HEARTSONG INC
ONE SUMMIT AVENUE NO 230, WHITE PLAINS, NY 10606 www.heartsong.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: HEARTSONG'S MISSION IS TO PROVIDE CLINICALLY-BASED MUSIC AND ART THERAPY PROGRAMS THAT SEEK TO ENHANCE THE FUNCTIONING LEVEL AND QUALITY OF LIFE FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS AND THEIR FAMILIES. LOCATED IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NEW YORK, BUT DRAWING CHILDREN FROM THROUGHOUT THE NEW YORK METROPOLITAN AREA, HEARTSONG PROVIDES ITS PROGRAM SERVICES ON SATURDAYS FROM SEPTEMBER TO JUNE AT WESTCHESTER SCHOOL 29 IN YONKERS AND AT GOOD COUNSEL ACADEMY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN WHITE PLAINS. OUR OUTREACH PROGRAMS, VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES AND FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT THE CALENDAR YEAR. THOSE WHO BENEFIT THE MOST FROM OUR PROGRAMS AND SERVICES ARE THOSE FAMILIES WHOSE CHILDREN HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH AUTISM, CEREBRAL PALSY, DOWN SYNDROME, DEVELOPMENTAL DELAYS, AND MULTIPLE DISABILITIES. HEARTSONG MEETS A CRITICAL NEED FOR COMMUNITY-BASED ART AND MUSIC THERAPY FOR THESE SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN.

CREATIVE ARTS THERAPIES, WHEN USED IN A THERAPEUTIC SETTING, HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO BENEFIT CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS BY IMPROVING ATTENTION SPAN, SPEECH AND LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT, FINE AND GROSS MOTOR SKILLS, SELF-ESTEEM, AND SELF-CONFIDENCE. HEARTSONG'S GROUP FORMAT ALLOWS FOR THE ADDED BENEFIT OF IMPROVING EACH CLIENT'S SOCIAL SKILLS, WHILE REDUCING THE CONSTANT ISOLATION OFTEN FELT BY SO MANY. THIS STRUCTURE IS CONDUCIVE TO THE PARTICIPANTS FORMING BONDS, WHICH IN SOME CASES LEAD TO FIRST FRIENDSHIPS. THROUGH HEARTSONG'S CREATIVE ARTS THERAPY PROGRAMMING, INDIVIDUALS ARE HELPED TO INCREASE:- USE OF VOCALIZED SOUNDS FOR THE PURPOSE OF COMMUNICATION- ABILITY TO MAINTAIN FOCUS ON A GIVEN TASK AND DISPLAY INTEREST IN PEER PARTICIPATION- ABILITY TO CHOOSE TO DEFER GRATIFICATION FOR THE GREATER GOOD- AWARENESS OF THE IMPACT OF ONE'S BEHAVIOR ON OTHERS- AWARENESS OF THE IMPACT OF ONE'S EMOTIONAL SELF-EXPRESSION ON OTHERS- ENGAGEMENT IN RECIPROCAL/COOPERATIVE INTERACTIONS WITH OTHERSHEARTSONG CONTINUES TO REDEFINE AND ADAPT ITS SERVICES TO A RAPIDLY CHANGING GROUP OF PEOPLE. EVERY YEAR, MORE PEOPLE ARE DIAGNOSED AND ARE MORE SEVERELY IMPACTED BY AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS. WE ARE INCORPORATING MORE STRATEGIES SPECIFIC TO THIS POPULATION. DUE TO THE SEVERE NATURE OF MANY PARTICIPANTS, GROUP SIZES HAVE BEEN DECREASED TO BETTER SERVE CLIENTS. HEARTSONGS PROGRAMS AND SERVICES INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:THE SATURDAY PROGRAM OF CREATIVE ARTS THERAPY (ART, MUSIC, DANCE/MOVEMENT); PROVIDING CREATIVE ARTS THERAPY TO 100 INDIVIDUALS, WITH 10 THERAPISTS AND 26 VOLUNTEERS. QUALIFIED VOLUNTEERS WORK UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF CERTIFIED MUSIC, ART, DANCE/MOVEMENT THERAPISTS TO FACILITATE CLIENT PARTICIPATION IN SAFE, NURTURING SMALL GROUP SESSIONS. - SCHOOL VACATION & SUMMER BREAK RESPITE PROGRAMS: THREE-HOUR IMMERSION PROGRAMS OFFER DAILY SESSIONS OF ART, MUSIC, DANCE/MOVEMENT THERAPIES. _ TRAINING & CONSULTATION PROGRAMS (PARENT SUPPORT, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, LUNCH & LEARN SERIES); OFFERING MONTHLY INFORMATIONAL SPEAKER SERIES, COMMUNITY-BASED TRAINING AND CONSULTATION SERVICES, PARENT SUPPORT & CAREGIVERS GROUPS.-AFTER SCHOOL CLUB FOR ADOLESCENTS: PROVIDING ACADEMIC SUPPORT, SOCIAL SKILLS, LIFE SKILLS, SELF-ESTEEM DEVELOPMENT. ART, MUSIC & DANCE/MOVEMENT THERAPIES ARE KEY COMPONENTS THAT ARE INTEGRATED INTO THE PROGRAM.-COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAMS (CREATIVE ARTS THERAPY PROGRAMS FOR SENIORS, EARLY CHILDHOOD, SCHOOL AND OTHER COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAMS & SERVICES). PROVIDING CONTRACTUAL ART, MUSIC, DANCE/MOVEMENT THERAPY SERVICES

ART AND MUSIC THERAPY ARE NOT USUALLY COVERED BY PRIVATE OR PUBLIC INSURANCE IF PROVIDED OUTSIDE OF AN INSTITUTIONAL SETTING, SUCH AS A REHABILITATION HOSPITAL. HEARTSONG IS COMMITTED TO MAKING ITS PROGRAMS AVAILABLE REGARDLESS OF A FAMILY'S ABILITY TO PAY. THE FEE STRUCTURE ENSURES THAT ALL FAMILIES RECEIVE SOME FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, FROM PARTIAL TO TOTAL AID. BASED ON INCOME, MORE THAN 40% OF THE CHILDREN SERVED RECEIVED THERAPY AT NO COST TO THEIR FAMILIES THIS PAST YEAR.

HEARTSONG CURRENTLY PARTNERS WITH COMMUNITY-BASED AGENCIES IN THE TRI-STATE AREA TO PROVIDE THE BENEFITS OF MUSIC AND/OR ART THERAPY SERVICES TO CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS. WE HAVE APPROACHED EACH OF THESE PARTNERSHIPS ACKNOWLEDGING IN EACH A UNIQUE SET OF CHALLENGES THAT DEMAND SENSITIVITY AND ACCOMMODATION TO DIFFERENCES OF CULTURE, PROTOCOL, STYLE, AND SOCIAL NORMS. SINCE ITS INCEPTION, HEARTSONG HAS RECOGNIZED THE NEED FOR THE AVAILABILITY OF CREATIVE ARTS THERAPY SERVICES BEYOND THE CONFINES OF THE HOSPITALS AND CLINICS WHERE THESE PIONEERING THERAPY MODELS WERE FIRST CONCEIVED AND DEVELOPED SOON AFTER THE SECOND WORLD WAR. TODAY, WITH THE CLOSING OF MORE LARGE HOSPITALS AND THE "MAINSTREAMING" OF A GREATER NUMBER CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS, COMES A GREATER NEED FOR THE DELIVERY OF SERVICES TO PEOPLE WHERE THEY LIVE, IN THEIR SCHOOLS, AND AT AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS WHERE THEY PLAY.

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