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A Child’s Story – Holly olly and her sisters were homeless before often tearful, and displayed tantrum-like with her cottage staff while they received they found refuge at Casa Pacifica’s behavior. For obvious reasons, Holly was coaching from a clinician through an earpiece crisis-care emergency shelter. They lived in a car terrified of the bathroom and refused to to manage and improve Holly’s behavior. Holly Hwith their single mother who had gotten into shower. Since her former living situation did not learned quickly and before long her cottage financial trouble. Holly’s grandparents helped regularly provide her food, Holly was worried staff noticed changes not only through out the young family by about meals and often observation, but also when Holly used the PCIT moving them into their "THROUGH CONSTANT hoarded snacks. And, language in her daily conversations. With the home, but Holly’s since she did not live in a help of her clinician and cottage staff, Holly troubles weren’t over. PERSISTENCE AND SUPPORT home for long periods of also learned how to distinguish between Unfortunately, the family FROM HER STAFF, HOLLY MADE time, Holly had no appropriate and inappropriate touches from had an extensive history UP MUCH OF THE LOST GROUND exposure to school or adults and peers. She eventually was able to of sexual abuse, OF HER EARLY EDUCATION." learning and was well recognize and communicate her feelings. This particularly by the behind in her education. was apparent when she was able to advocate grandfather, as well as sexual abuse between for herself by voicing her discomfort with siblings. As the baby of the family at six years Holly’s treatment team consisted of her cottage potential foster parents. The foster home old, Holly was the easiest target for the abuse, staff, clinician, behavior specialists, and others. proved to be an unsafe environment, which which mostly took place in the shower. She and They decided to focus her target goals on would not have been discovered without Holly’s her siblings also witnessed domestic violence in learning appropriate boundaries with adults and new skills to understand and communicate her their grandparents’ home. her peers, reintroducing the bathroom as a safe feelings regarding appropriate touch. place, and promoting school and When Holly arrived at Casa Pacifica, she her education. When Holly came to experienced culture shock and had difficulty Casa Pacifica she could adapting to the strict structure of McDonald’s In order to change Holly’s only identify 8 out of Cottage. It was hard for her to control her feelings about the bathroom, her 72 “sight words.” emotions and she would become physically and clinician often held their therapy Since she never really verbally aggressive. sessions just outside its door to had a home school, She had trouble get Holly to feel comfortable in Holly was enrolled in a INSIDE: establishing and the area. It was a very long local kindergarten class maintaining process. At first, the staff let her near Casa Pacifica. She President’s Message relationships, and bathe with wet naps and dry enjoyed going to CEO’s Message when interacting shampoo. Eventually Holly was school and every day Page 2 with peers and staff able to let staff wash her hair in her cottage staff would she had difficulties the sink, and after months of work Holly could work diligently with her on homework. Through Annual Fundraising respecting others’ shower in her bathing suit with the bathroom constant persistence and support, Holly was Page 6 “bubble space.” door open, or take a bubble bath in the Pre-K able to sound out words and was beginning to Angels & Amigos She was sometimes Cottage. By the time Holly was discharged, she read. By the time she left Casa Pacifica, Holly Page 8 & 9 physically intrusive was taking showers with the door closed had made up much of the lost ground of her or clingy, and was without any problem. early education. Board News unaware of what (Continued on Page 3) Page 11 constituted To help her with her adult and peer appropriate touch. interactions, Holly was placed in Casa Pacifica’s Heartlines Heartlines Upcoming Events She experienced Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT). Within Page 12 intense sadness, was a neutral setting of playtime, Holly interacted Summer 2011 Volume 11 • Number 2 From the Chief Executive Officer New Board of Directors President n August 9, 2011, the Ventura County Board of Supervisors approved a lease ith the start of the new fiscal year on July 1st, Casa Pacifica is proud to agreement for 2.5 acres of property immediately adjacent to Casa Pacifica’s welcome David E. Wood, Esq. as the new President of the Board of Directors. campus. Our plans are to “rehab” three existing buildings on the parcel – originally Mr. Wood has been a member of the Board of Directors for 9 