Who We Serve
The Healthy Transitions Initiative (HTI) serves individuals ages 16-25 with serious mental illness or emotional disturbance. We accept all diagnoses, most commonly bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, and ADHD.
Our Approach
At Healthy Transitions Initiative, we aim to help young people living with mental illness learn to navigate social situations, successfully perform activities of daily life, and gain skills of independent living.
The goals of Healthy Transitions Initiative are to provide youth and families opportunities to experience a higher quality of life while gaining the ability to feel empowered, confident, and able to advocate for themselves and others as they transition to independent living.
What Does the Program Teach?
Depending on the needs of the individual participant, we outline goals to pursue through the program. For example, some participants have worked to apply for FAFSA, go to college, get a job, and more.
Healthy Transitions Initiative can provide:
- Soft skills for employment, including interview skills, how to dress, how to fill out applications, and more
- Conversation and socialization classes
- Cooking skills-building classes
- Budgeting skills-building classes
- Apartment hunting skills-building classes
- Cleaning skills-building classes
- Group outings to work on socialization
Group activities have included going to the movies, going bowling, going to Greenbrier State Park, going to the mall, walking around the fairgrounds, and more. Through these outings, program participants have the opportunity to work on the life skills they have learned in real life situations. They can interact with others their own age and practice socialization skills.
How to Refer and Get Enrolled
We accept referrals from schools, local hospitals, patient doctors, the Sheppard Pratt mobile crisis team, and more. To self-refer, contact program director Terry Gantz at 240-500-4415.
If Medicaid coverage is not available, we can also accept participants without coverage through grant funding.
What Can a Participant Expect?
After a participant’s referral is processed, they meet with program staff to enroll. Staff take a full history and create an individual rehabilitation plan with the participant, identifying their personal and practical goals. Healthy Transitions Initiative also connects program participants to resources for treatment and therapy if needed.
Each participant will meet twice weekly for a half hour or more with staff and their individual program facilitator to review their goals and rehabilitation plan.
While there is no set schedule for group outings, Healthy Transitions Initiative staff works to arrange at least one outing each month. Activities are dependent on the desire of the group and what is available.
Healthy Transitions Initiative can provide transportation to all group outings and can provide transportation to the program facility if needed. Healthy Transitions Initiative staff can also come to a program participant’s home to work with them if necessary.
How can I contact Healthy Transitions Initiative?
For questions or to get enrolled in the program, contact program director Terry Gantz at 240-500-4415 or Terry.Gantz@Sheppardpratt.org.
Referral forms can also be faxed to this number or emailed to Terry Gantz directly.