Therapeutic Support Assistant Program

New Behavioral Network's Therapeutic Support Assistant Program is a comprehensive, mental and behavioral health service for at risk children and youth with moderate to severe emotional/behavioral disorders that prevent them from interacting, without behavioral support, in a mainstream classroom. We serve schools with students who are identified as requiring a behavioral support-learning environment by the school district. Most of these students have an Axis I mental health diagnosis and a wide range of educational and behavioral needs that may include, but is not limited to, the following:

• Past residential treatment
• Current behavioral difficulties that affect school performance and social interaction
• Current or past traumatic event(s)
• At risk or in crisis

Goals:

• To assist the school in providing classroom therapeutic interventions without interfering with a student’s educational instruction
• To improve behavioral health and academic collaboration, reduce disruption in class and academic services (lunch room, play ground, etc), and ensure that a continuum of care exists for children with behavioral issues.
• To partner with districts who need an excellent specialized behavioral service in a timely manner.

Services:

• Immediate service that is constant from student arrival to departure.
• Bachelors prepared staff with specialties in mental/behavioral services.
• Close liaison with parents, teachers and the entire continuum of care and services for the student.
• A culturally competent service for children and youth.
• Student, parent, and teacher meetings.
• Priority access to New Behavioral Network’s continuum of care

New Behavioral Network’s specialized services are:

• Based on comprehensive admission evaluation
• Developed with definitive input from the student, family and the entire educational team.
• Focus on therapeutic goals, interventions and outcomes
• Developed in conjunction the student’s IEP

The personalized goals are developed with:

• A student’s developmental or functional needs
• Need for immediate and consistent behavioral intervention
• Immediate and constant reinforcement of positive behaviors

Our TSA program encourages:

• Parent/family involvement
• Team member collaboration and communication
• Education and agency partnership

For additional information, school representatives should call 302-892-9210 and ask for Loretta DeShields or 302-730-0720 and ask for Gary Thomas. In New Jersey, call Diane Zellers at 856-874-1616.