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Children, Youth and Family Services
Programs That Nurture.
Children, Youth & Family Services encompasses a wide-variety of office and community-based, school and home-based services for children and their families living with mental and behavioral challenges. Services provided to expectant mothers, parents of children & youth up to 22 yrs old.
WORKOUT GROUP: Ages: 11-14
Weekly 1/6-1/27
Green Mountain Community Fitness
Introduction to working out! Wear comfortable clothing to workout.

MARIO KART GROUP: Ages: 9-12 Weekly 1/5-1/2 in Barre, VT
Video games and gym time.
YOGA AND ART:
Ages: 10-14
Weekly 2/9- 3/2 in Barre VT
Beginner yoga and vision, board collage project!
GMCF SWIM GROUP: Ages 9-12
Weekly 2/10-3/3
Green Mountain Community Fitness
Required: swim without flotation device, bring goggles if wanted.
Swim and social skills!
MINECRAFT GROUP
Ages: 9-12
Weekly 3/17-4/7 in Barre, VT
Video games and gym time.
PLANTS AND ART: Ages: 10-14
Weekly 3/16-4/6 in Barre, VT
Get ready for spring! Plant seeds and decorate your plant pots.
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Community & Home-based Services
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.
Family Partnerships and Supports
Therapeutic case management for biological, adoptive, and foster families. We help families navigate emotional, mental health, and stress-related challenges with stabilization support and long-term success strategies.
Residential Treatment Programs
Intensive community-based services to children with challenging behaviors. Operating 5 programs, each specializes in serving specific needs. The goal is to provide stable treatment-based placements to children who have experienced multiple placements, extended residential placements or hospitalization
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 services through licensed Vermont DCF foster care providers.
Therapeutic Foster Care Program
Trauma-informed foster care placements with skilled foster parents. Wraparound services, coordinated by an assigned therapeutic case manager. Foster parents are provided specialized training to meet unique needs. The team collaborates with the Department for Children and Families and the Department of Mental Health to ensure successful transition back to the child’s family or relationship development with a newly identified family.
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School Based Service
School Based Behavior Interventionist Services (SBBIS): Individualized, school-based programs for students with emotional and behavioral challenges, offering support for both youth and their families.
Home School Coordinators and Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports Behavior (PBIS) Analysts Clinicians and case managers provide home-school coordination, interagency service collaboration, and direct support for students with serious emotional disturbances. Staff also assist with implementing Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS) systems in schools.
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Counseling Services
The Child and Adolescent Services staff provide individual, group, and family therapy, including specialized treatment for children exposed to domestic violence.
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Developmental Services
Community Developmental Services (CDS) works with CYFS to provide comprehensive services to children and youth with developmental disabilities, autism and other ongoing developmental disorders.
All persons receiving support are assigned a Service Coordinator/Case Manager who is responsible for their consumer's 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 that are 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 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.
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Early Childhood Services
Early Childhood Services (Ages 0-6): Outreach specialists support children at risk of emotional or developmental challenges.
New Leaf Childcare (Age 0-3): Specialized care for children experiencing or at risk of serious emotional disturbances and children with developmental issues and their families.
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Independent Schools & Tutorial Programs
Independent School Programs (ChOICE Academy Middle School, ChOICE Academy High School, and STARS School at ChOICE Academy) and Tutorial Program (Beckley Day Program)
General program information:
ChOICE Academy Middle School serves students grades 5-8. Maximum capacity: 16. Average classroom size 3-4 students per classroom. BI to student ratio 1:2
ChOICE Academy High School serves students grades 8-12. Maximum capacity:24. Average classroom size 4-6 students per classroom. BI to student ratio 1:3
STARS School at ChOICE Academy services students K-12. Maximum capacity: 12 Individualized 1:1 behavioral supports supervised and facilitated by Board Certified Behavior Analyst and Case Managers.
Beckley Day Program serves students grades K-6. Maximum capacity: 12. Individualized behavioral supports supervised and facilitated by BCBA and Case Managers. 1:1 or 1:2 BI to student ratio.
