ICare – Intensive Centers for Academics, Relationships and Emotions

ACSD #1 strives to meet the needs of all students in our community.  The district’s Intensive Center for Academics, Relationships, and Emotions is a program designed to not only keep students in our community, but also to assist in transitions back to our schools following placement in residential and/or day treatment facilities.  The program is built for “short term (45-60 days) placement of students with individual education programs who have demonstrated an inability to be safe and successful in a school setting.

Mission

ICARE exists in order to provide transition services for students K-12, entering the district via residential placement, with the goal of acquiring the necessary skills and stability to receive educational services in a less restrictive environment. Additionally, services are provided to make best efforts to stabilize student behaviors prior to a documented need for residential placement. The instruction and services are based upon the unique needs that result from the student’s disability and current behavioral challenges.

Goals

• Increase student behavioral functionality.

• Provide a safe and stable environment to foster student success.

• Promote generalization of skills across multiple settings.

• Teach the recognition and identification of specific emotions and their function.

• Increase positive interactions and safe, responsible and respectful school-appropriate behaviors.

• Transition the student to their least restrictive environment, in the timeliest manner possible, as demonstrated by daily data collection records and individual student progress and success.

Vision

Through a structured, systemic, yet individual approach, we strive to teach, foster and strengthen the necessary social, emotional, academic and life skills for students to transition and acclimate successfully in less restrictive environments within the school district and surrounding community.

Values

•  Provide a safe environment for students and staff.

•  Maintain respect and dignity for all students and staff.

• Provide academic instruction based on district standards and individual educational programming.

• Provide research-based behavioral intervention and instruction based on the unique needs that result from the student’s disability.

• Adhere to a high level of confidentiality and ethical consideration.

• Exhibit best practice as it relates to instruction.

• Enable positive and proactive communication between students, families, district stakeholders and outside agencies.

• Promote and guide family connectedness between home, school and community.

• Provide evidence based individual & group counseling practices.