A Children's Place Of Healing

Members of the Goucher College Soccer Program visiting with some of the children at St Vincent Villa.

It's a program with which I am well familiar, since I volunteered back when the now-joined programs were separate. I have helped some of the children referred to this organization transition from the inpatient setting to its setting. It's none other than ST VINCENT VILLA, located on Pot Spring Road in Timonium.

This organization offers both residential and diagnostic and treatment services for children ages 3 to 13, who have emotional and behavioral challenges. Generally, children who are served have been in inpatient treatment repeatedly, so this type of residential treatment becomes an option in order for the children to receive longer-term treatment, which allows them to return to the community for much longer periods than they had been experiencing.



For most children who access the residential component, stays range from six to nine months. There is also a shorter term unit, an intensive diagnostic and stabilization unit, for which the stays are approximately 90 days. An entire treatment team, whose members are from various treatment disciplines, are at the disposal of each child. Among the services are psychological testing, family therapy, medication management, on-site nursing and health care, case management, a volunteer mentoring program, individual and group therapy, internal community meetings that reinforce the concepts of safety, unity, respect, and fun (SURF). All is wrapped around with trauma-informed care.

A young girl, Grace, came to St. Vincent Villa in 2012, with her own set of issues. What she was dealing with affected her schooling and she was unable to cope with the stresses she faced. Her mother explained that she did not know how to help provide her daughter with coping skills, either. Mother noted that the communication connection with members of the treatment team was very helpful and was not often found in other treatment facilities.

Now, a few years down the road, Grace has hope, she has ambitions for a career in science. Mother notes that one of the keys for her in Grace's treatment was staying involved in the treatment process. Mother also noted that since she left St. Vincent Villa, she has had to deal with her father's lengthy absences in the military, but that now she has the ability to cope better. The relationship between mother and daughter has notably improved.

A wall of wishes for Christmas presents by the children, that can be fulfilled by members of the public.

Grace has seemingly also found her niche in the business world through her talent in jewelry making. She has a list of clients with whom she maintains regular contact and she is sure to incorporate their ideas into her designs. It's the power of one, multiplied by the many supportive people in her life.

Some of the St Vincent Villa boys gathered for an Ed Block Courage event.

One of the parents of another resident stated, "I can't thank you enough for the role you played in salvaging our family unit, which was in imminent danger of falling apart. We are a much stronger, more cohesive family unit, which has had a huge impact on our ability to manage our child more effectively."

Thanks for information from this page on Catholic Charities: http://www.catholiccharities-md.org/st-vincents-villa/; and the above link.

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