Who We Serve
The Summit School at Nyack is a coeducational program working with young adults whose social-emotional difficulties are affecting their day-to-day functioning. Our students have struggled to succeed in more traditional school settings and need an individualized approach to help them feel confident and comfortable as they embark on this next chapter in their lives. While some of our students’ needs can be met within the day program, others require a more wrap-around approach. Our residential students continue to need a therapeutic milieu during non-school hours and benefit from structured activities, a built-in structure to non-school hours, and support to navigate their social worlds.
Our students typically present as emotionally fragile and can be socially withdrawn. They often have a history of depression, anxiety, mood disorders, and other psychiatric conditions that hinder their ability to navigate adolescence more independently.
What it takes to be successful at Summit
Due to their various social-emotional difficulties our students often have histories of psychiatric hospitalizations and school avoidance. We work to strike a balance between providing a supervised therapeutic milieu while offering a more open and typical adolescent experience than a hospital setting.
In order to be successful at Summit, our students must be able to participate meaningfully and safely within the academic, recreational, residential and clinical aspects of our program.
We tailor our program to meet the individual needs of each student who comes to Summit.
Bill Leone - Special Education Teacher
Summit provides a caring atmosphere with a deep commitment to the betterment of the students in our care. To create this atmosphere, we integrate:
Academic Services
The Summit School at Nyack operates under a charter from the New York State Board of Regents as a special education secondary school. We collaborate with school districts throughout New York State to provide special education services to emotionally fragile young adults.
Recreational Programming
Many students come to the Summit School at Nyack after long periods of unsuccessful school and social experiences. We believe that teaching students how to recreate in socially appropriate and productive ways is key to helping them gain confidence and independence. For that reason, we have created a dynamic and exciting recreational program designed for students to have fun and learn at the same time.
Intensive Individual Psychotherapy
The Summit School at Nyack’s New York State licensed clinical professionals offer the support and expertise required to guide students towards their strengths and potential. Clinical staff focus on individual work with students and maintain strong contact with the staff working with each student to provide a coordinated therapeutic effort.
Constructive Parent Communication
We partner with parents to learn more about what has and hasn’t worked for their child. We have supportive conversations with parents and the student about setting up behavioral expectations for home visits, and provide weekly updates to parents about their child’s functioning within the program.
Psychiatric Supervision
Two staff psychiatrists meet regularly with Summit’s residential students to investigate the appropriateness of psychopharmacological interventions and carefully monitor the student’s progression if medication is prescribed. Summit’s psychiatrists are an integral part of the students’ care as they provide ongoing support and knowledge to clinical staff and families.
Nutritional Counseling
A registered dietician/nutritionist is available for students to provide nutritional counseling and works with the Food Service Director to offer a variety of healthful eating choices.
Vocational Counseling
The Summit School at Nyack maintains an ongoing commitment to cultivating job readiness skills, providing effective transition planning, and supplying preparation for post-school employment for all of our students.
College Preparation
Summit students work with their families, clinical staff, teachers, and transition team to ascertain suitable colleges, vocational training programs, and/or supportive housing opportunities.
Transition Planning
We have developed both a hands on-job training program and classroom based coursework to teach necessary life skills. These practical experiences expose students to the skills required to search for, apply for, and maintain employment.