Prospective
Families

The Charlton School is a nonprofit therapeutic learning community located in southern Saratoga County in Upstate New York.  If you feel that all other options have been exhausted for your child, perhaps it is the right time to explore whether our program might be a fit for your family’s needs.
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Our approach makes the difference.

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We place emphasis on both clinical and academic needs

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Families are partners in planning and are updated frequently

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Six-month after care program post-graduation

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Students are offered a variety of therapy options, including individual, family, group, Equine, Art and Recreation

We focus on the whole person, not just the “patient”

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We are a long-term model of care with emphasis placed on proper assessment

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Campus Life Overview

We offer structured, therapeutic, and recreational programs during the week and activities in the community during the weekend.

Learn more about what you can expect from living on campus

What our students and parents say.

When I came here, I felt like I was a part of something bigger than myself, something that I could help out with, that I could help change myself with.

Charlton School Alum

I gave Charlton mydaughter for a year. They have given me her back for a lifetime.

Charlton School Parent

I think here I’ve made alot of good connections with peers and staff, and overall it’s a very healthyplace where you can be yourself and get the help you need.

Charlton School Alum

It feels like our daughter is in a safe space, and is getting a good education on top of that…She seems happy and doesn’t feel like she’s in a stressful setting… I think my child will be better equipped for the future

Charlton School Parent

I am grateful for [the Charlton community’s] unwavering support, and it will carry with me as I embark on the next chapter of my life. I hope to one day pay forward the kindness and support [they’ve] given me and be a source of inspiration for others, just asmy support group was for me.

Charlton School Alum

With the help that we’regetting, our daughter is starting to talk about what she can do when shegraduates, and she’s actually going to school… I can see some pathways of herthinking of her own future, and what she might be able to contribute to herselfand to the world.

Charlton School PARENT

Charlton has taught me to go week by week, day by day… Long term, it gives our daughter the opportunity to be a productive member of society.

Charlton School PARENT

I was a very emotional kid, I couldn’t control my anger, I suffered from extreme depression. It affected everything in my day-to-day life from going to school, getting up to eat. [At] Charlton, I learned that it’s really important to have the tools and availability of people who care about you.

Charlton School ALUM

I want everybody to knowabout Charlton. We tell all of our friends. I’m in the therapeutic world andI’ve been telling my colleagues who are looking for placement for their patients, you’ve really got to check out the Charlton School

Charlton School PARENT

Charlton is like asecond home to me. When I first came here I was very resistant to it… As timewent on, I realized that this is a place to grow and learn.

Charlton School ALUM

This is the first time that at night we go to bed and we know where she is and that she’s safe. She’s with people who genuinely love and care about her, and that’s something we haven’t felt in a long time

Charlton School PARENT

The Charlton community to me means healing. Before, I don’t think I really understood that I could get better… This place has really changed me.

Charlton School ALUM

Charlton provides comprehensive, holistic care. Other places may keep the kids alive, but Chalrlton helps them heal and thrive.

Charlton School PARENT

Student FAQs

What should I bring or have in my room?
We do not provide open WiFi on campus so students are unable to access the internet on their own devices so laptops and similar should be left at home. Our Education program uses Google Classroom and all students are provided a managed Chromebook for use in the classroom. Posters and other decorations are encouraged to help create a sense of a privacy and safety. We provide a full list of what is allowed in the room at the time of admission.
Do I have to share a room with another student?
No. Students have their own room at Charlton. There are two cottages where our students live while on campus. Each cottage has 12-14 bedrooms.

Parents FAQs

Do you use a Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) model?
We do not. We draw on several of the concepts to assist with our ultimate goal of teaching students to independently self-regulate their emotions and behaviors. Through years of trail and error with various models, we have come to understand that committing to one model often dilutes the efficacy of our individualized approach.
What percent of the students go to college?
The Charlton School is a residential treatment center (RTC). As the campus school of an RCT, The Charlton School/Ketchum Grande shares a set of common treatment objectives. Chief among them is the successful return of students to their home schools prior to graduation. Because of this, we do not keep data on rates of college admission of students discharged home. Cross registration at the local public high school can be an option for students whose residency may become long-term. Our commitment to normalization requires that students be integrated in educational settings beyond Charlton/Ketchum Grande before their high school graduation.
What are the teachers' qualifications?
The teachers of The Charlton School/Ketchum Grande hold New York State certifications, and most have been teaching here for more than a decade. The result is a high level of collaboration and teamwork that strengthens instruction and assures the equally critical work of building strong student-teacher relationships.
Are there any standard measures?
Our aim is to prepare students for high school graduation and future academic success—including college—by helping each student achieve at her highest potential. Our students are prepared for—and customarily pass—NYS Regents examinations required for graduation. The structure of the school is departmentalized with small classes and models the daily expectations for behavior, emotional self-regulation, and academic achievement of the public schools our students attend before and after Charlton. This deliberate similarity supports the transfer of learning, achievement, and other progress gained as a The Charlton School/Ketchum Grande student to the home school.
Can my daughter come home on visits?
Yes. The initiation and frequency of home visits is as individualized as a student’s treatment program. Typically, planning for home visits is discussed in family therapy. When and how often a student visits home is determined by the larger treatment team and family to ensure that the student is ready to successfully visit and transition back to Charlton. We never close. Some students are back each weekend and sometimes throughout holidays as a result of overwhelming challenges that come with visits.

Interested in learning more about our referral/
admission process?

Schedule a visit

REFERRAL PROCESS 

Student referral of information begins with their home school district
Families should work with their home school districts’ Department of Pupil Personnel Services or Committee on Special Education to generate this referral of information
Referral information is then received (from the district) by the Director of Admissions and Clinical Operations at The Charlton School
If the student and family seem to be a good fit for our clinical and educational programs, we will notify the home district and family to schedule an interview and campus tour

WHO DOES WELL AT CHARLTON?

Students who are:

  • Struggling with anxiety or school refusal
  • Fragile, guarded or withdrawn
  • Lacking self-esteem, motivation, or social skills
  • Depressed, bipolar, or on the high end of the spectrum
  • Struggling with relationship or identity issues

Our students are resilient, smart, and capable but overwhelmed by the social and emotional pressures of school, family, and peer connectedness.

Many have struggled with trauma, anxiety, depression self- image issues, eating disorders, and many come to Charlton with previous hospitalizations therapeutic schools.

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The Charlton School
322 Lakehill Road
Burnt Hills, NY 12027
Phone: (518) 399-8182
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