Collegium Optimum
Program Overview
Collegium Optimum: Therapeutic Day College at Mercy University
Collegium Optimum is the first and only Therapeutic Day College in the U.S., created to fill a critical educational gap for thousands of college students nationwide who are struggling with behavioral health problems. Our mission is straightforward yet impactful: to nurture academic growth while fostering emotional resilience.
Navigating education while healing from emotional distress can be an isolating journey. Traditional colleges often lack specialized comprehensive behavioral health support, leaving students and their families to manage fragmented care while adjusting to the demands of a college program.
Mercy University's innovative program, Collegium Optimum, is designed to support students with behavioral health conditions, helping them continue their recovery while working towards a college degree.
Program Structure
Collegium Optimum combines an Onsite Therapeutic Program with an Online College Curriculum. Students attend in person 5 days per week to our location where they interact directly with our behavioral health team and from where they log in to remote college courses.
Clinical Experts
Collegium Optimum co-founder and a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Gabriel Kaplan, M.D. brings extensive experience in designing therapeutic educational programs.
He has operated several therapeutic day high schools – a combination of medical and psychosocial models alongside traditional learning. Collegium Optimum pulls on this experience to develop an effective model for college learning.
How to Apply
To ensure Collegium Optimum at Mercy University is a good fit, applicants undergo comprehensive clinical and academic assessments. To start the application process, students or family should contact Dr. Gabriel Kaplan at (201) 280-2991 or drgkaplan@gmail.com. The initial discussion will establish eligibility and determine if Collegium Optimum is an appropriate resource. Following the initial discussions, students will need to complete several steps to apply for the program.
In person interviews will be scheduled at Mercy's Manhattan Campus for a clinical assessment.
The Mercy University comprehensive behavioral health assessment is used to confirm if sufficient stability and recovery progress have been achieved to make Collegium Optimum the right choice for a student to be successful working toward their degree. Active participation from both the applicant and their family is essential.
Collected information includes:
- Student's perspective on their situation
- Family's perspective on the student's situation
- Current and previous psychiatric and medical records
Once Dr. Kaplan, the student, and the family agree that Collegium Optimum is the best option, the applicant can begin the Mercy University academic assessment which can be started online.
Successful completion of both clinical and academic evaluations qualifies the applicant to continue the admissions process.
At this point, we will be able to provide comprehensive financial information regarding program costs, as well as administrative regulations, so that you can proceed with enrollment into Mercy University's Collegium Optimum program.
Prior to starting the program, Collegium's multidisciplinary team will meet with the student and family to develop a Student Therapeutic Educational Plan (STEP). This essential document outlines individualized goals, objectives, methods, time frames, and expected outcomes.
After this final step you are ready to begin the program.
Contact Us
Reach out to Dr. Gabriel Kaplan with any questions about the program or application process: drgkaplan@gmail.com or (201) 280-2991
Rolling Admissions
Collegium Optimum provides enrollment flexibility, allowing qualified applicants to begin at any point throughout the year to best support their needs.
Program Costs
The Collegium Optimum program is estimated to cost $9,500 per month, which includes both academic and medical services. Financial aid could be available to help cover tuition costs. Additionally, students may be able to offset some of the clinical component costs using out-of-network health insurance support.
FAQs
Collegium Optimum is a blend of college-level education combined with tailored behavioral health support. The program is designed to propel students who are recovering from emotional distress towards academic success.
The Therapeutic Day College model used in Collegium Optimum, was created for college-level students who have faced hurdles in initiating or continuing their education due to psychological or psychiatric distress.
Throughout the program students will participate in remote learning. By attending online courses and fulfilling degree-specific assignments, students earn credits and work toward earning their degree.
Services offered by the program include:
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NeuroPsychiatric Evaluation
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Medication Management
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Individual Psychotherapy
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Group and Family Psychotherapy
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Individual Educational Coaching
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Academic/Career Advising
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Therapeutic Educational Plan
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Joint University and Therapeutic Program
Students come to our facility five times per week where they take credit earning classes online while working on site with our expert team of behavioral health and educational professionals.
Our supportive environment, coupled with behavioral services, fosters both educational and emotional progress.
Each student progresses through the program at their own pace. The length of stay varies based on their individual progress, spanning from several months to an extended period.
Contact Us
Reach to Dr. Gabriel Kaplan with any questions about the program or application process:
drgkaplan@gmail.com or (201) 280-2991