Latest news with #STEPS
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
STEPS Behavioral Health Announces Grand Opening of Columbia, Maryland Clinic
Bringing high-quality, child-centered Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services to the heart of Howard County. COLUMBIA, Md., June 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- STEPS Behavioral Health is excited to announce the opening of its newest clinic at 8310 Guilford Road, Suite D, Columbia, MD 21046, bringing high-quality, child-centered Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services to the heart of Howard County. STEPS currently operates two clinics in Baltimore County and provides in-home therapy throughout the state of Maryland for families with Autistic children. The Columbia clinic will launch with core offerings of ABA therapy programming, designed to support children across a range of developmental needs. Early STEPS : A flexibly scheduled Preschool Prep ABA therapy program for children ages 18 months to 5 years, focused on early intervention and school readiness skills. Summer STEPS : Our seasonal ABA-based camp program is designed for school-aged autistic children who receive ABA services year round. Summer STEPS focuses on building social skills in a fun and structured environment and infuses our campers individualized treatment goals into their program. Social STEPS : A structured evening social skills group for school-aged children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Anxiety, or ADHD, designed to help children improve peer interactions, communication, and confidence. These small groups meet weekly at each of our clinics! Our clients will benefit from a consistent and well-trained team of behavior analysts and RBTs who support their individualized treatment plans. The clinic layout was intentionally designed to allow each child to engage with peers in small pods, enjoy group activities, and participate in messy sensory play. The space includes two beautiful gyms, a media room filled with books and games, and multiple playrooms for natural environment teaching, as well as designated areas for individual learning and quiet sensory breaks. "We're thrilled to join the Howard County community and offer families a trusted resource for developmental and behavioral support," said Erin Stern, Founder and President of STEPS Behavioral Health. "Our team is passionate about creating a fun, nurturing space where autistic children can learn, grow, and thrive. We want our families to feel cared for by our team and know we will be there to support them through their journey." STEPS Columbia is staffed by a dedicated team of Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) and Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs), working collaboratively to provide personalized, evidence-based care tailored to each child's unique needs. We are also excited to offer speech and occupational therapy services in collaboration with The Therapy Spot, along with our current services, to help each child reach their full potential. To celebrate the opening, STEPS will host a grand opening at the Columbia location soon, where families and community members are invited to meet the team, tour the clinic, and learn more about available services. For more information about STEPS Columbia or to schedule an ABA therapy intake call, visit or call 443-353-9547 . Media Contact: Bianca EguzoCommunity Liaison 443-353-9547 | office@ | About STEPS Behavioral Health: STEPS Behavioral Health provides compassionate, evidence-based therapy services that help autistic children build foundational skills across communication, behavior, and daily living. Through programs like Early STEPS and Summer STEPS, STEPS empowers children and their families to thrive—one small step at a time. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE STEPS Behavioral Health Sign in to access your portfolio
IOL News
29-05-2025
- Health
- IOL News
Changing lives one step at a time: Celebrating 20 Years of STEPS Clubfoot Care
Clubfoot affects 1 to 2 babies per 1,000 live births worldwide, yet despite its prevalence in Africa, it is completely treatable. Image: Ian Landsberg In a world where a life-changing intervention can mean the difference between mobility and limitation, STEPS Clubfoot Care celebrates two decades of impactful service this Tuesday, 3 June 2025, coinciding with World Clubfoot Day. Since its inception, STEPS has touched the lives of over 12,000 children across South Africa, empowering families and redefining futures through the power of early intervention. Clubfoot, a congenital condition that affects the positioning of a baby's foot, twists it downward and inward, making treatment paramount for the child's future mobility. Every year, at least 2,000 newborns in South Africa are diagnosed with this condition, yet it remains entirely treatable thanks to the Ponseti Method—a non-invasive approach that realigns the foot and provides pain-free mobility for 95% of its patients. Born from a mother's determination to overcome fear and uncertainty, STEPS was founded by Karen Moss in response to her son's clubfoot diagnosis. Struggling with limited treatment options at the time, she discovered the Ponseti Method during a visit to Dr. Ignaçio Ponseti in Iowa, USA. This experience ignited a commitment to ensure no parent in South Africa need to face clubfoot alone. 'No parent should ever feel hopeless after a clubfoot diagnosis,' Karen reflected. 'I wanted to build a local network equipped with the guidance necessary to deliver expert care and tangible results. This commitment still drives STEPS today.' Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ STEPS Clubfoot Care celebrates two decades of impactful service Image: Ian Landsberg As Southern Africa's only dedicated organisation for clubfoot treatment, STEPS has established a robust network of 48 partner clinics across all provinces, a monumental increase from just a handful in its early days. Healthcare professionals numbering over 2,000 have been trained, ensuring that the message of early diagnosis and treatment resonates on a national level. Beyond statistics, STEPS has powerful stories woven into its tapestry of triumphs. For mom Moreblessing Hurungo, from Mfuleni who gave birth on 23 May 2025, the help received for baby Tanashe is not only a blessing, but also a life changer. "When my child was born, I was very very worried, it was not straight, I didnt know his feet can be fixed, thought he'd live like this forever, I didnt expect this. "Now with his feet, the baby will be able to do everything a normal child can do. I am so happy, he will be fine." Axolile Madolo from the Eastern Cape who faced the harrowing news that her newborn son, Musa, had bilateral clubfoot. 