The Residential Program at Cardinal Cushing
Centers operates collaboratively within the total
Cushing Program and is based on a functional Life
Skills Curriculum. The focus of this co-educational
program is on teaching our students important Life
Skills needed to become fully integrated members of
their communities and to lead fulfilling lives. These
Life Skills include social skills, behavior management
skills, domestic skills, community skills, and leisure
skills. The Residential Program strives to provide
concrete, hands-on experiences that are meaningful
to the student and increase independence in all the
activities of daily living.
The Residential Program, which operates 365 days
per year, accounts for the largest portion of a residential
student's time at Cushing. The program runs from 2:45
p.m. to 8:15 a.m. Monday through Friday and 24 hours
a day on weekends.
The Residential Program has the capacity to serve
up to 122 students. In 2004 Cushing opened 11 brand
new house units on the school's campus. This made
it possible to move those students living in our dormitory
building into homelike settings similar to what the
other students were living in already. All students
in the regular Residential Program now live in house
units designed to run much like a group home in the
community. In these homelike settings, students have
the opportunity to learn how to cook a meal, do their
own laundry, keep their personal spaces tidy and learn
social skills. Each student is challenged to advance
his/her individualized skill level and to develop
at his/her own pace. The staff-to-student ratios in
these houses differ depending on the ability level
of students in the unit. Current ratios vary from
a 1-to-2 staff-to-student ratio to a 1-to-5 ratio.
1-to-1 ratios can be provided upon approval and
funding by school department.
An exceptionally devoted recreational staff have
developed a wide assortment of activities in which
our students can participate. The Recreation Department,
housed in our newly built Recreation Center, provides
a variety of clubs and activities for students to
participate in. A sample of these clubs and activities
include but are not limited to Boy/Girl Scouts, newspaper
club, aerobics, bike club, walking club, dances, and
many more. Organized sports teams are also a favorite
including basketball, softball, and volleyball. Our
students also participate in Special Olympics throughout
the year. In the summer months students access our
recently opened pool for hours of enjoyment and exercise.
In addition to the recreation activities on campus,
our students are active members in the community including
trips to sporting events such as the Boston Red Sox
and the Brockton Rox. They also go to museums, the
library, movies, and a favorite - shopping at the
Mall. Community excursions such as shopping and going
out to eat enable our students to work on a multitude
of skills including making purchases, communication
and social skills, and problem solving. These skills
are frequently represented by goals in student IEPS.
In all of our residential units, the staff members
strive to provide a warm, homelike atmosphere for
the students who live with us. While we can never
recreate their real family environment, we want our
students to feel like they are at home while they
are at Cushing.
Parents are welcome and encouraged to visit the school
during regular visiting hours
(9 a.m. to 9 p.m.) or at other times scheduled through
the student's Student Services Coordinator. Families
are invited to join in or attend holiday events, open
houses, Special Olympics, proms, and sports events
throughout the year. Cushing also has a very active
Parent Advisory Council that meets at least quarterly
and participates in a number of activities throughout
the year. We believe that maintaining students' involvement
with families is important for all children for whom
this possibility exists. Many families take their
children home for weekend visits in addition to our
regularly scheduled holidays and vacations. Others
stop by during the week to take their children out
for dinner, a movie, or a shopping trip.
When students leave Cardinal Cushing Centers, they
move into a variety of living situations including
supported-living environments (community residences,
staffed apartments, specialized foster care), home
with their families, or out on their own. The goal
of the Residential Program is to empower each student
with the skills to live as independently as possible,
maximizing his/her potential to enjoy a healthy, happy
and safe life as a productive member of the community.
