What do you do when you have antsy teens pining for holiday outings that are just not possible in times of COVID? That was the obstacle facing our residential staff, who each year take a lot of pleasure in assuring Vista residents experience a full spectrum of seasonal joy. In this instance, creativity triumphed, and a new tradition was born. Our staff rented a large van and, with residents in tow, drove two hours north to the most organic of holiday settings- snow…

When shelter in place orders were put in place earlier this year, one of my first concerns was for the safety of children and family members living in a home already riddled with stress. The increase of domestic violence cases as a result of COVID-19 has been described within our field as a pandemic within…

A look-in at Vista’s critical services. When someone asks about Vista Del Mar, specifically what services we provide, instead of rattling off a bunch of clinical terms, I’ve found the most impactful answer is the one that describes who we help and how. The individual stories of our residents are what brings to life the critical services we provide . . . “Jackie’s Story” is a brave and inspiring interview with a former Vista resident…

This isn’t your typical back to school week… Walking through the aisles of Target has been a different experience for the past several months (it was feeling like low-stakes Hunger Games for a minute) but what has been most eye-opening lately is how different back to school shopping has felt…