The chamber has chosen Walker, Inc, to be the nonprofit beneficiary of its 27th Annual Children’s Charitable Golf Tournament returning to Woodland Golf Club on Aug. 6.

Each year, the chamber’s golf committee selects a different area nonprofit located in Newton or Needham whose mission includes working with children to be the recipient of a portion of the tournament’s proceeds.

Founded in 1961 and located on a campus in Needham, Walker provides therapeutic academic, residential and clinical services for 1,100 vulnerable and fragile children, youth and families who are dealing with significant social-emotional, psychiatric, and behavioral issues due to having experienced multiple traumas often related to past abuse.

“Walker is truly honored to have been selected as this year’s Newton-Needham Regional Chamber’s golf tournament charity recipient,” said Walker’s President and CEO, Susan Getman. “We are very pleased that our local business partners want to support the critical services we provide for children and families that are facing complex emotional, behavioral, and learning challenges.”

Walker’s multidisciplinary programs extend to specialized therapeutic environments beyond its 800-student campus into family homes, public schools and community settings. The organization provides professional development, case consultation, and program evaluation for approximately 20 Massachusetts schools in nearby communities.

With the help of the dedicated professionals at Walker, children, youth, and their families are able to rediscover their strengths, develop new lifelong skills, and begin the work of rebuilding their lives.

The Village Bank is once again the tournament’s primary sponsor. A multi-year sponsor of this marquee chamber event, The Village Bank is a big part of the tournament’s continued success both on and off the course, sending both golfers to participate and volunteers to help out with event logistics and staffing.

The chamber welcomes back One Wingate Way as the Silver Luncheon Sponsor. Additional 2018 sponsors include ALL CPAs, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Needham, Cambridge Savings Bank, Newton-Wellesley Hospital, R.L. Tennant Insurance Agency and CareOne Newton.

More about Walker

Children often come to Walker having experienced multiple traumas related to past physical and sexual abuse, domestic and community violence, and neglect. Many have multiple psychiatric diagnoses, including Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), mood or attachment disorders, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Children, ages 5-13, are referred to Walker’s therapeutic residential and group home programs due to significantly unsafe behavior that repeatedly places them and others at considerable risk of harm. Commonly, referred children have been in out-of-home placements for two or more years, having extended higher level placements just prior to referral to Walker.

Because approximately 75% of the children living on our Needham campus are in state custody, the Walker Permanency Center was established to increase the effectiveness in reducing the amount of time that children remain in the child welfare system. Walker senior leaders are deeply committed to connecting children to permanent, loving, legal families. By partnering with other child welfare agencies, Walker is gradually breaking down systemic barriers and finding homes for some of the most vulnerable children in our state.

With support from the Newton-Needham Regional Chamber and other philanthropic supporters, Walker is helping children like “Henry” to connect with life-long, loving families.

Henry's Story
Henry, an eight-year-old boy, was removed from his home because of abuse and was in the foster care system for four years but is now free for adoption. For the last two years, Henry has lived in Walker’s therapeutic residential program and has attended Walker School on our Needham Campus. Henry is well known on campus for his adventurous spirit and love for animals, especially Emmett, Walker’s therapy dog. Walker staff were unable to find anyone in his own extended family who could adopt him but this past winter he met Miranda, a public school teacher interested in adopting a child as a single mom.

A team of clinicians dedicated to helping Henry successfully transition to his new family are working with Miranda to make sure she understands the challenges she could expect to handle in the upcoming months. Miranda will continue to receive support once Henry moves in this summer and starts his new school in the fall. If there are setbacks, advice is just a phone call away.

In addition to its Permanency Center, Walker serves approximately 1,100 children throughout the greater community through these other programs and services:

• Therapeutic Residential Program is a clinically intensive, structured residential program annually serving 60 children ages 5-13.
• Ain Group Home annually provides housing and clinical supports for 18 children, aged 5-13, who attend Needham Public School.
• Walker School is a therapeutic K-8 day school annually serving 115 students ages 5-13.
• Stepping Stones, a program within Walker School, provides students on the Autism Spectrum with additional supports that build social, executive functioning, and self-regulation skills.
• Respite Program provides children and youth with structured, therapeutic social and recreational activities for a short duration outside of their home.

• Community-Based Acute Treatment Program (CBAT) is a 16-bed hospital diversion program serving nearly 300 children (ages 3-13) annually who are in acute psychiatric crises. Behavioral health services are also provided in the community through In-Home Therapy and Therapeutic Mentoring Programs.
• Walker Community Counseling provides behavioral health services for approximately 300 children on our Needham campus.

• Walker Trieschman Institute promotes best practices in the fields of permanency, special education, and child welfare for Walker’s staff, other social service providers, parents and caregivers, and institutions of higher learning through a diverse portfolio of training workshops, large-scale symposia, coaching, consultations, and publications.

The 27th Annual Children’s Charitable Golf Tournament takes place Monday, Aug. 6 at Woodland Golf Club, 1897 Washington St. in Newton. Lunch and registration begins at 11 a.m., 12:30 shotgun. Registration fee includes all green fees and cart, lunch, cocktail reception, putting contest, use of practice facilities, prizes for top teams and a gift for each player. Early Bird Rates through July 1: $340/golfer, $1360/foursome, $1500/foursome plus tee sign. After July 1: $365/golfer, $1460/foursome.