About Home for Little Wanderers – Family Counseling
The Home for Little Wanderers provides support for children who have gone through tough experiences and are dealing with emotional, behavioral or mental health conditions. This includes substance abuse. They offer clinical help and programs that involve the whole family. Their Child & Family Counseling Center is located in a quiet residential neighborhood six miles south of downtown Boston in Roslindale, Massachusetts.
They treat children and youth up to age 26, including those facing serious emotional, behavioral or educational challenges. I like that they offer peer mentoring and in-home therapy so that varied family needs can be met. They also offer services related to special education, adoption and foster care.
Specialized Services for LGBTQ+ Clients
Waltham House is a group residential home specifically for LGBTQ+ clients. They provide outpatient therapeutic support designed to educate, strengthen and empower youth. Several programs and training are available on an individual and group basis, including those related to family acceptance, eating disorders and confidence building.
Client Families Feedback
Clients and their families offer positive feedback about the services, staff and cleanliness of the facility. One parent noted that staff members were really helpful and informative, supporting families through tough situations and guiding them through the process.
One teenage client said, “I don’t think I have ever felt this safe, and I am grateful that I was able to talk and meet with staff at The Home. I have definitely changed for the better.”
Close to Local Transportation
Roslindale Square is a popular local shopping district that hosts several events during the year like the Roslindale Farmers’ Market and annual tree lighting. A branch of the Boston Public Library is nearby for quiet reading and study, adding to the community resources and calming environments that can support healing and be integrated into recovery programs. Transportation is readily available by the MBTA commuter rail line and several MBTA bus lines.
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Accepted Insurance

Other Forms of Payment
Medicaid is a state based program that helps lower-income individuals and families pay for healthcare. Medicaid covers addiction treatment so those enrolled can use their coverage to pay for rehab. When a program accepts Medicaid the client often pays very little or nothing out of their own pocket.
Private insurance refers to any kind of healthcare coverage that isn't from the state or federal government. This includes individual and family plans offered by an employer or purchased from the Insurance Marketplace. Every plan will have different requirements and out of pocket costs so be sure to get the full details before you start treatment.
Self-pay involves paying for treatment out of your own pocket. You can use savings or credit, get a personal loan, or receive help from family and friends to fund your treatment. If you don't have insurance or your insurance plan doesn't cover a specific program, self-pay can help ensure you still get the care you need.
Financial aid can take many forms. Centers may have grants or scholarships available to clients who meet eligibility requirements. Programs that receive SAMHSA grants may have financial aid available for those who need treatment as well. Grants and scholarships can help you pai for treatment without having to repay.
Medicare is a federal program that provides health insurance for those 65 and older. It also serves people under 65 with chronic and disabling health challenges. To use Medicare for addiction treatment you need to find a program that accepts Medicare and is in network with your plan. Out of pocket costs and preauthorization requirements vary, so always check with your provider.
Military members, veterans, and eligible dependents have access to specific insurance programs that help them get the care they need. TRICARE and VA insurance can help you access low cost or no cost addiction and mental health treatment. Programs that accept military insurance often have targeted treatment focused on the unique challenges military members, veterans, and their families face.
Addiction Treatments
Levels of Care
Outpatient
Treatments
Many of those suffering from addiction also suffer from mental or emotional illnesses like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, or anxiety disorders. Rehab and other substance abuse facilities treating those with a dual diagnosis or co-occurring disorder administer psychiatric treatment to address the person's mental health issue in addition to drug and alcohol rehabilitation.
Mental health rehabs focus on helping individuals recover from mental illnesses like bipolar disorder, clinical depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, and more. Mental health professionals at these facilities are trained to understand and treat mental health issues, both in individual and group settings.
Programs

Adult Program

LGBTQ Program

Young Adult Program
Clinical Services
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a therapy modality that focuses on the relationship between one's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It is used to establish and allow for healthy responses to thoughts and feelings (instead of unhealthy responses, like using drugs or alcohol). CBT has been proven effective for recovering addicts of all kinds, and is used to strengthen a patient's own self-awareness and ability to self-regulate. CBT allows individuals to monitor their own emotional state, become more adept at communicating with others, and manage stress without needing to engage in substance abuse.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a modified form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), a treatment designed to help people understand and ultimately affect the relationship between their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. DBT is often used for individuals who struggle with self-harm behaviors, such as self-mutilation (cutting) and suicidal thoughts, urges, or attempts. It has been proven clinically effective for those who struggle with out-of-control emotions and mental health illnesses like Borderline Personality Disorder.
Research clearly demonstrates that recovery is far more successful and sustainable when loved ones like family members participate in rehab and substance abuse treatment. Genetic factors may be at play when it comes to drug and alcohol addiction, as well as mental health issues. Family dynamics often play a critical role in addiction triggers, and if properly educated, family members can be a strong source of support when it comes to rehabilitation.
Group therapy is any therapeutic work that happens in a group (not one-on-one). There are a number of different group therapy modalities, including support groups, experiential therapy, psycho-education, and more. Group therapy involves treatment as well as processing interaction between group members.
In individual therapy, a patient meets one-on-one with a trained psychologist or counselor. Therapy is a pivotal part of effective substance abuse treatment, as it often covers root causes of addiction, including challenges faced by the patient in their social, family, and work/school life.
Trauma therapy addresses traumatic incidents from a client's past that are likely affecting their present-day experience. Trauma is often one of the primary triggers and potential causes of addiction, and can stem from child sexual abuse, domestic violence, having a parent with a mental illness, losing one or both parents at a young age, teenage or adult sexual assault, or any number of other factors. The purpose of trauma therapy is to allow a patient to process trauma and move through and past it, with the help of trained and compassionate mental health professionals.
Staff

Lesli Suggs, LICSW
President & CEO

Jody Holt
Chief Finance & Administrative Officer

Todd Tuney
Chief Development Officer

Kathleen Parente
Chief Marketing & Communications Officer

Matthew McCall, LCSW
VP of Community Programs

Courtney Brown, J.D.
VP of Business Operations

Aisha Barlatier-Bonny, LCSW
VP of Behavioral Health & Outpatient Services
Contact Information
780 American Legion Highway
Boston, MA 02131