Hillsides 2016-2017 Annual Report Letter from the CEO Creating new opportunities for children and families Our Vision to heal, grow, and thrive Hillsides envisions a world in which children and young adults, families, and communities are able to heal, grow, and thrive. This past year was an extraordinary time for child welfare agencies. We witnessed significant changes in state foster care legislation and proposed policy changes at the national level that Our Mission inserted uncertainty into the work that we do. Hillsides is dedicated to healing children and young adults, Luckily, Hillsides is well-prepared to meet these challenges. Part of our response was creating strengthening families, and transforming communities through a new vision statement, mission statement, and a list of values that will guide the agency during quality comprehensive services and advocacy. the changing times we find ourselves in. In addition, we were and continue to be buoyed by our affiliation with Bienvenidos, which has allowed us to expand the areas we serve and add a foster Our Values care and adoption program to our services. This past year was also a time to unite Hillsides and Quality Care – Fostering a culture of excellence in service Bienvenidos into one workforce with one shared focus. Respect – Honoring the worth of each individual Our new messaging contains the same dedication to children and families but with a broader Integrity – Acting with honesty and accountability scope to better reflect our expanded services and programs. With the support we continue to receive from individuals, corporations, and foundations, we remain determined to strengthen Transparency – Valuing openness and clarity families and transform communities today and well into the future. Compassion – Treating others with kindness and care Sincerely, Collaboration – Engaging clients and stakeholders in our work Innovation – Achieving impact through new, data-informed ideas Joseph M. Costa President and Chief Executive Officer Hillsides with its affiliate Bienvenidos served: children, youth, and families with the 14,177 breakdown for each core program as: Hillsides and Bienvenidos Family Resource Centers 10,129 Bienvenidos Foster Care and Adoption 2,530 Youth Moving On 739 Residential Treatment Services 392 Hillsides Education Center 387 ‘Wrapped’ in support, a businesswoman masters a challenging parenting role Lupita Ramirez is a successful business Gonzalez were also helpful because Lupita woman. Married without children, she has noticed how often Jennifer praised Elijah. been able to pour all her energies into Lupita started giving her nephew more running her own insurance office and co- compliments, even for the smallest efforts, owning two fitness centers. which dramatically improved his behavior. Nothing, therefore, prepared her for taking With input from the Wraparound team, Hillsides and on the challenges of parenting her 11-year- Lupita realized Elijah’s efforts to push her old nephew when her sister was no longer away were often a test to see if she would Bienvenidos Family able to care for him. Rather than let Elijah* abandon him. When he would lunge at fall into the foster care system, she and her, she began to hug him and reassure her husband stepped into the role as him she would not leave him, which Resource Centers caregivers. calmed him down. Elijah, after a tumultuous childhood, was filled with rage. He threw hours- long tantrums if he didn’t get his way. “He would hit me, push me, cuss at me, 88% of children and youth everything you can imagine,” remembered were passing in school. Lupita. Starved for affection, Elijah was also extremely jealous of her and would act out if she tried to work, go to the gym, or have friends over. “I started isolating myself Lupita Ramirez and Therapist, Jennifer Gonzalez 77% of children and because I never knew how he would react,” she recalled. At the same time, Jennifer was working youth were discharged to with Elijah to help him express his a permanent placement. At her wit’s end, she attended parenting emotions in a healthy manner, such as classes through Hillsides, and kept the doing jumping jacks when he got angry. booklet she received on positive parenting “Now when he gets mad at home, he by her side for constant reference. 