One of the nation’s foremost schools for children with psychological and behavioral challenges is the winner of the 2026 John Gould Education and Workforce Development Award from Associated Industries of Massachusetts.

Hillcrest Educational Centers of Pittsfield is a private not-for-profit agency that provides individualized and comprehensive clinical, psychological and special education services for children, adolescents and families in Berkshire County and the Northeast. The organization will be honored in front of 500 Massachusetts business leaders at the AIM Annual Meeting on May 7.

The students served by Hillcrest in nonresidential and residential programs have complex psychiatric, behavioral and/or developmental disorders, including Autism Spectrum Disorders, and a variety of high-risk behaviors. Their mission is to address the significant needs of students during a critical time in their lives, providing them with essential skills that will enable them to achieve enduring positive change.

“From our dorms, classrooms, campus activities, and off-campus activities, Hillcrest offers a great environment for students to learn, heal, and progress,” said Shaun V. Cusson, President and CEO.

“What I’ve seen here at Hillcrest is that if you give a child enough support a miracle can happen…It’s critically important for everyone to understand that every child is an amazing child. And they shouldn’t be defined by the darkest moment in their lives.”

Hillcrest was started in 1985 as an organization that provided residential programs. While the agency still provides these residential services, Hillcrest today also offers non-residential day programs and services for emotionally/behaviorally disturbed students at their Hillcrest Academy, as well as general family dentistry at Hillcrest Dental Care.

The programs and services provided by the Hillcrest Educational Foundation are state licensed and certified, and Hillcrest Educational Centers is accredited in behavioral health care by the Joint Commission.

The Foundation serves children in multiple formats:

• Residential Treatment – Hillcrest Educational Centers provide specialized care and individualized comprehensive treatment and special education services for children, adolescents and their families.
• Therapeutic Day School – Hillcrest Academy is a therapeutic day school that provides education and clinical behavior support services to emotionally/behaviorally disturbed children and adolescents from local school districts.
• Hillcrest Dental Care, Inc. – A complete state-of-the-art general family dentistry practice and the largest provider of oral healthcare services to MassHealth recipients and special needs patients in Western Massachusetts. Hillcrest Dental Care is located in Pittsfield.
• Berkshire County Kids’ Place and Violence Prevention Center, Inc. – An affiliate of Hillcrest, Berkshire County Kids’ Place and Violence Prevention Center, Inc., is a fully accredited Children’s Advocacy Center for child abuse victims and their non-offending family members located in Pittsfield

The transformations brought about by Hillcrest are profound.

“When I first got here, I was like a tornado, always in circles, always taking risks and bad chances. I’m like this jack-in-the-box and – surprise – I’m here now. I’m like a totally different person. I’m so proud of myself that I made this huge change,” Marlene, a former student, said in a video posted by Hillcrest.

Hillcrest is also a major employer in Berkshire County with a staff of 550. The work affects staff members as well.

“Hillcrest is a life-changer. It changes staffs’ lives. It changes student’s lives. It teaches people to grow, to express yourself verbally. It introduces you to so many clinical and medical things that you wouldn’t learn anywhere else. To put it all together to help people is really tremendous,” said John Kellogg, Director of Development and Community Relations.

The John Gould Education and Workforce Training Award was established in 1998 to recognize the contributions of individuals, employers, and institutions to the quality of public education and to the advancement, employability, and productivity of residents of the Commonwealth. In 2000, the award was named after the late John Gould, upon his retirement as President and CEO of AIM, to recognize his work to improve the quality of public education and workforce training in Massachusetts.

Previous recipients of the Gould Award include Worcester Technical High School; Putnam Vocational Technical Academy; UMass Lowell; The Davis Family Foundation; Intel Massachusetts; State Street Corporation and Year UP Boston; Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; CVS and Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission; Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries; the Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership; SnapChef; The Base; and Pioneer Valley Books.