Centerpoint is located in the Southgate Building , on the grounds of Tewksbury Hospital. The physical space was designed with input from the Centerpoint staff to provide residents with the most normalizing environment possible.

Centerpoint is housed in this three- story facility with classrooms and clinician's offices on the ground floor, administrative offices, a conference room and the dining room on the first floor, and a residential area on the top floor.

The program space includes an outside recreation area, a large multi-purpose room for group activities, a large living room space for group interactions and community activities, and a smaller living space for more sedentary pursuits such as reading or writing. There is a nicely decorated dining room which is conducive to family style group meals, and single bedrooms (with the exception of two bedrooms) which allow each resident private sleeping quarters.

Because the Southgate Building has many windows, the inside of the building is brightly lit and very homelike.

The therapeutic milieu offers a stabilizing environment that is characterized by structure, routine, predictability and respect to accomplish a variety of purposes. The primary goal is the provision of a psychologically and physically safe and secure environment that promotes group and individual development. The environment is safe and need-responsive twenty four- hours a day in order to help each resident attain the following goals:

1. Development of internal controls
2. Reduction of psychiatric symptoms
3. Development of adaptive coping skills
4. Engagement in group activities that promote positive feelings of self worth
5. Development of independent living skills

Trained to support a therapeutic milieu, Centerpoint staff are fully cognizant of serving as role models and sources of support, encouragement and compassion as well as authority figures. Centerpoint stresses a competent, caring, ethical staff with emphasis on responding to a resident's behavior by attempting to understand the meaning and the function of that behavior.

Centerpoint has a comprehensive, integrated Behavior Management Plan that is based on a combination of firm limits and nurturance, fostered by the environment of the Centerpoint community. Residents who have a history of challenging behaviors and a lack of impulse control experience a sense of safety and trust when the environment around them provides positive, nurturing care and consistent, dependable containment of threatening and disruptive behaviors.

Dangerous, potentially violent behaviors are responded to in a manner that attempts to de-escalate the situation and provide the resident with the opportunity to take responsibility and control. Verbal redirection is the primary method used to prevent a situation from becoming dangerous however, physical intervention is used as a last resort to maintain a safe environment for both residents and staff.