Nurture Place takes therapy into schools

The Nurture Place has provided mental health counseling to children in its Winter Garden office since 2014. But, Angela Gonzalez, the executive director, knew there had to be a way to reach more young people in need of her nonprofit organization’s services.

The result is a collaboration with Orange County Public Schools and several West Orange County schools, as well as with Edgewood Children’s Ranch. Two programs are offered: a therapeutic curriculum, which teaches young students social and life skills, and a one-on-one trauma therapy, which deals with deeper personal issues.

AT THE RANCH

Edgewood Children's Ranch, a group home dedicated to providing a nurturing environment for children in need, reached out to Gonzalez last year requesting trauma-informed professionals experienced in handling complex developmental trauma. She realized more children could benefit from therapy sessions if therapists took the program to the ranch instead of the ranch sending just a few children to the counseling office.

"Our partnership with Edgewood Children's Ranch allows us to reach children where they are, providing them with the support they desperately need," Gonzalez said. "By bringing our services directly to the ranch, we're breaking down barriers to access and making a real difference in these young lives."

Each week, two therapists visit the ranch once and another makes two visits. Students talk to the same therapist every time.

“They had a couple of kids who would get therapy, but now all of them get therapy,” Gonzalez said. “I feel very proud and happy that we get to do that.”

Gonzalez and her team reassess the program at the end of each semester to determine if the students should continue their therapy or if others would rotate into the sessions.

In its first year of partnership, The Nurture Place provided 224 therapy sessions, helping ranchers with emotional regulation and healing — impacting about 16 families.

THERAPEUTIC CURRICULUM

Several public schools and a charter school are working with The Nurture Place to deliver a therapeutic curriculum to students. Counselors and volunteers have worked with students at Maxey Elementary School for three-and-one-half years and Renaissance Charter School at Crown Point for two-and-one-half. They started the six-week program at Tildenville Elementary School this year and are working to take it to Lakeview Middle School.

“The younger you start, the better it is,” Gonzalez said. “At Maxey, we see all the kindergartners and preschoolers. … We love them, and they love us. We take our social and life skills to the little ones in a fun and creative way.”

In this partnership with the mental health department at the University of Central Florida, students volunteer with The Nurture Place, go through training and go into the schools to deliver the program.

Gonzalez said Dr. Michelle Urquhart, a behavioral specialist with OCPS, works specifically with Maxey Elementary.

“It’s been a blessing,” Gonzalez said. “She has been such an advocate for this.”

Tildenville Elementary students are participating in the resiliency and nurture groups, too.

“They are third-graders now who were COVID babies, so they missed some things, so (a school official) said, ‘Can you work with them and nurture these skills?’” Gonzalez said.

Counselors and volunteers teach kindness, gentleness and cooperation; and how to give care and receive care.

“We teach it in a fun and creative way that helps them to have really strong relationship skills, how to voice our needs and how to express what’s happening in us,” Gonzalez said. “If you’re not taught how to express your needs as a child, you won’t be able to as an adult.”

She called this the preventative side of her group’s work.

“It’s easier to teach than to fix,” she said.

At Renaissance Charter, students participate in the resiliency and nurture groups and several therapists go for afterschool therapy.

“It’s whatever they need,” Gonzalez said.

“Our goal is to be able to have this preventative program because the reality is children cannot learn … if (they) are in fight-or-flight mode,” Gonzalez said. “They need to feel safe so they can learn. Mental health is a huge part of learning and relationships.”

Play therapy also is key to reaching students, Gonzalez said.

“We do a lot of play therapy,” she said. “Play is the language of children, and we help them recognize all the things they are feeling so they can verbalize what they are feeling.”

Gonzalez said she wants to expand to more schools in West Orange County.

DON QUIJOTE AWARD

Gonzalez has been named a finalist for a 2024 Don Quijote Award, presented by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. She was nominated by Shiloh Karshima, who has been helping write grants for The Nurture Place, and is one of three finalists in the Excellence category.

The awards gala is Dec. 14 at the Epcot World Showplace Pavilion.

“I’m very humbled,” Gonzalez said. “I love working in the community, and hopefully it helps to get our name out a little bit.”

On her Facebook page, she wrote: “It is an honor and privilege to be recognized for as a finalist for a Don Quijote Award 2024. … It was great to be among some incredible professionals and leaders in our community. Humbled and grateful beyond words for having the opportunity to make a social impact through mental health and family resources.”

A CONTINUING NEED

Because The Nurture Place is a nonprofit, funds must be raised to enable the therapists to take the programs into the schools.

“The work we do in the schools, that’s all funding we have to raise, from individuals, businesses, other foundations, people who believe in that work,” Gonzalez said.

Liz’s Legacy Foundation has committed 12 weeks of funding for the program at Edgewood, but additional funds are needed to cover the remaining four weeks.

"The impact of this program extends far beyond the ranch," Gonzalez said. "By giving these children the tools to understand and manage their emotions, we're setting them up for success in all aspects of their lives. The ripple effect on our community is immeasurable."

Donations can be made on the website, thenurtureplace.org.

Gonzalez said the need for volunteers is great as well. All volunteers go through a background process and training program before working with children. They must commit to all six weeks of the program in the schools.

Help also is needed for the one-on-one therapeutic summer camp program.

“The more we grow, the more we need volunteers,” she said. “That’s another way of supporting the work we are doing.”