Healthy Experiences In Gaining Hope To Succeed

The H.E.I.G.H.T.S. Program is a building-wide school-based behavioral health intervention model which provides in-school mental health services to identified students who attend Hasson Heights Elementary and the Oil City Middle School. Participating students must be experiencing emotional and/or behavioral difficulties in school, and possibly home, and/or in the community as well. They must be at risk for out of school placement and have a mental health diagnosis. A physician or licensed psychologist/psychiatrist must recommend the H.E.I.G.H.T.S. Program as medically necessary. The students must be eligible for Medical Assistance. At least one parent/caretaker must consent to treatment unless the student is age 14 or older.

The Wall of Heroes at Oil City Middle School contains hundreds of heroes named by the students. A few of those heroes are highlighted in this picture.

The specific goals of the H.E.I.G.H.T.S. Program are:

  • Increase family involvement in treatment and educational processes
  • In-school resource for students, families, and teachers
  • Create a positive atmosphere which supports the student to be successful in the classroom and reach their educational goals
  • Teach social skills and coping skills to master self-control
  • Increase self-motivation and self-esteem
  • Implement strength-based resiliency approaches
  • Increase emotional regulation skills to decrease troubling behaviors

Treatment provided includes:

  • Daily morning and afternoon groups
  • Individual interventions as needed
  • Promote resiliency; a student’s ability to succeed when faced with risks and adversity
  • Recognize students’ accomplishments utilizing a token reward system
  • Weekly positive calls to parents/caregivers
  • Monthly family skill building activities
  • Strength-based therapy, which identifies the positive abilities of the students
  • Behavioral modification modeling
  • In-School crisis management
  • Individual and group psychotherapy