ALAMEDA COUNTY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE SERVICES INNOVATIONS GRANT PROGRAM ROUND 1 GRANTEE SUMMARIES JANUARY 2011 - JULY 2012
ROUND 1 INNOVATION LEARNING CONFERENCE SUPER BROCHURE
INTRODUCTION Innovation (INN) is a component of the Proposition 63 - Mental Health Services Act (MHSA). Innovation Grant projects focus on learning, rather than providing a service. Through the Innovation Grants Program, Alameda County Behavioral Health Care Services (BHCS) invited members of the community to present fresh and new ideas in one or more of the following ways: • Introduce a new mental health practice, or approach, including prevention and early intervention that has never been done before, or • Make a change to an existing mental health practice or approach, including adaptation for a new setting or community, or • Introduce a new application to the mental health system of a promising community-driven practice, or approach, or a practice / approach, that has been successful in non-mental health contexts or settings. •For the Round One Innovation Grant Projects, Grantees developed a Pilot Project to answer a specific Learning Question. There were many different types of Innovative Projects, including: • Mental health outreach, education and training for mental health and non-mental health providers; • New treatment interventions or supports that are expected to improve outcomes among individuals and their families with or at risk for mental health issues; • New organizational practices, processes or procedures to improve collaboration, cultural competence, recovery, efficiencies or revenue; • Increased mental health advocacy; and • Other creative ideas that are expected to improve the public mental health system and reduce the need for longer-term mental health treatment. This Innovation Learning Conference highlights best practices and learned lessons from the Round One Innovative Grant Projects. Best practices, challenges and positive outcomes will be shared to inform BHCS’ system and development of future projects.
ALAMEDA COUNTY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE SERVICES (ACBHCS) ACBHCS Director: Marye L. Thomas, M.D. Director of Quality Improvement (QI): Toni Tullys MHSA Senior Planner: Carl Pascual MHSA Planner - Innovation Grants: Linda Leung Flores 2000 Embarcadero Cove, Suite 400, Oakland, CA 94606 Tel: (510) 567-8100, Fax: (510) 567-8180 General Information: info@acinnovations.org Technical Assistance: ta@acinnovations.org
WWW.ACINNOVATIONS.ORG
TABLE OF CONTENTS TRANSITIONAL AGE YOUTH ¡ GRLPRENEUR TAY ENTREPRENEURSHIP BOOT CAMP........................................................................................................... 2 ¡ MAP: HUMAN SERVICES MENTORING.................................................................................................................................... 3 ¡ PLAY ON TAY................................................................................................................................................................................ 4 ¡ ROBERTSON HIGH SCHOOL..................................................................................................................................................... 5 ¡ WHO ARE THESE GIRLS?............................................................................................................................................................ 6
CHILDREN & FAMILIES ¡ AFRICAN AMERICAN MOTHER DAUGHTER WORKSHOPS.................................................................................................... 7 ¡ BE PRESENT FAMILY CAMP........................................................................................................................................................ 8 ¡ BUILDING A COMMUNITY OF SAFETY & RESPECT................................................................................................................ 9 ¡ GENDER ACCEPTANCE PROJECT: BRIDGING THE GAP.......................................................................................................... 10 ¡ MPACT: PARENT CHILD ENGAGEMENT THROUGH DANCE................................................................................................. 11
ADULTS & OLDER ADULTS: PREVENTION & EARLY INTERVENTION ¡ BATTLEFIELD POETS.................................................................................................................................................................... 12 ¡ EXPOSING CLINICIANS TO TRADITIONAL HEALING PRACTICES: A RESEARCH STUDY................................................... 13 ¡ THREE-DAY WEEKEND GRIEF RITUAL RETREAT...................................................................................................................... 14 ¡ INTERPLAY MENTAL HEALTH PROJECT ................................................................................................................................... 15
ADULTS & OLDER ADULTS: COMMUNITY SERVICES & SUPPORTS ¡ LEGACY LETTERS: REMINISCENCES & REFLECTIONS OF HIV-POSITIVE WOMEN............................................................. 16 ¡ QIGONG AND WELLNESS WORKSHOPS FOR OAKLAND CHINATOWN SENIORS............................................................. 17 ¡ REFORMATION: MOVING BEYOND STIGMA........................................................................................................................... 18 ¡ EARFULL RECORDS PROJECT..................................................................................................................................................... 19 ¡ INCREASING ACCESS TO WELLNESS FOR MAYANS............................................................................................................... 20 ¡ MENTORS ON DISCHARGE........................................................................................................................................................ 21 ¡ SSI PRE RELEASE.......................................................................................................................................................................... 22 ¡ WOMEN OVERCOMING TRAUMA............................................................................................................................................. 23
INDEX............................................................................................................................................................................................... 21
AWARD LEVELS:
MINI GRANT $500-$5,000
SMALL GRANT $5,000-$25,000
MEDIUM GRANT $25,000-$75,000
LARGE GRANT $75,000-$250,000
GRANTEE NAME
Grlpreneur Sustainable Business Incubator PROJECT NAME
Grlpreneur TAY Entrepreneurship Boot Camp Grlpreneur trained low-income women of transitional age entrepreneurship basics and marketplace economics as an alternative or supplement to traditional employment. The project cohort met weekly in small business development seminars whose topics included business communication, product development, ethics, pricing strategies, marketing and time management.
