Care for the Whole Mother
Counseling Services
Villa Majella partners with New Beginnings Counseling Center to provide weekly one-on-one in-house counseling services to our program participants.
Perinatal Medical Care
Villa Majella works with each pregnant woman to ensure they are enrolled in proper health insurance coverage. We work with social service agencies to facilitate the enrollment process so that our mothers have access to medical care. Once enrolled, our mothers receive regular perinatal medical care through the Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinic of Goleta.
Labor & Delivery
Villa Majella ensures that all mothers are prepared for the labor and delivery process and equipped with the basic needs that will support them during their hospital stay. When women have no supportive family or friends, Villa Majella staff transports and accompanies them to the hospital. Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital Women’s Services Birth Center provides labor and delivery medical services and ensures our mothers and babies are in good care.
Newborn Care
In addition to prenatal education, we provide breast feeding, baby classes, and hands-on experience in newborn care, so our mothers-to-be can feel confident in their ability to meet their baby's needs. Visiting nurses also provide follow-up consultation when a mother returns to Villa Majella after her baby's delivery.
Parenting Education
Through our partnership with New Beginnings Counseling Center, Villa Majella offers weekly in-house parenting classes. The Life Skills Parenting and Education Program presents our mothers with “hands-on skills that help them define effective parental roles, end destructive behaviors, shift their thinking, and develop new perspectives to improve their lives.” We also offer a parenting certification program through Family Services Agency in Santa Barbara. This 14-week course highlights maternal-child bonding, normal child development and positive approaches to parenting.
Project Recovery
Villa Majella empowers women to address addiction and substance use disorders by providing a clean and sober living environment. If a participant struggles with addiction or substance use disorders, we facilitate her enrollment in the Project Recovery Perinatal Program. We encourage her to take responsibility for her own step work, attendance at meetings, and sponsorship. Villa Majella also hosts recovery based classes that introduce women to 12 step recovery programs.
Spirituality
At Villa Majella we respect each woman's spiritual journey. We encourage women to develop a spiritual support system as they encounter the many stresses involved in becoming new mothers. Volunteers offer an in home bible study. In addition, although not mandatory, we encourage our program participants to attend a worship center of their choice for spiritual sustenance and encouragement.