The Glen Mills schools

The Glen Mills Schools
Service to youth since 1826
A Message from our Director
Glen Mills at a Glance
Founded in 1826, Glen Mills is the oldest
continuous operating school of
its kind in the United States.
Students receive daily individual
and group counseling.
Located in suburban Philadelphia on an
800 acre campus.
Program interventions aligned with current
risk assessment tools such as the YLS/CMI.
Private, non-profit 501(c) organization.
Year round educational program.
Our mission is to change behavior from
anti-social to pro-social and to provide life
skills to sustain that change.
Provides Career & Technical Education in
25 areas of study.
Provides rehabilitative services to
adjudicated male delinquents between the
ages of 12 to 18.
Services over 30 states and several
international jurisdictions.
Utilizes a unique sociological model based
on peer pressure and group confrontation.
Fields Varsity and Junior Varsity teams in
15 sports.
Adheres to the Balanced and Restorative
Justice (BARJ) principles of community
protection, accountability, and competency
development.
Curriculum includes four evidence based
programs and additional specialized
competency programs.
Licensed by the PA Department of Public
Welfare with a capacity of over 700
residential beds.
Serves four meals a day in our Cafeteria.
24 hour - seven day week coverage in our
Medical and Dental Centers.
All programs are aligned with the
Pennsylvania Juvenile Justice System
Enhancement Strategies (JJSES) tenets.
S
ince 1975 our mission has been to: (1) to change anti-social
behavior to pro-social and; (2) to provide the necessary life
skills to sustain that change. The Glen Mills School’s nearly forty
year history of success using our sociological model supports
the assertion they our students have unlimited potential and
endowment for achieving maximum personal growth. We have
also integrated the Balanced and Restorative Justice (BARJ)
principles of (1) accountability, (2) community protection, and
(3) competency development into the paradigm and believe they
are closely aligned with our philosophy.
With the recent addition of our Enhanced Services,
which include both evidence-based programs and specialized
competencies classes, we feel that we are able to provide even
more opportunities for growth and development for our
students. These services also closely parallel the Juvenile Justice
System Enhancement Strategy (JJSES) paradigm currently being
implemented. Our Glen Mills Service Matrix categorizes our
interventions to the Youth Level of Services (YLS) assessment
tool and Standardized Program Evaluation Protocol (SPEP)
instruments. It is our commitment to integrate
all of these new initiatives within the framework
of our longstanding and well established
treatment model.
On January 1, 2013 I officially assumed
my new duties as the Executive Director of
the Glen Mills Schools. My vision for Glen
Mills includes many new initiatives such as
our newly instituted Character and Leadership
Development Program, The Bulls for Life Club,
increased family involvement, as well as, my
personal pledge to develop a new emphasis on
accountability, transparency, and customer satisfaction. We are
committed to having The Glen Mills Schools remain the finest
school of its type in the country.
Respectfully,
Randy A. Ireson, Ed. D
Executive Director
Student Services
Student Life
Glen Mills is an open residential facility. As such, almost
all student life activities occur on our 800 acre plus campus.
Students are randomly assigned to one of our twelve living
units. The units are designed as dormitory style living with most
housing four students to a room.
participate in the Battling Bulls Club. This club is the student
government of the Glen Mills Schools. This group is responsible
for the development of positive leadership, the support of our
positive normative culture, and provides the opportunity for
students to gain recognition for pro-social behavior.
The units are designed primarily for sleeping but some
activities such as group and individual counseling, specialized
competencies and some recreation also take place there. Other
activities such as education, career and technical education,
athletics, and dining take
place in separate buildings
around the campus.
During the calendar year, there are many special events in
which students can participate. Some of these include the
Geography Bowl, Career Day, Halloween Show, Homecoming,
Air Guitar Show, “Environthon”, Christmas Choir, Good
Citizenship Awards, Rotary Club Speakers, Union League,
Thornbury Historical Society Pancake Breakfast, Educational
Award Ceremony and seasonal Sports Awards Ceremonies.
Upon admission, all
students are assigned a living
unit, a personal counselor
and a “big brother” to
facilitate their adjustment
to the program. All campus
norms (expected behaviors)
are clearly explained during
orientation with both peers and staff. Students are usually
assigned “buddies” to traverse the campus and those requiring
extra support are placed on “concern” which requires staff
accompaniment until proper trust levels are achieved.
