TYPICAL PROGRAM DAY

The program meets 4 days per week (Monday through Thursday) from 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. for 21 weeks, with a one-week break between weeks 10 and 11. Semesters begin in January and July of each year.

9:00 - 10:00
Goal Setting session
Individualized goals and strategies are addressed each day for the program day, weekends, and breaks. Mondays are spent reviewing weekend goals and accomplishments and setting working goals for the program week. Fridays include the setting of weekend goals. Strategies to address deficits as well as specific goals are created and practiced. A program client is typically in charge of “leading” this group to practice communication skills, as well as tracking and organizational skills. Staff interact with clients as necessary to assure appropriate goals and strategies are addressed each day. Goals are typically written on large posters that are later hung on the wall so that they can be easily reviewed throughout each program activity.

10:00 - 11:00
Interpersonal Group
This group focuses on speaking and communication skills, and is completed in hierarchical order, beginning with exercises that address basic speaking skills (talking about hobbies, interests, and background) and progresses to mock job-interviews at the end of the semester. One client each day is on the "hotseat" completing the exercise with the staff in assistance and the other clients in the audience. The exercise is videotaped for later review by the client and their family. In addition to addressing interpersonal skills, the group serves as the main forum to address awareness and acceptance issues in recovery and rehabilitation.

11:00 - 11:30
Lunch Break
Clients have one hour for lunch. Many restaurants are within walking distance of the program (several are in the same building!). There is also a kitchen/lunchroom with a refrigerator and microwave for those who bring their lunch.

11:30 - 12:30 Cognitive Training Group
This is the hands-on laboratory portion of the day to address and treat cognitive deficits, to teach strategies, to practice them in both clinic and community based settings, and to work on individual projects as needed (be they cognitive, vocational, educational, or social.)

12:30 - 1:30
Community Meeting
A end-of-the-day wrap up serves as a group to address client concerns, ascertain daily progress, celebrate special occasions (holiday wishes, birthdays,) provide announcements about upcoming events, and to discuss issues that clients have in common that might not be addressed elsewhere during the day. A client typically serves as group "leader" to call on people in turn, and to track that each client and staff has had a chance to respond to the day's "community question."

Break time is built into the program - initially, breaks are provided between each group for 5 minutes. As the program progresses, and client cognitive skills improve, breaks are limited to the lunch break, and those individualized breaks that are established by each client for their maximized functioning.