Individualized Care and a Place in the Community

For more than 80 years, Hillside has been home to 59 adults with significant intellectual and developmental disabilities, the only place on the Central Coast that provides a full range of comprehensive, supportive, individualized care.

While their vast slate of services encompasses around-the-clock care alongside physical, occupational, speech, and aquatic therapy in a pool built for the residents, what Hillside’s Director of Employee and Community Relations Angela De Bruyn says sets Hillside apart is not just their services but how they are delivered. 

“It’s not one size fits all here,” she says. “Because every resident is an individual human being, each one has a care plan built specifically around their needs.”

Hillside is focused on what De Bruyn calls the “heart of the organization”: the residents. And their place is not only inside their home but in their community of Santa Barbara. A
two-year grant has allowed Hillside to hire a Community Integration Specialist, one person devoted to helping residents integrate more fluidly in the outside community. The need is bigger than it sounds. A single outing requires extensive logistics including a wheelchair lift, a van, preparation of medication and food, and hours of staff coordination, but the payoff goes deeper than a change of scenery. “Community inclusion promotes a sense of belonging and confidence,” De Bruyn says. “Our Program Director is reporting a decrease in behaviors and depressive symptoms in residents as a result of these outings.”

Brad is a good example. He loves Starbucks, orders the same venti hot chocolate every time, and once dressed as a barista for Halloween. This year, with Hillside’s expanded community integration program, De Bruyn was able to meet him at a Starbucks, and the two had coffee together. “Since 1945, Hillside has been working to remove barriers and
de-stigmatize assumptions about individuals with disabilities. By encouraging independence and integration, it ultimately creates a stronger community for everyone,” De Bruyn says.

Forming Everlasting Bonds

The bonds at Hillside run deep and lasting. Alan, a longtime, beloved resident, owned hundreds of pairs of sunglasses and wore a different pair every day. When he passed away, several staff members each kept a pair of his sunglasses to remember him by. That attachment is part of why caregivers stay. Many have been at Hillside for more than 15 years, some for more than 30. It’s another facet of what sets Hillside apart—the longevity and dedication of their well-trained staff. 

While Medi-Cal and Medicare cover the basic care, everything that lets a resident lead a truly meaningful, more independent life – the outings, the swim lessons, the community integration – comes from donations. With donor support, Hillside can keep making sure every resident is cared for, known by name, and welcomed into a community that is learning to know them back.