250 E. Arapahoe St., P.O. Box 112
Thermopolis WY 82443
1-307-864-2171
nwboces@rtconnect.net
NW BOCES Educational and Treatment Facility Learn & Grow
Testimonials
From over 50 years of service , we have some great stories of helping students and families change their lives. During that time students have transitioned from our program to a variety of placements. Below are just some of the success stories.
Parents, district personnel, and DFS caseworkers report to us regarding the success of students who have transitioned from the NW BOCES program. A young teenage girl entered the program and continued in the program for 7 months. She worked through the levels program and transitioned back into her family home and local school district in Cody. Since that time she has successfully held a job while in High School, graduated from High School, is living in her own apartment, holds a job, and has positive relationships with her family. This young lady prior to entering the NW BOCES program was severely out of control in the family home endangering herself and others.
A young man from Green River entered our program for a sixty school day evaluation period. He successfully worked our program, dealt with depression issues, built family bonds, and made academic progress. He transitioned back to his family home and local school district with success. In fact, the following Spring the district contracted with NW BOCES to provide an evaluation for a young girl from their district with “similar needs”. She too has transitioned back to the home and will re-enter the local school district this fall. NW BOCES staff are available for transition services to assist the family and the district. At times this requires NW BOCES staff to travel to the student’s local community, share with parents and district personnel information, and demonstrate methods that may work in the home and/or school system.
A young man from Rock Springs was in the NW BOCES program for 4 years. He kept working the program but had difficulty working through the levels. He had wonderful family support and a loving home environment. Staff would say that in a matter of a month all at once it “clicked” for this youth. He transitioned back to his family home and the Roosevelt Learning Center, C-V satellite program, for school days. He transitioned into local high school classes and graduated from High School, and holds a job in the local community.
Natrona County School District and Department of Family Services have placed several youth at NW BOCES. In particular, one young man comes to mind. This elementary school aged youth had severe behavior issues, emotional disturbances, quite low cognition, and home crisis situations. Initial placement was for an evaluation period which was extended due to foster home and home factors. The student made significant progress in just 6 months of placement. School prevocational skills, pre-academic skills, peer relationship, as well as behavioral areas were improved significantly. This young man transitioned back to the school district and foster home with great success. Efforts for placement back in the family home have been less positive through no fault of the youth.
We have reverse placement types of the above as well. A student from HSCSD lived at NW BOCES and attended the local district. His school needs were being met successfully within the district but a court order placed him residentially with NW BOCES. He worked through the transition program with family outings, family counseling and parent training, and home visits. He returned to his family home with success. This child is being raised by his grandmother and father and expectations of his ever being able to return home were quite low at initial placement.
A young man from the Ranchester area entered our program out of control in the family home and not functioning well in the local school district. He transitioned from our program into his mother’s home 19 months later. We keep hearing good things about how well he was doing both at home and at school since his transition. Staff were very appreciative of a visit that this young man and his mother made to our residential setting several years after his transition home. They came to express to staff their sincere appreciation for all that we did for this youth. His mother noted how well he is doing and what a fine individual he has become. We are so appreciative of parents like this who keep in contact and let the staff know that they made a difference in the life of a child.
For the most part NW BOCES serves youth grades kindergarten through eighth grade in the SED program. Several years ago we accepted an eighth grade student last year and were quite concerned whether he would be a “fit” for our program. He came in from a detention center needing to be exited from there immediately due to his extremely high level of property destruction. He came to us with intense anger, severe aggression, low self-esteem and low self-worth, and no desire to do better. He believed he would be better off in “jail or the Boys School” rather than with us. He trusted no one. In time, this young man came to know that the staff cared about him, that we were there for him mistake after mistake, that he would be encouraged to do more, that the positives would be emphasized, and that his strengths would be built upon. He transitioned to a foster home and school in Casper after 11 months of placement then he transitioned back to his local school district and family home. This young man who desired to be in jail or the Boys School now sends encouraging email messages to our other youth to work the program and make positive choices.
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