Join us on Friday, September 29 and Saturday, September 30 at 8 pm for a night (or two) of laughs while supporting a GREAT facility for our kids - The John L. Gildner Regional Institute for Children and Adolescents and their families.

The John L. Gildner Regional Institute for Children and Adolescents (JLG-RICA) is a unique integration of a Montgomery County Maryland Public Special Education Day School and a State of Maryland Residential Treatment Facility. The school has approximately 100 students - all of them having an individual educational plan (IEP) for emotional disability or autism spectrum disorder. Residential treatment currently has 32 beds. All of the students are assigned to a licensed therapist (psychologist or social worker) and a board-certified psychiatrist. Therapists and psychologists are available during and after school hours. There is an on-call psychiatrist 24/7. The psychologists and social workers are considered primary therapists and provide individual, group and family therapy. Most RICA therapists are trained in cognitive behavioral and dialectical behavioral therapies or another best practice intervention. The students also have access to music, art and movement therapies. Donations of support benefit the students in a number of ways including supporting extracurricular activities such as summer enrichment and after school activities for residential students. Donations also support school supplies, summer school, clothing and shoes, just to name a few.

All graduating seniors are granted at least one college scholarship and scholarships are available for up to three years post-graduation for students enrolled in college. These scholarships are provided through the fund-raising arm of the RICA Association. I worked as a primary therapist at JLG-RICA beginning in 2006. I retired in 2021 after 21 years with the State of Maryland. RICA continues to be a “a facility for our children” and holds a very special place in my 🧡.

I currently serve as vice president of the RICA Association and teach yoga to RICA students during summer enrichment. Won’t you consider supporting RICA’s children in your giving plans!