Hillside
A Home for Healing
Navigating adolescence has never been an easy feat. But today, faced with the hazards of social media and cyberbullying, the threat of gun violence in schools, and a profound uncertainty about the future, being a teenager—and raising one—is more challenging than ever.
Our nationwide mental health crisis disproportionately affects young people, with rates of anxiety and depression doubling among teens in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The support needed for healing and growth can be as nuanced and specialized as each young person's experience. Overwhelming demand coupled with an increasingly complex healthcare system can create an insurmountable barrier for many families, particularly those with limited resources, keeping the vital services their children need out of reach.
For more than a century, Hillside has been a beacon of hope in the depths of struggle, removing barriers for families and providing life-saving care for young people. Uniquely qualified as one of only six Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities (PRTFs) in Georgia—and the only nonprofit PRTF in Atlanta—Hillside serves more than 800 youth annually, specializing in residential and community-based treatment for children and adolescents ages 11 to 17 with high-risk mental or behavioral health needs. Guided by deep expertise and grounded in compassion, Hillside partners with families to design individualized treatment plans, often adapting timelines and financial support throughout the healing journey to prioritize lasting well-being.
Over the last decade, supported in part by the successful Care Beyond Limits campaign, Hillside has fine-tuned its proven therapy methods, adopted innovative new solutions such as virtual services, and expanded its community prevention programming with partners such as the Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta to serve more families across the region. More than 90% of young people served through Hillside's residential and day programs experience reduced symptoms, improved mood and behavior, and greater capacity to manage difficulties in a healthy way.
"Families thrive when they are connected to one another, to a network of support and to their community," says Hillside President and CEO Emily Acker. "Every day, Hillside strives to fulfill our mission by connecting young people to compassionate therapeutic support, helping the clients and families we serve build the tools and skills needed to create healthy futures."
From campaign planning to meeting fundraising goals and beyond, Coxe Curry is with Hillside all the way. To learn more about how Hillside is changing trajectories for adolescents and their families, visit hside.org.