The Halcyon is a legendary bird most often represented by the kingfisher, a fearless diving bird that had a calming effect on the turbulent seas. Behavioral Associates of Massachusetts uses the kingfisher as a reminder of its commitment to providing a peaceful learning environment for all the people we serve. Through self-control training and skills acquisition, each person develops confidence in their ability to accomplish personal goals, develops meaningful relations in their community and learns to weather even the most turbulent of times.
The mission of the Halcyon Center is to provide individualized services to adults with developmental disabilities that help them reach their greatest level of independence, productivity and integration into the community. The Halcyon Center strives to provide these services within a caring, supportive and clinically sound environment that allows for the greatest growth, individual dignity, development of self-control, and realization of their personal potential.
Independence: Independence is considered to be the greatest amount of self-control possible exercised over one's own behavior and environment and is fostered through a systematic introduction of dignified and respectful choice opportunities for the people we serve. This procedure allows the people we serve to learn the value of utilizing communication and self-sufficiency skills in order to access a wide array of opportunities for community integration, employment, self-expression and self-management.
Productivity: The Halcyon Center teaches and trains meaningful work and self-management skills, and provides opportunities to exercise these skills in every situation throughout the daily life of the people that we serve.
Integration: The Halcyon Center encourages and assists the individuals we serve to utilize their resources, participate in activities and establish and maintain relationships with others in their community.
Services
The Halcyon Center supports individuals with development disabilities by providing residential, vocational and clinical supports. Residential supports include 24-hour staff community residences and in-home supports. Vocational supports include competitive employment, paid-work sponsored by Halcyon, and volunteer opportunities. Applied Behavior Analysis is the emphasis of our clinical supports that include the use of relaxation, imagery and communication training to promote self-management and social skill development.
Our Clients
The Halcyon Center serves Massachusetts adults over the age of 21 who are diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder or other developmental disability. These usually include:
- Autistic Disorder
- Pervasive Developmental Disorders
- Mental Retardation
- Behavioral Disorders
- Serious Communication and /or Learning Disabilities
- Dual Diagnosis (both cognitive and mental health disorder)