Campus life can also include visitation, religious services, mail
and telephone privileges. These programs are explained in detail
in the Glen Mills Schools Student Handbook which all students
receive.
All students participate in individual counseling and daily
group counseling meetings called Guided Group Interaction
(GGI). Other special information sharing sessions known as
“Townhouse meetings” are usually held in the evening and
on weekends. Many of our new evidence based programs
and specialized competency classes are also conducted in
the unit.
Students are offered a unique opportunity to
Medical Services
The Health Center is located on school
grounds and is open Monday through
Friday between 8:30 and 4:30. There
are two daily sick calls and 24-hour “on call” coverage is
maintained by Glen Mills’ medical staff.
Dental Services
The Glen Mills Dental Center is a state-of-the-art facility
open five days a week with six chairs staffed by full-time
and part-time dentists, hygienists, an endodontist and an
oral surgeon. All students receive an examination twice a
year and follow-up treatment is done in accordance with
the treatment plan.
Wellness Program
All students participate in our Wellness Program which
includes specialized curriculum pertaining to wellness issues
such as nutrition and diet, and weight management. All
programs emphasize creating and mantaining a healthy life
style.
Other Services
Glen Mills campus provides a Student Union Center,
Chapel, Library with religious materials, Laundry Center,
mail service, telephone, visitation, clothing, transportation
and a Grief and Loss program for those experiencing
emotional angst in their lives.
Specialized Competency
Evidence Based Programs
classes include invited
are provided to our
guest lecturers, as
students by trained Glen
well as, trained Glen
Mills Schools facilitators in
Mills instructors in
the following areas: Moral
the areas of: Drug &
Recognition Therapy ®,
Alcohol, Gun Violence
Coping with Anger®,
Prevention, Wellness &
Parenting and Family
Nutrition, Independent
Values® and Botvin Life
Living Skills and Impact
Skills®.
of Crime/Victim
Awareness Class.
Evidence Based Programs
The Glen Mills Schools provides
numerous opportunities for the
growth and development of our
students. During placement our
students participate in both evidence
based programming and specialized
competency programming related to
their needs. Specifically, our youth
have access to cognitive behavioral
programming, life skills training, drug
& alcohol education, gun violence
prevention classes, parenting classes,
anger management classes, programs
to address restitution obligations,
opportunities to perform community
service, academic and career &
technical education and wellness
programming. We have integrated
these programming elements into
our established normative culture.
Our initiatives are closely aligned to
current risk assessment instruments.
Evidence Based Programs - We
presently utilize four evidence based
interventions. They are: (1) Moral
Reconation Therapy®, (2) Coping
with Anger®, (3) Parenting & Family
Values® and (4) Botvin LifeSkills®
Training.
Moral Reconation Therapy® - MRT®
is a type of cognitive behavioral
therapy which is designed to reduce
anti-social behavior by developing
moral reasoning skills. It is felt that
by challenging negative basic values
and emotions that thinking patterns
will shift and be restructured towards
a more pro-social orientation. This
subsequently results in less stress for
the individual and more conformity
to societal expectations. The
program utilizes a system of moral
development stages focusing on seven
basic treatment issues.
Coping with Anger® - This program
is a MRT® cognitive behavioral
adaptation which comprehensively
targets juveniles who have problems
with managing feelings of anger and
frustration in an appropriate way.
It is designed to help participants
deal with their individual challenges,
learn how to manage stress, learn to
recognize their anger, learn why they
should control their anger and the
benefits of anger control. Glen Mills
will conduct weekly lessons for all
students which will be led by trained
staff facilitators.
Parenting & Family Values® - This
program is a part of the Moral
Reconation Therapy® (MRT®) system
of cognitive behavioral programming
developed by Gregory Little, Ed. D.
and Kenneth Robinson, Ed. D. Each
youth utilizes an accompanying
workbook during class time to
complete homework assignments.
6
The objective is to change thinking
and behavior about parenting, as
well as, to teach positive parenting
skills and attitudes to our students
many of which are adolescent parents
themselves. Specific issues for our
students who are parents include
accepting paternity of their child, the
role of the father in the child’s life,
relationship with the birth mother,
financial responsibilities and dealing
with being an absentee father.
