The Loop - California (August 2024)

BEST NONPROFIT

THE LOOP A COLLECTION OF STORIES FROM AROUND CALIFORNIA

AUGUST 2024

ISSUE 135

VOLUME 12

WestCare Family and Members of the Community, Welcome to WestCare California’s monthly newsletter, The Loop! As the fall season arrives, it brings along several annual events that we are delighted to participate in. From Recovery Happens at the State Capitol, Central Valley Veterans’ Stand Down and Women Veterans Stand Up, to the Central California Women's Conference, and Community Partners 4 Recovery’s (CP4R) SoberStock XIX, all the way to diverse volunteer and career fairs, this season marks a pivotal time for community engagement opportunities. Whether you have recently joined our staff, engaged with our outreach teams at these amazing events, or are discovering our organization for the first time, this fall holds great significance.

With this in mind, we would like to take a moment to introduce you to WestCare California. As a behavioral health and human services entity, we operate across more than 38 of California’s 58 counties, providing a variety of services such as Mental Health & Wellness, Treatment & Rehabilitation, Veterans Services, Criminal Justice, Housing Opportunities, and Education & Prevention. Now celebrating our 50th year of operation, our journey began in 1974 as The Third Floor, a 48-bed residential treatment facility in Fresno, CA. Over time, we became a part of the global WestCare family of operations, which now operates in 17 states, four U.S. territories, and two republics. Since our inception, our scope has evolved to encompass a diverse array of services. Today, we proudly offer over 50 programs across 25 facilities, spanning from San Diego up to Chico.

Over the past year, we have greatly expanded our services available to the community. We welcomed Wings Advocacy Fresno, a volunteer-run furniture bank, into our family of programs to furnish homes for recently-housed individuals, Veterans, families, and women and children fleeing domestic violence. We also added the Recovery Incentives program as a component to reward participants in our Fresno Adult Outpatient treatment program with gift cards and other incentives for their continued progress and participation in the program. Our adult outpatient program also added an additional location at our Gateway Campus at 1900 N. Gateway Blvd. to provide a central location in Fresno for those looking to attend groups and receive outpatient support for their recovery.

Through our partnership with the Fresno Madera Continuum of Care (FMCoC), we established a Coordinated Entry System (CES) Access Site at our Belmont Health & Wellness Center in Fresno to serve as the entry point for unhoused individuals and families who want to get connected with community services and begin their journey to securing permanent supportive housing. Last but not least, we most recently launched the Opioid Education and Naloxone Distribution (OEND) program aimed at reducing fentanyl overdose deaths in Fresno County. This initiative provides education, training on reversal medications like Naloxone, fentanyl test kits, and referrals to critical social services.

At the heart of our work lies the motto of Uplifting the Human Spirit, a mission made possible by our exceptional staff. Through this issue, we hope you gain a deeper understanding of the wide range of life-skills services we are privileged to provide.

Thank you and take care,

Mary Ann Knoy Vice President WestCare California

w e s tcare.com

Jenny Gonzalez Vice President WestCare California

Program Spotlight: Project Hope The goal of Fresno City College's Project Hope program is to address the needs of students who are enrolled with Fresno City College and have a substance use disorder (SUD). As a subcontractor, WestCare California, Inc. provides outpatient treatment services to ensure that students who don't require the intensive services offered by a residential program are able to address their SUD while still attending classes and living within the community. Services provided to students enrolled in the Project Hope program include comprehensive assessments, group counseling, assistance with enrolling for classes, and linkages to other support services offered by WestCare California and/or other community-based providers, including housing assistance and mental health care. WestCare uses evidence-based curricula in our programs provided by trained, supportive, and credentialed staff to assist the people that we serve in setting the foundation for recovery. This foundation will help them understand their SUD, improve their self-esteem, and make positive choices as well as set and obtain goals. Individuals in the program are required to participate in weekly group sessions that are held in-person or virtually.

Kudos to Lisa and Angela!

“Lisa Gutierrez, Lead Counselor, and Angela Reina, Counselor, have been very dedicated to their clients. Each, week they provide substance abuse services with individuals who attend Fresno City College.

They collaborate with FCC staff to ensure clients are successful in their academic journey and support them in obtaining housing.

They deserve recognition for their dedication and hard work with these individuals in recovery. They have received positive feedback from clients stating how appreciative they are for the support of the staff.” - Marina Herrera, Program Director, Belmont Health & Wellness

For more information on Fresno City College’s Project Hope program, please contact their team by calling (559) 237-3420 “I first came to WestCare in 2013. I had just lost my late husband to suicide, and I had four children at the time. At that time, I could not actively participate and complete my program at WestCare as I felt like I needed to be home to parent my children. Emotionally and mentally, I was not ready to have my children on the outside without me, as they were also processing the loss. It was a very traumatic time for us all.