years, and follows Othe residence for the Camarillo State Hospital’s Superintendent and now vacant for in the dedicated footsteps of Sheila Rakestraw who has lead the Board for the last Wyear. The new officers of Casa Pacifica’ Board of Directors are: a number of years – to house six to eight transition age youth (TAY). David E. Wood, Esq. Thanks to generous donations from Sean President and Dianna Baker, John and Cheryl "THE NEW PROPERTY WILL Broome, and the Baxter International ENABLE US TO OFFER A THIRD Stacy A. Roscoe Foundation, and under the leadership of OPTION TO THE MORE THAN Vice President Vicki Murphy, Casa Pacifica’s Chief 50 VENTURA COUNTY YOUTH Advancement Officer & Director of WHO AGE OUT OF THE FOSTER Wayne A. Davey Alumni Services, our programs serving Treasurer transition age youth have grown CARE SYSTEM EACH YEAR." dramatically. In the last eight months we Keets Cassar have hired a program manager, a clinician, and a third youth advocate to provide Secretary critical support and services to over 60 former foster youth ages 18 through 25, most having received services from us at some point in their childhood. Sheila Rakestraw Immediate Past President David E. Wood, Esq. Even before these wonderful donations, the Casa Pacifica President Board of Directors launched a Transition Age Youth Committee and asked two Board members – retired Ventura County Superior Court Judge Joe Hadden and Casa Pacifica is grateful to each of the individuals who have committed their time, Ventura County Sheriff Geoff Dean – to co-chair the energy, and expertise to lead, shape, and support Casa Pacifica and its mission to care committee. It quickly became the hub of County-wide for our community’s most vulnerable, yet valuable, children. Please read the article on efforts to coordinate and develop services for TAY. Now page 11 of this issue of Heartlines which announces the retiring and new Casa Pacifica chaired by Casa Pacifica Board member Dr. Roz Warner, Board members for 2011-2012. monthly committee meetings include twenty organizations (and growing) which share resources, identify needs, and collaborate in providing services to improve the opportunities available to TAY. Steven E. Elson, Ph.D. Chief Executive Officer An essential service needed by youth is help with housing, along with providing supports as they learn to live independently. Through agreements with various landlords throughout the County, County youth who age out of the foster care system each year. Along with the Casa Pacifica oversees six apartments in which eight former foster youth live planned renovations, we will furnish the buildings, re-landscape the property, hire a independently. A condition of this arrangement is that the youth must work, be “house-mom,” and create a “stepping stone” program to teach independent living enrolled in school, and pay a portion of the rent. Another 10 former foster youth skills to youth needing more time and additional services before they are ready to live in “community nests” – private homes where families “mentor” youth who move to a “community nest” or an apartment. The proximity to our campus will need extra support in their journey toward successful adulthood – including working enable Casa Pacifica to provide extra support not available to the more distant toward employment and/or higher education. These youth are also responsible community housing locations. We are grateful to Ventura County staff and the for a portion of the rent. Board of Supervisors for making this new living model possible. Not all youth respond well to these two housing options and the adjacent, newly Sometime in the fall we plan to hold a “barn-raising” type event to refurbish the leased property will enable us to offer a third option to the more than 50 Ventura homes. If you are interested in helping please call Vicki Murphy at (805) 445-7804. 2 www.casapacifica.org • 805-445-7800 Archie Update Congratulations to Our Youth Advocates! asa Pacifica’s wonderful therapy dog, Archie, has been faithfully performing his asa Pacifica is proud to announce the graduations last May of Raquel Montes duties on campus, loving and caring for Casa Pacifica’s children and youth and Cristina Miranda, two of Casa Pacifica’s Youth Advocates, from California whenever they need him. He has been busy on public relations and school trips and State University Channel Islands. Each of the young women graduated with a has accompanied Vicki Murphy, our Chief Advancement Officer & Director of Alumni degree in Sociology. CCServices, on speaking engagements throughout the community. Recently, Archie went on a trip to a local elementary school with Scott Mastroianni, the principal of Casa What is the big deal you Pacifica’s nonpublic school. His daughter attends the school and Archie had a big might be wondering? impact in her classroom.

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