Intensive Care Program
Basic Care Program

Clinical Department: Each of our Master’s level clinicians is the treatment leader of one interdepartmental team. The clinician is responsible for leading the treatment team meetings and developing the individual service plan. Each clinician carries a caseload of ten to twelve girls, provides individual therapy, family therapy as needed, leads an interpersonal therapy group as well as a focused treatment group (e.g., anger management, survivors group, etc.), and participates in the adventure-based counseling program. The clinician is the case manager and advocate and is responsible for the coordination of care within Valleyhead as well as with referring agencies.

Residential Program: The residential program is designed to provide the girls with a safe environment where they are able to explore and, subsequently, develop their social and daily living skills. Through a highly structured therapeutic milieu with a high staff-to-student ratio, the student is introduced to community living, which provides a forum for self-actualization by addressing the challenges of life. The Therapeutic Behavior Change Model, developed at Valleyhead, is designed to recognize, emphasize and encourage appropriate behaviors; thus, giving the girls the tools necessary to promote healthy lifestyles. This progressive model of behavior change focuses on nurturing the self, developing relationships and provides opportunities for learning and growing at the girl’s own pace.

At Valleyhead, the students are responsible for their community and many opportunities exist to develop their vocational skills both on and off the school’s campus. Additionally, an evolving recreational and adventure-based counseling program enhances the residential life. The girls at Valleyhead have the opportunity to participate in team sports, community-based youth groups, cultural events, off-campus jobs and other activities that complement the overall development of the teenager.

Education Department: Valleyhead’s education program is comprised of a unique balance of academic, vocational and creative arts course offerings. Teachers and consultants work together to implement individualized subject, elective, and vocational classes based on a student’s education plan.

Students are grouped based on age and instructional requirements as well as emotional needs. This equates to middle and high school classrooms and a functional academic class. The school maintains a low staff to student ratio. The school day is divided into two sections with academic classes in the morning and elective classes in the afternoon which include course offerings in creative and performing arts, physical education and a vocational continuum on and off campus.

Achievement and vocational tests are administered to each student upon admission and then on a yearly basis to facilitate accurate and challenging education plans. All federal and state mandated curriculum, testing, and regulations are followed. This ensures that the student can re-enter her sending school system on or near grade level with the credits earned at the school. Credits are earned and provided to the sending school systems so students may graduate with a high school diploma from their home school district.

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Medical: Our Lead Nurse coordinated Valleyhead’s holistically-oriented Health Services. We view balanced nutrition, exercise and self-awareness as pathways towards achieving optimum health. All aspects of our program revolve around the theme of commitment to overall well-being.

Medical, dental and any other required health-related services are arranged through the Nursing Department. Community-based service providers, such as the team of skilled physicians at Berkshire Medical Center as accessed as needed.

During the course of a girl’s stay at Valleyhead, we attempt to reduce or eliminate her need for psychiatric medications. However, when medication is needed, it is administered safely under the supervision of nursing staff. We use a state-of-the-art medication packaging system made available to by our local Village Pharmacy.

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INTENSIVE CARE PROGRAM

The girls in the Intensive Care Program at Valleyhead exhibit difficulties in interpersonal relationships. These girls may be imminently at risk for dangerous behaviors such as self-injury and running away. The presentation of dangerous and/or unpredictable behaviors requires a high staff-to-student ratio in order to ensure each student’s safety and stability. Our girls receive an array of individual, group and family oriented therapeutic services depending upon their particular circumstances and needs. All students attend school on campus and participate in extra-curricular activities such as sports and performing arts. Girls collaborate with one another to create a healthy environment. Supervision is on a twenty-four hours a day basis, every day of the week. Girls in the Intensive Care Program may be involved in off-campus activities once they have achieved an acceptable degree of stability and demonstrate the capacity for trustworthiness. Opportunities for off-campus activities include family visits, jobs in the community and supervised group outings with peers. Further demonstrations of readiness may lead to enrollment in a local public high school or other program, in anticipation of the girl’s move to a less restrictive program.

Through consistent programming and positive relationships with staff, we teach the girls new skills and alternative behaviors. The goal of the Intensive Care Program is to ensure that the girls make the changes required to move on to a less restrictive environment, and, eventually, to lead happy and productive lives at home and in the community.

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BASIC CARE PROGRAM

Valleyhead’s Basic Care Program provides group care in a community-based setting for girls who present emotional, behavioral and/or family problems and who are unable to adequately function in their families of origin or alternate family settings. However, they do not require the level of care provided by our Intensive Care Program. In fact, by design, our Basic Care Program can potentially shorten the time a student is in our Intensive Care Program by providing necessary transitional care to the student, or, a student can be admitted directly into the program from an outside referral source.

Through a safe and nurturing environment, coupled with clinical services and an educational component that may include attendance at a community-based school, our Basic Care Program meets the developmental, therapeutic and child-care needs of our students. Individual, group and family therapy, anger management training, problem solving skills, independent living skills, vocational skills, networking, resource development and advocacy are representative of the services offered within our Basic Care Program. The intent of this program is to help students learn to live independently, productively and safely in a less restrictive setting. The goal is for successful transition to the girl’s home and community or other identified resource.