Program Overview: Calais Alternative School is a day treatment program that employs a combination of evidence based interventions aimed at preventing disruptive behaviors and implementing specific protocols in response to disruptive behaviors with a goal of encouraging consistent and effective response. These procedures are used in conjunction with individual therapy to address student emotional and behavioral needs.

• The program is specifically designed to reward students’ efforts to improve their social skills, academic performance, and self-regulation of their emotions to enable them to participate fully and successfully in regular education classes.  

• The core structure of the program is a token economy and a level system that is supplemented by individual behavioral interventions based on behavior analysis and child-centered counseling. 

• Behavioral Health Professionals implement the behavior management program and academic interventions while collecting data on each student’s social and academic behavior on a period-by-period basis throughout each school day.  This data are graphed and used to track student progress and make treatment decisions as needed.

Our school is located at 392 SouthStreet, Calais, Maine.

Who We Serve: Children in grades K-12 who have struggled in the general education setting with emotional and behavioral challenges. Candidates for enrollment are referred through the Special Education Department of the child’s school district.

Core Academics: In order to address the varying needs of our learners, students are grouped by age, grade, academic and social needs. CAS follows the common core standards. Students are given specially designed instruction daily in order to achieve academic goals.

Student Support:

• Small class sizes with specially designed instruction, support staff to assist with academic and behavioral needs.

• Staff who are trained in ABA and behavioral de-escalation techniques

• Quiet spaces in order to take breaks

• Learned coping skills and support in order to use self-regulation techniques

• Individual school-based counseling

• Access to Speech/Language and Occupational Therapy if part of IEP

• Access to classes at our district’s vocational program (if student behaviors meet expectations)

• Reintegration back in to general education through gradual transitions taking supported classes at any of our district schools (if student behaviors meet expectations)

• Extended School Year Summer Program- six week program in the summer with focus on social-emotional learning. The students take swim lessons, have lake days and many planned field trips out in the community.

Contact and Referrals:

Calais Alternative School

392 South Street

Calais, ME 04619

(207)454-8143

Fax-(207)952-9058

Sue Carter, Principal - scarter@calaisschools.org

Vanessa Flood, Assistant Principal - vflood@calaisschools.org

Deb O’Neill, Behavioral Coordinator - doneill@calaisschools.org