by Marie Mulvenna

A full century ago, four Sisters of St. Joseph came to Washington, Ga., with some very special charges, 60 young boys who were orphaned and homeless. The boys had been cared for at the Barry Male Orphan Asylum in Savannah and journeyed with the sisters to Washington where their new home was named St. Joseph’s Male Orphanage. Through 100 years of growth and change, the nature of the home has changed from that of an orphanage to that of a special home for children with emotional problems. It is now the Village of St. Joseph, based in Atlanta since 1967, and dedicated to a treatment oriented therapy living situation for boys and girls up to age 16.

Many youngsters have come and gone over those 100 years, but the dedication of the sisters and their staff remains unchanged and their efforts unending. Their concern for their young students is as deep today as it was back in 1876 when four of their order arrived in the cold evening hours of January 26th at Washington, Ga., with high hopes and determined goals. They set up their headquarters in an aged home on 50 acres of land, and so began the saga of the sisters back in Washington.

It was a saga to be played out in Washington and then in the state’s capitol, where today the Village is one of the top ranked facilities in Georgia for professional guidance and counseling of the emotionally disturbed.

The sisters and staff at the Village are justly proud of their professional achievements and standing and they continually strive to better their methods, introducing procedures that are innovative and extremely beneficial to the 52 boys and girls that make up their special family.

The concept of family runs through the entire setup at the Village, with students housed in spacious and contemporary cottages with full kitchens, recreation rooms, TV areas, fireplace, as well as their cozy sleeping quarters which are brightly decorated and personally adorned with their inhabitants’ special items.

Each cottage is staffed by a sister who also lives there with the children and each cottage is run as a family organization, sharing chores and joys and problems openly with one another.

Family also enters into the counseling process at the Village with trained social workers and psychologists working with the families of the children. As Sister Teresa, administrator of the Village, noted, when there is a problem with one member of the family, all members are affected. Since the children are to return to the home environment after their stay at the Village--a stay which does not exceed two years--the whole purpose of the Village program is to enable the youngster to return to a normal home situation, making sure that the home itself is ready for the child’s return. This, Sister said emphatically, is a very important aspect of the entire program.

In addition to the resident sister at each cottage of ten young people, there is a social worker who as an MA in social work as well as a recreation supervisor. The three professionals make up a cottage team and work on in depth treatment and guidance of the children with a full day program, from dawn until bedtime. The social worker directs the individual recommended therapy for the child through counseling and group sessions with the child as well as his parents. The recreational supervisor, who is usually a graduate in an allied filed such as recreational therapy, education, psychology or sociology, plans all functions related to recreation. All the sisters in charge of the cottages have BA degrees; two of them hold master’s degrees and all have had arduous training in both child care and social work.

A consulting psychiatrist comes in weekly, seeing each child personally and also meeting with the cottage team to direct treatment of the child. Twice monthly a consulting psychologist comes to the Village, visiting each cottage and its staff to hear about special cases and discuss group processes on which they need guidance. The doctor also does the physiological tests via student groups--such as graduate students from nearby universities and colleges--who come out to test the youngsters.

The Village is also the scene of training programs for students, such as social work students from Atlanta University who work under the supervision of the staff. The University of Georgia also sends student workers to the Village and during the past year, Georgia State has sent “mental health assistants” from the school’s department of allied sciences. Special education majors are also regular visitors to the Butner Road site as well as those studying child development.

Flashing back to the history of the village and its centennial provides one with an interesting record of determination and change. From early years and the St. Joseph’s Male Orphanage, the concept of the present Village, has developed into a very special source of aid for young people. In 1932 a building, considered the ultimate in its day, was opened in Washington. It still stands today although its inhabitants are now Atlantans. The idea of the orphanage had, through the years, given way to a home for children who were placed there for various reasons and not specifically because their parents were deceased. During this time, good custodial care was provided to the children and an elementary school of eight grades was maintained.

With the advance of behavioral sciences, and recognizing the type of children who were being cared for at the Washington home, the late Archbishop Paul J. Hallinan felt strongly that the youngsters needed something more than custodial care. Families were separated, girl students living in Savannah, boys located in Washington, and parents often located in Atlanta. Archbishop Hallinan began plans to transfer the child-care home to Atlanta. More cultural and social advantages would be available to the children as well as the important therapy needed to work with the children and their families. The archbishop was pleased that the new site in Atlanta would make the home more accessible to the black population of the city.

After much planning, re-planning, packing and hauling, the physical plant was indeed moved to Atlanta, to a 57-acre site on Butner Road. The archbishop concelebrated the dedication Mass at the new Village in September of 1967, thus opening an in-depth institution designed to serve children with emotional disturbances.

Sister Teresa said the home’s purpose is to conduct a residential treatment center and therapeutic day school program for emotionally disturbed children. The goal, she said “is to rehabilitate the child and his parents to a point where the child may return to the family, the community and society as a whole.”

Sister said the home provides group care through the unique cottage living system as well as individual therapy and special education. Sister explained that the child at the Village is often not able to function to his or her full capacity in a family setting or normal classroom situation.

