Summer 2022
Issue: 03
the
GOLDEN RULE T H E M AG A Z I N E O F H OAG ’ S C O M M U N I T Y B E N E F I T I N I T I AT I V E S
MENTAL HEALTH
RENTAL ASSISTANCE
PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
Talk Saves Lives
OC Housing Crisis
Human Options
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Message from the Director
Welcome to the Summer 2022 issue of The Golden Rule, the magazine dedicated to Hoag’s Community Benefit initiatives at the Melinda Hoag Smith Center for Healthy Living. This issue focuses on our community as we reopen and work toward regaining our footing. After the social distancing rules eased, reopening the Center to a robust capacity meant more than just opening our doors. Our priority became reestablishing trust and communication with the local community. Outreach is key to letting the community know that vital programs are back, services the community needs now more than ever. Two of our most in-demand services are highlighted in this issue: rental assistance and mental health support, both made more critical by the pandemic. Rental assistance has been a vital offering due to the perfect storm of a housing shortage, inflated rental prices, and the economic impact of the pandemic. We see many people at risk of losing their homes and facing eviction. The Center is working to connect struggling individuals and families with resources and referral services that can help.
As always, we place a big focus on mental health. And as glad as we are that the stigma of mental health has started to ever so slightly ease, this also means that the demand for help has increased three-fold. The Center’s mental health and support services are very much in demand and we are working hard to keep up with the community need. Thanks to a recent and generous donation from the Snyder family, we were able to bring in another therapist and are currently looking to hire a psychiatric nurse practitioner. Our goal at the Center remains the same as it has always been: serving our community in the most strategic and effective way possible. And thanks to the generosity of our donors, community partners, and Hoag leadership, we have been able to do just that. With deepest gratitude,
Michaell Silva Rose, DrPH, LCSW Director of Community Health and Community Benefit
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$49.92 MENTAL HEALTH TALK SAVES LIVES It’s been a stressful two years, propelling the topic of mental health firmly into the national spotlight. WRITE IT DOWN
RENTAL ASSISTANCE
OC HOUSING CRISIS
Marisol and Steve Garcia work hard at their jobs. But when the day is over, Marisol returns to their small apartment to care for their two children and aging grandmother.
Orange County is suffering from an affordable housing crisis so severe that it has been ranked among the top 10 least affordable areas in the country.
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It reduces stress and anxiety.
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Emergency Shelter Counseling & Supportive Services Transitional Housing PROM WITHIN REACH
PROJECT WIPEOUT
Like all high school seniors, Samantha looked forward to the traditional milestone celebrations that mark graduation –– fun rites of passage that teens dream about.
Working in coordination with local lifeguard agencies, Project Wipeout has become the model for hospital-based water safety education programming, collaborating with beach safety professionals from around the globe.
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BACK COVER
FIVE QUESTIONS WITH MARICELA RIOS-FAUST
LEADING BY EXAMPLE
YEAR IN REVIEW 2021
Four decades of impact and community benefit gives Human Options good reason to celebrate.
Philanthropy has always played an important role in the family. YOUR GIVING CHANGES LIVES Hunger. Eviction. Mental health crises.
HUMAN OPTIONS AT A GLANCE
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Mental Health Talk Saves Lives It’s been a stressful two years, propelling the topic of mental health firmly into the national spotlight. From the pandemic, to Olympic athletes sharing their stories, to the struggles of being a teen or an isolated older adult, mental health issues have come to the forefront of open discussion as we seek healthy ways to cope.
