Education
Students at Hillcrest attend school 12 months a year, including a 7 week summer program. All Hillcrest students receive academic and related services that are highly individualized and focused on academic, social, and behavior skills acquisition. Classrooms are led by special education teachers certified in either moderate of severe disabilities. Both the Highpoint and Brookside programs provide instruction in school buildings on campus where their therapeutic psycho-educational classrooms focus on Hillcrest Educational Centers’ “Skills for Life” therapeutic/educational model which is based upon the Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS) approach. Students at the Hillcrest Center campus attend school at the nearby Hillcrest Academy which, in addition to psycho-educational classrooms, provides classrooms specifically devoted to educating children on the Autism Spectrum utilizing the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis for academic growth and behavior management. Regardless of program, all educational staff are dedicated to fostering a safe academic environment, allowing each student to reach their highest potential.
Our day program at Hillcrest Academy serves students ages 6-22 in our surrounding communities who haven’t succeeded in their public schools due to emotional, behavioral and/or developmental challenges. Just like our residential students, our day students learn in a safe, trauma-informed environment with a high staff to student ratio. Teachers, clinical staff, and direct-care staff work together to help the students learn and practice new, safe behaviors and leave behind the high-risk behaviors, with the goal of transitioning back to their home school district.
Do you have questions about whether a residential or day program setting is right for your child? Please contact our admissions director, Ted Gidarakos at (413) 499-7924 x150.