2014 Annual Report Strengthening Community, One Family at a Time “ I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” - Mother Teresa Creating Impact through Community Partnerships 2 At Hillside Family of Agencies, we believe data. These economic challenges put identity. Through this process, we developed that healthy, successful children, youth tremendous stress on our families. our new brand promise: “to provide and families are the essential foundation compassionate, comprehensive and effective Central to our work on behalf of children, of thriving communities. We are focused health, education and human services to youth and families is providing exceptional on strengthening the communities children, youth and families whose challenges health, education and human services, we serve by providing families greater threaten their ability to stay together, realize through an integrated, holistic system of care. opportunities to succeed. However, echoing their full potential and enjoy healthy, We provide cradle-to-career services for Mother Teresa’s famous words, we recognize happy lives.” Following in our founders’ more than 11,000 families—from child that we cannot accomplish this alone. footsteps, we are dedicated to treating every welfare, mental health, youth development That is why over the last year, we have individual we serve with respect, and family development, to juvenile justice, continued to cultivate strategic relationships understanding and compassion. special education, developmental disabilities with community partners. and safety-net services. Hillside and our strategic partners will Likewise, our agency’s successes in 2014— continue to collaborate to deliver the best Through strategic partnerships, we are which are highlighted in this Annual Report— possible care and to build stronger families in creating new and innovative services, clinical cannot be attributed to any one person. Our the communities we serve. Together, our centers and conducting innovative research work is the result of an amazing and talented collective work is sending giant ripples across with our academic partners, such as team of staff and Board members. Our team the region to build stronger communities. Columbia University, RIT, the University of is comprised of what we call “idealistic Rochester and the University of Tennessee. pragmatists” because they conduct their Sincerely, work with the unwavering belief that anything Our commitment to helping families has been is possible, while recognizing the unique a cornerstone of our agency since our founding challenges faced by the families we serve. in 1837. Our founders, some of whom were Roger B. Friedlander involved in the Underground Railroad and in Today, the most serious challenges facing Chair, Board of Governors the women’s suffragette movement, families are the effects of a troubled economy, understood that respect and dignity are critical namely severe poverty and unemployment. to making a difference in people’s lives. Consider that Rochester and Buffalo are the third and fourth poorest cities in the nation, This commitment also is at the heart of an Dennis M. Richardson respectively, according to U.S. Census Bureau effort we undertook in 2014 to reevaluate our President and CEO Creating Impact through Community Partnerships 1 Overview l Hillside Children’s Center Hillside serves communities in 41 locations throughout New York and Maryland.* l Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection l Snell Farm Children’s Center Hillside Children’s Center (HCC) provides Central services for children, youth and families in the Region areas of behavioral health, mental health, child welfare, juvenile justice, special education, Monroe safety-net, family development and Region developmental disabilities. Hillside Children’s Foundation (HCF) raises funds to support all of the service affiliates of Western Hillside Family of Agencies. Region Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection (HW-SC) helps at-risk secondary school students stay in school and earn their high school diploma, while providing invaluable part-time work experience and job skills to help prepare them for life after graduation. Snell Farm Children’s Center (SFCC) provides specialized residential treatment and education for adolescent boys. It is located on a rural residential Prince George's campus eight miles north of Bath, New York. County, MD Hillside Service Solutions (HSS) provides services to Hillside youth, family and staff in the areas of purchasing, food service, nutrition services and property services. HSS also offers retail sales in catering and food distribution for * Dots may represent multiple locations businesses outside of Hillside Family of Agencies. 