Grant A Gift Autism Foundation – Ackerman Center Celebrates One Year of Joint Operations

Grant A Gift Autism Foundation – Ackerman Center is extremely proud to be marking our 1st anniversary of joint operations.

The Ackerman Center and Grant a Gift have worked side by side since the inception of the Ackerman Center in 2016. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, we recognized that a change was needed to ensure the long-term sustainability of the Ackerman Center. Combining the operational excellence of Grant a Gift, the on-going support from UNLV Health and the clinical expertise of the Ackerman Center was the answer to that question.

As the need for our services continue to grow – with the latest CDC numbers showing 1 in 44 kids having autism, we also continue to grow to support that need. Over the past year, we have grown by 42%, adding 13 new staff members.

Over the past year, despite having some large hurdles in front of us, we have seen and diagnosed over 700 new patients and completed 6800 visits. As we continue to make improvements and adjust to fit the need of the community, we adjust to create more access.

We have added several new community partners for our vocational programing to include Bags to Go and MGM Resorts, expanding our reach into the community, finding new employment opportunities for our young adults.

This past year we have successfully secured over $800K in state and community funding to support our programs. We are in year two of funding with the Nevada Opioid Response Grant, which has allowed us to expand on our Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and Prenatal Drug Effect clinic, more than doubling the number of clinics and children diagnosed. During this year, we also piloted a new psychoeducation group for children, their families, and community providers to continue to bring awareness around these diagnoses.

I am very proud of what we have achieved together and congratulate the entire team for the dedication and focus on the mission. We still have a long road ahead, as we have nearly 5,000 families on our waitlist. All this great work wouldn’t be possible without the commitment from our staff, the support from the community, the generosity of our donors and the wisdom from our doctors and board members.

By working together as one team and being a partner with our community, we will exceed our goals and continue to make a difference in the lives that we touch.

I extend my sincere gratitude to everyone for being part of this very inspiring journey.

Brian Hager

President

Grant A Gift Autism Foundation – Ackerman Center