College Internship Program

The College internship program was a completely life transforming experience for me. I was a student there for two years and it was such a positive experience that it turned me from a negative person to a optimistic person with self confidence.
I came to CIP at a very different place than most of the students that go there. I was diagnosed with my Nonverbal Learning Disability when I was 20 after high school. I moved to Israel with my family entering Junior High and had received several misdiagnoses prior both in the US and in Israel before actually receiving the right diagnosis of my NVLD. I went to one of the best high schools in Israel and was in a special track for new immigrants, a little like special ed. where the Hebrew was taught in an easier Hebrew, teachers taught at a slower pace and there were other accommodations built into the system. The only problem with my class was that I was the only American in a class of 33 Russian immigrants which already compounded the NVLD and social problems that I had had since I was born, but yet did not know that I had it and so I could not build in my own accommodations in my own life. These social struggles which continued for 20 years across 2 countries, cultures, and societies finally exploded in a very serious clinical breakdown that lasted for 5 years which terminated in «La Cheim Adult Behavioral Health Services”(which I have also reviewed). At the end of this period, I came to CIP.
During my breakdown, I received a lot of intensive therapy to work on myself and family in order to get myself to a better place.
I searched out CIP myself because I got to the point where I wanted a comprehensive program that would give myself the support that I needed with the different aspects of the NVLD, support that I had never received before in my life and CIP exceeded all of my expectations. When I got there I was the oldest student there and since I was worried that I would not have much time as a student I took advantage of all the support that I could and advanced rapidly through the support system.
I was unique where I took initiative throughout my time there and so I was able to gain a lot of the support that I needed. Most students when they come to CIP aren’t at the stage where they know what type of help they need, they are willing to receive that help and they work to make sure that the support that they get makes a difference in their life.
CIP not only gave me a group of peers that I could relate to for the first time in my life but also gave me the self confidence and self esteem to know that I am special and I can do great things in the world. It also gave me some of my best friends, people who I have such a strong connection with that I know they will be lifelong friends.
CiP, however is not for everyone and is not perfect because nothing is perfect.
Even with all of my history and being completely ready for CIP, It was a very challenging experience. I had to learn how to manage my own apartment and all of the responsibilities with which that entails. I also had to learn how to have real relationships with people as opposed to all of the shallow relationships with people in my life that until CIP my life had been based on. I worked every day while I was there to improve myself in the many different areas of my life that needed improvement using the skills that the staff gave me. I’m still working to this day to improve myself.
CIP is not meant for people who do not want to be there or are not willing to accept the support that they give. They do put a lot of restrictions on you in the first year but it is mainly until they can build some trust with the student and know how much support the student really needs. Once the student gains the staff’s trust, many of the restrictions are lifted and the student receives a lot more independence. This independence can express itself in CIP staff allowing the student to carry his own debit card, do his own shopping, be released from individual cooking lessons or other areas where the student is able to advance. The staff really care about the work that they do, however if the student rebels for whatever reason and doesn’t behave responsibly and doesn’t treat the staff with respect, the staff have a much harder time treating the student with respect and in a sense start to act like surrogate parents in order to make sure that the student completes his/​her responsibilities which causes conflicts.
CIP is also a very expensive program and although there is some financial aid that they can give, it is mostly subsidized by federal money. A large portion of the student body have social security and are subsidized by the different regional centers. My parents and I had to pay completely out of pocket and although it was the best money we ever spent, it did cause me some difficulties in terms of how much support I was able to get while at CIP and my feeling of where I stood when I graduated.

My 24-​year old son is currently in his 4^th year of living at College Internship Program. I have advocated for him constantly since he was little. Well before the end of high school years arrived, I researched extensively for a good place for him to live post-​HS that would suit his needs, including facilities outside of CA, one in Monterey, and another one in the Bay area. My husband and I decided then that CIP offered the supports that our son needed at that time. (In the mid-​2000s, CIP had not yet located to the Bay area, but several years later, they started the facility in Berkeley, and a year after that they became vendorized by Regional Center of the East Bay.)
