What is Cornerstone
House?
Cornerstone House of
Santa Barbara is a nonprofit corporation providing long-term,
24-hour residential care for developmentally 
disabled young adults.
Our home is unique in the Tri-Counties area, both in the age
range served and in the comfortable, homelike, and stimulating
environment we provide as an alternative to the institutional
setting.
Who manages Cornerstone
House, and what are the qualifications of staff?
Maggie Wordell, R.N. is
the administrator of Cornerstone House. She joined the staff of
Cornerstone House in 1999 as an registered nurse while also serving as
the Director of Education at the Rehabilitation Institute. "During
the past two years I have gained a profound respect for the Cornerstone
staff and board," she notes. " I am proud of the work that
they do every day with our six young people and every summer with
youngsters from our community in our camp."
Ms. Wordell spent her childhood caring for
her older brother with developmental disabilities. "I grew up
with a sensitivity to the needs of persons with special challenges and
their families," she recalls. "Adding the position of
Administrator to my role at Cornerstone was therefore an easy
decision."
Linda Breeden, who served as Home
Office Manager for Cornerstone House, Cornerstone Residential Homes, and
Cornerstone of Ventura for almost five years, was appointed
Administrative Coordinator of Cornerstone House in 2001.
Other professionals include a pediatrician,
registered physical, occupational, and recreational therapists, a
pharmacist, and a dietician. Guided by a Program
Director and Head Staff, trained program aides (one aide for
every two campers) provide 56 hours of active programming in
the facility each week. Parents are an important part of the
Cornerstone House team.
Licensed by the State
of California as an Intermediate Care Facility for the Developmentally
Disabled-H (ICFDD-H), Cornerstone House is a tax exempt 501 (c) (3)
corporation. All donations are fully tax deductible.
What kinds of programs
does Cornerstone offer?
Cornerstone House is
a real home, and family members are encouraged to visit and participate
in our programs and share in our fun times. They learn from us
special techniques of coping with difficult problems in raising
their children.
We assess the total development
needs of each client - medical, sensory-motor, social, emotional,
behavioral, and recreational - and we create programs to meet
individual needs.
Because
of the difficulty in feeding, disabled people are frequently
badly malnourished and underweight. By teaching special techniques,
we offer new hope to parents who may spend hours on a single
meal.
Many of our clients do
not speak, but music is a medium of communication that all can
share. They also enjoy physical therapy in our spa and many structured
outings to family barbecues, the beach, horseback riding, and
local parks.
Outside activities
are an essential part of the day for our clients. The bus comes
each weekday morning to take the residents to community-based
programs in our area.
Cornerstone also operates
the only summer day camp in the Santa Barbara area for severely
developmentally and physically disabled children. The
Happy Adventure Summer Camp offers youngsters the opportunity
to participate in three weeks of daily field trips and other
enrichment activities designed to enhance social and recreational
skills. Enrollment is open to severely developmentally disabled
children and young adults from Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties.
How can I get more
information about Cornerstone House?
Call (805) 684-5840 or
send us e-mail.
How can someone
be placed at Cornerstone House of Santa Barbara?
Sorry, there are currently
no openings at Cornerstone House. Contact the Tri-Counties
Regional Center for referrals for other facilities in the
area.
How can I find
out about employment?
There are occasionally
open positions for direct care staff and summer camp counselors.
For details, call (805) 684-5840 or send
us e-mail.
