OPTIONS Independent Living

OPTIONS: Part 3 of 5

Post high school students in the OPTIONS Program live in supervised apartments with other college - aged students, within the small midwest town of Carbondale, Illinois, located near the OPTIONS instructional building and the Southern Illinois University campus.

Each fully furnished apartment with amenities is shared by three students — each has his or her own private bedroom and bathroom.

Whenever students are present, the apartments are supervised by Independent Living Counselors, who oversee activities. Countless, real-life, "teachable moments" help move students toward healthy relationships and independence. A health and wellness support staff, including a nursing staff, provides health education and medication management.

Areas of focus:

• Meal planning, shopping and preparation
• Emotional coping skills
• Money management
• Follow-through & preparedness
• Interpersonal communication
• Social strategies training
• Self-management
• Accountability for actions
• Self-advocacy
• Safe behavior
• Time management
• Organization
• Personal hygiene
• Honesty and integrity

Also read:
Academic Core Classes (part 1 of 5)

Two Tracks (part 2 of 5)

The OPTIONS Program at Brehm is a comprehensive transitional program for students with complex learning disabilities who have graduated from high school, earned their GEDs, or who have chosen to defer graduation in order to participate in this empowering Program. The OPTIONS Program focuses on the academic, employment and social skills required for success by emphasizing independent living, self-advocacy skills, and learning how to learn. As students (most 18 to 25 years of age) transition through three phases of the OPTIONS Program, they develop academically, socially and emotionally — acquiring the crucial tools necessary for independent life.