CIP has been a godsend to our family. The day our son left home to live there, it was like a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders and transferred (or at least shared) by others who had his best interests at heart. Though he has been in trouble at CIP a number of times because of his missteps and breaking the rules, and has been suspended several times as a result (and had to come home for several days at a time for the suspensions), my own sanity has been preserved largely because a whole cadre of people continuously helps him move toward adulthood.
CIP has many staff who have been in place since the start up of the Berkeley facility. That is a real plus in my mind, to lend consistency and predictability to my son’s life. That being said, as one might expect n any group of individuals working closely together, there are some staff members with whom my son gets along better than others. The things that are required of him are sometimes not his first choice of things to do (like deep clean his apartment), so he can certainly be capable of being resistant and uncooperative with res staff in particular, depending on his mood. Yet they remain friendly to him and try to encourage him at every turn.
My son has learned many life skills since living at CIP. Although he did his own laundry before starting there, staff there has reinforced this ability and added new capabilities to his repertoire. He cooks up a storm now, so much so that he could stand to lose some weight now. He has had ups and downs with roommates, and continues to struggle with social situations and certain social interactions, but he has improved so much!
The internal classes conducted by CIP staff are intended to stretch and strengthen the areas where their clients may be less than proficient. My son often misses these classes, and I wish we could discover a way to motivate him to attend more regularly. I know he would benefit greatly from them. In addition to the in-​house classes, CIP staff provides community service opportunities (like working in a soup kitchen, or cleaning up the Bay), so the students will have something to write on a resume, when they are ready to apply for a job. This piece of the program is important in teaching them to give back, as well as developing skills to work alongside others. One of the staff works with the students toward locating gainful employment, if that is one of the goals they have. (My son took classes in fits and starts at Berkeley City College, but he’s now focused on a vocational track.)
I would say that my son, before entering CIP, was fairly high functioning, but still deficient in many ways, especially socially. He has never been capable of making wise decisions on his own, and that impairment continues, though perhaps to a slightly lesser extent after 3 years at CIP. But the staff continually encourages him to think through cause and effect and to choose more wisely the next time. He has earned a few privileges at CIP, with some increased maturity under his belt.
If your child is resistant to following rules and to cooperating with the many staff members who are there to help him succeed, then this might not be the best place for him. There are curfews. There are expectations. There is a student handbook which the clients are expected to follow. I’d liken the CIP rules to what might be in place at a dormitory of a conservative boarding school or college, where not as much freedom is allowed as some of the students might want or expect. The rules are there for the students’ good. With time certain responsible behaviors warrant more trust and therefore fewer restrictions. For instance, for some time my son could not be trusted not to overspend, if he had his debit card in his wallet. After having tried unsuccessfully several times, he now carries his debit card with him and tries to maintain that important life skill of keeping a budget. (I am keeping my fingers crossed.)
The program is expensive, and I would encourage, if possible, that prospective families ensure that services from the Regional Center of the East Bay are in place before enrolling. We’ve had a great experience over 3 ½ years of providing help and encouragement to our son.

As a student of College Internship Program, I have been subjected to quite a few of their experiences.
One of these reviews said it helped, two others, written by one of the students sons’ and his mother, were extremely negative. I’m going to attempt to make this review as non-​biased and accurate as I can.
It all started out with a lie. I had no idea what to do with my life, so I met up with several staff on their campus who tried to sell me on the program. One of the people was their residential coordinator, and he, among other people, told me things that were untrue. The most prominent one I can think of is saying I could go just about anywhere on the weekends for as long as I’d like. Turns out there was a curfew. This was one of many things they’ve said. After talking with many of the students, especially the saner ones, I got confirmation I was not the only one they did this to.
So I got let in. I ended up going in very last minute, and missed orientation, so I was more unprepared than any other student. I’ve heard of the staff saying you NEED to attend orientation, and that there are a limited number of people they can let in. Given that people are let in last minute every year, such as myself, I question the truth of that.
Anyways.
