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Villa's Crisis Stabilization Unit named national Runner Up for Innovative Practices Award

The Council on Accreditation (COA) presents the Innovative Practices Award to spotlight organizations that bring lasting change to the lives of vulnerable individuals through unique, forward-thinking initiatives. This year, our life-saving Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU) will be named runner-up for this national honor at the annual COA Conference in New York City.

The CSU opened in 2012 in partnership with Richmond Behavioral Health Authority (RBHA) Region IV as the first facility of its kind in Central Virginia, providing treatment for children in mental health crisis across 23 localities. Since then, the CSU has served more than 500 children and diverted nearly 90% from costly, unnecessary hospitalization.

The CSU is located on the Villa's 82-acre therapeutic campus

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) reports that 1 in 5 children in the United States ages 13-18 have, or will have, a serious mental illness. Yet for many, hospitalization for mental illness can be associated with a sense of shame. The Villa's CSU is designed to actively engage children and their families, find what will truly help them in the midst of crisis, and link them to community resources based on their expressed needs.

Find out more about how the CSU is keeping families in tact on our website.
 
Collegiate School students provide week of service to Sarah Dooley Center for Autism
Collegiate School's Community Engagement Week was a very special time for our Center for Autism students.

Thirteen freshmen volunteers spent five full school days assisting our students from kindergarten all the way up to high school. Collegiate students split up among the Center's grade levels, and chose to stay with one classroom for the entire week so that they could really get to know each student. Our students loved them!

Wyatt and Kaitlyn join story time in the K-2 classroom

Mitchell and Tucker form bonds with
Career and Transition Services students

This is the first year St. Joseph's Villa has served as a volunteer site for Collegiate's Community Engagement Week, and it was an enriching experience for all involved. We thank Collegiate for their partnership and for the care which their students gave to our school.


VCU student mentors introduce Villa students to the college experience
The thought of college can be intimidating and stressful for any high school student. As our students approach life after the Villa, student mentors from Virginia Commonwealth University have been there to provide them with encouragement, support, and a real-life picture of the college experience.

As volunteers through our Career and Transition Services, VCU mentors have led personal campus tours for our students including everything from attending class to eating in the dining hall. Mentors are also helping our students develop work and communication skills that will help them succeed in college and in their future careers.

Villa students tour the VCU campus

Perhaps most important of all, VCU mentors are helping our students realize that college is attainable.

Click here to read more about the Villa's partnership with VCU, and the benefits of student-to-student mentoring in an article by Nicole Anderson Ellis, professor in VCU's Department of Focused Inquiry. 

What if your child doesn't fit in at school?
Every parent wants their child to succeed in school, both academically and socially. Building friendships and a peer support group is an important part of your child's education, and impacts their self-esteem, confidence, and grades. Some kids are social butterflies by nature, but others struggle to navigate social settings and find themselves becoming more and more isolated in school.

How do you know when your child has trouble fitting in at school? What can you do as a parent? Check our Brook Road Academy blog to learn about the signs to look for, and the support you can offer.

Villa to host Kids Exchange Consignment Sale


From April 22-24, Richmond's bi-annual Kids Exchange will be held in the St. Joseph's Villa gym. This 3-day shopping event offers a way for families to earn money for gently used infant and children's items, and find great savings on toys and clothing of all seasons, brands and kids' sizes.

All unsold items remaining from Kids Exchange will be donated to Villa children and families in need.  We are pleased to partner with Kids Exchange for their spring sale!

Click here to learn more about the event and how you can participate as a shopper or seller! 

Save The Date: the 22nd annual Bluegrass Ball to stomp out homelessness
Join us on Saturday, May 14 for a toe tappin' good time to benefit Flagler Housing & Homeless Services at St. Joseph's Villa!
  • Live music by Whiskey Rebellion and Slack Family Bluegrass Band
  • Corn hole tournament with prizes
  • Emceed by Andrew Freiden, Meteorologist, NBC12
  • Delicious BBQ from White House Catering
  • Drinks
  • Kids Corral
  • and much more! 
Tickets are on sale today. Get yours now at www.neverstopbelieving.org/bluegrassball

Save The Date

The Bluegrass Ball will be held 6-10 p.m., rain or shine!

Flagler provides rapid re-housing assistance to homeless households of all compositions, helping families and individuals obtain permanent rental housing as quickly as possible with integrated support services.  97% of households rapidly re-housed by Flagler have remained stably housed for at least one year. Click here to learn more about the program. 
In this Issue
How to Give


Make an Online Gift
Your gift helps transform the life of each child and family we serve. Learn more.

Donate Goods
Our Donation Center welcomes clothing, housewares and school supplies for families in need. Learn more.

Volunteer
Volunteers are essential to the Villa's daily operations. We have a wide variety and individual and group opportunities available. Learn more.

Follow the Villa
       
Did You Know?
Since the fall of 2011, St. Joseph's Villa has brought more than 
$2.1 million
to the Tri-Cities region to help homeless individuals and families obtain and maintain safe, permanent housing.




 
VAISEF
 

St. Joseph's Villa  |  8000 Brook Road, Richmond, VA 23227
www.NeverStopBelieving.org  |  804.553-3200 tel  |  804.553-3259 fax

St. Joseph's Villa helps children with special needs and their families
succeed through effective and innovative programs.

St. Joseph's Villa | 8000 Brook Road | Richmond | VA | 23227