Residential Program

When is the residential program closing? Sunny Hills' existing residential program is scheduled to close in June of 2008.

What will happen to the children in the residential program? Children in the current residential program will be carefully transitioned to care settings that will continue to meet their needs in the best possible way. Most of them will be returned to their families, and all children will be returned to their communities of origin whenever possible.

How was the decision to close the program reached? The Sunny Hills Board of Directors has engaged in a three-year strategic planning process to come to this decision.

What were the factors considered in making the decision? Demand for residential treatment programs has weakened over the last decade. Community based programs and services have continued to expand and grow to meet children's needs in their communities. The public policy decision to redirect the majority of funds to the development of community based programs also played a role. Ultimately, the driving force was long term outcomes for the children being treated; outcomes show that keeping children in their communities of origin makes them more successful than placing them in congregate care settings.

Are other agencies closing their residential program? Many agencies have reduced or eliminated residential programs in favor of developing community based programs for the children that they have traditionally served.

Community Based Programs

Will Sunny Hills continue to offer programs to severely emotionally disturbed children? Yes. Sunny Hills Services has multiple thriving community based programs for at-risk youth throughout Marin and Sonoma counties, including:

• The Marin Academic Center (MAC), an elementary school providing specialized educational services for emotionally disturbed children
• The Braun and Grant Grover Schools and Day Treatment Centers, providing education in a treatment setting in Marin
• The Therapeutic Behavioral Services (TBS) program, which provides individualized mental health services to children in crisis
• Hamilton Transitional Housing, which provides subsidized housing and ongoing support for homeless youth who have 'aged out' of foster care
• The Kinship Care center, providing a wide range of support services for relative care givers
• The FASST (Family Advocacy Support and Stabilization Team) program
• The ACT program which provides services to mentally ill juvenile justice youth
• The Community Engagement and Youth Development program for youth at risk for gang involvement, which provides training and community building to solve problems related to youth violence, as well as direct services.

Will Sunny Hills be creating any new programs? Yes. Sunny Hills will continue its existing array of community-based programs and has plans to further expand them as opportunities present themselves.

Does the development of programs in Sonoma mean that Sunny Hills will leave Marin? We continue to look at Marin as our headquarters even as our other programs expand and grow.

General

How many children are currently served by the agency? Sunny Hills anticipates that it will serve over 1000 vulnerable children in 2008 through educational, community-based, residential and mental health programs. Currently, with the 40 residential beds we serve approximately 100 children each year. Our existing community based programs serve almost 500 children each year.

What will happen to the campus? Sunny Hills is launching a new program on the San Anselmo campus in Fall 2008. The Red Hill Academy will provide a much-needed tuition-based program for adolescents with learning challenges and moderate emotional needs.

What are the agency's continuing needs for fundraising? None of our community based programs are possible without the continued support of our donors and volunteers. As the agency evolves to be ever more responsive to the needs of our young clients, we rely on local support to be able to fulfill our mission.

What is the agency's mission? Sunny Hills Services objective is to assess, treat and heal vulnerable children and their families. We believe that early intervention gives the greatest opportunity for success, and we work to provide each of the children in our care with a better and brighter future.

How are these programmatic changes consistent with that mission? Sunny Hills Services remains focused on and committed to our historic mission to help our community's vulnerable children. By strengthening and broadening our array of community based programs and services, we will be able to help more children than ever before in the agency's 113-year history. The agency is poised to be more responsive than ever before to the needs of those we serve.

For more information about the current transitions at Sunny Hills, please contact Joseph M. Costa, Chief Executive Officer, at 415-457-3200 x119 or jcosta@sunnyhillsservices.org