Thank you to our long-standing corporate partner, Mission Federal Credit Union! 

Through their support, we’re getting the word out on KyXy Radio 96.5 FM about our important Back-to-School Drive. Our drive is a great way for you, your co-workers or service organization to “give back” and help our youth start the school year on a positive note. It’s amazing how a new backpack and school supplies can help boost a child’s confidence and self-esteem.

Make a difference in a child’s life today by clicking this link.

When Michelle was asked about why she works at the Center, she immediately reflected on being a parent to a child who struggles with mental health challenges and the empathy she has for Center parents. That is Michelle though, someone who is compassionate, understanding, and embodies a kind spirit.

Last month, Michelle celebrated 18 years at the Center and we are beyond grateful for the thousands of youth and parents she has impacted through her passion and perseverance. We thank Michelle for all that she does for the Center!

If you are interested in joining our team and making a difference, we invite you to view our current openings. 

“Our Young Master Chef Competition is one our most fun events for me to do every year. It not only gives our kids a way to demonstrate their culinary skills, but more importantly, gives them an opportunity to step out of their comfort zone and be put in a situation where they compete against each other in a friendly manner. Our competition is one of a kind and helps our youth build their self-confidence and interact with top chefs in our community who provide inspirational and encouraging words, which is priceless. They really care about our youth.”
– Tina Reyes-Magnanelli, M.A., Life Skills Manager

Yesterday, was a fun experience for our teens who participated in our Annual Young Master Chef Competition! We thank the amazing chefs who took time out of their busy schedules to support our youth, including Tommy Gomes from Catalina Offshore Products, Mike Ground from Herb & Wood, Jordan McConnell from Harney Sushi, Lisa Ortiz, Andrew Sasloe from SDSU Dining, and Brittany Capito from Capito Cakes & Events. A special thank you as well to Tina Reyes and Katie Norman from our Life Skills Department, staff members who mentored our teens leading up to the competition, and our donors who attended to cheer on our teens! 

 

We had a lot to celebrate at our Annual Company Picnic…great weather and some tasty tacos, but more importantly of course our annual Value Award and Betty Jean Scholarship recipients! Kudos to this year’s recipients and our over 400 dedicated team members for their important efforts each day! 

To join our team, view our current openings.

 

 

Our Academy students were recently treated to a fun day of science thanks to our amazing corporate partner, Takeda California (TCAL). Beginning with a tour of their new state-of-the-art facility, our students were able to go inside their laboratories, learn about cutting edge technology in research and development, and enjoy some pretty cool science experiments. Thank you to the wonderful employees at TCAL for spending time with our youth and helping to engage the next generation of scientists! 

If your place of work is interested in making a difference in our community, we invite you to explore our corporate partnership opportunities.

 

4,000 pairs of socks were personally delivered by the California Sock Company to our main campus all in the spirit of creating JOY for the youth we serve!

We are very thankful to California Sock Company for their partnership and passion to our mission. Our children and teens will be wearing some cool socks this summer due to their generosity!

If your company would like to create JOY for children in need, we invite you to view our current JoyMakers opportunities.

We appreciate our amazing team members!

Victor Martinez, Facilities Manager, has worked for the Center for 4 years and during this time has contributed significantly to our efforts! You can always count on Victor to lend a helping hand with open spirits and a warm smile.

We thank Victor and our entire facilities team for maintaining our therapeutic and nurturing environments across San Diego County. Due to their instrumental efforts, families are able to feel safe, heal from their experiences, and become hopeful of a more joyful life!

Therapeutic support can come in many forms including from furry friends, such as Harley, who graces North County Academy (NCA) in Carlsbad with his playful hop and irresistible cute face! Learn more about Harley and the impact he has on Center youth below.

Fun Facts About Harley, 1 ½ year-old Goldendoodle

• A teddy bear face! People always comment that Harley looks like a stuffed animal teddy bear or Chewbacca from Star Wars.
• Harley is smart, a little too smart! When Harley doesn’t get his way on something, he will turn his back to you and pout. Then, if Harley doesn’t think you notice him, he will get up, turn again and make a louder pouty noise so that he makes sure someone notices him!

How Harley Arrived at NCA

“I didn’t want to socialize with anyone when I came to NCA. But, after I started working with Harley, I became more social and didn’t feel afraid talking to other students.” – Center Youth

Harley is owned by Talin Yesaie, our amazing NCA Program Manager. Harley passed his good citizenship test on December 17, 2017 and has been on our Carlsbad program site ever since. The original plan was not to bring Harley so young, but after bringing Harley for a day to meet the students, they fell in love with him and asked for him every day.

How Harley Helps Center Youth

“When I’m not ready to share with my therapist, I can tell Harley what I’m feeling and he won’t say anything. It makes me feel relieved and takes a lot of the weight off my shoulders.” – Center Youth

Harley is loved by many students that he has his own calendar! Harley is requested either as a reward, or when a student is in distress or unresponsive. During therapy sessions, Harley teaches students about energy, body language, and how our brains respond under stress.

Students will sit with Harley when they are feeling anxious, sad, lonely, or when they are talking in therapy, especially when they are discussing past trauma. There are also times when students will sit with Harley without speaking to anyone and just pet him, brush his hair or lay with him in order to feel soothed. Staff also enjoys spending time with Harley and it has completely changed the mood of the school. Harley helps to de-stress everyone!

In addition to providing therapeutic support and unconditional love to current NCA students, Harley also joins tours for prospective families and helps when students are hesitant to attend, which they are usually won over after meeting Harley. Harley leads the last part of tours when NCA team members show families our therapy offices and explain more about our offered school-based therapeutic services.

Harley’s Impact

“It boosts my self-confidence in working with Harley and seeing the results of the change. I’m really good with animals and working with Harley has opened me to other areas where I am good at too. I just didn’t realize it before because I didn’t feel confident about myself.” – Center Youth

Jim was a 4th grader who was terrified of Harley when he first came onto campus and would not come near him, but would also request to spend time with him. Jim would sit with Harley in the room and keep his distance. He would throw treats and toys at Harley from afar. As the weeks went by, Jim began to get closer and engage more with Harley. Eventually they were able to be near each other. Jim could pet Harley and now has zero fear of dogs and enjoys running around the playground with him.

It’s officially the first full week of summer, which means our summer camps are in action!

Katie Morrill, Program Director of our Family Wellness Center, was on KUSI News to share about our fun camps for children in grades 1-6. For more information and to register your child, click here. 

Thank you to our community partner, National Foundation for Autism Research, for their support of our camps!