Skill-Building That Meets Kids Where They Are
In plain English: hands-on help for kids learning life skills.
Community-based skill building for children and youth under 21 in Penobscot, Piscataquis, and Washington counties. MaineCare Section 28 services from a locally owned agency that has served this region since 2009.
Skills that stick. Confidence that grows.
What This Is
We’re here to partner with children and families to practice the skills for individual success.
If you are a parent or guardian of a child under 21 with developmental challenges — a diagnosis on the autism spectrum, a cognitive or learning difference, or ongoing struggles with the everyday skills of growing up — you have probably heard about plenty of services and wondered which ones actually help.
Adaptive Skills Training is the practical, in-the-real-world layer.
A trained Behavioral Health Professional (BHP) works alongside your child where life actually happens — at home, at school, in the community — building the everyday skills that matter most: getting through morning routines, navigating playground friendships, riding the bus, ordering at the counter, doing the things every kid eventually needs to do.
Behind every BHP is a supervised team that helps shape your child’s plan with you, reviews it regularly, and keeps the work connected to what your family actually needs.
This is not therapy in an office. This is skill-building in life — focused on the practical things that make daily life easier for your child and your family.
What We Offer
Five core skill areas, shaped to each child’s individual goals.
Daily Living Skills
Children build confidence in everyday activities — from getting dressed to preparing meals. Our BHPs make learning feel natural in a safe environment where children feel proud of their progress.
Social & Communication Skills
Children learn to express feelings, navigate friendships, and communicate in ways that work for them. We create safe spaces to practice and grow socially.
Community Integration
Real-world practice in community settings like shopping, library visits, and social activities. We help children gain confidence navigating everyday situations.
Safety & Self-Care
Teaching awareness of personal safety, recognizing safe situations and people, and developing essential self-care routines that build independence.
Individualized Support
We shape our support around each child’s unique personality, interests, and goals — making sure they feel seen, heard, and understood. Family insights guide our approach.
Who This Is For
Section 28 services are designed for children and youth (under 21) with cognitive or developmental challenges that affect everyday functioning. Most children we work with already have a pediatrician, school team, and sometimes a therapist — and need community-based skill building alongside that care to make the daily work of growing up more manageable.
If you are unsure whether your child is a fit, contact us. We will help you figure it out, and if we are not the right match, we will tell you who might be.
How It Works
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Referral or Self-Referral
You, your child’s pediatrician, school team, or any provider contacts us by phone or email.
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Acknowledgment
We confirm we have received your referral as soon as we can and let you know whether we can take the case. If we cannot, we tell you so you can find another option without losing time.
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Intake & Assessment
Our clinical team completes the intake assessment with your child and family to understand strengths, needs, and goals.
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Individual Treatment Plan
We work with you to build a plan around your child’s goals, your family’s priorities, and the way your daily life actually runs.
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Services Begin
A trained BHP starts regular visits at home, school, or in the community. Plans are reviewed regularly so the work stays aligned with your child’s progress.
A Supervised Team Approach
The person who comes to your home or school is a trained Behavioral Health Professional (BHP). They are not working alone.
Behind every BHP is a Section 28 supervisor who oversees the team in the field, reviews each child’s plan, and supports BHPs in their day-to-day work. Our clinical leadership ensures the skill-building work stays aligned with what each child actually needs.
This model means:
- Consistency: Your child generally sees the same BHP, building a trusting relationship over time.
- Programmatic oversight: Every treatment plan is reviewed and the supervisor stays close to the work in the field.
- Coordination: With your consent, we work directly with your child’s school, pediatrician, therapist, and any other providers.
Family Training & Support
The skill-building your child does with our BHPs lands best when it carries through your family’s daily life. We work with parents and caregivers to reinforce what your child is learning — not on top of family life, but inside it.
Our family support includes:
- Strategies that fit your routines: practical tips for the moments when skill-building matters most, designed around your family’s reality.
- Communication with your child’s care team: with your consent, we coordinate with school staff, pediatricians, and any other providers so everyone is working from the same playbook.
- A working partnership: your insights about your child guide our approach. You know what works at home; we bring the skill-building structure. Together, that’s what helps.
Service Area
We serve children and families in Penobscot, Piscataquis, and Washington counties, based out of our office in Lincoln, Maine.
About MC Community Services
MC Community Services has been the established Section 28 behavioral health provider for the greater Lincoln area since 2009. We also provide Section 65 outpatient therapy and clinical assessments under our Clinical Director, Joanna Preble, LCSW, LADC, CCS.
We are locally owned, locally operated, and based in Lincoln, Maine. Decisions about your child’s care are made by people who live where you live.
Ready to Connect?
Whether you’re a parent exploring services for your child, a school team, a pediatrician, or a referring provider — we’d like to hear from you.