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>>Robin Hood Article
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Issue 9, October 2005 HELPING
THOSE IN GREATEST NEED The
League Treatment Center in
Brooklyn serves
students that no one else can—students who have been rejected by the
public school system because their emotional problems are so severe and who
cannot afford private schooling. The center, a combination of a school and
licensed children’s day treatment program, offers some of the most —if
not the
most —difficult
students a chance to be successful at school, and eventually in life.
For an impressive number of these severely disadvantaged students, the
center provides a ticket out of poverty. Without the center, these
students—designated as emotionally unstable and often in need of special
education—are almost certain to wind up on the streets, in prison, or on
drugs. An estimated 30 to 50 percent of incarcerated individuals are
learning disabled. As many as 75 percent of incarcerated youth are estimated
to have a mental health disorder. The center’s nursery-to-12th grade
program provides a trained staff, small class size, one-on-one support,
clinical treatment and learning plans. A team of psychiatrists,
psychologists, speech and language specialists, social workers, physical
therapists, nurses and teachers skilled in special needs work onsite. The
success rate is astounding: it has an eye-catching 99 percent attendance
rate. And 100 percent of the students who do not transfer to regular public
school meet the school’s requirements for graduation—a remarkable
achievement for students who are at the highest risk for failure and
dropping out. Nearly 10 percent of students transition to public schools
each year and 95 percent of the graduates of the preschool enter programs
run by the Department of Education. To expand the League Treatment Center,
Robin Hood is funding a full-time crisis intervention team.
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