THE LOOP
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,
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.
“IfirstcametoWestCarein2013.Ihadjustlostmy latehusbandtosuicide,andIhadfourchildrenatthe time.Atthattime,Icouldnotactivelyparticipateand completemyprogramatWestCareasIfeltlikeIneededto ildren.Emotionallyandmentally,Iwasnotreadyto outsidewithoutme,astheywerealsoprocessingthe loss.Itwasaverytraumatictimeforusall.
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,andIbecameanalcoholic.Asaresult,Iwasplacedonamental healthevaluation.Iwashomelessatthatpoint,andIneededhelp.Whileatthe facility where I was held for my mental health evaluation, I asked to go to WestCare.Iwasfinallyabletoputmymentalandphysicalhealthfirst.
When asked how I could define myself by the case manager Ashley at WestCare,allIcouldsayisthatIamamom.WhenaskedwhatIwantedtodo, IsaidIwantedtogotoschooltomajorinsocialworkandsubstanceabuse counseling.Ifeltlikethiswasthetimeformetosharemystory.Asaperson who has pre-existing and co-occurring disorders such as depression, PTSD, andanxietyandisrecoveringfromsubstanceabuseissues,IfeltlikeIcouldbe avoiceforthevoiceless.
BecauseIwashomeless,IwasreferredtotheHopeprogram.Withthehelpof the Hope program, I started school in August of 2023 and found housing in Octoberof2023.
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
WhilebeingapartoftheHopeprogramatWestCare,Ienjoyedthecommunity, groups,check-ins,andcounselors.Everybodywastherewithalifestory,andI had the support that I did not have from those around me. I was able to expressmyselfandsharemymentalhealthissuesinasafeplace.
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 goingtograduatewithtwocertifications.Addictsanddisabledindividualsare alsopeoplewhodeservetobesupportedandIfeelIneededtostepinanddo that.
Eachstaffmemberhasaconnectionwiththestudents.Theymakegreatefforts to reach out to talk to students to see if they can benefit from any available resources.Ifeeltheyhavegearedustofacethecommunityandempowered ustoadvocateforourselves.Theiremails,phonecalls,andtextsareallhelpful and bring a sense of compassion. The Hope program is part of my support system.Itpushesusandgivesusthetoolstobeindependent,takelifeintoour ownhands,andadvocateforourselves.
Iwanttobearealrolemodelwheremykidscansay,‘Shehadithardandshe stillmadeitthroughallofthat!’
Thisisdedicatedtoallofmychildren,ages15,14,13,12,11,10,6,5,and4.”
-JalyssaJenkins-McGill
“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
OEND Shares Awareness and the Warning Signs of Fentanyl O
Daisy Rodriguez, Adolescent Counselor,
In August, our Opioid Education and Naloxone Distribution (OEND)
community partners at RH Community Builders on overdose prevention
opioids. Their team left with Narcan, increased knowledge
overdose, and ultimately, the skills
Building at MLK
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!
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!
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!
Clothingdonationsarealwaysappreciatedbyourprogramssinceso manyofourclientscometouswearingjusttheclothestheyhaveon. If you’re able to donate, we take gently used clothing for men, women,andchildren.Forinformationonwheretheclosestprogram istoyou,pleasereachouttoinfo.ca@westcare.com
ForthoseinFresno,ourMLKResidentialiscurrentlyverylow onmen’sclothing,inparticular.Alldonationsfortheirprogram canbedroppedoffat2772S.MLKJr.Blvd.Fresno,CA93706 during regular business hours (Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) To speak with their team directly, please call (559) 2654800formoreinfo
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