Transition fair for parents, caregivers on Friday

The Phoenix Center is hosting a free Transition and Recreation Fair.

The event is for parents, caregivers, advocates, district case managers and child study teams—and anyone working or living with students aged 5 to 21 that may need transition and recreation services in preparation for life beyond the classroom.

The event is free, and no registration is necessary. It will be held on Friday, March 21, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at The Phoenix Center, 16 Monsignor Owens Place.

The annual fair began in 2010. Last year, it attracted more than 150 attendees and is open to school districts, parents, children and friends statewide.

Attendees will find information about support services, classes and activities, summer camps, access to potential employers and a whole host of services for both children and parents alike.

The Nutley-based Phoenix Center helps students with autism and other disabilities explore and participate in various vocational activities with an eye towards getting a job.

Students participate in experimental, supervised educational activities designed to expose them to the requirements and responsibilities of specific job titles and
to assist them in gaining employment skills and making career and educational decisions.

The school runs from 8:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. Students are bussed to the school from more than 60 towns and nine different counties in New Jersey. It’s a private non-profit school. At school students work on communication, behavior, and academics.

Tracy Hanna, currently the transition supervisor and school social worker, has been at The Phoenix Center for 31-years.

“Students are going out in the community once a week when they’re younger and more often when they’re older to utilize skills they learned,” said Hanna.

When Hanna first started at the center, she was their first clinical person, and The Phoenix Center was only two years old.

“I was doing lots of home visits, counseling kids at the school, working with the teachers every day,” she said. “This is our third location. The school keeps growing. So many students had success returning to their homes.”

There are also challenges at The Phoenix Center.

“Sometimes students get very attached to certain staff members,” said Hanna. “If the staff members leave, that taught us we need to rotate. We are always looking to promote independence as students are getting older. But I find that students get very attached. That’s a testament to how loving our staff is, but we have to keep promoting independence.”

Hanna is very excited about this year’s fair.

“We have 50 vendors from all different types of state agencies, transition and recreation services, camps, social skills programs, day programs…We have everybody,” she said. “I’m always looking to get new vendors, so our families are aware of the programs out there. It’s exciting for us. It keeps me very current. We try and represent all the counties that we serve. It’s free. It’s amazing, just learning about the different things they can do for our students. It’s a wonderful networking event for the vendors. Over the years it’s gotten easier to book the vendors. They say it’s their favorite fair of the year. We’re looking forward to a great year.”

To learn more about The Phoenix Center, visit: https://www.thephoenixcenternj.org/

  Phoenix Center