LEARNING QUESTION Does incorporating entrepreneurship training in the mental health system of care help to create positive outcomes for transitional age women?
KEY LEARNINGS
participating in skills-based programs with the tools for starting their own businesses.
WHO BENEFITS TAY in general, specifically those ages 20-24.
• Incorporating entrepreneurship training within the System of Care helps to create a positive set of outcomes for young women of transitional age. • Participants self reported and exhibited increased confidence in their understanding of the process of starting a small business, basic marketplace economics and of their economic outlooks as a result of the training. • Offering on-site, program specific and customizable entrepreneurship training is an innovative and cost effective approach to providing the TAY community
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contact: Tonda Case – grlpreneur@gmail.com – (510) 290-0300 WWW.GRLPRENEUR.COM
GRANTEE NAME
Maximum Achievement Project (MAP), Merritt College PROJECT NAME
MAP: Human Services Mentoring Students in Merritt College’s Maximum Achievement Project who expressed an interest in the mental health field were paired with professional mental health providers working successfully in the mental health field in Alameda County. Emphasis was put on maintaining high academic standards and encouraging transfers to 4-year institutions through coaching students along with supporting mentorships.
LEARNING QUESTION
WHO BENEFITS
Does using a community-defined strategy in community colleges reduce disparities & build a more diverse mental health work force?
Young men benefit from being mentored in a mental health profession. Mentors benefit from the mentor-mentee relationship. Consumers benefit from having more service providers who reflect their own race, gender or ethnicity.
KEY LEARNINGS • Regular contact between mentors and mentees allows the mentees to see their proposed careers as achievable and obtainable rather than being abstract. • For men of color, being able to explore professional opportunities gives the service-providing agencies the opportunity to see that there are many potential candidates who are in training and currently have contributions that can be made at the respective agency. • Providing opportunities for community college students to gain experience in professional settings is one of the best vehicles to address existing disparities when building a more diverse workforce.
contact: Dr. Carlos McLean – cmclean@peralta.edu – (510) 436-2478 Merritt College, 12500 Campus Drive, Oakland, CA 94619
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GRANTEE NAME
TAY Advisory Board PROJECT NAME
Play on TAY The Transition Age Youth Advisory Board used this project to create a captivating board game (using factual research) with realistic situations from a youth perspective that fosters real conversation between youth and adults about mental health issues. The process was entirely youth-driven.
LEARNING QUESTION
WHO BENEFITS
Will a psycho-educational board game about mental health issues that is developed by & for youth increase Alameda County youth’s problem solving abilities?
Any youth group that needs to gel. This process gives a group a project to work on together. It is a platform for other agencies to build youth boards and advocates. They can then take their board game out to their community and use it to educate and advocate for themselves through their own game.
KEY LEARNINGS • The process of creating the game itself was the most valuable way of increasing youths’ problem solving capacity. • Playing the game changed the attitudes and behavior of a lot of the providers we worked with. It also gave them updated facts about mental health. • When the players were cross-generational it gave TAY a chance to be leaders and educators, and gave the adults a chance to have fun and be young while engaging in serious conversation about mental health.
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contact: Rachel Bryant – rbryant@acbhcs.org – (510) 567-8128 c/o HHREC, 420 3rd St #105, Oakland, CA 94607
GRANTEE NAME
Youth and Family Services, City of Fremont PROJECT NAME
Robertson High School Fremont Youth & Family Services staff designed a 12-week yoga course, in consultation with the Niroga Institute, that met once per week at Robertson Continuation High School. Students were given PE credit for participation in the course, which was repeated 4 times through the 18-month contract.
LEARNING QUESTION How will a 45-minute, weekly Transformative Life Skills yoga course affect the mental health of at-risk youth who attend Robertson Continuation High School in Fremont?
KEY LEARNINGS • Exposure to a once per week Transformative Life Skills yoga class allowed the 60+ student participants to experience, on a short term basis, the immediate benefits that yoga can bring (i.e.: feelings of calmness, reduced tension in the body, etc.). • The longer that the program was on campus, the more normalized the word yoga became in the students’ vocabulary and the less stigma there appeared to be for students that chose to attend the classes.
• Similar positive shifts were seen in staff at Robertson High School and at Youth & Family Services who were exposed to TLS yoga.
WHO BENEFITS All school aged youth, in particular those that attend school systems that would be open to integrating yoga into the culture of their school. This program may be particularly helpful at continuation schools where there is a more flexible school day and where there are more “at risk students” enrolled. Also, students who may not be engaged in, or open to traditional counseling or talk-therapy. In addition, entire school systems can also benefit from bringing TLS yoga programs to their school sites, as both staff and students are all able to feel the impact of such a program.
contact: Iris Preece – ipreece@fremont.gov – (510) 574-2128 39155 Liberty St Suite E500, Fremont, CA 94537
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GRANTEE NAME
WestCoast Children’s Clinic PROJECT NAME
Who Are These Girls? Over the course of 18 months, Who Are These Girls? staff conducted 110 site visits to hotels and motels around Alameda County to conduct psycho-education about how to identify and prevent the sexual exploitation of youth in their establishments. All of the establishments received education on red flags and preventative resources to combat this epidemic.
