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Andrus'
three campus-based treatment programs and award- winning
Orchard School help children and families to feel
safe, manage potentially overwhelming emotions, understand and deal with
loss, and build brighter futures. Children in our programs feel protected,
valued, and appreciated, and families are
an integral part of the treatment team. Visitors to Andrus invariably
remark on the atmosphere of serenity and hope conveyed by our beautiful
setting and our caring and experienced staff.

The
Residential Treatment Program
Sixty 5-14 year-old children with severe emotional
problems reside in Andrus' comfortable Tudor-style cottages under the
full-time guidance of trained and dedicated staff members. The main goal
of our Residential Treatment Program is to help children and their families
set and meet treatment goals that will enable them to live together upon
completion of the program. Nearly 90% of our graduates fulfill the dream
of rejoining a family; generations of alumni have gone on to lives of
greater independence and stability.

The
Day Treatment Program
Andrus'
Day Treatment Program provides a valuable resource for families struggling
to avoid outside placements for their children. Seventy eight youngsters
- together with their families - take part in comprehensive educational,
social and psychological services that help them to address the issues
and behaviors that are disrupting their lives while continuing to live
at home.

The
Orchard School
Every child enrolled in Andrus' campus-based
treatment programs attends our nationally acclaimed Orchard School. Located
in a handsomely renovated dairy, on the sloping hill of a former apple
orchard, the school communicates both the wholesomeness of an old-fashioned
farm and the promise of new opportunities. The Orchard School has been
three times designated a Blue Ribbon School by the
U.S. Department of Education. Accreditation
and affiliations provide us with
credentials and awards.
Students at the Orchard School receive highly specialized
instructional services. The staff-to-student ratio at the Orchard School
is a maximum of 1:4 - assuring each child a wealth of tailored attention
to help dispel years of frustration and failure. Using the Sanctuary
model of treatment, where community is treatment, the
Orchard School offers a welcoming environment in which children feel safe,
address affective issues, acquire academic skills and anticipate a more
hopeful future. We emphasize hands-on projects that encourage children
to see themselves as capable and creative; and individualized computer-managed
reading, writing and math instruction, permitting students to forge ahead
or catch up, at their own pace, without feelings of stigma or difference.
Due to the growing research and awareness of how young brains develop,
we have integrated neurodevelopmental psychology with classroom instruction
and related service provision. Outcome assessment across our population
is being used for program evaluations as well as improving service provision.
The creation of a multidisciplinary Instructional Team has increased our
ability to continuously assess student functioning.
Our program includes plenty of opportunities for
artistic and athletic exploration and success - including an adventure-based
counseling program, chorus, dance and the National Youth Program Using
Minibikes (NYPUM).

The
Diagnostic Center
Each year Andrus provides shelter, safety and
a fresh start for a group of youngsters whose lives have been profoundly
traumatized or endangered. The Diagnostic Center is an airy, sun-filled,
safe haven in which a dozen 5-10 year-olds begin regaining trust in themselves,
in adults, and in the world around them. Staff members offer these fragile
children round-the-clock therapy, recreation, education and kindness
while developing appropriate permanent placement plans with their families
and referring agencies.

Andrus Family Connection
The Andrus Family Connection is an interactive Internet
forum that is devoted to providing the parents, grandparents, foster parents
and other caregivers of special needs children with information, guidance
and support. The section includes a monthly family focus on a specific
topic, FAQ's, tips, and useful links. In addition, the site will also
have a password protected page devoted to registered family caregivers
whose children either attend the Andrus Orchard School and/or reside in
one of our residential cottages. Ultimately, parents and caregivers will
be able to go to that portion of the site and view artwork by their child,
photographs, and more. Click
here to visit the Andrus Family Connection.

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