Community and Home Based Services include programs in our Children’s Division, which provide support and services to children and their families in the community as well as in their homes. These programs include: Family Partnership and Supports, Residential Treatment Programs, Therapuetic Foster Care Program and Respite Services.

Family Partnerships and Supports

Through the Family Partnership and Supports Program, case managers are focused on providing individualized services for children and families who are experiencing a serious emotional disturbance. Children served are typically at-risk of a more restrictive placement, and/or multi-agency involvement.

Residential Treatment Programs

Residential Treatment Programs are residential programs that provide intensive community-based services to children with challenging behaviors. Up to four residents are served in each program. WCMHS Children, Youth and Family Services Division currently operates four such programs. Each specializes in serving residents with specific needs. The primary goal of the programs is to provide stable treatment based placements to children and youth who have experienced multiple placements, extended residential placements or who would otherwise be hospitalized.

Respite Services

Respite care services are designed to give limited, planned, scheduled breaks to families caring for a child or youth experiencing, or at risk of experiencing a serious emotional disturbance. The Respite Program may provide overnight respite services through licensed the Vermont Department of Children and Families foster care providers.

Therapeutic Foster Care Program

The Therapeutic Foster Care Program (TFC) is a new program within the Children’s division. The main objective of the TFC program is to meet the physical, emotional and social needs of children and youth in a supportive family setting until the child’s family can be reunited. TFC is a trauma informed program that supports children who have experienced trauma and have difficulty managing their emotions and behaviors in the regular home environment. The intent of the Therapeutic Foster Care placement will be to support positive and healthy family contact and build on the child and family’s strengths in order to support a successful transition back to the child’s family. It is a team approach that strongly encourages positive family participation, contact and collaboration among all team members. If you are interested in learning more about becoming a Therapeutic Foster Care Provider, please click here for further information.

The Child and Adolescent Services staff provide a variety of individual, group, and family counseling services using many therapeutic methods. In addition to providing psychological services to youth and their families, staff are also trained in providing therapy designed for children exposed to domestic violence.

Community Developmental Services (CDS) provides comprehensive services to children and adults with developmental disabilities, autism and other pervasive developmental disorders.

All persons receiving support from CDS are assigned a Service Coordinator/Case Manager who is responsible for their Individual Support Agreement and assists the person in achieving success within their community.

The Bridges Program provides care coordination to assist families of children under age 22, eligible for Vermont Medicaid, and who have developmental disabilities.

The Bridges Program is a goal-driven approach and designed to help families:

Determine what supports or services are needed.

Access needed medical, educational, social or other services to address their child’s needs.

Coordinate multiple community-based services and develop a plan to address their child’s needs.

Outreach specialists provide clinical and consultation services in conjunction with other area agencies. Services are focused on young children ages 0 to 6 experiencing, or at risk of, a serious emotional disturbance and their families.

One program offered under Early Childhood Services is New Leaf, which provides specialized day care services for children ages 0 to 3. Its primary focus is on serving children experiencing or at risk of a serious emotional disturbance and children with developmental issues and their families.

These services result from a contract between a Local Education Agency (LEA) and Washington County Mental Health Services. Services are paid for by the LEA and delivered by WCMHS.

School Contracted Services Programs include:

School Based Behavior Interventionist Services (SBBIS) provides multiple highly individualized school-based programs for youth and their families living with significant emotional and behavioral disorders. Youth that we serve are at risk of being placed in residential and/or day treatment facilities. Through the use of a trained behavior interventionists, therapeutic case management services for the family and school, behavioral consultation from a clinician trained in Applied Behavioral Analysis, and close partnerships with the contracting schools, the vast majority of the youths served remain in their homes and in public schools.

The Beckley Day Program (BDP) is a short-term tutorial program available for students served by the School Based Behavior Intervention Services Program, in grades 1-6, that are having acute difficulties accessing their education in a mainstream environment. Children served by the Beckley Day Program are typically students in need of extra support, stabilization, and assessment. Youth are offered a supportive environment in which their social, emotional and educational needs can be assessed and supported with the goal of transitioning the students back to the least restrictive mainstream educational environment.

