Program Description:

Serendipity’s Therapeutic K – 12 program has 8 self-contained classrooms.  Each is staffed by a licensed teacher and a Program Assistant.  Average class size is 9.  Specific aspects of the program include the following:

• School hours are 8:30 to 2:15, Monday through Friday, and 8:30 to 12:15 on Fridays. The school year is from September to June.
• While there is some regrouping to accommodate academic needs during the day, students primarily remain with their Core Groups.  Students travel to Therapeutic Recreation, Computer technology, the Library, the break room, and the dining room. 
• Each student is assigned a Clinical Case Manager.  These master’s level mental health professionals provide care coordination to outside providers. The Clinical Case Manager consults with classroom staff, participates in the planning of annual goals and strategies and communicates regularly with students’ parents/guardians.
• Skills Trainers are educational assistants that work individually with a designated student.

• A team of four Behavioral Intervention Specialists is available to all students in the therapeutic program. 
• A consulting psychiatrist is on campus two days each week.  He provides psychiatric consultation with treatment staff members, as well as offering observation and consultation services with teachers. We have a full-time Certified Medication Assistant and a consulting Licensed Nurse Practitioner. 
• A licensed Art Therapist provides art-based groups in each of the classrooms on a rotating basis.
• Serendipity maintains a 24-hour emergency answering service for students and families.  The clinical staff and the Management Team are available through this service.

Population Served:
Because of the capacity of Serendipity’s Therapeutic program to accommodate a variety of handicapping conditions, it is difficult to describe our student population.  In broad terms, Serendipity students have been unsuccessful in mainstream and often other specialized programs.  They also have mental health and/or significant behavioral issues that interfere with learning and school participation.

Curriculum Objectives:

• To align with state benchmarks, thus preparing students for academic success in future and possibly more traditional learning settings.
• To allow flexibility and individualization, so that students with a range of skills, learning styles, and interests can all experience successful achievement.
• To foster competence in all areas -- academic, social, behavioral, and citizenship.

Every classroom provides coursework in Language Arts, Math, Social Sciences, Science, Health, Life Skills, Physical Education (Therapeutic Recreation), and Art (Art Therapy groups). Serendipity’s Therapeutic K – 12 program offers both Standard and Modified diplomas to students who graduate from this program.  Graduation requirements consist of 23 credits.

Success may look different for each student, but at Serendipity success is defined as readiness for his/her “next steps”.  Those steps may be a transition back to public school; entrance to a community college or vocational training program; or readiness for employment and independent living.