Hillside’s commitment to serving youth, adults and families requires an equal commitment to evolution. Adding or expanding programs must be done carefully, and only to meet the recognized needs of the communities we serve. Strategic program development allows us to ensure the best possible outcomes while maintaining fiscal sustainability.

One exciting example of a “new” Hillside service is actually a returning program. Some years ago, Reinvesting in Youth (RIY) supported effective community-based alternatives to detention for Rochester youth. Funding reductions forced us to close the program for a time in 2019, but in 2023 Hillside re-launched Reinvesting in Youth in Syracuse, as part of the NYS Project RISE (Respond, Invest, Sustain, Empower) public safety initiative.

The Syracuse iteration of RIY maintained the core principles of the original model. RIY staff work with youth ages 12-17 and their families, when the youth are at risk of or are currently involved in the juvenile justice system.

• A Case Manager connects the youth to positive community resources, including family and other informal supports, while assisting program participants in navigating the judicial system.
• Enrolled youth are connected to a Community Asset Navigator, who helps the youth engage in activities that build and sustain positive relevant community connections.
• Our Family Peer Advocates use personal lived experience to help the entire family develop the supports necessary to navigate the unique challenges they all face. Peer Advocacy is rooted in Hillside’s bedrock philosophy of family-driven care.

RIY’s goal is to support youth in making choices that help them avoid detention, and to remain focused on a positive and constructive future without being forever defined by past unfortunate decisions.

Following the success of this program in Syracuse, Hillside is expanding RIY’s reach with a return to its Rochester roots. This summer, Reinvesting in Youth will resume service to Monroe County youth and families, funded by the Monroe County Department of Human Services. We’re grateful for the opportunity to bring this proven program to more young people and families in need.

You can be a part of the success of this program, and Hillside’s mission. Find out more about career opportunities at our agency, or donate today to advance our work and help more youth and families thrive. Thank you for your support!

Maria Cristalli
President & CEO

There are so many dimensions to the work we do at Hillside! In our most recent podcast, I was privileged to sit down for a conversation with two members of our Health Care Services team—another critical area that contributes to the interdisciplinary care we provide to youth, adults and families.

Our Health Care Services department is comprised of more than 100 staff, most of whom have chosen nursing as a career and a passion. At Hillside, Registered Nurses, Nurse Managers and Licensed Practical Nurses collaborate every day with direct-care teams in our residential treatment and community-based programs—making regular connections with youth on our campuses, in group homes and in the community, to ensure that each individual’s varied needs are met.

Every day as a Hillside nurse is different than the one before: Our nurses must be multi-faceted, bringing an active mix of professional skills along with emotional intelligence and a passion for working with youth who have experienced trauma.

As Ann Cott, our Executive Director of Health Care and Integration Services, mentioned in the podcast, part of what drew her to Hillside following years spent as a nurse in a hospital setting was the opportunity to expand her skills and enjoy new areas of professional growth. Ann calls Hillside “a unique and interesting place to be a nurse and build your career,” and I couldn’t agree more.

If you’re an RN or LPN, I hope you’ll consider joining our team. Hillside is hiring for a variety of specific placements in different programs and locations in the regions we serve. To learn more about opportunities as part of Hillside’s Health Care Services team, please visit Hillside.com/careers today.

Thank you as always for your interest in Hillside!
Maria Cristalli
President & CEO

At Hillside, we know that partnerships are critical to achieving the best results for the youth, adults and families we serve. One type of partnership involves working with researchers at respected institutions. These relationships allow us to apply the latest insights in the field to our work, and to reciprocate by sharing our results—helping advance the field even further.

Thanks to a longstanding collaboration with Cornell University’s Residential Child Care Project (RCCP), Hillside has been committed to the Children and Residential Experiences (CARE) model, which provides an innovative, evidence-based framework for our services that has been proven to improve outcomes.

In my most recent podcast conversation, I met with Martha Holden, Cornell’s Director of the Residential Child Care Project, to discuss how the aptly named CARE supports our work with youth and families through six guiding principles: ensuring our programs are Ecologically Oriented, Competence-Centered, Developmentally Focused, Trauma-Informed, Relationship-Based and Family-Involved. (Click this link to learn more about CARE and these principles.)

As the needs of those we serve continue to evolve, Hillside must adapt and innovate as well—and we’re proud to be a partner with Cornell and other institutions to meet that challenge.

Your partnership is also critical to our success! Thank you for your continued interest in our work, and your support for Hillside’s mission.

Maria Cristalli
President & CEO

On February 28, 1837, the organization now known as Hillside first opened its doors to support the needs of vulnerable children in our community. So much has changed in 188 years, but Hillside’s essential mission of service hasn’t wavered—and neither has our need for public support that help us achieve our goals.

In honor of our “birthday” later this month, we’ve established a Hillside Challenge that provides an ideal opportunity to support our mission. Thanks to the generosity of several corporate sponsors, your donation will be doubled throughout the month of February. There’s never been a better time to join us in keeping Hillside Strong! 

Each year, Hillside’s services make a critical difference for thousands of children, adults and families—strengthening whole communities, one life at a time. I hope you’ll take advantage of this matching-gift opportunity by making a generous donation before February 28, and encouraging your friends and family to do the same.

As always, thank you for your support of Hillside! Your partnership makes our mission possible.

Maria Cristalli
President & CEO
Hillside

The past 12 months have been extraordinary in the Hillside community, and we’re looking forward to doing even more in the New Year!

2025 will see new programs that expand our ability to serve vulnerable youth, adults and families; new events that celebrate the achievements of those we serve and our many talented Hillside employees; and new and enhanced partnerships that support our work and allow us to do even more.

One exciting event is coming soon: Hillside’s 188th birthday on February 28 will be a Challenge Day in which we humbly ask the community to renew your support for our life-changing work.

Details about the Challenge Day and other 2025 announcements will be shared on our website as well as on Hillside’s social media channels. If you’re not already doing so, please follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and X—and be sure to share our news with your own networks.

Happy New Year from Hillside! Together, we can help countless young people and families achieve the stronger futures they deserve.

Maria Cristalli
President & CEO

One of Hillside’s most enduring traditions has returned: Special Santa, our annual toy-and-gift drive that makes holiday wishes come true for thousands of children and families. I hope you’ll add your support to this magical year-end program!

For more than 40 years, Special Santa has been an example of not only charity, but community. Our employees across all Hillside programs collaborate to build gift lists from the wishes of some of the most vulnerable children we serve. Corporate donors like KeyBank provide vital sponsorship support that helps underwrite our efforts. And then, each November and December, thousands of individuals from the community provide the donations that ultimately brighten the holidays for so many.

This year, there are more ways than ever to play a part – whether by making a direct online donation; shopping online via our Amazon Gift Lists; starting your own Special Santa fundraiser with family, friends and co-workers; or shopping locally and dropping off new and unwrapped gifts at dozens of convenient donation boxes in the community.

You can visit our Special Santa online headquarters for a complete list of locations, along with the most requested gifts and all you need to know to participate.

Last year, Special Santa brought over 7,000 gifts to more than 3,500 children and families – and thanks to you, I know this year will bring smiles to even more faces.

Thank you for your support, and for your continuing interest in our mission!

Maria Cristalli
President & CEO
Hillside