Pelham Academy

Tahia Bell-Sykes, Program Director
Victoria Wolfson, M.D., Medical Director

13 Pelham Road, Lexington, MA 02421
Phone: (781) 274-6800 / Fax: (781) 274-0900





Pelham Academy, a campus of the Meadowridge Schools, is a 24 bed Chapter 766 approved residential treatment program in Lexington that focuses on the special challenges of adolescent girls with emotional and behavioral difficulties. The students, between the ages of 12 and 18, have typically experienced trauma and poor functioning in their personal, educational and/or family life.

Clinical, residential, and educational services help the residents establish positive relationships and foster a sense of mutual respect, trust, responsibility and interdependence. Clinicians work closely with the Residential, Educational, Nursing and Psychiatry departments in order to provide a continuum of care. Clinicians at Pelham Academy provide the following services:

  • Weekly individual therapy
  • Treatment Planning
  • Family and Group Therapy
  • Psychopharmacological Consultation
  • Individualized Treatment
  • Transition Planning
The school operates on a 12- month calendar. Monitored by each student's lead teacher and under the supervision of the Educational Director, each student receives the individual attention necessary to achieve goals and succeed academically while making progress on their therapeutic program. Each student's primary teacher works with the student's home school district to create an individualized education plan designed to ensure success and progress toward a high school diploma.

The Staff at Pelham Academy are crucial the girls' success and are committed to their growth. Milieu Counselors work 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to provide continuous therapeutic support. Those supports include the following:

  • Weekly individual meetings
  • Homework help and tutoring
  • In-house and off grounds activities
  • Evening leisure groups
  • Crisis intervention/prevention
  • Point and level system
  • Implementation of Treatment plans
  • Life Skills/PAYA instruction
  • Collaboration with parents and service providers
  • Special outings and activities
A primary counselor and primary teacher provide a consistent approach with high expectations for each student. The impact of the school is best conveyed by the high number of high school graduates who go on to attend college and vocational school.

Students may be referred to Pelham Academy by school districts, state agencies or privately.