Earlier this month, BAYC graduate Tia Tonne was selected by the San Francisco 49ers to receive a prestigious Community Quarterback Award. This honor is given out to five people each year who have devoted their time to volunteering in the Bay Area, and includes a grant for the charity where they volunteer.
Tia’s own experience as a graduate of BAYC’s programs makes her an especially insightful and helpful volunteer for the kids and young adults we serve, and we are delighted and so proud of her for receiving this recognition of all the hard work that she is doing. Josh Leonard, Executive Director of BAYC, nominated Tia in part because she is such a positive and relatable role model for the other young people in the program. “This is someone who has been where they are, and who can really relate to them on a peer level, but also someone who has made it past what they are facing, and so they can look to her as an example of success while at the same time seeing themselves really reflected in her. It is part of what makes her work so critically important in our programs.”
Tia and the other award winners were celebrated and recognized at an event in their honor. “All these people here have given back so much to the Bay Area and it is nice to give them the recognition they deserve,” said former 49ers quarterback Steve Bono, who hosted the celebratory luncheon held at Kingfish Restaurant in San Mateo. “It is neat to meet people who are so selfless and have impacted others in such a positive way.”
For more information about the Community Quarterback Awards and this year’s beneficiaries, click here. Congratulations to Tia and the other winners!
Friday, December 11, 2009
Friday, December 4, 2009
Thankful this Holiday Season
As I think about things I am thankful for this year, I am especially thankful for the community of supporters that surrounds Sunny Hills. This includes our wonderful donor community of foundations and individuals, all of the various referring agencies and other service providers who work in tandem with us, the staff who work with our kids each and every day, and of course those kids themselves; I am especially thankful for the youth that we serve, for their determination, their insightfulness, their willingness to keep trying in the face of some extraordinarily tough situations.
The staff and the young students at our Marin Academic Center (MAC) program are a wonderful example of what it is about Sunny Hills that we can all be thankful for. The students at MAC arrive on our San Anselmo campus from all over the Bay Area, having faced numerous challenges in their personal lives and along their educational paths. Most of them have specific learning challenges along with interpersonal challenges and issues. They are often confused, angry, alienated, and even terrified when it comes to school. Having bounced around from classroom to classroom and teacher to teacher, they have no solid adult or peer relationships to model their behavior on. Over and over again they have been told that they are failing, that something isn’t working, that maybe they should try somewhere else or something else.
But when they arrive at MAC, they are embraced whole-heartedly by every staff person they meet. And the other students around them, because of the constant reinforcement of their "community of caring," are able to provide positive peer support and interaction. For many of our MAC students, it is the first time that they have been able to call someone a friend. The small school environment, the 1:2 ratio of staff to students, and the constant positive reinforcement help children begin to learn and grow academically, in ways many of them never realized that they could.
What is it that makes MAC such a powerful example of success, community, and caring? MAC is a California certified nonpublic school serving children ages 5 to 15 whose educational and behavioral challenges are too acute to be handled in traditional public school environments. In practice, this means that MAC provides high-quality, individualized education that addresses each student’s particular needs. By building on each child’s personal interests and their fundamental desire to learn and grow, MAC sees extraordinary results where others have seen only escalating problems. Almost all MAC students are able to reach the goals of grade-level academic and social achievement, appropriate school behavior, and ultimately reintegration and mainstreaming back to their local schools or other less-restrictive educational settings.
This fall, we welcomed MAC to its permanent home on the Sunny Hills San Anselmo campus. We are happy to report that the staff, teachers, and kids are all doing well and loving their new environment! In addition to the updated buildings, swimming pool, and playground, plans are underway for a new edible organic garden in the spring, and kids and staff take advantage of the fields and open space that are now surrounding them. It is a wonderful, inspiring site for all of us.
A gentle reminder that this is also the time of year when we encourage people to pledge to the Sunny Hills annual appeal. Your pledge helps guarantee that programs like MAC continue to help vulnerable children learn, succeed, and grow academically and personally through caring and careful attention. Another way to support our programs and services is through purchase of a Bounty of Marin gift basket, which makes a lovely thank you gift or treat for someone special.
I wish you all a wonderful holiday season, and hope that like us here at Sunny Hills, you find much to be thankful for in your lives this year.
The staff and the young students at our Marin Academic Center (MAC) program are a wonderful example of what it is about Sunny Hills that we can all be thankful for. The students at MAC arrive on our San Anselmo campus from all over the Bay Area, having faced numerous challenges in their personal lives and along their educational paths. Most of them have specific learning challenges along with interpersonal challenges and issues. They are often confused, angry, alienated, and even terrified when it comes to school. Having bounced around from classroom to classroom and teacher to teacher, they have no solid adult or peer relationships to model their behavior on. Over and over again they have been told that they are failing, that something isn’t working, that maybe they should try somewhere else or something else.
But when they arrive at MAC, they are embraced whole-heartedly by every staff person they meet. And the other students around them, because of the constant reinforcement of their "community of caring," are able to provide positive peer support and interaction. For many of our MAC students, it is the first time that they have been able to call someone a friend. The small school environment, the 1:2 ratio of staff to students, and the constant positive reinforcement help children begin to learn and grow academically, in ways many of them never realized that they could.
What is it that makes MAC such a powerful example of success, community, and caring? MAC is a California certified nonpublic school serving children ages 5 to 15 whose educational and behavioral challenges are too acute to be handled in traditional public school environments. In practice, this means that MAC provides high-quality, individualized education that addresses each student’s particular needs. By building on each child’s personal interests and their fundamental desire to learn and grow, MAC sees extraordinary results where others have seen only escalating problems. Almost all MAC students are able to reach the goals of grade-level academic and social achievement, appropriate school behavior, and ultimately reintegration and mainstreaming back to their local schools or other less-restrictive educational settings.
This fall, we welcomed MAC to its permanent home on the Sunny Hills San Anselmo campus. We are happy to report that the staff, teachers, and kids are all doing well and loving their new environment! In addition to the updated buildings, swimming pool, and playground, plans are underway for a new edible organic garden in the spring, and kids and staff take advantage of the fields and open space that are now surrounding them. It is a wonderful, inspiring site for all of us.
A gentle reminder that this is also the time of year when we encourage people to pledge to the Sunny Hills annual appeal. Your pledge helps guarantee that programs like MAC continue to help vulnerable children learn, succeed, and grow academically and personally through caring and careful attention. Another way to support our programs and services is through purchase of a Bounty of Marin gift basket, which makes a lovely thank you gift or treat for someone special.
I wish you all a wonderful holiday season, and hope that like us here at Sunny Hills, you find much to be thankful for in your lives this year.
Friday, November 20, 2009
A time to be thankful
As we enter Thanksgiving week, we at Sunny Hills Services have a lot to be thankful for. Each of our programs and services continues to help the most vulnerable children and families in California, and we continue to receive tremendous support from all of the communities we are part of. In a particular way, I am thankful this year for Bay Area Youth Centers, or BAYC. BAYC became part of the Sunny Hills Services family of programs when the two agencies merged in 2008, and our programs there continue to expand and grow.
For over thirty years, BAYC has helped thousands of emotionally traumatized young people heal and grow. BAYC was started by people who believe that all young people deserve the opportunity to reach their full potential. That core belief continues to define each of their programs, and is in line with Sunny Hills’ historic mission to help youth in the transitional age range as hey prepare to transition into independence. The programs at BAYC help ensure that young adolescents who are ‘aging out’ of foster care continue to have a roof over their heads, food to eat, and people to turn to when they are in crisis. Their services keep these young people from homelessness, something we especially appreciate at this time of year. For more information on how BAYC is helping, visit them online.
This is also the time of year when we especially encourage people to pledge to the Sunny Hills annual appeal. Your pledge helps guarantee that programs like BAYC continue to grow, and are able to help children and young adults throughout the holiday season and all year long. I know that they will be especially thankful for your support this week! Another way to support our programs and services is through purchase of a Bounty of Marin gift basket, which makes a great gift or hostess item as you start making the holiday rounds at Thanksgiving.
We are always deeply appreciative of your support. As we approach the week where it is traditional to express that appreciation, I offer an especially strong thank you to each of you, for being part of our family of supporters.
Note: BAYC’s Executive Director Josh Leonard was part of an expert panel at this week’s conference on Transitional Age Youth in California. He discussed “Sex, Drugs, & Rock’n’Roll: Addressing Third Rail Issues in Housing” – issues about how programs for transitional age youth must deal with behaviours including sexuality and substance use, which are often developmentally appropriate but still difficult to address.
For over thirty years, BAYC has helped thousands of emotionally traumatized young people heal and grow. BAYC was started by people who believe that all young people deserve the opportunity to reach their full potential. That core belief continues to define each of their programs, and is in line with Sunny Hills’ historic mission to help youth in the transitional age range as hey prepare to transition into independence. The programs at BAYC help ensure that young adolescents who are ‘aging out’ of foster care continue to have a roof over their heads, food to eat, and people to turn to when they are in crisis. Their services keep these young people from homelessness, something we especially appreciate at this time of year. For more information on how BAYC is helping, visit them online.
This is also the time of year when we especially encourage people to pledge to the Sunny Hills annual appeal. Your pledge helps guarantee that programs like BAYC continue to grow, and are able to help children and young adults throughout the holiday season and all year long. I know that they will be especially thankful for your support this week! Another way to support our programs and services is through purchase of a Bounty of Marin gift basket, which makes a great gift or hostess item as you start making the holiday rounds at Thanksgiving.
We are always deeply appreciative of your support. As we approach the week where it is traditional to express that appreciation, I offer an especially strong thank you to each of you, for being part of our family of supporters.
Note: BAYC’s Executive Director Josh Leonard was part of an expert panel at this week’s conference on Transitional Age Youth in California. He discussed “Sex, Drugs, & Rock’n’Roll: Addressing Third Rail Issues in Housing” – issues about how programs for transitional age youth must deal with behaviours including sexuality and substance use, which are often developmentally appropriate but still difficult to address.
Friday, November 13, 2009
A Pledge of Support
The Sunny Hills Services Annual Appeal was sent out this week, and we are very excited to announce that our Board of Directors has pledged $50,000 in support to initiate this year’s fund! This extremely generous commitment by the board is a great kick-off to our campaign, and we hope it will inspire each member of the Sunny Hills community to make their own pledge of support for the vulnerable children we serve every day.
As we come to the end of the calendar year, we face a time when our need for private financial support at the agency is especially great. Long-standing programs like the Marin Academic Center need your help, as do new projects such as the parenting teen program and LGBTQ initiatives at BAYC. Our brand new programs, like Project PRIDE in Sonoma County, cannot get off the ground without private dollars to help them through their initial start up. And every day, we need your support to provide the treatment, the education, the emergency assistance, the advice, the medical care, the support, the person to talk to – whatever help it is that the young people in our programs need. That is our ongoing pledge of support to the vulnerable children and families that we serve, and we are able to keep that pledge with your help.
Our goal for the Annual Appeal this year is to raise $150,000 in gifts and pledges. This is an ambitious goal, especially in the face of the current economic situation, but we are expecting to reach it through small efforts from a large group of supporters. If each member of our donor community is able to make a pledge and commit to giving just $50.00 this year, we would have our most successful appeal on record! I hope you will consider making a gift or donation today. You can visit us online, or contact the Development Office at (415) 457-3200 x165 for more information. Every gift, pledge, and commitment helps.