In 2023, I had gotten to a point where I was working 100+ hours, and I neglected my mental health. Unfortunately, I turned to alcohol as a coping mechanism, and I became an alcoholic. As a result, I was placed on a mental health evaluation. I was homeless at that point, and I needed help. While at the facility where I was held for my mental health evaluation, I asked to go to WestCare. I was finally able to put my mental and physical health first.

When asked how I could define myself by the case manager Ashley at WestCare, all I could say is that I am a mom. When asked what I wanted to do, I said I wanted to go to school to major in social work and substance abuse counseling. I felt like this was the time for me to share my story. As a person who has pre-existing and co-occurring disorders such as depression, PTSD, and anxiety and is recovering from substance abuse issues, I felt like I could be a voice for the voiceless.

Because I was homeless, I was referred to the Hope program. With the help of the Hope program, I started school in August of 2023 and found housing in October of 2023.

While being a part of the Hope program at WestCare, I enjoyed the community, groups, check-ins, and counselors. Everybody was there with a life story, and I had the support that I did not have from those around me. I was able to express myself and share my mental health issues in a safe place.

Angela with the Hope program has also shown me that I could receive help through local resources. Additionally, the housing opportunities provided by Hope and Fresno City College have been a godsend. I never thought I was going to graduate with two certifications. Addicts and disabled individuals are also people who deserve to be supported and I feel I needed to step in and do that.

Each staff member has a connection with the students. They make great efforts to reach out to talk to students to see if they can benefit from any available resources. I feel they have geared us to face the community and empowered us to advocate for ourselves. Their emails, phone calls, and texts are all helpful and bring a sense of compassion. The Hope program is part of my support system. It pushes us and gives us the tools to be independent, take life into our own hands, and advocate for ourselves.

I want to be a real role model where my kids can say, ‘She had it hard and she still made it through all of that!’

This is dedicated to all of my children, ages 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 6, 5, and 4.”

- Jalyssa Jenkins-McGill

OEND Shares Awareness and the Warning Signs of Fentanyl Overdose

In August, our Opioid Education and Naloxone Distribution (OEND) team provided a presentation for our community partners at RH Community Builders on overdose prevention for those using fentanyl or misusing other opioids. Their team left with Narcan, increased knowledge of warning signs and how to act when encountering an overdose, and ultimately, the skills to make a real difference as they continue to provide services to those in need.

For more information on the OEND program, please call 559-832-2068 or send an email to oend@westcare.com

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Employee of The Month: Daisy Rodriguez, Adolescent Counselor, Youth & Family TREE “Daisy goes above and beyond to help our clients succeed. She is a team player and follows through with all tasks without complaint. She believes in the WestCare mission and remains positive no matter what the situation may be.

Daisy has been a light that has shined through all of our adversities and continues to Uplift the Human Spirit of all those she comes across.”

- Barbara Holland, Program Coordinator, Youth & Family TREE

Uplifting the Human Spirit Team Building at MLK Residential As a teambuilding moment and reward for all of their hard work supporting our men, women, and families in treatment - the staff of our MLK Residential facility in Fresno organized a game of BINGO with prizes for the winners! To our dedicated staff at MLK and those who made this fun activity possible, thank you for Uplifting the Human Spirit of your colleagues and those that you serve!

Drag Queen BINGO in Support of the Fresno AIDS Walk!

Wings Advocacy Fresno Receives Support from Amazon to Help Brighten New Homes!

Our Wings Advocacy Fresno volunteers and maintenance team recently picked up and sorted over 40 boxes of household items courtesy of Amazon! Thank you to our amazing volunteers and staff as well as our community partners at Amazon for your support of the recently-housed! If you’d like to help out Wings, see the backpage for information on our Spirit Gala in October!

Do You Have Clothing to Donate?

Consider Donating to WestCare!

Clothing donations are always appreciated by our programs since so many of our clients come to us wearing just the clothes they have on.

If you’re able to donate, we take gently used clothing for men, women, and children. For information on where the closest program is to you, please reach out to info.ca@westcare.com

Our most recent Drag Queen BINGO event at Splash Fresno was a success! Thanks to a generous sponsorship from Gilead Sciences, we raised a little over $2,000 in benefit of the 2024 Fresno AIDS Walk on Sunday, December 1st, at Woodward Park! Thank you to everyone who came out to support the event as well as those that made it possible like our amazing emcee, Mizz Stolengoodz! For details on our next Drag Queen BINGO event and the Fresno AIDS Walk, please see the back page!

For those in Fresno, our MLK Residential is currently very low on men’s clothing, in particular. All donations for their program can be dropped off at 2772 S. MLK Jr. Blvd. Fresno, CA 93706 during regular business hours (Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) To speak with their team directly, please call (559) 2654800 for more info

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