The Loop - Nevada (December 2022)

THE LOOP

Greetings from WestCare Nevada,

This time of year has been dubbed the “Season of Giving,” and although it usually does bring out the best in people, the act of giving thanks and giving of oneself to others should not just be during a certain time of year. It is something that should occur year-round.

WestCare Nevada (WCNV) believes that is the case and it is the reason why we make such a strong attempt to align ourselves with as many community events possible and willingly give of ourselves to the mission of Uplifting the Human Spirit all year long. However, there tends to be a larger number of scheduled events during this time of year and there also appears to be a greater need for those who may be experiencing some more difficult times in their lives and who may be forced to look a great deal harder for things to be thankful for.

The events associated with the month of November began with Veterans Day and our Reno Homefront Veterans spent the entire day enjoying all the perks that come with serving this country. Yet, what remains evident and what continues to stand out for our veterans, is the camaraderie experienced with each other while out on the town in The Biggest Little City in the World.

Our Spiritual Alumni Group assisted WCC in creating a pumpkin patch for all to enjoy in the Spiritual Garden, and in addition to Thankful Thursday, we have included some of the sentiments of gratitude from our leadership team to those they oversee.

WCNV also participated in the Nevada Homeless Alliance’s Project Homeless Connect event held yearly, this time at the Silver Nugget in North Las Vegas. What you will read comes from our VP of Revenue Cycle Management, Ms. Angela Mangum, who provides a different perspective based on the fact that she normally does not attend these types of large community events. However, her excitement after the event provides a glimpse into not only the need here in Southern Nevada, but also the importance of those who work behind the scenes to understand how important their roles are in supporting those providing direct services to some of our most vulnerable populations.

I will end with this: I truly consider it an honor and a privilege to be able to interact with this community, work hand-in-hand with our stakeholders and other providers, be led by such an experienced and dedicated WestCare Senior Leadership team, link arms with our WCNV leadership team and employees, and of course provide comprehensive care to the clients that we serve. There is nothing that we cannot accomplish when we work together and put the needs of others before our own.

Leo Magrdichian, LCSW, LCADC, Vice President

Veterans Day at Reno Homefront

By Sher Stevens, Program Manager

On Nov. 11 each year, our Veterans at Reno Homefront wake up before the sun comes up and start out on their Veterans Day quest to receive every freebie available until way after the sun goes down and only after every freebie has been obtained. This is annual ritual that provides Homefront Veterans with free meals, haircuts, coffee, donuts, and more from vendors in the community that wish to express their appreciation for Veterans and active-duty service members. Each year, our Veterans especially enjoy the Reno Veterans Day Parade. This combined with the camaraderie of spending time with each other and past graduates as well as meeting other Veterans in the community makes this day one of the best each year for all. Here are some of the comments from this year:

Mike: “I found the experience very uplifting and entertaining!”

2022 Southern Nevada Youth Homelessness Summit

By Andrew Moran, Development Director

On Nov. 17, WestCare Nevada participated in the 2022 Southern Nevada Youth Homelessness Summit: Powering the Movement in downtown Las Vegas this month. The informative summit, now in its sixth year and presented by the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth (NPHY), brought together southern Nevadan stakeholders to tackle the most significant issue facing our community: homelessness.

Bob: “I loved the whole thing. Everybody was so nice. I especially liked the folks doing the haircuts. The Atlantis had a good buffet and the meal at the Peppermill was terrific.”

John M: “The whole day was fun. I mostly enjoyed the company. I was pleased the community recognized us with free meals and haircuts.”

At the summit, we learned that homelessness has been a crisis in Southern Nevada for years, even before the COVID-19 pandemic, which inevitably worsened conditions. Right now, young people especially, are facing complex challenges due to an array of situations including a lack of affordable housing, living wages, and social services. These serious barriers disproportionately affect the community's most vulnerable population and it is up to us as a community to rise to the challenge of serving these individuals.

The summit held many workshops packed with information on how this movement will harness the power of community for innovative advocacy that empowers individuals to #bethemovement. The goal of this movement is to end youth homelessness, and the NPHY believes that we can do this if we pool our resources together.

Attendees learned many ways to join the movement through other events, trainings, or workshops. Ultimately, it will take considerable community involvement and the empowerment of young people to accomplish this goal.