The idea of the program is that they can take all your things and rights/​privileges (depending on how you define it) and build you up bit by bit. They took away everything that gave me any sort of independence, as they do to everyone else. Drove me crazy. Sooner or later, they started giving me my independence back, but it was never enough until I got out of the program.
There’s a reason some students don’t succeed at this program and others do. Many don’t try, or just flat out refuse to try. This program works best for people who have motivation to do well. They try to motivate the other students, but often the program falls flat on its face.
This program gave me friends, and skills I need to survive in the real world. I appreciate it for everything it has done for me, but if I had one piece of advice it would be this:
Make sure that your child has the motivation or want to make something out of themselves. Otherwise it’s useless and a giant money pit.
I’m giving this three stars instead of one, or five, because it is a mixed bag. The price is very high, and you should check out other options as well. That said, it was worth the money to me, and to a handful of other people in the program as well, but make sure your child is prepared for a long, uphill struggle.
It’s only worth it in the end if you start climbing the mountain in the first place.

This program is upwards of 60K a year and that doesn’t include room and board! The Director of the program in Berkeley in 2010 had serious control issues. Instead of allowing young adults to become more Independent she took away privileges (she took away their ATM cards, power cords for computers at «curfew» time and made them shop together every Sunday afternoon, even if they’d been shopping on their own for quite a while. She also took away weekend visits to friends off campus, with prior notification under the guise of safety!). We (RCEB case manager) and I tried to negotiate a lower level of services (Alex didn’t need everything they wanted him to take but that meant less money from RCEB to CIP!). RCEB and I met with them on a Friday, on Tuesday CIP called me to meet (they never said they would suspend him! FOR WHAT?!)… When I complained to their national office about the «wisdom» of the actions… the Director said Alex couldn’t be there. I know they did all of this to protect their own legal LIABILITY. They did this the day they KNEW I was leaving for India. They kept him from his personal possessions for a week (including his Orchid plants, medications, clothing and ALL of his personal property). Without his roommate’s mother, I would have had to fly home from my business trip! Their only intention was to keep Alex from stirring up trouble with other students they already had under control… (yes, he might have created mutiny by asking questions!!!). Bottom line… in this program it’s all about the MONEY, not the students they claim to serve. NO ONE from CIP ever did an exit interview with our family… I guess they don’t care. Several of the parents I know pulled their students from this program. They put my son’s life in danger by expelling him when I could not be present! For 24 hours we could not locate him… he got on a BART train and rode the system for hours trying to get rid of his stress and anxiety. If I could afford a lawyer (after paying their fees), I would have sued them… but better to just move on!

i came to CIP in july 2010. I have to Say CIP treated me horrible, they Lied to me and my mother about their being able to cater to my needs and help me in the areas that i actually needed help in. They removed all the things i had been using to be independent they robbed me of my personal Debit Card, saying «they didnt know me well enough» CIP is nothing but a control scam, if you are considering CIP i urge you not to go through with them. CIP does not Care, it has become a monopoly, a Scam to rob poor families of up to 80,000 $ a year, promising to help students in indepentent living, they make themselfs out to sound like the do all and be all of a program, this is a lie. In my case, i came into CIP really only desiring to learn indpendent living skills such as cleaning, cooking, and housekeeping, i had come from working for a grocery store for 2 years doing a fantastic job, i went out and got my own job, even though it was hard for me to go through the interviewing process, i didnt need CIP back then, for them to treat me like i was incapable of doing anything after just having finished up working 2 years at a grocery store was a total insult to my intelligence. Cip became a prison for me, they wouldnt let me leave when i wanted to, it was like they acted like my parents, but not even my parents were as crazy and power driven as they were. Im gay and came from a very homophobic living situation where it was not safe for me to return home without the presence of my mother. One week CIP decided that since i was being funded by Regional center of the east bay (my family does not have 67,000 $ to give