Seattle’s beloved Seahawks are in the heart of the season, and the SAJD Supported Living Program’s Sunday social group is following them as avidly as ever, regularly gathering for football food and game-watching. “Social isolation is one the biggest challenges people with cognitive disabilities face,” says SAJD SLP Director Rachael Kwong. “Our Sunday social group is one way we help clients build relationships and become more fully integrated in community.”
For over a decade, the SAJD SLP has held these weekly small group gatherings. An instruction support specialist plans and staffs a monthly calendar of diverse activities. The group goes beyond the gridiron, and as is the case every month, there’s a diverse range of activities and options. December includes a visit to Carkeek Park and its salmon run, the Sha’arei Tikvah Chanukah Celebration and a KlezKidz performance at Seattle Center’s Winterfest.
“When Jill Ruder (the specialist who runs the group) creates the schedule,” says Kwong, “she’s looking for options that will get our clients out into the larger world and socializing with one another.” Kwong goes on to note that friendships established through the Sunday group sometimes result in relationships that flourish outside the organized events.
Mental illness can have profoundly negative effects on motivation and initiative. Additionally, the medications used to treat disorders can affect a person’s physical health. Because of this, the social gatherings also include a focus on self-care and healthy choices. Ruder incorporates exercise into a majority of the outings, be it a walk or something more active. There is also a focus on making healthy food choices, from restaurant ordering to occasional cooking activities.
“Our objective is always to help people reach their personal goals,” notes Kwong. “Offering a social opportunity so clients can build and maintain relationships is one way we can help them attain something desired by all of us – a sense of connection with others.”
By Deb Frockt
Deb Frockt is Director of Marketing & Communications. She enjoys baking, beaching and learning about golf, both kinds of football, fashion and pop music from her husband and sons.
Feature image by Phillip Robertson.