John R: “It was cool and it was great! Having lots of fun made me feel good. The food was great. I had a wonderful time!”

Overall, the event was a great success, with over 50 organizations across Nevada in attendance. Arash Ghafoori, the CEO of NPHY, put it best by saying, "It is really an opportunity to bring together all the necessary players and bring in even more of those players because not one sector of government, not one non-profit, and not one business can address this issue."

Rich: “I only went to dinner, but it was really good. I had a nice time.”

Caltrol, Inc. Uplifts Spirits Again by Providing Some Thanksgiving Cheer

By Leo Magrdichian, Vice President of Operations

Darell: “I truly appreciated the time with the other Vets and the people of Reno. It was a special day for us.”

One of our dedicated supporters, Caltrol Inc., has once again positively impacted some of the clients WestCare Nevada serves. This time, they conducted a non-perishable food drive for Thanksgiving, benefiting our men in transitional living.

Frank: “In my heart, I really loved it. The food was good I had a good time!”

We are grateful for this partnership and their continued generosity towards our WestCare clients. They informed us that they are already conducting another toy drive for our children at the Women and Children’s Campus

Pictured left to right: Caltrol representatives, Ms. Brittney and Ms. Shanti, and WestCare VP of Operations, Leo Magrdichian

The SCCP and Spiritual Alumni Group Share Gratitude for Recovery

By Chaplain Ryan Creelman, Spiritual Care Director

The Spiritual Care Chaplain Program (SCCP) enjoyed a multitude of service opportunities in November, a month of gratitude and thankfulness. Our Spiritual Alumni Group members and SCCP program leaders were able to provide meaningful activities and services to those in our care. The Spiritual Garden at the Women & Children’s Campus (WCC) was transformed into a pumpkin patch with a generous donation of nearly 100 pumpkins from our community partners at the New Journey Church and Chaplaincy Nevada. The women and children enjoyed spiced cider and seasonal sugar cookies while picking out the perfect pumpkin to paint.

The Spiritual Alumni Group’s men’s team jumped at the chance to go to Harris Springs Ranch (HSR) and provide a spiritual care testimony panel. They inspired the men in care with living examples of what works and how to make recovery and redemption real in their lives. In addition, they hosted a pizza party with a homemade apple pie along with ice cream and caramel drizzle. Delicious! To top it off, thanks to a seasonal fundraiser, they were able to bless the camp with all new sporting equipment. It was a full day of giving thanks for the gift of spiritual awakening that was offered to them.

Our SCCP leaders and alumni members also joined in on the festivities of the annual Fall Festival at the WCC. We were happy to provide cotton candy, popcorn, coffee, and hot chocolate with marshmallows. I had the honor of asking those that we serve with spiritual and faith trivia questions to win Spiritual Alumni Group shirts.

In gratitude of our staff at the WCC, we also set up a table with coffee, donuts, candy bars, tea, and an individual gift of appreciation for each. With added safety policies being honored and implemented by site management and staff, we wanted them to know that we are thankful for them and the extra work that they do in these seasons.

Additionally, our teams provided six full Thanksgiving boxes to those who recently completed their time in our care to cook for themselves or their newly reunited families.

Members of the Spiritual Alumni Group’s leadership team also hosted a gratitude gathering in the community with turkeys and all of the fixings and invited the recovery community as well as the men of the 4th Street transitional living program who needed a place to celebrate the holiday. It was a beautiful example of the truest meaning of the holiday, for as you, we are blessed in the abundance of new life and provision. May we extend our tables and share our spiritual way.

Project Homeless Connect

By Angela Mangum, Vice President of Revenue Cycle Management

This time of year, it is crucial for all of us to stop and reflect on everything we may take for granted. A livable wage, stable housing, and family support could come to mind, but what about basics such as a shower, a warm jacket, and the ability to nourish our furry friends? Each year, the Nevada Homeless Alliance coordinates a massive, free event for the homeless population to gain access to these resources and services.

This year, I was privileged to attend and support their cause. It was a sight to see with hundreds of cars lining the parking lot at the Silver Nugget. Many providers offered services ranging from medical to basic needs, but all were eager to volunteer their time and energy to help our community. As I sat at our WestCare table and greeted the friendly faces of our fellow community providers, I felt a sense of pride and fulfillment. So many agencies were gathered and ready to meet the needs and wishes of the hundreds in attendance.

