Our residential component is the foundation of our treatment programs.
To help girls turn their lives around, our residential counselors create an environment with an abundance of nurturance and support.

The counselors also teach the girls new, more constructive ways to deal with their feelings. By engaging the girls in a variety of activities, the counselors provide a myriad of leaning opportunities daily.

With a 3 to 1 student to staff ratio, all of our programs are highly structured and closely supervised. Programs are staffed 24 hours per day.

Through Nurturance Our Students Learn to Trust

Our counselors nurture our students in a variety of ways throughout each day. Counselors praise them richly for practicing new skills. They provide support by listening empathically. They play with them and make sure they have fun every day. Even when a girl is oppositional, our staff find ways to meet her needs. Over time, this nurturance turns girls around and gives them hope for the future.

| back to top |

Our Students Learn Safe and Productive Ways to Have Fun.

The activities at Germaine Lawrence are designed to be therapeutic. Some of these students do not know how to fill their free time except to “hang out”, so joining activities helps them learn productive ways to spend their time. Activities also provide opportunities for students to master new skills. Experiencing mastery is critical to developing higher self-esteem – a critical need for the girls at Germaine Lawrence. These activities also provide a healthy setting to form new friendships.

Activities may occur on or off campus. On campus activities are usually project oriented such as journal making, tie dying, other arts and crafts or games. These activities also may include anything from a spa day to an exercise class. Off campus activities may include shopping at the mall, going to Newbury Comics, the beach, Swan Boats, and bowling. Trips to see a movie or to the gym are always popular. Special activities are scheduled both on and off campus for each Saturday and Sunday as well as for vacation days to help structure the girls’ time.

| back to top |

High Staff Ratio Maximizes Safety and Learning

With a 3 to 1 student to staff ratio, all of our programs are highly structured and closely supervised. The girls start the day with their school team, who ensure that the girls are awake, have breakfast and do their morning chores before starting the school day. After school, residential counselors structure activities and are with the girls throughout the afternoon and evening. Group therapy, run by treatment coordinators with the help of residential counselors, takes place in the afternoon. Once a day staff and students review their progress on behavioral goals and practice social skills relevant to their treatment goals. Staff are on duty throughout the night to check on the girls and to help them to resolve conflicts that arise using the pro-social skills that they have been practicing.

| back to top |

Each of the daily routines involves accomplishing a task. Many of our students view any task as overwhelming or irritating, but through the tasks we can help our students appreciate a sense of accomplishment. This may mean some confrontations, but it also provides opportunities to support and nurture the students while helping the students develop new skills.

The following would be a typical school day schedule for a student at Germaine Lawrence:

7:00 am: Wake up/Breakfast

Students are expected to wake up on time, get dressed, clean their rooms and eat breakfast before it is time to leave for school. Staff work with the girls to ensure a pleasant, sociable atmosphere during meals.

8:00am: Head to the classrooms

2:45pm: Classes end/Transition to Afternoon Meetings

2:30-3:00pm: Afternoon Meetings/Schedule Review

3:00-4:00pm: Group Therapy

4:00-4:30pm: Daily Jobs.

The girls are responsible for keeping their living space clean.

4:30-5:15pm: Empowerment Conferences.

Time for staff and students to review progress on behavioral goals and practice new skills.

5:15-6:00pm: Free Time/Active Activity.

This is a time when students can choose an activity to engage in or may be asked to engage in the physical activity that is scheduled. This is based on privileges that students have earned during the day.

6:00-6:30pm Dinner

6:30-7:30pm Quiet Hour.

This is a time for girls to do homework or to simply
spend some quiet time in their rooms. This helps the more action-
oriented students to learn how to use their time alone usefully.

7:30-8:30pm: Activity.

This is a planned and structured activity, usually involving arts and crafts or music.

8:30-9:00pm: Snack Time/Meds

9:00-9:45pm: Bed Prep.

Students are responsible for getting themselves
completely ready for bed on time and then to be ready to turn off
her light on time.

9:30-10:00pm: Lights Out (time depends on stage)

| back to top |

Managing Behaviors

Germaine Lawrence uses a point and level system to give ongoing feedback to students about their behaviors. Students work with staff to demonstrate the use of positive behaviors and earn points that determine their daily privileges. As a student makes progress in treatment, she earns more privileges including walks on or off campus, late nights, special snacks, and the ability to get an off campus job.

At times a student may make inappropriate choices, or use dangerous behaviors. When they do, they receive consequences. Each Germaine Lawrence program has three levels of consequences, starting with losing points for behaviors such as swearing, yelling, not following rules, etc. If the student is able to work calmly with staff, sometimes after a brief cooling off period, there are no further consequences. If the student continues to demonstrate disruptive or unsafe behavior, she will be separated from the other girls and staff will continue to attempt to help her choose safer, alternative behaviors. If the student is unable to regain control of her behaviors, and use the alternatives provided by staff, additional consequences will be put into place (i.e. loss of privileges).

| back to top |

Expressive Art Therapy

The Expressive Arts Therapy program is an important addition to our spectrum of services. Expressive art therapy provides our students with structured creative experiences. Through our Expressive Arts Therapy Program, students explore their histories of abuse and emotional issues, find nurturing activities that allow them to cope with the stressors of their lives, explore new hobbies and undiscovered talents, and develop of positive peer relationships and teamwork.

The program encompasses art, music, drama, and dance/movement. In Art Therapy, girls use drawing, painting, and sculpture to express their feelings. They then have the opportunity to talk with the group about their work and their experiences. The groups help girls learn additional art skills while practicing appropriate interactions with peers, receiving positive attention from peers and therapists, and learning to make positive statements about themselves and their work.

| back to top |

Music Therapy

Music Therapy takes on many forms. Lyric and discussion groups give girls the opportunity to use contemporary music to stimulate discussion on current social issues. The drumming circles, song-writing and performing groups allow the girls to try new skills, to gain confidence in their musical abilities, and to have another outlet for expressing emotions. The individual music lessons provide our residents the opportunity to learn to accept and follow directions, to ask for help, and to gain a sense of responsibility.

| back to top |

Drama Therapy

Drama Therapy uses theater performance skills to gain a greater awareness of how one is perceived by others. The participants learn to express their feelings appropriately, gain greater self-confidence, and take appropriate risks. In addition, role-playing is used to help residents practice decision-making skills using real-life scenarios.

Movement Therapy

Movement Therapy uses movement, dance, and yoga to help the girls address issues including body image, self-esteem, body control, and self-care. This technique is very useful for girls who need to learn to be part of a group. The meditation groups help teach stress and anxiety reduction and anger management techniques.

| back to top |

Throughout the year, we offer performance opportunities for girls to show off their skills. We put on two or three coffeehouses a year where girls sing, dance, read poetry or play instruments. The All-Campus-Chorus performs not only at coffee houses, but at local churches and for an Alzheimer’s center during vacation weeks. Girls also put on plays and dance performances.

| back to top |