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Hoag’s Mental Health Center, which is located inside the Melinda Hoag Smith Center for Healthy Living, recognizes the importance of good mental health and offers free psychotherapy services to the low-income and underinsured community, providing support to those individuals and families who might not otherwise receive help. Staffed by a team of 10 professional social workers, two social worker assistants and one part-time psychiatrist, the team works to break down social stigmas about mental health, helping patients understand that the challenges they face often have solutions. Services are offered, virtually or in person, in English, Spanish or Farsi six days a week. Talk Saves Lives Among the programs that the Center offers is Talk Saves Lives, a suicide awareness program created by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). Talk Saves Lives is AFSP’s standardized, 45-to-60 minute education program that provides participants with a clear understanding of this leading cause of death, including the most up-to-date
research on suicide prevention, and what they can do in their communities to save lives. AFSP offers the Talk Save Lives workshops using a train-the-trainer model. Hoag’s Promotores (community health workers) were trained in April 2021 and have been able to offer regular workshops to the community in both English and Spanish. This has been a wonderful extension of Hoag’s Mental Health Center program offerings. Families in crisis as well as caregivers wanting to prevent a crisis have attended these workshops and received education, support and much-needed resources. Loved ones learn that asking someone directly if they have had or are having thoughts of suicide won’t put the idea in their head, and that most people who are struggling report being relieved that someone asked and initiated a discussion. Research shows that 90% of people who die by suicide had an underlying mental health condition that was potentially treatable. Mental health therapy and certain medications have been proven to help people reduce suicidal thoughts and behaviors. People who attend Talk Saves Lives presentations not only learn how to help a loved one who is struggling but also gain a sense of hope. If you or a loved one is struggling with suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
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Write It Down It reduces stress and anxiety. It clears your head. It helps you problem solve and set goals. It even inspires. We’re talking about the simple act of self-expression through writing. Whether writing to gain perspective on a problem or to quickly break the cycle of anxious thoughts, picking up a pen is one of the simplest ways to unburden a stressed-out brain. Writing helps to process emotions, express gratitude and navigate life. The physical act of writing provides a measure of tension release as the brain no longer needs to “hold onto that thought.” Composing your thoughts on paper can also provide insights as you review your entries — both looking back and looking forward. However you structure your writing practice, one thing is clear: the results can be powerful.
Following are a five simple steps to help you get started: 1. B egin with just a few minutes a day, preferably at the same time to help form the habit. This could be with your morning coffee, or the last thing at night before you go to sleep. Find a groove that works for you. 2. Don’t strive for perfection, just write. 3. W rite for your eyes only; this will take the pressure off. 4. D on’t punish yourself when you miss a day or three; just get back on board. 5. R emember, there’s no right or wrong way; just pick up a pen and express yourself.
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Rental Assistance Marisol and Steve Garcia work hard at their jobs. But when the day is over, Marisol returns to their small apartment to care for their two children and aging grandmother, while Steve starts his next shift with a different employer as a night-time manager.
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Despite their full-time employment, Marisol and Steve do not earn a living wage –– the level of income that provides sufficient coverage for basic necessities such as shelter, food, childcare and health care. This exhausting arrangement is the only way the Garcia’s can earn enough to pay the monthly rent for their family of five. The challenges of COVID-19 and soaring inflation have only added to their financial struggles. Fortunately, the Garcia family was referred to the Melinda Hoag Smith Center for Healthy Living’s Rental Assistance Program. In partnership with local agencies, the Center is able to provide some relief for local families in need. While the government provides housing assistance for very low-income families, the working poor and even some middle-class families are struggling to meet rent each month. And making their situations even more urgent, Orange County rental prices have hit an all-time high. With limited new construction in the area, the demand for low and moderately priced rental units far exceeds supply. The Kennedy Commission reports that the hourly wage needed to afford a $2,596 rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Orange County is $49.92. In addition, the commission estimates that Orange County is short 124,514 homes for lower-income renters.
The Garcia family knows this all too well, as rent payments consume a large portion of their monthly budget, leaving little for food and necessities. But thanks to the Center’s partner agencies SPIN (Serving People in Need), Families Forward, and SOS (Share Our Selves), who recognize the needs of these families, the Garcia’s now have a safety net. These groups provide housing assistance by helping families find affordable housing options, providing motel vouchers, rental assistance and supportive wraparound services to help ensure a family becomes self-sufficient and thrives. In cooperation with its partnership agencies, the Center has been able to make a difference in the lives of local families in need. In 2021, the Center provided more than $300,000 in rental assistance to families at risk of losing their housing. The Garcia’s are grateful for the assurance that they will continue to have a roof over their heads –– and we are grateful, for the generosity of our donors and agency partners who make it all possible.
