Traverse City Cerebral Palsy Resources

Care, Finance, and Insurance

1. Financial and Cash Assistance/Grants

  • The Networks Northwest Traverse Bay PRI seeks to reduce poverty in the Traverse Bay area.

2. Health Care

  • University of Michigan offers world-class medical care in Traverse City for Pediatric Cardiology and Genetics.
  • MI Dental provides community dental care to individuals with special needs, including cerebral palsy and other disabilities.
  • Munson Medical Center: Traverse City is home to Munson Medical Center, the largest and most specialized health care center of the eight Munson Healthcare system hospitals across northern Michigan. To ensure that patients receive necessary specialized care, Munson Medical Center works closely with Alpena General Hospital in Alpena, War Memorial Hospital inSault Ste. Marie, Helen Devos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids, and the University of Michigan Health System in AnnArbor. Munson Medical Center’s Pediatric Therapy Program provides a wide range of specialized treatment programs for kids with neurological disorders like cerebral palsy. Other health care centers in Traverse City include the Community Hospital Family Practice Clinic, Munson Urgent Care, and Bayside Docs Urgent Care. Services at Munson that may be particularly kids with neurological disorders like cerebral palsy. Other health care centers in Traverse City include the Community HospitalFamily Practice Clinic, Munson Urgent Care, and Bayside Docs Urgent Care. Services at Munson that may be particularly beneficial to individuals affected by birth injuries, cerebral palsy, disabilities, and related injuries and conditions include:
    Traverse City Cerebral Palsy Resources - Munson Medical Center

    Munson Medical Center

3. Insurance

  • MI Bridges provides low-cost health insurance and food assistance benefits for the underinsured and at-risk populations.

Lifestyle Resources

1. Education

  • Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District (TBAISD): The Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District Department of Special Education provides education and educational resources to students with special needs through the age of 26. The district employs certified and trained educational specialists to teach students with autism spectrum disorders, cognitive impairments, early childhood developmental delays, emotional impairment, hearing impairment, learning disabilities, other health impairments, physical impairments, severe multiple impairments, speech and language impairments, traumatic brain injuries, and visual impairment. Many children with cerebral palsy have one or more of these disability areas. Below are some special education programs offered through Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District:
    • Early Childhood Programs and Services: Great Start Collaborative, Great Start for Kids, Great Start to Quality, Way to Grow/Playgroups, Early On, Infant – Toddler Team, and Special Education Assessments for Preschool Children Age 3-6.
    • Monitoring and Compliance
    • Parent Services
    • Special Education Programs: Autism Spectrum Disorder, Emotionally Impaired, Visually Impaired, Severe Mental and Multiple Impairments, Center Programs, Hearing Impaired, and Moderate Cognitive Impaired
    • Special Education Services: Assistive Technology, Autism Consulting Service, Curriculum Services, Early On and Infant-Toddler, Services for Visually Impaired, Assessments for Preschool Age 3-6, Behavior Specialist, Early On, Services for Hearing Impaired, and Transition Services.
  • The Disability Network of Northern Michigan provides a comprehensive list of local schools, which you can view here. Families are encouraged to read about the features of each school’s special needs programs.
  • SOS Learning Lab, LLC: The SOS Learning Lab is a Traverse City disability organization that is committed to enhancing learning for individuals with different needs and abilities. SOS Learning Lab provides services for residents of Northwest Michigan with traumatic brain injury, learning disabilities, dyslexia,  ADHD, emotional impairment, and cognitive impairment. Educational services offered through SOS Learning Lab include educational consultation, academic assessment, ADHD management, social and behavioral skills, academic skills, tutoring, test preparation, study skills, organizational skills, self-advocacy development, home-bound services, and transitional and pre-vocational development.
  • The Grand Traverse Area Literacy Council (GTLAC) is a nonprofit organization committed to boosting literacy in the Grand Traverse region. The GTLAC is located in Traverse City and serves Antrim, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska and Leelanau Counties. To learn more about their partnerships and programs, visit their webpage.
  • Michigan HeadStart provides early education opportunities for children 3-5. Spaces are available for children with cognitive and developmental delays or impairments.

2. Care

  • The Aging and Disability Resource Collaborative of Northwest Michigan (ADRCNM), located in Traverse City, provides services to individuals with disabilities, illnesses, or chronic conditions that necessitate the need for long-term care. To learn more about caregiving services, contact the ADRCNM here.
  • Real Life Living Services provides community and home-based care for developmentally and/or physically challenged adults and children in northwestern, western and east-central Michigan.
  • Compassionate Care Michigan provides home health care services throughout the state of Michigan to those with cerebral palsy and other disabilities.