Once people started funneling through the tents, it was a steady stream of excited faces, ready to fill their bags with soap, razors, water bottles, and more. Some attendees stopped to chat with the providers about the important services that they came to offer while others were excited to spend 20 minutes under a mobile hot shower and receive a free haircut. Additionally, WestCare’s clinical staff offered crisis services on the spot, which was a blessing to many.

This event assisted hundreds of people, their family members, and pets by connecting services ranging from primary care and behavioral healthcare to hygiene and community referrals. This event is a year-round mobile resource fair, so be sure to monitor the Nevada Homeless Alliance’s website for information on the next event. It was an honor to witness WestCare's involvement in this community event knowing that we are furthering our mission of "Uplifting the Human Spirit" of thousands!

SENTIMENTS OF t h a n k f u l n e s s

In the spirit of Thanksgiving and WestCare’s annual tradition of Thankful Thursday in which we recognize fellow staff, members of WestCare Nevada’s leadership shared some special words for their teams!

“I hope this message can convey how much respect I have for each of you as a member of this team and your contributions to the clients we serve. I want to personally thank each of you for being such a great co-worker. All of you are more than deserving of this recognition. Our opinions differ and our ideas may not always match, but I know that no matter what happens, we will always come together as a TEAM! Thank You.” - Gardis Canty, Clinical Manager, Women & Children’s Campus

“During this holiday season, I can’t help but be thankful for the Nevada team and all they do for the community. Whether it be attending external events, managing programs from within, providing direct services, or handling the vital administrative tasks - this WestCare Nevada team is next to none I have enjoyed working and collaborating with every single person in this organization and know that we will continue to grow and uplift the human spirit in the many years to come because we have such a dedicated team.” - Amanda

Henderson, Director of Accreditation, Western Region

“I am incredibly thankful to have such a hardworking and compassionate team which comprises the Revenue Cycle Management department. They always give 100% to help our clients and work as a respectful and supportive team!” - Kitty Ketenheim, Billing Supervisor, WestCare Nevada

am grateful for an incredibly diverse and committed team that jumps in to help, despite a million things happening at once, and a team that makes me laugh especially on the hardest days and continues to do what they can to serve our clients to the best their ability. Thank you, Maryland Parkway!” - Andrea

Lopez, Coordinator of Community Behavioral Health, WestCare Nevada

“I’m thankful to lead a vibrant Nevada clinical team that is dedicated to improving the lives of the people we serve. Nevada’s clinicians show a passion for their craft and provide empathetic and compassionate care every day.”- Todd

Edwards, Clinical Director, WestCare Nevada

“I am thankful for the team that I have from the other supervisors in the facility to each and every staff member in every department at Harris Springs Ranch. I am extremely appreciative of everyone's hard work and dedication to providing the best services possible to our clients while continuing to work as a team.” - Edgar

Salcido, Program Director, Harris Springs Ranch

“I am thankful for the work my team does daily to Uplift the Human Spirit. Every counselor takes it upon themselves to walk beside their client daily on their journey towards recovery and support them in any way needed. I am thankful for my team’s strong dedication to the WestCare mission and effort to support each other daily. It’s this shared team vision and effort that makes me thankful to be a leader at WestCare." - Brody

Santini,

Clinical

Manager,

Harris Springs Ranch

“Dear 4th Street Staff and MORE Teams, I want to take this opportunity to write about what makes me so grateful about the teams I serve and I didn’t have to think about this for long as I am well aware of why I am filled with joy each day that I come to work. First, one of the reasons is the unwavering loyalty that each staff member brings to the table. The dedication and perseverance put forth for getting through this year has been outstanding and inspirational. I am grateful that you all come to work - ready to serve and willing to perform the duties assigned with great enthusiasm. Next, I have observed each member’s character and I find that each colleague undoubtedly shows the most humble, spirited, and courageous attitudes which have been the backbone of such a successful year. Finally, but (not the last of reasons) is the simple fact that the staff here are extremely selfless and it shows. They give their all to the clients we serve whether it is by providing services, advocating, or showing support with an empathetic listening ear – our staff are present and productive. I am honored to be a part of these teams and WestCare as a whole. Thank you for a great year!” - Sashia Whitmire,

Program Supervisor, Recovery Residences

We appreciate you all!