Day Treatment Services

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School Program

The School Program offers academic programming to 24 youth through three Section 23 classrooms. The youth who attend the School Program reside in the Boys House, Libby's Place and the community.

The youth who attend the school exhibit acute or chronic behavioural, emotional, learning or developmental difficulties. The purpose of the program is academic achievement and the development of cognitive, social and linguistic skills which are necessary for successful adjustment at home, school and in the community.

The Secondary Class is a partnership program with the Toronto Catholic District School Board and has a capacity for 8 adolescents. The Adolescent and Youth Classes are partnership programs with the Toronto District School Board and together have a capacity of 16 adolescents. The staff in each classroom includes one full time child and youth worker and one full time teacher.

Parents and families of all youth who attend the School Program are involved with a clinician from the Centre. Parents and families are involved with the School Program through regular parent\teacher interviews, special celebrations and events such as graduation ceremonies.

Teachers and school staff participate in clinical meetings in the residential programs. Comprehensive ‘homework’ and study plans are developed for each student and supported in the residential programs through regular, scheduled homework time and the use of tutors.

All youth who attend the School Program have access to psychiatric assessment. The consultant psychiatrist provides individual assessments, cognitive behaviour therapy groups, program and team consultation and staff development seminars.

The curriculum in the three classes is credit based and delivered within Ministry of Education guidelines. Therapeutic and educational groups are integrated into the curriculum.

Regular field trips into the community include trips to the theatre, sporting events and musical performances. The School Program also offers opportunity for students to meet academic requirements for Community Work hours. All students have the opportunity to participate in intra-mural sports.

The program recognizes the artistic talents of many of the students and supports these ‘young artists’ by organizing visual art exhibitions and musical performances. The School Program has involved an established writer to meet with aspiring student writers to discuss techniques and publishing possibilities. Several students have entered poetry contests and have had their work published.

A Student Council with representatives from each classroom and the Clear Directions program assists the staff in the planning of monthly school assemblies, guest speakers, school events. Guest speakers enrich academic programming and address current issues. Recent topics have included anti-bullying strategies, black history month, sexual health and homophobia.

Teachers and staff work closely with community schools upon a student’s admission and prior to discharge to facilitate a smooth transition and integration back into the community. One staff is identified as a Transitional Support Worker and is available to meet with students and/or guidance counsellors in community schools following discharge.

Clear Directions

Clear Directions is a collaborative program provided by The George Hull Centre for Children and Families, Breakaway and The Toronto District School Board. The program is designed to assist youth, 18 years and under, who are struggling with serious substance abuse and mental health issues and who live in the Greater Toronto Area.

A multidisciplinary team working within a harm reduction philosophy engages youth by acknowledging and building on strength, instilling hope and inviting family and friends into the classroom and therapy room. A continuum of care encompassing outreach, individual, family and group therapy, day treatment, psychiatric consultation, residential care, case management and follow up is offered.

Clear Directions Staff:

• 3 full-time Child and Youth Workers provided by The George Hull Centre

• 1 Manager of Day Programs provided by The George Hull Centre

• 1 Consultant Psychiatrist (one half day weekly) provided by The George Hull Centre

• 1 Teacher provided by the Toronto District School Board

• 1 Social Worker provided by Breakaway

• 1 half-time Administrative Assistant (Intake)provided by Breakaway

• Psychological services on an as-needed basis provided by The George Hull Centre

The program provides learning and professional practice experience to the disciplines of Social Work, Psychiatry, Child and Youth Work and Addictions Counselling.

Outreach:Clear Directions offers consultation and presentations on substance use to schools and community groups.

Individual and Family Therapy: The family is considered to be an essential part of the treatment team and required in order to move the youth from a disengaged or ‘drop out position’ to an engaged ‘involved’ position both at home and at school. Families and significant people in the youths’ lives are involved throughout treatment.

Day Treatment: Designated as a Section 23 classroom, the academic program is offered in partnership with The Toronto District School Board. All youth admitted to the classroom are between the ages of 13 –18 and have a history of serious substance use, family difficulties and school failure.

The day program has 8 - 10 spaces with a staff to youth ratio of one to four. The daily program offers a wide range of activity and modes of learning and provides students with opportunity for success and achievement. All curriculum is credit based and delivered within Ministry of Education guidelines.

All Clear Directions students participate in the DAWN Program, an early intervention program for substance using youths developed by the Pinewood Centre in Oshawa. This program consists of four, two-hour sessions that take place over a one-month period. The clinical objectives of the DAWN Program are to motivate clients toward self-evaluation and consideration of change related to current substance use practices. Motivational interventions are employed to reduce client resistance and to foster an environment that is conducive to exploring various aspects of substance use.

Students review their substance use and goals each morning and participate in daily groups that focus on giving them the facts on the effects of specific drugs, identifying triggers and relapse prevention.

The Clear Directions summer program is flexible and organized with student input. Depending on interest and needs, students have participated in camping and wilderness canoe trips, art programs, credit based summer school, youth leadership and job readiness programs.

Parents are involved in parent/teacher interviews every 6 to 8 weeks. Parents are encouraged to attend the various parent groups and seminars offered by the clinicians in the Centre’s Community Clinic and Breakaway.

Psychiatry Consultation: The consultant provides individual and family assessments, cognitive behaviour therapy groups, program and team consultation, educational seminars and supervision of psychiatry residents.

Psychology Consultation: Psychological assessments are completed on Clear Directions students, as required.

Residential Care: Youth who require intensive support are able to access the Centre’s residential programs. Decisions to admit an adolescent with a serious substance abuse problem to one of our residential programs is made carefully because of the contagion of substance use and the vulnerability of the youth in the residence. Approrpriate referrals are made for youth requiring residential treatment and not experiencing other severe mental health symptoms. The standardized drug and alcohol assessments that are required for most residential programs are completed by Breakaway.

Follow up: Due to the nature of ‘addiction’ problems and the high rate of ‘relapse’, the follow up and ongoing community care component of the program is significant. It is offered to all youth and families for as long as they find it useful.

Specific follow up plans are designed in consultation with the youth, their family, the Clear Directions team and outside professionals involved. A follow up treatment plan might include continued individual and family therapy, community support, a part time academic program or continued attendance in one of the substance abuse or therapeutic groups.