Programs & Services

Aftercare and Transitional Support

“There are no other programs that I know of in Massachusetts doing aftercare the way Penikese is.” Dr. Robert Fleming, Court Psychologist, Barnstable County Juvenile Court

Preparation for life after Penikese doesn’t begin when students leave the island, but at the initial interview (before they even step foot on Penikese), and then continuously thereafter. Penikese therefore views the island and aftercare not as separate programs but as parts of an integrated continuum.

Rather than two or three months of simple tracking, Penikese’s Aftercare attempts to maintain support and connection for its graduates over time, sometimes years, just as a family would for its children as they leave home for college or young adulthood.

The Penikese Aftercare Program is available to all Penikese graduates and their families, providing community visits from Penikese staff, mentoring, individual and family consultation, and community liaison and advocacy. Graduates are also invited back to the island for refresher weekends with staff and students with whom they were enrolled.

For deeper discussion about how Penikese’s Aftercare model differs from those of other schools and programs, read the documents or click on the contacts provided below.

Blazing New Trails in Aftercare
2003 Foundation Report on Aftercare Program Development
Contact Pam Brighton, Clinical Director at
Contact Linda Navarro, Aftercare Director at