Applewood Therapeutic Boarding School
Both the educational and mental health systems have made extensive strides, in recent years, in assisting parents and their children to identify learning styles and social / emotional issues that impact upon their educational success.
In an effort to provide quality instruction, promote social growth, establish a stable and positive academic trajectory and minimize the stressors associated with placement breakdowns, Applewood Academy for Progressive Learning offers a private school setting with specialised instruction, individualised academic planning, child and youth workers and a therapeutically driven environment.
Applewood Academy for Progressive Learning provides new beginnings for its students and new opportunities for educators.
Applewood Academy for Progressive Learning invites you to browse through a limited sample of issues that can negatively affect a child’s mental health and how different therapeutic services can be utilized to, not only treat such issues, but also maintain positive mental health.
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Applewood Academy for Progressive Learning provides a small group (12 or less), structured (1:4 ratio or better), therapeutically driven academic environment that allows students with special needs to either maintain or re-establish positive attitudes towards learning.
The services provided are more intense than those found in a regular special education or alternative school setting.
The Ministry of Education approved curriculum is developed and implemented through a Certified Teacher. Additional academic suport is provided through Child and Youth Workers who also assist in establishing a structured environment and behavioural management.
The therapeutic component, including academic evaluations, clinical consultations, behavioural management strategies, therapeutic support staff and self-enhancement programs are administered through Applewood Academy for Progressive Learning.
At Applewood Academy for Progressive Learning, the belief is that students benefit from active learning; that educators, in combination with trained professionals, are the facilitators of this learning and that everyone is an equal member of the treatment team.
Role of Employees
- To provide academic programming which reflects the treatment goals established by the treatment team during in take and the initial assessment;
- To provide consistently calm, respectful, nurturing educational and social opportunities for the student to learn and grow in the classroom setting;
- To continue to assess the student’s progress and functioning and support the student in meeting established goals;
- To provide counseling to the student as they work through difficult situation that arise in the classroom;
- To provide extensive modeling of appropriate social interactions and problem solving;
- To provide a structured and consistent environment in which positive behavior is rewarded and negative behavior is compassionately redirected;
- To assist the student in meeting their developmental milestones; recognizing that many students who have experienced breaks in familial relationships and / or educational placements require more support than their same age peers;
- To establish and maintain excellent communication with all treatment team members regarding the student’s progress in the school setting;
- To provide leadership in establishing and maintaining communication with the student’s community school and work toward reintegration when indicated.
On some occasions, Applewood Academy may provide educational assistance to students being treated at BridgeCross Center for Eating Disorders. In these circumstances, the student’s assigned worker at BridgeCross will liaise wit the Applewood Academy’s Director of Services to arrange for the type of academic support required. It is expected that residents at BridgeCross continue with academic programming through their home schools and these students are likely to work on their academic program at the BridgeCross Center, as opposed to at the school site.
Role of Parents / Guardians
- Parents/guardians of students will actively communicate with Applewood Academy regarding the needs and progress of their child;
- Parents / Guardians will attend all relevant meetings related to their child’s placement at Applewood Academy;
- Parents / Guardians will encourage their child with respect to school attendance and academic performance;
- Parents / Guardians will assist their child at home through the use of structured homework time, the application of appropriate natural and logical consequences for behavior, monitoring of homework completion and tutorial assistance;
- Parents / Guardians will request a case conference with the treatment team if their child’s need for academic support at home exceeds that which they feel they are able to provide. Tutorial supports may be considered in these circumstances.
Individual Therapy Opportunities
Anger Management Therapy
The Anger Management program employs a cognitive-behavioral and solution focused approach. The students assess their level of anger, review employed strategies for dealing with anger, discuss physiological and psychological constructs of anger, present strategies for reducing anger, and restructuring of cognitive errors. The program attempts to improve communication skills, develop conflict resolution skills, problem solving and assertiveness skills. The format includes exchanges, modeling, various “anger workouts” and pen/paper assignments.
Social Skills Therapy
The Social Skills program is part of our therapeutic boarding schools focus on developing pro-social skills, such as, listening, self-image, accepting consequences, exercising self-control, problem solving, dealing with feelings, and dealing with peer pressure. A structured learning approach is used, consisting of four components: (1) modeling, (2) role playing, (3) discussion of performance, and (4) use in real life situations.
Behavioural Therapy
Behavioural Therapy addresses students whom have deficits in behavioural coping skills and emotional dysregulation; furthermore, students may struggle with extreme thinking, regulating emotions, emotional vulnerability, emotional sensitivity, and very intense response to stimuli, resulting in inappropriate behaviours and an inability to organize self or self-soothe. Content includes (1) how to use powerful solution-focused strategies, (2) skills building training, (3) emotional regulation, (4) interpersonal effectiveness, (5) distress tolerance, (6) relaxation training, (7) learned optimism and non-judgemental observation, and (8) exploration of mindfulness and self-awareness.
