Union Day School

8735 Cincinnati-Dayton Rd

West Chester, Ohio 45069

Jim Skoog - Supervisor 513-785-6904 skoogj@bcesc.org

Tim Ivory - Assistant Principal 513-785-6915 ivoryt@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 disabled children grades K-12. 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 moderate to severe
Individualized behavior management plans using a 4 tier level system for each student. Program staff collaborates 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 provide weekly consultations and treatment services to students and their families as well as consultation to staff.
The students engage in an academically challenging curriculum emphasizing group instruction and hands-on activities. This multi-faceted 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 struggle 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 is a system that avoids using restrictive and/or punitive methods of behavioral management. Therapeutic holding (restraint) is only employed as a last resort, when the child is determined to be a danger to him/her or others.

SERVICES OFFERED

Academics
The students are taught by professionally accredited (Highly Qualified) Special Education Teachers that use individualized curriculum and 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. High school students grades 9-12 will also have core area teachers help to instruct and/or modify curriculum for students based on their individual needs. Academics in the four core areas are implemented through each students Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals and objectives and progress measured on a quarterly basis. The primary objective is to help students learn the maximum amount of curriculum, bringing them to the ultimate goal of high school graduation. Additional resources are used like the CATT integrations which allow easy compliance with the guidelines for Universal Design and Response to Intervention (RTI). It provides strategies, differentiated teaching and accommodations within the typical setting.
Individual Therapy
Therapeutic services are an integral part of your 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, relationship 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 your child will expect to meet with you 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 you feel would be helpful to address in family sessions.
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 serve as a liaison 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.

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.

School hours are 7:30-1:15. Some school districts can make a decision to have students attend less hours a day depending on transportation. Meals are not provided and students must bring a sack lunch. Bottled water may be purchased at school.

Students selected to attend the Progressive School Program and their parents must be committed to making this a productive and successful experience. Therefore, both students and parents should expect that the rules and regulations be strictly enforced. The staff recognizes the importance of treating all students equally and fairly. The ultimate goal is for each student to have the opportunity to improve his or her own behavior / situation.

Curriculum and Credits

Assignments, grading, and awarding credit officially remain the responsibility of the district of residence. Students will participate in one or more on-line computer based curriculum courses using APEX LEARNING while enrolled at the Progressive School. The objectives and assignments from these programs will align to the Ohio State Model Curricula for each of the subject areas in which a student may be enrolled. The delivery model, would offer a comprehensive selection of remedial and original courses. Each course is competency based so seat time is not a main criteria. This allows students flexibility in recovering credits. Progressive School Program personnel will assist and facilitate students as they work. Students are encouraged to work on assignments at home also using the web based program. The link is www.apexvs.com. Each student has a log in and password to access their courses. Parents can get weekly reports via email by completing the information on the Referral Form.

Program Objectives

Provide a positive learning environment for students removed from school of residence
Provide integration of services to intervene in students’ cycle of failure with school
Prepare students for their future after high school
Increase parental involvement in students’ educational process
Increase daily attendance
Increase promotion / graduation rates