Evergreen’s Residential School program provides a continuum of educational and community living options for students with developmental disabilities. Guided by dedicated and supportive professionals, Evergreen students benefit from continuous supervision, high quality educational programming, and an after-school curriculum that incorporates independent living skills, social development and relationship building. Students routinely shop, dine, participate in recreation, and socialize in the community.
We believe continuity across settings sets the stage for successful skill generalization and is critical to our students’ success. We train all staff members to work in both the school and residential settings. Education and behavior plans are identically implemented across all environments. Each student’s individualized plan includes objectives in remedial academics, communication, social competence, daily living skills, adaptive behavior, physical and emotional health, residential maintenance, and community participation.
Evergreen boasts a state-of-the-art centralized educational facility in Milford, Massachusetts.
Residences are located within the surrounding local communities. Students have access to locations and activities throughout the community to practice building skills in a wide variety of settings.
Evergreen groups students in classrooms and residences based upon their individual needs and capabilities. We match new students with similarly functioning peers in order to provide natural opportunities for social skill development.
Each residence is equipped with clinically necessary features and safety enhancements within the typical residential aesthetics. Our attention to these details ensures that Evergreen residences blend comfortably into the landscape of community living.
All staff members participate in extensive training that includes CPR, First Aid, behavior management, Applied Behavior Analysis, and much more. We provide rich student to staff ratios to promote safety and enhance skill development.
Students served by the Evergreen Center exhibit skill deficits and behavioral needs that require a carefully planned individualized educational program using a treatment approach centered on the principles of Applied Behavioral Analysis.
In keeping with Evergreen’s standards for successful instruction, social competence and community participation, the Basic Skills Program is designed to teach functional daily living skills that will increase independence in community, residential and school environments.
Evergreen’s Behavioral Development Program addresses maladaptive behaviors that significantly interfere with a student’s ability to acquire basic skills and achieve social competence and community participation. The Center for Behavior Development helps students acquire positive alternative behaviors which increase their functional skills and independence.
The intensity and variety of maladaptive behaviors addressed by the Behavior Development Program necessitates that students receive a comprehensive behavioral intervention plan. Students with self-injurious, aggressive or destructive behaviors receive functional behavior assessments, which are based upon formal testing, observation and data collection. Additional data is collected to assess any other areas such as psychiatric or medical needs. This analysis of individual maladaptive behaviors results in a specific behavior management plan. Periodic reviews are scheduled to evaluate each treatment plan. As students respond to this approach, they gain self-control which helps them to benefit more from the opportunities and choices available to them in the Evergreen Center's model for community involvement.
Medical Care is a very important part of each student’s life at Evergreen. Each student is assigned a primary nurse who understands the student's medical history and particular health care needs. Evergreen staff are trained to support treatment procedures for seizures, diabetes, orthopedic conditions, shunts, and tube feedings. Special medical needs, such as catheterization or post-operative care are also addressed in staff training conducted on an ongoing basis by Evergreen's Health Services Department.
Evergreen students have around the clock access to professional medical attention. Day and evening nursing services are available at the Central Educational Facility. Nurses are also on-call overnight. Evergreen’s in-house nursing staff have the capacity to evaluate a student’s health status on a daily basis.
Students receive regular checkups. Both medical and psychiatric medications are delivered daily. Direct-care staff are educated and briefed on each student’s health challenges.
The Evergreen Center invests in the latest technology devices that broaden opportunities to access educational content or alternative modes of communication.
At Evergreen, we understand the obstacles encountered by students with developmental, medical and behavioural needs. We believe the achievement of social competence is a reliable predictor of a student's successful adjustment to a lifestyle centered in community participation.
Our individualized education programs follow the principles of Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) and other evidence-based practices. We believe students will develop to their maximum
potential when
instruction is woven throughout daily activities and living environments.
Providing our students with community choices for learning and living, 365 days per year.
Maintaining a low staff to student ratio to address each student’s unique needs.
Employing an interdisciplinary team of professionals who are dedicated to our student population.
Evergreen serves children aged 6 to 21 who have been diagnosed with any of the following:
Autism
Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Hearing, Visual and Motor Impairments
Hearing/Sight
Impairment
Traumatic Brain
Injury
Dual Diagnoses
Severe Maladaptive Behavior that includes aggression, property destruction and/or self-injury
The Evergreen Center admits students of any race, color, and national or ethnic origin.
The Center is housed in a state-of-the-art central educational facility in Milford, Massachusetts with student residences located in surrounding communities.
Evergreen offers our students community choices for learning and living 12 months a year with a rich staff to student ratio.
We are fully licensed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and we are approved to serve students from other states, as well.
Evergreen employs an interdisciplinary team of professionals with the specialized skills needed by our student population.
We have a fully staffed Professional Development Department offering staff in-service training including, our unique web-based Training on Demand© other opportunities. We also offer internships and graduate training in Applied Behavioral Analysis through affiliations with regional institutions of higher learning.
