The Academic Program at Center for Families
Center for Families’ academic program was created to ensure that kids in the PHP Therapeutic Day Program do not fall behind in school. We support students to stay on track with their academics while receiving the mental health treatment they need.
Academics are a core component of CFF. Our academic program provides 3.5 hours of schooling per day, including individualized academic instruction with a team of teachers. In addition, we work with students to address mental health factors that impact academics, such as school-related anxiety, lack of coping skills, and executive functioning deficits.
Student-Tailored Education
The CFF approach integrates academic support with therapeutic interventions to address emotional and behavioral needs. Through personalized attention and flexible curriculums, we support students in our academic program to gain the learning strategies and coping skills they need to succeed when they return to their home schools
Our students build resilience and grow confidence in their academic skills, while setting short- and long-term goals that provide a clear, attainable road map to success.
Our academic program provides:
- An accredited curriculum designed to fit the needs of each student
- High staff-to-student ratio for individualized attention and tutoring
- Strengths-based approach that nurtures students’ specific talents and interests
- SAT and ACT prep
- College application support
How We Collaborate with Schools
We work closely with clients’ home schools to ensure that students will continue to thrive when they complete treatment. Here’s how we support a smooth transition to and from CFF:
Communication
CFF academic staff connect with clients’ home schools upon the student’s admission, to create an individualized academic plan based on their unique needs. Communication continues throughout treatment, once a week or more.
Collaboration
When a client discharges, CFF staff, school staff, and the client’s family come together for a Transition Meeting, to collaborate on formulating a supportive and gradual reentry plan.
Student Self-Advocacy
Upon returning to their home schools, clients provide school staff with a Transition Plan they’re created at CFF, which includes their coping skills, stressors, and protective factors.
I had given up hope that my son would be able to return to his school and actually be happy again. I am thankful every day for finding the Center for Families. It changed our family forever and I will be forever grateful.
—Mary, CFF parent
What Sets Our Academic Program Apart from the Rest
Academic and social pressures in non-therapeutic day schools often present challenges for teens pursuing recovery from mental health and co-occurring disorders, such as substance use, that present themselves at an early age. As they walk a new and challenging path, teens do better when they don’t have to cope with these unnecessary obstacles.
We believe in your teen, and we want to help them to thrive as they move forward. The Center for Families academic program is committed to fostering adolescents’ success in both the short and long term.
What Happens in Our Academic Program
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a therapeutic school?
A therapeutic school is a comprehensive treatment setting in which mental health and behavioral issues that arise during the school day can be addressed successfully while facilitating academic progress, preventing students from falling behind.
Am I able to enroll my child exclusively within the therapeutic school?
Currently, enrollment in our academic program requires being enrolled in our Therapeutic Day Program, which is a PHP (or Partial Hospitalization) level of care.
Families who are considering a therapeutic day school for their teen typically discover that the comprehensive care provided by an extended Day Program/PHP is actually more beneficial and effective than a therapeutic school alone.