IBD Strong Programs & Services

Transforming Through Community

Programs:

Families Like Ours: Family Team Partners

Support Programs for Children, Teens, & Families Coping with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

IBD is a family affair. Whether you’re the individual living with IBD, or you are the grandparent, parent, sibling, child, spouse or partner, your life is impacted by this disease. IBD Strong understands that. We believe that the more we heal within the family system, the more likely there will be positive outcomes for the child. We believe that healing comes from acceptance of the illness, adapting to its demands and boosting the hope and confidence of the individuals living with IBD and those who care for them.

We connect children, teens and families with IBD to each other and to other resources that can support them along their journey. Together we are building a therapeutic community of support, hope, well-being, inspiration and empowerment.

Do you want to share our program with someone you know? Please download our flyer to learn more about our programs!

Someone Like Me: V'IBD Teens

Peer to Peer Support

Someone Like Me: V’IBD Teens is our peer to peer mentorship program, which pairs each child or teen diagnosed with IBD with a teen or young adult who has successfully managed and overcome similar life experiences and challenges surrounding their diagnosis. This personalized pairing takes into consideration life stage, disease specific impact and psychosocial experiences and needs.

We serve children and teens of all ages and stages of the disease process. So if you are newly diagnosed, experiencing a flare, having a challenging time coping with having a chronic illness, or you just want to meet someone like yourself who has Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, this is the place!

Someone Like Me: V’IBD Teens provides a continuum of support from childhood to adulthood. In addition to our teen mentors, we have young adult mentors to support older teens transitioning to life as a young adult living with IBD.

Last Sunday of Each Month

Facilitated by Auna Simon

IBD Strong’s Family Wellness Series is a fun, relaxing and refreshing way to connect with other families facing the challenges of life with IBD.

our families join together for hikes, guided meditation, yoga, sound baths, sharing circles and more! These events establish communities of support, where we reduce stress and anxiety, build bonds, and help each other successfully navigate the sometimes turbulent ride of life with IBD.

An emphasis on encouraging healing coping techniques toward self compassion, self awareness and increased involvement in one’s overall wellbeing is aimed at establishing healthy patterns of behavior toward self participation in one’s overall quality of life and continuum of care from childhood to adulthood.

Upcoming Events

**Sat. Nov. 19th, 2022 - special holiday schedule.

Location provided upon RSVP

** Sun. Dec 18th, 2022 special holiday schedule.

Location provided upon RSVP

"What does it mean to be IBD Strong? It means kids and adults going from shame to shine. It means taking time to connect and take care of themselves. Thank you for a gorgeous day of hiking and healing!!!"

"Meeting fellow warriors at my first wellness event, a family hike was so fulfilling. To be surrounded by people who understand my struggle and also understand the need to thrive despite the obstacles. I feel like I found my "people" and am so excited to be a part of the IBD Strong community."

Be Empowered to Express Who You Are

Our V’IBD Arts Program includes a series of events which convey our individual community members’ passions and love for the arts. Whether it’s music, art, dance, or any other creative arts modality that you enjoy, this program encourages participants to get back to their individual passion or explore new creative outlets of self expression.

V’IBD Arts includes concerts and events in which participation is open to individuals living with IBD, their family members and overall young peers who are dedicated to supporting them in expressing who they are, spreading awareness and positivity, celebrating their resilience and integrating back into their communities at large.

Check out our V’IBD Teens Advocate program to participate in support of your peers living with IBD.

Upcoming Events

Dec. 14th , 2022

V'IBD Paint Night

Location provided upon RSVP

December 22nd, 2022

V'IBD Music Nights

Location provided upon RSVP

Families Like Ours: Family Team Partners

Ongoing Support

Similar to our Someone Like Me: V’IBD Teens peer to peer support program, our Family Team Partners are available to offer support to the entire family.

Our Family Team Partners know first hand how devastating and helpless it may feel to witness a loved one suffering from the debilitating complications and symptoms of IBD. They understand the worries, anxieties and fears associated with having a family member receive a diagnosis of Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.

IBD Strong’s Family Team Partners have worked hard at transforming their anxieties and fears surrounding their loved one’s diagnosis into a more optimistic, positive and empowered mindset They are here to share their insights and experiences with you.

We are currently offering support to family members in English, Spanish, French, Farsi and Hebrew.

Meet a community of people affected by IBD, including patients and care partners, on IBDLyfe – join the conversations and find a 1:1 connection like you!

V'IBD Teens Peer Groups

Our specialized support groups provide connection and insight from your peers who have experienced similar unique disease specific impacts and challenges, have successfully adapted to them and are now thriving.

As always, our support groups are meant to decrease isolation and boost confidence in living a full life in spite of the unique demands of one’s disease process. There is no medical, surgical or pharmacological advice offered at these groups.

Optimistic with Ostomy

Going through an ileostomy and worried about how it’s going to impact you? Not sure how to navigate through normalizing life with an ostomy?

Join our ostomy group to meet teens and young adults who experienced similar initial fears and doubts surrounding normalizing life following an ileostomy though are now thriving in spite and because of their ostomy.

Boys Fighting Fistula

Our founder started this group to create a safe space for boys who are coping or struggling with fistula to meet other boys who have overcome similar challenges.

Our Boys Fistula Peer Group includes sharing coping mechanisms and insights of ways to adapt to the demands of living with fistulas; whether in getting back to sports, hobbies, or overall living of one’s best life.

Journeys with J-Pouch

Our j-pouch space is for those wondering about what the recovery and integration process as well as overall life are like with a j-pouch.

Our group leaders will share their experience in creating positive guidelines and milestones for themselves, and how they integrated their j-pouch into their daily routine and living life to its fullest.

Transforming Through Community

Programs:

Support Programs for Children, Teens, & Families Coping with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Someone Like Me: V'IBD Teens

Peer to Peer Support

Family Wellness

Last Sunday of Each Month

Facilitated by Auna Simon

Upcoming Events

**Sat. Nov. 19th, 2022 - special holiday schedule.

** Sun. Dec 18th, 2022 special holiday schedule.

V'IBD Arts

Be Empowered to Express Who You Are

Upcoming Events

Dec. 14th , 2022

December 22nd, 2022

Families Like Ours: Family Team Partners

Ongoing Support

V'IBD Teens Peer Groups

Optimistic with Ostomy

Boys Fighting Fistula

Journeys with J-Pouch

Inspiring and empowering individuals with IBD to not let the disease define them.

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