We are excited to announce the rebranding of our START program – now Camino a Casa meaning Way Home. “We thought it was fitting since the goal of the program is to get kids back to their home and family – healthy, happy, and ready to thrive,” said Elizabeth Zacher Burke, Clinical Program Manager of Camino a Casa. The program offers therapeutic intervention for youth heading into or being discharged from psychiatric hospitalization. Camino a Casa offers access Casa Pacifica’s cutting-edge mental health services through private insurance/private pay. 

Molly (name changed for privacy) came to the Camino a Casa program with a distrust of adults and an inability to build healthy relationships. She spent the first 18 months of her life at an orphanage where she was neglected – the result of that neglect was a permanent limp and emotional dysregulation issues. Her adoptive family struggled to teach her coping skills and instill a sense of independence and self-esteem, but they refused to give up on her.  

Enter the Camino a Casa program. Mary-Lynn Wagner, Camino a Casa’s Academic Facilitator, spends every morning with the kids in residential treatment. “When Molly came to us she was quiet and withdrawn,” reflected Mary-Lynn. “She wouldn’t confide in any staff or let us comfort her. But by the time she left she would run up to us, say ‘I love you’ and ask for a hug with open arms. It was a complete 180. I believe we gave Molly “wings” to move on to the next chapter of independence in her life by teaching her important skills. In the Camino a Casa program she learned to trust and build strong and lasting relationships, developed coping skills to help manage her disabilities, learned to positively advocate for her needs, and most importantly learned to accept and love herself as a unique individual.” 
 

Find out if Camino a Casa is the right fit for your child, call us at (805) 366-4000.

Don’t miss the hottest events of the year! Enjoy our award-winning events while supporting a great cause either as a guest or a sponsor! All proceeds from our events directly support our programs and services for foster and at-risk youth! Have a great time for a great cause!

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Join us on Saturday, April 27th from 10 AM – Noon for a FREE information session to learn how you can make a difference in a child’s life by becoming a foster parent. Hosted by Casa Pacifica’s Foster Family Agency. Please RSVP to Kim Bennett at [email protected] or (805) 366-4301.

We’re getting ready to celebrate 25 years of service to the children and families! Stay tuned for details – we can’t wait to celebrate with you!

1. Shop! Love a good Target run? Who can resist Amazon these days? Put those shopping sprees to good use and shop for our kids! Check out our Target registry or Amazon wish list and have items shipped straight to us. Help us make our campus feel more like home – shop rugs, wall decals, blankets, and don’t forget to sign up for Amazon Smile!

2. Volunteer!  We are gearing up for our biggest fundraiser of the year – the Angels Wine, Food & Brew Festival is Sunday, June 2nd we’re looking for volunteers! Please contact Morgan Piehn at [email protected] to sign up.

3. Give!  In addition to donating to our annual fund, you can also plan on giving in the future! Leave a legacy by giving to Casa Pacifica through a future gift. Learn more about planned giving here. 

Thank you to our Corporate Leaders!