As we come to the end of the calendar year, we face a time when our need for private financial support at the agency is especially great. Long-standing programs like the Marin Academic Center need your help, as do new projects such as the parenting teen program and LGBTQ initiatives at BAYC. Our brand new programs, like Project PRIDE in Sonoma County, cannot get off the ground without private dollars to help them through their initial start up. And every day, we need your support to provide the treatment, the education, the emergency assistance, the advice, the medical care, the support, the person to talk to – whatever help it is that the young people in our programs need. That is our ongoing pledge of support to the vulnerable children and families that we serve, and we are able to keep that pledge with your help.
Our goal for the Annual Appeal this year is to raise $150,000 in gifts and pledges. This is an ambitious goal, especially in the face of the current economic situation, but we are expecting to reach it through small efforts from a large group of supporters. If each member of our donor community is able to make a pledge and commit to giving just $50.00 this year, we would have our most successful appeal on record! I hope you will consider making a gift or donation today. You can visit us online, or contact the Development Office at (415) 457-3200 x165 for more information. Every gift, pledge, and commitment helps.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Running in the Shadows
I wanted to draw your attention to a recent two-part article that appeared in the New York Times. Running in the Shadows addresses the growing number of young runaways in the United States, exploring how they survive and efforts by the authorities to help them. Part one, Recession Drives Surge in Youth Runaways, follows Betty, a 14-year old who had run away from home a week earlier after a violent argument with her mother. "Over the past two years, government officials and experts have seen an increasing number of children leave home for life on the streets, including many under 13. Foreclosures, layoffs, rising food and fuel prices and inadequate supplies of low-cost housing have stretched families to the extreme, and those pressures have trickled down to teenagers and preteens." Once on the streets, these young people face harsh circumstances--from sleeping on sidewalks to hiding out in local parks. The second of the two articles, Running in the Shadows: For Runaways, Sex Buys Survival, sheds light on the risky behaviors runaways engage in simply as a means to survive. Studies have found nearly a third of the children who flee home engage in sex for food, drugs or a place to stay.
As more and more families fall into crisis as a result of the weakened economy, it points to the need for programs like the ones offered by Sunny Hills which help resource families and communities. Our work is to reach out to young people and their families before they reach breaking point. The streets are no place for young people.
As more and more families fall into crisis as a result of the weakened economy, it points to the need for programs like the ones offered by Sunny Hills which help resource families and communities. Our work is to reach out to young people and their families before they reach breaking point. The streets are no place for young people.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Honoring our volunteers
Sunny Hills celebrated the members of the Auxiliary and Guilds of Sunny Hills Services at a luncheon on Wednesday, October 28th at the McInnis Park Golf Club in San Rafael. This esteemed group of individuals has provided generous and loyal support to the agency for decades, helping us to raise financial support and community awareness on behalf of the children and families we serve. We were pleased to honor volunteers celebrating milestones ranging from 55 years of service to 5 years. This group's service to Sunny Hills is unparalleled and we are grateful for their steadfast support and unconditional belief in the mission of Sunny Hills. Please join me in celebrating their numerous contributions to our community!
Friday, October 23, 2009
Shocking Statistics on Children's Exposure to Violence
Earlier this month, the US Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) published "Children's Exposure to Violence: A Comprehensive National Survey." The survey was designed to measure children's exposure to violence across the country, in their homes, their schools, and their communities. It spanned across all age groups, ethnicities, and income levels and was the first of its kind ever undertaken by the government. The numbers revealed by the survey were shocking to many, even those of us on the front lines providing care to children who have been traumatized by violence.
The OJJDP found that over 60% of American children have been exposed to physical violence in their lives over the past year. The violence that the children and young people were exposed to included robbery, vandalism, theft, sexual abuse, and physical assault. The survey did not measure emotional abuse or bullying, but rather looked only at the experience and/or witnessing of physical violence. In one of the most shocking numbers to come out of the study, it was found that nationwide, nearly HALF of all children and adolescents were physically assaulted at least once in the past year. Earlier this month, in response to the findings in the survey, US Attorney General Eric Holder gave a speech addressing what he called “a challenge that affects the entire nation.” The Attorney General called the findings “Astonishing … and unacceptable,” and at Sunny Hills we echo that sentiment.
While these numbers in and of themselves can be shocking and even demoralizing, they are also an important first step for our country to take in eliminating violence against children; through understanding the nature and extent of children's exposure to violence, we can work more effectively to mitigate its effects. As this survey shows, it remains crucial that we provide programs and services that give opportunities for these vulnerable young people to build better and brighter futures for themselves and their families. I deeply appreciate all of our Sunny Hills supporters for helping us do this critical work that allows the countless children and families who have been exposed to violence to heal. Thank you.
For the complete text of Attorney General Holder’s remarks, click here.
For the OJJDP’s official survey and results, click here.
The OJJDP found that over 60% of American children have been exposed to physical violence in their lives over the past year. The violence that the children and young people were exposed to included robbery, vandalism, theft, sexual abuse, and physical assault. The survey did not measure emotional abuse or bullying, but rather looked only at the experience and/or witnessing of physical violence. In one of the most shocking numbers to come out of the study, it was found that nationwide, nearly HALF of all children and adolescents were physically assaulted at least once in the past year. Earlier this month, in response to the findings in the survey, US Attorney General Eric Holder gave a speech addressing what he called “a challenge that affects the entire nation.” The Attorney General called the findings “Astonishing … and unacceptable,” and at Sunny Hills we echo that sentiment.
While these numbers in and of themselves can be shocking and even demoralizing, they are also an important first step for our country to take in eliminating violence against children; through understanding the nature and extent of children's exposure to violence, we can work more effectively to mitigate its effects. As this survey shows, it remains crucial that we provide programs and services that give opportunities for these vulnerable young people to build better and brighter futures for themselves and their families. I deeply appreciate all of our Sunny Hills supporters for helping us do this critical work that allows the countless children and families who have been exposed to violence to heal. Thank you.
For the complete text of Attorney General Holder’s remarks, click here.
For the OJJDP’s official survey and results, click here.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Sunny Hills' Leadership Circle members honored last night
Last night, Bruce and Theresa Raabe hosted a lovely reception at their home in Kentfield in honor of the Sunny Hills Services Leadership Circle, a donor society honoring benefactors who have given generously to Sunny Hills over their lifetime. We are grateful to Bruce and Theresa for opening their home to us. The acoustic melodies played by guitarist, Clay Bell offered a lovely backdrop to this convivial gathering, and the hors d’oeuvres prepared by Mangia Nosh were delicious.
I always look forward to this annual event because it is one small way we can recognize those who have afforded us the opportunity to continue to grow and thrive as an agency. With the support of the Leadership Circle, philanthropy has enabled Sunny Hills to seed new ventures and expand our delivery to reach an even greater number of children and youth in need—which this year will top more than 1,000 across the greater San Francisco Bay Area.
Last night, I was thrilled to be able to share some exciting news: Sunny Hills has met the match for the J. Patrick and Irene Hunt Fund, a named fund established in 2007 in support of Sunny Hills’ educational programs for special needs youth. Longtime board member, Cathy Kennedy and her husband, Dan Grossman joined other generous donors to the Fund to provide the remaining match needed to meet our goal. Together with the Hunts’ own generous financial contributions, the Fund will provide half a million dollars to enhance our programs like the Marin Academic Center, a nonpublic K-8 school located on Sunny Hills’ campus in San Anselmo.
In addition, speaking on behalf of Marin County Supervisor Hal Brown who was unable to join us last night, Bruce Raabe announced a $5,000 grant from the County of Marin to Sunny Hills Services. We appreciate Supervisor Brown for his longstanding support of the agency, and for this new investment in our work.
To all of our Leadership Circle members and our broader donor community, I extend to you my heartfelt gratitude for partnering with us to realize this extraordinary mission. Thank you.
Theresa and Bruce Raabe
Irene Hunt and Cathy Kennedy
Joe Costa and Tony Cameron
J. Patrick Hunt
Leadership Circle members enjoying the evening
CEO Joe Costa addressing our guests
Friday, October 9, 2009
New directors bring expertise to the Board
Sunny Hills is pleased to announce Annette Bekowich and Jay Cahan have joined the Board of Directors. The elections increase the size of Sunny Hills’ Board to 25 members.
Annette’s involvement with Sunny Hills began a number of years ago through her volunteer service with Sunny Hills’ Belvedere Guild, an auxiliary group of women dedicated to volunteering and raising financial support on behalf of the children and families we serve. Annette currently serves as Vice President and Senior Financial Consultant for Wells Fargo Investments in Corte Madera. A Marin County native, she resides in Corte Madera with her husband and teenage daughter. Annette received her MBA from San Francisco State University. She brings a tremendous depth of knowledge to the Board of Sunny Hills where she will serve as a member of the Audit and Development committees.
Jay Cahan is the principal of LC Investments, a property management and real investment sales company. Previously, Jay was CEO of HC&M Commercial Properties, Inc. and also worked for BT Commercial in San Francisco. A resident of the town of Ross in Marin County, Jay has brings significant nonprofit experience by virtue of his board service with The Burt Children’s Center in San Francisco (2005 to present) and The Sage Project where he served as Board President (2002-2007). Jay received his undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley.
Please join me in welcoming Annette and Jay!
Annette’s involvement with Sunny Hills began a number of years ago through her volunteer service with Sunny Hills’ Belvedere Guild, an auxiliary group of women dedicated to volunteering and raising financial support on behalf of the children and families we serve. Annette currently serves as Vice President and Senior Financial Consultant for Wells Fargo Investments in Corte Madera. A Marin County native, she resides in Corte Madera with her husband and teenage daughter. Annette received her MBA from San Francisco State University. She brings a tremendous depth of knowledge to the Board of Sunny Hills where she will serve as a member of the Audit and Development committees.
Jay Cahan is the principal of LC Investments, a property management and real investment sales company. Previously, Jay was CEO of HC&M Commercial Properties, Inc. and also worked for BT Commercial in San Francisco. A resident of the town of Ross in Marin County, Jay has brings significant nonprofit experience by virtue of his board service with The Burt Children’s Center in San Francisco (2005 to present) and The Sage Project where he served as Board President (2002-2007). Jay received his undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley.
Please join me in welcoming Annette and Jay!
Friday, October 2, 2009
BAYC Hosts Sold-Out Symposium on the Needs of LGBTQ Foster Youth
Bay Area Youth Centers (BAYC) hosted a successful symposium on Wednesday, September 16, 2009 at Preservation Park in Oakland. Titled “The Needs and Experiences of LGBTQ Youth in Out-of-Home Care,” this day-long event featured a keynote presentation by a former foster youth who began his transition to a male while still in care. The remainder of the day was marked by a balance of informal dialogue and formal presentations, including panels addressing topics such as the physical and emotional health of transgender youth; risk factors, safety and community; and fluidity of identity and gender expression.
The response to the symposium was overwhelmingly positive: registration reached maximum capacity of 110, far exceeding BAYC's initial expectations. Participants came from across the San Francisco Bay Area and included staffers from the University of California, private foundations, the Alameda and Santa Clara County Departments of Education, Human Services and Behavioral Health, faith-based organizations, and community-based nonprofit organizations serving foster youth.
