Community Programs & Services
Center for Neurobehavioral Health
The psychology department hosts the Center for Neurobehavioral Health (Center). The center provides programs and services to the local community and to the greater northern New York region. The center programs include the Adirondack Regional Technology Center, the Alzheimer’s Disease Caregiver Support Initiative, the Autism Intervention Programs, the Caregiver Wellness and Respite Center the Neuropsychology Clinic and Psychoeducational Services, the Third Age Adult Day Center, and the Traumatic Brain Injury Center. Each of these programs provides a unique set of services to a wide range of individuals affected by physical, neurocognitive, and developmental disabilities. The center programs support the missions of the college, the School of Arts and Sciences, and the School of Education, Health, and Human Services by offering an array of applied or experiential learning opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students. These experiential opportunities include independent study, internships, fieldwork practicum, research apprenticeships, work study, graduate assistantships, volunteer, shadowing, and paid positions. A brief description of the center programs follows along with links to program web pages.
For additional information, including contact information for program staff, please visit the Center for Neurobehavioral Health website.
Adirondack Regional Technology Center (ARTC)
The ARTC is one of twelve technology-related assistance for individuals with disabilities (TRAID) operating within the state of New York. The goal of the program is to improve access to, and acquisition of, assistive technology devices and services for persons with disabilities of all ages and all disabilities within Clinton, Essex, Franklin, and St. Lawrence Counties. The ARTC services include device loans for people to try at home, school, work, and in their communities, device demonstrations, and other services related to assistive technology devices.
For more information about ARTC, please visit the ARTC web pages.
Alzheimer’s Disease Caregiver Support Initiative (ADCSI)
The primary goal of the ADCSI is to make available expanded support to caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias (AD/D). These “caregiver support services” are activities or actions performed, provided, or arranged to promote, improve, conserve, or restore the mental or physical well-being of caregivers and improve their quality of life. To help expand caregiver support services in Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, Warren, and Washington counties, our staff work with partner agencies to provide a variety of services and programs, which are conveniently provided in the caregiver’s home, at a community-based location, or remotely.
For more information about the ADCSI program, please visit the ADCSI web pages.
Autism Intervention Programs (AIP)
The AIP is best known for its signature program, the Nexus Program. The Nexus Program is a social skills training program that teaches and reinforces social skills in children. The program is designed for children with significant social needs characteristic of those diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. The specific goals of the Nexus Program are to provide an environment for children to socialize, to foster participant’s relationships with other children in the program, and to develop social skills that will allow participants to more fully participate in home, school, and community settings.
For more information about the Nexus Program, please visit the AIP web pages.
Caregiver Wellness & Respite Center (CWRC)
Caregivers in rural communities often struggle with their caregiving responsibilities due to the lack of available services. In an effort to meet the caregiving and respite needs of rural caregivers, the New York State Office for Aging (NYSOFA) and the New York State Caregiving and Respite Coalition (NYSCRC), as a part of the Lifespan Respite Grant, has partnered with SUNY Research Foundation at SUNY Plattsburgh to pilot a six-county CWRC. The goal of the center is to address the needs of caregivers across the age and disability spectrum.
For more information about the CWRC, please visit the CWRC web pages.
Neuropsychology Clinic & Psychoeducational Services (NCPS)
The NCPS, commonly referred to as “the Clinic,” represents a fourth center program. The NCPS is a lifespan clinic that is staffed by licensed psychologists and certified school psychologists. The licensed psychologists and certified school psychologists are psychology department faculty. The NCPS also serves as a training site for school psychology interns and graduate students who work under the supervision of the school psychology faculty for the completion of select neuropsychological and psychoeducational evaluations. Referrals to the clinic include those for cognitive and behavioral problems associated with concussion, acquired brain injury (e.g., TBI), as well as problems related to aging or disease. Children with developmental concerns associated with presumed central nervous system dysfunction or brain damage are referred for evaluation. Children suspected of having autism spectrum disorder are also evaluated by clinical staff trained in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment. The clinical team works with school districts, community agencies and health care providers to promote the overall well-being of the children and adults evaluated at the clinic.
For more information about the clinic, please visit the NCPS web pages.
Third Age Adult Day Center (TAADC)
The TAADC is a specialized program for persons with dementia and/or memory loss of the Alzheimer’s type. The TAADC also provides services to physically frail elders or aging individuals who require assistance with activities of daily living. Generally, our participants are over the age of 55 who need supervision and/or assistance in order to perform activities of daily living due to dementia and/or memory loss or physical frailty. As a social adult day program, TAADC services are based on the philosophy that each individual has a need and capacity for socialization, which does not diminish with age, that socialization helps prevent depression, loneliness and premature institutionalization, and that supportive services in a caring environment can enable people with functional impairments to live their lives more fully.
For more information about the TAADC, please visit the TAADC web pages.
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Center
The TBI Center provides services to individuals who have acquired a traumatic brain injury, as well as to their families. The TBI Center provides seamless transitions between medical treatment and school/home support in the form of information, counseling, support groups, and advocacy. It also provides technical assistance and education to families, schools, and community agencies. The focus of the program is to develop and enhance functional independent living skills by promoting community involvement, building relationships, developing problem solving skills, expanding time management skills, and encouraging flexibility in daily schedules. Daily activities at the TBI Center take place at the program site and within the local community.
For more information about the TBI Center, please visit the TBI Center web pages.