The Vocational Services Department of River Street School provides vocational assessment and training for students aged 13 through 21. Currently the Department serves 60% of the students enrolled in the River Street School program.

The Department's mission is to assist a student's transition to an optimal work setting upon graduation. Such placements allow the graduates to use their highest level of skill in a setting that provides the greatest degree of independence.

Students begin formal out-of-class vocational programming at either age 13 or age 16. Students with greater cognitive and behavioral challenges can benefit from the teacher-designed activities, structure and routine of the on-grounds program. They typically enter at age 13. Students who are progressing in more traditional academics begin at age 16 when opportunities to work on actual subcontract work and inclusion in the community work experience program become available.

In the campus Work Center, work is supervised by trained Vocational Department staff. In the community, work is performed under supervision of Employment Specialists and staff of the host site.

The campus-based program includes bench work and basic building maintenance. The bench work increases dexterity and attention to detail. A variety of teacher designed training tasks and subcontract work from local businesses are available. Operations include assembling, disassembling, sorting, collating, stuffing, folding, sealing, stamping, stapling, labeling and packaging. Building maintenance provides a work/training environment with less structure which allows students to show greater independence. Tasks include sweeping; mopping; and cleaning windows, tables, counters and bathrooms.

A variety of organizations and businesses have provided on-campus work, and enclave and competitive work opportunities in the community. Additionally, mobile house cleaning crews visit homes throughout north central Connecticut.

Services Available to the Business Community
Students in both the campus and community-based programs have worked successfully on a subcontract basis for many businesses in the surrounding communities. Work can be done in the campus Work Center. Arrangements can also be made for students and staff to work at the business site where work is performed under the joint supervision of River Street School Employment Specialists and staff of the host site.

Work is accepted in the following areas:

• Bulk mail: collating, folding, stuffing, sealing, stapling, labeling, affixing postage
• Materials handling: assembly, disassembly, sorting
• Parts packaging: bagging, boxing
• Box fabrication: pizza boxes, conventional boxes, specialty boxes
• Commercial cleaning
• Residential cleaning
• Newspaper/local advertiser: setup and delivery

Compensation for work performed is negotiable and determined on a job-by-job basis.

John Tyner, Teacher/Team Leader will be glad to assist your organization in scheduling work, please contact the Vocational Services Department.

Awards and Recognition
The Vocational Services Department of River Street School has received recognition at the local, state and national level.

Local
Students and staff have been recognized at annual luncheons hosted for volunteers by Mt. Sinai Hospital and United Way of Greater Hartford.

State
Representatives of the Vocational Department and Konica Business Machines were invited to attend the 1996 Youth Initiative Breakfast held by the State of Connecticut Governor's Coalition on Employment Opportunities for Youth with Disablities.

River Street School students were recognized by Governor John G. Rowland for their daily contributions to society. Konica and 175 other Connecticut employers were recognized for their employment efforts.

Konica's warehouse facility in Windsor, CT, has employed special needs students from nearby River Street School since 1990. Students with the school's vocational program work three mornings a week for Konica's Print Shop. The River Street School/Konica initiative was recognized as one of many in the state that will help prepare special needs students to lead productive, inclusive lives after graduation.

National
In August, 1997, St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center announced the nomination of the River Street Vocational Department for the 15th Annual American Hospital Association's Awards for Volunteer Excellence. The nomination, in the category of Community Outreach and Collaboration, is a great honor for the program.

As part of the vocational department's community work program, students have worked in the hospital's Department of Central Services for the past six years. The nomination recognizes that work and cites the Vocational Department for "initiating and promoting cooperation among programs", "serving as an inspirational example of extraordinary dedication", and "overcoming institutional or community barriers to volunteer service".