In partnership with the Brookline Center for Community Mental Health, Peabody High School's counseling and therapeutic staff have developed our own program within the BRYT (Bridge for Resilient Youth in Transition) Network to support Peabody High School students who are returning to school from prolonged absences due to hospitalization.

Our program within the BRYT Network is called CARES, which stands for Community, Academic Reentry, and Emotional Support. These are the core values that we focus on when it comes to supporting students returning to school after a long absence. We know how difficult it can be to return to a routine fully and all at once, so our focus is on a gradual return that takes the student's needs and concerns into consideration. We have a team of academic support staff as well as the support of clinical staff to ensure that students' emotional and academic needs are met while in CARES.

The Peabody CARES Program, in collaboration with Peabody Veterans Memorial High School, provides additional support to students returning to school from long-term absences (mental-health hospitalizations, medical issues, concussions, etc.) following the step-down protocol where the next level of care for students is returning to school. It should be noted that the CARES program is not a substitute for any kind of partial hospitalization or intensive outpatient programming since the focus of the CARES program is on academic reentry post-hospital stabilization.

The Peabody CARES Program is a Tier III RTI program open to students who are in need of additional support returning to school following extended mental health or medically involved absences. Students can be referred to the program by guidance, administration, counseling staff, teachers, or families. Individual re-entry plans are created by CARES staff members to assist students in returning to school and follow a 4-step plan for full academic re-renty while providing emotional and social support throughout the process. Students in the CARES program usually participate for a short period of time, usually 3 - 6 weeks, but individual needs vary and students' full return to school is monitored throughout the program.

You can read more about the Brookline Center for Community Mental Health and the BRYT Network here and any inquiries about the CARES Program can be sent to Mr. Canty or Ms. Kimberly Frank, the CARES counselor.