A Fresh Approach to Autism Services
Chimes Holcomb Behavioral Health Systems Demonstrates Innovation
April 9, 2020 – As the world celebrates Autism Month in April, Chimes Behavioral Health Systems is celebrating success with a new concept in serving the growing number of people on the autism spectrum. This innovative approach involves home visits and the use of techniques such as applied behavior analysis, which relies on proven, measurable interventions to improve socially important behavior.
“We get in there with the person and their family and stabilize the situation,” said Chimes’ President and Chief Executive Officer Terence Blackwell. “They teach the family and the person life skills, communication, and socialization skills, all mechanisms to make daily life easier and more positive for everyone involved. The goal is for Chimes to then fade out of the picture and allow the natural supports of the individual’s world to take over.”
Nicole Brown, Chimes Holcomb’s Chief Operating Officer, said that her organization’s success with the program is not an accident. “We participate in a lot of county and statewide meetings where new programming and trends are discussed,” she explained. “We hear what they want, and we might say, ‘You know what, it seems like there’s a gap here. Maybe we can come up with a program that fills that gap.’”
“It’s about being creative,” Brown pointed out. “We work internally and also with our stakeholders to develop ideas and to ensure the services we provide are in line with regulations and quality benchmarking metrics.”
Chimes Holcomb’s willingness to be creative, use research-based practices, and try new approaches is helping them serve more people and is forging a path into the future for people with autism and Chimes as a whole. The organization is looking at the program as a model for an approach in autism services that could potentially be offered throughout the Chimes Family of Services.
