Newsletter

College Assistance Program
Sophia K. Havasy, Ph.D.

The College Assistance Program provides treatment and services for students finishing high school and entering or continuing their college careers. The goals of the program include preparing students to successfully complete the degree or certification program of their choosing. In addition, the students will develop the self-management skills to negotiate their lives to the best of their abilities. Interventions are based on decades of experience found with the Tarnow Center staff and include knowledge of development, learning theory, and advances in the neurosciences. Our efforts are driven by the importance of students continuing their education posthigh school no matter the diagnoses and challenges that lead to disorders in self-management.

Whether the young adult has failed or had to withdraw from college, or is just getting started, we are able to design a program to provide the level of support each student needs, and ongoing monitoring to enhance accountability and student ownership of their college experience. Our experience suggests that many of these students need comanagement in order to learn self-management.

Co-management posits that the student will learn how to navigate whatever the destination by working with someone who teaches the student how to problemsolve along the way. Not all young adults are ready for this kind of assistance. Not all young adults need this level of assistance. Our job is to understand each student and their family and what their exact needs are.

The College Assistance Program begins with an Initial Comprehensive Evaluation Process that prepares the student, parents, and the Tarnow Center staff, to understand the level of intervention needed from the beginning. The student must be able to tolerate some level of scrutiny and observation. Sometimes students come to the Center with an exaggerated sense of their capabilities. It is important that parents participate so that the student's profile of skills and competencies become clear to all involved. Good evaluations lead to good treatment.

At the Tarnow Center, we know that students need skills beyond the classroom. A Learning Style Evaluation is essential. The student must understand their own strengths and weaknesses, and be interested in shoring up those weaknesses. Additionally, we assess executive functioning and self-management skills needed for psychological wellbeing, self-regulation, day-to-day functioning, interpersonal skills, and the abilities to sustain motivation and persist towards goals. Unde rstand in g youn g adults from a self-management perspective and integrating that perspective into our understanding of the student as a learner and future independent functioning adult is what we have spent the last 20 years together at the Center to develop. Our resources and expertise are extensive. Our approach is collaborative.

At the end of the Initial Comprehensive Evaluation Process, a contract is negotiated. For some students, school is a painful process that they must get through. These students want help with the burden of school. Others are invested in how to become a better student and independent learner. A contract is made with the student, as well as, the parents on what the work will be along with the costs per month. This plan will be revisited every 3 months or sooner in order to monitor progress and not waste funds and resources.

Interventions may include:

Educational therapy to address underlying learning needs; Individual therapy to develop the "why bother" and reasons to care;

SMART Family Therapy for accountability and support of goals; College Assistance Program Group to develop goals, plans, social skills and a network of peers for support; Medication evaluation; Biofeedback/stress management to address emotional self-regulation; Fast ForWord; Cogmed; Interactive Metronome; QEEG-guided Neurotherapy; SAT/ACT tutoring; Subject-specific tutoring trained by educational specialists; Coaching College application assistance; School visits; Career and vocational planning.

Contact Uyen, Intake Coordinator, at 713.621.9515 to start the process.