enterphase.com

Main Office
ENTERPHASE
209 Bond St. E.
Oshawa, ON
L1G 1B4
T: 905-434-8909
F: 905-434-1775
contact us today!

Background Information and Agreement of Understanding Between

The Day Treatment Programs of Enterphase Child and Family Services (E.C.F.S) and Parents, Guardians and Referring Agencies

E.C.F.S., in partnership with the Durham Board of Education in Oshawa and the Toronto District Catholic School Board in Toronto, presently operates a number of Day Treatment programs for latency aged children (5-12 yrs of age) and upper latency aged and adolescent children (12-18 yrs of age). This agreement of understanding has been prepared to inform parents, guardians, social workers and other involved persons of the following:

Purpose of the Classroom and Mission Statement
Classroom Location, Size, Operating Hours and Staffing
Treatment Component
Admission Criteria
Admission Procedure
Treatment Removal
Discharge from the Program

Purpose of the Classroom

The availability of this treatment oriented education program will assist in the programming and supervision of students who are unable to cope with the traditional structures, organization or demands of a regular educational environment and are, therefore, unable to attend school. A treatment oriented education program allows for the provision of an educational component that compliments treatment goals of the E.C.F.S. residential clients as well as community based clients. Spaces available to the local school boards and other collaborative agencies provide a placement resource for children who are not residential clients of E.C.F.S. but who require a similar educational environment. For any children who are not residential clients of E.C.F.S. and who seek admission into this program, all assessment, program planning, program delivery and evaluation must occur in consultation with the parents or guardian of the person served prior to acceptance.

Individual planning, based on the understood needs of the person served, are developed with the goals of promoting a positive self-image, positive interpersonal effectiveness and enhanced individual strengths and talents. For these treatment plans and goals to be realized, it is preferable, but not necessary, that all students placed in the program be assessed through the local Board of Education Identification, Placement and Review Committee. It is, however, essential for effective assessment and planning that all available documentation on a prospective student be forwarded to the E.C.F.S. Day Treatment Manager prior to acceptance into the program.

The goal of the E.C.F.S. Day Treatment Classrooms is to provide a structured atmosphere that is conducive to both emotional development and academic instruction. E.C.F.S. believes that it is necessary for the family or guardian to be involved in the growth process of the person served, and parents or guardians can expect and look forward to frequent written and oral communication about events taking place at school. Should a student find themselves unable or unwilling to comply with the structures of the class, all efforts will be made to help the student cope within the program, including setting up meetings between the E.C.F.S. staff and parents or guardian of the person served. We believe that partnership between both E.C.F.S. staff and parents or guardians will better enable the person served to meet their individual goals and attain success.

Mission Statement

Through the development of a multi-agency partnership and an alternative classroom model, our mission is to provide safety, stabilization and an accurate individualized assessment of the emotional and academic functioning of our clients. As well, the program makes efforts to identify the obstacles to improvement for all persons served accepted into the program. This stabilization, assessment and individualized planning process will promote a successful growth and learning experience for the person served that will enhance their ability to manage their emotional states, increase their coping and interactive skills, add to their knowledge base, and promote accepted social values.

Classroom Location, Size, Operating Hours and Staffing

The classrooms are located at various schools within the Durham Region and City of Toronto. All regular school services, including use of the library and gymnasium are available to the students. There is a telephone located in the classroom allowing the program to be contacted directly.

The classroom operates with approximately 8 to 12 students. School hours begin at 9:00am and run until approximately 3:00pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and on Wednesdays from 9:00am to 12:00pm. Programs located within Secondary Schools run from 9:00am to 3:00pm Monday to Friday. Staffing consists of a full time Special Education Teacher from either the Durham Board of Education or the Toronto District School board and a full time Child and Youth Counselor who work together to provide a sound treatment and educational program, and assist persons served with issues related to the emotional and behavioural difficulties they have experienced. Educational Assistants are also utilized where needed.

Treatment Component

Knowing and understanding each person served is essential in treatment planning. To this end, it is essential that all information and documentation on each student be made available to the E.C.F.S. Day Treatment Staff. As stated above, the treatment issues of the students in these classrooms are a central focus. To this end, anger management, social interaction skills, relaxation techniques and impulse control training are some of the skills taught along with literacy and numeracy. Exploring and processing issues that arise in the classroom occurs regularly and cooperation and trust is fostered through processing issues both individually and with the group. Clear two-way communication with the family or guardian of the person served, through communication books and Plans of Care meetings, aid in sharing emotional concerns, child management skills and insight about the child and his/her needs. This is done in the hope of working cooperatively with the family to institute systemic change. The Day Treatment Manager, Day Treatment Coordinator and the Clinical Facilitator supervise the Child and Youth Workers and Educational Assistants in the classrooms. Our Program Manager and Clinical Manager may consult with the Day Treatment Team and may attend Plans of Care and other treatment planning meetings. Consulting Psychologists, Dr. Anita Halpern, Dr. Sara Zimmerman, and Child Psychiatrist, Dr. Cynthia Gertsman, monitor and consult to the treatment process as needed.

