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Our programs provide a safe space for young people experiencing behavioral health challenges to learn and grow. Our philosophy is always to place families first, and to approach our services in a person-centered, family-centered way.
 

We know that watching one’s child struggle can be stressful for families, and we offer support and skill-building for all family members as well as for the youth and young adults we serve. We can help you navigate a complex system of care and connect you to the resources you need the most.

We are known as being team players with each other and with our funding and referral sources. By working well together, we can best assist you and your family. We also love to innovate! Complex challenges require creative thinking and we are happy to work with you in thinking outside of the box.

A particular area of strength for Open Sky's Youth, Young Adult and Family Services is our use of Evidence-Based Practices (EBP’s) which are treatment models that have been proven to work. In addition, we are proud to be an open, accessible, experienced and nurturing provider for LGBTQIA+ youth.

Open Sky offers a comprehensive range of behavioral health services for children, adolescents and young adults.  As always, we are committed to the use of evidence-based treatments – combined with age-appropriate Wraparound services – to assist youth to move beyond their social-emotional, behavioral, or psychiatric challenges to live successful and meaningful lives.

Our Youth, Young Adult, and Family Services are offered in three categories:

Intensive Home Based Therapeutic Care (IHBTC)

Intensive Community Services are procured through the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health. Through this contract we provide services for youth and young adults with emotional challenges and/or multi-stressed families. Services include flexible individualized treatment, rehabilitation including Occupational Therapy, supervision and supports that vary in intensity depending on youth and family needs.  Intensive Home Based Therapeutic Care (IHBTC) services for youth and young adults ages 6-22 are provided by the same core team of staff members regardless of the setting in which the youth resides. Services are delivered using a Wraparound philosophy. Should the need arise for the youth to be placed in a short or long term out of home placement, the IHBTC team will continue to support the youth and family every step of the way. 

Group Care

Open Sky offers structured group care programs for adolescents ages 14-20 and young adults ages 18-25 with a history of emotional, behavioral and psychiatric difficulties that have resulted in problems in school, home or the community. We accept referrals from the Department of Mental Health in the Central Mass and Metro Suburban areas, or by the Department of Children and Families. 

Youth receiving our group care attend school in the community, while young adults attend school, day programs, job readiness programs or maintain jobs. While doing so, they are working to enhance their personal, social, and independent living skills. All of this is aimed at reunification with their families or transition to independent living. The programs utilize a Wraparound model which helps youth and young adults, family, family support members, and service providers to work together cohesively to support the family or youth/young adult. In addition, both models provide the opportunity for respite services. These services can be offered in the group care environment, in the home, or in the community. This service allows for needed breaks and refreshers on essential skills for continued success.

The young adult group care services also offer a chance for the young adult to live in the community with the support of the group care staff. This allows the young adult to practice their independent skills prior to tackling their world on their own, while knowing they have supports available to them if needed.

Flexible Support Services

Flexible Support Services (FSS) are designed to assist youth between the ages of 8 and 21 and their families who are DMH-eligible and DMH-referred, and who live in Central Massachusetts or the Northeast Suburban region. FFS services assist youth and their family members to develop skills, strategies and supports to sustain the youth in the family’s natural environment, and to help the youth successfully function in the community.

>The program supports the ongoing development of age-appropriate social, emotional, academic and pre-work skills. Services are highly flexible and individualized to meet the varying needs of youth and their families. Services are offered by a Team consisting of a Clinician, Therapeutic Support Specialist, Peer Mentor, and Family Partner. The youth, family, FSS Team, and DMH will determine which of these services will best suit the youth and family’s needs. FSS also offers Group Support that is offered on Saturdays. Our latency group (ages 8-13) runs from 9a-12p, while the adolescent group (ages 14-21) runs from 1p-4p.