Highpoint Program Description

The Highpoint program is located in Lenox, Massachusetts. It is a rural setting on 24 beautiful acres, surrounded by land preserved by the Massachusetts Audubon Society.

Highpoint is a trauma informed care residential treatment setting for males aged 11-21 with a variety of high-risk behaviors and mental health diagnoses. Highpoint provides specialized treatment for high-risk behaviors including, physical aggression, self-injury and suicidal ideation, substance use and fire setting. Highpoint also provides a specialized treatment program for males who demonstrate sexualized behaviors and have engaged in sexually abusive or intrusive behaviors towards others. Although many of our students present with a multitude of high-risk behaviors and dual diagnoses, Highpoint is designed to provide programming that is individualized to meet the needs of each student.

While at Highpoint, students reside with peers who have similar treatment needs and functioning levels. However, students with differing high-risk behaviors may be in the same academic class or participating in various residential activities together based on the academic performance and recreational interest of each student.

The students at Highpoint are engaged in an intensive curriculum focused on treatment for their high-risk behaviors that is provided in individual, group and family therapies as well as in the milieu setting. This treatment is heavily focused on understanding the nature and motivations of their behaviors, being accountable for their past, current and future choices, understanding how their choices impact themselves and other people, safety and relapse prevention planning, making repairs and engaging in restitution or mean making activities when appropriate.

We believe it is essential to have the student’s family involved in every step of their child’s treatment at Highpoint. This is achieved through consistent communication between the family and program staff, facilitating frequent visitation and contact with the student and their family as well as providing family therapy and skill coaching. Additionally, Highpoint hosts a monthly family event where students and their family can gather and engage in an activity facilitated by Highpoint staff.

Many of the students who reside at Highpoint have trauma histories involving past abuse, neglect, loss and bullying. While at Highpoint, the students are engaged in trauma resolution through intensive therapeutic services as well as by utilizing milieu interventions. Additionally, most of the Highpoint students are dually diagnosed with including but not limited to psychiatric disorders, learning disabilities, developmental delays, and Autism Spectrum Disorders.

In addition to the above-mentioned services, Highpoint provides an on-site year round educational program as well as a structured residential and milieu environment. Students are provided with vocational and independent living skills practices and opportunity during their course of treatment. Our medical services include routine medical care delivered by nurses on-site as well as psychiatric services and medication management.

Highpoint provides an intensely structured, therapeutic and nurturing environment with high staff to student ratios. This allows the students to learn new skills including coping skills, emotional regulation skills, mindfulness skills and interpersonal relationship skills to help them become more successful as they prepare for transition to a lower level of care or community setting. With the help of the Highpoint staff, our students are able to utilize these skills to allow them to make productive, healthy choices rather than engage in quick relief or high-risk behaviors.  The Highpoint Campus offers excellent recreational opportunities utilizing a soccer field and baseball diamond, an in-ground swimming pool, and a full size gymnasium. Students participate in camping, biking, skiing and other outdoor activities year round. The surrounding Berkshire communities offer a wide variety of educational, cultural and recreational resources that our students frequently access and utilize.