Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Cincinnati and Columbus
895 Central Avenue, Suite 550
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Counseling Program
We are seeking support for our Greater Cincinnati counseling services for children and adolescents. Here, we strive to identify specific problems limiting their overall independence; help them learn appropriate coping and problem solving skills; and take significant steps toward their goals related to independence. We educate children and their parents about epilepsy, their specific seizure type(s), and related information such as appropriate first aid interventions. Our counseling services are offered free of charge, since it would not be cost effective to collect fees from the relative few who could pay. This program is available to residents of every county served by the Dater Foundation.
Program Goals:
Our original goals for the grant are as follows: 1) Increase client’s knowledge about epilepsy and related issues such as first aid and medication side effects; 2) Help clients learn appropriate coping and problem-solving skills; 3) Help clients take steps toward goals related to independence and contributing more to the community. To measure these goals, we use two standardized tests. One is a standardized test called the Quality-of-Life Inventory for Epilepsy (QOLIE) with success being defined as 75% of clients will score higher on their post-test than on their pre-test. The other is a satisfaction survey with success being defined as 75% rating our services favorably on at least 5 of the 6 survey questions.
Program Results:
The actual results of our goals reveal we have exceeded our benchmark on the QOLIE with 91% of our clients scoring higher on their post-test than on their pre-test for their personal counseling goals. We have also succeeded in our satisfaction survey benchmark with 94% of our clients rating our counseling service favorably on at least 5 of the 6 survey questions.
Our counseling program continues to be successful and meets a critical need in our community. Our program continues to be unduplicated in our area and is the only counseling program geared specifically towards epilepsy and the unique challenges our clients face. We continue to provide in-person, telephone, zoom, and support groups for people living with epilepsy and their families. Last year, in the Greater Cincinnati area, we provided counseling to 1,479 individuals in our community. We are proud of how successful our counseling program continues to be.
Amount: $20,000
Date: September 2022
