Our Sarah Dooley Center for Autism (SDCA) deeply believes in the transformative power of community-based instruction. By engaging with people in a variety of real-world settings like stores, museums and restaurants, students are able to build life skills that will support their independence as adults. Teacher James Auer took this approach to a historic new level for SDCA by leading his class on their first-ever trip to our nation’s capital. ...Read More
Meet Mysonne, a 2021 Villa graduate who today proudly serves as a counselor for elementary students in our Dooley School. Mysonne says he discovered his passion for helping others while he was a student here himself, and that his educators set him on the path to tap into his potential. Focusing on education was once an uphill battle for Mysonne as he faced challenges in and out of high school. ...Read More
Announcing our 1st annual conference for our public school partners! Thursday, November 2 8:00am-3:30pm | $120 Sarah Dooley Center for Autism at St. Joseph's Villa Lunch will be provided. REGISTER HERE Designed to share our pioneering model in a collegial and collaborative environment, this event will be ideal for special education teachers, administrators who supervise special education classrooms, support staff, and other professionals who work with students diagnosed with ...Read More
In Virginia Home Grown's recent episode on the healing power of nature, our own Matthew Kreydatus, Senior Director of Wellness and Transition Services, and Tyler Berkeley, Garden Coordinator, shared the many ways gardening can benefit students with specialized education needs. The Villa's 7,500 sq. ft. Learning & Therapy Garden is a dynamic shared space for everyone we serve, and home to a wide range of activities designed to enhance physical, ...Read More
The Villa’s partnership with Saxon Shoes has grown over the years from what started as a holiday fundraiser for local nonprofits in 2016. Today, the store serves as a work training site for our Career and Transition Services students, where they can build valuable skills for employment. The Villa’s Career and Transition Services (CATS) supports individuals with emotional, behavioral and academic challenges, as well as those with moderate to severe ...Read More
DID YOU KNOW... During the COVID-19 pandemic, 37% of high school students reported they experienced poor mental health. LGBTQ+ youth are 4x more likely to attempt suicide than their peers. In the U.S., there is an average lag of 8-10 years between the onset of a mental health condition and the start of treatment. 1 in 5 American youth live with a mental health condition. In October, the Villa hosted a panel discussion on the current Youth ...Read More
Each summer, the Villa works to ensure that every student is prepared with the supplies and resources they need to reach their full potential in the classroom on the very first day of school. While many of our families cannot afford essential school supplies, they don’t have to worry about that at the Villa. Thanks to supporters like you, every Villa student can depend on a full backpack and focus ...Read More
St. Joseph's Villa congratulates Adam Dreyfus, Senior Director of the Villa's Sarah Dooley Center for Autism, on his appointment to serve on the Board of Education's State Special Education Advisory Committee. Adam has led the Sarah Dooley Center for Autism since 2013, after serving the Commonwealth of Virginia as a Technical Assistance Associate at VCU’s Autism Center for Excellence. He has worked in Region 1 and 8 providing direct services ...Read More
Our Villa Garden will celebrate its 10th anniversary in October. Thanks to support from our community partners and volunteers, each season has seen the garden expand as an ever-changing therapeutic and educational resource for all Villa students and clients. On their annual Founder's Day of Caring, volunteers from the ABC 8News team joined us in the garden to install galvanized raised beds and prep them for growing. These sturdy new ...Read More
The extraordinary demands of the pandemic have placed a heightened burden on the mental wellbeing of our frontline healthcare workers. St. Joseph's Villa is pleased to partner with Virginia Department of Health, Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS), and Virginia Health Care Foundation to provide healthcare workers with specialized resources and support as part of the Frontline Wellness VA program. Visit our Frontline Wellness VA web page ...Read More