LEARNING QUESTION
WHO BENEFITS
Will outreach activities that target hotel staff impact attitudes & responses to sexual exploitation of youth in their establishments?
Hotel, motels, law enforcement, district attorneys, and community members throughout Alameda County.
KEY LEARNINGS • The most important learning experience was to see how the hotel/motel management know that this is taking place, but are turning their heads, closing their eyes to it due to money. • The problem is deep and economic. There are a lot of people who benefit from the commodity of one child. If hotel/motel management were to say, “We won’t allow this guest,” there’s a big economic ripple effect for them. • Due to the lack of education about this growing epidemic and the information on risk factors, mental health, physical health and the related traumas, a global systematic response is needed.
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contact: Susan Drager – sdrager@westcoastcc.org – Adela Rodarte – arodarte@westcoastcc.org (510) 693-3903 – 3301 E 12th St #259, Oakland, CA, 94601 WWW.WESTCOASTCC.ORG
GRANTEE NAME
Carla Keener and June Allen PROJECT NAME
African American Mother Daughter Workshops AAMDP held 7 workshops for mother-daughter dyads, over the course of 7 months, focused on different aspects of communication, trust-building, and confidence in the relationship. The workshops integrated African American traditions that historically offered a way for community members to check in with and relate to one another on a personal level. They also aimed to foster a sense of community among the mothers and daughters and the dyads as a way of buildling a social community to support mental wellness and destigmatize conversations about mental health.
LEARNING QUESTION Can the creation of an African American mother-daughter group based on cultural customs improve mental health?
• AAMDPW discussion groups provide a culturallyresponsive, cost-effective, preventive strategy to promote positive emotional well being.
KEY LEARNINGS
WHO BENEFITS
• AAMDP Workshop series provides a forum to discuss and support the life-long, evolving and transformative motherdaughter relationship.
Any woman parenting, related to, or caring for an adolescent female. The content of the workshop series can be modified to support a variety of age groups— elementary, middle and high school age—and it fits into any setting (e.g., school, church, CBO, clinic, etc.).
• AAMDPW acknowledges that historical traditions, family culture and stories are vital to both shaping and understanding the complex nature of the mother-daughter relationship. • AAMDPW provides a safe place to address the issue of mental health without the stigma that still exists in the community.
contact: June Allen & Carla Keener – taamdp@gmail.com – (510) 684-8394 c/o HHREC, 420 3rd St #105, Oakland, CA 94607
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GRANTEE NAME
Be Present, Inc. PROJECT NAME
Be Present Family Camp A 4-day Family Camp for foster-care and adoptive families and providers utilized the Be Present Empowerment Model (BPEM) for inter-generational training. Activities are designed to increase the capacity of parents, children and providers to identify/express feelings, and listen in a clear, conscious way to one another about mental health issues related to adoption, foster care, race, and gender. Six monthly follow-up meetings supported development of family meetings and peer led support groups.
LEARNING QUESTION
WHO BENEFITS
Will youth & foster care/adoptive parents increase capacity to address critical mental health issues by participating in four-day family camp group trainings?
Individuals, family systems and service providers looking to increase self understanding, expression, and listening skills, particularly related to sensitive topics of race, gender, class, adoption and foster care. Children, youth, and adults interested to strengthen relationships with each other, in families, schools, workplaces and community through improved communication.
KEY LEARNINGS • Proficiently trained staff are necessary to create a safe, supportive, vibrant environment for communication. • BPEM enhanced foster/adoptive families’ capacity to address issues rather than withholding/avoiding and also to listen without judgement. • Developing trust with service providers is essential for them to refer families to the program. • Follow-up sessions time commitment was challenging for many participants, but participants still reported remarkable improvements in communication skills and self knowledge.
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contact: Noa Mohlabane – noasnew@gmail.com – (510) 551-6043 1264 Ginger Wood Drive, Stone Mountain, GA 30083 WWW.BEPRESENT.ORG
GRANTEE NAME
Albany Unified School District PROJECT NAME
Building A Community of Safety & Respect 8 Community Meetings brought Albany LGBTQ families together to build relationships with each other and with school administrators and leaders to reduce LGBT-related bullying. These were coupled with workshops from expert facilitators and speakers, 2 half-day sessions facilitated by KidPower, and the purchase of materials used in classrooms by teachers to promote understanding and respect around LGBT issues, as well as teaching students how to be allies to their classmates from LGBTQ families.
LEARNING QUESTION Will the creation of a strong partnership between the Albany Unified School District (AUSD) & lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning & intersexed (LGBTQQI) families help foster positive mental health & well-being by decreasing the rate of bullying?
KEY LEARNINGS • Rates of bullying were decreased (anecdotally) among children of LGBTQ families by creating a mutistakeholder partnership between school districts and LGBTQ families.
• Education directly impacts student behavior, attitude, compassion and acceptance of differences. • The gatherings of 50+ LGBTQ families provided an opportunity to build community and social support, which helped to improve their mental wellness.
