources are needed while you wait.

Each family and child has unique needs, and our social workers are here to help! If your needs have changed or if you have additional questions while you wait, we can help connect you with resources. Simply call the location nearest you and ask to connect with our Social Work team!

Ames | 515-232-7220
Iowa City | 319-665-3221
Johnston | 515-331-4518

3 – Sign up for “The Partner.”

Our monthly e-newsletter “The Partner” will provide you with ChildServe news, resources, educational opportunities and community events. The goal of this newsletter is to provide adaptive and inclusive resources for parents of children with special healthcare needs. To sign up, visit the homepage of our website and scroll down to the bottom right corner – enter your email and hit submit!

4 – Join a free class.

Check out our free educational series for parents on important topics like guardianship, resiliency and more!

5 – Keep an eye on our Forward Together Blog.

On the Forward Together blog, experts at ChildServe share tips and educational resources. We’ve covered everything from mental health tips, how to talk to your child about autism, sensory story-time and so much more – we’ve even had parents and kids like Rylee write posts sharing their perspectives. We re-share these posts and more resources on our Facebook page and in The Partner.

6 – Look for flexibility in your schedule.

The more flexible you can be with your schedule, the better our team can maximize possibilities to get your child into the service.

What is ChildServe doing about the waitlist?

ChildServe continues to get creative in the ways we can increase our capacity to serve more children and families in Iowa. This includes a concerted effort to hire and retain quality team members, including nurses, therapists, board certified behavior analysts and more; and coming up with new and innovative ways to maximize space.

While we work hard to expand services, we know that some families cannot and should not wait for help.

If you or someone you know is in an emergency, call 911
If you are in crisis or are experiencing difficult or suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273 TALK (8255).
If you’re uncomfortable talking on the phone, you can also text NAMI to 741-741 to be connected to a free, trained crisis counselor on the Crisis Text Line.

About

ChildServe improves the health and well-being of nearly 5,800 children each year through specialized clinical, home, and community-based programs and services. We serve children with developmental delays, disabilities, injuries, and other special healthcare needs.