Botvin LifeSkills® Training - Glen
Mills utilizes the Botvin LifeSkills®
Training which aims to prevent “at
risk” behavior by targeting the major
social and psychological factors that
precede the actual action. Facilitated
discussion, structured group
discussion and role playing scenarios
are used to stimulate participation
and promote the acquisition of skills.
This training enhances teaching
skills in the areas of Decision
Making, Risk Reduction, Stress
Management, Managing Emotions,
Communication, and Assertiveness
Training. The seven unit training
program is an interactive experience
that has students work in teams to
group problem solve and ultimately
make healthy decisions.
We offer five enhanced programs
that serve to expand and enrich the
knowledge base of our students.
These offerings afford even more
opportunities for growth and
development for our students in
accordance with the Balanced and
Restorative Justice principles of
competency development. These
programs are integrated into the
framework of our well established
behavioral management system. These
offerings include: Drug & Alcohol
Education, Gun Violence Prevention
classes, Wellness & Nutrition and
Independent Living Skills.
Drug & Alcohol Education - This
curriculum has been designed to
accommodate those youth who have
been stipulated by court order to be
in need of drug & alcohol education
and counseling. The curriculum
is a 24 lesson program presented
twice monthly which gives students
information regarding alcohol,
tobacco, prescription drugs, illegal
drugs and drug dealing. Other topics
include taking responsibility, setting
goals and developing leadership skills.
Students engage in discussions and are
assessed as to their understanding of
the objectives of the prevention.
Gun Violence Prevention Classes –
This curriculum provides students with
practice in making meaningful choices
with regards to gun violence. Using the
tenets of the Balanced and Restorative
Justice (BARJ) principles, we expect
students to accept responsibility
for their actions, acknowledge the
harm they have caused to a victim
and their community, as well as,
take steps to restore the victim and
community. Students address issues
related to gun violence prevention
and how gun violence impacts
individuals and communities. The
program is based on the Gun Violence
Prevention Workbook compiled by the
Department of Public Welfare’s Bureau
of Juvenile Justice Services.
Wellness & Nutrition - We offer a
comprehensive program designed to
provide our students the opportunity
to experience a higher quality of
life through the use of proper diet,
nutrition and exercise. The Wellness
Program uses a multi-disciplinary
approach which lets our students make
good choices around health issues
and gives them the skills to integrate
this information into a long term
healthy lifestyle. All programs which
relate to diet and nutrition, exercise
and educational and health classes are
overseen by our Wellness Committee.
The Wellness Committee meets on a
monthly basis to develop protocols,
objectives, review accomplishments
and reward success.
Independent Living Skills - We have
based our Independent Living Skills
7
program on the Casey Life Skills®
curriculum. Our course is divided
into five modules. These five modules
are subdivided into 25 chapters
which cover subject matter related
to: Money Management, Home
Management, Food Management,
Personal Care, Health Care, Safety
Skills, Social Skills, Education, Job
Seeking Skills, Job Maintenance,
Housing, Transportation, Community
Resources, Understanding the Law,
Recreation, Sexuality, STD’s and
Pregnancy Prevention, Unplanned
Pregnancy, Pregnancy and Health
Skills, Physical and Health Care,
Safety, Infancy, Older Babies/Toddlers,
Children Ages 2-5, Making the
World a Better Place/Environment &
Education and Career Planning for
Teen Parents. Youth complete a skills
assessment and activity exercises for
each chapter.
Impact of Crime/Victim Awareness
Class - Glen Mills utilizes an approved
curriculum developed at the Center for
Juvenile Justice Training and Research
(CJTRR) at Shippensburg University.
The format includes a lecture on
the principles of the Balanced and
Restorative Justice (BARJ) philosophy,
interactive discussions, demonstrations
and group exercises. The program
culminates in the student producing
an authentic apology letter to the
victim.
Academic Opportunities
The Glen Mills Schools provides a year-round
education model for its students, with instructional
programming provided throughout the 12-month
calendar year. As an open-entrance school, each
student’s instructional program begins upon his
admission to the School and proceeds continuously
until his discharge from
the School. Year-round
instruction allows our
students to receive
continuous educational
programming through
a variety of delivery
components:
• Master Schedule: allows for
a comprehensive educational
program to meet the unique
educational needs of each
student;
• Full-day classes:
instructional programs are
provided during morning,
afternoon, and evening
sessions;
• Blended learning approach to instruction (face-toface and technology) that incorporates the Plato®
Learning Environment computer software, allowing for
individualized academic coursework.
