Mission
Casa Pacifica inspires hope and nurtures mental health and well-being of children, young adults, and families to realize their full potential.
Vision
We envision a world where all children, young adults and their families benefit from mental health services to achieve their full potential. We do this by removing the stigma related to mental health services and providing easy access.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Statement
We are a diverse and inclusive team providing excellent services to all our communities. Our team members are empowered to share their identities, ideas, and perspectives. A culture built on diversity, equity and inclusivity is essential to creating a safe and healing environment at Casa Pacifica.
Values
Casa Pacifica practices the following values to serve as a role model for young people and to prepare them for choices during their lifetime.
Respect
To consider worthy of high regard, a feeling of great approval.
- Admiration
- Consideration
- Concern
- Regard
Compassion
Sorrow or the capacity to feel sorrow for another’s suffering or misfortune.
- Charity
- Kindness
- Forgiveness
- Goodwill
Integrity
Conduct that conforms to an accepted standard of right and wrong and a devotion to telling the truth.
- Honor
- Honesty
- Goodness
- Completeness
- Character
Courage
Strength of mind to carry on in spite of danger.
- Bravery
- Resiliency
- Heart
- Heroism
History of Casa Pacifica
Since our founding in 1994, Casa Pacifica has been dedicated to helping the most vulnerable children and families in our community find hope and healing.
Casa Pacifica was born out of a deep need in Ventura County in the late 1980s. At that time, there were few services for children entering the foster care system—those who were removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect. Often, these children were placed far away from their families, schools, and everything familiar, leaving them feeling isolated and alone. Additionally, children already in foster care, with complex behavioral and emotional needs, were also being sent out of county to facilities unable to provide the support they required.
In response to this urgent gap in services, a public-private steering committee was formed, co-chaired by the Departments of Child & Family Services and Behavioral Health. This committee envisioned a place where children in crisis could find refuge: a campus-based care center that would offer comprehensive services including trauma-informed care, medical attention, assessment, residential care and educational support. It would also be a place where children could be reunited with their families in a safe, nurturing environment.
With a shared sense of purpose, this public-private partnership raised the $10 million needed to bring Casa Pacifica to life. In 1994, the campus opened its doors, providing a safe haven for the most vulnerable children in our community.
As the years passed, Casa Pacifica continued to evolve, expanding its services to meet the growing needs of children and families. In 2000, we began providing community-based services across Ventura County, and in 2003, extended our reach into Santa Barbara County. These services were designed to help children stay safely with their families, preventing the trauma of separation and fostering a sense of hope.
In 2007, Casa Pacifica recognized the pressing need to support young adults transitioning out of foster care, a population that is at great risk of homelessness, substance abuse and unemployment. We expanded our programs to include services that would help these youth successfully transition into adulthood, offering transitional housing, educational support, employment readiness, life skills training and financial literacy.
Motivated to provide its clinical expertise to the community at large, Casa Pacifica introduced its Camino a Casa program to support youth at risk of psychiatric hospitalization, providing three levels of care, from residential treatment to outpatient services. This program was designed to serve not only county-referred families but also those with private insurance, ensuring that all youth who could benefit from our services had access to the care they needed.
Today, Casa Pacifica stands as the largest nonprofit provider of children’s and adolescent mental health services in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. We are proud of our outcomes, which consistently exceed national averages, and the thousands of lives we touch each year. Casa Pacifica serves approximately 2,000 at-risk youth and families annually, offering residential, outpatient, and community-based services that transform lives.
But we cannot do it alone. With your support, we can continue to create lasting change and empower the next generation to reach their fullest potential, building brighter futures for all.