WHO BENEFITS LGBTQ inclusivity is part of a quality education for everyone. It’s not just for LGBTQ communities; every student benefits. This work can also be linked with other anti-bullying programs, anti-racism work, and other issues of identity, power and privilege.
contact: Eveline Shen – eshen8888@gmail.com – (510) 526-8889
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GRANTEE NAME
Gender Spectrum PROJECT NAME
Gender Acceptance Project: Bridging the GAP 26 school-based workshops (7 for parents, 16 for staff/administrators, and 20+ with students at 3 different sites), trainings with mental health agencies, and two annual professionals workshops and family conferences were combined with ongoing support groups and one-on-one support for families and caregivers of gender variant children to support whole communities more effectively responding to gender variation in young children.
LEARNING QUESTION
WHO BENEFITS
What are best practices & tools for systematically training organizations on responding to gender variance in children?
Any individual working directly or indirectly with children, youth and families. Gender diverse youth and their families in need of support from their communities.
KEY LEARNINGS • Proactively creating more gender inclusive practices to support ALL children and youth. • Concepts related to gender diversity are poorly understood, especially with regard to children. • With intentional sequences and content, conditions of greater gender inclusiveness can be developed and maintained at schools and other organizations working with children and youth.
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contact: Joel Baum – jbaum@genderspectrum.org – (510) 567-3977 WWW.GENDERSPECTRUM.ORG
GRANTEE NAME
Luna Dance Institute PROJECT NAME
MPACT: Parent Child Engagement Through Dance MPACT is a dance-based program that engages families in Alameda County separated due to domestic violence, substance abuse, homeless or immigration and that are in the process of reunification. The program has had great anecdotal and observational success. This grant project aimed to collect evidence of MPACT’s efficacy through valid research methods, articulating how the specific strategies increase parent-child engagement.
LEARNING QUESTION
WHO BENEFITS
How will MPACT (Moving Parent and Children Together), a dance class, improve wellness in families?
• Families who have been separated due to abuse, neglect, drugs, illness, immigration, other reasons and are in the process of reunification.
KEY LEARNINGS • Families want to move and engage together, but often need structure and guidance in how to do so. • MPACT works because of the interconnectivity of curriculum design, reflection, observation and in-themoment adaptations of the teaching team. • Families are open to MPACT because we approach them as dancing artists, not as therapists.
• Families who have a great deal of stress and need opportunities to play and bond together. • Families who may need extra support with attachment & separation issues. • Children under the age of 8. • Foster care families and new adoptees.
contact: Nancy Ng – nng@lunadanceinstitute.org – (510) 644-3629 605 Addison Street, Berkeley, CA 94710-1972 WWW.LUNADANCEINSTITUTE.ORG
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GRANTEE NAME
Wee Poets PROJECT NAME
Battlefield Poets Building on the existing Wee Poets series, Battlefield Poets was a 10-episode series of 30-minute, biweekly television programs aimed at creating dialogue around veterans’ issues by inviting veterans and their children as guests on the program and pairing them with service providers.
LEARNING QUESTION
WHO BENEFITS
Will providing a television media series for military families of the Iraq, Afghanistan & Persian Gulf Wars promote well-being for local veteran populations & their families?
Veterans and their families benefit from every action taken by the community to support their mental health, including Battlefield Poets’ work to give veterans space to talk about their mental health.
KEY LEARNINGS • Veterans need immediate mental health services. • Veterans need more resources than what the Veterans Administration can currently provide. • The public needs to take a more active role in helping veterans get immediate help for themselves and their families.
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contact: Sally Joan Baker – weepoets@yahoo.com – (510) 848-6905
GRANTEE NAME
La Clinica de la Raza PROJECT NAME
Exposing Clinicians to Traditional Healing Practices: A Research Study This 18 month project exposed clinical and peer mental health staff to 12 traditional healer-facilitated experiential workshops crafted from the wisdom and advice of an advisory board of community healers. The project tested the impact that this exposure had on clinical services provided in an outpatient Latino focused treatment program.
LEARNING QUESTION Does exposure of clinical & peer providers to traditional healing values and practices affect the approaches they employ in working with Latinos & result in increased client satisfaction?
• An opportunity to discuss how the practices can be brought into the clinical relationship is needed, particularly due to clinical academic training where bias may exist about what topics should or should not be introduced by the clinician.
KEY LEARNINGS
WHO BENEFITS
• Most clients in the study reported that traditional healing methods were practiced in their families when growing up. It remains important to them, and they want this integrated into discussions, activities and clinical dialogue.
Overall the outcome of the study is significant and offers valuable information related to clinical practice, community behavioral health services, training implications, and consideration for future research with indigenously based Latino communities (and other underserved communities). It is hoped that this important study can be refined and published to contribute to the literature about training clinicians to provide culturally appropriate services for Latinos.
