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The daily life in a group home

When I tell people that I work in a community based residential treatment home for children they usually ask “What is that?” Then when I say a “group home” for children I get asked a myriad of questions. So, I thought writing an article about what daily life is like for the children who are placed in our treatment home could help clear up some common misconceptions and misunderstandings about what goes on while a child is with us.

When children are placed at U.P. Kids Residential home it is for serious problems that they may be experiencing in their homes or in the community. These problems can come in the form of incorrigible behavior, breaking laws, drug use, and truancy from home and school. In many cases, these problems are actually symptoms of abuse and/or neglect that may be happening in the home.

But no matter what the issue they are having difficulty with when they arrive at U.P. Kids we try to make them feel as comfortable as possible in their new environment (No, there aren’t any bars on our windows and you wouldn’t be able to tell our house from any others on the street). We give them a tour of the home and their school, and yes we do have our own school on grounds which is a part of Houghton Portage Schools. We assign them to their room and introduce them to the staff they will be working with while here.

During the first few weeks the new student learns what the rules are along with expectations on how they should behave while here with us, which are similar to the rules and expectations I have in my own home for my children. Not only do the students have rules and expectations for behaving but they also have daily chores and homework to complete in order to get their weekly allowance. On a day to day basis the student’s routine is not much different than other families. We try to keep it that way to provide a sense of hominess since the ultimate goal is to have the child return to their family home environment as quickly as possible. In attempting to make the U.P. Kids home comfortable students are provided with daily home cooked meals that include desserts and of course they must help with clean up afterwards as a part of their chores.

One thing that is different in residential treatment to a child’s home environment is that here each child has a treatment plan that helps them and staff, parents, courts and the Department of Human Services (DHS) all know what it is the student is working on during their stay. The treatment plan gives detailed goals the youth has and helps them learn to be responsible for achieving those goals. When developing a treatment plan the student, their parents or guardians, DHS and U.P. Kids staff all collaborate to discuss what areas would best help the child grow as an individual and how those goals should be met. It is their personalized treatment plan that guides the student through the program and indicates when the student is ready to return home.

Life skills and character building are at the core of what we teach here in the residential program. We achieve this by providing a safe nurturing environment where self-esteem, respect and dignity are fostered. Our student’s participate in group and individual counseling regularly and go to school on grounds where their teacher is experienced in working with youth who have a troubled history and is proactive in helping students attain their full potential. While here they are also given the chance to catch up on credits that they may have missed by attending summer classes as well as learning in a hybrid online/traditional classroom.

During the child’s entire stay at U.P. Kids they are provided with opportunities for growth and learning. We help the student identify their strengths and assist them in overcoming obstacles that have hampered their lives at home, community and school so that they can return to their families and be positive productive individuals.

“The program teaches you how to go back in the real world and be respectful while staying out of troubleit also teaches you how to set goals for yourself.” U.P. Kids Student

Jeff Williams, MA, is case manager at U.P.?Kids in Houghton.

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