FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Referrals to the program come primarily from school administrators, teachers, guidance counselors, and school-affiliated social workers. Other sources of referral to the program may include mental health counseling agencies, Department of Social Services, Court Intake Officials, Medical Practitioners, the Department of Juvenile Justice, etc. Medicaid potentially covers counseling services for Medicaid members, based on eligibility. Counseling services may also be covered through private healthcare insurances and local school agencies that may place learners as an interim academic placement for related support and services. The local educational agencies will also cover the expenses for educational support and services through CSA funding.

Individuals shall meet at least two of the following:

• Have difficulty in establishing or maintaining normal interpersonal relationships to such a degree that they are at risk of hospitalization or out-of-home placement because of conflicts.

• Exhibit such inappropriate behavior that documented, repeated interventions by mental health, social services or judicial system is or has been necessary.

• Exhibit difficulty in cognitive ability such that they are unable to recognize personal danger or recognize significantly inappropriate social behavior.

• Be in transition from DJJ to their regular academic setting as an interim academic setting.

• Be placed as a part of a divergent program to avoid court action and or incarceration.

• Must have been expelled/suspended from their current academic placement.

• School district or referring agency deem the academic setting would best serve the needs of the learner.

• Learner has an Individualized Educational Program (IEP) or 504 Plan.

• Learner has missed or been out of school for 15 or more days.

• At-risk for dropout and or academic failure.

Therapeutic day treatment is appropriate for children and adolescents who meet at least one of the following:

• The individual must require year-round treatment to sustain behavior or emotional gains.

• Individual’s behavior and emotional challenges are so severe that they cannot be handled in self-contained or resource emotionally disabled classrooms without programming to supplement the school day or school year.

• An individual would otherwise be placed on homebound instruction because of severe emotional/behavior problems that interfere with learning.

• Individuals must (i) have deficits in social skill, peer relations or dealing with authority; (ii) are hyperactive; (iii) have poor impulse control; (iv) are extremely depressed or marginally connected with reality.

• An individual is placed or pending placement in a school enrichment and/or early intervention program, but the individual’s emotional/behavioral challenges are so severe that is documented that they cannot function or be admitted in these programs without therapeutic day services.

• Individuals that have been diagnosed and in need of mental health support and services.

Day School Program focus on the needs of children, adolescents and young adults who require more individualized, comprehensive and emotionally supportive education than they can find in most public schools.

These learners may face a variety of challenges, such as:

• Emotional disorders or mental health diagnosis

• Anxiety

• Dependency/lack of independence

• Other Health impairment

• Victimization through bullying or abuse

• Low confidence, low self-esteem

• Social Skill Deficits

All of our academic programs offer the following:

• Assist learners with special education needs and design Individual Educational Programs (IEP’S)

• State endorsed core curriculum in primary and secondary (middle and high school) education

• Awarding of HS diploma through the LEA

• Award a certificate in a career technical skill to high school learners

• Internship/apprenticeship for high school learners in the career technical program

• Academic and behavior related assessments

• Mental health supports

• Provide high level academic program that meets each learner’s current academic needs

• Provide a challenging college preparation or vocational track program

Guidance in career, vocational, military and college planning

Stafford Jones Therapeutic Day and Learning Institute employs a multifaceted approach to achieve learners’ individualized goals through:

• Comprehensive psychosocial assessment

• Comprehensive Cultural Relevant Trauma Informed Functional Behavior Assessment

• Crisis Intervention

• Individualized behavior modification classroom management

• Identified individual counseling

• Care coordination services

• Therapeutic recreation and socialization activities

• Individual treatment planning

• Weekly parental coordination

• Hybrid Education

• Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Language Arts, Vocational Education

• Educational programming that supports reading and writing across the content area and mathematics.

• Foster Wellness From A Holistic Approach

• Foster Social Behavior Skills

• Decreased occurrences of both in and out of school suspensions

• Improved School Attendance

• Enhanced Academic Performance

• Foster College Career Readiness

1. Provide each program participant equal access to the wellness counseling and educational programming.

2. Be conscious of, and responsive to, the dignity, welfare, and worth of our program participants.

3. Respect the privacy, confidentiality, and autonomy of program participants within the context of our facilities and programs.

