Clinical

Clinical services are at the core of the STEP-UP! Treatment Program, preparing the boys to live responsibly in his community. Masters’ level clinicians work with the boys, their families, MSJ teachers, residential staff, DCF workers, and service providers in their home communities. Our goal is to create effective ways to support everyone in the child’s life to work effectively together. Treatment teams, convened once a month by the clinician, help identify key issues and needs, and create an action plan to address these issues. All clinical services are strength based and focus on the family system.

Many of our boys have been victims of neglect and abuse and exhibit behaviors and symptoms consistent with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Mount Saint John is constantly seeking to improve our trauma related services and educate all our staff on best practices related to trauma-informed treatment.

Weekly clinical groups, substance abuse prevention, education and treatment groups, topical skill-focused groups on topics ranging from anger management to dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), to job readiness; provide the boys with opportunities to build and strengthen positive peer relationships while learning valuable life lessons.

Family therapy sessions are held whenever possible, sometimes in the boy’s home or community when travel for the parent is difficult. When a youth is in treatment away from home, the entire family is affected. Family therapy helps to identify the problems and patterns that did not work in the past, and replace them with healthier and more functional behaviors, utilizing the strengths of each family member.

Individual therapy sessions are held at least weekly, and more frequently when necessary. As with all our clinical services, Mount Saint John clinicians help identify boys’ strengths, and then use those strengths to overcome past problems, traumas and behavioral issues.

Mount Saint John has the services of a consulting psychiatrist, with expertise in adolescent issues, for evaluation, medication and consultation with the MSJ staff. Other health professionals such as occupational therapists or speech pathologists are contracted on an as needed basis.