The Bridge Center Opens Satellite TRAPP Office at NVHS

The Bridge Center’s Quarterly Newsletter  ●  October 2008

Building Bridges

“Education makes people easy to lead, but difficult to drive; easy to govern, but impossible to enslave.”                                                

                                            -Henry Peter Brougham

Like the launch of Sputnik, this satellite office foreshadows the wave of the future for truancy prevention and reduction. In collaboration with the Washoe County School District, The Bridge Center has established satellite services at NVHS. Students and their families in north Washoe County who formerly found it difficult to travel to our facilities at 1201 Corporate Boulevard now have the full spectrum of TBC programs available at a convenient location.

               Case management, behavioral health/substance abuse screenings, education evaluations, counseling, tutoring, and classes are located at the neighborhood school most clients attend in the area or close by for middle school students.

               It became clear that many students and families dealing with truancy/academic performance issues have a difficult time being able to consistently travel to TBC’s office 10 miles farther south. All services, except the education evaluations, are done after school. NVHS students simply stay after classes to address the obstacles they face in having successful educational experiences. The education evaluations, with great cooperation from NVHS staff, are done during the school day. Vice-principals Lisa Evans and Craig Hill made it possible with their ongoing support and assistance, recognizing it is a win-win situation for the school and students. It goes without saying Principal Cinda Gifford’s willingness to take the truancy problem head-on is a vote of confidence and inspiration for all involved.

          District-wide TBC has had over 600 truancy referrals from all schools in the district for its Truancy Reduction and Prevention Program (TRAPP), currently servicing over 300 clients and their families. About one-quarter of these clients are from the North Valleys area.

               Sara Haldeman, Director of TRAPP, was one of the first initiators of making on-site services at NVHS a reality. Sara has been with TRAPP at TBC since its inception 3 years ago, and her dedication has paid off. She provides the necessary support from the TBC office to make the NVHS program work and thrive.

               Lacey Dinius has recently been named the NVHS TRAPP Coordinator, a responsibility that requires long hours while juggling the challenges of operating outside the TBC’s main office. Whether dealing with record keeping issues, scheduling conflicts, or hauling materials back and forth, she has been the lynchpin for the success at NVHS.

               The effectiveness and synergy created by TBC, its service to clients, and now bringing those benefits directly to the school level has created proven, positive dynamics beyond the subjective feeling of making a difference. The recently released UNR study by their Center for Program Evaluation quantified the positive impact of TRAPP during the 2007-2008 school year stating, “By quickly identifying and treating the root cause of the problem the TRAPP program worked to exponentially increase the probability of student graduation. Based on preliminary data, many students that engaged in the program finished the school year with marked increased attendance and an increase in grade level functioning where in the past the student would have dropped out, flunked out, or missed enough days to not finish the school year.”

               The conviction and willingness to go the extra mile on the part of NVHS veteran administrators, young TBC TRAPP professionals like Sara and Lacey, and the clients and their families have produced the “out of the box” approach that provides a better future we can all be proud of at TBC.

Partnership with City of Reno PRCS: Teen Adaptive Rec. Program

     In February of 2008, the City of Reno’s Parks, Recreation, and Community Services department administered a survey to parents of special needs teens to examine the need for an after-school program. The survey results identified a significant gap in the community which highlighted the lack of programs/services for this demographic. In June, The Bridge Center approached the City of Reno PRCS in hopes of garnering support for a pilot half-day summer program for adolescents with disabilities. The program was designed to provide transitional-age youth who had cognitive, behavioral, or physical impariments the opportunity to engage in adventure-based and experiential learning activities. In addition, the participants would have access to various therapeutic services and program components provided by Marriage and Family Therapists, Clinical Social Workers, and Certified Recreation Therapists employed by The Bridge Center. 

     In the spirit of collaboration, the City of Reno PRCS and The Bridge Center entered into a partnership to provide an adaptive and therapeutic after-school program for teens with disabilities who have aged-out of currently available recreation programming offered by the City of Reno.  It is with the cooperation of the two agencies that this project, named L.E.A.P. (Life-skill Enrichment After-school Program),  is currrently under development and will begin December 1st. This new program will address the strengthening of adolescent and transitional-age development to promote successs in school, at home, and in the community.  L.E.A.P. aims to support the acquisition of comprehensive life skills, provides organized adaptive recreation, and offers opportunities for fostering independence through individualized skill-building activities that are age-appropriate in both scope and sequence. Please contact Nicole Mara at 775-857-2999 if you would like more information on registration, costs, and schedules for this program.

Group Schedule & Information: 

MONDAYS:

Alternatives to Risky Behavior: (12 Sessions) 4 – 5 pm

This group educates individuals on the harmful effects of substance use and abuse in order to foster refusal skills. Participants will also learn to recognize how high-risk behaviors are linked to negative social, physical and emotional consequences.

Stages of Change: (12 Sessions) 5 – 6 pm

This group reinforces the stages of change, self-awareness, and the tools necessary to remain abstinent of harmful substances. Group participants will be presented with various methods in which to take advantage of the opportunities for change in their lives in regards to substance use and abuse.

TUESDAYS:

Anger Management:  (11 Sessions) 5 – 6 pm 

This group will assist individuals in recognizing self-control, gaining self-awareness, and learning to appropriately control their reactions to the behaviors of others. Coping mechanisms, healthy alternatives to anger, and strategies for growth will be presented.

WEDNESDAYS:

Relapse Prevention: (12 Sessions) 4 – 5 pm

Participants will practice the skills necessary to avoid behaviors that may lead to relapse. Exercises will focus on refusal and avoidance skills, recognition of old behavior patterns, and finding new alternatives to substance use.  

Life Skills:  (8 Sessions) 5 – 6 pm

This class will assist individuals in the following areas: understanding communication, recognizing individual values and goals, developing job-seeking skills, resource management, and acquiring the tools necessary for financial literacy.