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Rolling Ridge Residential Living - Readiness for Assisted Living - Assisted Living - Apartment Living
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The curriculum at Briggs is based upon the Transition and Independent Living Skills Assessment (TILSA). Themes are created and taught weekly. Themes include but are not limited to the following areas: housing acquisition and leases, budgeting and taxes, banking and credit, time management, personal safety in the home, legal awareness, employment, community service, career planning, and healthy relationships.
Students create their own individual daily and weekly schedules and are encouraged to participate in a variety of community activities. These activities may include but are not limited to: volunteer positions, college courses, adult education courses, fitness classes etc. Each student is an active member in the development of his or her action plan and weekly goals.
The goal at the Briggs center is to equip each student with the necessary skills needed to foster independence. It is expected that each student will have his or her own bumps in the road; however we continue to encourage each student to begin to develop his or her own path towards, a greater sense of independence, self reliance and self worth.
Here's what students have said about the Briggs Continuing Education Center:
H.G.: "In the Briggs center, we do independent tasks such as looking for jobs, taking public transportation, writing up schedules and much more. In the Briggs center, I learn about the topics that I need to know about in the long run. For example, we so far have learned about relationships, housing, banking, budgets, and much more. I like that in the Briggs Center we are very independent, but if we need help we can get that help. I also like the less demands structure.”
J.G.: "At Briggs, we do lessons about whatever we are learning that week. Sometimes, we work on budgeting, how to sign lease agreements, relationships etc. I enjoy doing lessons and working with the whole class on a topic. We discuss the topic we are on for that week in the conference room usually”
F.G.: "In the Briggs building, we do lesson on independent skills. We do transportation on the bus, go to the college, and volunteer or have jobs. We also work on budgeting skills, housing, and renting skills, We also watch documentaries on these items like communication skills and how people do body language for everything."
B.B.: "Briggs center is located in a nice part of town with access to a library, pet shop, pizza shop and a food pantry where I volunteer every other Tuesday. Briggs has a nice yard with two picnic tables for eating outside when the weather is nice. Also, if a student meets criteria, they can move to the apartments and pay rent to learn what it’s like. Student here can work on finding jobs, volunteering, and everyday life skills in order to be better prepared for the real world."
J.G.: "Briggs building is where TLC seniors come to after they graduate and move on to learn adult business and responsibility. What we do is make schedules to improve on taking the bus independently to places such as the community college, shopping and other events. What you’ll like about Briggs is that there is a library, Dunkin Donuts, a pizza restaurant and a Laundromat that we have permission to go to as long as we have it scheduled and come back in time for group discussion."
TRANSITION PROGRAM - Definition: The TLC Transitional Living Program is a community based life skill's experience servicing TLC young men and women from 16 to 22 years of age. This program is available to individual TLC students who meet specific criteria after participating in the regular TLC residential program.
Not all students will benefit from the assisted living program and available space is also limited to only those candidates that have passed through pre-independent living phases of treatment and preparation at TLC or comparable programs. The Transitional Living Program provides the next step toward independence.
Objectives: The objective is to provide an experiential program for students with expectations of either preparing for discharge from TLC, transitioning towards independent living, or moving on to a college experience. The goal is to allow youngsters to have the practice of living semi-independently while attending college courses or working towards a high school diploma.
Program Process: A goal is set for the student-candidate, which potentially follows a four-phase transition plan, contingent on age and abilities. Mobility and flexibility are available between the four phases to allow recovery from difficulties that result from greater independence.
Phase I: Rolling Ridge Residential Living (Top)
The Rolling Ridge residential program is located within the rural countryside of northeastern Connecticut. Students reside in homes. 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 skills development. The students participate in the daily tasks of running a home such as cooking, grocery shopping, chores, and planning activities.
All homes are staffed for 24-hour supervision by our house parents. Residences generally provide a house parent ratio of 1:4 with floating supervisory staff and a 24-hour clinical on-call system. Residential staff receive ongoing training in child care and psychological methods best suited for our students.
Through a formal system of operationally defined goals, families participate in the continuation of the program for home visitation on weekends and holidays. Evenings and weekends at residence include regular community activities as well as educational oriented field trips.
Phase II: Readiness for Assisted Living (Top)
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 needed for independent living.
Phase III: Assisted Living (Top)
The assisted living program allows 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 community college. The houses provide an experience that maintains therapeutic contacts and focus on social skills development. This is a prerequisite experience to apartment living. Students who are 18 or older are eligible for this program option. The aim is to increase independence and community involvement.The program provides monitoring and support to those students who are ready for the next step toward more independence.
Phase IV: Apartment Living. (Top)
Our community living experience provides monitoring and support to those students who are ready for the next step toward more independence.
The Learning Clinic, Inc. is accredited by The New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), with diploma granting privileges. TLC is a member of the National Association of Private Special Education Centers, licensed by the Connecticut Department of Children and Families, and approved by the Department of Education of Connecticut, California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York (interim placement).