• 500+ computers available for student use.
Educational Placement
A student’s educational
programming needs are
evaluated by utilizing a
multi-tiered approach that
includes: 1) retrieving
and reviewing previous
educational records:
transcripts, report cards,
special education
records, etc.; 2) multiple
assessments administered
by the School and, 3)
an assessment of postdischarge goals.
Upon a review of the evaluation, an educational plan
is designed to help each individual student meet their
educational goals, and prepare them for a successful
transition back to their home community/school. A
student’s education plan is reviewed regularly and
revised, if needed.
Glen Mills operates its special education program
in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Department of
Education and the Chester County Intermediate Unit.
“Glen Mills is a benchmark
compared to any school, serving
any student. If you’re going to build
a school from scratch or if you want
to improve a school, come over to
Glen Mills.”
Dr. Gerald L. Zahorchak
Former Secretary of Education for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Glen Mills Battling Bulletin
Areas of Study
Art and Design – introduces
students to two-dimensional design,
illustration and computer graphics.
Auto Body Repair – students
learn surface preparation, fiberglass
patching, and collision panel repair
and replacement skills.
Automotive Technology – the
curriculum includes diagnostic testing,
tune-ups, maintenance of cooling
systems, alignment, oil/filter change,
tire balancing, and brake system skills.
Barbering – students have the
opportunity to learn skills in a fully
equipped Barber Shop.
Building Trades – students in this
program will have the opportunity to
develop skills in carpentry, electrical
wiring, plumbing, and painting.
Culinary Arts – the curriculum
includes safety and sanitation
procedures, food preparation,
cooking methods, purchasing and
receving. Students can earn a ServSafe
Certificate.
“I am confident that the Glen Mills Career
and Technical Department is one of the
best programs available for delinquent
youth anywhere in the country.”
Dental Assistant – students gain
hands-on training working chairside
in the Dental Center. Other areas of
study include maintaining patient
operatories and operating and
maintaining sterilization areas.
Dr. Clyde Hornberger
Former Executive Director, Lehigh Career and Technical Institute
Glen Mills Battling Bulletin
Career and Technical Education
The Glen Mills School recently created the Career &
Technical Education (CTE) Department to replace the
former Vocational Department. This change is signigicant
in that it marks a whole new commitment towards job
skills training. New programs have been added and existing
ones expanded to include more job skill development and
hands-on work experience. All areas have formal training
curriculums and students participate in activities that
compensate them while in training, as well as, providing a
direct service to the Glen Mills campus.
The newly created areas include Building Trades,
Masonry, Golf Course Management, Turf Equipment
Management, Painting and Laundry Center. All in all
there are 25 Career & Technical Education offerings.
Other existing CTE areas include: Art & Design, Auto
Body Repair, Automotive Technology, Barbering, Culinary
Arts, Dental Center Assistant, Medical Assistant, Graphic
Communications and Print Technology, Journalism,
Landscaping, Optics, Photography, Radio Broadcasting,
Residential Carpentry, Retail Management, Indoor and
Outdoor Maintenance, Video Productions and Welding.
Golf Course Management – The
program offered at the Golf Course at
Glen Mills is designed to offer students
a hands-on
opportunity
to learn
to maintain and manage a daily fee
golfing facility.
tampering and inserting lenses into
frames.
Golf Course Maintenance –
students learn the technical aspects of
turf equipment operation and grass
mowing.
Paint – students learn basic skills
needed in the painting trade such as
proper selection of paint products,
safety procedures, and the basic
understanding of estimating.
Graphic Communications & Print
Technology- students learn desktop
publishing, wide format printing,
digital platemaking, offset printing
and color copying.
Indoor/Outdoor Maintenancestudents are trained for entrylevel employment as custodians,
groundskeepers and laundry
attendants.
Journalism – gives aspiring reporters
the chance to learn the fundamentals
of print journalism and produce
a school newspaper, The Battling
Bulletin.
