Introducing the New Life Skills Village Center for Brain Injury Rehabilitation

​In the summer of 2011, Life Skills Village opened its doors with a mandate to revolutionize the neuro rehabilitation business. Our guiding principles emphasized helping people with brain injuries achieve a life of quality, purpose and fulfillment by regaining their independence.  We began by treating them with dignity and providing opportunities to return to an independent lifestyle.  Our transdisciplinary approach helped clients maintain focus on personal and social goals while guiding them successfully into the community. We adhered to evidence-based therapies and purposeful activities, so our clients could achieve positive functional outcomes.  The Village environment allowed our clients to restore cognitive skills, self-regulate behaviors and improve overall independence in a supported, functional setting.  Thanks to our talented clinical team, the many compassionate providers who partnered with us and our clients who worked so hard every day, we have more than a few success stories. On December 28th, we expect those success stories to multiply exponentially as Life Skills Village moves into a new, centrally-located and state-of-the-art 10,000 neuro rehab treatment center in Oak Park, Michigan.
              The new Village vastly expands therapeutic opportunities for clients. Like our first Village, this will literally be a “community within the community,” a supported environment built to be both rehabilitative and social.  But that’s where the similarities end.  The cumulative experience and creativity of our therapists, administrators and clients have added up to a singularly unique treatment center that provides an unrivaled array of therapies and services to a much larger client population. From creating an inviting space that promotes socialization to organizing a micro-business incubator for clients to offering extracurricular social programs and therapies – the new Life Skills Village Treatment Center for TBI is designed to accelerate and intensify neuro rehab and recovery.
              So what can Life Skills Village clients expect in January?
              The outpatient community reintegration day program will function much as before – utilizing behaviorally-based therapies augmented by opportunities for clients to achieve their individual goals, develop and expand their knowledge base, hone their living skills and practice their social skills.  Didactic sessions will continue to emphasize therapy for the client’s whole life: the mind, the body, social relationships and life in the community.
              Concentrating on community reintegration, vocational development, socialization and reducing counterproductive behaviors, the new Village functions both individually for clients and collectively as a supported community. For example, a client with vocational goals may focus on reducing behaviors that prevent community integration, acquiring computer skills in the Library, practice customer service skills in the Village Market, receive psychological counseling and attend didactic sessions with other clients. Another client, with different vocational goals, might focus on developing a microbusiness in “Nine-to-Five,” the Village micro-business incubator and, afterwards, savor a lunch prepared by other clients in the Village Bistro or catch a movie in the client-run theater. 
              People with brain injuries who are not members of our day program are encouraged to spend a complimentary guest day at the Village to gauge their interest in our intensive neuro rehab program. They may also participate in individual therapies or other activities.
              The Village will be open and available for clients to use both for treatment as a community within the community environment that includes:

• The Village Bistro is a mini-working restaurant where clients can train in nutrition, meal preparation and customer service while providing lunch to clients and staff.
• The Theater (soon to be dedicated) is a comfortable setting for clients to watch inspirational movies and maybe a few blockbusters too.  Meanwhile, other clients will staff the theater and concessions – to operate the theater just like any other.
• The ExerLife Studio will be used to actively promote client cognition through adaptive yoga, guided mindful meditation, tai chi and other adaptive physical activities.  We will also offer related classes at other times of the day for clients who aren’t part of our day program.
• The Library gives clients access to the latest technology to take a wide variety of classes, research career and recreational options, prepare resumes, investigate microbusiness opportunities and just about anything else that is both goal-oriented and purposeful. This space will be equipped with everything needed to launch a website, publish a short book, create supporting materials for presentations and accomplish other creative endeavors. This is where clients can prepare to bring their ideas to life.
• Nine-to-Five is our micro-business incubator.  Clients who want to launch a business can start here and work together with vocational and occupational therapists to create an income-generating business. Life Skills Village provides guidance every step of the way and even multiple sales channels.
• The Village Market is the community’s convenience store and offers everything on its shelves from healthy snacks and sundry items to products made by our clients. Much like the Sav-On in our former treatment center, the Village Market provides numerous therapeutic opportunities too.
• When it’s time to change gears and relax, we offer Hang Time…a rec room where every activity is backed by evidence to aid in the rehabilitation process.  Plus, who doesn’t enjoy a game of Wii tennis or billiards in real life?

At the end of the day, clients will have the opportunity to remain in the Village to participate in a plethora of therapeutic activities that reinforce current treatments and even open the door to new concepts in therapies.  While the schedule of activities will grow and diversify organically, clients can complement their therapies or improve on their living skills by joining a brain injury support group, participating in a book club, taking a cooking class, learning mindfulness meditation or engaging in social programs.
              The new Village will be open from 9am to 5pm for clients to attend individual therapies, events and even spend the day for respite.  The outpatient day program will stay at the usual 12:30 - 4:30pm time.  To accommodate the longer hours while continuing to provide respite and “mobile” therapy to clients, we have hired several new clinicians.
              Beyond the day program, clients can participate in numerous extracurricular activities intended to reinforce existing therapies or function independently.  These activities include:

• Art therapy
• Music therapy
• Social programs
• Study preparation (for high school and college)
• Photography class
• Book club
• Community mobility training
• Support groups

Life Skills Village is thrilled to expand our offerings to current clients as well as to the many more coming in the future.  The new Village will continue to evolve through the latest, evidence-based therapies and the creativity of our team, our clients and everyone else with an interest in promoting effective neuro rehabilitation.
              Ready to see the new Life Skills Village for yourself? Schedule a tour today!