From Dreams to Reality

On April 16 HSS staff in Day Treatment invited Krescene Beck from New Visions to come and speak about helping staff to become advocates for assisting developmentally disabled clients to realize their dreams. The presenter reviewed how staff could place barriers and obstacles in front of clients without even realizing it. Staff discussed how they could instead become Dream Keepers that help clients identify their dreams and then teach them to reach them. Next month Ms. Beck will return for a presentation to 20 Day Treatment clients entitled “Dare to Dream.” The clients will learn to identify their dreams; they will talk about the steps to meeting their dreams and how to identify people who will support them in their efforts. They will create a collage of pictures that show their dreams as well. The Illinois Department of Human Services provided funding for these trainings.