The Start of New Relationships to Support Children in Moscow

We’re working to build new relationships with Russian professionals in Moscow. On January 16, Charles Hooker, CEO of Keystone Human Services International, met with Svetlana Alekhina, the Director of the Institute on the Problems of Inclusive Education (IPIIE) to discuss comprehensive care for children with disabilities, inclusive education and training opportunities for the professionals who will provide these services.

This meeting was part of the Equal Access to Education for Children with Intellectual Disabilities in Moscow project, funded by Johnson & Johnson. As part of this project, the Keystone Foundation for Children and Families, located in Moscow, is working to assess the needs and readiness of key stakeholders to develop inclusive education for children with intellectual disabilities, beginning with the needs of schools and the community.

IPIIE has expressed interest in learning more about Social Role Valorization and Person Centered Planning, both of which are at the heart of all of Keystone’s services. Today, we welcome several Russian professionals from IPIIE who will be visiting Keystone in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania through the Open World Leadership Center, along with other professionals from various other social services organizations. During this visit, our Russian delegates will attend a Social Role Valorization workshop and visit some of our programs for children and adults, including Capital Area Head Start classrooms and a community home. They will also visit the Life Skills Program at Cumberland Valley High School and the programs at the Capital Area Intermediate Unit.

We’re looking forward to sharing our knowledge and experiences this week so that our ten delegates visiting from IPIIE and other Russian social services organizations can implement new approaches to effectively supporting children and adults with disabilities in their own regions.

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