Stress Management Therapy
Stress Management Therapy’s goal is to quickly and effectively elicit realistic positive change through the development of self-control and emotional modulation skills in a therapeutic setting. Also, each student is to effectively establish a “self management” plan that focuses on building upon already existing strengths and coping skills.
Play Therapy
Therapeutic Play or Play Therapy is a form of psychotherapy for children, using play situations for diagnosis and /or treatment. Play provides a way for students to express their experiences and feelings through a natural, self-guided, self-healing process. As student’s experiences and knowledge are often communicated through play, it becomes an important vehicle for them to know and accept themselves and others.
Individual Counseling
Dependent on treatment needs, individual counseling is offered to provide an opportunity for students to explore the links between their thoughts, feelings and symptoms. Strategies taught within groups sessions are reinforced within the individual sessions. Any coexisting psychological difficulties are integrated into the student’s treatment plan.
Motivational Enhancement Therapy
Specific therapy targeted at enhancing the student’s motivation for change occurs. Students at our therapeutic boarding schools learn to assess their own readiness for change and explore ways in which their life might improve if they took on their learning style more forcefully.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive Behavior Therapy encourages students to look at the ways their thinking influences their feelings and behaviors. Students address “faulty thinking” patterns, or cognitive distortions in which their basic assumptions about themselves or their needs are challenged. All or none thinking is addressed. As students begin to shift their patterns of thinking, they are encouraged to develop different action plans to help modify behavior. Cognitive Behavioral techniques also are taught to help with stress, anxiety, depression and anger management as indicated within a student’s treatment plan.
Brief Solution-Focussed Therapy
The Brief Solution-Focused Therapy approach is designed to utilize goal oriented questioning and the student’s own success to illicit positive change that is both achievable and behavioural in nature. By focusing on the procedure of solution building, the model can be implemented within a limited period of time to treat a wide range of problems.
Group Therapy Opportunities
Dramatic Arts / Role Playing Group
Dramatic play therapy is a goup model where the therapeutic powers of play are used to help students resolve psychosocial difficulties and achieve optimal growth and development. Through the activites and dramatic skits further insight is forged into underlying issues, with the opportunity to physically and mentally engage in alternative forms of behavior, or to try out alternative perspectives. Group topics are determined by a needs review at the outset of the group.
Expressive Arts Therapy
Some students find it easier to express themselves using images rather than words. The use of a variety of mediums such as clay and playdoh, paints and collage are used to explore feelings, discover unconscious thoughts and help students integrate physical sensations, emotions thoughts and memories. In addition, poetry writing, story writing and journaling are encouraged to help students get in touch with innermost thoughts and emotions.
Interpersonal Therapy
Interpersonal Therapy focuses on the student’s relationships with important individuals in their lives and how these relationships are affected by their learning style and / or possible diagnosis.
Milieu Therapy
Each student is a part of a therapeutic community where normal childhood development is emphasized. Each student is held responsible to help in the creation of a positive educational environment.
Exercise Group
There is a daily exercise program. Emphasis is on mind /body connection and use of exercise in an appropriate and healthy way.
Nutrition Group
This group teaches the importance of good nutrition. It covers the different food groups and teaches students how to set up adequate menus. It includes some supervised food preparation.
Healthy Lifestyle Group
The development of a healthy balanced lifestyle is something most people strive for in their day-to-day living. The group works from the perspective that the whole person is important, as is, all their facets of life.
This group typically involves topic areas including:
- The role of Nutrition;
- The role of Exercise;
- The role of Family;
- The role of Religion;
- The role of Self.
Community Based Supports and Services for Therapeutic Boarding Schools
Applewood Academy for Progressive Learning strives to offer a wide range of assessment and clinical services within the educational program and through our valued partners. Applewood Academy also recognizes that a wide variety of services are available in the community that students may benefit from.
Policies and procedures in this area reflect the goal of meeting our students’ individual and unique needs by accessing appropriate community based services that are not offered in the context of our educational program.
- When a service outside of Applewood Academy appears beneficial to the student or is requested by the student or student’s family, Applewood Academy will consult with the parents / guardians as needed, or in the context of the student’s Treatment Plan, about the potential benefit of accessing the defined service.
- Such requests and the outcome of discussion with the parent / guardian will be noted in the student’s file.
- Applewood Academy recognizes the authority of the parent / guardian to determine which community based supports and / or services their child shall have access to.
- The Community Key book will be purchased from Volunteer Quinte yearly and maintained at the main office to review local services, if necessary.
