School Based Services

NCSS partners with 100% of School Supervisory Unions within Franklin and Grand Isle counties which includes services such as: therapy, consultation, substance abuse treatment, behavioral supports, and specialized services for children diagnosed with autism.

Collaborative Achievement Team (C.A.T.)

The Collaborative Achievement Team (CAT) provides 1:1 Behavior Interventionists (BIs) to support meaningful and positive change in children who struggle with social, emotional and behavioral challenges in the public school setting. The CAT program is based on a system of behavior change rooted in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). ABA is a therapeutic intervention based on scientifically established principles of learning and behavior to improve socially significant behavior.  The principles and methods of ABA can benefit many kinds of learners to acquire different skills from positive interactions with peers to self-advocacy. 

Behavior change procedures are individualized to fit each child's needs and include a strength based positive approach.  The program provides daily behavioral support, skill instruction, external controls, reinforcement service coordination & advocacy for student goals to help maximize student functioning. It is the goal of the program to provide the child with direct intensive support to achieve skills and behaviors necessary for self-sufficiency and success within their prospective school setting.   

"I love the CAT team members I have the pleasure of working with this year. They have significantly changed the climate of our school."

CAT Behavior Interventionists are trained throughout the year to meet the Success Beyond Six Minimum Standards for Behavior Interventionists – these include trainings in Life Space Crisis Intervention (LSCI), ARC (Attachment, Regulation and Competency – Trauma Informed Care), Resiliency Trainings, Youth Mental Health First Aid, Social/Emotional Learning, and attending the Annual Vermont Success Beyond Six BI Conference.  CAT BIs are further trained and certified annually in the behavior management system Handle with Care to support their awareness, knowledge and development in addressing crisis de-escalation.

The CAT Program has partnered and collaborated with local school communities in Franklin and Grand Isle Counties for over 20 years to support children and their social, emotional and behavioral growth. 

School-Based Clinician Program

Clinicians offer an array of services for a variety of mental health issues. These include diagnostic assessment, treatment planning, therapy, home/school coordination and crisis intervention/screening. Consultation and collaboration with school staff and outside providers are vital components of this program. The school-based clinical team also serves as a referral conduit to connect students and families to other NCSS programs. The specific service model may look a bit different according to the needs of each participating school.

School-Based Autism Program

The School-Based Autism Program assists local community schools in providing effective, strengths based interventions and programming for students diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Genetic Disorders and/or Down syndrome. The program supports schools, students, and their families by providing a trained Behavior Interventionist to work one-on-one with identified children, with Behavior Analysts and Autism Specialists developing all behavior programming and providing supervision and ongoing training. Additionally, Behavior Analysts and Autism Specialists provide support to many schools through a consultative model. The program tenets are based on Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), along with other evidence based practices to assure teams and students are provided with the treatment and support they need. School teams refer students to this program and the cost is supported by Medicaid and special education funds.

Typical students in this program have behavioral, social, communication, academic and/or daily living challenges. We believe that students, regardless of their abilities, belong in their local community schools. With access to individualized services and supports, students can be successful while gaining an appropriate education in a local setting conducive to developing and maintaining essential peer and community relationships. Our services are student centered where the child and ongoing collected data drive programmatic decisions. Programming is flexible and can be individually tailored to meet each child and school's unique needs and also work to build public schools' capacities with students needing higher level supports. We utilize a team based approach to assure all school services are implemented, and provide a full wrap-around of services for that student.