2 Our Services For a full listing of services in each of these Early Childhood Development Home- and Community-Based categories, use our Find a Service search tool Neighborhood and home-based services that Wrap-Around Services at hillside.com. support and enhance the development of Offering individualized services and care children from birth to five years of age. coordination to help families resolve challenges. Adoption Specializing in international, waiting-child Family Development Non-Secure Detention and special-needs adoption. Neighborhood and home-based services that Preventing youth who are awaiting due support and enhance child and family life process from committing further offenses by Adult Health Home development. providing short-term care under close Integrating behavioral health, medical and supervision of specially trained staff. social support services for enrollees through Family Finding care management. A range of services to help create lifetime Outpatient Treatment networks for disconnected youth. As part of Providing crisis intervention, individual/ Customized our commitment to help youth make family psychotherapy, diagnostic evaluation Developing services as required to meet permanent family connections, we offer and assessment. needs and build on strengths of children, services, training and consultation for public families and communities. and private agencies providing services for Residential Treatment Treating children and adolescents with Day Treatment Education child welfare, juvenile justice, mental health and development disabilities. severe emotional challenges 24 hours a day, Serving youth, ages 3–21, to help them 7 days a week in partnership with their overcome the emotional and behavioral Foster Care families. Medical and education services are challenges that interfere with learning, Supporting trained and experienced foster also provided. so that they may return successfully to parents to provide respite or longer term their home district. care for children while return to home, Youth Development School- and home-based services that help Developmental Disabilities adoption or other permanent living arrangement is pursued. at-risk youth stay in school and achieve Providing case management and residential academic success. Safety-net services provide services to maximize skill building and support to runaway and/or homeless youth. independence through the use of evidence- based practices. 3 4 Nick Changing a Life through Music In the song, “Thunder Road,” Bruce Springsteen performance, his skills as a musician grew, as sings about how he got a guitar and learned how did his insatiable desire to learn.” “After discovering to make it talk. At Hillside, Nick got a guitar— music and having and it completely changed his life. Now age 19, Nick exemplifies the very best of Hillside success stories. He has taken his musical When Nick came to Hillside’s Varick Campus in talents to Monroe Community College, where he is Kim teach me Romulus, New York at the age of 14, he was quiet, studying Music Performance in the 2+2 Program. the bass and guitar, withdrawn, and disinterested in participating in Nick hopes to complete his degree at the Eastman program services. The one thing he expressed School of Music or another renowned music a whole new world any interest in, according to Kim, Campus school. When not taking six music classes at once, Recreation Specialist, was learning how to play a he writes songs as a creative outlet. opened up for me.” musical instrument. Besides working toward his dream of becoming a Once staff introduced Nick to the bass guitar, rock star Nick also hopes to inspire other kids who he became happier and the programming began are facing challenges and learning how to cope. to have a bigger impact. Soon after, Nick “I can relate to the place they’re at and want to became the bass player in the Youth Voice Band show them that it can happen. You can be and then moved up to lead guitarist. “Nick successful,” he says. “I know that if I keep working quickly became the best lead guitarist the Youth at it, I’ll achieve my goal of becoming a famous Voice Band has ever had,” states Kim. “He rock star or just like Eric Clapton, my idol.” literally and figuratively came out from under the hood he wore that completely hid his face. Clearly for Nick, Hillside was instrumental in With each passing week, lesson and helping him find his path in life. 5 Shantelle 6 Giving Hope to a New Mom When Shantelle was eight months pregnant and Ericka, a Hillside Family Educator, has been facing first-time parenting as a single mother, helping Shantelle since she started in the PAT “It’s hard trying to her OB/GYN referred her to Hillside’s Parents Program. Ericka visits Shantelle every other week, raise a one-year-old while As Teachers: Right from the Start (PAT) mentoring and teaching her things to do at home Program, an evidence-based parent education to help one-year-old Khy’lynn’s development. going back to school. program in partnership between Family Ericka also reads books to Khy’lynn, who loves Resource Centers of Hillside and University of reading, as well as dancing and music. I don’t know what I Rochester Medical Center’s Baby Love Program. Shantelle stayed with Hillside’s PAT Program, even In addition to education for parents, PAT while suffering severe back issues and trying to would have done if my provides support to help give children the best finish her degree at Monroe Community College.