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Respite Care of San Antonio held their rededication ceremony on Monday morning for the home on Belknap Lane in Monte Vista. The ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrates the home’s updated facilities, rooms, and therapeutic artwork for children with disabilities and medical conditions who are removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect.
Last year, the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services reported close to 25,000 allegations of child abuse in Bexar County. Following investigations, children and their siblings are often removed from their home for safety. An added difficulty lies with the placement of children who have complex medical conditions.
Storm Rivas is the Director of Mental and Behavioral Health at RCSA and said a lot of the children come in with behaviors of which the general population is unaware. “Our main goal as a behavioral health team has truly been to dissect what causes these children to act out in the ways they act out, and what do they need as children to thrive within this kind of environment,” Rivas said.
Murals of baby deer, colorful wildflowers, rolling hills that fade into the sunset, and longhorn steer frolicking in cacti adorn the walls and provide the children an environment to express overwhelming emotions in non-verbal ways while creating a sense of safety, control, and belonging.
RCSA President and CEO Rebecca Helterbrand says the muralists did everything pro bono to create the space. Helterbrand added that “all new window coverings, all new mattresses, bedding — almost everything in the home, including some light fixtures — have been replaced with thoughtful, intentional care.”
The Davidson Respite Home is receiving the new renovations for the first time in 30 years. Since 1987, RCSA has provided programs for children with special needs and complex medical conditions throughout San Antonio.