'A wave of fear came over me, the anxiety and thought, of 'what did I do wrong?' "I didn't know what clubfoot was or where to go,' she recalled. But support from STEPS transformed her anxiety into action. Today, 18-month-old Musa is thriving, confidently taking his first steps and enjoying life alongside his siblings. Moreblessing Hurungo and her son Tanashe with Jane Mackinnon, Steps clinic coordinator Image: Ian Landsberg The Hartnicks faced a similar ordeal when their daughter, Kendall, was born with the condition. 'We were clueless about what to do,' admitted her father, Lorenzo. At Tygerberg Hospital's Clubfoot Clinic, the family found a clear treatment path that included casting and bracing. Now, following a successful recovery, two-and-a-half-year-old Kendall runs and plays like any other child, testament to STEPS' dedication and the committed healthcare professionals within its reach. The sustainable, collaborative model that STEPS has developed with state health institutions and the South African Paediatric Orthopaedic Society continues to shift the narrative of clubfoot care in the region. Notably, in 2025 alone, seven new partner clinics were added, reinforcing an impressive 700% growth since 2015. Significantly, STEPS has partnered with leading hospitals like Tygerberg and Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital in the Western Cape and Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital in Gauteng to enhance care delivery and to ensure children complete the full clubfoot correction process. This collaboration has notably reduced the number of families who abandon treatment midway due to logistical or financial hurdles. 'Awareness can lead to early treatment and full mobility,' said Dr. Marí Thiart, a paediatric orthopaedic surgeon at Tygerberg Hospital, emphasising the vital role of informed caregiving in tackling this common condition.
Eyewitness News
28-05-2025
- Business
- Eyewitness News
Big US-funded chicken project shuts down in Lesotho
A $31.4 million (about R562-million) United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) project aimed at transforming Lesotho's poultry sector has been terminated. The five-year initiative, launched under the American Food for Progress programme, planned to grow 28,000 poultry enterprises in Lesotho, boosting meat production by 40% and egg production by 30% by 2028. Dubbed the Sustainable Transformation of Enterprises in the Poultry Sector (STEPS), the project was also designed to reduce Lesotho's heavy dependence on imported poultry products by empowering local farmers through access to quality inputs, financial training, and market linkages. The broader aim was to improve food security and increase incomes along the value chain. Announcing the project, the USDA said in 2021 that Lesotho had imported poultry products worth $39-million, with more than 80% of poultry meat sourced from neighbouring countries. The country also imports inputs such as fertile eggs, day-old chicks, livestock feed, services, and veterinary products. In an October 2023 statement, the US Embassy in Maseru said Land O'Lakes Venture37, an American company, had been selected to implement the programme in Lesotho. It partnered with the International Research Institute, the World Poultry Foundation, and the locally based Rural Self-Help Development Association. But less than two years after its launch, the STEPS project has been terminated. Reuters reported earlier this month that the USDA had notified grantees on 14 May 2025 that their Food for Progress awards had been ended. Speaking to GroundUp, Rural Self-Help Managing Director 'Mampho Thulo confirmed the news, saying her organisation had been notified of the decision by its partner Land O'Lakes last week. Land O'Lakes technical advisor Tsoteli Kuleile told GroundUp that the company had been told to suspend the project and to refer all communication to the company's country director, Fidel O' Donovan. However, O' Donovan has not responded to questions sent to him by GroundUp . 'WE DIDN'T SEE IT COMING' Thulo said their association had been worried after the US withdrew funding from other initiatives, such as USAID and PEPFAR projects, and the recent R6-billion Millennium Challenge Account. However, she had believed agricultural projects would be spared. 'We still had our fears, but we were over 90% confident that it would not be terminated… We thought they would be careful not to cut agriculture grants, especially those that transform agricultural products,' Thulo said. She said the STEPS project was still in its early stages. A training curriculum for farmers was being finalised and tenders were being prepared for construction projects. According to Thulo, Rural Self-Help was responsible for a $1.2-million budget under the STEPS project. The sudden halt has left thousands of poultry farmers in limbo. While Land O'Lakes focused on national-level commercial farming, Rural Self-Help was actively engaged with grassroots farmers across seven districts, according to Thulo. The targeted districts were Botha Bothe, Leribe, Berea, Maseru, Mafeteng, Mohale's Hoek, and Quthing, with Rural Self-Help focusing on broiler and egg layer production. In those districts, Thulo said the organisation was working with farmers ranging from those raising chickens for subsistence to farmers keeping 500 chickens. 'The plan was to support 23,000 to 28,000 businesses by 2028,' she added. Thulo said she had to break the news to beneficiaries. 'This beautiful project, meant to transform your poultry enterprises, is no more. We are shocked, and the farmers are shocked too.' The association plans to meet with farmer representatives this week to chart a path forward. Thulo said more than 10 staff members had been sent home. Limpho Salai, chairperson of the Basotho Poultry Farmers Association, whose members were primary beneficiaries of the project, told GroundUp that Land O'Lakes technical advisor Kuleile had instructed him not to speak to the media and to refer all inquiries to him. GroundUp asked for comment from the US Embassy in Maseru but no response had been received by the time of publication. Previously, the Embassy has referred similar inquiries to the US foreign affairs administration in Washington.