Landscaping – students learn skills
such as lawn care, flower bed planting,
gardening, trimming hedges and trees,
and fertilizing.
Masonary – provides students
with the safety practices and basic
knowledge of the duties performed
by brick masons, block masons, and
concrete finishers.
Medical Assistant – teaches the
student how to do a vision screen,
hearing screen, measure height/weight/
temperature, learn how to measure
pulse and blood pressure.
Opticianry –
high-level
training in
skills such
as lens
surfacing,
edging,
tinting,
Photography – is designed to give
students a solid knowledge of color
photography, processing and printing.
Advanced students also learn digital
photography, custom framing and
studio photography.
Radio Broadcasting – which
operates WZZE, 97.3 FM, a Federal
Communications Commission
licensed station, provides instruction
and on-air opportunities within a
broad communications curriculum.
Residential Carpentry – students
learn entry level construction skills
such as framing, layout, drywall, vinyl
siding, decking, floor joists, and sub
flooring.
Retail Services – students learn
inventory, food preparation, cash
register operation, requisition, and
stocking skills from their hands-on
work in the Student Union.
Small Engine Repair – students
perform various duties on all types of
engines including diesel and gas such
as lawn mowers, string trimmers, chain
saws, leaf blowers and tractors.
Turf Equipment Repair –
designed to provide students with
proper information on repairing,
servicing, and maintaining golf course
equipment.
Video Production – provides the
student with an arena in which to
learn hands-on filming and production
skills.
Welding – introduction to welding
techniques such as oxy-acetylene, arc
and plasma welding.
Athletics and Recreation
Since 1983 Glen Mills has been a member of the
Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association
(PIAA), our athletic governing body. We also
joined the Delaware Valley Athletic Association
the same year for league play. Our students are
eligible to compete for League, District and
State Championships. They are also selected for
individual honors. There are 15 sports offered at
the Varsity and Junior Varsity levels: Basketball,
Baseball, Bowling, Cross Country, Football, Golf,
Power Lifting, Roller Hockey, Soccer, Track and
Field, Swimming, Tennis, Volleyball, Winter Track
and Wrestling.
Glen Mills also has a Wellness Program, a weekly
intramural program, and a sports training and
rehabilitation program. Facilities available include:
Recreation Center with Indoor Track and Field
Complex, Gymnasium with Olympic Swimming
Pool, Football Stadium with Outdoor Track and
Field, Soccer Fields, Baseball Fields, Wrestling
Room, Cross Country Course, Roller Rink, and
Weight Lifting facilities.
The Admission Process
Student Qualifications – All candidates for admission
must be referred by Juvenile Court or other appropriate
social service agencies. The Glen Mills Schools accepts male
youth between the ages of 12 and 18 years old. Candidates
should be group orientated, socialized adolescents without
severe psychological or emotional problems.
Contact Information – To initiate a referral, call toll
free at (800) 441-2064, fax us at (610) 558-1493 or mail
a package to The Glen Mills Schools, PO Box 5001,
Concordville, PA 19331. For additional information
contact us by email at [email protected] or
visit our website at www.glenmillsschools.org.
Student Acceptance – Qualified students are accepted
without geographic restriction. Admissions are made on a
case-by-case basis by the assigned Admissions Coordinator,
based on a review of the written materials and personal
interview. Decisions are made within 48 hours of the
referral.
Balanced Restorative Justice (BARJ) – Glen Mills is
a BARJ compliant program. Glen Mills adheres to the
Balanced and Restorative Justice philosophy as adopted
by the Pennsylvania Juvenile Court Judges Commission
(JCJC) and enacted by legislative statute in 1995. The law
ensures that youth committing delinquent acts are provided
with supervision, care, and rehabilitation in a manner
that is balanced to include (1) community protection,
(2) personal and legal responsibility (3) competency
development. Glen Mills has developed programs that are
aligned with these principles.
Exclusionary Criterion – Histories of fire setting and/
or arson, suicidal and/or self-destructive behavior would
preclude a candidate from admission.
Community Management
Services (CMS)
The Community Management
Services Division of the
Admissions Department offers a
variety of non-residential services
available to delinquent and nondelinquent youth. It services
both males and females in these
programs. The base of operations
is the Chester Arthur Hall located
on the grounds of the Glen Mills
School. Arthur Hall houses the
administrative offices for CMS,
as well as, serving as the
residence site for the Girls
Female Respite Program. The
following is a partial listing of
these Community Management
offerings.
