Hillside Cottages

http://www.hside.org/history.asp

1301 Monroe Drive
Atlanta, GA

690 Courtenay Drive
Atlanta, GA

About Us

More than 100 years ago, three women - Mrs. Levi B. Nelson, Mrs. Edgar Poe McBurney, and Mrs. J.P. Averill - took the initial steps to form Atlanta's first social service agency, later to become Hillside.

- In 1888 following a severe winter storm, these pioneering women called a meeting to discuss the tragic situation of homeless women and needy children. A sponsoring group of 28 women petitioned Fulton County, Georgia and the Home for the Friendless was formed.
- The Atlanta Community Chest, now United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta, was organized in 1924. The Home was a founding member.
- In 1926, eight acres of rolling woodland on Courtenay Dr. in Atlanta were purchased, and plans created for cottage-type residential buildings. Kiwanians had a log rolling at the new site, Kiwanis wives brought a picnic lunch, and the first building was constructed - a log hut for the children.
- With the move to Courtenay Dr. in 1930, the agency's name was changed to Hillside Cottages - A Friendly Home for Children. The cottages provided short-term care for school-aged children during periods of family emergency.
- In response to growing community needs, residential treatment for emotionally disturbed adolescents was introduced in 1970. Facilities were remodeled and staff restructured to conform to standards needed for this type of program.
- In 1987, Hillside was licensed as a specialty psychiatric hospital. As we entered the second century of service to the community, the cottages remained filled to capacity and the waiting list grew.
- Hillside expanded services again in 1995. Recognizing that some children who have been in residential treatment are not ready or able to return to their home communities, the Therapeutic Foster Care program was launched. The program:
- Enables children to live with specially trained foster families
- Participate in community activities
- Utilize community resources
- Bridging the transition back to the home community is also a key factor in treatment success. The Hillside Community Intervention Program (HCIP) was created in 1998 to provide family-based treatment services and intervention for:
- Children who have been in institutional treatment for behavior disorders and/or substance abuse, or
- When a child is at high risk for being placed out of the home