ALL programs:
- Serve students with significant emotional and behavioral challenges and a wide range of mental health diagnoses
- Have special education staff available in all programs to oversee and/or provide accommodation as outline in IEP or 504.
- Do not require students to qualify for special education services or Medicaid to be eligible for admission.
- Transition students to other educational setting including but not limited to mainstream public school to allow students to access their education and treatment in the least restrictive, most appropriate environment.
- Provide behavioral consultation and support onsite, to school, and families.
- Provide wrap around support to families.
- Provide emotional regulation and social skills instruction.
- Send quarterly progress reports.
- Provide case management.
- Have the same school calendars (NOTE: Hours may differ by program)
- Provide mental health-oriented summer programs
DO NOT: Have ownership of the IEP including responsibility for writing and updating IEP plans and warning annual meetings.
IN ADDITION TO the services that all 579 programs provide:
All INDEPENDENT SCHOOL Programs (ChOICE Academy MS and HS and STARS School at ChOICE Academy provide:
- State approved course of studies including core academics, specials and electives
- Special education direct instruction and remediation
- Standardized testing proctored by staff on-site
ChOICE Academy Middle and High School:
- Have Master’s level clinician/case managers assigned to each student upon admission that provide individual, family and/or group therapy, service coordination, case management and consultation to schools, outside providers/team members and families
- Has a group behavior management support (Individual behavior plans available to support students as needed)
- Provides most of the instruction/treatment in small groups. Limited 1:1 services available as needed.
- After school programming 2x per month
- Requires sending schools to provide transportation to site
STARS School at ChOICE Academy:
- Assigns a BCBA consultant and case manager for all students
- Can provide a functional skill based curriculum
- Provides the majority of instruction/support 1:1 but group opportunities also available for throughout the day
Send referrals to:
ChOICE Academy HS &MS:
Lisa Estivill, LICSW lisa.estivill@wcmhs.org
STARS School at ChOICE Academy & Beckley Day Program: tiffiny.moore@wcmhs.org
Licensed TUTORIAL program:
- Provides a combination of small group and 1:1 instruction supervised and provided by licensed Special Educator.
- Provides a full day school program including core academics, specials, social skills, life skills and enrichment activities.
- Has a special Education Coordinator who ensures the provision of special education services to BDP students as described in a youth’s I.E.P. through consultation with the sending school special education case manager. (However, consistent with expectations outlined for a tutorial program, the sending school special education case manager is ultimately responsible for the provision of all IEP services in the IEP.)
- Can provide a physical space to complete any required testing including annual standardized tests. BDP does NOT proctor the state required standardized tests.
- Is time limited per license. State expectation for stay is 12 months. Extensions can be requested if necessary.
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Children & Teen Grief & Loss Support Groups
The Children’s Grief and Loss Program [CGLP] provides therapeutic services to reduce the risk of unhealthy behaviors for youth (ages 5-22) and families who have experienced a significant loss. The CGLP is ideal for those having experienced a traumatic event like a death, termination of parental rights, changes in foster/adoptive care, divorce, a significant move(s), or long-term incarceration. It's no secret that children that experience any of these type of events are at risk for profound mental health concerns. WCMHS strives to provide a safe, supportive environment where youth can connect with each other and learning coping skills while engaging in healthy, creative activities.
What do we do?
Our grief-focused services include:
- Six-week group for youth (with a seventh session for caregivers)
- Short and long-term individual therapy
- Caregiver psychoeducational sessions (time limited)
- Summer and winter check-in 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 four times per year. Please call (802) 479-4083 to find out when the next group will begin, to make a referral, or for more information!
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Children's Integrated Services
WCMHS clinicians provide consultation and education to child care centers that are serving young chlidren who are at risk of losig their placements.
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Children's Navigation
Children's Navigation
Unified point of contact for families seeking services. Navigators conduct home, office, or community-based intakes, assess needs, and connect families with the right services. Short-term treatment options include therapy, group therapy, case management, and service coordination.
