Brightside to Close Residential Services and School Program

West Springfield, MA--Brightside for Families and Children has repeatedly evolved to meet the changing needs of the community. Today, the model of how child welfare programs are structured and delivered, and the economic realities of how the services are funded, requires another significant shift in Brightside’s organization and function.

The residential and school programs of Brightside for Families and Children will cease operations by April 2, 2010. Brightside’s Family Stabilization Team (FST) will continue to provide outpatient services as Providence Behavioral Health Hospital’s Child and Adolescent in-patient (CHAD) and Acute Residential Treatment (ART) programs are integrated with the FST program.

These changes are necessary because Brightside’s residential and school programs have experienced census levels over the past several years that are a fraction of Brightside’s capacity. Despite extensive efforts to increase referrals to Brightside, there is no expectation that census levels can improve to viable levels since funding sources are not readily available to place children in such residential treatment programs.

Brightside remains focused on continuing to provide a superior level of care to all remaining residents and students. The safe and appropriate transfer of all of Brightside’s residents and students to alternate settings will be completed within the next 60 days. Brightside staff will work to ensure that the best interests of the children continues to be the top priority and transitioning them to a safe environment is accomplished in a manner that is as minimally disruptive as possible.

“Since its founding, Brightside for Families and Children has strived to meet the needs of children. These needs have changed over the years because of numerous societal and economic factors, but Brightside has always adapted by restructuring its programs and services accordingly,” said Mark Fulco, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Marketing, SPHS. “The decision to close residential services and the Campus School was a difficult but necessary step in reshaping our services for children and adolescents. Brightside’s commitment to caring for children afflicted with psychiatric, emotional and behavioral difficulties will continue by responding to the current demand for short-term acute services and those designed to avoid longer-term residential stays.”