Our Services

Change Health Systems provides psychiatric interventions to individuals and families. The Outpatient Mental Health Clinic provides medically necessary and culturally sensitive clinical interventions to individuals in psychiatric or emotional crises in a timely manner.

Services provided include:

• Individual, Family and Group Therapy
• Psychological Assessment
• Psychiatric/Medication Evaluation/li>
• Behavior Modification and Training for parents/caregiver and children
• Parenting Training /support groups
• Specialized evaluations for Department of Social Services, Department of Juvenile Justice and Court-ordered assessments
• School Based Therapy

Change Health Systems currently offers psychiatric rehabilitation interventions to adults at-risk of being placed outside the home or returning to the community after placement in restrictive settings. The goal of the program is to work with the individual’s primary therapist, the school system, and the individual’s caregiver to prevent a disruption of placement and increase adaptive skills necessary for a healthy lifestyle.

Population served by CHS:

• Individuals with multiple history of hospitalization in the past 12 months.
• Individuals returning from short-term or long-term restrictive placement.
• Individuals with extensive history with DJJ or DSS.
• Individuals with multiple history of school disruptions, school suspensions and are at-risk of level 5 placement.
• Individuals with severe psychiatric or emotional problems that would benefit from more intensive psychiatric rehabilitation interventions.

Services provided include:

• Behavior modification training.
• Life-skills and Independent living skills training.
• Social and communication skills training.
• Therapeutic recreation activities for boys and girls.
• Case coordination and limited transportation to enhance compliance with clinical services recommended.

A service targeted towards individuals less than 21 years of age whose behavior is determined to be harmful to self and others and who will be at risk for higher level of care without this intervention. It is also geared towards individuals who display maladaptive, inappropriate or disruptive and dangerous behavior or individuals who are not on target developmentally and may have history of multiple hospitalizations.

Services provided include:

• Psychosocial Assessment and Development of Behavioral Modification Plan by a licensed psychologist.
• Provision of One-on-One Behavioral Aide to implement the clinically acceptable behavioral modification plan in community.
• Training of parents or caregivers to implement the behavioral plan
• Case coordination and case work

Continuum of care for the Behavioral Aide Program:

• Initial psychosocial assessment by a licensed CHS clinician
• Development of a Behavior Modification Plan
• Assignment of a Behavioral Aide
• Weekly and monthly monitoring of the Behavior Plan

Intensive Individual Support Services (IISS)
IISS provide intensive, one-on-one interventions with the child. A licensed psychologist, certified school psychologist, certified special educator, or social worker (LCSW) supervises the aide, bus aide, interpreter, or instructional technician who provides the service. The supervisor is involved in planning and regularly meeting with the child and child’s family, trains and supervises the technicians providing IISS, and observes the child in the home setting.

IISS is goal and task-oriented. The interventions are developed on an individualized basis and written progress notes are taken by the direct care staff and reviewed by professional staffs that are responsible for the Individualized Treatment Plan. The services are intended to prevent or defuse crises; promote developmental and social skills growth; provide the child with behavior management skills; give a sense of security and safety to the child; assist the child with maintaining self-sufficiency and impulse control; improve the child’s positive self-expression and interpersonal communication; reverse negative behaviors and attitudes; and foster stabilization. These services use the home and community environment as a learning experience and as an opportunity to illustrate and model alternative ways of behaving for the child.

Therapeutic Integration Services (TIS)
Therapeutic integration services are available as a structured after-school program. These services are based on an Individualized Plan that identifies goals of the specific therapeutic activities provided. These services focus heavily on expressive therapies and therapeutic recreational activities.
Therapeutic integration services are especially needed for children and adolescents who have problems with socialization, isolation, hyperactivity, impulse control, and behavioral or other related disorders. The services are not education or recreation-focused but have a therapeutic, habilitative orientation.

Autism Respite Care (ARC)
Respite care services are provided to individuals unable to care for themselves; furnished on a short-term basis because of the absence or need for relief of those persons normally providing care. Respite care will be provided in the child’s home or place of residence or a youth camp certified by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

Family Training (FT)
For purposes of this service, “family” is defined as the persons who live with or provide care to a child who is served on the waiver, and may include a parent, spouse, other children, relatives, foster family, or in-laws. “Family” does not include individuals who are employed to care for the child. Training includes instructions about treatment regimens and use of equipment specified in the plan of care, and shall include updates as necessary to safely maintain the child at home.

CHS provides in-home respite services to families caring for children with serious emotional disturbances or adults with serious and persistent mental illness. These services give caregivers a break from the rigors of their care-giving duties and support the clients in remaining in their homes

Services provided include:

• Behavior management for students with disabilities
• Assistance with classroom management under direction and supervision of teacher and principal
• Daily living skills assistance
• Transportation assistance from classroom to classroom and from bus to classroom
• Completing accurate documentation and timesheets
• Accompanying students on school sponsored fieldtrips

CHS provides in-home respite services to families caring for children with serious emotional disturbances or adults with serious and persistent mental illness. These services give caregivers a break from the rigors of their care-giving duties and support the clients in remaining in their homes.