Walden Street School is a newly renovated residential program located right in the heart of historic Concord, MA. Our program focuses on the challenges and special needs of adolescent females ranging in age from 12-22 coping with educational, emotional, and behavioral difficulties. Many of our students have difficulty in traditional school settings, and struggle with managing their overwhelming emotions including depression, anxiety, mood disorders, and PTSD symptoms. Walden Street School uses a multidisciplinary approach to treatment. All students and their families work closely with their clinical, educational, medical, psychiatric, and residential teams to develop an individualized treatment plan that is designed for long term success.

Clinical treatment focuses on a modified version of Dialectical Behavior Therapy designed for adolescent females struggling with significant emotional dysregulation, behavior issues, and mental health issues. These adolescents often face challenges in school, difficulties living successfully at home, and difficult developing relationships with peers. Walden Street School believes that through productive relationships and individualized treatment, young women can be empowered to create growth and lasting change within themselves. Internally, Walden provides a safe, nurturing, strengths-based environment in which girls can live and learn from and with each other. Walden extends its students' experiences to the larger community as well; Walden students are encouraged to take the skills they learn on-site into the greater community through a number of off-site leisure activities, sports leagues, internships, and volunteer and work opportunities, all of which are supervised and supported by the Walden team.

Walden Street School operates a year-round MA Department of Education approved special education school that offers effective education for students at all levels in a small classroom setting. The curriculum is individualized according to each student's IEP, and teachers employ a variety of strategies to help students cope with difficulties during class time. Each student meets weekly with her tutorial teacher to work on educational goals, problem-solve school difficulties, plan for educational transitions, develop independence skills, or receive tutoring.

Clinicians offer highly individualized treatment plans, made in conjunction with the student and her family and collaterals. The following are among the services provided by the Walden Clinical team:

• Individual therapy and treatment planning
• Family Therapy, provided at the program and home-based
• Dialectic Behavior Therapy
• Group Therapy
• Psychopharmacological Consultation
• Transition Planning

Walden Street School also has a second campus, called the Bridge Campus, located in West Concord, MA. This campus is geared to students who are working to develop independent and vocational skills as well as providing opportunities for students to practice the skills they have learned to keep themselves safe in the community.

Home Based Services are also available. These services can be used to avoid residential placement or to facilitate the transition home from Walden Street School. These services are intense and individualized to meet the needs of your family.

Walden Street School is accredited by the Department of Education and the Office of Early Education and Care.

For more information or to make a referral, please contact Kari Beserra at kbeserra@jri.org or 978 369 7611 x202.