Media Room

 

Washington, D.C. — PRS is pleased to announce that its DC Recovery Academy (the Academy) received its certification as a Day Rehab Specialty Provider in the District of Columbia on October 1, 2013.

 

PRS launched the Academy as a pilot program in the District of Columbia in April 2013 with funding and support from the DC Department of Mental Health. The Academy promotes transition from facility-based programming into meaningful community-based alternatives of school and work for young adults.  The pilot phase of the project ended September 30.  The Academy is an integrated rehabilitation day service providing skill teaching and structured classes to District of Columbia residents who are living with serious and persistent mental illness, who also may have co-occurring substance use disorders.  Resembling the structure of “community college”, the Academy provides a targeted psycho-educational curriculum in twelve-week blocks.  The program serves as a normalizing environment so that each client can focus on his/her recovery goals and identify as a student in recovery.

 

Over the six-month pilot period, the program has realized some wonderful outcomes.  The Academy received over 180 referrals from DC’s excellent Core Service Agencies, opened over 80 clients, and has had over 50 clients attending the program.  During this short time, 10 clients have obtained employment, 4 clients have enrolled in school programs and several others are actively working on their GEDs.  “We are proud of these outcomes, excited about the opportunities for young District residents in recovery from mental illness and proud of the excellent work of our DC Team who did all of the day-to-day work of building a new program in an entirely new jurisdiction from scratch,” states PRS President and CEO Wendy Gradison. 

 

The certification will enable the Academy to receive Medicaid funding for services provided. 

 

PRS, Inc., is an award-winning, community-based non-profit dedicated to helping adults living with mental illness, substance use disorders, mild intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, or any combination of these achieve personal wellness, recovery and community integration.  Please visit PRS’s website, www.prsinc.org, for more information.