4. Be aware and respectful of cultural, familial, and societal backgrounds of our program participants.

5. Take reasonable steps to ensure a safe environment that addresses the emotional, educational, and physical needs of our program participants.

6. Maintain high standards of competence in our areas of expertise and to be mindful of our limitations.

7. Value continuous professional development, research, and scholarship.

8. Place primary emphasis on the welfare of our program participants in the development and implementation of our business practices.

9. Fully disclose to prospective candidates the nature of services.

10. Provide informed, professional referrals when appropriate or if we are unable to continue service.

Yes. Based on the academic and social needs of the learner, the learner may be assigned to the alternative tract for high school completion by earning a GED (General Education Diploma). Preparation for the GED will be provided by way of the on-line educational platform, Ingenuity. All learners that participate in the alternative tract for high school completion will engage in a vocational skills program with the opportunity to engage in an internship/apprenticeship to gain on the job training.

Wellness Counseling (Holistic Approach): Emotional, Physical, Spiritual, Occupational, Social, Environmental and Intellectual Support

1:10

• School Hours of Operation: 8:00am-4:30pm

• After School Hours: 4:30pm-6:00pm

• School Administrator/Lead Educator Day: 8:00am – 4:30pm

• School Staff Day: 8:20am – 4:00am

• Learner School Day: 8:40 am – 3:40pm

• Year-Round Calendar

• Summer Hours for Staff: 7:30am-5:30pm (Mon. thru Thurs.)

• Summer Hours for Learners: 8:30am-1:30pm (Mon. thru Thurs.)

• School Closed On Major Holidays

• Content Area Curriculum (Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and Language Arts)

• Reading and Writing

• Electives

• Wellness Counseling (See Holistic Wellness Wheel)

• Lunch

• Recess

• Academic Remediation/Intervention

• Vocational Education (Secondary Learners Only)

• Internship/Apprenticeship (Secondary Learners Only)

Stafford Jones Learning Institute will operate on a year-round schedule. It operates a full-time program, on a 12-month calendar. Each program participant will engage in minimum of 6 1/2 hours of academic instruction to encompass skill development through wellness counseling daily and physical/health education. Primary learners will have access to 45 minutes recess period every day. Each learner will have access to an un-incumbent 30-minute lunch period. Though individual class schedules may vary according to a learner’s ability to attend. Additional activities are planned regularly during and after-school.

The school calendar for the school year will be adopted from the operational school calendar for Prince George’s County Public School. The school will observe the same teacher work days, professional development days, holidays and summer hours with the last week of June/the second and third weeks of August closed.

Learner Discipline

Stafford Jones Therapeutic Day and Learning Institute will engage in more counseling and not suspensions. Suspensions will only occur when bodily harm has been imposed on another learner, staff, etc. the suspension will be for a 3-5-day period to provide the staff time to develop a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) or modify the existing plan and organize a restorative justice session.

Learners will be provided support through Behavior Techs and counseling. There will be a 1:10 ratio for learners.

• Each class will consist of calming station. Learners will be able to separate from the group while remaining in the classroom. The calming station will have a sitting area, music (classical, soft jazz, sounds of nature) for easy listening to engage in Music Therapy, magazines and books for reading, and writing material for journaling.

• Each class will consist of an art station where learners can engage in drawing, coloring, and craft as a means of Art Therapy.

• Behavior Techs will be in the classroom to provide support with de-escalation and redirection. The Behavior Techs will provide learner support with problem-solving. Clinician will be on-site to provide counseling and support with de-escalation.

• Learners will have access to a de-escalation room that is padded. The de-escalation room consist of boxing gloves and boxing bag to relieve frustration. Learners will have the supervision of a Behavior Tech, clinician, or administrator while in the de-escalation room.

• Learners will have access to an exercise room for Exercise Counseling. This will support learner physical fitness and afford them the opportunity to relieve and release. Learner will have direct supervision of a support staff, administrator or the clinician.

• Learners will have access to a walking area as a means for de-escalation. The walking area will be a small, fenced in, outdoor area were learners can walk. This area will be under camera surveillance. A support staff, clinician or administrator will provide direct supervision for the learner.

• Learners will engage in individualized counseling and group counseling to learn problem-solving skills.

• Restorative Justice will be implemented to address the harm created and restore the peace. Restorative Justice will take the form of individuals with a facilitator and a note taker or a community-based practice where the individuals can have support of others.