Vista Hill - Stronger Families… Brighter Futures Since 1957

The Don Allen ParentCare Family Recovery Center Expands ParentCare is excited to announce our newest program addition called Incredible Families which started July 1, 2009. Through a contract with the County of San Diego Children 's Mental Health, clinical staff will conduct parenting classes based upon the evidenced based Incredible Years curriculum along with activity oriented parent – child visitation. It will include individual therapy with children involved in the Child Welfare Services in East County. This new venture receives financial support through Mental Health Service Act (MHSA) funds.

Help to Homeless Pregnant Women ParentCare also provides services to women through another new program, Perinatal Case Management. Generous supporters have allowed us to provide “new start kits” for the homeless pregnant women who are trying to get their lives together. Their generous support along with the Gimbel Foundation and Gold Diggers will allow us to provide assistance for basic needs such as diapers, toiletries, bus passes, and other essentials. Not long ago one of our case managers reported being so moved by a client when she said, “you made my day” upon receiving a basket of basic need items such as shampoo and bath tissue.

Bridges Program Changes The current economic downturn created such uncertainty that the well regarded, but financially struggling Bridges Service Center (adolescent intensive outpatient program in Solana Beach ) was discontinued in June. However, services for teens through the Bridges Early Intervention Program and the Bridges Adult Intensive Outpatient Program are still going strong. To learn more about these educational and counseling services for teens and adults, click on each program.

Special Needs Students Get Help on Campus. Some developmentally disabled students struggle with untreated mental health issues that interfere with being successful at school. Enter a three-way collaborative pilot project between Vista Hill, San Diego Unified School District and the San Diego Regional Center started in July 2008. Located at the Whittier Center campus in a Clairemont neighborhood, psychiatric services are provided for youth at risk for school and placement failures.

Project director, Mark Chenven, M.D., states the program is expected to reach 50 youth during it's year of funding. Each student admitted into the program receives a mental evaluation and outpatient treatment services. The program is modeled after a similar psychiatry clinic service offered at the Stein Education Center. For more information, contact Dr. Chenven through Victoria Hilton (vhilton@vistahill.org).

Using Newspapers in the Classroom. Many students at the Stein Education Center Transition Campus on Mission Gorge Road enjoy participation in a daily reading program. Special education teachers use the SRA Corrective Reading Strategies, which is designed to teach problem readers effective reading skills in order to recognize and comprehend printed materials. The Newspapers in Education program offered by the Union-Tribune, provides students with a daily newspaper to further their skills and enjoyment. To see the UT web article on our students go to http://www.nie.uniontribune.com

Helping Children and Teens Through Hard Economic Times. Parents can easily overlook the effects of the economy on the psychological well being of their kids. Since kids don't “pay the bills,” they're often not noticed as a part of the crisis. While most parents may try to shield their children from the stress, a child may readily sense the tension and worry from overheard adult conversations or the ever present television news.

Financial setbacks such as a lay off or housing worry within a family may produce strong reactions in kids. In the absence of age appropriate information and engagement, the child may be a quiet carrier of the family's pressures and troubles. Depending upon the child's own psychological make-up, they may experience sleep problems, anxiety, display negative behaviors and have problems concentrating at school or in sports. For the complete story click here.

A New Trend in Kid's Birthday Parties? Most young girls and boys expect to receive gifts at their own birthday party. But how about when a kid uses her birthday party as a way to give something to someone else less fortunate? Kana (Photo) and Mari Tsurudome Garcia (Photo) turned 10 and 7 this summer. Instead of the usual present list, the birthday girls collected dozens of grocery bags chock full of non-perishable items for families in need. The girls and their parents sent invitations to their birthday parties including information about Mother Hubbard's Cupboard, the emergency food program at ParentCare which was established by the San Diego Women's Foundation. Kana and Mari tell us it felt so good that they want to do it again next year! Learning to be charitable starts early!

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