The Discovery Health Center is a 27,000 square foot NYS Department of Health certified Article 28 Clinic. It offers residents of The Center and hundreds of individuals from the larger community a broad range of outpatient services. It is the first healthcare facility in the world to receive the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification.
Milligan Hill is home to The Center’s Equine program. Set in an Amish style barn and large indoor riding arena, the program enables multiple clinical disciplines with the aid of specially trained horses to provide recreational horseback riding with therapeutic benefits. Students at The Center participate in the care of the horses, from grooming to feeding, along with other farm related work.
Home to two school programs, a dozen residences, and our staff daycare program, the South campus is where the foundation of health and learning is built for many students. Some of our earliest buildings here highlight our remarkable growth over the past four decades.
Michael Ritchie Big Barn Center for Environmental Health and Education
The Michael Ritchie Big Barn is devoted to exploring the interconnections between the environment, nutrition, education and human health. Located at The Center’s 300 acre Stonewall Preserve Farm, the Big Barn is a model for universal design and sustainable living, with Platinum level Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. The Michael Ritchie Big Barn was made possible in part by a generous gift from Michael and Nelly Arougheti, and is named in memory of renowned film director, Michael Ritchie.
Serving as the nexus for some of The Center for Discovery’s most innovative initiatives, the Big Barn houses and brings together the following programs and capabilities:
- The Big Barn Discovery School which provides improved interventions for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders and other disabilities. It is an innovative partnership with leading researchers from world-renowned universities and hospitals working to improve response and intervention.
- The DaVinci Project in bio-dynamic farming and food production.
- The Community Building Project which develops new, sustainable models of care for individuals with a range of physical and intellectual disabilities throughout the lifespan, as well as related efforts to contribute to the revitalization of the historic town of Hurleyville.
The Center has developed and implemented a dynamic model of care for the four seven-bed Intermediate Care Facilities (ICFs) that comprise our LIFE Center. This new model features enhanced therapeutic interventions provided by a team of highly skilled specialists and support staff, including recreation, music, dance, and horticulture therapists, for adults with complex medical frailties.
The Ridge was New York State’s first specially-designed campus to meet the unique environmental and sensory needs of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Home to The Center’s Sports and Social Academy, this location serves 48 students with a primary diagnosis of autism between the ages of 12-18.
To view an aerial tour of The Center for Discovery, please visit https://bit.ly/TCFDVirtualAerialTour.