Many youth referred to Steps to Success are unable to maintain a regular school schedule due to emotional or behavioral dysregulation. Because compulsory school attendance is mandatory in Wisconsin, local school boards have the authority to legally excuse a student's absence for physical or mental health reasons under state law.
In alignment with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) and Department of Health Services (DHS) joint guidance, behavioral treatment and public education are designed to coordinate seamlessly:
- Reduced Academic Schedule: Youth attend day treatment for up to four (4) hours per day on a legally excused, reduced academic schedule.
- IEP and FAPE Integration: For students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), day treatment does not replace or supplant the school district's legal responsibility to provide a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). Instead, STS collaborates directly with the school's IEP and Pupil Services Teams to ensure that therapeutic goals support the student’s behavioral stability in classroom routines.
- Re-Integration Pathway: Outside behavioral treatment is not intended to be a long-term academic replacement. The explicit goal of school coordination is to build emotional regulation skills so the youth can successfully generalize those habits and seamlessly re-integrate into full school day programming.
To fill out our Steps to Success Referral Form, please click here, or you can email referrals with any questions to steps@fsmad.org or call (608) 316-1172.