PUEBLO, Colo. (KOAA) — A new day treatment program in Pueblo is aiming to help students who struggle in traditional classrooms by combining education and mental health services, giving students and families an option closer to home.
For nearly 14 years, Pueblo students who needed specialized education and behavioral health support had to leave their community to get it. Now, after eight years of planning, the new day treatment program is bringing those services back to Pueblo.
See the full story from Pueblo reporter Owen Skornik-Hayes in the video below
Shiloh Academy of Pueblo, a branch of the certified 501(c)(3) Shiloh House, will serve students from school districts 60 and 70 who struggle in traditional classroom settings.
The program combines individualized instruction and academic support with therapy, counseling, and social skills development.
Molly Ramirez, deputy CEO of Shiloh House, said the change could make a real difference for students already navigating mental health challenges.
“The best way to serve a child and their family is in their own community”, she says. “Being on a bus for two hours a day to receive necessary and vital support isn't the best way to serve them.”
The program is starting small, with two classrooms, but organizers hope to eventually expand services across southern Colorado.
Michael Botello with the Pueblo County Collaborative Management Program said getting here took years of partnerships and persistence.
“There were times in the past eight years we didn't think this day would happen.”
The goal is to help students succeed academically, address their mental health needs and, when possible, return to a traditional school setting. Organizers say the program could begin serving students in the coming weeks, pending final approvals.
The school is located at 1000 Minnequa Avenue.
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