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Behavioral Health Innovators outlines PASS alternative-to-suspension program and asks SUDA for support
Summary
Behavioral Health Innovators presented its PASS (alternative-to-suspension) and APG (alternative peer group) programs for teens, described daily reentry checks and 30-day follow-up, and requested donations/grant support; the committee asked for budget details and town-donation lists.
Stephanie Riotti, director of Behavioral Health Innovators (BHI), described the nonprofit’s continuum of care for adolescents and detailed two programs the committee is considering supporting.
"Behavioral Health Innovators is a nonprofit on The Cape celebrating 10 years this year," Riotti said. She outlined three program components: education/outreach, an intervention called PASS (an off-campus alternative to suspension, typically recommended for about five days) and a longer-term Alternative Peer Group (APG) staffed with recovery coaches and clinicians from Duffy Health Centers.
Riotti told the committee that PASS placements are typically three to five days (schools decide case-by-case) and that BHI runs a daily reentry Zoom meeting with school staff, the student and BHI clinicians to coordinate reintegration. She said BHI performs a 30-day follow-up to check attendance, behavior and whether recommended services were started.
BHI also described transportation supports (DART bus passes), small-group sizes (6–8 students), and examples of program costs for field trips and staffing. BHI said schools sometimes contribute (schools pay $5,000 for middle-school participation and $10,000 for high-school participation) and that other towns’ donations to the nonprofit have ranged from roughly $1,500 to $10,000 depending on the request.
The committee asked for additional financial detail and a town-by-town list of donations drawn from opioid-abatement funds; Riotti said she would provide an annual budget and a breakdown of which towns have contributed and how. The chair also asked that BHI supply documentation showing how settlement funds would be used if SUDA considered a grant.
Committee members praised the program’s combination of counseling, academic support and peer activities as an alternative to suspension, and suggested longer-term partnerships, including exploring expanded days of service or broader regional collaboration. The nonprofit said it would deliver follow-up budget and participation data to the committee.
