Carter Center for Educational Excellence Opens Soon
Carter Center for Educational Excellence Opens Soon
July 18, 2019
Area youth with special education and mental health needs will have a bright new start to the 2019-2020 school year thanks to the opening of The Child Focus, Inc. Carter Center for Educational Excellence in Union Township, Ohio.
In 2018, Child Focus undertook a community-wide search to locate a new facility to accommodate pre-school and school-age youth who have special education and mental health needs. Early in 2019, Child Focus signed a contract with Union Township Trustees for the purchase and renovation of the former Glen Este High School located in Clermont County, Ohio.
“We are ecstatic to be able to continue providing exceptional care and specialized programming for area students who have behavioral health, autism spectrum and other developmental disabilities. The Carter Center with its centralized location, offers fantastic accessibility to students, families and school districts in Southwest Ohio,” says Pamela Lindeman, CEO of Child Focus. “It has been our dream to be able to provide our most deserving youth with a permanent school of their own where they can learn and grow. The Carter Center is designed with a focus on serving youth with significant learning differences and utilizing strategies to best address students’ needs, abilities and capabilities which includes therapeutic and adaptive technologies, sensory rooms, a gymnasium, cafetorium, outdoor playground and garden space. Students will have access to exceptional behavioral health treatment and educational services which will support them to develop skills to live life fully and with confidence.”
Child Focus renamed the former Glen Este High School, “The Carter Center for Educational Excellence”, in homage to its recently retired CEO, Jim Carter. This facility will house Child Focus’ day treatment programs as well as programs from the Clermont County Educational Service Center.
Child Focus has operated Wasserman Youth & Adolescent Center (WYAC), a day treatment program for school-aged children (6-19), since 1995 and currently supports 13 school districts across Brown, Clermont, Highland and Clinton Counties. An early childhood day treatment program for young children ages 3-6 was the most recent service expansion in 2015. The specialized day treatment programs provide students with special needs a critical link in the school-based service continuum across the region. The new 64,000 sq. ft. Carter Center which sits on 8 acres in Union Township will serve more than 100 students as well as their parents, caregivers and community members. The spacious newly renovated facility will offer great new opportunity for growth and expansion of mental health and educational programming in the years to come.
An Open House & Mental Health Summit will be held on Friday, August 16 from 12-3. The Open House (12pm-2pm) will feature a Clermont County Chamber of Commerce Ribbon Cutting at 12, light lunch fare and tours. The Mental Health Summit (2pm-3pm) will include Opening Remarks from Child Focus CEO Pamela Lindeman, Mental Health & Recovery Board Directors Karen Scherra (Clermont) and Deanna Vietze (Brown) and Susan Graham, Child Focus Director of Education Liaisons and discussion on the mental health system of care, needs assessment, Governor’s budget and recommendations. To rsvp by Aug. 7, click here: https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?oeidk=a07egh2ra6nd5d91efa&oseq=&c=&ch=
The Carter Center is located at 4286 Wuebold Lane and will follow the West Clermont school schedule, starting on August 28. For additional information about The Carter Center or its programs, school districts may contact Dr. Laura Stith at Child Focus, Inc. 513.752.1555. Child Focus will hold two open houses for current students and their families on August 22 and August 26. Please contact info@child-focus.org for more information.
Child Focus serves over 20,000 children and adults annually through early learning, mental health and foster care. For more information, to rsvp or to donate go to www.child-focus.org.