Background Information on my Internship Site

Posted from Garland, Texas, United States.

Hello Everybody!

I am coming upon the midpoint of my internship at the Sonoma Developmental Center, and I have definitely been learning a lot. I have experienced many stressful moments, a lot of challenges, but also some good moments. I will talk more about this in a later post. First, some background information on the Sonoma Developmental Center. It is the oldest facility in California established specifically for serving the needs of individuals with developmental disabilities. It has been in existence since 1884 and has gone through 3 name changes. It was first called the California Home for the Care and Training of Feeble Minded Children, then the Sonoma State Home, and then the Sonoma State Hospital before it took on its present name in 1986. The approach to the treatment and care of people with developmental disabilities has changed dramatically since the facility first opened. Let’s just say that once upon a time these individuals were not treated like humans, but today this facility takes a very humanistic approach in its treatment and care of the residents (I would not be here if it did not, of course).  The facility is located in a town called Eldridge that is within a town called Glen Ellen, which is where the famous author Jack London lived for most of his life. It is about 5 miles away from Sonoma and 15 miles from Napa, which are two of the major wine regions in the state (not to say that is important). It is 40 miles north of San Francsico. The facility has its own post office, fire station, police department, etc., so by itself, it is a town.

The Sonoma Deveopmental Center is home to a little more than 600 residents who have various cognitive and physical disabilities. About 70% of the residents are in the profound range of MR, which is a very high percentage for a place like this. Aside from the MR (which is usually Down’s Syndrome or of unknown etiology), common diagnoses include autism, pica (having an insatiable appetite for non-nutritive substances), sensory integration disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and dementia. Many of the residents here have a phsyical disability of some sort: some are blind and/or deaf, many are in wheel chairs or require a walker. Many of the individuals here have more than one of the diagnoses listed above.

About 20 to 30 individuals live in a residence (or unit), and people of similar needs and disabilities live in the residences. I have been serving about 70 to 80 of the residents here, and I also meet with about 10 special education students at a local elementary school. I am supposed to work 40 hour weeks, but it has been much, much more than that, of course!  The internship program is extremely comprehensive, and I will be speaking more about  this and my experiences soon. The 7 MTs who work here (there are usually 8, but one is on maternity leave) will be observing me for the next two weeks, but I will post again during this time if I can. If you have any questions, you are more than welcome to comment on my posts or email me at bkoltuniak@hotmail.com

- Brett

1. 

   Jessica says:

   March 21, 2011 at 3:00 am

   Wow, sounds like you’ve got your hands full! Thanks so much for taking the time to share this information with us.

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2. 

   Kaitlyn Wettstein says:

   March 27, 2011 at 4:32 am

   Hey Brett~ Thank you so very much for sharing! It is so good to hear from you! You are very much missed and I hope that you aren’t just stressed all the time. I am starting to fill out internship applications :s Scary!! lol and I am preparing for proficiency…eek! haha I trust that everyting will workout how it is supposed to.

   Prayers and hugs,

   Kati Wettstein

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3. 

   Carol Boyle says:

   March 30, 2011 at 5:33 am

   Hey Brett!

   Good to hear from you. Hope things are going well. I heard you’ve been sick :{ Don’t let them run you ragged!

   Carol B

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