COVINGTON, La. – St. Tammany Health System’s Parenting Center has been named a Certified Autism Center by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards.
It is the fifth St. Tammany Health System facility to earn the designation, joining the Pediatric Emergency Department and the Pediatric Inpatient Unit at the health system’s flagship St. Tammany Parish Hospital; the STHS Bone & Joint Clinic; as well as its St. Tammany Pediatrics practice.
To become a Certified Autism Center, a facility’s staff is required to complete autism-specific training and certification to ensure they can better interact with clients who have autism or sensory sensitivities, and to ensure them that the staff can be trusted and are there to help.
“The Parenting Center staff is thrilled to have been given the opportunity to earn this designation,” Parenting Center Executive Director Lori Cage said. “Serving local families is the whole reason we’re here, and this training will help us to serve them even better.”
Given the proven value of early identification of signs of autism, Cage predicted the certification and related staff education will prove crucial to Northshore parents, particularly those of children 5 and under.
“Being able to help guide parents to services early in development is priceless,” Cage said. “I am truly grateful to St. Tammany Health System for investing in IBCCES training to have employees become autism-certified. This is such a gift to our community.”
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in every 44 children is diagnosed with autism in the United States. Additionally, many individuals also have sensory sensitivities or receive diagnoses later in life. Consequently, the need for training and understanding among medical professionals has never been greater, driving St. Tammany Health System’s commitment to earning the designation at all of its pediatric facilities.
“IBCCES is excited to work with another St. Tammany Health System department to further their team’s ability to provide better care to patients with autism or sensory sensitivities,” IBCCES Board Chairman Myron Pincomb said. “Implementing lasting and impactful programs such as our position-specific training and certification is important to meet the needs of the community that the St. Tammany Parenting Center serves.”
Founded in 1987, the St. Tammany Parenting Center provides an array of programs designed to give Northshore parents and children the tools they need to grow together as a family, from parenting and babysitting classes to playdates and a variety of socialization events such as our Monster Mash fall celebration.
In August 2022, it relocated from its longtime home in north Covington to a more centrally located facility at 71338 Highway 21, approximately one mile south of St. Tammany Parish Hospital’s main campus.
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About St. Tammany Health System
The heartbeat of its community, St. Tammany Health System cares for patients and families with excellence, compassion and teamwork. It is nationally recognized for quality, safety and service excellence by CareChex, Leapfrog, Healthgrades, Hospital Compare, Women’s Choice and US News & World Report. The health system is home to 281-bed St. Tammany Parish Hospital Service District No. 1, three diagnostic centers and 12 medical clinics throughout western St. Tammany Parish. Self-supporting, not-for-profit STHS is AA- rated by Fitch and receives no tax funding. More at StTammany.health.
About IBCCES
Delivering The Global Standard For Training and Certification in The Field of Cognitive Disorders – IBCCES provides a series of certifications that empower professionals to be leaders in their field and improve the outcomes for the individuals they serve. These programs recognized around the world as the leading benchmark for training and certification in the areas of autism and other cognitive disorders.