Developmental Rehabilitation Program

Our Developmental Rehabilitation program is tailored for participants needing personalized attention. The program operates in a smaller group setting with a higher staff-to-participant ratio, ensuring more training and support.

The classroom-based environment offers diverse skills training and activities, including:

• Independent Living Skills Development
• Sensory Motor Skills
• Gross and Fine Motor Skills
• Community Integration
• Reading & Writing Comprehension
• Arts and Crafts
• Music
• Computer Training
• Horticulture program

Our goal is to provide a nurturing and stimulating environment where participants can thrive and develop essential life skills.

Vocational Transitional Services (VTS) Program

The Douglas Center’s Vocational Transitional Services (VTS) program offers participants opportunities focused on developing essential independent living skills, community integration, and specialized structure for vocational skills training. Conducted in a supportive, smaller group environment with a high staff-to-participant ratio, our program ensures personalized attention and guidance.

Through VTS, participants build self-confidence, self-worth, and autonomy, fostering growth that positively impacts all areas of their lives. The ultimate goal of our VTS program is to prepare participants for a seamless integration into our work center, gradually equipping them with the skills and confidence needed for successful transition.

Work Center Program

The Work Center program is our largest and most diverse unit, accommodating participants with a wide range of abilities. As our second most independent unit, it is dedicated to fostering independence and work readiness.

Our goal is to help participants establish a work history, improve work tolerance, and enhance communication skills. Through advocacy, community integration via volunteering, life skills training, and engaging activities, we aim to support participants in pursuing meaningful career paths or discovering new passions within the community.

Sewing Unit

The Sewing unit at The Douglas Center offers comprehensive machine sewing training and employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. Participants learn a variety of tasks, including sewing, ironing, measuring, folding, labeling, and tagging. This unit replicates a community job environment within the supportive framework of The Douglas Center.

Through this program, participants gain valuable skills, earn a consistent paycheck, and build the confidence needed to secure and maintain employment in the community. The Sewing unit holds a partnership with the Ability One program and has sewing contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) and the private sector.

Employment Training

Our employment programs are designed to empower participants by providing comprehensive training and real-world experience. Through structured curriculum and hands-on practice, we help individuals develop the skills and confidence needed to achieve competitive employment.

Employment Training Group: The Employment Training Group meets multiple times a week to help develop skills for those seeking competitive employment. This group focuses on resume development, interview skills, job application processes, and more. The goal is to empower participants to confidently apply for and secure employment independently.

Employment Training Units: We offer three specialized job training units: hospitality skills training, retail skills training, and office skills training. These units provide targeted skill development over a 12-week course, culminating in a certification of completion and skill mastery, which can be added to participants’ resumes. For those not pursuing careers in these fields, the training still offers valuable skills for Independent Activities of Daily Living (I/ADLs). This program is available only to active applicants and is not a drop-in program.

• Hospitality Unit: Provides training in basic housekeeping skills, including cleaning rooms, surfaces, and objects; bed making; dusting; organization; vacuuming; equipment and cleaning product use; and folding clothes.
• Office Unit: Provides training in basic office skills, including organizational skills; basic computer literacy; phone answering; copying, printing, and faxing; paper shredding; time management; sorting and filing; and mail handling.
• Retail Unit: Provides training in basic retail skills, including stocking and facing shelves; bagging; cashiering fundamentals; customer service; cleaning and maintenance; inventory management; reading labels for healthy eating choices; and pricing.

Volunteering in the Community: To complement the training programs, participants volunteer in the community, applying their skills in real-world settings. Volunteer opportunities include working at the Niles Food Pantry, Touched by an Animal (Cat Shelter), Niles Township Community Clothing Closet and the Skokie Library Book Delivery program. These experiences help reinforce the skills learned in our training units and provide valuable community engagement.

Volunteering and
Community Integration

At The Douglas Center, giving back to the community is paramount. Our participants engage in meaningful volunteer activities that enrich their lives, teaching them work skills that will also benefit others in the community.

