//interesting story . .. from 4 years ago..

'Kids in crisis' State school in Hudson helps severe cases
by Rick Grossman Reporter staff writer
Hudson Reporter



DHS stands for the state's Division of Human Services. There are 18 DHS Regional Schools located throughout New Jersey, formed under the Office of Education of the Division of Human Services. DHS is the state agency that is responsible for human services-related facilities.



The students at the school have severe disabilities and minimal skills.



Morse said, "They are students who have a variety of disabilities that the district cannot provide an education for. They need a lot of services. They need special feeding intervention. They need nursing services far beyond a Band-Aid or Tylenol, and they're students that appear to have minimal skills."



Traditional students are referred to DHS Regional through their school district. If a Hudson County school district does not believe it has the proper resources to teach these children, they may be referred to DHS Regional School. The school district is responsible for paying all costs associated with the student's education. These costs cover such things as lunch, transportation and education.


"Our school is an out-of-district placement," Morse said. "We are centered in Secaucus, but we service all of Hudson County. We service the most severe students that the county could not provide an education for."



At DHS Regional, the students receive the one-on-one education that they normally would not receive at a local public school. There are 43 students this year.



The DHS Regional School-Hudson Campus was originally called the Hudson County Day Training Center. The name changed occurred when the state changed its philosophy, according to Morse.



"The state kind of ... changed their whole outlook and decided that we could service more than just the typical day-training students," Morse said.



Enrollment trends



The number of students attending the school has diminished in recent years. When Morse started working for DHS Regional School, the eight or nine classrooms were packed with 90 children. By the time Morse became supervisor, there were only 35 students.





Morse attributed the diminishing number of students to lack of funding. She said some districts try to save money by taking back students. These districts believe they have the proper resources to teach these children and can save money by teaching within the student's public school district.



'Kids in Crisis'



DHS Regional School-Hudson Campus is starting a new program this September called "Kids in Crisis." Eight students ages 12 to 18 will participate in the program. The school has dedicated an entire wing of the school to the program. The wing has two classrooms, each with two students. The student teacher ratio will be two to one.

The program is designed for children who have extremely difficult situations at home. They initially go to a facility for treatment. They then go to a group home. A group home is a place where they can get psychological intervention. It is a safe place for them. They will live there up to six months.



While these children are at the group home, they receive their education at DHS Regional School. Their education is paid for by their school district. They are regular education children, but some have learning disabilities.





Morse said, "They're kids from group homes that have difficult situations at home. They are placed in a facility where they get the education that they need and they are released to a group home."



She added, "That's where we come in. While they are in the group home, we'll transport them here and provide their education."



All of the school's teachers must have Handicapped Certification. The children are not taught by grade level, which is how traditional public schools teach children. Instead, students are divided up by age groups.





The preschool contains children ages 3 to 7. There cannot be more than a four-year age difference between students who share a classroom.



Each classroom has one teacher and two technicians. Technicians change diapers, feed students and help the teacher carry out lesson plans. The technicians also assist the teacher with carrying out each student's Individualized Educational Plan, also known as an I.E.P. An I.E.P. contains information about each child's needs.





Every year, the child study team at the student's local school district contacts DHS Regional School. They review the child's history and discuss goals. The student's parents also have an input. The district reviews whether the student belongs at DHS Regional School.



Besides teachers and technicians, other staff members include a speech therapist, occupational therapist, physical therapist and a nurse.



The school is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30.



Cooking and math



The school implements a functional curriculum that incorporates the Core Curriculum Content Standards. Morse said that an example is teaching the children how to cook to improve their math skills or teaching them about plant care.



Every year there is a small number of students that graduate from the school's program. A student graduates when he becomes 21 years old. One student is expected to graduate in June 2005. Three students graduated last year.



According to Morse, there are not a lot of options for students who graduate. Once they graduate, they become the responsibility of the Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD). Before that, their local school district is responsible.



Upon graduation, some students go to Adult Day Centers. Others can try to find jobs through the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR), which is a subdivision of the Division of Human Services. Some students stay at home.



Morse is trying to help one of her 2004 graduates to get a job working at the school doing maintenance work