Going Beyond the School

Lighthouse offers a comprehensive management service that expands treatment and educational services beyond the confines of the school and into the community. We believe that biodevelopment can only occur when everyone in a child’s life is on the same page. This provides consistency with student expectations and consequences.  We partner with not only families and school districts, but also all outside agencies connected with the child. If we believe that a child can benefit from a particular service, we will work with the family to try to get that service for their child.

Hospitalization

If the student is regressing severely at home and/or school and requires an emergency psychiatric evaluation we help the families with the process.

If a student is hospitalized, we communicate with the hospital clinicians and attend meetings there to support the student and family.

We make sure the clinicians have the full picture to provide the best treatment (and medications) possible.

We develop a detailed transition plan when the student is ready to return to school which includes attending the discharge meeting at the hospital, having a reintegration meeting in school with parents, and carefully monitoring student progress.

Agency Support

We work closely with state agencies like DCF, DCYF and DDS that are already supporting families and we help families apply for these services if they are not in place.

We attend meetings with these state agencies whenever possible and include them as part of our approach to team treatment.

Court Involvement

We attend any court dates with the family’s agreement. Student clinical profile is often at the heart of legal issues and we want the judges and probation officers to understand this profile and act accordingly.

In addition to the support mentioned above, Lighthouse will support and help parents when they wish to file* for either of the following:

  • Child in Need of Services (CHINS) Petition for New Hampshire
  • Child Requiring Assistance (CRA), for Massachusetts

*NOTE: While Lighthouse does not do the actual filing, we will assist as needed where possible.

Community Treatment Agencies

Lighthouse clinical and medical staff works closely with outside therapists and psychiatrists to promote consistency and treatment outcomes. Although extensive effort is made, Lighthouse School cannot always achieve the results it expects.

Attendance Assurance

When a student has poor school attendance, we work with the family and outside agencies to overcome challenges the student is facing.

How we help depends on the reason for the absence. If a child is absent due to clinical issues, our therapists will work with the family and any outside agencies to provide necessary treatment; if the issues are behavioral, we can put in place reward and consequence measures agreed upon by the family.