Frequently Asked Questions

What is an Independent Educational Consultant?

Independent Educational Consultants are resources for families who are considering educational options for their children. Ed Consultants travel extensively to visit schools and programs. As an independent consultant, fees are paid by the families and there is no compensation to the consultant on behalf of the school or program.

As a Special Needs consultant, Lucy typically works with families who have chidlren diagnosed with mood disorders, autistic spectrum disorders, NVLD, ADHD, learning disabilities, substance abuse, mental illness and behavior problems.

Lucy gathers information about the student and family through testing, reports and conversations with the student, parents, teachers and therapists to determine what type of placement is the most appropriate. From there, specific programs and/or schools are recommended based on the Lucy's first hand knowledge of the programs.


What types of programs are available?

Programs are typically broken into the following categories- each of which Lucy has personally visited and evaluated:

Therapeutic Boarding Schools
LD/ADHD Boarding Schools
Residential Treatment Center (RTC)
Wilderness Programs
Day Schools
Partial Hospitalizations Programs
Acute Psychiatric Hospitals
SubAcute Psychiatric Hospitals


Who pays for these programs?

There are a variety of payment options, including self-pay, insurance and school district funding. Some programs offer financial aid. Lucy is well versed in the funding options and walks her clients through this process.


My child has been in and out of the hospital more times than I can count, but we don’t know what else to do. Do you know any alternatives?

There is an alternative to psychiatric hospitalizations for children and adolescents. Families of children with anxiety, OCD, eating disorders, depressive disorders, bipolar disorder, mood disorder NOS, substance abuse, and aggressive behavior have choices beyond hospitalization. Lucy knows the alternatives and knows where these kids get better.