The Villa founders could never have imagined how the Villa's role in the community would grow in the decades to follow. By the late 1960's, the agency was called upon to serve an escalating number of youth, mostly teens, with emotional and behavioral needs. The agency began to see many more young people whose lives had been scarred by abuse, poverty, and family histories of mental illness and drug problems. The complexity of these issues spurred the Villa to grow in capacity and staff, and to carve out a highly specialized niche in treating young people with mental health and behavioral concerns.
By the late 1970's, the Villa’s emerging role as a mental health agency prompted changes in funding and leadership. Although many sisters continued their nurturing work for the agency, the Villa's formal connection with the Catholic Diocese ended in 1976. Today the nonprofit agency is governed by a board of community and business leaders and funded through county and state reimbursements, as well as charitable contributions.
In the 1980's, the agency began to expand its transitional and preventive programs, realizing how crucial it is to provide ongoing support to at-risk youth as they readjust to their families and schools and continue to develop as independent adults in the community. The Avalon School day treatment program began in 1983, with the LIFE chemical dependency program following in 1987. Gradually, the agency was becoming less of a "place" and more of a mental health network for youth.
The 1990's brought expansion into school-based, child welfare and specialized residential services. The Teen Mother/Infant, Preventive Middle School and community apartment programs all responded to identified service gaps for children and teens in our community.
Today the Villa serves more than 800 youth each year through residential, group home, day treatment, chemical dependency and independent living programs, and about 400 clients a year through constantly-growing preventive programs that keep youth on a successful track with their families and schools.
Most youth served by the Villa are referred to agency programs because of difficulty remaining with natural or foster families. The Residential Treatment Program and Residential Treatment Facility on the agency's main campus serve youth who require the most intensive therapy and support. Many, after short-term care, are able to return to their families and start again. Others, with the help of additional support programs, will prepare for independent life.
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