• THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION PROGRAM (TIP)

    Description of the Program:

    TIP is a short-term therapeutic/academic program at the high school, which was established to address the needs of students whose education has been inhibited or interrupted by significant emotional or physical issues. These issues may manifest themselves in school avoidance, an inability to access the curriculum demands, truancy, and/or cutting classes.  Typically, these students have fallen behind in their academics or need more emotional support in order to meet the academic and school expectations.

    In this time period, while decreasing their emotional vulnerability, the students will attempt to make up missing work in order to transition back to the classroom.  A psychologist will provide individual counseling each day, usually before the students report to the TIP classroom. The psychologist will serve as the liaison between family, school, and if applicable, any outside mental health provider. A teacher will be in charge of coordinating the academic work between students and classroom teachers. The teacher will assist students by helping gather any assignments they are missing, setting up meetings between the classroom teacher and students to review classroom materials missed. Additionally, the teacher will clarify and/or explain material that the students do not understand. The classroom teachers will provide students with examinations when they have mastered the material. Assignments will be returned to the classroom teacher in a timely manner. Classroom teachers will assess, grade, and return the work.

    The decision to return to the classroom will be made by the classroom teachers, the teacher in the program and the students.  Students must attend physical education classes. They will be able to return to certain classes as they complete their work. Slowly, as the work

    is done, students will return to their full academic schedules.

     

    The Enrollment/Referral Process:

     

    A referral to the program can be made by any staff member but will usually come from the school counselor. The school counselor will discuss this case with the school psychologist who will interview the student and speak to the parent or guardian to determine whether or not the program is appropriate. The determination will be made by the psychologist in conjunction with input from other staff members in the school such as the LRC teacher, the assistant principal, and/or the school counselor.

    If a student is placed in the program, it is the responsibility of the psychologist to inform the teacher in charge of the program, the student’s teachers, the administration, and the department chairs.

     

    Transition from the Program:

     

    The maximum number of days a student can remain in the program is twenty school days. Transition out of the program can happen in one of two ways. Either students successfully transition back to their regular academic program or, if they are not able to return to old placements, a referral to the Committee on Special Education will be made to explore a more restrictive therapeutic/academic environment.