Day Hab

The Day Habilitation Program

Day Hab offers a supportive and engaging environment where individuals can build practical life skills, strengthen social connections, and focus on personal growth in a structured, encouraging setting. Through goal-focused sessions, creative projects, fitness activities, community outings, and peer-supported learning, participants have opportunities to gain confidence, improve mental well-being, and develop the tools needed for greater independence in daily life.

Our program is designed to meet each person where they are, helping individuals discover their strengths, explore personal interests, and work toward meaningful goals at their own pace. Whether learning new coping skills, building healthy routines, improving communication, or simply finding a sense of belonging, Day Hab provides a space where participants feel supported, valued, and connected.

By combining skill-building with social engagement and community involvement, Day Hab helps individuals create positive routines, develop lasting relationships, and find their place within the community while continuing their journey toward recovery and independence.

Day Hab Activities

Life Skills: The goal of this activity is to support and reinforce participants’ ability to adapt to all kinds of circumstances and succeed in every aspect of their lives, which may include assisting participants in learning how to manage work, family, relationships and daily interactions successfully.

Groups Games are important for personal development. Examples are Bingo, board games, number games, card games and musical chairs: The goal of this activity is to increase clients' motivation and interaction with their peers.

Exercise: Nothing is better to improve overall health. Yoga, stretching and other fun-fitness activities in a supportive environment will help you feel better physically and mentally about yourself!

Enhanced Focus on Goals: Participants sit alongside their peers and staff members while working on their own individual goals.  Address challenge areas, need additional supports from staff or peers, or just to spend some extra time on daily goals.  Goals are specifically designed to help build strengths in the areas that the individual, alongside their support team, desires to improve.

Presentation: Participant’s practice speaking and interacting with peers. The goal of this activity is to create a learning opportunity regarding topics like mental health, self-confidence, communication, motivation, and the like. With guidance, clients will also teach their peers different topics of their choice.

A man and a woman at an outdoor event, standing on a red tractor. The woman is holding a cup, wearing glasses, gloves, a beige jacket, and a striped shirt. The man is standing behind her, wearing a dark hoodie and vest, with his hand on her shoulder. There are trees and vehicles in the background on a sunny day.
Two women roller skating in an indoor skating rink with colorful wall art in the background.
A group of people gathered in a room, sitting on couches and chairs, playing bingo with bingo cards. Some are reading their cards, while others look at papers or electronic devices. The room has windows, a ceiling fan, and a door with a sign that says Restroom.

Cooking: A popular and fun-filled atmosphere in which participants learn basic cooking skills, how to follow a recipe, and are hands-on in preparing a variety of healthy meals that can then be replicated and enjoyed at home. Different cuisines and cultures are explored each week with suggestions welcome!   

Arts and Crafts: A variety of arts and crafts activities are available such as painting, drawing, knitting, working with clay, writing… almost the limit of your imagination. Some are multi-week-long or longer projects. A primary goal of this activity is to improve participants' creativity and self-confidence. 

Basic Computer Skills are essential for participation in many aspects of modern society.  Having the equipment, knowledge, Wi-Fi service and awareness of resources are among the needs in order to ‘get connected’. Broadening a person’s world to gain access to information, to communicate, and to connect with other activities in the local neighborhood or across the world are outcomes participants will learn and experience.

Journaling: This activity works to improve participants’ writing skills which helps reduce stress and anxiety and tracks progress and growth. 

Community Outings: A very popular activity in which participants visit various places across Iowa City, Eastern Iowa and surrounding areas to increase community experiences, inclusion and integration. Dubuque River Museum, Tanager Place, mall walking, water parks, exploring the Devonian Fossil Gorge, and many others are experiences participants can expect.

A woman with glasses and a beige T-shirt sitting on a purple chair in front of a green foliage wall with a sign that reads 'Putnam Museum and Science Center.' She is smiling, holding a light pink jacket, with a white water bottle on her lap.
A gathering of people sitting and standing around a table under a blue canopy in a grassy park, with many trees in the background. Some people are talking, and a few are looking at their phones.
A group of five people posing in front of a wall with a mural of historical Black and white photographs of African Americans. The mural is shaped like the outline of the state of Georgia. The group includes two women and three men, all smiling and looking at the camera.

Take a look at Day Hab’s Activities!

Calendar for Day Hab activities in May 2026 featuring floral background with sections for events, snack weeks, and contact info.
A colorful floral patterned background with a calendar for the Day Hab program in May 2026. The calendar lists daily outings, food menus, and contact information for the program.
May Calendar
May Calendar
May Clubs
May Clubs