Our Story
Beginning in 1991, a dynamic husband and wife utilized their expertise, compassion, and nurturing spirit, to provide care to developmentally delayed adults. While providing care to developmentally delayed adults, they navigated the challenges of raising their own four minor children and laying a foundation for a family committed to showing empathy, resilience, and mutual support. Although they faced challenges with raising their children, they shared a passion for service and an unwavering commitment to giving back to the commitment.
Starting in 1996, the dynamic duo put their beliefs into action and expanded their family dynamics by fostering up to six female youth. Parenting a total of ten children at any given time, the couple embraced every moment, laying the foundation for a family committed to showing empathy, resilience, and mutual support. Fueled by a desire to make a greater impact in the lives of young at-risk girls, the couple decided to form Chastella Inc., also known as Stella Maris Growth Center for Girls. The Stella Maris Growth Center Short Term Residential Therapeutic Program is a 24-hour 7-day week residential service program.
Our Vision
Stella Maris Growth Center’s vision is to serve as a “stop station” where children/youth/non-minor dependents are given an individual assessment, treated as individuals, and given the services and support needed to grow, heal, communicate effectively, expressing their cultural needs.
Our Goal: A Safe Place For Young Girls
Stella Maris Growth Center is designed to provide specific trauma-informed specialized services to adolescent females 12 to 17 and non-minor dependents. a Short-Term Residential Therapeutic Program (STRTP). Here, their collective skills, passion, and eagerness for nurturing children to the founders establishing and maintaining two homes, with six beds in each home.
Our Mission
Operate an out-of-home placement setting that provides a nurturing family-like environment that promotes positive outcomes for children and families, builds on the child/family strengths and needs, utilizes integrated/comprehensive array of services, and supports the well-being of youth while in care and after-care.”
Our Population
Stella Maris Growth Center Short Term Residential Treatment Program (SMGC STRP) has been providing group residential services to children who are in the juvenile justice system and social services system for the last ten years. Many of these youth, ages 12 through 17, come from broken family systems, where unresolved complex trauma has created psychosocial impairments for our youth and their families. A behavior modification program that is trauma informed, utilizes a level system to educate, develop, and prepare them to re-enter society and, when possible, reunify with family. The length of time a youth stays with SMGC STRTP is between 6-12 months. The objective is to provide youth and their families (if applicable) with transition services through assessing needs, strengths, abilities, and preferences.