Sensory Modulation Supports

the

building bridges initiative

Responds to COVID-19 Crisis by Promoting Best Practices focused on: Using Sensory Tools to Support Self-regulation, Comfort and Calming for Families, Youth and Staff

BBI recognizes that residential staff, during ordinary times, do the work of heroes in supporting the needs of youth and families. During the challenging times of COVID-19, youth, families and staff are experiencing extra stress, with fewer options available to support one another because of restrictions of youth spending time at home or families spending time at the program.

In an effort to support your work, BBI has developed two simple sensory packages for residential staff to add to their toolbox of strategies to support youth and families. One package is for residential staff to help youth use sensory approaches and one is to help families use similar sensory approaches. Both projects have the goal of increasing youth and/or family success with self-regulation, comfort and/or calming. BBI’s key core principles include family-driven care and youth-guided care. These principles, when fully operationalized, promote family and youth voice and choice, as well as skill building. The two new sensory packages provide residential staff with additional tools to operationalize these important values, as well as ensure use of practices that are trauma-informed, strength-based and individualized.

BBI would like to thank the Redlich Horwitz Foundation and the Annie E. Casey Foundation for support of different parts of this new BBI package, and the BBI consultants, families and youth who made this project a reality. BBI appreciates our sponsors, our consultants, and the incredible work of all residential heroes.

We hope these new resources will support you during all times of stress,

– Mark Nickell, BBI Executive Director and The BBI Team

NEW! Hear from a residential program that used this BBI Sensory Landing Page and learned from another program to advance their focus on using sensory modulation approaches.

Residential Programs Learning from their Peers
In this video you will hear how the Children’s Home of Wyoming Conference (CHOWC), in New York, has implemented sensory modulations tools and resources and how it has impacted their program. . Thank you to the Redlich Horwitz Foundation (NY) for their partnership with BBI and support of CHOWC in acquiring a range of sensory materials to support youth and families.