The Learning Clinic's Rolling Ridge
Residential Program is comprised
of four levels:
Residential Care
Readiness for Assisted Living
Assisted Living
Community Living
The Residential homes are a highly structured, 24-hour
supervised living arrangement. Students develop necessary
daily living, problem solving, and social skills. The Readiness
for Assisted Living houses provide students with necessary
vocational and self-monitoring skills with lesser degrees
of supervision. Once the student masters these skills, they
may progress to an Assisted Living House.
In these houses,
emphasis is on greater degrees of self-monitoring and community
access. Students learn all aspects of community living.
The final step is Community Living. A student in the Community
Living level is expected to demonstrate independent living
skills with limited supervision. The Learning Clinic's Residential
Program is fluid and flexible, allowing students to step
ahead and step back as necessary to meet their individual
needs.
RESIDENTIAL HOMES
ABINGTON NORTH, BREEZE, POMFRET, AND
PONDVIEW
The residential homes are located within the rural countryside
of northeastern Connecticut. Each home is unique in design
and size and provides a family-like, therapeutic environment
for students of mixed ages and skills. The setting emphasizes
family skills and community oriented activities to promote
self-reliance and social skill development. The students
participate in the daily tasks of running a home such as
cooking, grocery shopping, chores, and planning activities.
Our residences have separate sleeping areas for boys and
girls. Both single and double rooms are usually available.
All
homes are staffed with 24-hour supervision by our house
parents. Each house features overnight staff that remain
awake throughout the night. During the school week the scheduled
house parent- to-student ratio is 1:4. On weekends, and
during vacation hours the staff-to-student ratio may vary
from 1:1 to 1:8. At all times a supervisor is part of the
schedule. Staff and supervisor are supported with a 24-hour
clinical on-call system. Residential staff receive ongoing
training in teaching and psychological methods best suited
for our students. Through a formal system of operationally
defined goals, families participate in the continuation
of the program during home visitation on weekends and holidays.
Evenings and weekends at TLC residences include community
activities as well as activity and educational oriented
field trips.
READINESS FOR ASSISTED LIVING
ABINGTON SOUTH, ELLIOTT HOUSE
Our
Readiness for Assisted Living program is for students who
are 16-18 years old. We provide the support, structure,
and supervision necessary to help students make choices
about moving away from home and school environments. Our
curriculum stresses self-reliance and goal setting. The
end result of the program is that students learn to solve
problems and make decisions regarding work, living arrangements,
health, money, transportation, and leisure. We include activities
designed to improve self-esteem and social skills.
ASSISTED LIVING
PIERCE HOUSE, CARRIAGE HOUSE, POMFRET
NORTH
Pierce
House is located in Brooklyn Village, about 2 miles from
the main campus. The house provides for 6 male students
to have increased opportunities for independence while being
mentored under conditions of less structure. Students are
expected to be employed and/or enrolled in the local community
college.
Pierce House and Pomfret North provide an experience that
maintains therapeutic contacts and focus on social skills
development. This is a prerequisite experience to apartment
living. Male students between the ages of 18-22 are eligible
for this program. The Carriage House is located on our main
campus. The Carriage House is for female students and uses
the same set of expectations as those established for Pierce
House. The aim is increasing independence and community
involvement.
COMMUNITY LIVING
Our community living experience provides monitoring and
support to those students who are ready for the next step
toward more independence. Apartment living within the community
is monitored to assist students
adjusting to new challenges of independence, work, and school.
STUDENT POPULATION
The student body consists of 70 students, of which 38 are
boarding students. Students' ages range from 8 to 22 with
the mode being 15.
COEDUCATION
Girls make up about one third of our students. The Learning
Clinic is an appropriate placement for both young and adolescent
girls, as well as boys of the same age range. Our residential
living is within a coeducation experience.
