​Community

SATURDAY ACTIVITIES

Step by Step offers activities every Saturday to provide weekend structure and community integration within the surrounding neighborhoods. Saturday activities can range from visiting museums, attending sporting events, going for hikes, offering peer-led activities, exploring local businesses, and more. These events support individuals with socializing and forming friendships, and help to normalize the use of community resources.

OVERNIGHT TRIPS

Throughout the years, SxS has offered staff-supervised trips for those who enjoy a true vacation. Examples of past trips include Newport, RI, Washington D.C., New York City, skiing, white water rafting, camping, and Disney World.

Finding a job or volunteer position may feel like a daunting process, but can be an integral part of developing autonomy and living independently. SxS encourages each individual to pursue their vocational and/or academic goals and supports them in doing so every step of the way. Clinicians support individuals with building the skills necessary to secure and maintain employment, including:

• Assistance with the job or volunteer application process, including resume building, cover letter writing, and mock interviews

• Time management skills

• Job readiness support and skills training

• Ongoing support and assistance with maintaining existing employment or volunteer positions

• Clinical case managers also support individuals who are interested in enrolling in academic courses or degree programs, providing academic case management and executive functioning coaching.

Our daily group offerings run on weekdays and rotate on a quarterly basis. With a focus on evidence-based interventions and skills, groups incorporate a variety of clinical approaches including: Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Expressive Arts Therapies, Mindfulness and Meditation, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Creative Writing, Positive Psychology, and Peer Support/Mutual Aid. All groups are facilitated by one or more licensed clinicians.

A healthy diet and exercise have been shown to have a positive effect on mental health, and as such, SxS sees physical wellness as being an integral part of recovery. We offer a broad array of fitness opportunities, including an annual membership to a local gym, staff-supported workouts, walking groups, and other exercise groups and classes inclusive of all ability levels. We also offer seasonal activities including group tennis, bike rides, participation in charity walks and other team activities. Additionally, SxS offers various opportunities for holistic health, including mindfulness meditation groups and yoga. In addition to exercise, we believe that the food we eat can affect the way we feel, act, and think. As a result, we place high emphasis on healthy meal planning throughout our programming—including prep for our M.E.A.L.S. program and in individual goal setting.

Case management begins with an Individual Support Plan (ISP), developed in collaboration with and tailored to meet each individual’s unique needs and goals. Our clinicians work closely with each individual’s family and outpatient team to provide comprehensive and holistic care.

Clinical Case management meetings throughout each week address an individual’s goals and may include symptom management, executive functioning, coaching, educational and vocational support, whole-body wellness, assistance with obtaining and maintaining benefits, increasing socialization and peer connection, apartment maintenance and financial planning. Clinicians also support individuals with finding and engaging in productive and meaningful activity, which may include employment, volunteering, enrolling in courses at a local college or university, enrolling in adult education classes, and engaging in social groups (support groups, sports leagues, etc.). Community integration is often a focal point in case management as we encourage each individual to cultivate social networks within the larger community to work towards their goals.

Our M.E.A.L.S. (Meeting. Eating. Acquiring Life Skills) program provides dinner, companionship, and so much more five nights a week. This program gives individuals the opportunity to develop culinary, budgeting, planning, kitchen safety, and social skills while fostering a sense of community. Included is our M.E.A.L.S program, are Friday Night Events, Coffee Social Hour, community picnics, and BBQs.

Our M.E.A.L.S. Program is an integral component of the SxS model, enhancing kitchen and other life skills while building authentic community connections. Individuals take turns cooking meals in their apartments and hosting 3-4 of their peers for dinner. Staff members assist individuals with food preparation and help facilitate dinner table conversation.