Bradley Bulletin – Fall 2018

The Bradley Bulletin News and notes for our friends and supporters.

Fall 2018

Foundation Board Chair is a Passionate Volunteer and Leader

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awrence B. Sadwin has experienced his share of pivotal, life-altering moments. And each one appears to have contributed to his heartfelt leadership of the Bradley Hospital Foundation Board of Trustees.

There was the first time Larry set eyes on a vivacious college freshman named Joan, now his wife of 53 years, mother of their two grown children, and his North Star.

And the day two years later when his father died of a heart attack, compelling Larry to take the reins of Sadwin Curtain Manufacturing Company three months later, upon graduating from the University of Rhode Island.

Or the moment he felt the first twinge in his chest that would lead, at the age of 40, to triple coronary bypass surgery and a decades-long involvement with the American Heart Association, including chairing the organization’s national board.

But it was another pivotal moment, 15 years ago, that gave rise to the Warren couple’s deeply personal connection to Bradley Hospital. That was when the eldest of the couple’s four grandchildren was diagnosed with autism at the age of three.

“Our grandson received home-based treatment from Bradley Hospital, so Larry and I saw first-hand what this incredible organization is all about,” says Joan. Larry adds, “The experience made us passionate about ensuring that every child and family who needs it has access to Bradley Hospital’s exceptional care.”

Larry’s passion for public service and talent for leadership made him a natural choice to chair the Bradley Hospital Foundation Board, a role he accepted in 2015.

Joan and Larry Sadwin

Joan and Larry are not only tireless ambassadors for Bradley, they are also generous donors and active participants in Bravo Bradley, our annual golf tournament, and wherever else they can make a difference. Joan serves on the Board of Governors, while Larry is also a member of the Lifespan Board of Directors and the Every Child, Every Day campaign committee for Bradley and Hasbro Children’s hospitals.

“We are committed to getting the word out about Bradley to those who need us and those who would support us,” says Larry, drawing inspiration from the hospital’s leadership and staff, donors, volunteers, and past and present members of the Foundation Board. “I think Mr. and Mrs. Bradley would nod their approval for the work we’ve done and will continue to do to keep their legacy of hope alive.”

Early Intensive Treatment ‘Changes Life’ of Boy with Autism

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hen Emily Bowden thinks back on her son Gabriel’s toddler years, the signs were already there. “We didn’t understand his delays,” she says. “We just assumed he was a shy kid.”

By the age of two-and-a-half, Gabe was nonverbal, exhibited repetitive behaviors, and was diagnosed with moderate to severe autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Emily and husband Jody immediately began looking for the best intervention program for their youngest of five children. The search led the Johnston couple to Bradley Hospital and its home-based Intensive Behavioral Treatment (IBT) program for children with ASD. “It’s changed his life,” says Emily of her son, now seven and a special education secondgrader. “He’s gained so much. And we’ve learned as a family how to help him cope with his anxieties. We’d never know how to do that without the IBT program.”

Using applied behavioral therapy, which reinforces positive behaviors and is modifiable for each child’s needs, IBT therapists work with children in their homes 20 to 30 hours a week for up to three years. The daily one-on-one interaction in a familiar environment routinely leads to improvements in communication, social, behavioral, play, and selfcare skills.

“Gabe’s a lot more verbal now and he’s learning to engage in social situations,” says Emily. “He’s reading well and working on emotional comprehension. His therapist, Stephanie, is like family. We’re very grateful.”

Gabe (left) with his family

IBT Director Karyn Blane, PsyD, is grateful, too. “To be welcomed into a family’s home, to work with them and make a difference—that’s a privilege,” she says. “It’s amazing.”

Study Aims to Create a New Home-Based Program

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he Pediatric Anxiety Research Center (PARC) at Bradley Hospital is an integrated research and clinical program for children 5 to 18 years old with obsessive-compulsive disorder and other anxiety disorders. Using cognitive behavioral therapy featuring exposure techniques, PARC has approximately 1,500 outpatient visits and 135 partial hospital admissions (each staying an average of 6-8 weeks) per year. However, the waiting list for services is long, due in part to a regional shortage of trained providers.

“Exposure therapy is highly effective, but we know the skills can be hard to practice at home,” says Jennifer Freeman, PhD, research and training director for PARC. “Families need help attacking anxiety where it lives—in real-life settings at home and in the community. While our therapists cover this now, traditional outpatient treatment with a psychologist does not usually involve leaving the office.”

To expand access to care, PARC is conducting a study that aims to create an alternative outpatient model of treatment featuring bachelor’s-level coaches, working in conjunction with PhDs, to provide in-home exposure therapy.

The study is supported by a grant from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute. It builds on PARC’s experience providing home visits through our Intensive Program for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder as well as years of research and outpatient treatment focused on anxious youth. PARC seeks to demonstrate the need and demand for reimbursable, scalable care.

“We teach kids how to face their fears and tolerate distress,” says Dr. Freeman. “Parents have a major role in exposure therapy and they need support as much as their children do. Our study is working to create a better, more accessible, and affordable model of care for patients and families.”

For information about the Bradley Hospital Foundation, please contact Anne Morton Smith at 401-432-1451 or asmith18@lifespan.org. bradleyhospital.org/Giving-to-Bradley-Hospital