Site-based after-school Social Recreation Programs, for children & youth with physical &/or developmental challenges. Ages 7 thru 18 years.  The programs are open three days per week.  We are involved with Boy Scouts, Cubs and working on being with the Girl Scouts later this year. We participate in local events & holiday festivities.  We rode in the 2003 Hemet Christmas Parade (& have some great pictures to remember our fun filled day).  Clients are helped with homework assignments, prior to social & recreational activities.  We also provide bi-lingual and sign language.  These two programs operate on Monday, Tuesday & Thursdays. We must follow the school schedules, therefore we are closed when the school is.

In the month of August, we provide Summer Day Camp and many of our clients participate, along with other children from the community.  We go on one or two out of town day trips.  In the past we have visited, Disney Land, Sea World and other like attractions.

Our Goal is to help our clients with special needs/developmental delays into the mainstream of life.  To acquire skills needed to function fully with appropriate behaviors, within their environment and in group settings.  To help them become an active and productive citizen in the community.  The Skillbuilder’s programs have proven that this can be achieved through working closely with the client, setting goals and objectives (with each child/youth individually), along with the assistance and cooperation of their family members.  We perform an initial assessment at the time of enrollment, and a semi-annual assessment to be sure we are on the right course, and that the individual is developing with learning and social skills.

We assist our client’s in meeting their goals, through planned social & recreational activities.  Our staffs work with the clients on a 3-1 ratio, (a trained coach per three clients).  Activities are selected as a group and staff participates with the clients at all times.  We provide a weekly update on each client for his/her designated family member(s), and a monthly calendar at the beginning of each month, outlining scheduled activities.  We encourage parents to attend family support meetings that are available in the area.  UCP staffs continually encourage/request input and suggestions from the clients and their family members, on how we can better serve them through our programs, and encourage volunteerism when possible and appropriate.

There are two locations in Hemet:  1.  Bautista Creek Elementary School, Hemet.

For children ages 7 thru 12.  Located in the Activity/Cafeteria Room.  We have access to the school playgrounds and equipment, where we have many indoor and outdoor activities.  There is also a beautiful park nearby with more open spaces and available sports & play equipment.  At Skillbuilder’s, we encourage sports activities when possible, as well as art, crafts, puzzles and most of all individuality.  One day a week, usually on a Tuesday, we go out into the community on a field trip.  We are welcomed as regular customers at the local Skating Rink, Bowling Alley, newly built Hemet Library, Shooting Star Ranch, (a facility that teaches children with disabilities, horseback riding), Chuck E Cheese Pizza, and many other establishments, too many to list.  As with our clients, our community is growing leaps and bounds, with lots of new homes, commercial retail businesses and restaurants.  We celebrate client birthdays once a month, with a birthday cake, candles and a chorus of song.

2. Skillbuilder’s - Santa Fe Middle School, Devonshire Street, Hemet.

For children & youth ages 11 thru 18.  This site is located in the PAL’s facility, located on the Santa Fe Middle School grounds.  P.A.L is an acronym for Police Association League.  Monitored and supervised by volunteer policemen.  P.A.L.’s is a National Organization, helping at-risk kids/youth, by providing a site-based recreational facility. They provide a varied selection of sports equipment, such as a rock climbing wall, a boxing ring, punch bags, pinball table and a pool table. There are two separate computer/video rooms fully equipped with computers, video screens and game software, to help facilitate both homework and social playtime.  The equipment was purchased for P.A.L.’s through fundraising events organized by the local police department, as well as donations by local merchants and individuals.

Our Santa Fe site program was created to address the needs of our clients that had outgrown, both in size and age at the Bautista location.  The client’s ages range from 11 thru 18 years.  The Skillbuilder’s programs are a huge success due to the program’s mission and dedicated staff.  The clients integrate with other non-disabled youth from the community, and utilize all that P.A.L’s facility has to offer.  Our clients are welcomed and highly regarded by their peers.  UCP staff believes tolerance, patience and acceptance, are the key ingredients to teach and assist our clients reach their goals, dreams and highest potential. 

The Santa Fe location operates on the same schedule as Bautista, however, the programs are quite separate and do not integrate except for an annual or occasional festive event (as in the Christmas Parade). 

Our clients are mostly referred to us by the Inland Regional Center, a California State governed agency, which disperses payment for services provided by other agencies for developmentally disabled individuals.  Their website is: http://www.inlandrc.org.

An additional component of the Skillbuilder’s program is to provide an opportunity with transition from school to the workplace.  At this time Skillbuilder’s are working with the Hemet Unified School District, in their new transition assistance program, in which they also provide an instructional aid to accompany the individual, who wishes to be trained to become a Social/Recreational Coach.  For further information about our programs, please call our Dennis James UCP Center.