The April 10, 2017 Manhattan AAUW Branch meeting was held at First Congregational Church at 700 Poyntz Avenue at 6:00pm. Katrina Porter from Katie’s Way in Manhattan was here to inform us on how they provide youth, young adults and their families an opportunity to face mental health challenges as they work with psychiatrist and psychologists.  Christina Schadegg director of No Stone Unturned was also able to provide us with information about their treatment with children who have neurological or developmental impairments.  They work with occupational, physical, speech and behavioral therapies.  Teams from both Katie’s Way and No Stone Unturned work together to diagnosis and set up therapies for special children and special young adults.  They collaborate using all of their staff with all of the children. Both treatment centers work only with outpatient therapies.

No Stone Unturned now serves 225 people and desperately needs a new building.  Both treatment centers keep their rates reasonable and take insurance which covers many of the charges.  No Stone Unturned has been open in Manhattan four years and Katie’s Way has been open since 2015.  Katie’s Way works with a staff of 10 and No Sone Unturned works with a staff of 14.  They now have a 9 to 12 months waiting list. Katie’s Way will remain at the home with their care as they make the atmosphere comfortable while they work with youth, young adults and their families who face mental and behavioral disorders.  Shirts are given to the children and teenagers get to be separated from the younger kids.  Anxiety and depression is greatly diagnosed and therapies developed with their children or young adults. They will work with individual, family and group therapies.

Both organizations do great work with mental, behavioral, social, emotional and developmental health challenges for our families in Manhattan.  We are so pleased that Manhattan has two special places like this who work together with special children and special young adults.

The next Manhattan AAUW Branch meeting will be the Annual Wrap-Up and Celebration which includes a special dinner prepared by the Meadowlark staff at Meadowlark Hills Community Room at 2121 Meadowlark Road on May 8, 2017 with dinner at 6:00 pm.  The evening will be a celebration of excellent programming, philanthropy, friendships made, community involvement, new members registering and installation of officers.  A Silent Auction will be held with proceeds benefitting the branch’s operations. We will hear the president’s highlights of the year, and branch awards to outstanding members will be distributed.

Persons interested in learning more about AAUW in Manhattan may go to manhattan-ks.aauw.net or email manhattanksaauw@gmail.com.