Excerpts from Symposium Evaluations
This is one of the best presentations I’ve been to in a long time. I loved the format, diversity of panelists and topics covered. Great work! I have nothing but praise for all of the panelists and organizers.
I will go back to the UC Office of the President and make sure that UC campuses and services are culturally competent and fully accessible to LGBTQ and foster youth.
I loved that it was a day full of dialogue and conversation vs. being taught and lectured to. I loved that the conversations addressed every level of care from direct service to policy issues.
This symposium served as a reminder about the continued work I need to do in order to be better educated about working with LGBTQ youth—the resources and discussion offered today will be helpful to me when working with youth.
I appreciated the good quality legal and medical presentations balanced with lay activists and Child Welfare professionals. I appreciate how well organized the symposium was and the high quality of presentations.
There’s been great dialogue & points brought up that I’ll take back to my community, and that will lead to more action. Also, I will definitely contact others that I’ve met to help within the community.
A key outcome for the day was to share lessons learned and build a stronger network of service providers in the San Francisco Bay Area who are competent to serve this specialized population of foster youth. We certainly felt that this day marked the beginning of an important, ongoing dialogue, and BAYC looks forward to spearheading the establishment of a work group that will continue to address the issues brought forth that day. BAYC will also begin evaluating the system gaps identified during symposium discussions, and evaluating its capacity to fill these unmet needs.
BAYC is grateful to the Tides Foundation for providing the funding to enable us to host this symposium. It was a rich, rewarding day for all and we feel inspired, as do many of our colleagues in the field, to move forward with energy and enthusiasm.
For more information about the symposium or BAYC, contact Josh Leonard, Executive Director at (510) 727-9401 or josh@bayareayouthcenters.org.
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The response to the symposium was overwhelmingly positive: registration reached maximum capacity of 110, far exceeding BAYC's initial expectations. Participants came from across the San Francisco Bay Area and included staffers from the University of California, private foundations, the Alameda and Santa Clara County Departments of Education, Human Services and Behavioral Health, faith-based organizations, and community-based nonprofit organizations serving foster youth.
Excerpts from Symposium Evaluations
This is one of the best presentations I’ve been to in a long time. I loved the format, diversity of panelists and topics covered. Great work! I have nothing but praise for all of the panelists and organizers.
I will go back to the UC Office of the President and make sure that UC campuses and services are culturally competent and fully accessible to LGBTQ and foster youth.
I loved that it was a day full of dialogue and conversation vs. being taught and lectured to. I loved that the conversations addressed every level of care from direct service to policy issues.
This symposium served as a reminder about the continued work I need to do in order to be better educated about working with LGBTQ youth—the resources and discussion offered today will be helpful to me when working with youth.
I appreciated the good quality legal and medical presentations balanced with lay activists and Child Welfare professionals. I appreciate how well organized the symposium was and the high quality of presentations.
There’s been great dialogue & points brought up that I’ll take back to my community, and that will lead to more action. Also, I will definitely contact others that I’ve met to help within the community.
A key outcome for the day was to share lessons learned and build a stronger network of service providers in the San Francisco Bay Area who are competent to serve this specialized population of foster youth. We certainly felt that this day marked the beginning of an important, ongoing dialogue, and BAYC looks forward to spearheading the establishment of a work group that will continue to address the issues brought forth that day. BAYC will also begin evaluating the system gaps identified during symposium discussions, and evaluating its capacity to fill these unmet needs.
BAYC is grateful to the Tides Foundation for providing the funding to enable us to host this symposium. It was a rich, rewarding day for all and we feel inspired, as do many of our colleagues in the field, to move forward with energy and enthusiasm.
For more information about the symposium or BAYC, contact Josh Leonard, Executive Director at (510) 727-9401 or josh@bayareayouthcenters.org.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Budget Cuts Put More Group Homes at Risk
As part of the state budget, a 10% cut in reimbursement rates for care of children in nonprofit group homes was approved. This cut was enacted by the state legislature and is not part of the Governor’s controversial line-item vetoes; it is set to go into effect October 1st. Carroll Schroeder, Executive Director of CACFS, said, "With this cut … agencies will be forced to choose between seriously downsizing, closing their programs entirely, or providing substandard care for their kids."
Last Friday, the Alliance (of which Sunny Hills is a member) filed suit in federal court to prevent the state from enacting the cut. Several lawsuits have been filed in recent weeks to challenge cuts made in the state budget in response to California's fiscal crisis. Since the rate cut means that California would pay just 68 cents for every dollar it costs to care for foster children in group homes, the basis for the lawsuit is the state’s failure to pay appropriate rates, or rates that adequately reimburse the costs of providing care in private nonprofit foster care group homes. Since federal law requires that states “cover the cost” of children’s care in order to obtain federal foster care matching funds, the rate cut is allegedly a violation of federal foster care laws.
California’s group home rate system was originally implemented in 1990. It was based on the cost of providing care and supervision at that time. However, in the nineteen intervening years, there have been only four increases to the reimbursement rate the state pays out, despite exponential increases in the costs of care. Coupled with this long history of no increase in payment, the 10% reduction approved by the governor would drop reimbursement rates to just 68% of their original value. This means that while spending more than ever to provide basic care, group homes are being reimbursed far less than at any time in the past twenty years.
If the 10% cut is implemented in October, up to one-third of the state’s group home capacity could be lost, affecting over 2,000 youth. Forty-one of the California Alliance’s present and former member agencies have closed or seriously cut back their group home programs since 2001, due in large part to the inadequacy of reimbursement rates. Many of you are familiar with this endemic problem, as we saw the impacts of it on our own programs with the closing of the Sunny Hills Residential Treatment Program and the Children’s Garden Group Homes. Youth in group homes typically have the most challenging circumstances of any foster youth. Their needs are extraordinarily complex to require that level of placement, and they are at even higher risk than other foster children for homelessness, jail, and hospitalization. While many of these young people can thrive in adequate settings, such as those provided by our own BAYC Group Home program, their needs are generally too complex to be met in traditional foster family placements.
California is in a fiscal crisis and we are all working hard to help bring our great state back to a balanced budget; however, cutting funding for the most defenseless of our state’s already at-risk foster population is not the answer. As their support infrastructure is strained state wide, it is especially critical that housing and treatment needs of these extremely vulnerable young people be met, not severed.
For more information, please visit the Alliance online.
Last Friday, the Alliance (of which Sunny Hills is a member) filed suit in federal court to prevent the state from enacting the cut. Several lawsuits have been filed in recent weeks to challenge cuts made in the state budget in response to California's fiscal crisis. Since the rate cut means that California would pay just 68 cents for every dollar it costs to care for foster children in group homes, the basis for the lawsuit is the state’s failure to pay appropriate rates, or rates that adequately reimburse the costs of providing care in private nonprofit foster care group homes. Since federal law requires that states “cover the cost” of children’s care in order to obtain federal foster care matching funds, the rate cut is allegedly a violation of federal foster care laws.
California’s group home rate system was originally implemented in 1990. It was based on the cost of providing care and supervision at that time. However, in the nineteen intervening years, there have been only four increases to the reimbursement rate the state pays out, despite exponential increases in the costs of care. Coupled with this long history of no increase in payment, the 10% reduction approved by the governor would drop reimbursement rates to just 68% of their original value. This means that while spending more than ever to provide basic care, group homes are being reimbursed far less than at any time in the past twenty years.
If the 10% cut is implemented in October, up to one-third of the state’s group home capacity could be lost, affecting over 2,000 youth. Forty-one of the California Alliance’s present and former member agencies have closed or seriously cut back their group home programs since 2001, due in large part to the inadequacy of reimbursement rates. Many of you are familiar with this endemic problem, as we saw the impacts of it on our own programs with the closing of the Sunny Hills Residential Treatment Program and the Children’s Garden Group Homes. Youth in group homes typically have the most challenging circumstances of any foster youth. Their needs are extraordinarily complex to require that level of placement, and they are at even higher risk than other foster children for homelessness, jail, and hospitalization. While many of these young people can thrive in adequate settings, such as those provided by our own BAYC Group Home program, their needs are generally too complex to be met in traditional foster family placements.
California is in a fiscal crisis and we are all working hard to help bring our great state back to a balanced budget; however, cutting funding for the most defenseless of our state’s already at-risk foster population is not the answer. As their support infrastructure is strained state wide, it is especially critical that housing and treatment needs of these extremely vulnerable young people be met, not severed.
For more information, please visit the Alliance online.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Fall Fashion Show and Fundraiser this October
Mark your calendars for Tuesday, October 13, 2009 and join the Greenbrae Guild and friends at 11:30 am for an afternoon of fine food, festivities and fabulous fashion at Deer Park Villa in Fairfax. Feast your eyes on the latest in contemporary women's apparel courtesy of Anne's Secret Hangups of Novato. Tickets are $45 per person and all proceeds benefit Sunny Hills. The luncheon includes your choice of oven broiled salmon, veal scaloppini, or soup and shrimp louis salad. Please rsvp no later than October 1st to (415) 457-3200 ext 114 to reserve your place.
The Guilds of Sunny Hills Services are an association of women who have dedicated themselves to volunteering and raising financial support on behalf of the children and families we serve. Since the early 1900s the Guilds have raised more than a million dollars in charitable support which has helped thousands of kids over the years. At its height, there were nearly 40 active guilds in the community. Today, there are four active guilds: Greenbrae Guild, Novato Guild, Glenwood Guild, and the Terra Linda Guild, in addition to numerous other past guild members who serve as sustainers to this day. Sunny Hills is grateful for the extraordinary commitment these women have made. Learn more about the Guilds' service to our Sunny Hills community on our Web site, including the Grape Festival and the Bargain Box.
The Guilds of Sunny Hills Services are an association of women who have dedicated themselves to volunteering and raising financial support on behalf of the children and families we serve. Since the early 1900s the Guilds have raised more than a million dollars in charitable support which has helped thousands of kids over the years. At its height, there were nearly 40 active guilds in the community. Today, there are four active guilds: Greenbrae Guild, Novato Guild, Glenwood Guild, and the Terra Linda Guild, in addition to numerous other past guild members who serve as sustainers to this day. Sunny Hills is grateful for the extraordinary commitment these women have made. Learn more about the Guilds' service to our Sunny Hills community on our Web site, including the Grape Festival and the Bargain Box.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Optimism
Optimism is a core value we hold at Sunny Hills Services. It is something that we bring to every facet of our work. For us, optimism is equal parts hope, hard work, consistency, and a relentless commitment to helping young people realize their full potential.
At Sunny Hills, our youth come to us with enormous challenges. Life hasn’t always been fair to them. Their young lives have been scarred by the impact of abuse or neglect, poverty or violence, family instability or loss, mental illness or substance abuse, or some combination thereof. Others simply feel different. They may learn differently or relate differently. On the whole, these youth are struggling to thrive. But through our caring staff, we nurture their growth so that, step-by-step, they begin to heal and reclaim their lives.
Optimism is the fuel that drives our work. We see the tremendous distances our youth travel as they confront their challenges and begin to turn their lives around. We know the incredible resilience it takes for them to hold onto hope and not give up. When a child is able to make their first friend, read their first book, meet their father for the first time in their life, identify a feeling….we take none of these for granted. We recognize the potential these moments represent, and celebrate each one.