At the Village, the student receives many aids, including counseling by professional social workers, teachers specially trained in treating behavioral problems, psychological and psychiatric consultation and testing, health care, religion and recreational programs.

The actual site contains many areas for recreational usage--a raft of outdoor activities, from swings and slides, to large well lit areas for roller skating, basketball. A large pool is a popular spot when the temperature soars. In addition to outlets for physical energy, there is a dramatic theater, arts and crafts room and a workshop.

The Village maintains an excellent school program for children who cannot handle the normal school situation. They attend school within the Village complex, with special education programs geared to each child’s capacity and highly individualized. There are no more than eight in a group. Some of the other children, who are better able to cope with a normal school setup, attend Sandtown Elementary School. Teenage girls go to Westwood High School. Since 1969, day students have been a part of the Village scene, with 12 enrolled this year. Sister Teresa noted that the day students have the same privileges as the other children and receive therapy and psychological assistance also. Admittance of the day students was made possible through a 1970 federal grant in the amount of $14,000. Sister explained that the funds were obtained through the “Omnibus Crime Bill,” passed to prevent crime and delinquency by helping keep the children from getting into serious trouble.

Sister confided she would she would love to see a high school in the Village’s future, but said it would certainly necessitate some expansion, perhaps even the use of an outside school in the area.

Sister commented on the religious program at the Village, which involves teaching the children the basics of Christian living, how to live with others and be Christ-like. Special liturgies are held with the children eagerly participating. Since the students go home each weekend to their respective families, they are still involved in their own particular parish situation. Evening prayers are held in the cottages with the youngsters feeling quite free to enter their thoughts into the petitions and concerns. One of the Sisters commented with a smile that “God is very important to little people.” She said the prayer life is quite spontaneous and open.

The staff at the Village is a roster of highly qualified and well-respected professionals. Sister Teresa is herself involved with a multitude of professional groups and is presently chairman of the Executive Child Care Association of the State of Georgia. Most of the staff are individually involved with associations and societies. Father J.A. Bollmer, executive director of Catholic Social Services and himself a qualified psychologist and counselor, is chaplain at the Village, residing on the grounds and coordinating and spearheading programs for the children. Sister Teresa noted the leadership roles of many of the staff and also was quick to express her gratitude to Archbishop Donnellan who, she said, has been very interested in and supportive of the needs of the Village and its young residents.

The legion of groups that assist the Village in a multitude of ways, is literally endless. Sport groups provide tickets, camps furnish summer scholarships, religious oriented groups care for the home’s needs right down to yearly Christmas gifts for each child. Fund-raisers of all sorts have the Village as their beneficiary. There is financial and physical aid from a myriad of organizations and groups, including college sororities and fraternities, parishes, public and parochial schools, church circles. There are helpful scout groups, service men. Sister Teresa smiles happily as she says softly “people have really been good to us.” The help continues to come from unexpected sources, each time opening another few eyes to the services provided by the Village.

The Village also has an extremely qualified board of directors, headed this year by Richard Everett. Participants elected to the board, are, for the most part, professional people such as lawyers, psychologists, etc.

Priests of the archdiocese have long been supporters of the Village. Father John celebrated one of his first at the site; as did Father Pat Bishop who had worked at the Village while a seminarian. A dinner is held yearly for priests of the archdiocese in appreciation of their support and the annual collection, taken at all parishes Christmas for the upkeep of the Village. “We are deeply thankful to the people of the archdiocese who support us so greatly,” Sister said, “without them, we could never do it.”

Alumni and alumnae of the Village have had distinguished careers and vocations, many of them returning often to visit with their teachers and present students. Over 5,000 young people have made their way through the Village’s programs. One young man was a member of the renowned Atlanta Boy Choir and now studies vocal music at a university and recently entertained the staff and students with a special concert.

Formal celebrations marking the Village’s centennial will be held during the month of May. Included in the plans is a program for returning graduates of the Village program. The entire program is a dynamic operation run with enthusiasm and great participation. Corrective measures, rehabilitative procedures, childcare training, education, guidance remedial assistance, individualized programs, all these are dispensed to the children by a very special staff.

When the Village was visited in 1975 by licensing officials, the consultants aptly summed it up in a report which stated, “The Village continues to offer a well rounded, highly professional program for emotionally disturbed young people, including individualized educational opportunities, small group experiences, family counseling and an atmosphere conducive to religious training and experience.”

As a recent booklet of the Village observed “a child’s day at the Village doesn’t just happen.” There is a substantial amount of detailed planning and time in bringing special experiences and help to special children. Each day is a carefully outlined map, covering all the bases necessary, for emotional growth and the development of healthy minds and bodies.

In a recent letter informing the Village of its state rating. Program Chief of the State Department, Truman Moore noted “you have the highest rating of all of our institutions in the State of Georgia and we are most grateful for your excellent provision of care for the children of our state.”

100 years ago, it all began but it is still growing and helping young people and all of society.