Program Settings
Through its SEIS program, ESE ensures that special education services are provided to eligible students residing in host agency facilities. To the extent that resources allow, SEIS provides the special education services designated on the students' IEPs. The school districts responsible for the students must provide any special education services that SEIS does not provide. The students' school districts retain sole responsibility for evaluating, developing, and issuing an IEP and providing the notices associated with the mandated procedural safeguards. Additionally, in certain DMH and DPH facilities, SEIS provides a full day general education program to students.
Department of Public Health (DPH)
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education provides special education services to eligible students ages 5 through 21 at the Massachusetts Hospital School (MHS) operated by the Department of Public Health (DPH). Admission to the hospital is based on a decision by the Department of Public Health's Admissions Committee that the child or young adult meets the hospital criteria for medical/rehabilitative management. Students eligible for special education who have special health care needs and require a medically based program are eligible for admission to Massachusetts Hospital School. The primary medical conditions of students include cerebral palsy, spina bifida, hearing impairment, traumatic brain/head injury, muscular dystrophy, chronic brain injury, visual difficulties, epilepsy/seizure disorder, and chronic health impairment. Medical and related services are provided by DPH and special education services are provided by SEIS and in some cases, the student's school district.
After a child is admitted as a hospital patient, he or she attends the SEIS program at the Brayton School located on the grounds of the Massachusetts Hospital School. The school operates 5 days a week, 180 days per year and delivers a varied curriculum of academics and functional life skills, technology, creative arts, and transitional programs and may offer access to adaptive equipment, alternative communication systems, assistive technology, computer-based learning, and independent skills training, depending on the needs of the students.
At the Brayton School, a highly specialized service is available for students who attend school there. Adaptive Design Services (ADS) designs, fabricates, builds, modifies and repairs custom aids and devices to assist and enhance students' mobility and communication, and educational, recreational, physical, and lifestyle needs. This service is critical for many of the Brayton School students to function optimally.
County Houses of Correction (CHC)
ESE provides special education services to eligible students with disabilities up to 22 years who are incarcerated in thirteen of the Commonwealth's County Houses of Correction operated under the jurisdiction of a sheriff. These facilities house individuals who are awaiting trial as well as those who have sentences of up to two and one-half years. An inmate with a disability may be eligible for a special education program but participation is subject to restrictions set by the operating facility's Classification Board.
An inmate may be eligible for special education services if s/he is under age twenty-two, is without a high school diploma, and has been identified as a student with a disability by his or her school district prior to incarceration. SEIS services are provided under the following conditions:
during the last educational placement prior to incarceration, the inmate was eligible for special education services based on a Team determination and/or received special education services pursuant to an Individualized Education Program (IEP); and, the inmate currently meets the eligibility requirements under state special education law; and, the inmate wishes to receive special education services and signs a consent form (or the parent/guardian gives consent if the inmate is under 18 years of age).
The SEIS Evaluation Team Liaison (ETL) refers eligible inmates to their local school districts for a Team meeting, if necessary. The districts amend existing IEPs or develop new ones, as necessary and appropriate, with SEIS personnel participating in all Team meetings.
Special education instructional services are based on the IEP developed for the student in order to access the learning standards of the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. Special education activities and lessons are tailored to meet the student's needs as identified on the IEP. The SEIS teacher generates progress reports for the student's school district. General education needs in these programs are met by County House of Correction educators who provide Title I, adult basic education, counseling, and vocational services.
Department of Youth Services (DYS)
SEIS provides special education services to eligible youths in DYS facilities. The students' local school districts retain responsibility for evaluating, developing, and issuing an IEP and providing the notices associated with the mandated procedural safeguards. The DYS program and SEIS staff may assist the student's school district in the evaluation process upon request and subject to resource availability. SEIS special education teachers work in conjunction with the DYS general education teachers to provide special education services and promote inclusion. At age 18, most students in DYS facilities are either discharged or transferred to another correctional facility. In some instances, a youth may remain in the DYS facility up to age 21. The following types of DYS programs provide a range of facility and community residential programs for committed and detained youth and have SEIS staff assigned to all sites where DYS provides a general education program:
Detention Units: These programs primarily house youth who have been charged with an offense and are being held on bail awaiting court action. These units may also house juveniles who are committed and are awaiting placement in another facility or program, or who are in the process of revocation from a community placement.
Assessment Units: Upon commitment to the DYS each youth is assigned to an Assessment program. Assessment is a 30-45 day placement in which each youth receives a comprehensive assessment that details their treatment and educational needs and essentially becomes their treatment plan.
Committed Units/Long Term: These programs are considered long-term. The average length of stay is eight to twelve months. DYS treatment focuses on crisis prevention and violence prevention.
Committed Units/Short Term: The average length of stay in this type of unit is 30-90 days. These units serve newly committed youth and youth who DYS has returned to secure custody and extended their commitment for a short period because they are having difficulty adjusting to the community.
Short–Term Group Care: Short-term group care programs are staff secure, are typically located in residential areas, and have lengths of stay ranging from 2 to 6 months. The programs are designed to serve youth committed on non-mandatory offenses who are newly committed and awaiting an assessment and case conference, have violated their community supervision, or do not require strict security but would benefit from a structured treatment program before returning home. They also serve youth who have completed a secure treatment program and are preparing to transition to the community.
Department of Mental Health (DMH)
SEIS provides an educational program, including special education services for eligible students in designated DMH facilities. Through a variety of program models with some integration of clinical supportive services, SEIS provides special education services and seeks to assist students to maintain progress in the general education curriculum. As appropriate, SEIS works with the local school districts to enable the student to receive academic credit from the school district for coursework completed while in the DMH program.
SEIS programs in ten DMH facilities provide a full day general education program with a wide range of curricula, which include English language arts, mathematics, social studies, science, life skills, health, and technology. Classroom activities and lessons are adapted to meet the needs of the student based upon the student's IEP and the DMH clinical program.
The following are types of DMH programs:
Clinically Intensive Residential Treatment (CIRT) provides residential therapeutic services in a staff secure setting for children ages five to twelve. Intensive Residential Treatment Programs (IRTP) provide residential services in a physically secure setting for youth ages thirteen through eighteen and Behavioral Intensive Residential Treatment (BIRT) provides residential services in a physically secure setting for youth ages twelve through eighteen. Continuing care inpatient units provide hospital level care for youth ages thirteen through eighteen.
Within the context of the therapeutic milieu established by DMH and the program site, SEIS educators provide a full day general education program with special education services during the school year.
Adult Units are DMH adult psychiatric units in which SEIS provides special education services as needed to eligible youth with disabilities between the ages of 19 through 21. SEIS does not provide a full day general education program in adult units.
last updated: October 1, 2008
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