Disability is no longer a term rooted in limitations. Inspired to empower all abilities and celebrate uniqueness, CREOKS unveiled the newly branded disability services, The Grove. By fostering a supportive community, The Grove is true to its tagline – rooted in care, cultivating capabilities.
Director of Developmental Disability Services, Molly Ziriax explained the meaning behind the garden theme, “The Grove symbolizes growth, nurturing and the natural diversity of life – all central to supporting individuals with disabilities.”
Focused on dual diagnoses of a mental health condition and an intellectual/developmental disability, The Grove provides services that are adapted to their clients. They may use visual support, spend extra time to build trust or talk in concrete language. It takes a specialized person-centered approach to nurture people with disabilities.
The program is designed to meet clients where they are at and celebrates progress, no matter how small. “Gardeners don’t ‘fix’ plants – they nurture them,” Ziriax said. This idea is the key to building an environment where everyone can flourish.
The Grove also invites family and friends to events or sometimes incorporates them into therapy sessions or other services. Together, as a community, they learn how to support each other. SibShops exemplify this goal. By inviting siblings of children or teens with disabilities to an event, the hope is to build on their connection.
“When you have a sibling that has a disability, the light often times gets shined on them,” Ziriax explained. “SibShops brings the sibling to light by doing activities and games that focus the attention on them.” By providing a safe place to share these feelings, SibShops continues to grow and strengthen the bonds that make up this essential community.
Nineteen years ago, the power of community is what helped Ziriax understand her daughter, Morgan’s Down syndrome diagnosis. “Not knowing what this diagnosis meant, how would it affect us, her siblings and her, I became involved in the Down Syndrome Association of Tulsa,” she said. This began Ziriax’s life of advocacy and leadership in the disability community.
“It was a blessing to make friends with people who you otherwise would not have met, because of Morgan. And we are still close friends with many of them today,” she said.
The Grove invites clients to be rooted in a sense of belonging, to grow and build confidence so that they can blossom.