Our mission is to provide an open, but closely supervised therapeutic environment to help children with serious adjustment and learning problems. Our program has been designed to allow students to enjoy as much of mainstream adolescent life as possible, based on individual needs in a safe and supportive atmosphere. Students interact in a variety of structured after school programs (fitness center, wood shop, radio station, art, computer center with high-speed internet access, academic tutoring, recreation room, cooking, ceramics, evening coffee house, and special dinners). Students regularly attend off campus trips to Broadway shows, amusement parks, pro sporting events, annual ski trips, frequent movies and campouts. All of these activities act as part of the ongoing therapeutic process which encompasses all experiences a child has at Summit including school, counseling sessions (group and individual), parent contact, home visits and more.
Group Living is an essential part of the Summit program. The twenty-four hour living experience is designed to provide consistent opportunities for constructive interaction and development.
The child care and recreation staff supervise and work with the children at all times outside of school hours, providing feedback about each aspect of the child's everyday activities. These interactions take place in the context of the scheduled recreational program as well as through individual and group discussions.
Through all of these activities and experiences, and with the guidance of Summit staff, the child can develop stable, healthy relationships with both adults and fellow students. With persistent effort on the part of both child and staff the child can then leave behind problem attitudes and behaviors, and learn healthier ways of dealing with situations. In the end, the child can return to family and community better able to manage the stress of daily life.