Rethink’s personalized consulting is a lifeline for parents of children with disabilities.
The last year has proved that employees’ home lives can’t be ignored. Rethink’s suite of 24/7 virtual consultations, online evidence-based training and support plays a critical role in the lives of parents of children with disabilities.
“Each family has unique stories with universal challenges,” says Senior Vice President of Rethink Benefits Mike Civello. “They have their own struggles, but everyone needs to take care of their children and take care of themselves.”
Because families are unique, each one needs a plan that works for them. Civello points out that personalized consulting for caregivers is missing from many employee support systems. “Providers will tell you, there is simply not enough time for patient care, much less other family members who need support and guidance,” says Civello.
That’s exactly what the Temperli family needed. Rethink has helped them through multiple stages of their struggle and continues to. Zsuzsanna Temperli’s son was developmentally delayed due to complications with epilepsy, but following a recent stroke, he also became physically disabled. This new way of life was further complicated with the arrival of a daughter, who is neurotypical, and a move to a new country in 2019. Just as the family was getting settled in their new home, the Covid-19 pandemic brought even more upheaval.
“Rethink has been a really big help,” Zsuzsanna Temperli says. “I’m always looking forward to sessions because we discuss strategies and it’s good for me to feel not alone. It’s not just me and my husband in this situation—someone is out there.”
The Brickman family also benefited from personalized consulting. Josh Brickman called Rethink “the most valuable of the benefits [my] company provides.”
He said Rethink is a critical part “of my daughter’s team.” They’ve seen therapists, neurologists and educational counselors, but Rethink’s counselors helped them navigate the system from the point of view of someone who understands autism and the options available. This one benefit got them to the next level of caring for their neurodiverse child.
“There was no one to advise us when she was young,” Brickman says. “If we’d had professional guidance sooner, things would have been different. She’s made great progress today. When the school system fails, you have somewhere else to go.”
The West family feels similarly. Sharon West’s son is twice exceptional: he’s gifted, and he has high-functioning autism. That presents a very different set of issues to conquer than many families experience. “When you think of healthcare and your wellness team, you think of your pediatrician and your dentist and psychiatrist and endocrinologist,” West says. “But Rethink’s behavioral experts put it all together in a multi-functional way to help him become his best self.”
Rethink was also a resource for West herself.
She said she not only understands how to manage her son’s healthcare better now, “I also better understand myself. Thinking back to previous situations … I understand how issues could have been avoided through consultations and talk sessions. It’s a good milestone.”
Temperli says the same. The tailored focus to their unique situations has “improved the relationship between family members. We understand each other and understand we are not limited to our disabilities.”
For all three families, Rethink isn’t just a benefit. It’s a way forward.
To learn more about Rethink’s suite of solutions that support caregivers of dependents with developmental disabilities, visit rethinkbenefits.com.
