$50,000 technology grant from Thunderbirds Charities will improve outcomes for children

Thunderbirds Charities grant to assist in developmental evaluations and treatment

Southwest Human Development received a $50,000 grant from Thunderbirds Charities to purchase audio-visual equipment for its Children’s Developmental Center and Good Fit Counseling Center programs.

“This funding from Thunderbirds Charities will allow us to upgrade our technology solutions in three of our on-site evaluation and treatment playrooms at our Children’s Developmental Center and our Good Fit Counseling Center,” said Ginger Ward, chief executive officer of Southwest Human Development. “High-quality technology is vital to the clinical work we provide through these two programs and is a valuable tool for the training we offer to a wide range of community practitioners and students.”

The nonprofit will use the grant funding to replace outdated camera recording systems in two of its evaluation and treatment playrooms and install a new system in a third playroom. The Children’s Developmental Center and Good Fit Counseling Center rely on the technology for observation and planning related to young children’s interactions and relationships with their parents, caregivers and Southwest Human Development staff. Each camera system will allow for multiple camera angles, zoom features, frame-by-frame playback and more.

“We’re proud to help Southwest Human Development secure the technological improvements they need to upgrade their playrooms,” said president of Thunderbirds Charities, Carlos Sugich. “The work they do is vital to our communities, and we’re happy to be a part of it.”

Strengthening the foundation children need for a great start in life, the Children’s Developmental Center and Good Fit Counseling Center at Southwest Human Development work specifically with Arizona’s youngest children, age birth to 5. The two centers work closely with one another to provide coordinated diagnostic and treatment services for children who have a wide range of complex developmental and/or relationship disorders.

“Our Children’s Developmental Center and Good Fit Counseling Center are essential programs for the children and families we serve,” added Ward. “Through these two centers, we offer individualized approaches from a transdisciplinary team of early childhood professionals, including a pediatrician, psychiatrists, psychologists, behavioral health specialists, speech-language pathologists, physical and occupational therapists, and more—all with the goal of providing young children with the greatest chances for success in life.”

To learn more about Southwest Human Development’s Children’s Developmental Center, visit swhd.org/cdc.