Union Day School
| 8735 Cincinnati-Dayton Rd |
| West Chester, Ohio 45069 |
Jim Skoog - Supervisor 513-785-6904 skoogj@bcesc.org
Dennis Smith - Assistant Principal 513-785-6915 smithd@bcesc.org
Butler County Educational Service Center (ESC) has entered into a collaborative partnership with Talbert House, an experienced mental health service agency, to serve children and adolescents who are experiencing serious emotional, behavioral and/or academic problems. Students at Union Day School participate in specialized programs that integrate their school and therapeutic services to improve treatment and academic success so as to foster their social, emotional, behavioral and educational development.
Union Day School is located in the former Lakota School District Union Elementary School building on Cincinnati-Dayton Road in West Chester that has been leased to the Butler County ESC. Butler County ESC provides the teaching staff and the building supervisor and Talbert House the treatment personnel. Students must be placed in the programs at Union Day School by their school district. Transportation to the Union Day School programs is provided through each student’s school district.
Union Day School programs strive to develop a positive, therapeutic environment that includes the family and the educational and behavioral health staff as partners. Case Managers will maintain communication and support to the home. Therapeutic interventions provided follow a nationally recognized social-learning, cognitive-behavioral milieu management model.
Union Day School provides therapeutic and educational programming:
Therapeutic Day Program:
The Therapeutic Day Program located in Union Day School, is a therapeutic day program offering education and treatment for emotionally disable children grades 1-8. Some of the children may also have another neurologically based disorder, a learning disability or disorder that requires clinical and educational intervention. The goal for each student is to return to a less restrictive school environment.
Some highlights of the Therapeutic Day Program include:
- An academic program aligned with the Ohio State Standards and a child's home school district.
- Special Education Teachers.
- Individualized behavior management plans for each student. Program staff collaborate with child psychiatrists and other physicians regarding diagnosis, medication monitoring and reduction of symptoms.
- Intensive therapeutic services including assessment, individual, family and group therapies, case management, and a treatment environment which emphasizes cognitive and social skills development.
- Daily services provided by a professional and experienced clinical team including a licensed clinical psychologist, and licensed clinical counselors and social workers.
- A board certified child and adolescent psychiatrist will provide weekly consultations and treatment services to students and their families as well as consultation to staff.
- The students engage in a academically challenging curriculum emphasizing group instruction and hands-on activities. This multi-faced approach works to assist the students in: overcoming issues at hand; practicing more successful behavioral alternatives. The goal is to work with students to build on their strengths and gifts, and be allies with them in their "fight" against the challenges and obstacles that get in the way of their success. The environment is based on a positive, nurturing model, where natural consequences for behaviors are frequently utilized. The collaborative problem solving model is used and a system that avoids using restrictive and/or punitive methods of behavioral management. Therapeutic (restraint) is only employed as a last resort, when the child is determined to be in danger to him/her or others.
- SERVICES OFFERED
- Academics
- Each district is asked to provide a current course listing, which is facilitated within the therapeutic program in one of two ways: 1) Home districts may provide their own textbooks and curriculum for students to use; 2) Districts may request that their student follow the curriculum already in place within the framework of Union Day School. With either option, the primary objective is to help students learn the maximum amount of curriculum, brining them closer the ultimate goal of high school graduation. Academics are supplemented by an online learning solution that assesses student's strengths and weaknesses and prescribes learning paths of engaging instructional materials aligned with state and national standards.
- Individual Therapy
- Therapeutic services are an integral part of the student's day. Each student is assigned to an individual therapist, who will meet with him/her at least twice per week. These sessions will focus on a wide variety of issues, including the presenting issue/concern, increasing levels of self awareness, problem solving, communication and relationship skills.
- Group Therapy
- Group therapy is provided on a daily basis. These sessions are designed to address cognitive lagging skills of students such as anger management/frustration tolerance, relation issues, relaxation skills, interpersonal communication, and emotional regulation.
- Family Therapy
- Family work is seen as an essential component in your child's placement at the Therapeutic Day Program. The individual therapist assigned to each child will expect to meet with the family at least once per month. Primary goals include completion of the Social/Developmental History, improving communication and listening skills between family members, identifying mutual goals and accompanying plan for success, and any other specific concerns the family feel would be helpful to address during the family sessions. In addition, a monthly Parent Group is offered to all families at Union Day School. This can serve as a valuable outlet, allowing participants to talk with other parents/guardians struggling with similar challenges and receive support and guidance from the Therapeutic Day Program's therapeutic staff.
- Community Psychiatric Support Services
- Members of the clinical team serve as case managers to our families. They assist in the school environment, educational groups, and service as connection between the treatment program, the community and the home. They help to communicate, advocate and ensure full communication and understanding is present for our families.
- Academics
Progressive Program: (students grades 7-12)
Students referred to the Progressive Program are experiencing significant social, behavioral and/or academic problems. The Progressive Program is an appropriate educational alternative to school suspension, expulsion or withdrawal for some students. Students may be enrolled on a short-term or long term basis. This program enables students to complete course credits needed to fulfill academic requirements including high school graduation and successful completion of the Ohio Graduation Tests. When appropriate, students are transitioned back to their home district schools. Student and family mental health services are available on an as-needed, requested basis to ameliorate behavioral health symptoms that act as barriers to academic performance in their placement.
Referral Information:
Parents and Guardians should contact their school district where they live for more detailed enrollment information to any Union Day School program.
