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CARE Teams

  • A multi-disciplinary holistic team approach to reducing both the academic and non-academic barriers to learning. Simply put, CARE Teams provide student equity and address barriers to learning and teaching to engage and re-engage students in the classroom and re-engage families in the school.
  • It provides a seamless, whole child, school-based, non-academic support system and can be provided before, during or after-school and involve both school personnel and community partners.
  • Embraces the theory of the National Wraparound Initiative and Ohio’s Comprehensive System of Learning Supports. CARE Teams both interconnect and interrelate to our families, youth and community through its design, implementation and evaluation.
  • It involves prevention, intervention and treatment to both individual students and the entire student body.
  • CARE Teams work to ensure that all students have the basic right to academic programs and services to meet their needs and to achieve their potential. Through early detection and intervention, CARE Teams help ensure the prevention of costly and intensive intervention later on.
  • The TEAM involves principals, school counselors, behavior coaches, afterschool coordinators, truancy officer, school nurse, psychologist, and community partners (such as the Director of AHEAD), Mental Health Clinicians through Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health, and Family Support Specialists through the Educational Service Center. 
  • For more information please contact:
    Erica Thom, Executive Director of AHEAD at
    (330) 830-3900 ext. 50221

How do CARE Teams work?

In working with several other school districts within Stark County and as a part of an interagency collaboration, AHEAD has found that the unique relationship they have with the Massillon City School District has provided an ease in the transition and development of CARE Teams. This partnership has enhanced the cohesiveness of the Team and has helped bring more resources and services to the students. Currently, we have established CARE Teams at all our elementary schools, the intermediate school, middle school, and high school. The Teams consist of the Principal of the school, School Counselors, Behavior Coach, Family Support Specialist, Nurse, School Resource Officer, Attendance Officer, AHEAD Director, Mental Health Provider and others as needed, based on the needs of each student. Through CARE Teams, AHEAD has been able to coordinate several other services for the students and families in the Massillon community such as:

Mental Health Services – Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health and CommQuest Mental Health and Addiction Recovery both provide mental health services on site at the schools in the Massillon City School district due to the partnership with CARE Teams.  This allows students to receive services at school without having to leave the building for an extended period of time as well as having a mental health provider on-site for emergency situations as well.