Initially founded in 1971 as a residential facility for high-risk, court-involved females, COPE was envisioned as a safe space for struggling adolescents of Washtenaw County. Judge Francis L. O’Brien saw the need for such services and spearheaded citizen support to create the Vocational Residential Center.
The C.O.P.E. - O’Brien Center evolved into a comprehensive program for youth with two major divisions.Remedial education, skill training, and school drop-out programs were developed and operated through the non-profit corporation, Center for Occupational and Personalized Education (C.O.P.E.). It’s companion was the Francis L. O’Brien Center for Youth Development, which provided intensive day treatment, supervision and counseling for at-risk youth.
Evolving community needs have resulted in changes over the years. Over the years the C.O.P.E. Program changed to meet the needs of the community, eventually becoming a full day alternative education program for youth age 13 to 17.
In 1996, at the request of the Superintendents of Washtenaw County school districts, C.O.P.E. initiated a full day, self-contained classroom for 10 to 13 year old students expelled from public schools under the “weapons in school” legislation passed by the State of Michigan.
1998 and 1999 saw tremendous changes in the administrative structure of C.O.P.E.. In an effort to enhance the services offered by the O’Brien Day Treatment Program, a decision was made by County Administration to formally separate the administration of the O’Brien Center (a county department) and C.O.P.E. (a non-profit agency). With the retirement of Evy Mavrellis, C.O.P.E. - O’Brien’s Executive Director for 20 years, at the end of 1999, C.O.P.E. became fully independent of the County.
Over the years, the percentage of Special Education certified students COPE serves had increased. In 2005, with strong support from the WISD, COPE was able to expand our Special Education resources by hiring an experienced Special Education endorsed teacher, and having another staff member return to school to become endorsed.
Today C.O.P.E. serves 120 youth per year. Accepting students referred by all 10 local school districts as well as the juvenile court, C.O.P.E. continues the services originally initiated by Judge O’Brien and remains an important part of the continuum of educational and support services to the young people in Washtenaw County.