San Diego Virtual Tour

Hanbleceya is located on Wellesley Street in La Mesa, a safe, serene middle class neighborhood about 10 miles northeast of downtown San Diego. Though it’s home to over 60,000 residents and two major educational institutions – San Diego State University and Grossmont Junior College (both pictured above) – La Mesa is able to maintain a small town appeal. Major services like Vons grocery store chain and numerous restaurants are all a short walking distance from our semi-independent houses as is the Salvation Army Joan Kroc Center, which provides Hanbleceya clients work development opportunities.

Just a short block from Hanbleceya is one of San Diego’s most beautiful recreational parks, Lake Murray. Hanbleceya clients frequently visit Lake Murray for walking, hiking, biking, picnics and other social activities. La Mesa is also blessed with an excellent metro bus and trolley transportation system. The popular San Diego trolley is an easy one mile walk from the Hanbleceya center, or can be accessed via the bus, which stops in front of the Hanbleceya offices and nearby all program residences. From the trolley, clients can access many of the popular areas in San Diego, including San Diego State University, Qualcomm Stadium, Mission Valley, Fashion Valley, Old Town Historical Park and downtown San Diego.

Assisting our clients in learning the tools to become as successful and independent as possible is Hanbleceya’s primary goal. Our Work Development program is a big part of this as we believe employment, whether voluntary or paid, is significant in building self- esteem and confidence, in turn, helping our clients reach their goals. Once a week, in a 50-minute group, our clients get the opportunity to practice basic interviewing skills, hear about potential volunteer and paid job opportunities as well as share their earned work development hours and experiences. A requirement of ten hours of work development a week is part of each client’s structure and can be earned a variety of ways. Department store security, retail, animal care and coaching children confined to wheelchairs are just some of the many employment opportunities our clients have secured while more examples of success such as these continue to be fostered everyday.

Hanbleceya prides itself on maintaining clean and professional facilities while creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. Our therapy center houses several comfortable offices, plus areas for our administration, support staff, and work developer. Our administrative office hours are open 8:30am-4:30pm, Monday through Friday and clinicians are typically onsite until the early evening. There is always a clinician on-call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to respond to clinical emergencies or crisis situations.

Multiple therapy groups are held Monday through Friday in the various group therapy rooms. The weekly schedule includes groups that focus on Addictions, Trauma and Recovery, Conflict Resolution, Time Management, Women’s and Men’s Issues, Breaking Old Patterns, and other groups designed to help individuals learn how to more effectively manage their symptoms, improve interpersonal relationships, and develop a stronger sense of self. Hanbleceya clients typically attend between 12-16 hours of group therapy per week depending on their treatment plan. In addition to groups, clients receive two individual therapy sessions each week with their assigned primary and secondary therapists and numerous activity groups designed to promote social skill building and community cohesiveness. The Therapeutic Community Approach gives clients the opportunity to learn skills necessary to achieve goals, give and receive support, learn effective self-care strategies, and be responsive to both self and others.

Family therapy is a vital part of the total Hanbleceya treatment system. We encourage families to make themselves available and participate in the therapeutic process as often as is recommended by the clinical Treatment Team. Family therapy sessions are coordinated with and set up via the individual’s assigned family therapist. For families living outside the San Diego area, these sessions are conducted over the phone. Every two months Hanbleceya hosts Family Support Night which each family is strongly encouraged to attend. During this special evening familiy members have the opportunity to interact with other families and the clinical staff, to share experiences and ask questions, and to learn about how they can best support their loved one, and themselves, through the recovery and healing process.

Yvonne Walsh has been a central figure of the Hanblceceya community for nearly 20 years and is affectionately known as Hanbleceya’s “Keeper of the Culture.” Yvonne is an expert in the Therapeutic Community approach and serves as a model for clients and staff alike. Connie Verdeyen has been in the Hanbleceya family since 1999 as the Office Manager and over the years has earned the reputation of being the “mother hen” to the community. Carrie Hultman, our Work Developer, has one vital task – to help ensure that your loved-one fulfills the requirement that he/she spend 10 hours per week either working or attending to academic endeavors. Together, Yvonne, Connie, and Carrie play significant roles in helping support your loved-one through the recovery process.

Milieu Director, Kevin Bullard, Administrative Coordinator, Tanya Lutz and Kryssy Taylor are key assets in the Hanbleceya system. A longtime employee of Hanbleceya, Kevin plays a significant role in managing the support staff and helping our clients stay on their path to recovery. Working under the direction of Yvonne Walsh, LPT, Kryssy Taylor , our Assistant Support Services Coordinator, plays a major role in supporting the needs of the community.

Meagan Benner our Linestaff Manager, plays an instrumental role in managing our linestaff personnel and supporting the collective efforts within the milieu. Ray Killips, Hanbleceya Therapist and Chemical Dependency Director is in charge of supporting the on-going recovery efforts of those clients in our chemical dependency sub-program. Though Hanbleceya is a primary psychiatric program, the high percentage of dually diagnosed individuals who seek treatment from us make it paramount that we provide significant containment and support in this area. Our resident IT Genius, Ryan maintains our technology infrastructure in addition to taking the lead in many of our company-wide special projects.

As Administrative Marketing Coordinator, Susan Daly provides needed support for our client population, assists with internal administrative duties, is the face behind facebook and publisher of our quarterly newsletter. A member of the Hanbleceya family since 1997, Dr. Karlyn Pleasants co-directs the clinical team while Kerry Paulson heads all the business and administrative endeavors of the company.

VisionQuest Treatment House is a non-locked, residential facility that provides the highest level of care offered by Hanbleceya. A licensed facility, VisionQuest offers around the clock care, programming and supervision. The “VQ” program has been designed for clients who need a greater level of supervision and support while stabilizing and preparing for a less structured setting in Hanbleceya's standard semi-independent living program.

Our semi-independent housing offers comfortable and safe living quarters for your loved one. Each client is assigned a fully furnished private bedroom with new linens, towels and a private house phone. Common areas are nicely furnished and monitored daily to make sure they are well kept. We encourage each client to decorate and add any additional touches they may desire, to make their personal living space healthy, warm and comforting. Televisions and computers are allowed as long as they are used appropriately and in accordance with the individual’s personal treatment plan as approved by the Clinical Treatment Team.

Each residence has an outdoor area where clients can socialize, host Community gatherings, or simply relax and enjoy the beautiful San Diego weather. We encourage clients to spend some time each day out-of-doors in order to get "fresh air" and rejuvenate. Many clients have chosen to start outdoor gardens and other endeavors to create personal comfort and the pride of belonging. Each residence is located in a quiet, safe neighborhood, close to bus and trolley stops, and within walking distance to the Center.

Outdoor courtyards and swimming pools are two more examples of the amenities available at some of the semi-independent residents. These are ideal settings for hosting Community barbeques, holiday gatherings, and other opportunities for genuine connection and bonding, an important part of growth and healing. 3-4 clients reside at each of the residences and are supported in learning to live cooperatively, manage various household tasks, attain and maintain medication compliance, and develop the skills necessary for independent and quality living.

Each residence has a full size kitchen and a sit down dining area where clients eat together as a household. Most households have decided to take one night per week for the entire house to have dinner together at a local restaurant. A Hanbleceya house manager conducts weekly house meetings where clients are supported in creating a meal plan and shopping list for the upcoming week. Each household member participates in a rotation of meal prep, cooking, or clean-up. The weekly house meeting is also a forum where clients are supported in learning how to live cooperatively with others, improve communication and problem solving skills, and learn tasks associated with household management.