Rehabilitation plays a central role in Birmingham Group Health Services' (BGHS) person-centered philosophy of treatment and care.  This holistic approach allows each individual the chance to direct and choose the course of his/her recovery, to reach his/her full potential in the areas of work, home, and leisure life, and to not only get by in the daily world, but to thrive!

BGHS' Rehabilitation Department assists adults and/or youth diagnosed with disabilities such as mental health, mental retardation, brain injury, legal blindness, physical, and/or learning.  With programs as diverse as Acquired brain Injury Rehabilitation, vocational counseling, job placement & coaching, and the nationally affiliated Compeer volunteer program, BGHS' Rehabilitation Department provides persons in recovery with a solid framework for a lifetime of social and workplace success!

Acquired brain injuries (ABI) present challenges to individuals that result in the need for new skills to be developed in order to function on a day to day basis.  The Acquired Brain Injury program at BGHS offers a wide range of services that assist individuals with a brain injury to obtain those necessary skills.

 

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Acquired Brain Injury Services

DMR Services

Social Rehabilitation

Vocational/ Employment Services

Young Adult Services

Supervised & Supportive Housing Programs

Peer/Mutual Supports

Homeless Outreach

Vocational services such as job coaching, time, organizational, and money management, behavior and job seeking skills training are available to help individuals with brain injury return to the world of work.

Wrap-around services are also available through the Acquired Brain Injury Waiver Program (of which BGHS is an approved provider) for those who are at risk of living in an institution as a result of their brain injury.  These services include peer companion services, case management, independent living skills training, supported employment and pre-vocational services, and family education and training,  This service is available to residents of the Greater Waterbury Valley, as well as surrounding towns.

Birmingham Group Health Services provides services to persons referred by the Department of Mental Retardation.  These services include fully supervised, group supported employment sites; individual job placements which provide placement in competitive employment environments, job coaching and job related supports to assist the individual in maintaining work and developing a career path; and residential supports that utilize person-centered planning and self-determination to develop individualized plans that will enable persons to thrive in the communities in which they work and live. Examples of residential supports include, but are not limited to, independent living skills training, budgeting, and social skills building

Special Programs

Social Rehabilitation plays a major role in the Rehabilitation Department at BGHS.  Services are available across a broad spectrum of care, enabling the individual to thrive at his or her own pace.

Programs are provided on either a group or an individualized basis, and professional, compassionate staff ensure that all care is delivered thoroughly, and with the best interests of the individual and family in mind.  From providing residential supports for persons in recovery, to supporting and assisting the Valley Social Club, the Social Rehabilitation Program is innovative, personalized  and successful.
 

Few things in life provide the same feeling of accomplishment as holding a job.  The Employment Program at Birmingham Group Health Services offers a wide range of job-related services, that take the individual from assessment, to assistance in getting a job, and to on-the-job-supports once employment has been found.

Recognizing that persons in recovery are individuals, BGHS tailors services so they are personalized, effective, and most likely to result in the attainment, and retention, of a job.

Services offered by the Employment Program at BGHS include: situational assessment, job seeking skills training, on-the-job and job related supports, vocational counseling, ADA consultation, and assistance with resume writing and job-related problem solving.

Birmingham Group Health Services Young Adult Services Program (YAS) serves young adults between the ages of 18 to 25, who reside in the five towns of the Lower Naugatuck Valley region (Shelton, Derby, Ansonia, Seymour, and Oxford).  The YAS program is designed to serve as a bridge between the children's and adult service systems - a space in which services have been historically inadequate or non-existent.

BGHS' Young Adult Services Program, which is housed at the BGHS Extension located at 111 New Haven Avenue (Route 34) in Derby, CT, operates on a two-pronged approach to service which includes outreach and engagement by YAS staff that takes place in environments where youth are comfortable, and a youth drop-in center wherein youth who have been successfully engaged can receive case management services, assistance with vocational and educational goals, linkage to other resources both within BGHS and other community organizations, and opportunities for socialization and support network development.

The youth drop-in center also offers structured programming such as social skill building, vocational skills training, life management skills, and educational assistance as well as the opportunity to participate in unstructured activities such as playing pool, arts and crafts, movie nights, and board and computer games.  Above all, the drop-in center is designed to serve as a place that young adults can come to and feel accepted, despite their psychiatric disabilities.

Birmingham Group Health Services understands that one of the most difficult challenges facing persons in recovery is establishing and maintaining a safe and productive home life.  That's why BGHS offers supportive and/or supervised housing programs that assist individuals in recovery with obtaining permanent housing as well as the skills they need to live independently.

Supportive Housing Programs

Intensive Supported Housing Program (ISH) - The ISH program provides homeless individuals with access to housing, ultimately shortening the length of stay at a homeless shelter.  ISH services include skill building, employment, and case management provided by Recovery Support Specialists who support program participants with their recovery plans.  Special emphasis is placed on community based activities that will assist the individual in the areas of social and recreational recovery.  The goal of the program is to provide supports that will allow homeless individuals in recovery to transition comfortably back into the community.

PILOTS Supportive Services - Assists persons with co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders in obtaining and maintaining permanent housing, increasing independent living skills, and achieving greater self-determination in his/her recovery process.  PILOTS services are flexible, based on the individual's needs, and promote substance abuse recovery tools and community resources that will assist each participant in maintaining his/her recovery. 

Supervised Housing Programs

Residential Program - A 24 hour/7 day per week program that offers independent living with the security of knowing support staff is on site if needed.  Residents reside in their own apartments and staff assists only with the portion of living that challenges the resident.  Supports include assistance with household chores and personal care, medication monitoring, social and leisure activities, shopping assistance, and a assistance with food preparation.  Residents also benefit from case management and strong family involvement.  The goal of the Residential Program is to provide a healthy living environment that encourages independence, friendship, and recovery.

 

Peer Engagement Program:  BGHS' Peer Engagement Program employs persons in recovery who assist other individuals in overcoming barriers they may experience in accessing more traditional mental health services.

Warm-Line:  This peer-run service is available to individuals who are not in crisis yet could benefit from the assistance of peers in managing day to day frustrations and difficulties. For more information about the Warm-Line, click here.

Customer Service Representatives:  This innovative service provides assistance for individuals who are just beginning to seek supports at BGHS.  Upon intake, individuals are informed about the availability of this volunteer service which provides assistance from peers who have been hired and trained as customer services representatives to help individuals negotiate the BGHS system of treatment and care, fill out initial paper work, and accompany individuals during the waiting room portion of their first visit.

 

 

Birmingham Group Health Services provides outreach services via our PATH program to homeless individuals in the Valley.  Outreach is provided to Spooner House, the local shelter, hospitals, or wherever there are homeless persons who may be in need of mental health services.  The goal of this service is to provide linage and referral information necessary to access identified services.

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Birmingham Group Health Services' Rehabilitation Services (with the exception of Employment Services) are now located at the BGHS Extension, 111 New Haven Avenue (Route 34) in Derby, CT.  For more information about any of these programs please call (203) 736-8407 or BGHS Main Headquarters at 435 East Main Street, Ansonia, CT, 06401, (203) 736-2601.