Decisions Postponed

As I prepare this blog I have received word that the President has signed the legislation that extends the debt limit. My immediate reaction is relief--not that we increased our debt ceiling, but that finally the barrage of vitriol inundating the air waves for the last month will perhaps end soon. I am afraid, though, what we have experienced is just a dress rehearsal for the next round of elections. Meanwhile, what some say was a fabricated crisis to advance a particular agenda has kept us as a nation from addressing the needs of the most vulnerable among us, who are truly victims of what was unquestionably the excesses of the last decade.

I will leave to others more versed in these issues to analyze how we got into this situation. We can blame it on the polices of former administrations, the financial meltdown in 2008 or the increased costs of entitlements, but it would seem to me that the balancing of our budget at both the State and Federal level on the backs of the most vulnerable without soliciting  the support of those most able to assist is the most un-American thing I can imagine.  

Some have described the “deal” reached in Washington on the debt limit as a compromise. I suggest that it is rather a tactic in a strategy to build the political momentum that either side needs to address not just the pressing issue of debt reduction, but also entitlements.

Entitlements are the safety net that supports education, services to the needy, and access to health care. How can we consider cutting these crucial services and asking the most vulnerable to sacrifice without soliciting the support and sacrifice of those far less vulnerable? How fair is that in such a great nation?

Let there be no doubt the impact of potential cuts would be significant for the children, youth and families we serve. Further cuts at the federal level to education funding would only make it more difficult for local school districts to provide for children with special learning challenges. Cuts to services for foster care will only further jeopardize children and youth who are already very vulnerable. Reductions in health care would continue to limit access and ironically drive up the costs of providing care.

You don’t have to be an economist to know the solution to this problem. Several examples from our own history demonstrate how we can successfully reduce our national debt while maintaining our commitment to the needy. The solution requires not only prudence and discipline with regard to spending, but also requires fair access to resources to maintain the safety net and invigorate the economy. The sacrifices can not be borne just by some; they must be taken up by all.

You Got to Love Them!

One of the great things about the campus at Hillsides is our ability to interact with students and residents. Give them the opportunity and they will tell you with no hesitation exactly what they are thinking about and what their opinions might be on any and all topics whether you want to hear or not. Why not? At the end of the day it’s all about them.

Recently, Jay Bechtol, director of the Hillsides Education Center, sat down with some of the students to get their views on the school program. What follows is Jay's account of their input. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

"When I think back to my days in school, one of the things I remember is how radically different my day-to-day experience was from what my parents and the adults around me thought  my school was like.  With that in mind, I asked several high school students to give me their views on HEC.  Here are some of their thoughts:

• The environment is too restrictive and sometimes the teachers have unrealistic expectations of the students.
• I love going to lunch and going on outings.
• I like PE and Math and getting to spend special time with Carolyn.
• I hate school lunch and we can’t get seconds.
• I like having friends here, at my old school I didn’t have any.
• For the most part the staff are caring.
• I don’t like the ineffective rewards program and wish there were more shop classes.
• I like the teachers and how they help us.
• I hate Math!
• I like talking to Isom
• Jay, don’t put my name on this, but I think Mr. B is a really good teacher.

In talking with these students and reading their comments, I was hit by a wave of nostalgia…How important friends were, how important a teacher was, and why Sloppy Joe day was better than fish stick day. 

Of course, the students at HEC are struggling with so many more issues than most of us ever did.  But, ultimately, they want many of the same things, and I think that the teachers and staff at HEC have created an environment where that is possible. Go Hawks!"

Tutors Make a Difference in One Hour

One of our oldest and most successful programs on campus involves local high school and college students tutoring our residents. In 1978 former Educational Therapist Mary Lois Nevins visited Hillsides children with a small group of Polytechnic School 11th and 12th graders. Since then, the tutor mentor program now has 55 tutors representing Polytechnic School, Mayfield, Westridge, South Pasadena High and Biola University.

