Lincoln Child Center's Conyes Academy (Conyes) serves students with significant behavioral challenges who are not able to be served in a public school setting. As a certified nonpublic school, Conyes Academy follows the standard California State curriculum for each grade level, individualized to the needs, strengths, and capacity of each student.

Conyes Academy offers a unique program that integrates special education and intensive mental health services for students in grades K-8. Staffed by certified special education teachers, clinicians, and counseling staff, instruction and treatment are provided in small classrooms of 10-12 students and a staff to student ratio of 1-3. Mental health services include individual, group and family counseling, rehabilitative therapies, crisis intervention, and psychiatric treatment including medication evaluations and on-going consultation with on-site psychiatrists.

Individualized Educational Planning and Instruction:

A student is placed at the Conyes Academy through the Individual Educational Plan (IEP) process, and referral from his/her school district. Using information from the IEP and educational testing once the student is placed, an individualized instructional program is developed that is responsive to each student's educational needs. An IEP meeting is held at least annually to review each student's academic, and behavioral progress, or at the request of any member of the IEP team.

Integrated Intensive Day Treatment:

In addition to educational services, Conyes Academy provides integrated behavioral health service in the Intensive Day Treatment program. This comprehensive program allows students to build the skills they need to function in a public school classroom. Students receive individual, group, and family therapy. Family therapy is an integral part of each student's growth and success in the program. Every effort is made by the student's clinical team members to engage the family in a therapeutic process that supports each child's individualized plan and leads to their successful graduation from the program.

Applied Behavior Analysis:

Every student at the Academy has the services of an on-site Behavior Analyst. Our Behavior Analysts are integral members of a student's IEP team and work with caregivers, clinicians, teachers, and adjunct staff to discover the environmental variables that may be contributing to problems with behavior that impact a student's safety and ability to learn. The Behavior Analyst conducts a Functional Analysis Assessment and then works with the IEP team collaboratively to develop an individualized Positive Behavior Intervention Plan meeting all Hughes Bill, CDE, and IDEA requirements. The behavior plan identifies the function of a student's concerning behavior, more appropriate replacement behaviors that meet that function and instructional strategies for teaching the new skills.

As part of our commitment to create the most effective treatment and educational environment for our students, the Conyes Academy has an on-site multi-sensory de-escalation room. This space combines brain research, child development theory, and occupational therapy principles into a sensory-based teaching space for self-regulation of emotion and behavior.

Psychiatric & Psychological Assessment:

All students are eligible to receive a comprehensive psychiatric assessment and ongoing psychiatric services. Additionally, comprehensive psycho-diagnostic assessments and functional cognitive assessments of co-occurring processing and learning difficulties are available to all students upon referral from the student's school district. The Academy staff carefully selects psychological assessment tools in order to ensure a culturally responsive assessment process. There is also an emphasis on the functional cognitive assessment of processing disorders and learning difficulties that are too frequently overlooked in the psycho-educational assessments our clients receive in the IEP process due to time limitations and difficulties in allocating sufficient time to testing in the IEP timeframe.

Managing Difficult Behaviors:

The Conyes Academy uses positive behavior intervention and Collaborative Problem Solving™ techniques as early interventions for challenging behaviors. If a student has an emotional or behavioral crisis that requires emergency intervention, the Conyes staff are trained in Safe Environments™, a specific technique used to deescalate or physically hold a child until s/he is able to manage their behavior independently.

Physical Education and Team Sports:

Students have a very active physical education program that allows students to have opportunities for regular exercise and strengthen their social skills by working as a team. With two on-site playgrounds, a basketball court, softball field, and half football field, our students participate in daily physical activities as well as organized soccer, basketball, and football teams that play with other non-public schools.

Breakfast & Lunch Program:

The Conyes Academy is proud to work with Epicurean Group, a local catering company that is committed to using fresh and organic foods from local farmers, producers, and growers in providing daily nutritious breakfasts, lunches, and snacks free of charge to our students. Our Epicurean chef designs healthy menus that appeal to students while continuously working to prepare food in an environmentally responsible manner.