Monarch Tailored Day Service


Monarch Tailored Day Service (TDS) offers specialized support services outside of traditional day program hours/structures.  Monarch TDS seeks to support individuals with intellectual and other disabilities to successfully participate in a variety of integrated community settings, actively and successfully engaging in the activities that matter most to them. TDS provides highly individualized support, as each TDS program structure will be developed around the goals, needs, and preferences of the individual being served.

Monarch TDS has been designed to focus on the following key areas of support:

Post-Secondary Education:

Increasing numbers of individuals with intellectual and other developmental disabilities, including Autism Spectrum Disorders, are exiting high school with plans to continue education at the college level.  There are significant differences between high school and college, and unfortunately, many of individuals have not been supported to develop the kinds of skills that will set them up for success in a college environment.

Monarch TDS can support individuals in navigating the new environments, expectations, and demands they will face in post-secondary educational settings.  Activities to strengthen executive functioning skills and explicit instruction around academic self-advocacy will be accompanied by support in these additional areas: accessing campus resources, self-disclosure and advocating with professors, requesting accommodations, academic planning/organization, time management, academic and career planning, and social support with peers.

Please click the Academic Coaching tab for further information.

Employment:

Individuals wanting to work can receive the needed support to prepare for, search for, secure, and maintain paid employment.  Individuals requiring training before entering the workforce, will be taught the relevant skill sets for meeting workplace expectations.   For individuals with Employment goals, TDS staff will guide individuals through their employment search, coach them through the application and interview process, and provide any on-the-job coaching needed for an individual to succeed at and maintain their position.

Please click the Employment Support tab for further information.

Volunteerism:

Individuals wanting to develop roles as contributing, involved members of their communities through regular volunteerism, will receive support to: identify and pursue volunteer opportunities that are motivating to them; navigate volunteer sites; master required tasks; develop and maintain positive connections with fellow volunteers and supervisors.

Transition Specific Support:

Monarch is committed to addressing the often-unmet needs of individuals with intellectual and other developmental disabilities who are transitioning out of a special education setting and entering adult services. The transition period is a time of change that, if not prepared for, can be overwhelming to individuals and their families.  Education and preparation can turn potential stressors into opportunities for taking proactive action in a positive direction.  Monarch seeks to support transition-age individuals in navigating the transition process and creating a successful entry into adulthood.

Transition-age individuals entering the program will be offered a transition planning meeting, to be attended by a variety of professional and non-professional people who know and care about them (including family members, friends, former or current teachers and classroom aides, support staff, and Regional Center Service Coordinator).  A support team of people who are invested in an individual’s success, effectively communicating and working together to support that person in planning for and creating a desired future, makes a significant difference during transition planning.  Transition focused person-centered planning meetings can consolidate the interdisciplinary team and result in action plans intended to enhance the efficacy of programming and highlight the importance of natural supports.

As the number of transition-age participants receiving Tailored Day Services through Monarch increases, Monarch will host a monthly “Transition Club.”  Transition-age individuals will be invited to attend this club, which will be hosted at the Monarch office once per month and which will have a social component as well as monthly topics of discussion related to the transition phase of life and preparing for adulthood.  In conjunction with the Transition Club will be a support group for parents, where parents can come together for encouragement and support as well as learning about a monthly topic related either to transition or adult services.  The Transition Club and parent group will be held at the same time, in adjoining rooms, to increase convenience for attendees.  Both groups will have staff present to facilitate the conversations.

Additional activities supplemental to those listed above may include:

Community integration, exercise, stress management, literacy instruction, computer skills and accessing technology, empowerment and advocacy skills instruction, self-determination skills instruction, social skills development, health and wellness education, and creative expression.

* only 5.5 hours of service per week will be authorized; unused hours cannot be made up on subsequent weeks.  This does not apply to private pay clients.

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