Treatment

The AMIkids Piedmont Treatment Program is designed to respond to the individual needs of each student.  It is person-centered and includes regular contact with the student and collateral contacts with probation officers, parents and others, who support the youth in meeting their rehabilitation goals.

Consistent with the Unified Approach, the Treatment Department staff work cooperatively with the Education and Operations Departments to ensure effective and integrated services for each student. The Personal Growth Model uses combinations of eight basic components: education, challenge experiences, behavior management systems, reality therapy, strength-based case treatment, family partnerships, life management instruction, and community service.

Strength-based Case Treatment approach is based on the belief that all people possess the inherent capacity to learn, grow and change. The focus is on strengths, interest, abilities, knowledge and capacities of each person, no on their diagnosis, weakness or deficits. AMIkids Piedmont staff seeks out opportunities to acknowledge student effort, recognize achievement, and reward progress. Students increase their confidence, become aware of their strengths and abilities, and increase their ability to establish and accomplish goals.

The AMIkids Piedmont Treatment Program is designed to respond to the individual needs of each student.  It is person-centered and includes regular contact with the student and collateral contacts with probation officers, parents and others, who support the youth in meeting their rehabilitation goals.

Treatment interventions include the following:

·         case management to arrange, link or integrate multiple services as well as assessment and reassessment of the student's need for services

·         preventive and therapeutic interventions with the students orientation, individual and family therapy with family members and others, who have a legitimate role in addressing the needs of the students

·         development of the individualized, person-center care plans

·         assistance with skill enhancement or acquisition

·         support of ongoing treatment

·         one-on-one interventions with the student to develop interpersonal and community relational skills, including adaptation to home, school, work and other natural environments

·         therapeutic mentoring

·         behavior and medication monitoring

·         student’s Human Service Professional is responsible for arranging and facilitating medical appointments, which includes working closely with the Director of Operations, if transportation is required.

The focus of intervention includes:

·         minimizing the negative effects of behaviors that interfere with the student's daily living

·         improving and sustaining appropriate behaviors

·         developing strategies and supportive interventions for avoiding future out­-of-home placements

·         supportive ongoing treatment as needed

·         assisting students in developing their social skills and resources that will keep them drug and crime free.

·         students are allowed to make weekly phone calls to their homes, have monthly family visitation days and monthly furloughs (FRV). The purpose of these contacts is to maintain contact with the family, as part of their support system and to establish ongoing communication.

 Treatment Modalities

·         Anger Reduction Technique (A.R.T)

Students, who are recommended for this course, will attend a weekly anger management class, which teaches them coping skills techniques for better self-control in handling their everyday anger issues. HSP staff teaches this course on weekly basis.

·         Life Skills

All students attend weekly classes that address a variety of topics including skills necessary for successful everyday living (i.e., balancing a checkbook, developing healthy relationships, personal health care).

·         Substance Abuse Counseling and Education

      The Laurens County Commission on Drugs and Alcohol provides a twelve week alcohol and substance abuse program for selected students.

·   Sex Education 

           Sex education for students is covered in Science Class.

·    Mental Health Counseling and Medication Management

Orin Community Health Center provides in-depth mental counseling for selected students with more extreme anger or mental health issues. This is in addition to counseling provided by AMIkids Piedmont staff. Students, who are determined to need and qualify for this service through psychological evaluations, meet with the psychiatrist on a bi-weekly basis.

·   Furlough (FRV)

When a student has been in the program for sixty days and has met the following requirements, they may have a home furlough to help them further prepare for a successful return to the community. While on furlough they are expected to work on the same objectives they have at AMIkids Piedmont. The requirements include:

1. The student has earned the Sergeant’s rank.

2. The student has not been on Disciplinary Work Detail for the last fourteen days.

3. The student is making positive progress in the program.

These interventions are strength-based and focused on promoting positive behavior, increased coping skills, and achieving successful levels of functioning in the community.