DAY TREATMENT STUDENTS MOVE TO ONLINE LEARNING AND THERAPY

Dan Mucci • April 20, 2020

The COVID-19 Pandemic has forced all Stark County children in grades K-12 to move to online learning. Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health’s (C&A’s) Trauma Informed Day Treatment students and teachers have had to adapt as well.


The students attending C&A’s Day Treatment program, kindergarten through 12th grade, deal with emotional and behavioral challenges that most students do not face. The students attending school at C&A have experienced trauma that does not allow the child to participate in the classroom in their home school district. For these students, routine is an important aspect of their treatment and during this time, C&A teachers and therapist are working hard to keep the kids engaged through online learning as well as meet their mental and behavioral health needs through teletherapy or in person.

C&A TRANSITIONS TO ONLINE LEARNING:

“Our teachers and students are adjusting impressively well,” said Dan Metzgar, Day Treatment program manager. “The teachers are working hard to continue to educate the students even though the students are not in the school building.”

Metzgar said students and teachers are meeting through Zoom. He also said if students prefer, they are able to receive one-on-one instruction while practicing personal distancing when the students come in to meet with their therapist. At that point, students are receiving work from home bags.


For traditional students, maintaining attention span may be difficult when reading material on a school-issued electronic device or staring at a screen. For students who have trauma issues, the challenges sometimes increase.


“Overall, things have been going well,” said Metzgar. “The kids have been adjusting well to the circumstances. A few of the students have struggled not having the structure and routine they were use to but they are starting to make the adjustments that are necessary in this situation.”

EVERY STUDENT LEARNS DIFFERENTLY EVEN UNDER USUAL CIRCUMSTANCES:

The students who attend our Day Treatment program also receive individual and group therapy as part of the school experience. The groups are still meeting via Zoom.


Part of their daily structure in the program is participating in therapeutic groups. “We have set up therapeutic groups through Zoom,” said Metzgar.

“It is still a work in progress as we try to get more clients to participate consistently but the ones that have participated have seemed to enjoy the experience and being able to see their classmates.”


“We have had a few parents that preferred the in-person learning,” said Metzgar. “The teachers are following the social distancing guidelines during these meetings. They are either sitting at the end of the table or working on the board while the student is sitting at a desk or table. Some parents have waited and other parents have dropped off their child and picked them up at scheduled times. We have left it up to the family and what works best for them. We are doing everything we can to work around the  preference of the family to keep the students working with their teachers and therapists.”


In addition, teachers have gone out of their way to keep student’s on track, including dropping and picking up material at their houses.


“Yes, the teachers have been dropping off and picking up work from the student’s homes (front porch),” said Metzgar. “So far, it has been going well. A lot of our students have been working hard. Anything we can do to continue to provide education for our students and continue the progress they have made will do.”


Metzgar said the positive in this situation is seeing all of the Day Treatment staff work together and find ways to continue to support the clients in this challenging situation.

MAKING THE BEST OF THIS SITUATION

In many of Stark County’s school districts including the student’s home district, the school will provide one-to-one technology for kids in grades three through 12. Unfortunately, C&A cannot do this.


“Unfortunately, we do not have the resources available to provide the students with devices,” said Metzgar. “The students are using technology in the form of phones and computers they have at home.”

“Overall, I have been impressed with the progress we are making. The students and staff are working hard and I am so proud of them. I believe we will continue to make progress academically and therapeutically as everyone continues to adjust in this challenging situation.”


When the stay-at-home orders are released, and students return to the classroom, Metzgar feels students will not lose much academically because the staff has worked hard to maintain a feeling of connection and structure during this time.


“I believe as long as the students continue to work with their teacher and therapist, they will maintain their progress,” said Metzgar. “Our staff is working incredibly hard to ensure that nobody falls behind.”

For more information on C&A’s Trauma Informed Day Treatment Program, please contact Dan Metzgar at dmetzgar@childandadolescent.org.


C&A is open and seeing new and current clients. If you are in need of our services, please call 330-433-6075.

RECENT POSTS

Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health

CHILD AND ADOLESCENT BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ANNOUNCES STRATEGIC AFFILIATION WITH GOODWILL INDUSTRIES TO STRENGTHEN YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ACROSS STARK COUNTY

By Daniel Mucci • January 16, 2026
CANTON, Ohio (Jan 16) – Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health (C&A) announced today a strategic affiliation with Goodwill Industries of Greater Cleveland and East Central Ohio, Inc. (Goodwill). The affiliation reflects a shared commitment to strengthening community-based services and ensuring long-term stability for children, adolescents, and families across Stark County. This affiliation brings together two mission-driven nonprofit organizations that serve many of the same individuals and families. C&A’s clinical expertise in youth behavioral health will be supported by Goodwill’s established administrative and operational infrastructure, allowing both organizations to advance their missions while remaining focused on the communities they serve. “Youth mental health needs continue to grow across our community,” said Melissa Coultas, Chief Executive Officer of Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health. “This affiliation allows us to strengthen our operational foundation while preserving who we are. Our mission, our services, and our commitment to Stark County remain unchanged, and this partnership allows us to reinvest resources into care and into our staff.” As part of the affiliation, C&A will maintain its designated 501c3 status and operate as an affiliate program of Goodwill. C&A’s name, mission, programs and local leadership remain in place. Clinical services will continue without disruption. Select administrative functions will transition to a shared services model supported by Goodwill. “At Goodwill, our mission is to strengthen communities by helping people overcome barriers,” said Anne Richards, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Greater Cleveland and East Central Ohio. “This affiliation reflects Goodwill’s commitment to supporting vital local programs and ensuring C&A can continue delivering trusted, lifechanging mental health services to Stark County families for years to come.” C&A will retain its own Board of Directors and leadership team. Goodwill will serve as the corporate member and provide shared administrative services in areas such as human resources, information technology, and financial operations. “This was a thoughtful, mission-centered decision by the Board,” said Casey McCloud, Board President of Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health. “It strengthens C&A’s longterm sustainability while preserving local oversight and ensuring continued access to critical services for children and families.”

