TREE uses a person-centered, evidence-based treatment model to provide effective vocational training and employment opportunities for adults with developmental, cognitive and mental health challenges.
The Four Branches of TREE
Treatment
The treatment model employs a therapeutic work model for individuals with complex life experiences, psychiatric diagnoses and behavioral challenges, supported by an intense staffing ratio of one to four.
Responsibility
Empowerment
Employment
TREE by the Numbers
Dedicated Staff Members
Staff's Years of Experience
Employment Contracts
Individuals Supported
Fulfilling Ambitions
The Method
TREE excels at fulfillment contracts, working with companies who need fast turnaround and competent workers to get their highly individualized work done — from the quick, efficient assembly and shipment of information packets, to accurate counting of products securely enclosed in bags and packed in boxes ready to ship, to quality assembly of manufactured goods built to spec and shipped directly to the end user. CLASS contracts with distributors whose goods have to make it to their customers’ sites on deadline and in perfect condition. Individuals learn the aspects of production, adhering to the strict safety, quality, and production standards set by their job coaches for each unique job.
The Results
- Work and communications skills
- Building effective relationships with management
- Collaboration and team building with peers
- Completing assignments on deadline
- Manual dexterity and coordination
- Empowerment and pride
Warehousing Capabilities
The Method
TREE supports companies who need fast turnaround and competent workers to get their highly individualized work done. CLASS individuals assigned to fulfillment tasks exhibit quick, efficient assembly skills; accuracy in counting products and enclosing them securely in bags; and dexterity in boxing products for shipment. CLASS individuals excel at meeting deadline, so every customers’ goods make it to their end users’ sites on deadline and in perfect condition. To get that highly specialized work done, individuals in TREE learn production processes and adhere to the strict safety, quality, and production standards set by their job coaches for each unique job.
The Results
- Work skills
- Building effective relationships with management
- Collaboration and team building with peers
- Completing assignments on deadline
- Manual dexterity and coordination
- Communications skills
- Empowerment and pride
Weaving Futures
The Method
Here, beside the South Canal and Merrimack River, today’s workers are using hand looms to craft a wondrous, durable fabric out of colored threads and recycled videotape, which gives it that high-tech gloss. We have more than a dozen workers trained to operate the looms, producing bolts of fabric which are fashioned into tote bags, clutches and zipper pouches, and other utility bags and purses. It’s a job that pays, and it’s paying dividends in skills development and paths to employment as professional fabric producers.
The Results
- Presentation skills
- Sociability
- Team building
- Communications skills
- Empowerment and pride
“This novel social enterprise supports social and environmental change while improving the lives of people with disabilities. Our first major initiative is to create employment opportunities for adults with disabilities while improving our environment by producing new products from recycled videotapes. We provide social service agencies, like CLASS, with the tools and the training for their clients with disabilities, who then weave a beautiful cloth out of reclaimed videotapes. In the process, we’re making productive use of the miles of videotape that would be migrating to our landfills.”
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Person-Centered Planning
Every individual who joins TREE begins with a comprehensive, person-centered assessment that looks beyond a diagnosis to understand personal strengths, interests, learning styles and long-term aspirations. Input is gathered from the individual, family members, guardians, residential staff and any involved clinicians. This collaborative process ensures that the vocational goals written into each plan reflect what the person genuinely wants to achieve, not just what a program thinks they should do.
Goals are broken into small, measurable steps that can be practiced daily within the therapeutic work environment. Staff review progress on a set schedule, adjusting supports as skills grow or challenges emerge. Because the plan is a living document, it evolves alongside the individual—celebrating milestones such as mastering a new assembly task, independently asking a co-worker for help, or reducing the need for verbal prompts. No two plans look alike, because no two people are alike.
Behavioral Support Strategies
TREE staff are trained in positive behavior support and trauma-informed care, recognizing that many individuals have experienced difficult life events that shape how they respond to stress, correction or unexpected changes. Instead of punitive measures, the team uses proactive strategies such as visual schedules, calm-down spaces, and predictable routines to reduce anxiety before it escalates. When an individual does become upset, staff respond with consistent, reassuring language and offer choices to help the person regain a sense of control.
Every behavioral incident is treated as a learning opportunity. After a challenging moment, the staff and individual debrief together to identify what triggered the response and what might work better next time. This respectful approach builds trust and reduces the frequency of incidents over time. The low staff-to-individual ratio of one to four ensures that someone is always available to provide the immediate, personalized support that makes these strategies effective.
Building Work Skills Step by Step
The vocational training at TREE follows a carefully sequenced curriculum that moves from simple, single-step tasks to multi-step projects requiring sustained attention and problem-solving. New individuals often begin with sorting, counting or basic packaging, with staff using task analysis to break each job into its smallest components. Visual checklists, color-coded bins and step-by-step picture guides are common tools that help individuals work with increasing independence.
As confidence grows, tasks become more complex. Individuals might learn to assemble kits with multiple components, operate simple machinery under supervision, or manage a small inventory system. Alongside hard skills, TREE deliberately teaches soft skills such as asking for clarification, accepting feedback, taking breaks appropriately and working alongside peers without distraction. Mastery at each level is recognized with verbal praise, written certificates and the opportunity to mentor newer participants—reinforcing that growth is both expected and celebrated.
Engaging Families and Guardians
Families and guardians are essential partners in the TREE model, not outside observers. The program schedules regular check-ins to share progress, discuss challenges and align on goals that matter at home as well as at work. These conversations are strengths-based, focusing on what the individual accomplished and what supports are working rather than dwelling only on deficits. Families often report that the skills learned at TREE—such as following a routine, managing frustration or asking for help—translate directly to more peaceful and productive home life.
TREE also provides families with practical strategies they can use outside program hours. Staff may share the same visual schedules or communication scripts used during the workday so that individuals experience consistency across settings. When families feel informed and equipped, they become stronger advocates for their loved one’s employment future. This open, two-way communication is a cornerstone of the person-centered approach and one reason why TREE’s relationships with families often span many years.