Day Treatment and Training
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The focus of the agency's Day Treatment and Training Program is functional training. Weaknesses are put aside in favor of individual interests and abilities. The broad-based training uses both agency classrooms and the community. Training involves functional units, studying responsibilities from the first to the last in a series of tasks. The cooking class is an excellent example of task progression. Plan the meal; list ingredients to buy; locate proper kitchen equipment; estimate the cost of the food; get the money; purchase the foodstuffs at the grocery store; prepare and cook all ingredients for the meal; eat the meal; and, as the last step, clean up all utensils and dishes, putting everything away in its proper place. Learning a simple progression like cooking a meal is a giant step forward in the effort to become independent. Other skill training areas include working cooperatively with peers; self-expression through arts and crafts, clothing care, and personal hygiene. The second aspect of the treatment and training involves the businesses and organizations in the community at large. agency consumers attend plays and concerts, they visit museums and libraries, and they become involved in crafts and athletic events. Instruction and training may come from these outside resources. The consumers are exposed to a wide variety of experiences, and they can build on the activities they enjoy. They move about the community in groups of two to ten people with one or two professional staff members. Given the interests of the individuals in the program, special projects may be developed. In a previous year the group made holiday ornaments, took them to a local holiday bazaar, and sold them. The money collected was returned to the individuals to buy gifts for family and to treat themselves to a boat trip and cookout.
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