We approach each day, each young person, each moment with the level of energy and attention it deserves. We embrace high expectations. This doesn’t mean that failure eludes us. It doesn’t mean that our kids don’t experience setbacks. We all do. This is a natural part of life. Just as we do as an agency, we help our young people to reflect on their actions and what they could do differently. This is how we learn. And it is a continuous process.
Our journey is long. Over the arc of our experience, we have demonstrated a commitment to helping all children realize better and brighter futures. We show up every day. For our children. For their families. For our community.
The children and families we serve depend on us, and they continually inspire us to do more.
At Sunny Hills, our youth come to us with enormous challenges. Life hasn’t always been fair to them. Their young lives have been scarred by the impact of abuse or neglect, poverty or violence, family instability or loss, mental illness or substance abuse, or some combination thereof. Others simply feel different. They may learn differently or relate differently. On the whole, these youth are struggling to thrive. But through our caring staff, we nurture their growth so that, step-by-step, they begin to heal and reclaim their lives.
Optimism is the fuel that drives our work. We see the tremendous distances our youth travel as they confront their challenges and begin to turn their lives around. We know the incredible resilience it takes for them to hold onto hope and not give up. When a child is able to make their first friend, read their first book, meet their father for the first time in their life, identify a feeling….we take none of these for granted. We recognize the potential these moments represent, and celebrate each one.
We approach each day, each young person, each moment with the level of energy and attention it deserves. We embrace high expectations. This doesn’t mean that failure eludes us. It doesn’t mean that our kids don’t experience setbacks. We all do. This is a natural part of life. Just as we do as an agency, we help our young people to reflect on their actions and what they could do differently. This is how we learn. And it is a continuous process.
Our journey is long. Over the arc of our experience, we have demonstrated a commitment to helping all children realize better and brighter futures. We show up every day. For our children. For their families. For our community.
The children and families we serve depend on us, and they continually inspire us to do more.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Welcoming our new Leadership Circle members
Members of the Leadership Circle are distinguished by their extraordinary generosity in support of our mission and through their unwavering belief in the agency’s healing work with children, adolescents and their families. Members enjoy special access to Sunny Hills Services and the CEO in addition to personalized recognition through a private annual event, a permanent donor display, and through Sunny Hills’ publications.
Please join me in welcoming the following new members of the Leadership Circle who will be recognized at a private reception on October 15, 2009:
Dr. Angela Callender and Mr. Chuck Gipson
Ms. Patricia Duffy and Mr. Leslie Sherman
Mr. and Mrs. David Epstein
Mr. Robert C. Lynn
Mr. and Mrs. Bob Pryt
Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Shilakes
Mr. and Mrs. Ray Syufy
Dine out and donate
Friday, August 28, 2009
Paving the Way for our Future
Several weeks ago, I blogged about Sunny Hills’ approach to nonprofit M&A and, specifically, how it plays a critical role in our organization’s strategic planning.
For any nonprofit organization considering an affiliation, or perhaps a merger, I highly recommend David LaPiana’s body of work as a valuable tool to organize and guide the planning process. LaPiana’s The Nonprofit Mergers Workbook, Part I and Part II served as a critical guideposts for our own board and executive staff as we explored potential alliances with partner agencies, most recently with East Bay provider, Bay Area Youth Centers (BAYC).
This week, I am pleased to welcome Josh Leonard, Executive Director of BAYC, as our guest blogger. A 17-year veteran of BAYC and its Executive Director for the last seven years, Josh brings a valuable perspective to the merger process our two agencies employed. We hope you’ll benefit from learning about our approach as we take a closer look at the process that led to Sunny Hills’ affiliation, and later merger, with BAYC.
***
It all started with a conversation. I was approached by Barry Feinberg (Chief Program Officer at Sunny Hills) in 2007. We discussed the commonalities between our agencies, our mutual struggles, and our goals -- and how we might partner to get there. After a number of conversations with Barry, and later Joe, I began to see how a merger could work in our favor—not just for BAYC, but for Sunny Hills, too.
As an executive director, one of my primary responsibilities is to be future focused. For me, the philosophical question of ‘who do we want to be’ and the more practical aspect of ‘how are we going to get there’ are always top of mind. BAYC was founded in 1974 as a group home provider for youth in foster care; several years ago, I saw the system of care changing rapidly and knew that we needed to change with it or risk obsolescence. I believed that we had unique set of competencies that added value to Alameda County’s system of care. The challenge, then, was to package and parlay these competencies in a way that was relevant and sustainable given the larger forces at play.
After a number of conversations, I gleaned that Sunny Hills was facing a similar set of issues. Known for its residential treatment program for emotionally disturbed children, Sunny Hills was transitioning out of residential care—which had been critically under-funded for a number of years—in order to provide a broader array of community-based services for children, youth and families. Once we saw the potential value of an affiliation, the question turned to what this would this look like?
At that point, each agency identified representatives to serve on a merger study taskforce. I participated along with two BAYC board members, Joe Costa and Barry Feinberg of Sunny Hills, and three Sunny Hills board members. Our taskforce was facilitated by Mary Denton, an experienced management professional who now serves in the role of Chief Financial & Administrative Officer for Sunny Hills. Our group met monthly—sometimes more frequently—for a period of about eight months. Each meeting focused on a singular topic, for example mission/vision, human resources, or programmatic goals. The process was intensive, but it allowed us to get to know one another and establish a foundation of trust. By the end, we had solidified our initial inclination: by coming together, we could create social value and impact on a broader scale.
It wasn’t always as easy as I make it sound. For me, the hardest part was the notion we would be letting go of our 30-year history. Sunny Hills was a larger agency and had been around for decades longer than BAYC. What would a merger really look like? The hierarchy of command? Our creativity, responsiveness and nimbleness that had defined our agency, would it be lost? It was the fear of the unknown.
Our taskforce held the value of open and honest communication. It was important that I clearly communicated my concerns and highlighted any ‘deal-breakers.’ Once I realized that our agency wasn’t going away, I began to focus more so on the pros of this affiliation as the cons dwindled away. With the strength of Sunny Hills’ administrative infrastructure, we would have the capacity to deliver our services on a broader scale than ever before. BAYC held a strong brand in the East Bay, a region that Sunny Hills had yet to tap. Sunny Hills had a solid foothold in Marin County and was beginning to expand its reach to Sonoma County. Together, we had a regional footprint and an infrastructure that would afford us the ability to deliver the scale and quality of programming we desired. And BAYC could focus on what we do best: ensuring transitional age youth have the opportunity they deserve to reach their full potential.
At the conclusion of our taskforce, a recommendation was made to our respective boards to affiliate; BAYC completed its merger with Sunny Hills in October 2008. Roughly one year later, we have managed to integrate our systems—accounting, payroll, case management etc.—and have begun an exercise to strengthen our brand. Our programs are expanding, and we are beginning to disseminate our knowledge and expertise on a broader scale.
We are moving ahead as an agency, and I have greater aspirations for our future. Without a doubt, this has been a real win for BAYC…for our youth, our partners, and our donors, too.
***
You can reach Josh by calling (510) 727-9401 ext. 104 or email him at josh@bayareayouthcenters.org.
For any nonprofit organization considering an affiliation, or perhaps a merger, I highly recommend David LaPiana’s body of work as a valuable tool to organize and guide the planning process. LaPiana’s The Nonprofit Mergers Workbook, Part I and Part II served as a critical guideposts for our own board and executive staff as we explored potential alliances with partner agencies, most recently with East Bay provider, Bay Area Youth Centers (BAYC).
This week, I am pleased to welcome Josh Leonard, Executive Director of BAYC, as our guest blogger. A 17-year veteran of BAYC and its Executive Director for the last seven years, Josh brings a valuable perspective to the merger process our two agencies employed. We hope you’ll benefit from learning about our approach as we take a closer look at the process that led to Sunny Hills’ affiliation, and later merger, with BAYC.
***
It all started with a conversation. I was approached by Barry Feinberg (Chief Program Officer at Sunny Hills) in 2007. We discussed the commonalities between our agencies, our mutual struggles, and our goals -- and how we might partner to get there. After a number of conversations with Barry, and later Joe, I began to see how a merger could work in our favor—not just for BAYC, but for Sunny Hills, too.
As an executive director, one of my primary responsibilities is to be future focused. For me, the philosophical question of ‘who do we want to be’ and the more practical aspect of ‘how are we going to get there’ are always top of mind. BAYC was founded in 1974 as a group home provider for youth in foster care; several years ago, I saw the system of care changing rapidly and knew that we needed to change with it or risk obsolescence. I believed that we had unique set of competencies that added value to Alameda County’s system of care. The challenge, then, was to package and parlay these competencies in a way that was relevant and sustainable given the larger forces at play.
After a number of conversations, I gleaned that Sunny Hills was facing a similar set of issues. Known for its residential treatment program for emotionally disturbed children, Sunny Hills was transitioning out of residential care—which had been critically under-funded for a number of years—in order to provide a broader array of community-based services for children, youth and families. Once we saw the potential value of an affiliation, the question turned to what this would this look like?
At that point, each agency identified representatives to serve on a merger study taskforce. I participated along with two BAYC board members, Joe Costa and Barry Feinberg of Sunny Hills, and three Sunny Hills board members. Our taskforce was facilitated by Mary Denton, an experienced management professional who now serves in the role of Chief Financial & Administrative Officer for Sunny Hills. Our group met monthly—sometimes more frequently—for a period of about eight months. Each meeting focused on a singular topic, for example mission/vision, human resources, or programmatic goals. The process was intensive, but it allowed us to get to know one another and establish a foundation of trust. By the end, we had solidified our initial inclination: by coming together, we could create social value and impact on a broader scale.
It wasn’t always as easy as I make it sound. For me, the hardest part was the notion we would be letting go of our 30-year history. Sunny Hills was a larger agency and had been around for decades longer than BAYC. What would a merger really look like? The hierarchy of command? Our creativity, responsiveness and nimbleness that had defined our agency, would it be lost? It was the fear of the unknown.
Our taskforce held the value of open and honest communication. It was important that I clearly communicated my concerns and highlighted any ‘deal-breakers.’ Once I realized that our agency wasn’t going away, I began to focus more so on the pros of this affiliation as the cons dwindled away. With the strength of Sunny Hills’ administrative infrastructure, we would have the capacity to deliver our services on a broader scale than ever before. BAYC held a strong brand in the East Bay, a region that Sunny Hills had yet to tap. Sunny Hills had a solid foothold in Marin County and was beginning to expand its reach to Sonoma County. Together, we had a regional footprint and an infrastructure that would afford us the ability to deliver the scale and quality of programming we desired. And BAYC could focus on what we do best: ensuring transitional age youth have the opportunity they deserve to reach their full potential.
At the conclusion of our taskforce, a recommendation was made to our respective boards to affiliate; BAYC completed its merger with Sunny Hills in October 2008. Roughly one year later, we have managed to integrate our systems—accounting, payroll, case management etc.—and have begun an exercise to strengthen our brand. Our programs are expanding, and we are beginning to disseminate our knowledge and expertise on a broader scale.
We are moving ahead as an agency, and I have greater aspirations for our future. Without a doubt, this has been a real win for BAYC…for our youth, our partners, and our donors, too.
***
You can reach Josh by calling (510) 727-9401 ext. 104 or email him at josh@bayareayouthcenters.org.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Back to School: the politics of educating children with special needs
This is the time of year when many families are sending their children back to school. I think most parents would agree that finding the right academic environment for their child is essential—one that supports their development and encourages their continued growth, both academically and personally.
