 During the spring of 2009, Phoenix House Orange County initiated a partnership with Taller San Jose, a nonprofit organization that provides job-training programs that give undereducated, unskilled and unemployed young adults opportunities to develop employable skills through on-the-job experience. Through this partnership, Taller San Jose’s students will undertake several major capital improvement projects at Phoenix House including the renovation of our school buildings and a dormitory, installation a new patio where group therapy sessions could be held, installing ceramic tiles outside the main building, a water irrigation system for the softball field, and a new water fountain. The capital improvement projects are being supported by grants from the Pacific Life Foundation and Golden State Foods Foundation. |
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Both Phoenix House and Taller San Jose appreciate how a good job with a steady salary can be an effective motivator for those who have been in trouble to turn their lives around. So far, our dormitory has been renovated through this project, and the second project will soon begin. Taller San Jose’s clients who helped with the renovation worked in a realistic on-the-job environment, while at the same time helping to make significant improvements to Phoenix House’s facility. This project has enabled us to provide employment and work experience to some of the most troubled young people and to continue to offer them the mentoring and case management that they need to stabilize their lives.
Phoenix House’s adolescent and adult programs are set in a historic Spanish-style 
masonry building and conveniently located near Interstate 5 freeway just south of Anaheim. Phoenix House’s adolescent program, Phoenix Academy, opened in 1982 to serve troubled youth (13-18 years old) and their families. This 40-bed residential substance abuse treatment program features an accredited high school where residents receive fully transferable credits and/or high school diplomas. Dorms and classrooms are located in different buildings on the spacious premises of Phoenix House, which also has softball fields, gardens, and outdoor recreation areas. The Orange County facility also includes an 85-bed residential program for adults with an additional capacity to provide outpatient services to