These exceptional young people volunteer one or two evenings a week to work with 35 children, some of whom receive services from as many as four tutors. Focusing intensively on reading and math skills, the program goal for this year is an ambitious one – raising reading and math scores by an average 10%. Tutors also help out with test preparation, reports, special school projects, and the development of study and computer skills.

Ian Lee, Hillsides tutor coordinator, carefully recruits, screens and matches tutors with students. The match-ups have been highly successful this year – all tutors returned following the holiday break, and almost all children referred for tutoring have stayed with the program.

Anyone who has ever tutored children who struggle academically knows how difficult it can be assisting students who, in spite of their native intelligence and potential, are lacking the fundamentals, behind in everything, accustomed to low expectations and school failure. In addition, their own perception of themselves is undermined by self-blame and hopelessness regarding their education. Through their creativity and dedication, our tutors make a real difference, not only in terms of academic performance, but in other areas of the children’s lives as well.

As these relationships grow, our kids benefit from the friendship, mentoring and role-modeling provided by tutors, resulting in improved confidence and self-esteem. Hillsides’ tutoring program represents the best of what community partnerships have to offer children in care. I’d like to extend many thanks to those individuals who have been tutors, mentors or volunteers in the lives of vulnerable children. Should you be inspired to spend an hour a week or volunteer throughout the year, I encourage you to take a look at our volunteer opportunities.

If time is short and you’d like to send a special tribute to someone in honor of their volunteer work, feel free to contact our development department at (323) 255-9005. Donations in honor of someone are a great way to recognize they make a difference while you also impact a child’s life.

The President's State of the Union Address

The State of the Union speech is one of our national rituals that should not be dismissed as a hollow public exercise. Its broad themes reflect the President's convictions and serve as an indicator of his priorities for the nation going forth. Regardless of party affiliation or political disposition, the President’s focus on education is to be lauded.
Education perhaps like no other issue is at the heart of maintaining and sustaining the greatness of the nation. Especially at this time when hard decisions must be made to stem growing deficits, it is important to not lose sight of how essential funding education is and the significant effect it has, not only on our well being as a country, but also as a true element that fuels our economy.

As an example of how this issue hits close to home, we can look to how Hillsides Education Center has been inadequately funded for the past several years. Struggling school districts have not been able to fund the true cost of educating the students they refer to HEC, resulting in a growing operating deficit of approximately $500,000 annually. Much of our fundraising activity now benefits our effort to maintain the quality education and care that is offered to the students enrolled at HEC. Unfortunately, this is an indicator of how State and County budgets are balanced on the backs of students. This creates a poor environment within which to educate and demoralizes our dedicated educators.

Now that the State of the Union has been delivered, the process now moves to the preparation of a Federal budget that will inevitably have an impact on State and local education initiatives. We will continue to advocate for fully funding education to assure our students and indeed all students receive the resources they need to be successful. I encourage all of us not to be timid in supporting education as a priority. In spite of the painful cuts that need to be made at this time, education must be fully funded if we are to be successful in the long term. Fiscal responsibility need not be short sighted and the most vulnerable need not be sacrificed to balance a budget!

Trends in Care

On September 14 the Hillsides’ leadership staff gathered for a presentation on trends in child welfare presented by Beth Skidmore, a nationally recognized consultant in child welfare and a long-time colleague and friend of mine from the east coast. She identified the following as significant trends impacting our practice: permanency planning, utilization of time delineated evidence-based treatment, cost-effective models and family friendly/oriented approaches.

For many, her message was not new, but rather reinforced what we have already been experiencing in Los Angeles. Over the past several years, the one issue that has dominated child welfare is the need to provide permanency for vulnerable children and their families. Studies show that the one decisive factor for the success of children in the foster care system is the presence of an adult, a parent or parent-like figure, who serves as an anchor throughout the significant stages of development leading to adulthood. This is so obvious to many of us, but so difficult to establish for a child with learning challenges, behavioral issues and often a fractured family.

