"The School of Social Work is proud to utilize its resources and the professional experiences of its faculty to address the unmet needs of a family adjusting to a child diagnosed with type 1 diabetes," said Darrell Jordan, assistant professor of social work and the director of field education. "The social side of healing is often invisible but equally important as the physical side."
The program, designed for the child living with diabetes and his or her parents, will provide information and support through bi-monthly sessions. During each session children and their parents will meet separately. Children will learn how to positively adjust to life with diabetes through therapeutic activities, storytelling and discussions. Parents will discuss and listen to presentations from local diabetes health care professionals, said Jordan.
The sessions will be conducted by ACU School of Social Work professors and graduate student interns who are trained to understand the psychosocial impact of the child's chronic health condition, said Jordan.
Type 1 diabetes causes the pancreas to no longer produce insulin, and 35 children are diagnosed with the non-preventable illness every day. Scientists have found no cause for type 1 diabetes, but it could be linked to genes or a virus. Type 1 diabetes does not go away, and it requires life-long treatment, daily insulin injections or a pump to control blood glucose levels.
Pre-registration
and screening for the supportive services begin this month. Families can contact
the ACU School of Social Work at 325-674-2072 to set up a screening interview.
The first meeting is scheduled for Jan. 12, 6-7:30 p.m., at the Hillcrest
Church of Christ located at 650 E. Ambler Ave., in Abilene. The support group will
meet on the second and fourth Monday of each month.
For more information on type 1 diabetes and visit the ACU School of Social Work website and click on the diabetes purple ribbon.
If you are a member of the media who would like more information about this release, please contact ACU's Public Relations Office or call (325) 674-2696.
