FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Julie Walsh / 609-828-8981
South Jersey-based NeurAbilities Healthcare is growing,
with a recent King of Prussia addition and more sites planned
(VOORHEES, N.J., and BALA CYNWYD, PA.—-Sept. 21, 2020) A regional provider of healthcare services for people with autism and other neurological conditions will open a new treatment facility in Bala Cynwyd, Pa., on October 1.
The 5,700-square-foot center is part of a major expansion for Voorhees, N.J.-based NeurAbilities Healthcare, which also launched a King of Prussia, Pa., site in April. NeurAbilities plans to open centers in Cherry Hill and Freehold, N.J., later this year, bringing its total number of sites to seven. More Pennsylvania sites are planned for 2021, including one in the Allentown area.
NeurAbilities is hiring close to 50 clinical and administrative staff members in Bala Cynwyd and increasing its workforce in New Jersey, as well – with a total of 125 new hires planned through 2020.
“Our new facilities will help the many families waiting for diagnostic evaluations and comprehensive treatment for their children and loved ones. No child should have to be on a wait list for treatment,” said Kathleen Stengel, BCBA, chief executive officer of NeurAbilities Healthcare.
With autism rates rising, the expansion will meet a growing need. Today, autism affects about one in 54 U.S. children. Rates are even higher in some areas, including New Jersey, where one in 32 children is identified with the condition.
Moreover, the COVID-19 lockdown has negatively affected many youth with autism. Some 63% of families of children with autism report severe disruptions in services and therapies. Of those families, 95% report an adverse impact on their child’s behavior, and 82% say the disruptions have harmed their child’s mental and emotional health, according to a recent study. (Read more about the study here.)
“Children can lose the gains they’ve made, and many families are struggling with behavioral issues as a result of these disruptions,” Stengel noted. “We want to provide the support children and parents need, now more than ever.”
Another advantage of the new centers: They will enable area families to receive an array of vital services – including diagnostic evaluations, counseling, and ABA (applied behavior analysis) services – from one coordinated source, which is unique in this region.
“Our expansion will relieve a huge amount of pressure on families by providing front-to-back services,” said Mark Mintz, MD, chief medical officer and founder of NeurAbilities.
In fact, the respected neurologist launched the organization – formerly called CNNH NeuroHealth – in 2005 to address gaps in care for people with special needs.
State-of-the-art facility
The new center is designed for children with autism and other neurological and behavioral concerns, primarily from ages 3 to 15 but also older if appropriate. It will include:
• Special lighting, temperature controls, and other features that address sensory sensitivities.
• An indoor playground to help children learn a wide range of skills, including communication and
socialization.
• Individual and group treatment rooms.
Each new facility will have similar amenities and a child-friendly theme.
“Children will learn functional skills at the center, and then we’ll help them apply their skills at home,” said Stengel. “We empower parents and other caregivers by teaching them how to work with their child. This provides consistency in intervention techniques and continued growth and learning.”
The Bala Cynwyd site – at 225 City Line Avenue – offers easy access from both Philadelphia and the Main Line.
A virtual tour of the King of Prussia center gives a sense of these new facilities. It also describes NeurAbilities’ advanced COVID-19 protections.
Comprehensive services
Many people on the autism spectrum also have one or more additional diagnoses, which may be developmental, behavioral, neurologic, and/or genetic.
“NeurAbilities can address all of these issues with our team of physicians and therapists,” said Stengel. “No other entity in our area provides this full range of services.”
Indeed, NeurAbilities helps families avoid the typical situation of uncoordinated care, added Dr. Mintz.
“Fragmented care can lead to other problems, including inaccurate diagnoses, less effective care, more hospitalizations, and over-medication, among others,” he explained.
As a licensed, intensive behavioral health services (IBHS) provider, NeurAbilities also offers in-home therapies and family training across Montgomery, Philadelphia, Bucks, Delaware, Lehigh, and Northampton counties, and in South and Central New Jersey. And it offers virtual social-skills classes for older children, with a new class for youth ages 14 – 17 starting Sept. 28.
Pennsylvania families enrolled in Medicaid through Magellan Behavioral Health of Pennsylvania will pay no out-of-pocket fees for ABA services from NeurAbilities, as these services are fully covered by that program. NeurAbilities offers medically necessary ABA at its treatment centers and in families’ homes. The organization is also in-network with many major insurance providers.
The new treatment facilities will complement NeurAbilities’ three pre-existing centers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, which focus primarily on diagnostic services, medical care, and treatment planning.
NeurAbilities is also expanding its treatment services in New Jersey, including more ABA services in its Voorhees office, and more in-home services within approximately 30 minutes of that center. In-home ABA services are also available to families near the Wall Township office.
As part of this growth, NeurAbilities is hiring for a variety of positions, including Board-Certified Behavior Analysts and registered behavior technicians.
To learn more or make an appointment, visit NeurAbilities.com or call (856) 346-0005. For information on employment opportunities, visit NeurAbilities Careers.
NeurAbilities Healthcare will open an autism treatment facility in Bala Cynwyd, Pa., on October 1 as part of a larger expansion. Pictured: Kaori Nepo, PhD, BCBA-D, director of behavioral services for NeurAbilities’ Pennsylvania programs, and a young visitor (photographed prior to COVID-19 pandemic and staff masking requirements).
About NeurAbilities Healthcare
NeurAbilities Healthcare (formerly The Center for Neurological and Neurodevelopmental Health, also known as CNNH NeuroHealth) was formed in 2005 by Dr. Mark Mintz, a leading pediatric neurologist. NeurAbilities is an innovative and integrative organization that provides diagnostic and treatment services for children and adults with neurological, neuropsychological, behavioral, developmental and learning challenges. Such issues include autism, epilepsy, ADHD, concussion and brain injury, intellectual disabilities, Tourette’s syndrome, headaches and migraines, anxiety and mood disorders, among others.
The organization’s unique “Specialty Care Medical Home®” model brings together a team of experts from all aspects of neurological care, working collaboratively to provide the most comprehensive care for each person. Using the latest advances, the NeurAbilities model of care yields accurate diagnoses and effective,
personalized treatment plans.
Based in Voorhees, N.J., NeurAbilities also has offices in Wall Township, N.J., and in King of Prussia and Bala Cynwyd, Pa. In addition, the organization provides home-based ABA (applied behavior analysis) services in the following counties: Bucks, Delaware, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton, and Philadelphia (Pa.) counties, and Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Monmouth, Ocean, and parts of Atlantic (N.J) counties.
