Reading BHRS Overview
Owned and operated by ViaQuest Behavioral Health (VBH) since 2004, BHRS services are provided for youth ages 2 to 21 in Berks County with a wide range of emotional and developmental needs. These services are delivered in the child/adolescent’s natural environments including the home, school and community. Approximately 50% of the BHRS consumers have an Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Others have behavioral diagnoses such as ADHD, Bipolar Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and parent-child relational problems, just to name a few. They may be receiving other types of services while using BHRS services, such as psychiatric consultations, outpatient therapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy. BHRS treatment teams coordinate care with these other providers working with the child.
Staff members are trained in behavior management and crisis management through verbal de-escalation. VBH is proud to employ Master’s and Bachelor’s level staff members with specialized training and experience:
- Behavior Specialist Consultant (BSC): a Master’s level staff member who provides behavioral consultations to members of the treatment team.
- Mobile Therapist (MT): a Master’s level staff member who provides child-centered, family-focused individual and family therapy.
- Therapeutic Staff Support (TSS): a Bachelor’s level staff member who provides one-to-one behavioral interventions based on the goals of the treatment plan.
- Psychological Evaluations: every 4 months, a licensed psychologist will conduct an evaluation to determine medical necessity for the service.
Unique Benefits to BHRS
- BHRS takes a collaborative team approach to each child’s treatment. Each child will be assigned a case manager who is responsible for scheduling the psychological evaluation and interagency team meeting, and for submitting the authorization packet to the managed care organization. Each child is also assigned a master’s level clinician (Behavior Specialist Consultant and/or Mobile Therapist) who oversees the clinical aspects of the child’s case. If applicable, a Therapeutic Staff Support will also be assigned to the case.
- An “in-house” psychologist who performs the evaluations on all of our consumers.
- A six-week summer therapeutic activities program open to children between the ages of 5-15 who have a diagnosis of an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Services offered during this program include music therapy, occupational therapy, and daily field trips during which social skills are emphasized.
- Staff have a wide variety of experience, and we have therapists who are specifically trained in grief and trauma counseling.
Eligibility
- Children and adolescents ages 2 through 21.
- A current Medical Assistance card.
- A mental health diagnosis is NOT necessary prior to obtaining services. (If parents/guardians are unsure as to whether a diagnosis can be made or not, based on behavioral problems, our case managers can schedule an evaluation with our psychologist, who will then determine if there is a mental health diagnosis. The psychologist will also make a recommendation for services, if applicable.)
Referral Process
An intake is performed by the Case Manager, and if it seems that BHRS services would be appropriate, a Psychological Evaluation is scheduled. Once the evaluation has been completed, and services have been recommended, an Interagency Team Meeting (ITM) is conducted, along with a representative from the Managed Care Organization (MCO), to determine the type and amount of services that BHRS staff will provide. The Behavior Specialist Consultant (BSC) develops the treatment plan, and provides consultation to members of the treatment team. The Mobile Therapist (MT) provides individual and family interventions based on the goals of the treatment plan. Goals may include focusing on areas such as development of appropriate social skills, increasing anger management skills, and decreasing outbursts.
For more information, or to make a referral, please contact:
- ViaQuest Behavioral Health
- BHRS
- 555 Raymond Street, Suite 202, Reading, PA 19605
- Tel: (610) 929-7570
- Fax: (610) 939-8959
- Email: BHRSReading@ViaQuestBH.com