It is within this context that Los Angeles County and others throughout the country have structured services to be time delineated, utilizing evidence-based practices to stabilize vulnerable children and begin the process of developing a permanent plan that engages families as the ultimate resource and best placement for most children.

The impact of this trend on Hillsides is significant and perhaps historic. There have been significant shifts in how we provide for the children we serve throughout our history. We have evolved from being a place offering custodial care for orphaned children to being a treatment center providing a therapeutic community that offers a nurturing place where children can be safe and secure. Today, we are called upon not so much to be an alternative to their communities of origin and their families, but rather to become a resource for families and communities as they address the challenges of caring for their most vulnerable children.

As a result, we expect the length of stay and treatment to be reduced, the utilization of researched-based practice to dominate our treatment, increased engagement of families, and a greater utilization of our capacity to accompany and support children in their communities while being ever sensitive to the cost of providing care.

In spite of what may be indeed a different treatment approach, our mission remains the same: to provide vulnerable children and their families what they need most--a supportive community offering resources that will help them achieve great dreams and hopes for a full, happy and successful life.
Stay tuned for updates on our progress on becoming a more effective organization in restoring hope to vulnerable children and their families.

Making the Connection in the Classroom

During the fall season, teachers are assessing students’ academic levels. In particular, students who have been referred to special education schools such as Hillsides Education Center have specific academic and behavioral goals they are working on that are outlined in their individualized education plan. For foster care children, researchers have identified a number of challenges these children commonly experience in the education and child welfare systems. These problems include instability, persistent low expectations, poor adult advocacy on their behalf, inadequate life-skills training, special education needs, and cultural sensitivities.

At HEC, teachers and students work together to bring consistency into their curriculum, clarify what are the expectations, provide support systems, identify social skills to help with behavioral goals, and enrich their lives with hands-on, interactive activities and outings. Although, the Child Welfare League of America points out that the rate at which foster youth complete high school (50%) is significantly below that of their peers (70%), we are delighted that Hillsides Education Center students complete high school at a higher rate of their peers (100%).

Numerous studies indicate anywhere between one-quarter and almost one-half (23%-47%) of children and youth in out-of-home care in the U.S. receive special education services at some point in their schooling, according to the National Working Group on Foster Care and Education. With that in mind, we believe it is critical to support our students in creating opportunities for them to experience successful academic and behavioral outcomes. We celebrate with them when they reach milestones. When Justin’s social impediments impacted his ability to learn, we encouraged him to make a friend. He began making notable progress in his academics. When Jada’s provocative and destructive behavior impeded her ability to learn, we advocated for her to have a one-on-one behavioral specialist. She is now close to being a model citizen.

Nationally, roughly half of all foster children will spend at least one year in foster care, with twenty percent staying longer than three years and nine percent staying for more than five years, according to the Heritage Foundation. Unlike their peers in traditional families, many foster children do not have an adequate safety net or social network and cannot rely on parents or other relatives to facilitate a smooth transition out of the home and into adulthood.

In addition, The National Conference of State Legislatures reported that foster children had “high rates of grade retention; lower scores on standardized tests; and higher absenteeism, tardiness, truancy and dropout rates” when compared to the general population. With these daunting statistics facing the vulnerable children and youth we serve, our mission is to create safe places for them to learn, grow and thrive to become productive citizens, in the classroom and in the home.

With support from individuals, corporations, and organizations, we are able to enhance the student’s experience while enrolled at Hillsides Education Center. SMART Boards, interactive whiteboards that integrate technology, are installed in every classroom. Vocational training offers students hands-on experience. A monthly visiting artist program boosts self-confidence in students. A stunning children’s library with more than 8,000 is the setting for ongoing author visits and reading with the students. We can do more to connect our students with the curriculum.

