ORP - A Sustain and Fortify Success
Decades of experience packaged into a series of magical resources that captured the spirit of the organization and its people.
Oconomowac Residential Programs (now MyPath) is an organization that provides professional care and residential homes to over 1,700 children and adults with special needs in schools in Wisconsin and Indiana. They wanted to create resources that would capture the wisdom of its workforce, serve existing families, attract ideal clients, and amplify the impact of the organization beyond the walls of its schools.
Challenge
Families with children with extreme special needs have incredible stories that need to be handled with delicate care and detailed accuracy. Parents—even those who have worked in the field—can find themselves struggling to best provide care for their special needs children. They needed resources that not only offered them new tools, but also acknowledged their heroism.
Solution
Over several years, RTC built an entire library of prose books for parents, educators, and healthcare workers and comics, graphic novels, and coloring books for children with varying special needs. The library includes 18 titles ranging from specific special needs, bullying in the classroom, and medicating your child. Additionally, RTC filmed two book trailers, built a robust online community of resources for families and schools, and then rebranded the parent organization’s online presence.
Impact
ORP printed over 50,000 books to give away to families in need and to share with parents, educators, and healthcare workers at conferences and events. This library has differentiated them from the competition by showing their incredible attention to detail and the degree to which they sincerely care about families and those in their care. It also paved the way for a partnership with Goodwill Industries to distribute the books. ORP uses these books as part of their hiring and training of new employees, as well as in the classroom with students themselves.
Meltdown and Melting Down
Meltdowns are frequent among children with severe Asperger’s disorder. The companion comic book for kids and prose book for adults have been created for the ORP Library to provide hope to families navigating the education system.
An Unlikely Trust and Alina’s Story
Parents share their experiences with their children living with reactive attachment disorder. Having difficulty managing emotions is frequent among children with RAD, and these topics were addressed head-on in the companion prose and comic books.
Not slowing down after books, RTC expanded the content and created a community website that features free articles, worksheets, and inspiration based on interviews conducted with school administrators and staff and many of the parents of children in ORP’s care.
“ORP Library is my legacy.”
And here they are: 18 heartfelt, emotional, real books. Be sure to visit the ORP Library website as well.