• Assessing client’s experience with traditional healing is an important part of assessment for all clients to determine their level of interest and integration into their daily lives as part of their wellness and recovery.
contact: Leslie Preston – lpreston@laclinica.org – (510) 535-6200 1450 Fruitvale Ave, Suite E, Oakland, CA 94601 WWW.LACLINICA.ORG
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GRANTEE NAME
Wisdom Spring, Inc. PROJECT NAME
Three-Day Weekend Grief Ritual Retreat & One-Day Follow-up Event for Kin Who Have Lost Family to Street Violence This project made available the work of master teacher and healer Sobonfu Some to low-income individuals in Alameda County who were victims of street, domestic, sexual, or family violence, or relative or counselor to someone who was a victim of violence. A 3-day grief ritual was held, as well as a 1-day event, drawing on the rich spiritual life and culture of M. Some’s native land Burkina Faso and her tribe the Dagara people.
LEARNING QUESTION
WHO BENEFITS
Will participating in a unique grief ritual retreat weekend help family members of victims of street violence in Oakland heal from the trauma?
Low income people who have lost family members to violence or experienced great grief and trauma as a result of violence, or anyone experiencing grief.
KEY LEARNINGS • 100% of those who attended the ritual reported that it helped them release or heal some grief or sadness they were experiencing. • A one-day event is more appropriate than a 3-day overnight event for a population that does not typically do this kind of work. • This work cannot be done without Ms. Sobonfu Some.
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contact: Wisdom Spring – (916) 446-5536 5960 South Land Park Drive #200, Sacramento, CA 95822 WWW.SOBONFU.COM
GRANTEE NAME
Body Wisdom, Inc. PROJECT NAME
InterPlay Mental Health Project InterPlay fosters health, community and body awareness through accessible, non-threatening exercises. This project sought to demonstrate InterPlay’s benefits for empowering homeless and lowincome seniors to reduce their risk factors for mental illness (isolation, lack of touch, lack of emotional regulatory skills, etc.), by systematically incorporating the tools into programming of a mental health service provider (St. Mary’s Center) and evaluating for mental health outcomes.
LEARNING QUESTION
WHO BENEFITS
Does providing weekly InterPlay, somatic awareness tools & classes, to homeless & low income Oakland seniors at St. Mary’s Senior Center improve well-being?
InterPlay is particularly helpful for kinesthetic learners but anyone can benefit from being more “in their bodies.” A subset of the 26 core elements of the InterPlay system could be and has been incorporated in a wide variety of programs.
KEY LEARNINGS • The ideas/practices of InterPlay provide a new way to understand ourselves in an atmosphere of acceptance and affirmation. InterPlay reconnects us with our positive physical experience which is important for anyone experiencing challenge in their lives. • St Mary’s Center’s houseless seniors responded to the InterPlay model in similar ways to other populations despite their specific challenges. • The InterPlay experience led to more ease, less stress and more of a sense of connection with themselves and each other.
contact: Theron Shaw – theron@interplay.org – (510) 465-2797 2273 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA 94612 WWW.INTERPLAY.ORG
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GRANTEE NAME
Trena Cleland PROJECT NAME
Legacy Letters: Reminiscences & Reflections of HIV-positive Women Four HIV-positive women shared their life stories and insights in oral history interviews that focused on their lessons learned and words of wisdom. These interviews were transcribed, edited, and matched with photos to create Legacy Letters, 30-page booklets that serve as inspirational messages from the participants to their loved ones.
LEARNING QUESTION
WHO BENEFITS
Does reflecting about their lives and values and completing Legacy Letters increase the sense of peace and well-being of HIV-positive women?
Life review and reflection are beneficial for everyone. Although elders and those with life-challenging illnesses are logical participants, Legacy Letters can be adapted to any setting and constituency: prisoners, the disabled, youth, et al.
KEY LEARNINGS • Participants found the process empowering, therapeutic, and confidence-boosting. They are very glad to have their values, beliefs, and life stories recorded for their offspring. • The process could be streamlined by having participants write their own letters in a facilitated group (perhaps using a workbook), or by simply providing each participant with an unedited audio interview burned on a CD. • Legacy Letters should focus on healing, inspiration, personal accomplishments, and uplifting words of wisdom.
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contact: Trena Cleland – trenamarie@igc.org – (510) 524-7224 c/o HHREC, 420 3rd St #105, Oakland, CA 94607 WWW.TRENACLELAND.COM
GRANTEE NAME
Oakland Asian Cultural Center PROJECT NAME
QiGong and Wellness Workshops for Oakland Chinatown Seniors This project included holding three series of eight two-hour workshops, co-led by a Shaolin monk and a mental health consultant. Each workshop concentrated on QiGong practice integrated with psychoeducation on mental health symptoms and issues, followed by a group support and discussion. The project was held over a span of one-year and took place at OACC.
LEARNING QUESTION
WHO BENEFITS
How will QiGong impact Oakland’s older adult mental well-being when combined with mental health screening, psycho-education & group process?
Chinese, Cambodians, Vietnamese, communities with strong Buddhism. Or where Buddhism is part of the culture. As well as something similar such as South Asians, not necessarily Buddhists but there are a lot of similarities.
