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.
Friday, September 25, 2009
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.
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