Life Options

Building Maintenance

In the Building Maintenance program students will learn a verity  of vocational skills, such as janitorial, landscaping, plant care, window cleaning, event setup and theater/auditorium maintenance, along with minor material repair. In addition, students will learn the social skills needed to be successful in the work environment. Students will be working in both team and individual job site placements throughout the building. The skills learned will provide each student with the tools to go into the workforce, secure a job and be successful in the building maintenance field, if they so choose.

Building Trades

In the Building Trades classroom students are taught the basics skills involved in carpentry, plumbing, drywall hanging and repair, painting, wallpapering, floor and wall ceramic tiling, materials assembly and repair work. Safety is always our first priority. Students are taught the safe and proper use of a variety of hand tools. They also learn the safe and accurate use of many power tools. Students learn the names of tools and materials used in building trades.

Each student progresses at his/her own pace. Adaptations and adjustments are made to meet students special needs. Students are encouraged to develop problem solving techniques. Our goal is to prepare students for employment. We help students develop meaningful skills for adult life. Students develop practical home repair and improvement skills. They work in a variety of team situations toward the completion of standard assignments and special projects.

Business Practices

In Business Practices, students develop the skills necessary to work in an office or retail environment.  Students are required to work individually and as part of a team in order to complete assignments.  In addition, they learn to operate various equipment which enables them to copy, type, sort, staple, paperclip, punch, shred, collate, hang, fold, and label materials.

  Computer & Business Technologies

In this classroom students will be taught the skills needed to feel comfortable in the modern workplace where computers and office machines are used. Each student will progress at their own pace and work is individualized to meet any special needs.  Coursework includes operation of current software programs in the area of spreadsheets, database data entry, graphic programs, photo and video editing and other computer areas as they emerge along with instruction on various office machines. A familiarity with some word processing applications will also be covered. Students will be encouraged to incorporate problem solving techniques with team building in the completion of special projects and outside job work.

  Culinary Arts:

Commercial Food Service

This program is inspected by the Wayne County Board of Health and meets all requirements of a commercial restaurant.

Commercial Baking

The Commercial Baking classroom is designed to prepare for occupations in the food service and culinary arts industry. The classroom is designed to teach the core curriculum as well as basic techniques used in the functions of a commercial bakery. Our primary focus is sanitation and safety.  Students are rotated through work stations weekly.

Commercial Catering

The Commercial Catering classroom is designed to prepare students for occupations in the food service industry.  The classroom is designed to teach the core curriculum as will as basic techniques used in the function of a commercial catering and carry out business.

The classroom is divided into work stations and the students will rotate from station to station within the classroom. Students will prepare food in larger quantities as applicable for a catering situation.

Retail Support Classroom

Community Transition

This class provides high school students with community vocational training in a variety of business for half a day, four days per week. The day that the students remain in the classroom they receive job related classroom instruction to promote community and employment success.

Job placement and follow-up services are also provided to students who are placed on "work study".

Jo Brighton has working partnerships with many of the businesses though out the Downriver area.

In the community setting, students are able to use the skills they have acquired while in the various vocational classrooms. Other skills and objectives in the community setting are maintaining occupational adjustment, adjusting to changes in employment, following employer's work policies and procedures, and demonstrating community safety. In the classroom students work on job related activities such as:

Some of the business in the Downriver community that support us, by allowing our students to "work" at their place of business are:  

Jo Brighton's Supplemental Components

This class provides students in vocational classrooms with community based vocational training and job-related classroom instruction and includes the "Job Club". In addition staff will support community instruction for students in the Fundamental Skills Program located at Roosevelt High School and the Adult Living Skills I class.

Job Club is a pull out program for vocational students. It focuses on the social skills which correspond to the goals and short term objectives students are working on as part of their IEPT's.    