KEY LEARNINGS • The combination of QiGong (a traditional cultural practice) and interactive wellness classes are really important for immigrant communities, particularly the Chinese immigrant community. • The project had a very positive impact in reducing stigma in accessing mental health services, as well as empowering seniors to be active and to join in community activities tailored for them. • The classes increased their social and peer support.
contact: Mona Shah – mshah@oacc.cc – (510) 637-0460 388 9th Street #290, Oakland, CA 94607 WWW.OACC.CC
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GRANTEE NAME
Adella PROJECT NAME
Reformation: Moving Beyond Stigma Using a dual mask process to address outward social stigma and inner self perception, an indigenous tradition called transformational mask, this project hosted two mask-making workshops for consumers. Participants created an inner mask and an outer mask and explored the rich emotional experiences of each, culminating in cutting the outer mask to reveal the inner, ideal self.
LEARNING QUESTION
WHO BENEFITS
How does creating a dual mask support mental health consumers to overcome the pressures from stigma?
Everybody benefits, including the facilitators. We saw particular benefit for participants dealing with depression, and other consumers living with the stigma of their past.
KEY LEARNINGS • Creating a dual mask gives participants a way of communicating with themselves, a deepening selfawareness, and an ability to identify and express complex emotions. • The workshop needs to remain intimate - a maximum of 10 participants - in order for the work to go deep quickly. • The workshop needs to happen over a two-day period at minimum so that participants can adequately process and shift perspective between the outer mask (how they think they’re being seen) and the inner mask (who they really are or want to be).
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contact: Adella – adella3d@gmail.com – (510) 504-7764
c/o HHREC, 420 3rd St #105, Oakland, CA 94607 WWW.REFORMATIONMOVINGBEYONDSTIGMA.COM
GRANTEE NAME
Darren Linzie PROJECT NAME
Earfull Records Project Earfull Records helped low-income mental health clients to get into the door of the music industry and to become self-sufficient, using weekly peer group meetings, and eventually composing, recording, producing and releasing a CD together with 11 tracks primarily exploring and expressing mental health issues.
LEARNING QUESTION How do mental health consumers use their experience to develop a career in the music industry?
KEY LEARNINGS • A mental health consumer can create and run a company sufficiently with the help of other consumers. • A lot of participants used music as a way to express their mental state of mind, family problems and social issues.
WHO BENEFITS African American or minority youth with a focus on mental disabilities or developmental disabilities, at-risk youth, people of color who don’t have a lot of opportunities.
contact: Darren Linzie – darren.linzie@gmail.com c/o HHREC, 420 3rd St #105, Oakland, CA 94607
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GRANTEE NAME
Alameda County Department of Public Health, Maternal Access & Linkages for Desired Reproductive Health (MADRE) PROJECT NAME
Increasing Access to Wellness to Mayans A Mayan/Mam speaking Family Resource Assistant, who is a member of the Mayan community, worked closely with MADRE staff to provide outreach and assist Mayan/Mam speaking families who have experienced fetal infant loss or premature delivery, to access MADRE administrative medical case management and connect with essential health, financial, and social resources to promote mental wellness. The project used a culturally responsive approach that is client centered and strength based.
LEARNING QUESTION Would using confianza, a culturally responsive outreach approach, create the capacity to effectively reach & provide connections to health services to Mam (Mayan) speaking families who have experienced fetal/infant loss?
KEY LEARNINGS • Mam-speaking Mayans have very little, if any, Spanish speaking ability, and no written language.
• To open this community to services, there will have to be a push to educate the Mam-speaking community to become service providers.
WHO BENEFITS The Mam-speaking community, particularly women of childbearing age and their families, who number over 1 million in the United States, and are a quickly growing population in Alameda County.
• For this population, services need to come from the inside of the community, not the outside, (i.e., a trusted trilingual Mam-speaking community leader). • Similar models employing home-based services (promotoras, nurses, social workers, etc.) would be unsuccessful if they did not incorporate a Mamspeaking community member as a bridge to their services.
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contact: Julie Garcia – garcia@acgov.org – (510) 618-2082
500 Davis St., San Leandro, CA 94577 WWW.ACPHD.ORG/MADRE.ASPX
GRANTEE NAME
John George Psychiatric Pavilion PROJECT NAME
Mentors on Discharge Mentors On Discharge paired peer mentors with consumers leaving John George Psychiatric Pavillion. The Art of Facilitating Self-Determination workshop of Well Beyond Recovery, Inc. was used to train the mentors who identified and encouraged the use of available Alameda County support resources to their JGPP discharged peer. The service was made available to patients discharged to Alameda County. Mentors were provided to JGPP by PEERS.
LEARNING QUESTION
WHO BENEFITS
Will introducing hospitalized mental health consumers to peer mentors prior to discharge reduce the rate of re-hospitalization?
It benefits the participants because hospitalization for critical psychiatric emergencies are never preferable to receiving treatment in the community. It also benefits the community as a whole as it decreases the number of expensive hospitalizations.
KEY LEARNINGS • Connecting patients prior to their discharge with individuals who have undergone similar experiences assists patients in their ongoing recovery. • The connection itself appeared to be the most important part - regardless of the content of the mentor’s visit. • Project revealed a 72% reduction in recidivism as compared to the 12-months prior to enrollment in the program.
contact: Guy Qvistgaard – gqvistgaard@acmedctr.org – (510) 346-1364 2060 Fairmont Dr, San Lorenzo, CA 94578 WWW.ACMEDCTR.ORG/JOHNGEORGE.CFM
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GRANTEE NAME
Homeless Action Center PROJECT NAME
SSI Pre-Release Project This project made contact with 100+ inmates at Santa Rita jail who were eligible for SSI due to mental health concerns within 6 months of their release date. Project staff facilitated 65 applications with legal advocacy, winning 15 approvals, each of whom is now connected to services outside the jail (health care, public benefits, therapy, legal servics, housing referrals, etc.)