But when your child has special needs, finding the right placement can be challenging. For many parents, this is a long, arduous process fraught with any number of hurdles that require an abundance of time, resources, and patience. If the family unit itself is stressed—perhaps due to poverty or mental illness—these challenges are multiplied exponentially.
In the United States, every child is entitled by law to a “free and appropriate public education.” When a child has needs that cannot be met within a public school setting, the child may be placed in a nonpublic school that is better equipped to serve them. A nonpublic school is a privately operated, publicly funded school that specializes in providing educational services for students with needs so exceptional that they cannot be met in a public school setting. (Learn more by reading the CACFS Nonpublic School Fact Sheet)
Sunny Hills Services’ Marin Academic Center, better known as MAC, is one of 369 certified nonpublic schools in the state of California and one of five in Marin County. MAC students present with a wide range of emotional and behavioral challenges –– including difficulties with social interaction, aggression toward others and self-injurious behavior. Our students’ emotional and behavioral difficulties stem from a variety of conditions in their home lives including family dysfunction, parent or sibling illness, and parental mental health and/or substance-abuse issues.
Among MAC’s student body:
- 60% of students have suffered some form of abuse or neglect.
- 40% of students are known or suspected victims of sexual abuse.
- 33% of students report having thought about committing suicide.
- 65% of students live below or close to the federal poverty level.
For these children, the Marin Academic Center is an oasis of support. MAC provides a quality, individualized education that addresses individual student’s needs, and builds upon their interests and fundamental desire to learn and grow. The ultimate goal for MAC students is successful reintegration into a less restrictive learning environment in which they are able to function more independently and continue to advance academically.
Certified nonpublic schools like MAC are regulated by the State Department of Education (DOE) and operate under a master contract with the educational agency that is responsible for student placements, in our case the Marin County Special Education Local Planning Area (SELPA) and a few other SELPAs located in the greater Bay Area region. These contracts detail every aspect of the agreement between the public agency and the nonpublic school including the negotiated daily rate, the method by which the nonpublic school is reimbursed for the services delivered.
Reimbursement rates vary according to the extent of services provided by the school, the individual needs of students served, and even the region of the state in which the nonpublic school is located. Rates are generally set, though can be increased annually in one of two ways: through a cost of living adjustment (COLA) and/or by the nonpublic school’s petition for an increase. In the case of the latter, the nonpublic school must appeal in writing to the educational agency responsible for overseeing the master contract.
As cutbacks to public spending for education have reached virtually every corner of this nation, staying afloat financially has become increasingly challenging for many schools and school districts. This is certainly the case for our nonpublic school.
The inevitable rise in the cost of doing business, such as increases to the cost of employee benefits and teacher salaries, has resulted in MAC’s reimbursement rate not being nearly adequate to fund our special education program at the level required—a situation that has been exacerbated by the fact that MAC has received only nominal increases to its reimbursement rate over the past five years, and no increase this year.
In response, Sunny Hills has committed to raise private philanthropic support to ensure MAC is able to continue to deliver the high quality services our students need and so deserve. The Marin Academic Center has received generous support from numerous members of our donor community since its inception more than thirty years ago. These gifts represent not only significant financial support, but a belief in and commitment to children at risk.
In a particular way, I would like to recognize several of our recent donors who have made it possible for us to weather these challenging economic times and continue to serve children who need our help: the J. Patrick and Irene Hunt Educational Fund at Sunny Hills, the In-N-Out Burger Foundation, the George H. Sandy Foundation, the Irene S. Scully Family Foundation, the James R. Sylla Education Fund at Sunny Hills, the Wells Fargo Community Support Campaign, and our generous volunteers, the Guilds and Auxiliary of Sunny Hills Services.
It is a privilege to be able to make a positive difference in another person’s life. On behalf of the children and families we serve, I would like to acknowledge these individuals by expressing our appreciation for your steadfast support of our mission. But, most importantly, I want you to know that your contributions have facilitated so many positive changes in the lives of vulnerable children. For that, you have my deepest gratitude.
P.S. The Marin Academic Center ushers in the 2009-2010 academic year on Monday, August 24th at its new, permanent home on Sunny Hills’ San Anselmo campus. If you are interested in touring our school, or simply need additional information, please contact Principal Jolene Yee at jyee@sunnyhillsservices.org.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Positive Interventions for Youth Offenders with Mental Illness
Recent articles in the San Francisco Chronicle and the New York Times address the strain on juvenile correction systems as they are increasingly relied upon to handle a growing population of youth offenders with mental health issues. The situation is becoming even more perilous as cash-starved states are slashing funding for mental health programs in communities and schools.
It is not atypical for youth who struggle with mental health disorders to have unmet needs across all of their life domains. Often, youth land in juvenile hall because it was the only way they could get connected to the mental health services they need. Whether the discussion is about juvenile corrections or special education, for the most part, we are talking about the same youth. They just happen to access the system through different entry points, and all too frequently this happens to be through juvenile corrections. The particular issue faced by California’s juvenile system, and other systems across the country, has raised the public’s awareness of the need for better integration within the youth system of care—from special education and mental health services to foster care services, juvenile corrections and probation.
No doubt problems exist, and public discourse is one way to enact change. Sunny Hills has been working on the ground implementing innovative new solutions that are making a measurable difference in the lives of these young people. The agency has been tapped by the Sonoma County departments of Probation and Mental Health to participate in a unique partnership designed specifically to address the mental health needs of juvenile offenders and their families. While other states may be slashing community-based mental health programs, Sonoma County has been quite progressive in its approach to treating juvenile offenders with mental health issues. Research shows that youth with mental disorders are placed at higher risk for re-offending. The County made an intentional decision to concentrate its efforts on addressing these youths’ mental health needs as a way of also addressing their delinquent behavior.
Up to now, it was not a widely held belief that mental health services could be delivered effectively outside of the jail; the prevailing belief was that containment would be necessary in order to diagnose and treat offenders. In reality, as the juvenile corrections system was flexed beyond its capacity, youth were being misdiagnosed and under-served in most all aspects of their functioning, often worsening their mental illness. This is precisely why programs like our Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) and Project PRIDE are needed; our experience demonstrates that juvenile offenders with mental health issues can be treated successfully in the community, improving their mental health functioning and lessening their chances for recidivism.
The ACT program, designed to address the needs of mentally ill juvenile offenders, and its newer companion, Project PRIDE which targets Santa Rosa-based youth offenders with known or suspected gang affiliations, are both community-based mental health programs that treat youth in context of their homes, schools and communities. The ultimate goal is to lessen time in juvenile hall, support the youth to regain a sense of emotional well-being, and also develop the assets and competencies (improving social skills, employability, education, and civic and other life skills) to help them become productive members of society.
And it works: in the six month period from January through June 2008, 75% of graduates (12 of 15) from the ACT program transitioned to less restrictive settings requiring a lower level of care. After entering the ACT program, the number of new petitions—e.g. incidents occurring whereby youth break the terms of their probation (curfew, drug usage, school attendance, associating with forbidden adults or teens, AWOL) to more serious misdemeanors (drug possession, property destruction) to felony charges—for delinquent youth improved by 90%.
The successes achieved during the pilot year of the ACT program spawned the development of new services designed to treat specialized populations of youth. This year, the ACT program will deliver services to youth with mental illness who are returning from residential and juvenile institutions, for example correctional camps or out-of-state locked facilities. The ultimate objective is to reduce the young person’s time in an out-of-home placement and provide the tools and support to soften their landing back into their community.
At Sunny Hills, we believe that programs like ACT have the potential to make systemic changes to the way we view and treat juvenile offenders with mental illness. These youth aren’t bad seeds; they are young people who are struggling with a severe illness and simply need the right resources delivered in an appropriate setting to have a meaningful chance at turning their lives around. We believe they can. Our youth are living proof.
It is not atypical for youth who struggle with mental health disorders to have unmet needs across all of their life domains. Often, youth land in juvenile hall because it was the only way they could get connected to the mental health services they need. Whether the discussion is about juvenile corrections or special education, for the most part, we are talking about the same youth. They just happen to access the system through different entry points, and all too frequently this happens to be through juvenile corrections. The particular issue faced by California’s juvenile system, and other systems across the country, has raised the public’s awareness of the need for better integration within the youth system of care—from special education and mental health services to foster care services, juvenile corrections and probation.
No doubt problems exist, and public discourse is one way to enact change. Sunny Hills has been working on the ground implementing innovative new solutions that are making a measurable difference in the lives of these young people. The agency has been tapped by the Sonoma County departments of Probation and Mental Health to participate in a unique partnership designed specifically to address the mental health needs of juvenile offenders and their families. While other states may be slashing community-based mental health programs, Sonoma County has been quite progressive in its approach to treating juvenile offenders with mental health issues. Research shows that youth with mental disorders are placed at higher risk for re-offending. The County made an intentional decision to concentrate its efforts on addressing these youths’ mental health needs as a way of also addressing their delinquent behavior.
Up to now, it was not a widely held belief that mental health services could be delivered effectively outside of the jail; the prevailing belief was that containment would be necessary in order to diagnose and treat offenders. In reality, as the juvenile corrections system was flexed beyond its capacity, youth were being misdiagnosed and under-served in most all aspects of their functioning, often worsening their mental illness. This is precisely why programs like our Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) and Project PRIDE are needed; our experience demonstrates that juvenile offenders with mental health issues can be treated successfully in the community, improving their mental health functioning and lessening their chances for recidivism.
The ACT program, designed to address the needs of mentally ill juvenile offenders, and its newer companion, Project PRIDE which targets Santa Rosa-based youth offenders with known or suspected gang affiliations, are both community-based mental health programs that treat youth in context of their homes, schools and communities. The ultimate goal is to lessen time in juvenile hall, support the youth to regain a sense of emotional well-being, and also develop the assets and competencies (improving social skills, employability, education, and civic and other life skills) to help them become productive members of society.
And it works: in the six month period from January through June 2008, 75% of graduates (12 of 15) from the ACT program transitioned to less restrictive settings requiring a lower level of care. After entering the ACT program, the number of new petitions—e.g. incidents occurring whereby youth break the terms of their probation (curfew, drug usage, school attendance, associating with forbidden adults or teens, AWOL) to more serious misdemeanors (drug possession, property destruction) to felony charges—for delinquent youth improved by 90%.
The successes achieved during the pilot year of the ACT program spawned the development of new services designed to treat specialized populations of youth. This year, the ACT program will deliver services to youth with mental illness who are returning from residential and juvenile institutions, for example correctional camps or out-of-state locked facilities. The ultimate objective is to reduce the young person’s time in an out-of-home placement and provide the tools and support to soften their landing back into their community.
At Sunny Hills, we believe that programs like ACT have the potential to make systemic changes to the way we view and treat juvenile offenders with mental illness. These youth aren’t bad seeds; they are young people who are struggling with a severe illness and simply need the right resources delivered in an appropriate setting to have a meaningful chance at turning their lives around. We believe they can. Our youth are living proof.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Introducing our new Director of Mental Heath Training & Education
Sunny Hills Services has appointed agency veteran Brad Freed to assume the new position of Director of Mental Health Training & Education. Brad brings a tremendous depth of knowledge and experience to his new position having served in the field of child and adolescent treatment services for more than 20 years.