What Exactly Is Social Skills Training?
    If our kids don't have 'em, we've got to teach 'em.  "Social skills training" is a general term for instruction conducted in (behavioral) areas that promotes more productive/positive interaction with others.  We teach social skills to students who are (at present) socially unskilled in order to promote acceptance by teachers (and other adults) and peers.  A social skills training program might include (among other things):

1. "Manners" & positive interaction with others
   -approaching others in social acceptable ways
    -how to asking for permission rather than acting impulsively
    -how to make and keep friends
    -sharing toys/materials

2. Appropriate classroom behavior
     -work habits/academic survival skills
        -listening
        -attending to task
        -following directions
        -seeking attention properly
        -accepting the consequences of one's behavior

3. Better ways to handle frustration/anger
        -counting to 10 before reacting
        -distracting oneself to a pleasurable task
        -learning an internal dialog to cool oneself down and reflect upon the best course of action   
4. Acceptable ways to resolve conflict with others
        -using words instead of physical contact
        -seeking the assistance of the teacher or conflict resolution team

P.E. and Health

Vocational Evaluation

Students who are new to the Skills Center complete a Vocational Evaluation. For most students, the evaluation is completed over a ten day period, although this varies depending on students need. The evaluation includes:

1. An extensive orientation to the Skills Center.

2. A review of the students handbook.

3. An assessment of vocational interests, skills, and abilities.

4. Situational assessments in preferred vocational classroom.

 Students enter a vocational classroom upon completion of the vocational evaluation. Placement is determent by a number of factors, but primarily by the students preference.

Support staff

Transition Coordinators

Transition is an integral component of the Jo Brighton Skills Center. Transition planning is a process used to assist student with disabilities, transition from school into adult life.  The “Individuals With Disabilities Education Act” (IDEA) law requires transition planning for all students with a disability beginning at age 16.

 The Transition Coordinators at the Jo Brighton Skills Center provide the following for students: 

• Use their knowledge of transition foundations to develop transition education, activities, and services for students, families and service providers.
• Engage in collaborative transition service delivery and utilize interagency agreements.
• Assist students and their family develop an appropriate transition plan.
• Provide case management/follow students along in the transition process.

 Each student’s Transition Plan should:  

• Have an identified course of study.
• Focus on life after school.
• Consider the student and family members as the decision makers.
• Involve of a variety of school staff.
• Involve Non–school agencies, services and community resources.
• Makes sure that the student receives instruction/exposure in social skills, career options, post secondary education, community living and use of community resources.
• Be coordinated by the school.
• Be addressed every year.
• Consider the student’s preferences and interests.
• Recommend family support systems.
• Be a cooperative effort between the student, family, employers and community agencies.

 In addition, the Transition Coordinators: 

Help to facilitate pertinent transition practices to students, parents and staff on:

• Federal/Michigan Law
• Curriculum/Best Practices
• Delivery of Transition Services
• Interagency Collaboration
• Transition Assessment and evaluation of transition services.

School Psychologist

Social Worker

Speech/Language and Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapy and speech/language services are available to the students of the Skill Center.  School-based services are designed to enhance the student's ability to fully access and be successful in the learning environment. 

Occupational therapists assist individuals to develop, recover, or maintain daily living and work skills. Occupational therapy gives people the "skills for the job of living" that are needed for independent and satisfying lives.

Speech Pathologists focus on functional communication skills.  Communication intervention targets the communication skills needed to interact and participate in home, school, community, vocational and adult living environments.

Support services may include but are not limited to direct services; discipline specific screening, evaluation, re-evaluation and related documentation; working on interventions pertaining to discipline specific areas; documentation of all intervention activities; collaborative goal and program development; implementation of programming in a variety of settings training, collaboration and monitoring of intervention strategies with members of the student’s team, including family and outside agencies where appropriate, home visits when appropriate; material, equipment, assistive technology specific to the student’s individual need.

The occupational therapist and speech pathologist may also be involved in school district issues such as curriculum design, program development, transportation, professional development, and community agency liaison and mentoring.