Academics

AMIkids programs provide alternative school and school-based education services delivered by certified, highly-qualified teachers in Math, Science, Social Studies and English.  AMIkids has more than 40 years of experience working with at-risk youth in the juvenile justice system, with a strong focus on the provision of educational services for youth served in programs. 

Education curriculums deployed in AMIkids programs use differentiated instruction, individualized student planning, progress monitoring, on-line/computer assisted educational software, and experiential education/service learning, all in partnership with pro-social relationships between staff and students. On-line/computer assisted software is also integrated into the daily academic schedule to support content, credit recovery, and GED prep for students in need of these services. 

Behavior Modification

Kids come to our programs deficient in a wide variety of appropriate, pro-social behavioral repertoires. They lack social skills, anger management, pre-employment skills, communication, self-management, rule following, delay of immediate gratification, etc.

To help students develop short- and long-term pro-social behavioral repertories, and facilitate the daily management of behavior throughout the program, AMIkids programs employ procedures and techniques of behavior modification and utilize a sophisticated behavior modification system. This system comprises the foundation of all programs, and consists of three main components: Point Card System, Rank Level System and Token Economy.

Treatment

Each youth participates in a comprehensive assessment upon enrollment in an AMIkids program.  Based on identified risk factors and needs, youth are assigned to mental health and/or substance abuse treatment services that consist of:

1. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy individual, group, and/or family sessions to address anger, mental health, behavioral, and/or substance abuse treatment needs. 

2. Motivational Enhancement Therapy/Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to address substance abuse treatment needs. 

3. Aggression Replacement Training group sessions to address anger and skills deficits as well as moral reasoning.

4. Skillstreaming group sessions to address social skills deficits.

5. Motivational Interviewing incorporated in individual, group, and/or family sessions for rapport building and moving youth in the direction of positive change.

Group counseling services are provided daily. Individual and family counseling sessions are scheduled at a frequency identified on the individualized mental health/substance abuse treatment plan, based on level of need.

Experiential Education

AMIkids’ experiential education gives each student the opportunity to face challenges and to overcome them, gaining greater self-worth and helping to form a better value system.  Programs are integrated based on the geographic strengths of each location and include seamanship, water safety, fishing, low ropes, high ropes, backpacking, music, gardening, culinary arts, reptile and wilderness programs to give each student meaningful and challenging experiences in a variety of ways. Once success is experienced, staff members celebrate the teen with something that has often been missing: incentives and recognition.

Experiential activities teach students when they are most receptive.  And, the experience-based education allows students to get to know teachers on a different level, fostering a more relaxed relationship, influencing them to shift their behavior and to change the way they see the world.  For those kids with more serious learning and behavioral issues, there have been startling results. 

Each year, AMIkids holds several national events to bring kids together with experiential learning as the focus.  These events include: Whitewater Rafting/Rappelling, SCUBA Diving and an Olympics-style challenge event held twice each year.