Worcester, MA A ribbon cutting celebration to announce the opening of Summit Health & Wellness Center and Summit Campus for children and young adults with Autism and related diagnoses took place on Thursday, June 17th.
The ribbon cutting was a celebration of the addition of the Summit Campus and Health & Wellness Center which was a natural progression of the Summit Agency’s mission. Their goal is to support this vulnerable and underserved population in the Worcester community, and the surrounding areas.
This comes at a good time as the prevalence of ASD (Autism Spectrum Diagnosis) and related diagnoses are on the rise. According to the CDC 1 in 54 children are diagnosed with ASD. In the US alone there are roughly 550,000 children with ASD who will be transitioning into adulthood over the next decade, and it is expected that approximately 45% of these emerging adults will enroll in a university, college, or technical/vocational school in the coming years. Springer’s Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. (January 2018)
The Summit Health & Wellness Center and Summit Campus ribbon cutting took place outdoors at the corner of Fruit St. and William St. The Summit Health and Wellness Center then opened July 1st, appointments can be made now by visiting the website: www.summitagencyma.com or by calling 774-701-0670.
Guests at the ribbon cutting included: Senator Michael Moore; Worcester councilor-at-large, Kathleen Toomey; Worcester District 2 councilor, Candy Mero-Carlson; and Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce president, Tim Murray. Summit Agency was recognized by the State of Massachusetts with an Official Citation.
“Think back to 20-30 years ago and the services that were available for young adults who had intellectual or developmental disabilities, we were just learning, we were just providing services in K-12, we were beginning inclusive enrollment legislation to provide more services for this demographic in colleges and universities; so I think it is great that we’ve been able, through your advocacy, and grassroots efforts and getting the attention of legislators and other policy officials to tell us what your children need to be successful and have a good quality of life. ” said Senator Moore.
There were over 70 guests, and the celebration included a tour of the facilities, refreshments and hors d’oeuvres, along with raffles for a Worcester Railers gift basket and gift cards to Wings Over Worcester, Smoke Stack Urban BBQ, ‘Olo Pizza and Meze Estiatorio.
The Summit Health & Wellness Center will offer the following clinical modalities that include: Psychiatric services, behavioral services, counseling services, and general health & wellness practices with Dr. Oliver Joseph, as the agency’s chief medical officer. Many are excited to begin making appointments. It will serve both the Summit Campus residential students and the Worcester ASD community.