66% of our clients were starts jumping, and pretty soon he is She then began receiving Wraparound meeting or partially meeting smiling and has forgotten why he is services from Hillsides, where a team angry,” said Lupita. their goals at discharge. consisting of a facilitator, therapist, child and family therapist, and parent partner Today, Elijah is a different kid. His hours- met regularly with her and Elijah to long tantrums have dwindled to 10 or 15 address his mental health needs. minutes and he is no longer hitting Lupita. Both nephew and aunt are now focused The length of stay for our Lupita began to feel some relief with on the next goal: adoption, so Elijah can clients in treatment was support from parent partner Hector become Lupita’s legal son. 6.89 months. Valadez. He gave her a safe place to vent and offered parenting advice. Therapy *Name changed to protect privacy of client. sessions with Elijah and therapist Jennifer Six is her lucky number Six children. This number sounds like Three months later, their grandmother a lot to most people, but not to Clayda gained custody of them. While Clayda felt Nicholas, a resource (foster) parent for our a stab of pain at losing them, she was also affiliate Bienvenidos. happy they were going to a good home. Six is the number of nieces and nephews She didn’t have long to dwell on her she took care of when her brother was in feelings, however. A day or two later, the military and her sister-in-law sidelined Bienvenidos sent four siblings and a set with cancer. And six is the number of of twins to live with her. They stayed a Bienvenidos children in foster care she filled her few months, before being replaced with house with after her nieces and nephews another six children. Foster Care returned to their parents. Over the two years she’s been a resource “When my brothers’ kids left, I was parent, Clayda has helped raise some and Adoption melancholy,” she recalled. “I had a big 25 children. Usually kids are shy and house with seven standoffish at bedrooms, but it first. However was empty.” her self- Her mother, a described of clients were discharged to 78% social worker, “big, a permanent placement and of those suggested maternal discharges, 73% were discharged she become a heart” wins to a parent or legal guardian. resource parent them over. and referred her to Clayda Bienvenidos Foster believes that Care and Adoption many people 82% of clients are discharged program located have the with their goals met. in Pasadena. Left to right: Resource Parent Clayda Nicholas and wrong idea Bienvenidos Social Worker Sandra Zuniga. “Naturally I had about being a few concerns, but the staff there made a resource parent. “It’s not a job, it’s me feel at ease,” said Clayda. After six about providing a child with a home The length of stay for months of training, she became a licensed and the same care you would give our children and youth resource parent. Soon afterwards, she your own children,” she said. received a call from Bienvenidos social in foster care was Since becoming a resource parent, Clayda worker Sandra Zuniga, saying that a set of 6.91 months. has moved from the seven-bedroom siblings, ages 9 – 16, needed a home. house to smaller one with four bedrooms. Clayda quickly went to work, transforming Despite the downsizing, one key element her house from boy-centric (her brother remains the same. The house can still had five boys and one girl) to girl-oriented easily accommodate that magic number of We had 506 children (the new family had five girls and one boy). children she likes in her life – six. and youth matched in Within days, the children moved in. “I was 105 resource homes. blessed by them – they were so sweet,” she said. From homelessness to happiness When Jasa Hawkins talks about the last Jasa loved her job from the start, and few years, she tends to cry. “Don’t worry,” was an instant pro at mentally juggling the she is quick to explain, “I’m not upset. dozens of specialty drinks on the menu. These are tears of joy.” However, she was still homeless. “I kept Jasa, 25, has a lot to be joyful about these trying to have patience, but it was hard. days – a steady job at Starbucks and an I kept praying that something better will HILLSIDES apartment of her own to keep her warm at come along.” night and feeling safe. However, just a few And it did. Before landing the job at YOUTH years ago, life was much different. Starbucks, Jasa, with the help of YMO Jasa spent her childhood in foster care or Youth Advocate Gabrielle Williams, had MOVING ON kinship care, raised by her grandmother. put her name on a waiting list for an When she was 20, her grandmother died, apartment through Section 8 (low income) and Jasa wound up homeless on the housing in downtown Los Angeles. A year streets of Pasadena. and a half later, Jasa got the call “I felt so alone, and that the apartment didn’t trust anyone,” was hers. The During the fiscal year remembered Jasa. She and 80% of clients are apartment came her boyfriend David, who discharged, meeting 2016-2017, Youth furnished, and was also homeless, began or partially meeting Moving On served YMO helped her to visit the Youth Moving On with the extras, their goals.