Helix Human Services

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The Cottage Residential Program

The Cottage Residential program is an inclusive environment designed to support male clients, regardless of how they identify, who have experienced trauma, with moderate to severe mental health and behavioral challenges.

Western MA | Serving: male children ages 6 – 13
Contact: Robert Shields, Program Manager
t: 413.739.5626 Ext. 231 | f: 413.327.4080 | e: RShields@helixhumanservices.org
Ama Bortsie, Director of Residential Services
e: ABortsie@helixhumanservices.org

The Cottage promotes the improvement of self-esteem, life skills, a sense of personal identity, emotional regulation skills, the development of healthy coping skills, and interpersonal relationship strategies. Our goal is for our residents to leave our program with the skills necessary to find success within the community.

Upon referral by Department of Children and Families (DCF), Helix conducts interviews and team meetings to determine if The Cottage would be a good fit for the prospective client. Upon intake, The Cottage focuses on establishing support, safety, and comfortability within the program by promoting the rules and boundaries, as well as building rapport with the client.

Helix Human Services embodies a Trauma Informed Care approach, and The Cottage applies these foundational practices day in and day out. The Cottage employs several evidence-based treatment approaches such as Motivational Interviewing, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). These approaches provide the clients with person-centered treatment heavily focused on the development of skills in the areas of mindfulness, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, emotion regulation, healthy coping skills, personal identity, and life skills. We provide DBT skills groups, psychoeducational groups, Occupational Therapy, individual, and family therapy, as well as clinical case management.

The Cottage program places the client first with a highly therapeutic approach; never punitive. We focus on healing, with continual evaluation and refinement of treatment goals and objectives to meet the needs of individual clients.

The Cottage program residents:

  • Receive an individual treatment plan developed by the multidisciplinary treatment team that outlines the specific needs, goals and objectives to be accomplished during their stay. 
  • Have access to a variety of therapeutic and psychoeducational groups that are tailored to meet their individual needs. 
  • Benefit from the development of life and social skills through a variety of recreational activities both on site and in the community.

I feel honored to use my skills in service to each unique HHS resident/client.

Edna P., Staff