LEARNING QUESTION
WHO BENEFITS
Will providing Santa Rita inmates with serious mental health issues with legal advocacy to become eligible for benefits & MediCal prior to release improve mental health over time?
The populations that would benefit from this project are some of the most vulnerable, marginalized populations in the United States. The clients that we have taken on through this project are predominantly people of color, predominantly male, predominantly homeless, with multiple incarcerations and practically no regular healthcare outside of jail or institutional settings.
KEY LEARNINGS • Legal advocacy greatly improves the likelihood that individuals will receive SSI and MediCal benefits. In turn, these benefits offer baseline stability for an incredibly marginalized population. • SSI/MediCal advocacy should absolutely be a part of the transition plan for inmates with severe mental health conditions that limit their ability to work. • SSI/MediCal advocacy prior to release will definitely improve mental health over time, reduce recidivism, and lessen the burden on indigent/emergency treatment services.
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contact: Kyle Kitson – kkitson@homelessactioncenter.org – (510) 540-0878 3126 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley, CA 94705 HOMELESSACTIONCENTER.ORG
GRANTEE NAME
The Women’s Daytime Drop-In Center PROJECT NAME
Women Overcoming Trauma This weekly women’s group used a structured approach and newer treatment modalities (including “Seeking Safety, Skills Building and Related Materials”), and focused on skills to reduce exposure to continued abuse, avoiding re-traumatization. It also offered individual counseling by a professional therapist, peer outreach and support, and case management support and resources from Drop-In Center staff.
LEARNING QUESTION Will trauma informed care with peer outreach improve the mental health of women at the Women’s Daytime Drop-In Center?
KEY LEARNINGS • Women with complex trauma are best served by helping them stabilize in essential areas of their lives: housing, income, insurance, medical issues, recovery, providing enough support so they can eventually begin to address the impact of trauma on their psychological functioning.
• In order for peers to be successful as staff for this program, it is advisable that they be engaged in individual therapy so as not to have their own trauma triggered.
WHO BENEFITS Anyone working through complex trauma in a group setting, particularly those working with homeless or at-risk women.
• Bringing up specific trauma-related material in a group setting was not advisable, as it could trigger and disregulate other members. • The skills we present are best taught in the context of helping clients stay focused on their goals and priorities at any given time.
contact: Linda Lazzareschi, LCSW – lazzar@earthlink.net – Marilyn Senf, PhD. – staff@womensdropin.org (510) 548-2884 – P.O. Box 11612, Berkeley, CA 94712 WWW.WOMENSDROPIN.ORG
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TOPICAL INDEX ADOLESCENTS • AFRICAN AMERICAN MOTHER DAUGHTER WORKSHOPS
AFRICAN AMERICAN • AFRICAN AMERICAN MOTHER DAUGHTER WORKSHOPS • MAP: HUMAN SERVICES MENTORING
ARTS
CRIMINAL JUSTICE • SSI PRE RELEASE PROJECT
DEPRESSION • REFORMATION: MOVING BEYOND STIGMA
EDUCATIONAL • BUILDING COMMUNITIES OF SAFETY & RESPECT
• EARFULL RECORDS PROJECT
• GENDER ACCEPTANCE PROJECT
• INTERPLAY MENTAL HEALTH PROJECT
• PLAY ON TAY
• LEGACY LETTERS: REMINISCENCES & REFLECTIONS OF HIV-POSITIVE WOMEN • MPACT: PARENT CHILD ENGAGEMENT THROUGH DANCE
END OF LIFE • LEGACY LETTERS: REMINISCENCES & REFLECTIONS OF HIV-POSITIVE WOMEN
• REFORMATION: MOVING BEYOND STIGMA
CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE INTERVENTIONS • EXPOSING CLINICIANS TO TRADITIONAL HEALING PRACTICES: A RESEARCH STUDY
ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLS • GRLPRENEUR TAY ENTREPRENEURSHIP BOOT CAMP
ENVIRONMENTAL PREVENTION • WHO ARE THESE GIRLS?