As Sunny Hills has transitioned from being principally a provider of residential services to severely emotionally disturbed children and adolescents to one that offers a full array of community-based mental health services, the need to develop a common clinical training platform for staff has been brought to the fore. Under Brad’s leadership, Sunny Hills will develop the means by which to evaluate our work, encourage a level of rigor in our practice, and deepen our culture around ongoing learning and development.
A key facet of Brad’s work in the coming year will be to lead the implementation of evidence-based practices across all of sites, to ensure our clinical practices are not only current, but also effective and consistently applied across the multiple settings where our services are delivered. Brad will also develop and maintain organizational training standards, assuring the provision of training to meet professional, regulatory, accreditation and contractual requirements.
The investment in our clinical infrastructure and practice is an outgrowth of the transition we have made programmatically over the last several years. In this era of state cutbacks to a wide range of social services, Sunny Hills’ fiscal budget has emerged relatively unscathed by these draconian cuts. Approximately 50% of the agency’s revenues are derived from county EPDST (mental health) contracts, a more sustainable source of revenue for the agency. This only reinforces our decision made several years ago to exit residential care and position the agency so that we could deliver community-based mental health services on a much broader scale than before.
Please join me in congratulating Brad on his new position!
As Sunny Hills has transitioned from being principally a provider of residential services to severely emotionally disturbed children and adolescents to one that offers a full array of community-based mental health services, the need to develop a common clinical training platform for staff has been brought to the fore. Under Brad’s leadership, Sunny Hills will develop the means by which to evaluate our work, encourage a level of rigor in our practice, and deepen our culture around ongoing learning and development.
A key facet of Brad’s work in the coming year will be to lead the implementation of evidence-based practices across all of sites, to ensure our clinical practices are not only current, but also effective and consistently applied across the multiple settings where our services are delivered. Brad will also develop and maintain organizational training standards, assuring the provision of training to meet professional, regulatory, accreditation and contractual requirements.
The investment in our clinical infrastructure and practice is an outgrowth of the transition we have made programmatically over the last several years. In this era of state cutbacks to a wide range of social services, Sunny Hills’ fiscal budget has emerged relatively unscathed by these draconian cuts. Approximately 50% of the agency’s revenues are derived from county EPDST (mental health) contracts, a more sustainable source of revenue for the agency. This only reinforces our decision made several years ago to exit residential care and position the agency so that we could deliver community-based mental health services on a much broader scale than before.
Please join me in congratulating Brad on his new position!
Friday, July 31, 2009
Mergers that mean more than survival
The distressed economy has brought to the surface the topic of non-profit mergers and acquisitions/affiliations (M&A) as a means by which struggling nonprofit organizations could survive the economic downturn. A recent Bridgespan study, Nonprofit M&A: More Than a Tool for Tough Times, polled 117 nonprofit executives on this very issue and found that 20 percent stated that it could play a role in their response to survive these lean times. Bridgespan suggests that while some nonprofit leaders may consider M&A reactively, “the time is also ripe for the leaders of healthy organizations to consider M&A proactively—as a way to strengthen effectiveness, spread best practices, expand reach and—yes—to do all of this more cost-effectively, making best use of scarce resources. Unfortunately few organizations think of M&A in this way.”
A key focus of Sunny Hills’ strategy for the last decade has been to seek out like-minded mission-based organizations with which we could align. The way we see it, our options to realize the agency’s long-term plans for growth are: one, to grow organically by developing our own programs, or two, to grow via strategic use of M&A. It would be incorrect for me to say that Sunny Hills has favored one path over the other; rather, our approach has been an intentional blend of the two. Chiefly, we see M&A as a strategic tool by which the agency can 1) maintain our relevance by staying abreast of market demands 2) enter new markets, including new geographic territories and/or new service areas and 3) leverage our administrative infrastructure.
Over the years, Sunny Hills has explored a number of opportunities; some we pursued, others we walked away from for one reason or another. But my point is this: as an agency, we are strong believers in the potential of M&A to advance our mission and increase our social impact. Too often, the concern over bridging two organizational cultures stymies even the best of intentions. In our experience, there are ways to manage the integration so that the best of what each agency has to offer is retained and ultimately enhances the profile—some might even say the “mojo”—of the new merged entity.
Most recently, Sunny Hills merged with Bay Area Youth Centers (BAYC), an East Bay agency providing supported housing, case management and integrated mental health services to transitional age youth. Coming soon, Josh Leonard, Executive Director of BAYC, and I will share our perspective on the merger process, what worked well and why. Stay tuned…
A key focus of Sunny Hills’ strategy for the last decade has been to seek out like-minded mission-based organizations with which we could align. The way we see it, our options to realize the agency’s long-term plans for growth are: one, to grow organically by developing our own programs, or two, to grow via strategic use of M&A. It would be incorrect for me to say that Sunny Hills has favored one path over the other; rather, our approach has been an intentional blend of the two. Chiefly, we see M&A as a strategic tool by which the agency can 1) maintain our relevance by staying abreast of market demands 2) enter new markets, including new geographic territories and/or new service areas and 3) leverage our administrative infrastructure.
Over the years, Sunny Hills has explored a number of opportunities; some we pursued, others we walked away from for one reason or another. But my point is this: as an agency, we are strong believers in the potential of M&A to advance our mission and increase our social impact. Too often, the concern over bridging two organizational cultures stymies even the best of intentions. In our experience, there are ways to manage the integration so that the best of what each agency has to offer is retained and ultimately enhances the profile—some might even say the “mojo”—of the new merged entity.
Most recently, Sunny Hills merged with Bay Area Youth Centers (BAYC), an East Bay agency providing supported housing, case management and integrated mental health services to transitional age youth. Coming soon, Josh Leonard, Executive Director of BAYC, and I will share our perspective on the merger process, what worked well and why. Stay tuned…
Friday, July 24, 2009
The Experiences and Needs of LGBTQ Youth in Out-of-Home Care
Bay Area Youth Centers, Sunny Hills’ East Bay division, is hosting a symposium on the experiences and needs of LGBTQ-identified youth in the foster care system. This forum will provide an opportunity for foster care providers to engage one another around issues related to the delivery of care, specifically how to increase the competency, safety and accessibility of services for LGBTQ youth in out-of-home care.
The symposium will serve as a general forum for dialogue, information sharing, and mutual learning. Presenters will speak from personal experience and offer professional expertise on topics such as risk factors, safety and community, gender expression and fluidity of identity.
A Selection of Presenters Includes:
Kevin West
Youth Keynote Speaker
Jody Marksamer, Esq.
National Center for Lesbian Rights
Nick Gorton, MD
Lyon Martin Health Center
and representatives from:
California Youth Connection
Seneca Center
Project Eden Lambda Youth Program
Lavender Youth Recreation and Information Center
inVision Consulting
The Y.O.U.T.H. Training Project
Symposium Information
September 16, 2009
Preservation Park – Nile Hall
Oakland, CA
Registration and informal networking
9:00 am - 9:30 am
Symposium
9:30am - 4:30pm (lunch included)
This symposium is offered free of charge to Bay Area providers, but advance registration is required. To reserve your place, contact Emily Rankin at (510) 867-6938 or by email at emily@bayareayouthcenters.org. Registration closes September 4, 2009.
This symposium is made possible through generous support provided by the Tides Foundation.
The symposium will serve as a general forum for dialogue, information sharing, and mutual learning. Presenters will speak from personal experience and offer professional expertise on topics such as risk factors, safety and community, gender expression and fluidity of identity.
A Selection of Presenters Includes:
Kevin West
Youth Keynote Speaker
Jody Marksamer, Esq.
National Center for Lesbian Rights
Nick Gorton, MD
Lyon Martin Health Center
and representatives from:
California Youth Connection
Seneca Center
Project Eden Lambda Youth Program
Lavender Youth Recreation and Information Center
inVision Consulting
The Y.O.U.T.H. Training Project
Symposium Information
September 16, 2009
Preservation Park – Nile Hall
Oakland, CA
Registration and informal networking
9:00 am - 9:30 am
Symposium
9:30am - 4:30pm (lunch included)
This symposium is offered free of charge to Bay Area providers, but advance registration is required. To reserve your place, contact Emily Rankin at (510) 867-6938 or by email at emily@bayareayouthcenters.org. Registration closes September 4, 2009.
This symposium is made possible through generous support provided by the Tides Foundation.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Where We've Been and Where We Are Going - Part 1
As some of you may know, Sunny Hills has undergone significant changes over the last several years as we transitioned away from being principally a provider of residential services to severely emotionally disturbed youth to what can be characterized today as a diversified agency offering a range of programs to families with children with special needs.
Until recently, the most visible manifestation of Sunny Hills’ mission in action was the San Anselmo campus. This campus has long been the “heart” of Sunny Hills and it will continue to serve as an important resource for families with children with special needs. But this notion of “heart” is more of a figurative than literal description of the agency as it is today; an essential aspect of Sunny Hills’ evolution has also been our expansion to new geographic locales. Today, the agency operates programs in Sonoma, Alameda and Marin counties and our services extend even further to neighboring counties—Napa and Contra Costa counties, to name just two.
This evolution has made it possible for the agency to serve more children, youth and families in more places. I wanted to highlight, in particular, our presence in Sonoma County which has continued to expand since we opened our first program, the Sonoma Kinship Family Center, nearly four years ago. Our Sonoma operations represent approximately $3 million (35%) of our total agency budget and this year we expect to deliver services to more than 400 youth in addition to their parents and other family members. We are now the provider of choice for Sonoma County youth with mental health issues who are involved with the juvenile probation system.
The growth in Sonoma can be attributed to the specialized services we are able to provide and the County’s desire to partner with us to address a number of emerging, high-need areas. In November 2007, Sunny Hills launched the Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) program, a community-based program designed to address the mental health needs of juvenile offenders and their families. Sunny Hills was selected by the Sonoma County Department of Probation given our reputation and experience providing flexible, community-based mental health services. The County is now considering expanding the ACT program to offer services to youth “stepping down” from out-of-home placements, e.g. group care or residential treatment facilities, who will require additional support upon their return to the community and their home.
Most recently (in collaboration with the City of Santa Rosa’s Measure O initiative and the Sonoma County departments of Probation and Mental Health), Sunny Hills designed a program to address the growing need for gang prevention and intervention services in the County. Project PRIDE is an extension of our Community Engagement/Youth Development program (CEYD), an initiative launched in early 2008 designed to prevent youth involvement in gangs, and intervene swiftly when they do. Project PRIDE draws upon best practices learned from the ACT program model and applies them to our work with gang-affiliated youth.
Beginning on September 1, 2009, Project PRIDE will work specifically with Santa Rosa juveniles on probation who have known or suspected gang affiliations and who also struggle with mental health issues. Currently, the Sonoma County Department of Probation has two dedicated probation units serving approximately 120 gang-affiliated youth each year (70 percent of whom reside in Santa Rosa). During this pilot year, Project PRIDE will work with approximately 12 to 18 youth at any given time. Project PRIDE is a “wraparound program,” meaning services are highly individualized and delivered in a range of community-based settings, as opposed to a more traditional office environment.
Sunny Hills’ employee, Bob Florez, will serve as the program director for CEYD and Project PRIDE. Also this year, Bob is overseeing the CEYD program’s expansion to Petaluma by virtue of a grant received from the Community Health Foundation of Greater Petaluma to deliver gang intervention services in that community. I’m sure Bob would welcome input from our community, so feel free to contact him by email at bflorez@sunnyhillsservices.org.
