Caring...Confidential...Therapeutic

Kimberly Womeldorf, M.A.Ed. Executive Director

Our Mission

 Lycoming Therapeutic will provide superior service with dignity and respect towards others

Our Values

Partnering with our clients, their families and the community, we value:

Excellence, in all we do, 

Integrity, in the way we do it, 

Service, with respect and dignity

We will gladly accept the ACCESS card for our services.

Premier Provider of Behavioral Health Rehabilitative Services in Lycoming and Clinton Counties.

Services 

Holly Brown-Miller

Lycoming Therapeutic is a private agency that provides mental health and behavioral health rehabilitative services.

Behavioral Health Rehabilitation Services (BHRS).  An intensive service in which a strategic treatment plan is developed and implemented with a team approach in an attempt to stablize a child or adolescent's behavior within their natural enviornment.

Outpatient mental health services for people of all ages.

Psychological Evaluations to diagnose and recommend appropriate services.  We strive to schedule within two weeks of the initial call.

What is BHRS?

Lycoming Therapeutic provides Behavioral Health Rehabilitative Services (BHRS) to children and adolescents diagnosed with mental health disorders or serious emotional disturbances. These children typically display severe behaviors within either their home or school environment and are in some jeopardy of being placed into a more restrictive environment.

Once we receive a referral, we work with all other service providers involved, such as guidance counselors, classroom teachers, caseworkers, and parents, to "wraparound" the child and provide individualized intervention. We develop and implement an individualized treatment plan to use as a guide in stabilizing the child. Our goal is to transfer skills to the family, and provide the child with the skills needed to understand and control their behaviors that are associated with their personal mental health disorder. We provide this service in accordance to CASSP Principles.

How does someone get these services?

A child's behaviors or symptoms must indicate a DSM IV mental health diagnosis AND the child must be in some jeopardy of being placed in a more restrictive environment. This could mean that the child's behaviors are unmanageable by the parents, teachers, daycare workers, or other adults in the child's life.

These services must be specifically recommended in a written Psychological or Psychiatric Evaluation.

The child or adolescent must have or acquire Medical Assistance.

Call Lycoming Therapeutic at 570.322.2155

to schedule a psychological evaluation and we will determine if these services are medically necessary.

Who provides the treatment?

At Lycoming Therapeutic, we have an incredible pool of staff with many years of experience. It is the Executive Director's responsibility to assign a mental health staff member that will best suit the child, taking into consideration the child's behaviors of concern, culture, demographics, and family preferences.

Behavior Specialist Consultant (BSC)

The BSC designs and directs the implementation of the treatment plan and coordinates care with other service providers. (Master's or Doctorate degree'd mental health professional)

Mobile Therapist (MT)

The MT provides 1:1 therapy/counseling to the child and family outside of an office setting. The MT can also design and direct the implementation of the treatment plan and coordinate care with other services providers. (Master's degree'd mental health professional).

Therapeutic Support Staff (TSS)

The TSS provides 1:1 interventions to the child under the direction of the BSC or MT. (Bachelor's degree'd mental health professional). TSS from Lycoming Therapeutic receives over 20 hours per year of ongoing training.

Helpful Information for Schools    

 Please note that according to Medical Assistance Bulletin #1153-95-01, it is stated that individuals under the age of 21 with emotional disturbances or mental health illnesses may be eligible for wraparound services to assist the families to care for their child or adolescent at home and in their community as an alternative to a more restrictive residential or psychiatric inpatient service. 

This means that if the child is in jeopardy of being sent to a more restrictive environment, based on his serious emotional disturbance and behaviors, then the child might be eligible for BHRS “wraparound services” as long as the following criteria are met:

1. The school should first implement their own formal behavior plan to address the child's behavioral needs. (Has an FBA been done?)

2. If the school's efforts fail, and it is documented, the school may refer the family to LYCOMING THERAPEUTIC for a psychological evaluation.

3. If BHRS is deemed medically appropriate, the family is given their choice of BHRS providers.

4. If LYCOMING THERAPEUTIC is chosen as the provider, we will schedule an Interagency meeting (ISPT). At this meeting, all pertinent parties (the team) will collaborate regarding the child's services, immediate goals will be determined and timeframe of greatest need for any TSS services will be determined.

5. The information from the ISPT, as well as the Evaluation, Treatment Plan, Plan of Care and any other pertinent information, is submitted to CBHNP for review and authorization. No services are performed until authorization is generated by CBHNP.

6. Once authorization is received, only the services that were authorized (and it may be less than we had originally requested) will be delivered.

If a TSS is authorized to deliver services in your classroom:

• The TSS is working as one component of a team for the good of the child and his or her family, and not for the school. However, we will work in collaboration with the school as an equal professional entity providing a service. The TSS is taking direction, as per a treatment plan, from the individual client's Clinical Team Member (either a BSC or MT).

• The TSS will do much documentation. They are responsible for determining antecedents, tracking behaviors, graphing, and presenting information to the Clinical Team Member.

• The teacher should continue to give the child the direction, rewards, and consequences unless the team has specifically designed an intervention to the contrary. We want the child to comply with teacher requests, not just to the TSS.

• Please understand that our goal is to stabilize the child's behaviors within their given environment so that they are no longer in jeopardy of being sent to a more restrictive environment.

• We also expect to be able to transfer our management skills to the teacher or other school staff (as well as the parents or guardians). Since these services are designed to be short term, and once the team has determined what works for decreasing undesired behaviors, we will begin to decrease and eventually end services.

• We may also make recommendations for other services, testing, medicine check-ups, or other, as deemed necessary.

Lycoming Therapeutic Wraparound Services, Inc.

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• A TSS cannot perform any academic duties and should not be a substitute for teacher or aide
• A TSS cannot supervise the child, such as to be a replacement for a teacher or parent, therefore cannot be alone with the child.

• A TSS cannot transport.

• A TSS cannot provide services not listed within the treatment plan.

• A TSS cannot assist in the care of other children within the home, school or community while working with client.

We at Lycoming Therapeutic also realize that our workers are guests in your school. We will adhere to your building policies.

Sometimes, a better way of explaining the role of a TSS is to describe what they cannot do (in accordance to OMAP):