Talking to Children and Adolescents about Violence

By Mary M. Kreitz • September 12, 2025
It seems to be happening all the time – school shootings, violent attacks at public events, celebrities and public figures being attacked or even killed. When things like this happen, it usually shows up on the television and the internet, people post about it on social media, and people talk about it with others around them. Children and adolescents find out, and they may come to you wanting to talk or to ask you questions. How should you handle it? These are difficult but important conversations to have. Here are some tips for talking with children and teens about violent events.

Same Mission, New Places: Empowering Stark County’s Youth for the Next 50 Years

By Melissa Coultas • June 30, 2025
For 50 years, we have stood shoulder to shoulder with Stark County’s children and families, helping them grow, heal and thrive through every challenge. Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health (C&A) is a leading nonprofit here in Stark County, but many are unaware of the significant number of lives we touch every day. We are working to change that and find people in the community ready to help us build the next 50 years of hope for Stark County youth. We serve more than 4,000 kids each year by providing mental health services: a person to talk to, a mentor to help them grow, a place where kids with trauma can go to school and a place to hear a voice of reason where no one is turned away because of income.
Red and white megaphone with yellow sound effects, angled to the right.

CHILD AND ADOLESCENT BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AWARDED THREE GRANTS TO STRENGTHEN YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES

By Daniel Mucci • May 19, 2025
CANTON, Ohio (May 19) – Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health (C&A) has been awarded more than $217,000 in new grant funding from six community-focused foundations and agencies to enhance service delivery, support families, and improve internal operations across Stark County.  The grants—awarded by the Health Foundation of Greater Massillon, Massillon Rotary Foundation, North Canton Medical Foundation, United Way of Greater Stark County, the SummerTime Kids program, and the Roy H. Powell and Nina B. Powell Family Charitable Fund—reflect continued community investment in C&A’s mission and momentum. “These contributions help us strengthen the systems that support the mental health of our community’s youth,” said Melissa Coultas, CEO of Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health. “They ensure our team is equipped, our services remain accessible, and our families feel supported.”

SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER

By Mary M. Kreitz • November 21, 2024
For many people changes in the seasons also bring changes in mood, energy, sleep, weight and appetite. Some researchers have found that as many as 90% of people report noticing these types of changes in themselves. However, for some people, the changes are so intense that they interfere with the person’s ability to function in their daily life.  Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD is a type of clinical depression that occurs with a consistent seasonal pattern. The symptoms of SAD are the same as those for other depressive disorders; what is different is that the symptoms begin every year around the same time, last for several months, and then go away for the rest of the year. The most common form of SAD is what is known as winter-pattern SAD in which depressive symptoms start in the fall or early winter and end in the spring. Another less common form is known as summer-pattern SAD and is associated with depressive symptoms that occur during the spring and summer months and improve in the fall.

ELECTION ANXIETY

By Mary M. Kreitz • November 6, 2024
The 2024 election has brought a lot of fear and stress into the lives of people throughout the country. A recent survey by the American Psychological Association found that 77% of adults in the US are worried about the future of the nation, 73% reported feeling stressed out about the economy and 69% reported feeling stressed about the presidential election. When adults are feeling this high of a level of stress, you can bet that children and adolescents are feeling it too.

TRUSTED ADULT

By Daniel Mucci • October 1, 2024
Are you a trusted adult to your child or someone’s child in your life? What are the characteristics of a trusted adult?  Trusted adults are viewed by children or adolescents as a safe figure that listens without judgment, agenda or expectation, but with the sole purpose of supporting and encouraging positivity within a young person’s life. Today’s youth identify a trusted adult as someone who is willing to listen and engage, rather than lecture and give orders. Young adults are interested in having open conversations about mental health, social media, bullying and sharing their own experiences.

LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE

By Daniel Mucci • September 9, 2024
Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health’s (C&A) The Canton Repository Let Your Light Shine presented by the Massillon Eagles FOE #190 is Sept. 21 at the DoubleTree by Hilton, Canton, from 6-9 p.m. The 19th annual event supports the youth mental health programs and services C&A provides each year to our 4,100 clients.

WHY PRIDE MATTERS FROM A BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVE

By Mary M. Kreitz • June 18, 2024
You have probably heard the scary statistics. LGBTQ+ youth are at higher risk for serious mental health problems (such as anxiety and depression) than their non-LGBTQ+ peers. They’re more likely to consider suicide, more likely to attempt suicide and more likely to engage in non-suicidal self-harm.
More Posts