Next week: a spotlight on Sunny Hills’ East Bay division, Bay Area Youth Centers.
Until recently, the most visible manifestation of Sunny Hills’ mission in action was the San Anselmo campus. This campus has long been the “heart” of Sunny Hills and it will continue to serve as an important resource for families with children with special needs. But this notion of “heart” is more of a figurative than literal description of the agency as it is today; an essential aspect of Sunny Hills’ evolution has also been our expansion to new geographic locales. Today, the agency operates programs in Sonoma, Alameda and Marin counties and our services extend even further to neighboring counties—Napa and Contra Costa counties, to name just two.
This evolution has made it possible for the agency to serve more children, youth and families in more places. I wanted to highlight, in particular, our presence in Sonoma County which has continued to expand since we opened our first program, the Sonoma Kinship Family Center, nearly four years ago. Our Sonoma operations represent approximately $3 million (35%) of our total agency budget and this year we expect to deliver services to more than 400 youth in addition to their parents and other family members. We are now the provider of choice for Sonoma County youth with mental health issues who are involved with the juvenile probation system.
The growth in Sonoma can be attributed to the specialized services we are able to provide and the County’s desire to partner with us to address a number of emerging, high-need areas. In November 2007, Sunny Hills launched the Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) program, a community-based program designed to address the mental health needs of juvenile offenders and their families. Sunny Hills was selected by the Sonoma County Department of Probation given our reputation and experience providing flexible, community-based mental health services. The County is now considering expanding the ACT program to offer services to youth “stepping down” from out-of-home placements, e.g. group care or residential treatment facilities, who will require additional support upon their return to the community and their home.
Most recently (in collaboration with the City of Santa Rosa’s Measure O initiative and the Sonoma County departments of Probation and Mental Health), Sunny Hills designed a program to address the growing need for gang prevention and intervention services in the County. Project PRIDE is an extension of our Community Engagement/Youth Development program (CEYD), an initiative launched in early 2008 designed to prevent youth involvement in gangs, and intervene swiftly when they do. Project PRIDE draws upon best practices learned from the ACT program model and applies them to our work with gang-affiliated youth.
Beginning on September 1, 2009, Project PRIDE will work specifically with Santa Rosa juveniles on probation who have known or suspected gang affiliations and who also struggle with mental health issues. Currently, the Sonoma County Department of Probation has two dedicated probation units serving approximately 120 gang-affiliated youth each year (70 percent of whom reside in Santa Rosa). During this pilot year, Project PRIDE will work with approximately 12 to 18 youth at any given time. Project PRIDE is a “wraparound program,” meaning services are highly individualized and delivered in a range of community-based settings, as opposed to a more traditional office environment.
Sunny Hills’ employee, Bob Florez, will serve as the program director for CEYD and Project PRIDE. Also this year, Bob is overseeing the CEYD program’s expansion to Petaluma by virtue of a grant received from the Community Health Foundation of Greater Petaluma to deliver gang intervention services in that community. I’m sure Bob would welcome input from our community, so feel free to contact him by email at bflorez@sunnyhillsservices.org.
Next week: a spotlight on Sunny Hills’ East Bay division, Bay Area Youth Centers.
Friday, July 10, 2009
An Update on the State's Fiscal Crisis
After legislators and the governor failed to reach an agreement on a revised budget, the state began issuing IOUs approximately one week ago on Thursday, July 2, 2009. This move by state Controller John Chiang is an effort to conserve cash to be able to make payments mandated by the state constitution, federal law and court orders. Democratic leaders and Governor Schwarzenegger remain at odds over how much spending California should cut in order to achieve the necessary savings to meet the budget shortfall of $26.3 billion.
Sunny Hills continues to monitor the state's fiscal crisis and remains alert to any proposed actions that could jeopardize our programs. Certainly, the cash crunch at the county level could result in a slowdown in payments for services rendered, thereby impacting cash flow. (Sunny Hills contracts with counties, not the state, to deliver services.) To weather this fiscal turbulence, Sunny Hills is able to draw down on our line of credit to even out cash flows and sustain our level of services in the community.
Proposed cuts to education could impact Sunny Hills’ nonpublic school, the Marin Academic Center, most likely resulting in weakening enrollment. Mental health funding appears to be secure for the time being, though the failure of the state to make its contribution could jeopardize federal matching funds.
Perhaps most concerning is the Department of Finance’s (DOF) response to the Democrats proposal to “borrow” $2 billion from cities and counties (allowable by Proposition 1A). In response, the DOF has countered with two alternatives, one of which would be to eliminate the state’s share of costs for the Child Welfare Services and Foster Care programs—a move that is likely more rhetoric than reality, but nonetheless would be a significant concern to Sunny Hills.
We presume that state funding for kinship programs (like Sunny Hills’ Sonoma Family Kinship Center) is safe, despite the Governor’s earlier proposal to eliminate this line item entirely. The state’s allocation for such programs is far less than other social services programs and, while it was originally part of the Governor’s “laundry list” of cuts, we have reason to believe those monies will be preserved.
In closing, we continue to be cautious; I will continue to keep you apprised of any new developments at the state-level that could potentially impact the agency.
Sunny Hills continues to monitor the state's fiscal crisis and remains alert to any proposed actions that could jeopardize our programs. Certainly, the cash crunch at the county level could result in a slowdown in payments for services rendered, thereby impacting cash flow. (Sunny Hills contracts with counties, not the state, to deliver services.) To weather this fiscal turbulence, Sunny Hills is able to draw down on our line of credit to even out cash flows and sustain our level of services in the community.
Proposed cuts to education could impact Sunny Hills’ nonpublic school, the Marin Academic Center, most likely resulting in weakening enrollment. Mental health funding appears to be secure for the time being, though the failure of the state to make its contribution could jeopardize federal matching funds.
Perhaps most concerning is the Department of Finance’s (DOF) response to the Democrats proposal to “borrow” $2 billion from cities and counties (allowable by Proposition 1A). In response, the DOF has countered with two alternatives, one of which would be to eliminate the state’s share of costs for the Child Welfare Services and Foster Care programs—a move that is likely more rhetoric than reality, but nonetheless would be a significant concern to Sunny Hills.
We presume that state funding for kinship programs (like Sunny Hills’ Sonoma Family Kinship Center) is safe, despite the Governor’s earlier proposal to eliminate this line item entirely. The state’s allocation for such programs is far less than other social services programs and, while it was originally part of the Governor’s “laundry list” of cuts, we have reason to believe those monies will be preserved.
In closing, we continue to be cautious; I will continue to keep you apprised of any new developments at the state-level that could potentially impact the agency.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Our Commitment to Learning and Improvement
July 1st is an important inflection point in our year at Sunny Hills. As the agency closes out the previous fiscal year and begins anew, this is typically a time for reflection and renewal in our community. This past week I assembled senior staffers to share their program’s accomplishments as well as their challenges from the previous year, and articulate their goals for 2009-2010. It is an essential phase in our organizational learning cycle and an important community-building exercise. As I listened to my staff, I was gratified to hear them speak of their successes—outreach to new communities, new offerings for specialized populations of youth, and increased capacity to deliver services--and also to hear how operational improvements are being implemented on the frontlines of our work. Mission fulfillment is the ability to deliver services that are not only effective, but also efficient from a resource utilization standpoint.
***
Key Goals for 2009-2010
Adherence to Fiscal Year Budget
As we usher in a new fiscal year, our mandate is clear: we must do more with less. Like many non-profit organizations, Sunny Hills has had to tighten our belt. We were able to develop a balanced budget for FY2010 by streamlining expenditures and reducing administrative overhead, chiefly through operational improvements. This budget, approved by our board of directors in May, maintains our ability to deliver high quality services and expand our programming to serve more youth and families. Uncertainties persist around the broader economic climate; Sunny Hills continues to monitor closely the state fiscal crisis and market conditions.
Solidify Regional Service Structure
Over the past several years, Sunny Hills has expanded our geographic footprint to include Sonoma and Alameda counties, in addition to Marin. The successful integration of Bay Area Youth Centers as the East Bay division of Sunny Hills was a key accomplishment of the past year. Further, we continue to enhance our programming in Sonoma County and have now become the provider of choice for emotionally disturbed youth with involvement in the juvenile probation system. One of our primary goals for 2009-10 is to further solidify this regional structure and secure a foundation for continued growth. Innovation has always been a hallmark of this agency; we continue to research new opportunities to expand our service delivery and enter new markets.
Telling Our Story
As the profile of Sunny Hills has changed, telling our story has become even more pivotal to our efforts. This year, Sunny Hills will expand our community outreach initiatives to share the positive news of our expanded reach and impact. We are implementing new ways to reach our audiences and creating opportunities for frequent, ongoing dialogues with our stakeholders.
***
As we closed our meeting earlier this week, the pride in our accomplishments—in knowing that kids and families were being served at a high level—was a feeling that was shared by all. It goes without saying none of this would be possible without the dedication and commitment of our professional staff. Please join me in congratulating them on their many achievements.
***
Key Goals for 2009-2010
Adherence to Fiscal Year Budget
As we usher in a new fiscal year, our mandate is clear: we must do more with less. Like many non-profit organizations, Sunny Hills has had to tighten our belt. We were able to develop a balanced budget for FY2010 by streamlining expenditures and reducing administrative overhead, chiefly through operational improvements. This budget, approved by our board of directors in May, maintains our ability to deliver high quality services and expand our programming to serve more youth and families. Uncertainties persist around the broader economic climate; Sunny Hills continues to monitor closely the state fiscal crisis and market conditions.
Solidify Regional Service Structure
Over the past several years, Sunny Hills has expanded our geographic footprint to include Sonoma and Alameda counties, in addition to Marin. The successful integration of Bay Area Youth Centers as the East Bay division of Sunny Hills was a key accomplishment of the past year. Further, we continue to enhance our programming in Sonoma County and have now become the provider of choice for emotionally disturbed youth with involvement in the juvenile probation system. One of our primary goals for 2009-10 is to further solidify this regional structure and secure a foundation for continued growth. Innovation has always been a hallmark of this agency; we continue to research new opportunities to expand our service delivery and enter new markets.
Telling Our Story
As the profile of Sunny Hills has changed, telling our story has become even more pivotal to our efforts. This year, Sunny Hills will expand our community outreach initiatives to share the positive news of our expanded reach and impact. We are implementing new ways to reach our audiences and creating opportunities for frequent, ongoing dialogues with our stakeholders.
***
As we closed our meeting earlier this week, the pride in our accomplishments—in knowing that kids and families were being served at a high level—was a feeling that was shared by all. It goes without saying none of this would be possible without the dedication and commitment of our professional staff. Please join me in congratulating them on their many achievements.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Congratulations Graduates!
As the school year draws to a close, our many programs begin the transitions of summer. Each of the children we serve will experience a commencement this year; for many, it will be a traditional graduation from high school, middle school, elementary school or even kindergarten. For others, their commencement will be less traditional; some of the children we serve will be taking the summer off before mainstreaming into less restrictive educational settings. Others are achieving goals academically or personally that allow them to commence working at another level within their current program. Still others are graduating from probationary programs within the court systems, or moving into permanent living situations, either on their own or in subsidized or supported housing programs. We even have young women in our parenting program for whom the summer will mark the commencement of parenthood. For each of these young people, and for those who care for them, their graduation into what is next will be a watershed moment, a moment they will be able to look back on for the rest of their lives and feel proud of. I am extraordinarily proud of each of the children in our programs, of their successes and their struggles and their courage in the face of their challenges. As part of the Sunny Hills community, please join me as I say to each of them: congratulations!
