Seven Hills Foundation and its affiliates are committed to caring for children of all ages, including the youngest among us. To support our youth holistically, Seven Hills is augmenting and integrating its education services with mental health supports. 

Evidence consistently shows that, when mental health services are embedded in early child care and school settings, children strengthen their social-emotional well-being and are better positioned for a healthier, more stable childhood and success throughout their lifetime.

"By modeling positive behaviors, children improve self-regulation and effectively communicate their needs and build important skills for kindergarten and beyond." —Lynne Flanagan-Tsombakos, Seven Hills Behavioral Health (in photo above)

Early Childhood Specialty Counseling serves children from birth to age 14, and their families, at our Behavioral Health Centers in Worcester, Southbridge, and Milford. Even at a very young age, children who are experiencing emotional distress can exhibit challenging behaviors in their early child care settings. These behaviors can cause disruption, intervention, and suspension or expulsion in extreme cases. Grant funding to prevent suspension and expulsion enables clinicians to provide consultation and training at preschools and child care centers in Central Massachusetts.

Early Childhood Mental Health (ECMH) at Seven Hills Behavioral Health (SHBH) provides clinical consultation to parents, teachers, and administrators at child care sites throughout Central MA. The program promotes positive attachment relationships between young children and their adult caregivers and educators. ECMH improves the professionals’ response to challenging behaviors with concrete strategies for many environments.

The ECMH team is addressing the social and clinical needs of the children at the Early Learning Center (ELC) in Worcester. Clinicians train educators and family members to reinforce positive behavior methods in the classroom and at home. “Teachers, parents, and caregivers are getting more tools in their toolbox,” said Denise Caron, ELC director, noting the vast expertise and holistic approach of the ECMH staff. The outcomes are quite promising, with data reporting that the children’s behavior is improving by 10% or more, which is the goal established by the SHBH clinical team.

Seven Hills’ School-Based Services provides counseling and consultation for older students in public schools across Central MA. The overall goals are to stabilize youths’ mental health to stay on track in school, and provide training and strategies to teachers to ensure the students stay on track academically and emotionally. Referrals come from teachers, counselors, and school administrators. The School-Based Services team also provides consultation, workshops, and training about the impact of mental health on school performance.

To Learn More, Contact: 
Early Childhood Mental Health
Devon Renfro, LMHC, R-DMT
508.459.6420 or drenfro@sevenhills.org.