Admission Criteria

As stated above, this program is designed for those students who do not cope well within the traditional classroom setting and are unable to attend school. This would primarily include students who are presenting emotional and behaviour problems as a result of personal or familial difficulties. These students may also be identified as having learning disabilities such as A.D.D. and A.D.H.D., and may also be struggling to develop appropriate social and interpersonal skills. Students with clear psychiatric difficulties would not be appropriate for this program as intense psychiatric services and supports are not presently available within this program. Students with addictions or with clear substance abuse problems would not be candidates for this program. Students with developmental handicaps or who function cognitively at a very low level may also not be candidates for this program.

Admission Procedure

Enterphase Child & Family Services requests that all available information on the prospective client be forwarded to the Day Treatment Manager of Enterphase Child & Family Services to allow the treatment team to review the information. This would include I.P.R.C. findings and recommendations, psychological assessments, educational assessments and any other reports that would aid the team in determining appropriateness of placement and treatment planning.

All information can be mailed to:
Enterphase Child & Family Service
Attention: Day Treatment Manager
209 Bond Street East
Oshawa, Ontario
L1G 1B4

or information can be faxed to our main office at 905-434-1775, e-mail to admin@enterphase.com

An interview between the child, the parents or guardian and the classroom staff will be arranged if the child seems to be appropriate for the classroom.
The classroom code of conduct and expectations will be explained to the child with the parents or guardian present and a written copy will be given to the prospective student and family.
If indications are that the child would be an appropriate candidate, a short pre-placement visit could be set up to allow the child to experience the classroom before final placement. A placement date will be arranged after this visit if all parties are still in agreement with the placement.
All documentation regarding the placement must be signed before the child's first day in the classroom.

Treatment Removal

Children enrolled in E.C.F.S Day Treatment programs that are operated on school property under section class agreements are subject to the code of conduct as determined by the local board and principal. When persons served violate the code of conduct or misbehave in other ways, a consequence may be imposed by either E.C.F.S day treatment staff or school staff.

Treatment Removal requires that a person served be sent home for a period of time decided upon by the E.C.F.S. staff and teacher in consultation with the Day Treatment Manager. Treatment Removal is not registered on the Ontario School Record of the person served as a formal suspension. A Treatment Removal may be instituted for, but is not limited to, the following behaviors:

Physical aggression
Intimidation or verbal abuse of peers and program staff
Property damage
Being under the influence of illegal substances while on school / program property
Stealing
Possession of prohibited items or illegal substances
Possession of weapons

Depending on the type of infraction, a discretionary or mandatory suspension may be imposed. The E.C.F.S. staff and the administrative team of the host school will implement this.

Students who may be dealing with difficult emotional issues/crisis may receive a Treatment Removal as a supportive intervention to allow them time to process or work through issues outside of the expectations of the classroom.

It is an expectation of the parent or guardian of all persons served within the E.C.F.S. Day Treatment Program to have an "exit plan" organized so that the person served knows what to expect and where they are going in the event that a Treatment Removal is deemed necessary.

Discharge from the Program

Providing a successful experience for the person served, both in dealing with emotional obstacles as well as educational difficulties, is a primary objective for E.C.F.S. and the teaching staff of the classroom. Ideally, discharge from this program would occur when the person served has either progressed to the point where a less structured academic environment is indicated, or where the identified needs of the person served can better be served in an specialized classroom setting that is specific to their profile. Discharge from the program for reasons other then those listed above would not occur until all other possibilities have been exhausted. However, they may include:

difficulty in establishing a cooperative relationship between E.C.F.S. staff and the parents or guardians of the person served that would make continued participation in the classroom detrimental to the student.
behavior on the part of the person served that would significantly impact on the safety of the treatment environment.
blatant, and ongoing resistance to complying with the structure, routine and organization of the treatment environment.

CRISIS INTERVENTION - SECTION CLASSROOM

(Behaviour Management)

The E.C.F.S. Day Treatment staff is committed to ensuring that all persons served and staff will be able to function in a safe, non-threatening environment and that school property will be respected. Students are expected to display respect and courtesy toward others within the program. Appropriate language and behaviour will be a normal expectation. If a person served threatens the safety of others or themselves, staff will utilize crisis intervention techniques which could include physical containments (based on the U.M.A.B. system for crisis intervention).