Meet Heather Carrier
Child Development Specialist and Storekeeper of the Residential Acute Unit Store
Heather, what made you decide to go into the childcare field and work for Klingberg Family Centers?
I first decided to come to Klingberg after working in the insurance industry for two years after I graduated from college. I felt my sociology degree was not being utilized and I started to explore other possibilities. I discovered Klingberg through a current employee and we spoke at great length about what Klingberg Family Centers does, and I felt that it was definitely a place I wanted to come and share my personal strengths and my education.
What has been your career path with Klingberg?
Over the past nine years, I have had the opportunity to work on the Acute Unit on all three shifts and have also worked with the In-Home programs while I ran the Respite Program. I also pioneered the development of the 1:1 Mentoring Program. The Acute Unit feels like a second home to me as I have spent five out of my nine years with Klingberg working with the children here.
Tell us about the Acute Unit and the store. What is the purpose of the store and how does it benefit the children?
The children at Klingberg, especially the Acute Unit children, are often here as a step down from hospitalization for some very serious mental health problems. A big part of their coping is to lash out in ways that hurt themselves or other children and staff. We need to help them slowly learn to control their emotions and monitor their reactions, for their own safety, and so they find more socially acceptable behaviors. The problems are severe enough that the children are living on our campus to get the attention and services they need 24 hours a day. Much of what they need to learn can be cultivated with constant positive reinforcement, as that has often been missing if they are from a difficult home situation.
Heather in the Acute Unit Store
The Acute Unit Store is a therapeutic tool to help us in our work with them. Children earn play money for various good behaviors, including age-appropriate household chores like folding towels and taking out the trash. They earn rewards for helping other children, too, and for staying out of a problem if another child’s crisis situation is escalating. I know they value what they choose for themselves as reward items over what is given to them—because if they are having a meltdown or more serious episode, they won’t break the things they selected and care about the most. It’s important to have items in a range of prices, ages, sizes and colors so they can choose something they like. A child in residential care has lost a lot of freedoms. Just as children in traditional families learn to take on responsibly, the store is one way to reinforce positive results and help kids get back on track.
When I had the opportunity to take over the unit store, it really gave pleasure seeing the children be able to buy gifts for themselves after earning them for so many positive behaviors. It reminds me of each Christmas morning when I get to see the kids living here open gifts when they have no one else to receive them from.
Can you share a special memory about your work with the Klingberg Kids?
My most cherished memory and the memory that really helps me feel that we make a difference at Klingberg is from Christmas morning about six years ago. A little ten-year-old boy opened a package of tube socks for one of his gifts. Now, as a ten year-old, when I would open clothes, I would be rather annoyed and disappointed because I remember how much more I wanted toys instead of socks or mittens. However, this little boy jumped up and down with excitement and shouted that someone must know him so well because that is just what he needed. That feeling I had at that moment just proved why I came here nine years ago. We did know him well enough to give him what he needed, as well as some toys, and it made a big difference to him. That’s who we try to be: people who give the kids what they need on many levels until their home life can provide it for them.
Why do you like working on the Acute Unit in particular?
On the Acute Unit the children have a wide age range, which makes it a fun place to work. One hour I could be rehearsing a play or playing intense card games with an older client and the next hour I could be coloring or playing Candy Land with a younger client. I enjoy this unit in particular because my day is ever changing.
What makes you come to work every day to do this difficult work?
The reason I come to Klingberg each work day is because I know I have the patience to help these children in their difficult time. I may get injured on the job when a child is angry, but knowing that this is the only way they know right now to get their needs met—it makes me realize I have been put here to help therapists, teachers and my coworkers teach these children the proper coping skills they have not yet developed. To know I can make that difference, to help a child recognize their progress as we acknowledge, together, their emotional health and their new life skills, that day is a special day.
This longstanding chalk mural in the Acute Unit is one way to celebrate kids' progress during their stay.
If you could wave a magic wand right now, what do you need for the Acute Unit Store to be everything it can be?
What I would love to be able to see is each child walking into our unit store and seeing what kids outside see in stores like Walmart. I would love for the children here to be able to buy baby dolls, board games, art supplies, and outdoor toys just like my own children get to do when I take them for a treat. Because the children range in age all the way from five to 13, and if things are going especially well, it is very difficult to keep the store stocked with donated items that the kids want to earn.
What are items would you like donated for the store?
Board Games
DVDs
Handheld video games
Puzzles
Nail polish
Fun socks
School supplies
Barbie Dolls
Baby Dolls
Body Lotions
Stickers
Sticker books
Outdoor toys
Items that would appeal to children between the ages of 10 and 13. A dollar store and the clearance bin at Target are great places to get lots of things at once.
What is the best way to donate these items?
Contact Jill Fletcher, Development Office, 860-832-5525 or jillf@klingberg.com to coordinate as my shift hours vary. Jill is at Klingberg regular business hours.
