Our Adult Services Program opened in 2015 and provides continuing support for young adults who have completed a school program. Enrollment is open to individuals with evidence of cognitive disability of any race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, or socioeconomic background.
The program currently serves 26 adults from 14 towns and is a natural extension of Saint Catherine Academy, which was established in 1999. Like the Academy, an individualized, comprehensive approach is taken with each participant. Individual schedules and goals are developed along with parents or guardians.
Our Program
- Create opportunities to participate
in community life; - Develop life skills competencies foster a safe, stimulating
environment; - Support the ability to make personal
choices for the future; - Develop and maintain relationships
with family members and friends.
Program Features
- Six-hour program, Monday through
Friday - Fully-accessible
- Technologically current
- Life skills apartment
- Gymnasium and work-out room
- Nurse onsite
- Recreational activities include bowling, music, art, cooking, and more
- Safe, suburban location
- Transportation to and from the Center available (in select locations)
Building Community
Interacting and building relationships with other young adults is a primary objective of the Adult program. From simple tasks, such as collecting the mail or cleaning up the garden for planting, to preparing a meal and packaging bakery items for Merton House, we seek opportunities for our young adults to work together, learn to depend on each other, and feel a sense of belonging.
For those who are able, volunteer work at various sites in the community provides valuable vocational experience. Under staff supervision, participants engage in such tasks as sorting clothes, working with preschoolers, shredding documents, and more.
Life Skills
Making use of our fully-equipped Life Skills apartment, each participant’s schedule includes activities of daily living (ADLs) as appropriate, from folding clothes to setting the table, emptying the dishwasher, or preparing and serving meals alongside others.
Physical recreation, such as bowling, movement, and exercise in the Therapy Room are also part of each individual’s plan.
Vocational Experience
Saint Catherine Center partners with several local businesses and organizations to provide vocational experiences for students and adult participants:
- Gilbertie’s Herb Gardens (sorting and stacking planting pots)
- Marshall’s and TJ Maxx (unpacking and sorting clothing);
- Connecticut Food Bank and Blessed Sacrament Church (sorting items for food bank);
- Home for the Brave (distribution of flyers);
- Merton House (organizing food and toiletries);
- St. Ann’s Academy (assisting preschoolers);
- Main Enterprises (shredding);
- Soda Stop (recycling bottles and cans);
- and Fairfield University and Sacred Heart University (cleaning).