Community Management
Services (CMS) - This nonresidential programming model
offers daily face-to-face contact
and supervision, as well as, 24
hour, 7 day a week emergency
intervention in the home
community. These services can be
offered as an aftercare program
for post residential placement,
pre-adjudicated or predispositional status cases awaiting
further court processing or those
probation cases identified as “at
risk” for further delinquency.
Community Management
Services Electronic Monitoring
This specialized service acts
as an alternative to secure
detention by allowing students
to remain in their home while
being accountable electronically
and includes daily, face-to-face
contacts with an assigned CMS
worker.
Community Management
Services / Career & Technical
Education - This program is
an enhanced component of the
CMS package for students who
would benefit from introduction
to the Career and Technical
Educational opportunities offered
at the Residential Program of the
Glen Mills Schools. Students are
transported to the campus and
receive exposure to nine Career
and Technical offerings. It is a
three phase program that can
accommodate 18 youth and lasts
up to six months.
Community Management
Services with Male Weekend
Respite - This program
component is offered as an
intermediate sanctioning
tool for those male students
Reintegration and School Based Services
experiencing non-compliance
issues in the regular CMS
Program. Identified students
spend a weekend (Friday through
Sunday) living in dormitories at
the main campus and experience
an indoctrination to the normative
culture of our residential program.
Community Management
Services / Female Respite
Weekend - This program operates
as a graduated sanction for those
females requiring more structure
than can be provided on regular
street supervision. Available on
alternating weekends the facility
is located on the grounds of the
Glen Mills Schools and offers
a 48 hour program that is both
structured and gender specific.
Reintegration Initiative –
Reintegration immediately
begins when students are
released from the Glen Mills
Schools residential placement
and returned to the Philadelphia
community in which they reside.
A reintegration plan is formulated
for the youth articulating goals
in areas of continuing education,
seeking employment, compliance
with probation, and improving
family and residential stability.
The overall purpose of this
program is to reduce recidivism
and enable the youth and his
family to implement structure
that will serve as a continuation
of positive behavioral growth
accomplished in placement.
The primary academic
objective for reintegration is to
immediately identify educational
goals for students returning from
placement. Transitional endeavors
may include establishing school
reentry into the Philadelphia
School District, identifying
methods for credit recovery,
utilization of GED programs, and
assistance with college and/or
trade school application.
Students returning to the
community are also provided with
assistance in finding employment,
help students identify job-seeking
skills focusing on application
methods, interview preparation,
and utilizing in-placement
vocational training and work
experience to locate parallel
employment opportunities.
Efforts to assist the youth and
family in maintaining compliance
with the Philadelphia Family
Court services are consistent
throughout the youth’s time in
the aftercare program. Methods
are identified for the youth to
satisfy BARJ requirements
which include restitution costs,
community service, and court
ordered fees.
The reintegration initiative is
complete with the inclusion of
the youth’s family participation
in stabilizing the transition
from residential placement to
the household and community.
Weekly communication focuses
on specific behaviors such as
positive family interaction,
maintaining identified curfews,
and adherence to parental
supervision. Community
resources for families in need
of public assistance, health
insurance, and behavioral
therapies are located and utilized
as needed.
School and Community
Resource Program – (SCRP)
is offered to local high schools.
In addition, SCRP offers a
Transitions Program for students
matriculating from middle school
to upper school. SCRP is staffed
by Glen Mills Community
Management Services staff
members assigned specific
schools. The goals are to reduce
school suspensions, decrease the
number of absences, decrease
dropout rates, reduce further
court involvement and reduce the
need for out of home placement.
The program works with many
community partners and a high
degree of family involvement.
Academy Park High School
“Glen Mills is a first rate program for young
men who need to be pointed in the right
direction. I am blessed to say that I was a part
of the Glen Mills’ family. Years later I realize,
more than anything, how Glen Mills impacted
my life and how I am still a part of the School.”
James Spears
Class of 1989
The Glen Mills Schools
PO Box 5001
Concordville, PA 19331
Toll Free: (800) 441-2064
www.glenmillsschools.org