Behavior Policy

The Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies (CACS) is an environmental education non-profit wherein positive youth development and support is a core value. CACS staff receive training to help participants have successful and educational experiences. CACS utilizes a strengths-based positive behavior support approach when working with participants and is in the process of incorporating trauma-informed care into the work we do. In essence, this means building upon the strengths of participants and collaborating to find ways to make our programs and expectations work for each person. We respect and value each person’s unique physical, mental, emotional, and learning needs and strive to support them on our programs as best as possible. 

CACS utilizes a tiered system to address behavioral needs of youth, Tier 1 is Prevention, Tier 2 is when staff address challenges with youth directly and provide alternatives, Tier 3 is when caregivers engage with a regular behavior check-in plan.

One-on-one Care and Deciding if Camp is Right for Your Child

If your child receives support at school or other group settings (OT, PT, DSP, SPED, IEP, CBC, ABA), we encourage you to let us know so we can have a conversation about how we can support them at camp. If the participant requires 1:1 care during the school day, they may need to bring a caregiver to camp as well. CACS may be able to provide this, but not always due to funding and staffing availability and training. Even if your child does not receive support at school or otherwise, but struggles with:

  • Social interactions with other youth

  • Following directions/engaging in set activities

  • Elopement and wandering tendencies

  • Regulating their emotions

  • Medical needs

  • Behavior concerns

  • Assistance with toileting or changing clothes

  • Or something else notable…

A meeting with CACS Staff will be required prior to registration and participation. Please contact Joscie Norris joscie@akcoastalstudies.org to set up a meeting. If you are not sure whether CACS is the right camp choice for your participant, please contact our office to request a meeting to determine if this will be a safe and successful experience. In these meetings we can discuss possible accommodations, reasonable expectations, regulation strategies, and other support.

Tier 1: Prevention

We believe that good facilitation and structure can help participants succeed and prevent many conflicts. CACS staff and youth are taught, and expected to follow, the Three Agreements: Respect Yourself, Respect Others, Respect the Environment. This helps create a clear and mutually positive learning environment for everyone. Staff will discuss these expectations with participants and give reminders.

Tier 2: Addressing Challenges and Providing Basic Alternatives

If participants are having a hard time following these expectations and engaging with the program in a way that moderately disrupts other’s participation, then staff will check in with youth. Youth often will take a break and then later discuss ways they can meet those expectations (and the support they need) if challenges arise.

Tier 3: Caregiver Engagement in Behavioral Plan

Caregivers will be contacted when staff are unable to help youth participate, when conflict escalates, or when conflict is frequent. Caregivers will be asked to meet with staff and participants to establish a Behavior Support Plan that will include frequent check ins/ check outs for the participant. After Tier 3 is reached in a program, caregivers will need to contact CACS prior to participants approval of registration in all following programs to ensure the program is a good fit.

Behavior Observation Report System 

When caregivers pick up youth from a program they may be asked to sign and date a behavioral incident report and be given a copy for their own records. For overnight camps or in some other situations, caregivers may be contacted about the incident before or after pick up time. Behavioral incident reports will be kept confidential with our staff. These reports help our staff best support youth from year to year.

Crisis Response

If a participant’s behavior is creating a situation that is unsafe for themselves or other participants, CACS staff will try to de-escalate the situation and re-establish safety.  If this is not working, the staff will remove the rest of the group, stay present at a safe distance, and a caregiver will be contacted immediately. CACS staff will not physically restrain participants without formal professional training. If restraint is needed due to behavior escalation, staff will call families or 911. Depending on behavioral escalation and severity, CACS staff will follow emergency protocols.

Right to Revoke Access

CACS reserves the right to revoke access/registration to all programs due to behavior concerns for the remainder of the season; the decision can be revisited in the next programming season. Behavior concerns include but are not limited to aggression/ violence towards oneself or others, creating an unsafe or ineffective learning environment, and/or the use of any discriminatory language or harassment as defined in the CACS Policies & Procedures Manual.