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Jump On Board for Success (JOBS) & Transition Services)
Jump On Board For Success (JOBS) & Transition Services
JOBS is an innovative supported employment and intensive case management service that targets youth ages 16 – 22 with severe emotional disturbance. The targeted youth are out of school or seriously at risk of dropping out and are at high risk for or have experienced involvement with Corrections, substance abuse, homelessness, physical abuse or other concerning behaviors.
Contact: Heather Houle
Email: Heather.Houle@wcmhs.org
Phone: (802)479-4055
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Psychiatric & Nursing Services
Psychiatric & Nursing 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.
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The Doula Project
The Doula Project includes three components – prenatal, labor and postpartum support. The components are approached with the understanding that women suffering from mental health issues, cognitive limitations, who are trauma survivors or who struggle with addictions have a unique set of needs. The project is available to any woman who receives or is eligible to receive services from WCMHS.
Contact: Maria Rossi— 802. 522.8637
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Imagination Station Snoezelen Room
Imagination Station Snoezelen Room
The Imagination Station is a specific kind of sensory room known as a Snoezelen Room. Coined in the ’70s by two Dutch therapists, the Dutch hybrid word — pronounced “snooze-a-lin” — directly translates as “sniffing and dozing”, meaning to explore and relax. The Imagination Station is the only Snoezelen Room in Northern New England.
The most important part of the Snoezelen experience is not the equipment, but the control people with autism over their environment. The ability to make the experience truly theirs is what makes this visit truly special.
The Imagination Station was brought to us by the Autism Puzzle Foundation. Randi Lamberti, a local financial adviser, was inspired to help Vermont families affected by autism, and was a co-founder of The Autism Puzzle Foundation of Vermont, whose Board donated upwards of $75,000 for Snoezelen Room equipment; WCMHS used its own funds and in-house staff to transform former office and storage areas into the Imagination Station, which is dedicated to the memory of Lamberti’s late mother, Kay Lamberti.
The room can be booked from 9:00-3:30 in private, one -hour blocks Monday through Friday.
Please call (802) 479-4055
or email Heather.Slayton@wcmhs.org
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How to Access Help
Visit our Contact Us page
If this is an emergency please call (802) 229-0591.
For Crisis Services:
You can contact the Emergency Services Team by calling 802.229.0591 or by visiting the office during normal business hours:
286 Hospital Loop
Building C, Physician’s Building
Berlin, VT 05602
For Children, Youth, Family, and Adult Services:
For access to WCMHS services, you can also call 802.229.0591 and ask to speak to one of our friendly Intake Clinicians. You will be asked what kind of services you are seeking and depending on your answer (children’s services, adult mental health services) you will be directed to the correct person. You may also be asked some routine questions and to schedule a brief interview to begin the process of accessing services. If you are not sure what services you are seeking, or what programs we offer, WCMHS will work with you to help you determine and access the services you may need.
For Developmental Services (Child or Adult):
Start by calling 802.479.2502 and speak to our friendly Intake Coordinator. You will be asked what kind of services you are seeking and depending on your answer (children’s services, developmental services) you will be directed to the correct person. You may also be asked some routine questions and to schedule a brief interview to begin the process of accessing services. In order to receive Developmental Services, you need to be Medicaid eligible. WCMHS can help you apply for Medicaid, if you do not have it in place, and will work with you to access the services you may need.
If you are interested in becoming a Home Provider, please contact our Home Provider Recruiter @ 802.479.2502.
How to reach us
AND WHAT TO EXPECT
Getting the help needed, whether for you, your child, a family member or friend, is just a phone call away. We're here to help, 24/7/365.
- Your call will be answered. Always.
We're always here, ready to answer your call with compassion and understanding. We're listening.
- We're listening.
When you call us and if in crisis, you'll be connected to someone that will listen and help put you at ease. If your call is less urgent, we'll schedule an assessment and begin the intake process.
- We'll need to get some information.
Conducting an assessment will help us better understand your needs so we can ensure you're connected with the services to best meet you where you're at.
- Get the support that meets your needs.
Once we have an understanding of your needs, we'll provide a referral to appropriate level of care.
- Our wait times may be a bit longer...
There's a lot of need within our community and wait times are longer than usual. But we have options that will help put you at ease until there are openings. We got you. Always.
