The Day Habilitation Program

Our mission is to provide an environment that fosters peer support and skill development, which are critical to mental health recovery. We help people with mental illness find their passions and a place in the community.

*All Friday outings are subject to change based on weather conditions.

*If groups are canceled for Weather/Health/Emergency reasons, you will be contacted by 8:00 am. Please make sure staff has your current phone number. 

Program Descriptions

Life Skills: The goal of this activity is to support and reinforce participants’ ability to adapt to all kinds of circumstances and succeed in every aspect of their lives, which may include assisting participants in learning how to manage work, family, relationships and daily interactions successfully.

Groups Games are important for personal development. Examples are Bingo, board games, number games, card games and musical chairs: The goal of this activity is to increase clients' motivation and interaction with their peers.

Exercise: Nothing is better to improve overall health. Yoga, stretching and other fun-fitness activities in a supportive environment will help you feel better physically and mentally about yourself!

Enhanced Focus on Goals: Participants sit alongside their peers and staff members while working on their own individual goals.  Address challenge areas, need additional supports from staff or peers, or just to spend some extra time on daily goals.  Goals are specifically designed to help build strengths in the areas that the individual, alongside their support team, desires to improve.

Presentation: Participant’s practice speaking and interacting with peers.  The goal of this activity is to create a learning opportunity regarding topics like mental health, self-confidence, communication, motivation, and the like. With guidance, clients will also teach their peers different topics of their choice.

Cooking: A popular and fun-filled atmosphere in which participants learn basic cooking skills, how to follow a recipe, and are hands-on in preparing a variety of healthy meals that can then be replicated and enjoyed at home.  Different cuisines and cultures are explored each week with suggestions welcome!   

Arts and Crafts: A variety of arts and crafts activities are available such as painting, drawing, knitting, working with clay, writing…  almost the limit of your imagination.  Some are multi-week-long or longer projects.  A primary goal of this activity is to improve participants' creativity and self-confidence. 

Basic Computer Skills are essential for participation in many aspects of modern society.  Having the equipment, knowledge, Wi-Fi service and awareness of resources are among the needs in order to ‘get connected’. Broadening a person’s world to gain access to information, to communicate, and to connect with other activities in the local neighborhood or across the world are outcomes participants will learn and experience.

Journaling: This activity works to improve participants’ writing skills which helps reduce stress and anxiety and tracks progress and growth. 

Community Outings: A very popular activity in which participants visit various places across Iowa City, Eastern Iowa and surrounding areas to increase community experiences, inclusion and integration. Dubuque River Museum, Tanager Place, mall walking, water parks, exploring the Devonian Fossil Gorge, and many others are experiences participants can expect.