Friday, June 12, 2009
Leonard v. Wagner Ruling
I am pleased to announce that on June 4th, foster youth with disabilities were awarded an additional year of benefits by San Francisco Superior Court Judge Peter Busch. Judge Busch ruled in Leonard v. Wagner that California state foster care officials in the AFDC-FC program, which provides support for children in foster care, must comply with state and federal disability laws.
Josh Leonard, Executive Director of Bay Area Youth Centers, filed the lawsuit alleging the State of California discriminates against foster children with disabilities through what is commonly known as “the completion rule." The completion rule states that foster children who have not completed high school by age 18, but have a strong possibility of doing so by age 19, may continue receiving foster care benefits until age 19 and their completion of high school. But children who school administrators do not think have a strong possibility of graduating by the age of 19 – including most children who suffer from mental disabilities and are receiving special education - lose their benefits, including their housing, at age 18. The lawsuit charged that the state’s policy of cutting off foster care funding to youth who can't meet the completion requirement because of a disability violates state and federal disability laws.
Congratulations to Josh, and to foster children around the state who will benefit from this ruling! We will keep you updated as the state works to propose and implement procedures to correct the discrimination of the completion rule.
Josh Leonard, Executive Director of Bay Area Youth Centers, filed the lawsuit alleging the State of California discriminates against foster children with disabilities through what is commonly known as “the completion rule." The completion rule states that foster children who have not completed high school by age 18, but have a strong possibility of doing so by age 19, may continue receiving foster care benefits until age 19 and their completion of high school. But children who school administrators do not think have a strong possibility of graduating by the age of 19 – including most children who suffer from mental disabilities and are receiving special education - lose their benefits, including their housing, at age 18. The lawsuit charged that the state’s policy of cutting off foster care funding to youth who can't meet the completion requirement because of a disability violates state and federal disability laws.
Congratulations to Josh, and to foster children around the state who will benefit from this ruling! We will keep you updated as the state works to propose and implement procedures to correct the discrimination of the completion rule.
Giving USA Foundation 2008 Report: Charitable Giving Is Down
According to a recent New York Times article, “Charitable giving fell last year by the largest percentage in five decades, according to a new study by the Giving USA Foundation.” It was the sharpest drop in the history of the survey, and confirms what those of us ‘on the ground’ in the fundraising world already know; private donations are down, and human services organizations are taking the biggest hit. While giving overall is down just over 5%, giving to human service agencies fell almost 16%.
While 16% is a very high number, donors held back most significantly in funding their own charitable foundations. The Chronicle of Philanthropy reports that donations to charitable foundations were down 22%. This means that the biggest hits in fundraising will most likely actually be felt in years to come, as those charitable foundations face increased demands and lowered capacity for giving. These statistics are daunting, and we take very seriously the challenges they illustrate. I am ever thankful in these times that we have so many loyal supporters. It is thanks to each of you that we are able to continue expanding services to vulnerable children even in the face of these tremendous challenges. We will continue working as hard as we can to make sure that each child we serve has a better and brighter future. Thank you now as always for your help in making that work possible.
While 16% is a very high number, donors held back most significantly in funding their own charitable foundations. The Chronicle of Philanthropy reports that donations to charitable foundations were down 22%. This means that the biggest hits in fundraising will most likely actually be felt in years to come, as those charitable foundations face increased demands and lowered capacity for giving. These statistics are daunting, and we take very seriously the challenges they illustrate. I am ever thankful in these times that we have so many loyal supporters. It is thanks to each of you that we are able to continue expanding services to vulnerable children even in the face of these tremendous challenges. We will continue working as hard as we can to make sure that each child we serve has a better and brighter future. Thank you now as always for your help in making that work possible.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Happy New Fiscal Year: Board Members and Budgets
As we near the end of our fiscal year at Sunny Hills, we prepare for the annual transition in the leadership of our Board of Directors. Deborah Hoke Smith has provided exemplary leadership over her term as President this past year, and she will continue serving on the Executive Committee of the board in the 2010 fiscal year as Vice President. We are lucky to welcome Lydia Cameron as Board President. Lydia has been involved with Sunny Hills for over forty years, and is an integral member of our community. The executive committee will also include Jennifer Gotti as secretary and John Woldrich as Treasurer. We are extremely appreciative of the hard work, leadership and commitment that all four of these individuals provide to Sunny Hills and our Board.
State Fiscal Crisis
The new fiscal year is also a time when we examine even more closely than usual our own agency budget. Sunny Hills is continuing to monitor the state fiscal crisis very closely, and also continuing to examine strategies related to that crisis. Given that the mental health funding streams represent ~50% of our revenue budget we have reason to believe the impact on the agency will be minimal. Our greatest concerns fall into two areas: special education funding, particularly for the Marin Academic Center (MAC) program, and Kinship services.
For MAC, we are concerned because the state is considering discontinuing funding for mental health services to special education students (known as 3632 funding). This means that the burden will fall to counties to fund entirely these programs. (In the past, counties were reimbursed by the state for the majority of these programs' costs). The California Alliance of Child and Family Services (of which Sunny Hills is a member agency) noted in a recent memo that "Since 2001-2002 ... county mental health departments have struggled to provide pAB 3632 services] without receiving adequate resources ... According to the California Mental Health Directors Association, counties are currently owed over $500 million in back payments for AB 3632 services, so the proposed 'deferment' of funds would be of grave concern."
For our Kinship programs, concern stems from the additional budget cuts being proposed. The programmatic cuts that the Governor and Legislature began speaking publicly about after the special election, which are intended to redress the better than 24 billion dollar budget deficit that California now faces, would eliminate funding for Kinship support services.
We are hopeful that the state legislature will be able to find ways to address the fiscal crisis without cutting funding for these programs, which serve many of the most highly vulnerable children and families in California. As we continue working to help these families and young people, we are especially thankful for the private support we receive from the Sunny Hills community of donors. Summer is normally a time when people vacation with their families and the inflow of private contributions to Sunny Hills typically slows down. This summer, with the state fiscal crisis on everyone's mind, we hope you will consider supporting our agency in whatever way you can: our upcoming golf tournament is a wonderful way to enjoy the summer weather while supporting children who really need your help. Every gift of every size matters to the children we serve.
Thank you, as always, for your continued support of Sunny Hills.
State Fiscal Crisis
The new fiscal year is also a time when we examine even more closely than usual our own agency budget. Sunny Hills is continuing to monitor the state fiscal crisis very closely, and also continuing to examine strategies related to that crisis. Given that the mental health funding streams represent ~50% of our revenue budget we have reason to believe the impact on the agency will be minimal. Our greatest concerns fall into two areas: special education funding, particularly for the Marin Academic Center (MAC) program, and Kinship services.
For MAC, we are concerned because the state is considering discontinuing funding for mental health services to special education students (known as 3632 funding). This means that the burden will fall to counties to fund entirely these programs. (In the past, counties were reimbursed by the state for the majority of these programs' costs). The California Alliance of Child and Family Services (of which Sunny Hills is a member agency) noted in a recent memo that "Since 2001-2002 ... county mental health departments have struggled to provide pAB 3632 services] without receiving adequate resources ... According to the California Mental Health Directors Association, counties are currently owed over $500 million in back payments for AB 3632 services, so the proposed 'deferment' of funds would be of grave concern."
For our Kinship programs, concern stems from the additional budget cuts being proposed. The programmatic cuts that the Governor and Legislature began speaking publicly about after the special election, which are intended to redress the better than 24 billion dollar budget deficit that California now faces, would eliminate funding for Kinship support services.
We are hopeful that the state legislature will be able to find ways to address the fiscal crisis without cutting funding for these programs, which serve many of the most highly vulnerable children and families in California. As we continue working to help these families and young people, we are especially thankful for the private support we receive from the Sunny Hills community of donors. Summer is normally a time when people vacation with their families and the inflow of private contributions to Sunny Hills typically slows down. This summer, with the state fiscal crisis on everyone's mind, we hope you will consider supporting our agency in whatever way you can: our upcoming golf tournament is a wonderful way to enjoy the summer weather while supporting children who really need your help. Every gift of every size matters to the children we serve.
Thank you, as always, for your continued support of Sunny Hills.
French Laundry Reception and Tour
On May 28th Patti Faraday and the Glenwood Guild took a small group of Sunny Hills friends for an exclusive, behind-the-scenes tour of Thomas Keller’s French Laundry. Attendees sipped champagne and sampled delicious hors d’oeuvres, and participated in a lively discussion with the restaurant’s popular maitre d, Lawrence Nadeau. After meeting the chef and master gardener during a private tour of the pristine kitchen and gardens, everyone enjoyed a fabulous three course lunch at Keller’s Bouchon restaurant up the road. As is always the case with this spectacular fundraiser, everyone who attended had an extraordinary time. Special thanks to Patti, the ladies of Glenwood Guild, and of course Mr. Nadeau and Mr. Keller for making it all possible!
* Note: this popular event sells out every year. Watch the Sunny Hills eNews for your chance to reserve a spot on next year’s tour!
* Note: this popular event sells out every year. Watch the Sunny Hills eNews for your chance to reserve a spot on next year’s tour!
Friday, May 22, 2009
CARE program offers help for Bay Area families
For more than a century, Sunny Hills has been a beacon of hope for families and youth with special needs. While we have served thousands of youth over the course of our history, each young person who comes to us has presented with a particular need; as their lives unfold, we find solutions to their struggles that are as unique as they are themselves.
For many families, finding the right solution can be challenging. Sunny Hills offers an array of programs specifically designed to meet families and their children where they are. That means we deliver help where it is needed most -- in homes, in schools, and in the communities where our young people live, play and learn.
Sunny Hills' CARE program has recently expanded its footprint to reach an even greater number of youth and families who seek the kind of individualized, home-based support we provide. In the coming year, we will expand our capacity to serve not only Marin County, but also Sonoma and Napa counties, San Francisco and the East Bay.
We are in the process of developing a new Web site that will help parents understand how we can help. Here's a glimpse of where we are headed:
Check back in late June to see how the CARE program could help a family you may know: www.SunnyHillsServices.org/CARE.
Community-based and family-focused. Sunny Hills has the ability to deliver care when and where its most needed.
For many families, finding the right solution can be challenging. Sunny Hills offers an array of programs specifically designed to meet families and their children where they are. That means we deliver help where it is needed most -- in homes, in schools, and in the communities where our young people live, play and learn.
Sunny Hills' CARE program has recently expanded its footprint to reach an even greater number of youth and families who seek the kind of individualized, home-based support we provide. In the coming year, we will expand our capacity to serve not only Marin County, but also Sonoma and Napa counties, San Francisco and the East Bay.
We are in the process of developing a new Web site that will help parents understand how we can help. Here's a glimpse of where we are headed:
Check back in late June to see how the CARE program could help a family you may know: www.SunnyHillsServices.org/CARE.
Community-based and family-focused. Sunny Hills has the ability to deliver care when and where its most needed.
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