these cold hearted basterds) they decided to put me on suspension because i couldnt wake up for their bullshit «reframing» classes due to the medication i was on. they proceeded to tell me i needed to change my medication MIND YOU THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT DOCTORS NOR DO THEY HAVE ANY QUALIFICATION OR RIGHT TO MAKE THAT STATEMENT. They kicked me out on the streets for a week, my mother was traveling to india the day that they kicked me out on the streets, i had no where to go, no clothes (they had all my things in THIER APARTMENT THEY WE WERE PAYING RENT ON, YES YOU DONT OWN ANYTHING!) they would not allow me access to my belongings the entire week, changed the locks on my apartment to bar me from entering to get my things. They treated me like i was some kind of psycho telling the other students to avoid me and report me to one of the staff if they saw me. I came back early one morning after they kicked me out, and i told them dead serious «i have no place that is safe to go» they proceeded to tell me that i couldnt be there and that they would call the Berkeley police on me, Sitting there sobbing, not having been able to even shower the day before, or have access to a change of clothes. The previous program director Janet was probably the most deranged psycho dangerous lady ive ever met, She told me i couldnt be there that morning and to leave and i yelled at her and told her i would not leave UNTIL THEY RELINQUISHED MY MEDICATIONS TO ME, as i could not go another day without them or would suffer from dangerous withdraw symptoms, she then said in a very rude manner that i should come to their office across the street. When they told me and my mother i was getting suspended for a week from the program Janet did not inform my mother until the moment she also informed me that i was going to be homeless that night, DO YOU KNOW WHAT ITS LIKE FOR A PERSON WITH ASPERGERS TO FEEL HOMELESS WHAT WAS I GOING TO DO, SLEEP AT A BUS SHELTER IN BERKELEY? THEY PUT MY LIFE IN DANGER AND THEY HAVE A DUTY OF CARE FOR YOUR CHILDREN! So anyways she brings me into their office across the street and told me to wait, next thing i know 3 berkeley Police officers show up, She Called a 5150 on me, a 5150 is the police code for someone who is basically crazy, and a danger to others. Now let me tell you, i might have aspergers but im not suicidal nor have i ever been, they took what i said about being stuck in their program and fashioned it to seem like i was suicidal by twisting my words, i Sat in their office with the student advisor Jen, she was heartless and just sat there watching what she damn well knew was wrong transpire, janet was also there as was Ken, STAY AWAY FROM KEN. Berkeley police say i dont look crazy i sit there sobbing going OF COURSE IM NOT CRAZY, im UPSET BECAUSE IM HOMELESS for the next week and dont have any place safe to stay! PLEASE AVOID CIP no one deserves to be treated like i was, Theres a nice warm place in hell for people who pray on Kids with disabilities trying to exploit them for thousands! many kids who started with me left the program because it couldn’t deliver what it promised. Please avoid CIP! theres better options some place in mountain view i heard from one of the other moms. Theres a nice warm spot in hell for people who exploit kids with disabilities in order to make a profit. God bless!

My son had a very positive experience at CIP’s program in Berkeley.
Diagnosed with Asperger’s as a teenager, he was not motivated to attend college or do much of anything following high school. After enrolling at CIP Berkeley, he began to improve. Initially, he spent a great deal of time in his apartment and isolated himself. But since he was a rule follower, he attended all of the required classes that were scheduled for him at CIP including instruction in social skills, independent living, and life skills. He gradually became more competent in all of these areas. He began to emerge from his apartment and gain a renewed interest in continuing his education.
With the encouragement of CIP staff, he enrolled in a class at local community college. Thanks to the continued support of his advisor, therapist and social mentor, he began to embrace his college experience and finished the semester with an A in the class. He also began participating in social events that were organized for him and worked at an internship nearby.
After attending CIP, my son decided he was ready to attend a four year college. Although he still struggles to make new friends, he is now living independently at college and recently made the President’s honor roll. He is no longer depressed and hopes to graduate next year. If he had not attended CIP, my son could easily still be sitting alone in his room at home. It was a huge turning point for him.
I was so pleased with the progress my son made at CIP, that I applied for a job to help them with their marketing efforts. I’m now working for CIP to help spread the word about their unique programs around the country.