By: Jonathan P. D’Amico
Director of Educational Services, Eleanor Briggs School, Thrive Behavioral Health
You failed.
Our public school system has been driven far too long by antiquated mandated state testing; you passed or failed. If you fail, then the consequences are endless because there is no room for failure in our society. So you are pushed through, meeting minimum standards until you are no longer that teacher’s problem; then wash, rinse and repeat for the next school year until graduation.
Many “successful” people started with failure after failure, and their persistence to learn lessons and try again is celebrated. Those stories are few and far between, and all too often our children are actually being taught, year after year, they are “failures” which sends our most vulnerable students barreling down the school to prison pipeline. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
It is Rhode Island’s most susceptible and marginalized students, who need advocates not adversaries. Students who have experienced trauma may manifest that into behavioral and emotional challenges that significantly impede their progress in public schools. Not learning correct coping mechanisms, they may act out and are many times unfairly disciplined for behavior. They begin to buck the system and are labeled as “difficult,” always having their guard up-afraid of the next punishment they will receive.
Thrive Behavioral Health is proud to run the Eleanor Briggs School, a specialized school designed to integrate curriculum learning with behavioral coping mechanisms. The school is licensed by the Rhode Island Department of Education as a Special Education Program for children, grades 1-12. It is open to qualifying students from all RI school districts. Briggs School takes a muti-modal approach to mental wellbeing that incorporates dialectical and cognitive behavioral therapies, positive behavioral supports, family coaching, and medication management.
Here at the Eleanor Briggs School, we’re leading the way down an innovative new road. We meet families where they are, literally. Each student’s journey begins with an in-home meeting with one of our clinical supervisors. Our staff arrives, acquainted with their stories, acknowledging their strengths and frailties, the fluctuations in their grades, and the evaluations of their behavioral health. We offer a nurturing blend of clinical and academic support and inquire about the students’ own aspirations— their story in their own words. The small classrooms, the devoted administrators, the staff poised for each student’s success— are stark differences from traditional schools where these same kids are often considered “difficult”. We offer an invitation to an environment where every adult champions their growth. While monumental challenges undoubtedly arise, our unwavering support for each and every student remains steadfast. We believe every individual’s unsolved problems hold equal importance and we teach by the notion of progress over perfection.
There is much to learn: restorative justice programs; social emotional learning; trauma-informed care; home based therapeutic services. The person-centered approach focuses on each student’s unique needs and is guided by the student’s goals, preferences and values, giving each student autonomy, and building their self-esteem. These learning mindsets prevent disruptions and nurture overall well-being for students. Additionally, mentoring programs, provided through Briggs, sow seeds of guidance, anchoring students to positive adult role models. These mentors adeptly guide young minds, steering them toward constructive choices. Student’s transition out of Briggs with a new found way of thinking, “your past doesn’t define your potential; it is your response to it that shapes your future.” We are committed to learning from these experiences, advocating for change, and creating a supportive environment that nurtures growth and resilience for every student. What holds steadfastly is life’s trajectory isn’t predetermined; it’s a journey marked by resilience, enlightenment, and evolution.