By Stephen C. Schultz
This is just a quick note to provide an update on Discovery Academy
and Connections. If you have explored my blog before, you are probably aware I am involved with a group of treatment programs for teenagers.
Please allow me to share a couple of experiences I had at Discovery Academy. Last week we were preparing for a
parent tour. I was in the middle of identifying a student that would be able to assist with the tour when I got a call from one of our staff members. Thoughts raced through my mind;
“Shoot, Troy won’t be able to help us...he is at his internship
at ADOBE”.
Then I thought to myself; “Wow! How cool is that!”
Later in the week I ran into a young lady enrolled in
Discovery Academy who I had spoken with previously. I asked how she was doing
and what she was up to. She mentioned that she was just returning from her job.
I mentioned that was awesome and asked if she would share with me what she was
doing. She said she was working at McDonalds on the morning shift. She gets up
about 5:30 am each morning so she can be to work at 7:00am. She then comes back
to campus and attends school in the afternoon. I asked how she gets there each
morning and she said that she walks. What a great opportunity! I happen to know some of the clinical
issues this young lady had worked through. What an accomplishment! What
determination! What resilience!
Reminder:
Discovery Academy is Transitional in nature with full
therapeutic support. It is best suited for students, male and female, who have
demonstrated treatment success in a previous setting like Wilderness Treatment or a Residential Treatment Center.
However, these students still need some additional support while exploring and
engaging in volunteer opportunities, internships and part time employment.
Because of our location, our campus realistically becomes the entire local metropolitan area. Therapists regularly hold groups and activities in the city
away from the actual Discovery Academy building. School and residential living
for girls and boys are separated with joint clubs and activities only occurring
when clinically indicated.
Connections specifically works with students who
have struggled in previous placements. Connections also functions well as a
step down from a more intense level of care such as a hospital setting or a more
structured RTC.
Many students come to Connections having struggled in a larger milieu and they need a
smaller community. Some may have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other developmental concerns that have
complicated their previous treatment progress. Most students are dealing with
treatment fatigue of some kind and have moved from program to program before
landing at Connections.
The goal is to connect with these students at a different
level; to help them see “light at the end of the tunnel” through career
exploration and internships in the community. All of this happens while still
providing full therapeutic support. Connections can enroll both girls and boys
and includes specific services for working with ASD.
Be sure to check out the Clinical Staff. This is one of the most seasoned clinical departments Discovery Academy/Connections have ever had.
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