I encourage you to contact our director of community resources and offer your talent, time or treasure. Our librarian encourages any individual who has a talent, ranging from beading to cooking, to contact her. She designs a reading session with students by integrating your skill or talent and offering reading books that relate to the topic. She connects the reading and activity in various ways to engage students and help them with their IEP goals, including self-confidence.

If you would like to make a connection with Hillsides Education Center or Hillsides, call 323-254-274 ext. 251, visit http://www.hillsideseducationcenter.org/ to learn more about our programs or see how you can fulfill one of our wishes.

Back to School is an Exciting Beginning to New Academic Year

Back to school season offers parents and students an exciting beginning to a new academic year.  An opportunity to start fresh, learn new concepts, and reconnect with friends, school can be welcoming after a summer lull. Some parents anxiously await to the return of a routine and students are excited to socialize on campus. While some students are looking forward to their friends, others may have some apprehension to staring the new school year.

No matter what the sentiment may be, Hillsides Education Center teachers and administrators are here to meet the individual needs of each student. In this highly structured learning environment, students learn instruction using various methods. HEC is committed to reflective teaching and fostering an ethic of caring about each student’s uniqueness. Teachers at HEC focus on academic content as they relate to the students’ past experiences. Artistic problem solving is also encouraged in an effort to make the student’s educational experience more meaningful. Teachers are continually finding new ways to adapt the curriculum to relate to a student’s background, interests and needs.

Our teaching community is very stable with a low turnover rate. Staff includes credentialed special education teachers, instructional aides, licensed clinical social workers, and a speech therapist. Credentials vary from Learning Handicapped Specialist, Clear Level-II Education Specialist, and Preliminary Level-I Education Specialist. Staff members share the teaching philosophy that all children and teens regardless of their behavioral issues or/and challenges can learn in the appropriate setting. Here’s a look at a few of our administrators.

Jay Bechtol, M.S.W., director of Hillsides Education Center, supervises the HEC staff that consists of seven teachers, 28 teacher’s aides and five support staff. He also coordinates access to the services of nurses, therapists, psychiatrists, and music and art therapists through Hillsides’ residential treatment program, which is located on the same campus. Jay has been with Hillsides for twenty years. 

Kerry Webber, assistant director of HEC, is responsible for student admissions, facilitates student enrollment based on openings, and provides student counseling. In addition, Kerry oversees the therapeutic component, developing behavioral plans that are integrated in the individualized education plan. Kerry has been employed by Hillsides for more than twenty years of which 14 years have been with Hillsides Education Center.

Jay and Kerry cultivate relationships with many school districts and inform them on the curriculum and extracurricular activities we offer our students. Students are referred from 31 school districts, including Los Angeles and Pasadena. For a complete list of our school districts and to learn more about our special education, nonpublic school, visit www.HillsidesEducationCenter.org.

Graduation Brings Increased Anxiety for Foster Youth

Graduation is a time when foster care youth experience increased anxiety. Foster care youth living in foster homes or residential treatment facilities, who have reached the age of 18 and have graduated from high school, must find another place to call home. For some of these youth, the foster families they have been living with are no longer in a position to take care of them. These youth are then asked to leave.


The daunting statistic remains: nearly forty percent of former foster youth end up homeless within 18 months of being discharged from foster care. As a leader in the foster care system in Los Angeles County, we did something about this to help these youth move on in a positive way. About five years ago, Hillsides established Youth Moving On, a transitional living and housing program that helps former foster youth transition successfully into adulthood.

We offer former foster youth quality, affordable housing, mentoring, financial literacy, mental health support, vocational and tuition assistance, among many more services. Hillsides Youth Moving On is a supportive community that works side by side with youth who want to achieve successes as they journey into an unknown future. With the help of mentors, these youth receive guidance, support, and an attentive ear. For anyone interested in mentoring these youth, learn more about the transitional living and housing program. Find out how to become a mentor at http://www.hillsides.org/site_info.php?siid=36&id=137 and help them transition through this period with relative ease.