Behavior Support Services
Behavior Support Services
Skills of Central PA provides behavioral health support services that empower everyday living. We strive to help individuals embrace independence and provide personalized support with the challenges they face. Behavioral health is defined as a “state of mental, emotional, and social well-being or behaviors and actions that affect wellness.” Mental health services can play a part in a support plan, but it’s often more complex than that.
Behavioral issues often leave individuals and their families feeling isolated and overwhelmed. Knowing where to turn is difficult, especially when there’s so much that is misunderstood. Whether the behavior is expressed through withdrawal, sensory overload, or highly emotional outbursts, traditional approaches never work. Person-centered support is essential, and that’s where we can help.
Behavioral Issues and the Outcomes We Aim For
With so many behavioral issues in the world today, your family isn’t alone. Many of us have experienced a family member with some type of behavioral health problem that benefits from a strategic, personalized care plan. Some of the most common behavioral health issues include:
- Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Characterized by difficulty staying focused, being fidgety, and difficulty managing compulsive behaviors.
- Conduct Disorder: Characterized by aggressive actions towards animals or people, destructive behavior towards other people’s property, and lack of remorse.
- Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD): Characterized by a strong resistance to authoritative figures like parents or teachers, sudden temper or angry outbursts, and spiteful actions.
Every person who comes to Skills for help has unique needs and goals. That’s why our care plans are highly customized to the client. Overall, we aim to:
Establish real-world skills, leading to the chance to attend school, join community events, and have fulfilling jobs.
Help people with behavioral issues learn to advocate for themselves.
Improve a family’s understanding of triggers and how to approach behaviors.
Achieving those goals takes time and involves several goals along the way.
Uncovering Root Causes Behind Challenging Behaviors
To build a person-centered behavioral health plan, we need to spend time observing and determining the root cause behind challenging behaviors. You can’t stop a behavior that you don’t understand.
We look at different environmental factors, communication difficulties, and sensory triggers to better understand the underlying cause behind a strong reaction. When we understand what causes the behaviors, it’s much easier to learn how to address the behavior and find solutions that work—and those that don’t.
Teaching Coping Mechanisms and Self-Regulation
Once we better understand an individual’s needs and triggers, we can help teach skills that help them learn how to regulate their actions. Coping mechanisms go a long way in easing anxiety and sensory overload. Through self-regulation and healthy coping skills, we help the individual avoid a full retreat or meltdown.
Preparing to Be Part of the Community
As a client learns how to regulate behaviors by learning coping mechanisms, they can start embracing life outside the home. Being a vital part of the community is important. We want our clients to build friendships, embrace educational and work opportunities, and feel confident performing normal tasks like shopping and attending community events and celebrations.
Strengthening Families
Challenging behaviors impact entire families. Something as simple as going to a family BBQ causes stress and even avoidance. Instead of hoping things go well, we find many families opt out and simply don’t attend.
We work with families to address concerns and frustrations. We help family members and friends understand the triggers and how to provide the empathy and compassionate support needed during an overwhelming moment.
Our Comprehensive Behavioral & Mental Health Services
Those are the things we help families and individuals achieve while navigating behavioral health challenges. Getting there involves one or more of these services. Sometimes, we find the initial plan isn’t perfect, so we make adjustments to ensure all treatment and care plans remain person-centered and effective.
Behavior Support Services
Designed specifically for individuals with intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, or complex behavioral needs, our behavior support services focus on beneficial, compassionate strategies that embrace and celebrate the individual’s uniqueness. We do this through:
Functional Behavioral Assessments (FBAs): Behavioral Support Specialists (BSS) conduct comprehensive evaluations that involve record reviews, personal observations, consultations, and identifying triggers. We are happy to accompany the individual to school or work to learn more about issues faced in those specific environments.
Sensory and Cultural Evaluations: Specialists explore a family’s culture to better understand backgrounds and ensure support plans honor the individual’s cultural beliefs and rules. We also look at different sensory environments like light, noise, and people to explore triggers at home and in the community.
Personalized Behavioral Support Plans: Once observations and assessments are completed, the specialists collaborate with family members, individuals, and support teams to develop a person-centered care plan. It covers everything from skill development and coping techniques to the best ways for family members and friends to intervene when needed.
Comprehensive Training and Guidance: We don’t just create a care plan and leave. We’re there to support the individual, family members, support providers, employers, school employees, and even first responders by showing how to respond calmly if a behavioral issue arises.
Community and Workplace Support: When needed, our specialists accompany the individual to work, school, or social activities to observe their interactions and offer guidance as needed.
No matter how in-depth a behavioral care plan is, it’s always adjustable. We stay with you or your loved one to ensure the care plan works well. Our team excels in listening to you, so if you feel something isn’t working well, speak up, and we’ll work with you to make changes.
In addition to helping the individual learn to thrive, we also want to make sure families are cohesive units. We can help move families past their hurtful histories to form strong family bonds.
How to Get Started
Receiving help for behavioral health issues is easier than you might think.
Contact your local Skills of Central PA office.
Look into possible funding options and fill out those applications as soon as possible.
Complete the comprehensive intake process and schedule the assessment.
Meet with the team to go over the customized behavioral health treatment plan.
Behavioral health challenges don’t have to limit your independence or outline your future. Our specialists provide compassionate, personalized support to ensure your life has meaning and fulfills your individual goals.
Skills of Central PA is a non-profit human services organization that serves residents and their families. We operate in 16 counties in Central Pennsylvania using a Person-Centered Thinking (PCT). Find your county and access the different offices that can help you or your family find meaningful behavioral health support services.