Currently, participants volunteer in several impactful programs:

• Skokie Library Homebound Delivery Program: Delivering books to avid readers who may have difficulty accessing the library.
• Niles Food Pantry: Organizing, stocking shelves, and ensuring a clean environment to support local families in need.
• Touched by an Animal: Provides training in basic retail skills, including stocking and facing shelves; bagging; cashiering fundamentals; customer service; cleaning and maintenance; inventory management; reading labels for healthy eating choices; and pricing.
• Lauth Park: Cleaning and mulching Lauth Park in the Skokie Adopt-A-Park program

Additionally, our participants benefit from 3 to 4 community outings each week. These outings include recreational visits to parks, social activities such as dining out and mall visits, and educational trips to museums and farms. These experiences not only enhance socialization skills but also integrate our participants more deeply into the community, broadening their life experiences.

All outings are supervised by our dedicated staff to ensure safety and support throughout these enriching activities.

“High Five” Outdoor
Recreation Area

The “High Fives” outdoor adapted recreation area is designed to enhance the overall health and well-being of our participants. Under staff supervision, this versatile space is used for various activities including recreation, sports to improve hand-eye coordination, exercise, gardening, emotional regulation, respite, fresh air, and socialization.

The area features a variety of activities such as basketball, tennis, volleyball, badminton, tetherball, and beanbag throw, providing diverse options for participants to stay active and engaged.

All program units are assigned specific days to ensure everyone has the opportunity to benefit from the area. Additionally, participants can access the “High Fives” area upon request, providing a flexible and supportive environment for personal growth and enjoyment.

Multi-Sensory
Therapy Room

The Multi-Sensory Therapy room is equipped with state-of-the-art technology that uses lights, sounds, smells, and touch to create a relaxing environment. This specialized equipment has proven effective in reducing maladaptive behaviors such as self-injury, agitation, and aggression.

The therapy room promotes relaxation, self-regulation, problem-solving, self-reflection, and self-empowerment, helping participants manage their emotions more effectively. Participants can interact with the equipment in small groups or on a one-on-one basis, with the support and assistance of staff.

This program is made possible by generous grants from The Coleman Foundation.

“Art From the Heart”
Creations

Our “Art From the Heart” Creations program offers participants hands-on artistic experiences, allowing them to design and create various works, including mosaic art. This program provides participants with the opportunity to express themselves and produce artwork that is sold in our gallery and showcased throughout the community.

By exploring a variety of art mediums, we inspire our participants to discover and develop their artistic talents. The community can enjoy and appreciate these unique creations. Our artists take great pride in their work, gaining a sense of purpose and self-confidence when their artistic achievements are valued and celebrated by the community.

Horticulture

With an on-site greenhouse and outdoor garden, along with a partnership with The Talking Farm, a Skokie Park District Program, our Horticulture program places a strong emphasis on the value of nature. These resources enable us to teach participants essential gardening skills, including planting, seeding, growing, maintenance, and harvesting, as well as fostering collaboration.

Our gardening activities are often integrated with our art program, creating a unique blend of creativity and horticulture. Additionally, some of the food we grow is donated to the Niles Food Pantry, and some of the flowers are used in our Flowers from the Heart program.

Through these efforts, participants not only learn valuable skills but also contribute to the community, enhancing their sense of purpose and connection to nature.

Flowers

The Douglas Center’s Flowers from the Heart program offers participants the opportunity to create beautiful floral arrangements and personally deliver surprise moments of cheer and gratitude to residents of local nursing homes, assisted living & rehabilitation facilities and to our community partners including police and fire departments, libraries, legislators, etc.

Each week The Douglas Center rescues slightly spent blooms from local businesses and retailers, for the purpose of recycling them. Additionally, participants have begun growing and harvesting their own flowers at The Talking Farm to be used in the Flowers from the Heart arrangements. Our participants work to clean and prep the recycled flowers and transform them into stunning floral arrangements. Each arrangement carries a card that contains the name of the business that donated the flowers and The Douglas Center program participant that created it.

Once completed, participants load up our van with their beautiful “Flowers from the Heart” arrangements and set out to personally deliver them to the delighted recipients! The JOY these flowers bring is priceless!