3. Employment

  • The Traverse City Michigan WORKS! Service Center helps job-seekers find employment. Specific services and features include job board postings, public computers, resume development, application guidance, employment workshops, vocational skills training, and more.

4. Housing

BrickWays, a nonprofit housing organization in Traverse City, Michigan, provides safe, affordable housing and independent living support to developmentally disabled adults in the Grand Traverse area. Beyond housing, BrickWays provides skills training services related to cooking, housekeeping, shopping, banking, transportation, home safety, and more. The TRAIL Program, which is the BrickWays independent living skills program, helps developmentally disabled adults continue to live independently. TRAIL staff provides help with medication, transportation, health care appointments, and skill development.

5. Transportation

  • The Bay Area Transportation Authority (BATA): The BATA provides mobility around and throughout Grand Traverse County’s regional center. Established in 1895, BATA ensures that people in Grand Traverse and Leelenau Counties are protected by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) standards and granted transit services regardless of physical or mental disability. BATA is funded through state and federal transportation programs and it operates 60 vehicles and employs 110 people. To read more about the program, visit the Bay Area Transportation Authority’s website here.
  • Kalkaska County provides public transit services between Kalkaska, Traverse City, Empire, Northport, Kingsley, Frankfort and Buckley.
  • Benzie Transportation Authority: In 2007, the Benzie County Board of Commissioners created a transit service called the Benzie Transportation Authority (also known as the “Benzie Bus”). The Benzie Bus offers safe and convenient transportation services to all people throughout Benzie, Grand Traverse, Leelanau, and Manistee Counties. The Benzie Transportation Authority complies to the required six point securement for wheelchair passengers, offering safe and accessible transportation to northern Michigan residents with cerebral palsy–in fact, the Benzie Bus provides transportation to and from Munson Medical Center for patients with accessibility limitations. You can read more about the Benzie Bus on their website.
  • Antrim County Transportation: Residents of Grand Traverse County can enjoy the services of Antrim County Transportation’s Dial-A-Ride and The Health Ride transportation programs. Both services offer transportation to and from medical appointments and around the Grand Traverse County area.

6. Adaptive Equipment and Assistive Technology

  • TherAdapt® is a Ludington-based company that manufactures rehabilitation products and adaptive equipment to children with special needs. Owned entirely by therapists, TherAdapt® employees pride themselves on providing specialized and finely-crafted products to each individual client. TherAdapt’s products include standers, desks, bathing chairs, adaptive chairs, adaptive car seats, toileting chairs, strollers, walkers, adaptive cycles, and other therapeutic and rehabilitative products. Although TherAdapt is located about 90 miles southwest of Traverse City, children with cerebral palsy in Traverse City can greatly benefit from TherAdapt’s quality and specialized equipment.
  • Airway Oxygen Inc. Home Medical Equipment sells a range of adaptive equipment, assistive technology, and home medical equipment to individuals with various disabilities, injuries, and lifestyle needs. Some products include hospital beds, lift chairs, walking aids, breathing aids, and more. They have a location in Traverse City.
  • Home Health Depot provides adaptive equipment and assistive technologies including respiratory aids, hospice services, home medical equipment, home accessibility, and parts. Home Health Depot has a location in Traverse City, Michigan.
  • Bay Home Medical, located in Traverse City, provides aids to daily living, bathroom safety equipment, children’s adaptive equipment, beds, incontinence equipment, lift chairs, mobility, power mobility, and patient lifts.

Organizations, Support and Informational Resources

  • The Disability Network of Northern Michigan is a not-for-profit disability organization committed to supporting and enhancing the well-being of Michigan residents with disabilities. Located in Traverse City, Michigan, the Disability Network of Northern Michigan provides informational resources, assistance, and support to disabled individuals and their families. Their staff also works with businesses, government organizations, and other community members to promote change and support on a larger scale. On their website you’ll find a number of valuable resources linking to topics including accessibility, advocacy, assistive technology and adaptive equipment, special education, employment, housing, guardianship, health care, mobility recreation, support, transportation, and much more.
  • SOS Learning Lab, LLC: The SOS Learning Lab is a Traverse City disability organization that is committed to enhancing learning for individuals with different needs and abilities. SOS Learning Lab provides services for residents of Northwest Michigan with traumatic brain injury, learning disabilities, dyslexia, ADHD, emotional impairment, and cognitive impairment. Community services offered through SOS Learning Lab include individual or group development using therapy horses, organizational skills, life skills, self-advocacy development, behavioral strategies, and more.
  • United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) Michigan: UCP has an office in Empire, Michigan, a city located just west of Traverse City. United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to providing disabled people and their families with the services, support, and resources necessary for lives of well-being, independence, and equal opportunity. UCP Detroit helps residents with cerebral palsy (CP), traumatic brain injuries and brain damage, learning disabilities, autism, spinal cord injuries, hearing impairments, visual impairments, neurological problems, physical limitations, intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), and a number of other injuries, conditions, and disabilities.
  • Michigan Department of Human Services: Traverse City is home to one of Michigan’s four Disability Determination Services (DDS) offices. DDS is a sector of Michigan’s Department of Human Services, which provides family welfare and public assistance throughout the state. The Disability Determination Services is responsible for determining the eligibility of Michigan citizens to receive benefits under the Social Security disability programs, which include Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and the Social Security Disability Program. For reference, we’ve listed Traverse City’s DHS and DDS contact information below.Gayle Grice, Area Administrator; http://www.michigan.gov/dhs
    P.O. Box 1200
    Traverse City, MI 49685
    Phone:  1-800-632-1097

