HEI was awarded a new grant from Sequoia Healthcare District

HEI Institute is proud and excited to announce that we have received a community grant from Sequoia Healthcare District. It was a competitive process with a large number of applicants and we are grateful to Sequoia Healthcare District for believing in the SkillFlix for Autistic Young Adults program.

The grant allows us to implement the program free of charge within the district. This is an effective program, shown to be effective by a randomized controlled trial, designed to improve autistic young adults relationship skills. In addition, the study found that it improves mental and emotional health, such as improved depression scores and higher confidence scores. It does this through simply watching a series of very short videos, typically each around two minutes, that demonstrate a skill in a common setting. Users can work through specific skills or focus on specific topics.

Autistic young adults often face financial limitations and may not be able to purchase an intervention such as this for themselves. The Sequoia Healthcare District grant is allowing us to offer the program free of charge to autistic adults (age 18+) who are in their district borders. We are relying on counselors, therapists, and you to help spread the word to those who may benefit from the program. If you would like to participate or get more information, please contact Dr. Diana Dull Akers at diana.dullakers@heiinstitute.org.