Specialized Treatment and Reaching Success (STARS) has been designed by Children, Youth, and Family Services to address the unique educational and social needs of children and youth ages 3-22 years old diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and/or other developmental disabilities (DD). STARS provides a wide variety of supports including individualized academic, social skills, and life skills within the client’s public school or within the STARS center on Beckley Hill in Barre, Vermont.

STARS School is now accepting referrals. STARS School provides a full onsite academic program for students which includes individualized behavioral programming, social skills training, and support around activities of daily living. Programs are individualized and developed by the Consultant and an Educator with significant input from the family and sending school team

Ch.O.I.C.E. (Changing Our Ideas Concerning Education) Academy, a licensed independent school, and an integrated transitional mental health treatment facility/educational center. Ch.O.I.C.E. provides educational and therapeutic services to youth in grades 5-12. Enrollment is voluntary and limited to youth currently unable to access their education in a mainstream setting.

There is also an afterschool program that provides any youth currently served by WCMHS therapeutic afterschool activities three days a week during the academic calendar year. First priority for enrollment is given to Ch.O.I.C.E. Academy students. WCMHS case managers or staff makes referrals to the program.

Home School Coordinators and Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports Behavior (PBIS) Analysts are Children, Youth and Family Services clinicians/case managers who work in contracting schools to provide home/school coordination, interagency service coordination, and direct services to children and youth experiencing a serious emotional disturbance and their families. Staff also assists the contracting school with the implementation of its Positive Behavior Intervention and Support system.

Children, Youth & Family Services offers a variety of groups in an ongoing manner to provide additional services to children, youth and families in Washington County. Please click here for the most updated listing of groups and workshops currently being offered.

Please call (802) 229-0591 if you are interested in joining a group. This will involve some routine questions and then a scheduled, brief interview to begin the process of accessing services.

Psychiatric staff provides medication evaluation and ongoing medication management.

Nursing staff facilitate coordination with primary care providers, oversee medication administration and provide special care procedures.

(does this belong under Groups?).

The Children’s Grief and Loss Program [CGLP] provides a variety of therapeutic services to reduce the risk of negative outcomes for youth (ages 5-22) and families who have experienced a significant loss. The CGLP welcomes those who have experienced a death, termination of parental rights, changes in foster/adoptive care, divorce, a significant move(s), or prolonged incarceration. We have found that all youth who have experienced a loss, regardless of the type of loss, are at risk for similar mental health concerns. We strive to provide a safe, supportive environment where youth can connect with each other and learn about ways to cope while engaging in creative activities.

What do we do?

Our grief-focused services include:

•  6-week group for youth (with a 7th session for caregivers)
• Short and long-term individual therapy with a grief focus
• Caregiver psychoeducational sessions (time limited)
• Summer and Winter booster groups for youth already involved with the CGLP
• Trainings for other providers who want to learn more about supporting grieving youth
• Trainings for other providers who want to start their own grief program

All services require an assessment process and groups occur approximately 4 times per year. Please call (802) 479-4083 to find out when the next group will be, to make a referral, or for more information!

You may also visit us at www.Facebook.com/ChildrensGriefAndLossProgram for resources, tips on how to support grieving youth or information about our upcoming groups.

More about us…

The CGLP was started in late 2014 when one of our colleagues attended a workshop titled “Childhood Grief: Interventions to Use with Bereaved Children”. In early 2015 this colleague made contacts with personnel from other agencies with experience in child and family grief and loss, collected resource materials on grief and loss in children, developed a curriculum for grief-focused children’s groups, advertised our groups, and sought grant funding. The first referrals for our program were made in early 2016. Since 2016 the “Children’s Grief and Loss Project” has expanded into a “program” complete with a wide array of services, connections in the community, advertisement materials featuring a unique logo, and statewide recognition. In July 2019 one of our colleagues received a scholarship through the New York Life Foundation to attend the Dougy Center’s Summer Institute. At this week-long conference this colleague learned how to create, develop, and grow a grief and loss program for youth from one of the nation’s most celebrated grief support centers. The CGLP is a member of the National Alliance for Grieving Children and over the past two years the CGLP has received partial funding from grants from the Richard E. & Deborah L. Tarrant Foundation, the Fanny Allen Foundation, and the Northfield Savings Bank.