Category Archives: News

The Hillside community, and the staff and leaders of the agency’s Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection (HW-SC) program, extend their congratulations to Christian Rhodes for his appointment to a position with the United States Department of Education. In February, Rhodes was named Chief of Staff of the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education with the Biden administration. In his most recent position as Chief of Staff for Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) in Maryland, he contributed to the work of Hillside’s Prince George’s County Regional Advisory Council, whose members help Hillside remain responsive to the diverse needs of the communities we…

Read More

The staff and youth at Hillside’s Snell Farm Campus have resumed an annual tradition: producing Grade-A maple syrup from the 1,400 maple trees that populate the 170-acre campus in Bath, NY. Each year, Snell Farm staff and youth in residential treatment work together to tap the trees, collect the sap, and bring it to the on-campus “sugar shack” where the syrup is produced and bottled—sold each year to raise funds for Hillside programs. Therapy for youth at Snell Farm often includes helping out with chores related to syrup-making and other farm-related tasks, and a new apprenticeship program provides another sweet…

Read More

The Davenport-Hatch Foundation, a longtime supporter of Hillside’s mission, has announced a gift of $75,000 to help fund safety and security improvements to Hillside’s Monroe Campus. The Monroe Campus, bordering the City of Rochester and the Town of Brighton in Monroe County, is one of five residential campuses owned and operated by Hillside in upstate New York. Hillside also provides community-based programs in 38 locations across New York State and in Prince George’s County, MD. The Monroe Campus, one of most highly regulated residential campuses in New York State, can serve up to 109 youth. The gift will help fund…

Read More

The annual Hillside Golf Tournament will return in 2021 with a day of friendly competition, prizes and entertainment—all to benefit Hillside’s community-oriented mission, and the youth and families we serve. The 2021 Hillside Golf Tournament, presented by KeyBank, is scheduled for Monday, June 14, at Monroe Golf Club in Pittsford, NY. The event, a scramble for foursomes, will start with lunch and check-in at 11:30am; tee time will begin at 12:30pm and a dinner and raffle will follow. Grand Prize for the winning foursome team is a Golfing & Overnight Package at Turning Stone Resort Casino, including 18 holes on…

Read More

The Rochester Business Journal has announced that Maria Cristalli, Hillside President and Chief Executive Officer, has been named to the publication’s first annual list of the region’s most influential professional individuals. The complete 2021 RBJ Power 100 List includes a brief Q-and-A with each honoree in their own words. “We are pleased with the makeup of this list of leaders,” said Ben Jacobs, RBJ associate publisher, who indicated that healthcare and nonprofit professionals “have played a crucial role in helping our community survive” the COVID-19 pandemic. “We are optimistic that the people and organizations listed here will play a large…

Read More

In response to reports earlier this week of a result in grand jury proceedings in the death of Daniel Prude, Hillside President & CEO Maria Cristalli shared the message below with staff: Eleven months ago, Rochester Police Department officers responded to a call involving a man experiencing a mental health crisis named Daniel Prude. One week later, he died after being hospitalized as a result of what occurred during that call. Yesterday, a grand jury chose not to indict any of the officers involved in that incident. I know I’m not alone in my heartbreak and frustration over this news.…

Read More

Maria Cristalli, President and Chief Executive Officer of Hillside, today released this statement following an announcement by NY Assemblymember Harry Bronson (NY-138) and NY Senator Samra Brouk (NY-55): Hillside strongly supports the passage of Daniel’s Law, a bill proposed today by New York State Assemblymember Harry Bronson and Senator Samra Brouk. Throughout this state and around the country, individuals in need of mental health assistance are too often met with a conventional police response that is poorly equipped to offer vital in-the-moment support. A single life lost to that practice is too much. Change is needed, and Daniel’s Law is…

Read More

Maria Cristalli, Hillside’s President and Chief Executive Officer, today shared an open letter with employees concerning a January 29 incident in the City of Rochester. Her message is shared below. Dear Hillside Colleagues, Last Friday afternoon, a 9-year-old Rochester child was handcuffed and pepper-sprayed by police during a response to a nonviolent mental health call. As a member of the Hillside family and as a human being, I am deeply troubled by this heartbreaking incident. No child should ever be treated this way. Children in distress deserve compassion, support and empathy. This incident is another painful example of the need…

Read More

A partnership between Hillside and the University of Rochester Medical Center led to dozens of Hillside direct-care staff receiving their first COVID-19 vaccinations today. An ongoing URMC initiative has led the medical center to bring Mobile Vaccine Clinics to designated provider sites, enabling eligible individuals to receive their vaccinations. Hillside’s first Mobile Vaccine Clinic was held today on the Monroe Campus in Rochester. Most Hillside employees work in direct-care roles, and are eligible for the early phases of the vaccine rollout. Approximately 25 percent of eligible Hillside staff have received their COVID-19 vaccinations in various community settings. Many more staff…

Read More

Maria Cristalli, Hillside President and Chief Executive Officer, released the following message to all staff today: Dear Hillside Colleagues, Two occasions next week are significant for all Americans. On Monday, our country will observe Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, honoring the civil rights leader who was one of the most influential voices in American history. Two days later, the inauguration of Joseph Biden and Kamala Harris as President and Vice President will mark another historic moment. As the first woman and the first person of color to become Vice President, Senator Harris will have shattered a barrier that once was…

Read More