NEWS

Congratulations to Matthew Kreydatus, our Director of Career and Transition Services, for receiving the 2022 Making a Difference Award from VAISEF! For over 20 years at the Villa, Matthew has been extraordinarily committed to meeting students’ most immediate needs so that they can thrive in and outside of school. Many of our students face significant […]

What makes the Crisis Stabilization Unit at St. Joseph’s Villa different from a psychiatric hospital? For Emily and her mom, Heather, access to a nurturing, less clinical setting for mental health services brought healing to the entire family. “Emily walked away with coping skills, and found out that she wasn’t alone in her challenges,” said […]

The possibilities that come with each spring are always met with excitement at the Villa. They bring a new season of growth in the Villa Garden, meaning fresh opportunities for students to immerse in the colors, textures, smells, and wildlife that reawaken. This year, we had even more reasons to celebrate the return of spring […]

Column by CEO Kathleen Burke Barrett Published by the Richmond Times-Dispatch, March 26, 2022 More than two years ago, COVID-19 was declared a national emergency. The prevailing assumption was that U.S. schools would be closed for a week or two before reopening and returning to “normal.” Given the primary challenges for students with autism amid […]

Career and Transition Services (CATS) continues providing opportunities for Villa students to explore their creativity in partnership with local colleges and universities. This fall, Dooley School and VCU students will share ideas for improving their communities using models created with a 3D printer. “Our shared goal with CATS is to help Villa students practice teamwork […]

The effects of childhood trauma echoed through the years for Caroline. She moved in with her 70-year-old grandmother after enduring neglect by her parents, but had trouble managing her emotions despite a more caring environment. Her anxiety and anger would often erupt into violent outbursts and destruction. When crisis situations escalated and became too much […]

For 40 years, Mr. Davis lived alone, homeless, under a bridge. He remembers a happy childhood with loving and supportive parents, and as one of three siblings, he’ll tell you he was the baby of the family. But as a teenager, he suffered the unbearable loss of his mother to cancer, followed by the passing […]

Historic School Building Repurposed to Serve as National Model for Autism Education and Teacher Training RICHMOND, Va. – Inspired to make a difference by rising autism rates and the demonstrated long-term impact of expert educational intervention, St. Joseph’s Villa unveiled its new Sarah Dooley Center for Autism (SDCA) on Sept. 2, 2021. The school will […]

While responding to COVID-19, the community of Crater Region/Petersburg, Virginia came together to reach functional end veteran homelessness — now it is working to sustain it. When the pandemic hit the Crater Region of Virginia, the community was faced with even more barriers to ending homelessness and keeping communities safe. Luckily, the community was able […]

St. Joseph’s Villa would like to give a huge THANK YOU to Meaningful Meals for generously treating all 245 Villa staff to lunch on Wednesday, May 12th – their largest donation of lunches to frontline workers yet! Meaningful Meals began in March 2020, when longtime educators Janet Meyers and Claudia Biegler decided to lift up […]