Page 5 - Florida Sentinel 2-11-22

Local
Company Helps Special-Need Adults With Life Skills
BY MONIQUE STAMPS Sentinel Staff Writer
Growing up, Kathanell Griffin had many family members with mental and physical challenges. As she worked to help family mem- bers, she discovered the roadblocks and lack of serv- ices that plague most com- munities.
“As in most families, we know first-hand how difficult it is to find safe and nurtur- ing programs for loved ones that are differently-abled and vulnerable,” she says.
Griffin explains that there are many families struggling to care for adult children with special needs. Special
programs and training often end once a person ages out of the school system at 18.
After seeing essential serv- ices for special needs adults be devastated by COVID, Griffin decided to use the expertise she gained while working with several state and county agencies. She de- cided to open Fortify Transi- tion Consultants (FTC). The company is fully certified for Medicare and Medicaid.
FTC offers an adult day training program for differ- ently abled persons.
At the center, services pro- mote the acquisition of life skills and the reinforcement of those skills. Each client has services tailored to the
KATHANELL GRIFFIN ... Owner and Operator of For- tify Transition Consultants
participant’s Individualized
Service Plan (ISP) to meet the needs, talents, and per- sonality of its clients.
FTC is affiliated with the Florida Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) which helps them identify potential clients. Anyone who is qualified through APD is eligible for the free pro- gram at FTC.
FTC also works with local group homes.
COVID hit the disabled population hard as services dried up. Griffin wants to help this group elevate and achieve their aspirations. COVID protocols are still in place at the office, but they are open to serve.
“We’ve identified services
that were most useful and re- alized the need to replicate what we found works...a co- ordinated set of meaningful, person-centered, daily, social and therapeutic initiatives that develop skill building, promote independence and well-being. It is our mission that clients are informed and engaged in community activ- ities that fortifies and uplifts the human spirit.”
Fortify Transition Consultants (FTC) is lo- cated at 710 Oakfield Drive, Suite 210, Bran- don, FL, 33511. Their website is http://www.fortifytc.co m, and the phone num- ber is 813-662-4043.
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