Treatment and Therapy Resources

1. Comprehensive Rehabilitation Programs

  • SOS Learning Lab, LLC: The SOS Learning Lab is a Traverse City disability organization that is committed to enhancing learning for individuals with different needs and abilities. SOS Learning Lab provides services for residents of Northwest Michigan with traumatic brain injury, learning disabilities, dyslexia, ADHD, emotional impairment, and cognitive impairment. Rehabilitation services offered through SOS Learning Lab include organizational and life skills, behavioral strategies, self-advocacy, transitional skills, pre-vocational skills, and vocational skills, educational consultation, and more.
  • The Lighthouse Neurological Rehabilitation Center, located just outside Traverse City, provides progressive, long-term and transitional rehabilitation programs to people with neurological or orthopedic therapy needs. Services offered include assessments, evaluation, health care services, outpatient care, day programs, respite care, physiatry, psychiatric consultation, psychological services, social work, educational services, supported employment, community integration, nutritional evaluations, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, recreational therapy, music therapy, therapeutic activities, pre-vocational training, spiritual support, transportation, and more. Specific programs include pediatric therapy, individualized therapeutic activities and programs, community integration, return to housing, horse therapy (equine therapy; horse assisted therapy), and more. The Lighthouse Neurological Rehabilitation Center has a second location in Caro, Michigan (a town east of Saginaw, Michigan).
  • Children’s Therapy Corner (CTC) provides therapeutic and rehabilitation services for children from birth through school age. The multidisciplinary rehabilitation team at CTC specializes in therapeutic services for children with sensory, physical, cognitive, and communication issues. Services and programs include Applied Behavioral Analysis, Aquatic Therapy, Autism, Feeding Difficulties, Music Therapy, Occupational Therapy, the P.L.A.Y. Project, Physical Therapy, Sandbox, Speech and Language Therapy, and Therapeutic listening. CTC has locations in Midland, Traverse City, and Lansing, Michigan.

2. Physical Therapy

Dynamic Physical Therapy provides physical therapy treatment plans for individuals with cerebral palsy in Northern Michigan. Physical therapy exercises are specifically designed to treat injuries and conditions related to orthopedics, musculoskeletal problems, back and neck pain, neurology, surgical needs, balance disorders, hip, knee, ankle and foot, shoulder, elbow, wrist and hand, headaches, TMJ, and arthritic conditions. Other services include job analysis, functional capacity evaluations, and other work-related services. Dynamic Physical Therapy has offices in Manistee, Cadillac, Grayling, Buckley, Marion, and Traverse City.

3. Recreational Therapy in Traverse City

  • Munson Medical Center’s Physical Rehabilitation Services supports a recreational therapy program called the Northern Michigan Adaptive Sports and Recreation Program that offers recreational therapy and sports therapy to those with disabilities. The Northern Michigan Adaptive Sports and Recreation Program offers the following activities to disabled people:
    • Biking
    • Bowling
    • Canoeing and kayaking
    • Dog sledding
    • Golfing
    • Horseback riding
    • Ice skating
    • Sailing
    • Sled hockey
    • Snow skiing
    • Snowboarding
    • Tree climbing
  • The Disability Network of Northern Michigan lists resources related to adaptive and accessible recreation in the Grand Traverse area.
    • Beulah Accessible Fishing Dock: There is an accessible fishing dock located in Beulah, Michigan at the corner of Lake and Clark. View the map here.
    • Accessible Beaches: The Disability Network of Northern Michigan provides a handy list of accessible beached in the Grand Traverse County area. Learn more about the accessible beaches at Bryant Park, Clinch Park, Taylor Park, and Traverse City State Park here.
    • Sports: The Disability Network of Northern Michigan provides a list of resources for sports, physical activity, and active recreational therapy in the Grand Traverse area.
  • Artists Creating Together provides high-quality arts instruction to individuals with disabilities in the Grand Traverse Region.

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