Harris County My Friend's House Summer Program

Program Name:	My Friend's House - Summer Program for Adolescents with Asperger Syndrome
Location:	3600 Gessner Houston, Texas 77063
Phone:	Office: 713-970-8344 Dr. Amy Greer, Program Director
Days of Operation	June 16, 2008 - August 8, 2008
Times of Operation	8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Brochure	My Friend's House Brochure

WHAT WE DO

My Friend's House is an 8 week summer day habilitation program designed to build social and independent living skills for teenagers (age 12 - 17 years) with Asperger's Disorder. Services include:

Skills assessment
Individualized treatment planning
Small group and individualized skills training
Nursing services
Community skills training

The goals of this program are:

To assist adolescents with Asperger's Disorder in developing skills to improve and enhance social interaction, forging and maintaining relationships, social-emotional reciprocity, communication skills, and range of interests and activities.
To develop effective coping skills to assist with meeting daily activities and social expectations.

WHO WE SERVE

Participants must meet the following criteria to be eligible for the program:

Resident of Harris County
Between the ages of 12 - 17 years
Diagnosed with Asperger's Disorder
Determination of mental retardation (DMR)
Assigned service coordinator
Services for the program listed on the consumer's Person Directed Plan (PDP)
Current financial assessment
Referral from service coordinator sent to Amy Greer, Ph.D., Program Director

PROGRAM OUTLINE

Social Skills
Health Education
Independent Living Skills
Coping Skills
- Getting along with parents/teachers
- Getting along with peers
Friendships/Social Relationships
Community Outings/Skills Training
Emotion Management Skills
Discussion Group/Current Events
Time Management/Structuring Leisure Time/Goal Setting

HOW TO ACCESS THIS SERVICE

The first step in the application process is to contact the consumer’s Service Coordinator and request a referral. If the consumer does not have a Service Coordinator from the Mental Retardation Division, please go to the following link and follow the instructions at Step 6 under ADDITIONAL USEFUL INFORMATION. [Link to DMR web page] If you have questions about My Friend's House please contact Amy Greer, Ph.D. at (713) 970-8344.

ABOUT TRANSPORTATION

Consumers are responsible for securing transportation to and from the program. Transportation will be provided free of cost to consumers during the community skills training segment of the program.

FEES YOU MAY HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS SERVICE

Consumers are assessed by a financial counselor who determines a co-pay amount, if applicable. If a consumer has third party benefits that cover this service but MHMRA is not in the network, the consumer is given two choices:

1. The consumer may choose to pay the full amount of the service;
2. The consumer may choose to contact the insurance company to attempt to get MHMRA added to its provider network.

These choices are explained in detail at the initial assessment, and staff work with the consumer and/or family to ensure that the consumer's needs are met via a joint effort with other entities of the Agency.