Mission

Hillside Family of Agencies provides individualized human services to children, youth, and families through an integrated system of care.

Strategic Intent

The leader in translating research into effective practice solutions.

Shared Vision

Hillside Family of Agencies is a leader in services for children, youth, and families because we are committed to these ideals:

Respect all people

• Diverse thoughts, ideas, and opinions are listened to and valued

• Our diversity is an advantage in building a strong, culturally competent, and inclusive community

• Individuals are supported in achieving a healthy balance in personal and work lives

Empower everyone

• Our decision-making processes are inclusive

• Individuals, families, and teams are empowered to realize their potential

• Leadership development is imperative to our success

Achieve Results

• High quality services are provided

• Best practices are integrated into our services and continually improved to optimize outcomes

• Effective leaders are judicious stewards of information and resources

Create partnerships

• Children, youth, parents, and families are our partners

• We are honest and trustworthy

• We all share knowledge, skills, and resources

High performance

• We employ highly skilled, qualified individuals

• Every person’s strengths and assets are recognized and developed

• The education and training we provide foster continuous learning 

Philosophy of Service - “Our Privilege to Serve”

 We Believe:

A family is of paramount importance in the life of a child/youth and children are best served in the context of their families and cultures, therefore: 

Our goal is to strengthen families so children and youth can grow and flourish.  We preserve the dignity of each family and strive to strengthen its members’ attachments and support their goals.

Our services are child-centered and family-focused; children, youth, and families are full partners in all aspects of service delivery.

Families, children, and youth are best served in the context of their community and within the most appropriate setting, therefore:

• We serve families, children, and youth in their own communities whenever possible, individualizing services based on their needs.

• We are committed to providing families ease of access to services and advocacy in negotiating their needs across our integrated system of care and within the broader system of health and human services. 

The children and youth of today create the families and communities of tomorrow, therefore:

• We are committed to the culturally competent care of children, youth, and families.

• Our work with families is focused on goals of safety, health, and permanency.

• We promote safe and nurturing environments for children and youth across our integrated system of care: within families, schools, foster homes, and group care.

• When family reunification is not possible, we facilitate a child/youth’s options for kinship care, adoption, or supportive group living through which they may experience a sense of family and family life.

• We recognize and promote the developmental processes of each child/youth and offer learning opportunities that contribute to his/her development.

• We teach skills for self-management and self-expressive language so that children, youth, and families may be successful.

 Hope inspires efforts toward growth and change, therefore:

• We help each child, youth, and family to develop a vision of a better future and empower each to take steps toward its achievement.

• From their vision, children, youth, and families are encouraged to shape goals that provide the focus for our work together.

Families, children, and youth grow and change through meaningful relationships, therefore:

• We have service providers with specialized knowledge, skills, and experience who build relationships with families based on respect, empathy, and genuine concern.

• We approach our work through partnerships that acknowledge the contributions of each individual in processes centered on growth and change.

• We accept that each child, youth, and family makes the decision to change their lives and that any success is ultimately their success.

• We recognize that children, youth, and families have their own readiness and pace for positive change.

•  

Families, children, and youth bring strengths and resources to find solutions, therefore:

• We focus on strengths and on plans of progress as we address areas of need.

• We encourage the development of potential by sharing information and teaching skills.

• We support the capacity of each child, youth, and family to participate in the process to determine solutions that will work best for their lives within the context of their culture. 

Multiple systems influence children, youth, and families at all levels, both inside and outside of our organization, therefore:

• We approach our work with humility and embrace the value of continuously learning from the children, youth, and families we serve.

• We provide an organizational environment that encourages continuous development.

• We strive for relationships that are respectful and empowering.

• We advocate for children, youth, and families nationally, statewide, and locally across multiple systems in order to shape positive social attitudes that support an integrated system of care.

• We commit ourselves to the contributions we can make today that build a better future for children, youth, and families. 

And therefore, we are ever mindful of how much is entrusted to our safekeeping by the children, youth, families, and communities we serve.  

It is our privilege to serve.