East Bay Career Academy

Referral and Admission Process

Full admission and 45 day assessment admission

Referral Philosophy

The referral procedure is streamlined to make the process as easy as possible.  For the student to have a good start, it is essential that every item, including interviews, be completed.  This is an ideal time for the student, parents and school districts to give important information that will help insure success.

Entrance criteria

The Academy is open to any student 14 years and older[1] who is experiencing documented social, emotional, and/or behavioral problems that significantly affect academic performance and social adjustment and may consist of:

Learning, cognitive or neuropsychological disabilities.

DSM IV Axis I Diagnoses, including:

ADH disorders.

Mood disorders.

Anxiety disorders.

Pervasive passive resistive behavior resulting in non-compliance or non-completion of work.

Oppositional defiant behavior including:

Tardiness.

Truancy.

Failure to follow other rules.

Withdrawal behavior resulting in social impairment.

Assaultive and other zero tolerance offenses.[2]

Initial referral

Referrals are accepted from personnel who are approved by the sending school district (or Local Educational Agency—LEA) to make such referrals.  Typically, this is the director of special education.

Referrals must be accompanied by appropriate documentation and are made to the Director.  These documents are:

Completed referral form.

Signed release by parent or guardian to obtain educational, psychological, medical and drug treatment/assessment records.

Signed consent by parents for child to participate in individual and group counseling/psychotherapy.

Applicable evaluations and reports completed within the past 3 years, including:

Individual Educational Plan/504 Plan.

Psychological evaluation/Neuro-psychological/ and/or Psychiatric Evaluation.

Occupational therapy evaluation.

Vocational interest testing /Vocational evaluations.

Physical therapy evaluation.

Speech/language evaluation.

Social history.

Medical history.

Multi-Disciplinary Team Summary/Teacher Evaluation.

Educational Evaluation.

Acceptance:

The following must occur prior to acceptance of the student by EBCA.

Parent/student interview with the EBCA director and the EBCA psychologist.

Formal financial arrangements made by the LEA designee empowered to do so.

Post acceptance procedure:

Regular admissions start with a 30-day probationary period.  For all admissions, the referring designee must be readily available for consultation with the Academy director and the academy psychologist during the probationary period.