CLINICAL DEPARTMENT

Cardinal Cushing Center at Hanover employs a full-time Licensed Clinical Psychologist who acts as the Clinical Coordinator for the various on-campus programs and supervises the work of the Clinical Department.

In addition, Mental Health Clinicians, Behavior Specialists, Crisis Workers, and a Human Development Coordinator provide full-time services to the students of the facility. A Consulting Psychiatrist provides four hours per week of psychopharmocological consultation on campus. Services provided to students and staff by the Clinical Department on campus include the following:

1. Clinical case conferences for service coordinators, academic, vocational, and residential staff on a weekly basis.
2. Clinical case reviews with psychiatric and neurological consultation when appropriate.
3. Psychodiagnostic evaluations of students.
4. Prescription and monitoring of psychoactive medications.
5. Behavior management and treatment planning, including individualized behavior plans based on applied behavior analysis.
6. Consultation to non-clinical program departments.
7. Individual and group counseling based on individual need and appropriateness, including human development and sexuality training.
8. Family case work and outreach; family therapy, including home-based behavior plans and contracts.
9. Crisis intervention for academic, vocational, and residential programs, including use of the crisis center and time-out rooms when individually appropriate.
10. Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI) training and restraint coordination.

The philosophy of the department is eclectic in that behavioral, psychodynamic, psychoeducational, and biologic psychiatry are all utilized as appropriate to a student's individual needs. The only services not provided on campus involve dispositions for inpatient psychiatric hospitalization. Individual, family, and group modalities are all used when appropriate.

Frequency of therapy is dependent on various factors such as phase of therapy, type of therapy, client motivation, and client mental status. Frequency may vary from student to student and is highly dependent on the student's status in relation to individual goals. Frequently, referrals are made to agencies in the area of meaningful tie when travel distance presents a significant barrier to treatment.

HEALTH SERVICES DEPARTMENT

The goal of the Health Services Department at Cardinal Cushing Center at Hanover is to promote and maintain the good health of our students. In order to meet the needs of the students on a
continuing basis, the Health Center provides, on-site nursing coverage, with the exception of Friday and Saturday overnights. These hours are covered by an on-call Registered Nurse.

A nurse practitioner is employed on a part-time basis and is also available for consultation and a medical doctor serves as the consulting physician.

Clinic hours are available during the day and evening to address students' concerns. In the course of the clinic visit, the nurse on duty assesses the condition of the student according to the presenting complaint, and formulates a plan of treatment according to approved protocols. When necessary, ill students are referred to the nurse practitioner or primary care physician. When a student has been seen by the physician or is acutely ill, the parent/guardian will be notified by the nurse on duty.

STUDENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT

Student Services Service Profile

The Student Services Department provides students and their families with case management and ancillary services. Upon admission, students are assigned a Student Services Coordinator who will act as the primary contact for the student and his/her family. The Student Services Coordinator also assists in negotiating systems within our organization as well as with outside agencies, and is responsible for the student's educational program and future planning.

Ancillary services provided by the Student Services Department include Occupational Therapy, Speech/Language Services, and Social Skills Training. These services are integrated into all program areas. The philosophy of an integrated model of instruction includes meeting the needs of students within the context of natural settings, while incorporating the goals of their Individual Education Programs. On-going communication and collaboration among specialists ensures a consistent team approach in assisting students toward achieving their individual goals on and off campus.

The School Psychologist, also a member of the Student Services Department, provides advice regarding appropriate classroom placement upon admission. The Psychologist tests students in preparation for their Individual Education Program meetings and administers other tests related to determination of eligibility for services by outside agencies.

Speech/Language Services

The speech and language team is involved with students across all settings. In collaboration with the teaching, residential, clinical, nursing and specialist teams, they address communication/hearing, swallowing, and social skills challenges that students are faced with in the context of natural settings, on and off campus. Given the needs of the student, as determined by the Team, his/her educational program may reflect inclusion within our integrated model and/or more specific involvement within our Therapeutic Tracks of Service. To that end, a student’s plan may include a therapeutic trial of service, individual and/or small group therapy, consultation to all areas of his/her program, mealtime monitoring, and Activities of Daily Living, which may include meal preparation, cooking, hygiene, vocational and/or community skills.

Occupational Therapy Services

The aim of Occupational Therapy is to promote independence in functional skills, such as self-care, fine motor skills, and visual/perceptual skills. Through the use of therapeutic equipment and techniques, strategies are incorporated into all areas of a student's program to promote self-regulation, calmness and body organization.

Social Skills Services

Social skills are the verbal and nonverbal components of social behaviors that help people interact successfully in different environments. Our Social Skills Coordinator works with direct care staff in teaching the following skills areas: basic interaction skills, conversation skills, relationship training, problem solving skills, coping skills, feeling recognition and empathy, work related social skills, refusal and assertiveness skills, etc.