Brandon School and Residential Treatment Center

The Brandon School and Residential Treatment Center is a center that provides educational, emotional, and behavioral health services to boys and their families. It is the only institution of its kind to have a Rapid Firesetting Treatment program, on-site research of Juvenile Firesetting and to work with the Department Of Fire Services to host a annual Juvenile Firesetting conference. Students come to Brandon with a range of educational, emotional and behavioral difficulties and are provided with individualized treatment plans whilst achieving academic skills.

Considering that in 2006 alone, children playing with fire started an estimated 14,500 structure fires that were reported to U.S. fire departments, causing an estimated 130 civilian deaths, 810 civilian injuries and $328 million in direct property damage, Brandon's leading work on this is truly notable.

Northeast Juvenile Firesetting Conference

In collaboration with the Department of Fire Services, Brandon hosts the annual Northeast Juvenile Firesetting Conference,which brings together the different disciplines impacted by juvenile firesetting. During this time, social service, fire service, public safety, juvenile justice, education, and mental health professionals attend workshops by national experts to learn how to more effectively intervene in and PReVENT juvenile firesetting.

Campus

The Brandon campus is located in Natick, Massachusetts, which hosts walking paths, sports fields, gardens and a ropes course. On-site medical services include psychiatry, nursing and dentistry. Campus residences consist of four colonial style homes and one residential wing.

Off campus are three community-based houses where many of the boys attend public school and hold jobs in the community.

Extracurriculars

Brandon students participate in many pro-social, extracurricular activities, both indoor and outdoor, on and off campus.

Community snapshot

Type: Private

Number of Months Open: 12

Number of Days Open: 365

Affiliations: MAAPS (Massachusetts Association of Approved Private Schools) 1 http://www.maaps.org/

Licensed By: Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (DEEC, Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education (DESE)

Population summary

Enrollment: Males

Age: 7-16 upon admission

Staff / Student Ratio: 1:4

Number of Students: 75 Residential/20 Day

Awards and recognition

• Grant Recipient, The Marigold Charitable Trust, 2008-2009
• Grant Recipient, TD Banknorth, 20082 http://www.brandonschool.org/content/press/press_release_spirit_of_giving.pdf
• Grant Recipient, Make the Dash Count Foundation’s Wayland Youth Board, 2006, 2008 3 http://www.brandonschool.org/content/press/press_release_make_the_dash_count.pdf
• Award Winner, Resiliency for Life Program, Framingham MA High School, 2003 4 http://www.brandonschool.org/content/press/mwdn-1-15-2003.htm