Learning from our Family at WestCare California

By Andrew Moran, Development Director, WestCare Foundation

On February 28, 2024, our Vice President of WestCare Nevada, Leo Magrdichian, and myself on behalf of the WestCare Foundation Development team, traveled to Fresno, CA and celebrated 50 years of Uplifting the Human Spirit with the WestCare California family!

WestCare California hosted an open house at their new Gateway Campus located at 1850 and 1900 N Gateway Blvd to celebrate their golden anniversary. Several of their programs and services have moved into these centralized locations for a one-stop-shop of services This is a wonderful idea for coordinated care and it promotes collaboration and communication between the individuals receiving support. It can improve access to care and make it a more convenient experience for everyone involved without having gaps in treatment.

This location of WestCare California’s new campus has everything from outpatient treatment services to their Veterans program, San Joaquin Valley Veterans (SJVV) SJVV’s Navigators are present and going into encampments to build trust with the community, taking as many as seven initial visits to establish rapport before unhoused community members feel comfortable enough to share their needs and experiences. Outside of the campus, WestCare California also works with Fresno City College through a program called Project Hope, and they have several Adolescent Services programs providing outpatient treatment in partnerships with Kings School School system. Collaboration with other service providers is key to housing opportunities.

Leo and I were also able to visit more of the amazing programs being offered to Uplift the Human Spirit that were not present at the Gateway location It made me proud to be a part of such an awesome team of rockstar individuals From their Marketing team to their Vice Presidents and the Chief Operating Officer for the Western Region, Shawn Jenkins - I was blown away at the coordination and continuity of care at their locations. They are truly giving individuals and families the opportunity to have a better long-term outcome in their journey through treatment and care All of our jobs and skills are different, but we complement each other’s expertise, and the diversity allows us to tackle any challenge coming our way Embracing our diversity and inclusion leads to a more successful crew.