Koinonia’s Day Treatment Overview

Koinonia’s Day Treatment Program is a program set in the milieu of a state-licensed school for children ages 6 to 13 who have experienced chronic interpersonal trauma, especially sexual and/or physical abuse. The students in the program attend academic classes taught by licensed teachers and receive therapeutic services and feedback throughout the day. The purpose of the program is to nurture children who suffer from PTSD back to a healthy mental state.

Along with their academic classes, the students in this Day Treatment Program receive a combination of group, individual, and family therapy, and are offered day treatment services that address emotional, cognitive, and behavioral issues. The students’ caregivers are also involved in the program and are kept well-informed of the therapeutic topics addressed in school so they can play an active role in the children’s progress.

The Day Treatment Program operates on a point and level system, which gives the students a clear definition of desired and undesired behaviors. Part of what makes the Day Treatment Program successful is the caregivers’ participation in the child’s progress; not only do the youth receive feedback while in the program, but they also receive feedback at home, which provides consistency and reinforcement for their behaviors.

In addition to therapeutic services, behavioral training and reinforcement, students are also taught life skills such as age-appropriate grooming, self-responsibility, job skills, and educational skills. They are also provided recreational therapy opportunities which enhance perseverance, cooperation, team work, and resilience. All of these things combine to create a therapeutic environment which allows the youth to grow into thriving young adults.