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Glendale Heights, IL - Statewide Program Eases Students Into Adulthood
Nurses at Adventist GlenOaks Therapeutic Day School are part of a unique new program touted as the first of its kind in the state. The Transitions program is aimed at helping students with learning disabilities, emotional or psychiatric issues shift into life after high school.
The program, accredited by the Illinois State Board of Education, will teach young adults between the ages of 17-21 the life skills they need to become independent. Participants include students with an individualized education program who are enrolled in a community college, taking courses on campus or online, and can benefit from individualized mentoring to complete their coursework.
The program launched with five students and grew to 12 students for this summer. Students are enrolled at the north (main) campus in Glendale Heights and the west campus in North Aurora. Additional staff members include teachers, social workers, therapists, clinical psychologists and a psychiatrist.
Students take 1-hour seminar classes on health management (topics include medication management and making healthy lifestyle choices), career exploration (including how to apply for a job and performance expectations), money management (banking, budgeting and using and managing credit cards) and daily life skills (doing laundry, grocery shopping and taking public transportation).
In addition, students also meet to set goals, eat dinner together and participate in mental health groups. They also volunteer at Adventist GlenOaks Hospital and other community organizations. The therapeutic day school was founded in 1995 for children with learning disabilities, and emotional and psychiatric problems. Students in grades 3 through 12 earn academic credits while addressing their therapeutic goals.
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