BY SUE SAMPOGNA
“Jorge” was an excessively aggressive 15-year-old. Considered to be too dangerous to himself and others to live in the community, Jorge was confined to a psychiatric hospital. But hospitals aren”™t the right places to treat the complicating factor of his aggressive behavior: Jorge”™s intellectual disability. Like other children with similar cognitive limitations, Jorge had a hard time navigating the world; his continual frustration fueled his belligerence.
There are many young people like Jorge, “dual diagnosed” with both an intellectual disability and a mental health disorder. In fact, there is likely a link between the two. A person living with an intellectual disability is three to five times more likely to be diagnosed with a mental illness, according to NADD, an association promoting awareness of dual-diagnosed individuals.
Until recently, children like Jorge in New York state either cycled in and out of hospitals or were sent to programs out of state, at great expense to the government. But Leake and Watts thought it was necessary to start a program locally to keep children closer to their families and communities. So we responded to a community need and adapted our services to transform our residential treatment center, creating one of the few programs that can meet the needs of dual-diagnosed youths in the state. Not only is it better for these youths, it is far more cost-effective.
For those of you who may not know us, Leake and Watts is a nonprofit that serves 8,000 vulnerable children, adults and families in the New York metropolitan area. With the ability to house the large population of youths we”™re serving in our residential treatment center, we can put together groups of children of similar age and with similar characteristics. (In the hospital, a 12-year-old can be treated alongside a 19-year-old and their diagnoses might be totally different.) Groups live on our Yonkers campus in a home-like setting in one of nine cottages, with 24/7 support from our staff.
We design our services around each child, based on individual needs, abilities and interests. Children can choose from a variety of after-school activities and vocational training, and have a say in other aspects of their lives. After a lifetime of hearing “no” and lacking choices, children find it liberating to be in a person-centered environment where their preferences are respected.
Leveraging core strengths
Our dual-diagnosed youth program capitalizes on Leake and Watts”™ core strengths:
Ӣ Safety and security. Dual-diagnosed children often lack the street smarts to protect themselves from bullies, or they may suffer abuse and neglect by their families. We provide a safe and supportive home for them in cottages on our campus in Yonkers. Unless they feel safe, they cannot be open to change.
Ӣ Specialized education. Children donӪt have to go far to attend school suited to their needs. The Leake and Watts Biondi School is right on campus. A fully accredited nonpublic school designed for students who have difficultly learning in traditional school settings, the Biondi School has a student-teacher ratio of at least 12-to-1 and teaching assistants in every classroom. Biondi students make steady progress in reading and math, and have a chance to shine if their talent lies in sports, art, music or performance.
Ӣ Structure. We keep kids busy. Their day is highly structured; almost everyone is involved in after-school activities. Besides homework and contributing to household chores, children hold jobs on campus, join clubs and do sports. There is a weekly outing to places like museums; twice a month the youths do volunteer work for other nonprofits and meet with mentors.
Ӣ Support. Leake and Watts staff and social workers interact with children on a daily basis. They hold a therapeutic community meeting with children when they come home from school, which helps them transition into the next part of their day. Students often jump in with ideas on how to resolve issues. Children also receive one-on-one counseling and tutoring support.
Ӣ Family connections. Our goal is to keep youngsters connected to their families. We arrange frequent family day events on campus as well as off-campus meetings.
”¢ Celebrating success. Imagine growing up without regularly hearing the words “good job!” Children need to experience success. Our positive behavior incentive program recognizes and rewards youths with points for doing the right thing. As these small successes add up, youths earn awards and gain privileges, and their success is celebrated.
Yoga and Zumba for Jorge
Jorge has experienced widespread success. He is now 20 years old and holds a job on campus; works in our community garden; takes yoga and Zumba classes; has a mentor; and performs community service packing food for the food bank, serving meals at a shelter for HIV-positive individuals and picking up trash at Crotona Park. We have linked him to the state Office for People with Developmental Disabilities so he can receive lifelong support after he ages out of our program at 21. While Jorge has occasional outbursts of anger, the episodes are far less frequent and more manageable than they were before. He is a great example of what happens when agencies such as Leake and Watts respond to community needs.
Sue Sampogna is an assistant executive director in charge of residential services at Leake and Watts Services Inc. She can be reached at 914-375-8678.
