The Butler Center is a secure, statewide treatment program that serves male juvenile offenders committed to the Massachusetts Department of Youth Services (DYS). These young men face the dual challenges of serious delinquency and mental health issues. The Butler Center offers specialized, clinically sophisticated interventions that address the root causes of their behaviors while focusing on public safety.
Our mission is to help each youth understand and overcome the behaviors that led to their offenses, develop the capacity to manage their mental health needs, and achieve personal and treatment goals that support a safe, successful reintegration into their communities as responsible citizens.
JRI implements a Hardware Secure Treatment Program plan that is designed to meet the complex mental health and treatment needs of DYS-involved youth. The full range of services addresses security (youth and community), behavior management, clinical, health, substance use, education, recreation, family engagement and support, facility operation and community transition.
Services include supports for family members and treats the whole youth as an individual as well as family and community member. Programming incorporates cognitive behavioral approaches, positive youth development and trauma-informed care as well as curriculum-based treatment groups that focus on teaching Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills to improve:
Specific offender groups (i.e., problematic sexual behavior and violent offender) and substance use treatment and prevention groups are also provided. Butler strives to help youth be the best version of themselves so they can be successful members of society upon return to the community.
Resident of the Week: The Butler Center Ad Team identifies one resident each week who put forth their best effort, had a positive attitude, exhibited role model behavior, and went "above and beyond."
Honorable Mention: The Butler Center Ad Team identifies one resident each week who demonstrated improvement in a certain area/areas. This resident may not have had a "perfect" week, but something they did stood out and deserves recognition.
The school program at The Butler Center is designed for the student on an individual basis. The youth will be taught at the level at which they are working. That means some students will have different books and programs. The goal of the school program is to provide special education services, which afford all students the opportunity to reach their full potential and lead lives as contributors to the community.
Classes in the school program include:
The student will have the opportunity to work towards earning their high school diploma or passing the HISET while at the Butler Center. If this is accomplished during the student's time assignment, they will have the opportunity to enroll in college courses so they can advance their knowledge in an area of their choosing.
The youth will have an individual clinician assigned to them from the moment of their initial intake, so they have someone to talk to about things that go on around them, past events that happened in their life, and how they understand themselves.
Group therapy is offered where the youth can receive feedback from other residents and staff while helping other residents deal with their obstacles. Family plays an important role in who the resident is and what they will become, they may also have family therapy, which can help both the youth and their family understand what goes on with them and help them see how their behaviors impact others.
An important part of a young person's life is the opportunity to have fun! While the youth is at The Butler Center, the program will provide a variety of athletic and recreational activities to keep their attention and enthusiasm going. Activities are scheduled monthly and a calendar is developed and posted in advance.
Some activities include:
No team members found.
Referrals come from the Department of Youth Services.
Hiram Rivera
Program Director
288 Lyman Street Westborough, MA 01581
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