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Rehabilitation > Education

Supported Education

Supported Education is a program for persons with psychiatric disabilities whose college or vocational education could not start or was interrupted as a result of their psychiatric disability. Supported Education provides ongoing educational supports in an “integrated educational setting”, that is, at an educational institution which also serves non-disabled students.

Is It For Me?

If you have a psychiatric disability and you want to start or resume your education after high school, Supported Education may be appropriate for you.

What Is The Service?

Supported Education is often provided in two different ways: one that provides on-site support and one that provides mobile support. In both on-site and mobile support, students attend regular classes at the school.

For “on-site support”, staff members from the school’s Office of Disabled Student Services or from its Mental Health/Counseling Center provide support services. Staff members from community-based mental services provide “mobile support”. Such persons usually provide supported educational services to more than one educational site.

What Are The Supports and Services You Are Likely to Receive?

You will get help getting into a school. Such supports can consist of:

Pre-admission counseling such as determining the right school and choosing areas of study and courses to take
Assistance with the completion of application and financial aid forms
Help with registration
Orientation to campus buildings and school services
Assessment of learning style and study skills

Supported Education also can offer you campus-based support throughout the school year. These supports include:

Early identification of and intervention with academic difficulties
Linking you with academic supports such as tutoring and learning resources
Assistance with time management and schoolwork deadlines
Supportive counseling
Information regarding disclosing your disability
Peer support groups
Advocating with faculty for reasonable accommodations such as those described below

If your school has a contract of more than $10,000 a year with the federal government, Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act requires the school provide reasonable accommodations for your documented disability. Reasonable accommodation for a psychiatric disability can include:

Providing seating in front, by the door, to help reduce audio/visual distractions
Having someone (another student or a supported education staff member) go with you to class and sometimes stay in class with you
Permitting beverages in class to prevent dry mouth and tiredness caused by medications
Pre-arranging breaks that help you anticipate and manage anxiety, stress or extreme restlessness caused by medication
Allowing use of a tape recorder that eliminates the stress of note-taking, freeing you to attend and participate more fully in class
Getting an incomplete grade rather then a failing grade if you have to withdraw from class due to a psychiatric hospitalization or crisis
Changing test formats

If you don't feel you're getting the accommodations you need, you can file a complaint under Section 503 by contacting the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs at 212-219-9423 (voice and teletypesetter).

What Is Available in Westchester County?

Purchase College has a collaboration with The Guidance Center, a mental health agency in Westchester, to offer supported education assistance to students on campus who have a psychiatric disability. To get more information contact:

Counseling Center
Division of Student Affairs
State University of New York at Purchase
735 Anderson Hill Road
Purchase, NY 10577
914-251-6390

Westchester County Community College has disability support services for their students but not a specific Supported Education program targeted to individuals with psychiatric disabilities. Their sevices for students with disabilities include:

Supportive counseling
Needs assessment and development of learning strategies
Coping and organizing skills

For more information contact:

Westchester Community College
Services for Students with Disabilities
Valhalla, NY 10595-1698
914-785-6552

You can also receive other types of educational assistance and reasonable accommodations at other local colleges and vocational training centers by contacting their Mental Health/Counseling center or their Office of Disabled Student Services.

Is There A Cost?

There is no cost to access supported education services.

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