St. Cloud Group Home Programming

Chemical Awareness
 Weekly group discussions about chemical awareness (smoking, drugs, alcohol), anxiety/depression and chemicals, peer pressure teach residents how to say no. Phase work includes: 
  • Awareness of the use, reasons behind the use
  • Family concerns revolving around the use
  • Discussions of past actions due to chemical use
  • Discussions of future endeavors without chemical use
  • Methods to escape peer pressure
  • Methods of coping with anxiety and depression
  • Discussion of coping skills to be utilized during and after recovery
Transportation to treatment as well as NA/AA meetings is available.

Transitional
​Living
Transitional Living prepares older residents for independent living, by teaching skills to find and keep jobs and apartments. Group work focuses on:
  • Preparation of resumes
  • Employment applications
  • Housing searches
  • Domestic skills, such as cooking, cleaning, laundry, personal finance and budgeting.
  • Social skills, such as peer interactions, team work, etc.

Sex Offender Curriculum
​Weekly discussions prepare residents for healthy relationships. Topics include: sexuality, appropriate relationships with peers, families, adults and in the community, cognitive distortions and corrective thinking patterns. Phase work includes: 
  • Sexuality
  • Family relationships and support systems
  • Cognitive distortions and corrective thinking
  • Patterns of abusive behavior and past abuse
  • Empathy
Staff work closely with Core Professional Services to ensure proper treatment, boundaries, safety, and reintegration with family when appropriate.

Anger Management
Weekly anger magement group discussions include: anger as an appropriate emotion, how to appropriately express anger, and looking at other emotional and behavioral issues. We also discuss how to deal with others that may have explosive anger behaviors and how to find appropriate coping skills.  Phase work includes: 
  • Physical triggers
  • Emotional triggers
  • Understanding your past and the correlation
  • Finding appropriate coping skills when angry
  • Developing improved communication skills 
  • Helping to recogonize and remove triggers
  • Understanding anger as a secondary emotion and finding the reason behind each feeling

Emotional Regulation & Awareness
Outbursts, physical aggression, isolation, and self-harm are a few ways people use when they are unhappy with their self, unaware of their emotions, how their emotions connect to life,  and how to work through them.  Staff explore reasons for depression, anxiety, OCD etc. and encourage positive self expression. Phase work includes:
  • Individual therapy
  • Positive reinforcement
  • Teaching difference between privileges and consequences
Staff work with the individuals and their families to develop a plan for return home or prepare residents for independent living. We look at triggers, environment, past mistakes from which they can learn, and goals for the future. 

Other Services Provided
Within the Group Home
  • On-site schooling through ISD 742
  • Weekly library visits
  • Daily recreation (promoting teamwork and social skills)
  • Life skills training and support (for older residents)
  • Mentoring program for long-term residents
  • Gardening in the summer
  • Community Service opportunities
  • Afte-care support for long-term residents
  • Formal groups and activities

Outside the Group Home
  • Transportation to appointments including doctors, dentists, therapy, etc.
  • Transportation for treatment including CORE Professionals services, outpatient chemical dependency, Effective Living Center, Recovery Plus, and NA/AA
  • We also work with Central Minnesota Mental Health Services, Market Place Counseling, Center for Psychological Services and Natalis Psychology for evaluations. Partners also include: Pine Haven, SCSU Multicultural Center, and LQBT Resource Center