Rutgers Day School Child Program (ages 4 - 13 years)

Clinical and psychiatric services include individual play or verbal psychotherapy, family psychotherapy, medication management and psychiatric assessment and treatment. The integration of clinical and educational services is a core component of RDS. Our clinical and educational staff collaborates on providing group therapy, social skills training, therapeutic activity groups, therapeutic group discussions, behavior modification and behavioral crisis intervention and counseling. Speech/language therapy and occupational therapy are also provided as needed in accordance with each child's IEP (Individualized Education Plan). All of these services and interventions are embedded in the overall program and are provided during the program day, although family sessions can be scheduled for non-program hours.

All RDS direct providers of treatment and instructional services participate in regularly scheduled treatment planning meetings. Each child's plan is reviewed on an ongoing basis. While a student is attending RDS, parent and/or guardian participation is critical. At minimum, parents/guardians will meet with the treating Clinician once per week for family therapy. As partners in treatment, parents/guardians provide input into the treatment planning process and play a key role in helping the child meet his/her goals in school and at home.

The program is an approved public college operated special education facility which is staffed by highly qualified special education teachers. They offer the core elementary subjects. The educational program emphasizes subject material and content with the goal of addressing the specific learning needs and concerns of our student population. The education program is accredited by the New Jersey Department of Education and the curriculum is aligned to fulfill the New Jersey Student Learning Standards. Rutgers Day School is also an approved state testing site so that students can be administered the required state assessments.

During the course of treatment/education in the program, the Principal and staff work collaboratively with the child study teams to ensure that each child's academic program is tailored to their needs and in compliance with the IEP. We take pride in providing a positive and safe school climate. The program provides many activities for the students including assemblies and field trips with the goal of providing students with learning experiences and exposures similar to a traditional school setting. The overarching goal for all students attending RDS is to send the child back to district or to a less restrictive setting.

Child Program classrooms are self–contained. Class size ranges from 7-9 students per class. Each class is staffed with one special education teacher, two mental health specialists and a classroom mental health clinician. School hours are 9:00am-3:00pm. The curriculum emphasizes enhancing the needs of the whole child and focuses on functional, social-emotional skill development. Students also receive support with language development, perceptual and cognitive development, sensory process skill development, gross and fine motor skill development.

The Child Program at Rutgers Day School offers year round educational and clinical services in the Extended School Year (Summer Program). The ESY Program offers children and families to benefit from the continuity of psychiatric and clinical services to allow students to sustain academic achievement as well as related services including individual and family therapy, occupational therapy and speech/language therapy. Students enjoy student assemblies, field trips and special activity days in the summer program as well.  

While each classroom has its own behavior management theme, all adhere to the same basic principles that are grounded in the use of positive reinforcement. Natural and logical consequences are utilized and punitive responses are avoided. The treatment teams craft individual and group behavioral objectives that are developmentally appropriate, involve increasing and strengthening the coping skills and behaviors that are related to the child's future success upon discharge and are both reasonable and achievable by the child. Some of the basic behavioral goals and objectives include maintaining safe and respectful behavior, attending to and following staff directions, using words to communicate feelings and needs, improving social skills (especially cooperativeness and cooperation) developing effective emotional self-regulation, enhancing self-esteem, and encouraging positive, optimistic thinking. Behaviors relevant to learning and academic success are also a major focus. These include participation, attentiveness, effort, appropriate requests for help, acceptance of instructional help, and task completion (including homework).

The classrooms make use of visual displays to mark and reinforce behavioral improvement. All utilize a combination of immediate and delayed reinforcement and both individual and group reinforcement. Some make use of points, point cards, and/or levels with differentiated expectations, responsibilities, privileges and incentives. All programs are designed to be flexible in order to better meet the individual and collective needs of the current group of children, and to maintain the interest and investment of the children in the behavior management system. Refinements and modifications of the classroom-based behavior management system are made by the clinical staff in collaboration with the teacher, treatment team and supervisory staff. Significant variations of an individual child's behavior plan are developed by the treatment team and incorporated into the child's treatment plan.

Referrals to the Rutgers Day School are made through the student's Child Study Team. Records are reviewed by the clinical team prior to scheduling an intake. Parents/guardians, students and resident district Child Study Team case managers are required to attend the intake.

Referral packets will need to include:

• Most recent IEP
• Clinical documents (including psychiatric evaluations, hospital discharge summaries, etc.)
• Child Study Team Evaluations
• A-45 Immunization Records

Referrals or inquiries about the program should be directed to Admissions at 732-235-4677 or RDS-Admissions@ubhc.rutgers.edu.

The mailing address is:

Rutgers Day School
Child Program

University Behavioral Health Care
671 Hoes Lane West

Pisctaway, NJ 08854-1392

RDS-Admissions@ubhc.rutgers.edu