OUR STARS

Our Clients

Stars Behavioral Health Group provides services and support to more than 1500 clients each year. The most rewarding part of our work is seeing them overcome tremendous challenges, grow, and change.

Client Success Stories As Told By Our Staff.

From group homes to graduation

      When this young woman came to the Community Day Treatment (CDT) Program at Starlight Adolescent Center, she had history of almost weekly hospitalizations because of suicidal behaviors. She was living at home after several unsuccessful group home placements. She continued to express a sense of extreme hopelessness, self-loathing, and desire to harm herself. Because of strong interventions by her CDT, whose members worked closely with her treating psychiatric hospital, her relationship to others and commitment to herself quickly shifted and strengthened.

      Described by counselors and teachers as "intelligent, friendly, creative, and athletic," this young woman has been able to maintain safe behavior without a single hospitalization. Her remarkable accomplishment is testimony to the progress she has made with the help of Therapeutic Behavioral Services, Day Treatment Intensive services, county service team members, her teacher and district representatives, and especially her dedicated parents.

      She has earned 71 high school credits since entering the program — enough to be awarded a diploma by her public school district. We wish her well on a daily basis and are honored to help her celebrate her June high school graduation.

From drugs to scrubs

      A 14-year-old client didn't have many things we often take for granted, such as a loving family or just quiet time in our room. She often felt sad and angry — feelings that she could only quiet by using methamphetamines. Her situation at school wasn't much better — she had failing grades, and her hopes of becoming a nurse were vanishing away.

      She came to Valley Star after being referred by her high school for behavioral difficulties. She began to understand how her anger would prevent her from making good choices. She began attending school every day, staying off drugs, and communicating with her sister and mother. One year after her discharge from Valley Star, I was walking down the halls of a local high school, and she shouted out my name. She was smiling and wearing scrubs, and enthusiastically explained to me that she was attending nursing classes. She hadn't touched drugs and had a great relationship with her sister and her mother.

      She thanked me for my support but realized that she had to succeed on her own. She learned that she was stronger than she ever thought.

Excerpt From a Client's Poem

Jokers' Maze by Chris

Life is like a maze
Gets me in a daze
It takes me to a place
Where I don't know where I'm at
But I want to come back.

Everybody leave me alone
I'm in my zone
Messed up to the bone
In the dark
Sitting in the park
Forgetting everything
That hurts my heart.

But that was back in the days
Now I'm almost done with my maze
Growing mature in better ways.

This was written by a 15-year-old boy for published in the Starlight Student Newspaper

Testimonials

Client, Girl, age 17
"I really didn't know what it was like to smile, until I came to Star View."

Client, Boy, age 18
"I just graduated from high school and am hoping to go to college. I've been with the program for about 2 to 3 years. The program helped me to graduate. I did all my school work here: they helped me here."
"STARS has helped me with my problems and they get up close and personal with you: don't try to provoke you, but let you know that they are here for you. They don't give up on you:. I'm proud of myself now."
"STARS has helped me explore my talents: poetry and music."

Client, Girl, age 16
"It's been great being here. They talk to me and they really listen. When I get restless, they even will take me to the mall, or take me on a walk. The people here get me."

Client, Boy, age 15
"I can come to them when I have problems: they really listen."

Client, Girl, age 17
"I really like it here. The people here really care about me and how I am improving."

Client, Girl, age 17
"I get to communicate to the staff. The best part of it here, is there is a freedom."

Client, Girl, age 16
"I got out of juvenile home and heard about the program. I voluntarily came here and it has helped me a lot."
"When you have no one to turn to, or no job, it's hard. But with this program, they listen to you and help you through your transitions. They don't look down upon you with your disabilities. You can have a normal life like they do. They take you on outings. They help you to become stronger and encourage you to become better. It makes you not look down on yourself."

Client, Boy, age 16
"As my Grandmother said, STARS has helped me a lot. The program has really helped with my temper."

Spotlight On Our Youth

Community Crusaders Win Volunteer Award

       On Sunday, April 27, 11 Community Crusaders — a leadership group of youth who are residents at Star View Adolescent Center — received a President's Volunteer Service Award at CelebrateLA, which was held at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

       The youth received this terrific honor for their six months of outstanding volunteer efforts which included city clean ups (part of the City of Long Beach Litter Abatement and Awareness Campaign) to fundraising for the Orange County Child Abuse Prevention Center and the El Dorado Park Nature Center to preparing/serving food at the City of Los Angeles mission to visiting with the elderly at the Pacific Care Nursing Center in Long Beach.

       To celebrate their hard work, youth raised money for a trip to Disneyland in January. Among the group's more colorful projects was decorating the Sesame Street float for the Rose Bowl Parade.

       In addition to the awards ceremony, activities included live concerts, arts and crafts, carnival games, prizes, information booths, and more. Not content to rest on their laurels, all of the youth visited booths to sign up for new volunteering opportunities!