• INCREASING ACCESS TO WELLNESS FOR MAYANS • ROBERTSON HIGH SCHOOL • THREE-DAY WEEKEND GRIEF RITUAL RETREAT • QIGONG AND WELLNESS WORKSHOPS FOR OAKLAND CHINATOWN SENIORS
AT RISK YOUTH • MAP: HUMAN SERVICES MENTORING • ROBERTSON HIGH SCHOOL
ATTACHMENT ISSUES • MPACT: PARENT CHILD ENGAGEMENT THROUGH DANCE
BODY & MINDFULNESS • ROBERTSON HIGH SCHOOL • MPACT: PARENT CHILD ENGAGEMENT THROUGH DANCE • QIGONG AND WELLNESS WORKSHOPS FOR OAKLAND CHINATOWN SENIORS
CONSUMER LED • EARFULL RECORDS PROJECT
FAMILY REUNIFICATION • MPACT: PARENT CHILD ENGAGEMENT THROUGH DANCE
FOSTER YOUTH • BE PRESENT FAMILY CAMP • MPACT: PARENT CHILD ENGAGEMENT THROUGH DANCE
GENDER DIVERSITY • BE PRESENT FAMILY CAMP • BUILDING COMMUNITIES OF SAFETY & RESPECT • GENDER ACCEPTANCE PROJECT: BRIDGING THE GAP
GROUP THERAPY • WOMEN OVERCOMING TRAUMA
HIV/AIDS • LEGACY LETTERS: REMINISCENCES & REFLECTIONS OF HIV-POSITIVE WOMEN
HOMELESSNESS • INTERPLAY MENTAL HEALTH PROJECT
• PLAY ON TAY
CONSUMER PEERS
HOSPITALIZATION • MENTORS ON DISCHARGE
• EARFULL RECORDS PROJECT • MENTORS ON DISCHARGE • PLAY ON TAY • WOMEN OVERCOMING TRAUMA
INTERGENERATIONAL • BE PRESENT FAMILY CAMP • PLAY ON TAY
LATINO/LATINA • EXPOSING CLINICIANS TO TRADITIONAL HEALING PRACTICES: A RESEARCH STUDY
LEGAL ADVOCACY • SSI PRE RELEASE PROJECT
STIGMA • BATTLEFIELD POETS • BUILDING A COMMUNITY OF SAFETY & RESPECT • QIGONG AND WELLNESS WORKSHOPS FOR OAKLAND CHINATOWN SENIORS • REFORMATION: MOVING BEYOND STIGMA
LGBTQI2-S • BUILDING A COMMUNITY OF SAFETY & RESPECT • GENDER ACCEPTANCE PROJECT: BRIDGING THE GAP
MEDIA • BATTLEFIELD POETS
MENTORS
SPECIAL LANGUAGE POPULATION • INCREASING ACCESS TO WELLNESS FOR MAYANS • QIGONG AND WELLNESS WORKSHOPS FOR OAKLAND CHINATOWN SENIORS
TRAINING • BUILDING A COMMUNITY OF SAFETY & RESPECT
• MENTORS ON DISCHARGE
• GENDER ACCEPTANCE PROJECT: BRIDGING THE GAP
• MAP: HUMAN SERVICES MENTORING
• GRLPRENEUR TAY ENTREPRENEURSHIP BOOT CAMP
RACE / GENDER / CLASS • BE PRESENT FAMILY CAMP
• MPACT: PARENT CHILD ENGAGEMENT THROUGH DANCE
TRAUMA
• BUILDING A COMMUNITY OF SAFETY & RESPECT
• BATTLEFIELD POETS
• GENDER ACCEPTANCE PROJECT: BRIDGING THE GAP
• THREE-DAY WEEKEND GRIEF RITUAL RETREAT
RESEARCH • EXPOSING CLINICIANS TO TRADITIONAL HEALING PRACTICES: A RESEARCH STUDY
• WOMEN OVERCOMING TRAUMA
VETERANS • BATTLEFIELD POETS
• MPACT: PARENT CHILD ENGAGEMENT THROUGH DANCE
RESOURCE REFERRALS
WEEKEND EVENT • THREE-DAY WEEKEND GRIEF RITUAL RETREAT
• SSI PRE RELEASE PROJECT
SCHOOL-BASED • BUILDING A COMMUNITY OF SAFETY & RESPECT • GENDER ACCEPTANCE PROJECT: BRIDGING THE GAP • ROBERTSON HIGH SCHOOL
SCHOOL-BASED / COMMUNITY COLLEGE • MAP: HUMAN SERVICES MENTORING
SENIORS • INTERPLAY MENTAL HEALTH PROJECT • QIGONG AND WELLNESS WORKSHOPS FOR OAKLAND CHINATOWN SENIORS
SEXUALLY EXPLOITED MINORS • WHO ARE THESE GIRLS?
WELLNESS • QIGONG AND WELLNESS WORKSHOPS FOR OAKLAND CHINATOWN SENIORS
WOMEN &/OR GIRLS • AFRICAN AMERICAN MOTHER DAUGHTER WORKSHOPS • GRLPRENEUR TAY ENTREPRENEURSHIP BOOT CAMP • INCREASING ACCESS TO WELLNESS FOR MAYANS • WHO ARE THESE GIRLS? • WOMEN OVERCOMING TRAUMA
WORKFORCE DIVERSITY • GRLPRENEUR TAY ENTREPRENEURSHIP BOOT CAMP • MAP: HUMAN SERVICES MENTORING
YOUNG MEN • MAP: HUMAN SERVICES MENTORING
YOUTH LED • PLAY ON TAY
The Health & Human Resource Education Center (HHREC) provides technical assistance and some fiscal sponsorship to the Innovation Grants Program 420 3rd Street #105 Oakland, CA 94607 (p) 510/834-5990 (f) 510/835-0558 ta@acinnovations.org www.HHREC.org