The Sun
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Steps' Faye Tozer ‘splits from husband of 16 years' and moves out of marital home
STEPS' Faye Tozer has reportedly split from her husband of 16 years, moving out of their marital home just weeks before Christmas. Singer Faye, 49, is said to have left the family's South Tyneside home, sparking concern after her husband Mick Smith, 43, posted a series of emotional messages on social media. 1 Despite once calling him her 'rock' and 'partner in crime,' Faye and businessman Mick are understood to be 'going through some things'. Cryptic Instagram posts have fuelled fears that the 'Strictly curse' may have struck again - albeit several years late.
The Hindu
27-04-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam scheme hits the mark by improving hypertension, diabetes control in T.N.
By taking healthcare directly to the people's doorsteps, Tamil Nadu's flagship scheme - 'Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam' (MTM) - has demonstrated an improvement in the management of hypertension and diabetes in the State. Among adults with hypertension, the proportion with blood pressure control rose to 17%, whereas for diabetes, the proportion with blood sugar control rose to 16.7%. This finding from Tamil Nadu STEPS (World Health Organization STEPwise approach to NCD risk factor surveillance) Survey 2023-2024, which was taken up by the Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Epidemiology (ICMR-NIE), comes as an early indicator of MTM's reach. The scheme was rolled out in August 2021. Survey findings T. S. Selvavinayagam, director, Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, said that the survey reflected community-level control among the population. 'This survey substantiates the efforts taken by the State government under MTM to achieve the Disbursement-Linked Indicators (DLI) set by the World Bank. It is a great achievement considering our population and number of years since we took up intensive efforts across the State,' he said. To evaluate the progress of initiatives in line with theProgram for Results basis, the World Bank laid down DLIs of six percentage points for improvement in the control rate of diabetes and three percentage points for hypertension. In the baseline survey (TN STEPS Survey 2019-20), the control rate was 7.3% for hypertension and 10.8% for diabetes, Archana Ramalingam, scientist-E (Medical), Division of NCD Epidemiology, ICMR-NIE, said. 'We started the second survey (TN STEPS Survey 2023-24) in November 2023 and completed it by the end of March 2024. We had 8,114 participants across the State. We found that among adults with hypertension, the proportion with blood pressure control rose to 17%. Similarly, for diabetes, the proportion with blood sugar control rose to 16.7%,' she added. Improved disease control Dr. Archana said that the survey results showed a clear improvement in terms of the proportion diagnosed, initiated for treatment and blood pressure control for hypertension. 'There was a significant improvement in the percentage of patients diagnosed with hypertension - from 32% in the baseline survey to about 47% in the second survey. In the case of diabetes, the baseline survey showed that 53% had already been diagnosed, and 44% were receiving treatment. While the second survey did not show much improvement in the percentage diagnosed due to a high baseline, the proportion with blood sugar control improved to 16.7%,' she added. Post-MTM, there has been a definite improvement in the management of hypertension and diabetes, she said. 'Improving regular medication access through Women Health Volunteers has borne results. Task-sharing interventions like MTM are bound to help in a State like TN that has invested in healthcare, and this is likely to lead to improvements in the future,' she said. Implementation concerns and way forward While task-sharing interventions have helped improve hypertension and diabetes control, she said that field visits showed that there can be significant challenges in implementing them in urban settings. 'In the rural areas, we saw greater acceptance and impact of the initiatives. However, people in the urban parts, especially cities like Chennai and Coimbatore, are still largely using private facilities for hypertension and diabetes care,' she said. With the early implementation results of the MTM showing promise, the Health department should take steps to identify the gaps in implementation and opt to continuously improve the quality of services to improve the control rate further, she stressed. Dr. Selvavinagayam said there is still a long way to go. 'We will now focus on the individual control level, which is essential for preventing any complications,' he said.
