Devereux Foundation

Devereux is a leading behavioral healthcare organization dedicated to inspiring hope and empowering lives. Devereux Arizona operates an extensive network of programs and services including:

• A Residential Treatment Center (RTC) that provides  a 24 hour safe and supportive environment for youth with emotional and behavioral challenges.
• A Day School serving students grades K-12 with behavioral and emotional needs. This atmosphere allows students and families to grow personally and educationally.
• Foster Care services that include the recruitment, training, and advocacy of foster care providers in the metro Phoenix, Tucson, and Sierra Vista areas.
• A Respite Program that provides an interval of rest and recreational activities for youth ages 0-17 who are currently in the foster care system.
• Outpatient Counseling services for individuals, families, and groups in the office, home, or school settings.
• Adult Therapeutic Foster Care services that provide trained and motivated foster homes for adults with mental illness.
• Group Care for male and female youth ages 12 and up who have been removed from their homes due to abuse and neglect.
• Prevention Services provided to families involved with Child Protective Services to strengthen parenting skills and prevent the removal of children from their homes.

 

The immense impact Devereux has on children and families is one that cannot be overstated.  Below you will find just one story of how Devereux Arizona has changed the lives of children and adults forever.

 

Lorenzo Castillo is an Arizona resident that has been an active member in his community for as long as he can remember.  Aside from being Vice President of a local non-profit sports league that helps take kids off of the streets, as well as a full time parent to his three year old biological daughter, Lorenzo is also a seasoned foster parent. He and his wife Nubia currently share their home with two teenage foster daughters, and find great fulfillment in sharing their talents with children in need.

As a child, Lorenzo grew up in a house with 21 people, many of whom who were affected by drugs, violence, and gangs. He quickly realized that he wanted a different path for himself, one that would make his mother proud, and that would do something positive for his community.

This desire ultimately led him to Devereux, where Lorenzo has been a therapeutic foster care provider for the past six years. Therapeutic Foster Care (HCTC) is a program that provides homes for children with higher emotional and behavioral health needs, and a commitment that requires immense patience and compassion.

When asked why he chose therapeutic foster care, Lorenzo explained "People are uncomfortable with children with higher needs, children that are labeled ‘at risk.’ But I grew up with a lot of labels myself, and I know that what those kids need is a chance."

"A lot of people have issues with the idea of fostering, but these kids need hope.  It’s not their fault they’ve been put into the system, so why should they suffer? If you have the room, the talent, and the ability to help them, then you just got to do it."

Since Lorenzo and Nubia began fostering, they’ve welcomed four teens into their home; an experience he has found to be overwhelmingly positive for his family.  "Watching them grow and seeing how well they get along with my (bio) daughter…it’s just great," he said.

"At the end of the day, we treat our foster children like they’re ours," said Lorenzo. "You can’t make them feel different. They’re not any different. They’re our family."

For more information on becoming a foster parent, therapeutic or regular, or to learn more about the many other services Devereux provides for children and families, visit DevereuxArizona.org.