The AMITA Health GlenOaks Transition Program targets post-high school students aged between 17-21 years. The transition program aims to prepare students to succeed as independent young adults by providing them with lifestyle skills, social skills, self-advocacy skills, and self-confidence required in colleges and jobs environment (AMITA Health, 2021). The program is approved by the Illinois state board and is designed to help at-risk children, young adults, and adolescents in the community. The AMITA transition program has become successful in helping students with disabilities because of its uniquely designed interventions and a highly trained workforce.
The main function of the transition program is to help students develop independence, especially in colleges and the competitive employment environment, through individualized support strategies. It is a program associated with several other diverse benefits, such as enhancing equal opportunity for all students and proper behavior modifications. Also, through the program, students learn how to make informed decisions and become responsible for their own decisions and actions (White et al., 2017).
The program established by AMITA Health, a faith-based health system, has its operations in Chicago and serves both the residents and people in the surrounding areas. The AMITA Health GlenOaks Day School and Transition Program benefit students with emotional disorders, severe anxiety, depression, autism, and other health impairments (AMITA Health, 2021). However, to be admitted to this program, a student should qualify as an individual with learning disabilities and poor academic performance. Also, the program only serves students who are referred by their home school district.
The program’s success is attributed to the uniquely designed interventions and a highly trained workforce in the program has led to the smooth integration of students into colleges, communities, and the modern workforce. As transition students, at-risk children and youths have the opportunity to learn how to behave properly in various real-life settings through comprehensive interventions in the tiered program. Besides, the coursework provides students with skills for an independent lifestyle and readiness for college (AMITA Health, 2021). Using a multi-faceted therapeutic approach, students become nurtured in a safe environment where they learn communication skills, self-confidence and esteem, emotional adjustment, interrelationships skills, conflict resolution skills, and positively interact with mentors who guide them on how to develop their careers.
During the program, students have to participate in various therapies and modalities. The highly structured environment has integrated therapeutic activities and academics into the transition program. This strategy aims to engage students positively, especially during out-of-school time (AMITA Health, 2021). Through recreation therapy, the behaviors of the students are modified while their social interests are provoked. The recreation therapists help set the program contents based on individual students’ needs, interests, and capabilities. On the other hand, music therapy provides students with an opportunity to make music and play instruments.
These activities have been considered crucial in enhancing interpersonal skills, self-awareness, social awareness, and decision-making responsibility. Similarly, art therapy is a creative process that helps students to improve their emotional, mental and physical well-being using self-expression.
Furthermore, the transition program comprises group therapy and individual therapy crucial in bringing out unique differences in students. While group therapy is highly structured and occurs daily to provide students with skills, such as anger management, healthy relationships, social skills, stress management, conflict resolutions, independent living skills, and healthy living, individual therapy, on the other hand, is conducted every week (AMITA Health, 2021). Individual therapy is designed to provide students with the necessary support to achieve individual goals in the transition process. During this process, a strong rapport is built between the student and the therapist. In addition, the therapists are expected to tackle the emotional and social needs of the students throughout the program.
For a student to be enrolled in this program, various steps should be followed, and this includes reviewing a student’s records and information by a clinical psychologist. Afterward, the review is discussed with the GlenOaks administrator, and a decision is reached on whether to enroll the student or not. Also, potential students must make a school visit when accompanied by their families (AMITA Health, 2021). This visit is encouraged to educate the students, parents, and the district personnel who referred them about the program. The visitations made by students who best fit in the program are planned after the receipt of the referral packet.
The best matches for the program are students considered to have internalizing disorders. Subsequently, the administrations conduct an interview, and notification is sent to the family if a placement agreement is made to incorporate the student into the program (AMITA Health, 2021). Also, since parents or guardians play a significant role in the program, regular communication is encouraged to assess students’ progress.
Evidence of the effectiveness of the AMITA Health GlenOaks Transition Program can be evaluated using the post-high school outcomes of the students. A student is considered to have completed the transition program after demonstrating consistent skills and proper behavior standards to maintain an independent lifestyle in college or a job (AMITA Health, 2021). Overall, the program enhances equality in education through its diverse curriculum that offers a solution to tackle barriers in education. Its effectiveness can be demonstrated by comparing participants with their peers who never joined the transition program.
The strict adherence to the design and mission of the program has resulted in reduced misconduct and impressive changes in the behaviors of the participants (White et al., 2017). Also, the program participants cannot be compared to their peers with unsupervised free time and are likely to be involved in risky behaviors, such as drug use. Positive outcomes associated with this kind of transition program can be demonstrated in students’ educational and behavioral conduct.
Besides, most transition students in this program are at-risk children and youths who benefit from an opportunity to learn how to behave properly in various real-life settings through comprehensive interventions in the tiered program (AMITA Health, 2021). Other benefits associated with a transition program include reduced delinquent behaviors, improved academic achievement, increased career goals, positive relationships, and improved attitude towards school.
To conclude, the AMITA Health GlenOaks Transition Program utilizes evidence-based approaches to train and develop new skills in students through coordinated activities laid out in the program manuals. A general consensus is that the transition program is beneficial to the community, and its significance cannot be overemphasized. As a nonprofit making organization, Amita health supports its programs through grants and donations.
The GlenOaks hospital foundation, the organization has contributed to the success of many students and families. Ideally, a successful transition should be a coordinated effort between parents and special educators to prepare students for post-secondary life. Therefore, information gathering concerning this special education student after-school program will demonstrate its successful outcomes. Also, this information is crucial to researchers and policymakers who might be interested in the transition area.
References
AMITA Health. (2021). Admissions. AMITA. Web.
White, S. W., Elias, R., Capriola-Hall, N. N., Smith, I. C., Conner, C. M., Asselin, S. B.,… & Mazefsky, C. A. (2017). Development of a college transition and support program for students with an autism spectrum disorder. Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 47(10), 3072-3078. Web.