A living wage is the level of income that provides sufficient coverage for basic necessities such as shelter, food, childcare and health care. The living wage standard indicated that no more than 30% of an individual’s or family’s income should be spent on a mortgage or rent. For families who don’t earn a living wage they are often spending 50% or more of their income on housing leaving them very little for food and health care needs. 537 Families helped with housing and rental assistance by The Melinda Hoag Smith Center for Healthy Living, thereby helping families avoid becoming homeless.
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OC Housing Crisis Orange County is suffering from an affordable housing crisis so severe that it has been ranked among the top 10 least affordable areas in the country.
$15
9%
$49.92
$2,596
6.3 million
537
Minimum wage in California
Hourly rate needed to afford a 2-bedroom apartment in OC
Californians living at or below the poverty line
Another challenge to keeping a roof over their heads is that many workers are not paid a living wage, defined as a wage high enough to maintain a normal standard of living. In Orange County, the hourly rate needed to afford a two-bedroom apartment is $49.92 — making affordable housing out of reach for many.
Population of OC living in poverty
Average monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment in OC
Families helped by the Melinda Hoag Smith Center for Healthy Living
Source: Orange County 2022 Affordable Housing Needs Report and The Kennedy Commission
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has not kept up with the increased demand by residents needing affordable housing.
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It is estimated that you need to earn at least $162,000 a year to afford a median priced home at $826,000. Even more concerning is the rental market, where monthly rents have surged more than 13% in the past year. The combination of high housing costs with low vacancy rates means that many lower income households struggle to afford and live in the cities where they work. Adding to the problem is that the number of affordable homes and low-rent apartments being built
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05 Prom Within Reach Like all high school seniors, Samantha looked forward to the traditional milestone celebrations that mark graduation –– fun rites of passage that teens dream about. Prom. Yearbooks. Grad Night. But these things come at a cost, making them out of reach for some foster kids and homeless families who are just trying to survive. Samantha, a homeless youth, whose childhood has been marked by upheaval, homelessness and deep sadness, has lived through a significant amount of trauma. But with the encouragement of her high school counselor, she applied herself to her studies, got involved on campus and thrived. When the end of the school year neared and
conversations turned to prom, Samantha knew it wasn’t a possibility, as the family was struggling to meet basic needs. Recognizing that youth have worked diligently, earning these rites of passage and that participation in these high school traditions creates hope and builds resilience, the Melinda Hoag Smith Center for Healthy Living has partnered with the Newport Mesa Unified School District to cover these expenses for 52 graduating seniors who have worked hard despite the challenges they have endured. Under the direction of Angela Allen-Hess, Coordinator, Child Welfare & Attendance, McKinney-Vento Liaison, the school district identified students in need who have managed
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Senior year festivities seem like an unimaginable luxury for families who are just struggling to put food on the table. Yet, these are the festivities that seniors eagerly anticipate and have worked so diligently for (even through a pandemic). This philanthropic effort acknowledges the social and emotional benefits of making these dreams come true. Notes Michaell Rose, Director of the Melinda Hoag Smith Center for Healthy Living, “These students need to be given hope and positive experiences. They need to know we see them and their accomplishments. They matter and they have a lot to be proud of.”
SUMMER 2022
The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act is a United States federal law that provides urgently needed assistance to protect and improve the lives and safety of the homeless, with special emphasis on the elderly, handicapped, and families with children. It was passed by the 100th United States Congress and signed into law by President Ronald Reagan in 1987.
Thanks to the generosity of our donors, the Center provided a $25,000 grant to help fund these revered senior year graduation events, precious memories that Samantha and deserving students just like her will have for a lifetime.
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06 to maintain good grades and good citizenship despite instability in their homes and lives.
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Project Wipeout Working in coordination with local lifeguard agencies, Project Wipeout has become the model for hospital-based water safety education programming, collaborating with beach safety professionals from around the globe. Born in Hoag’s ICU four decades ago and funded by Hoag’s Community Benefit, Project Wipeout has grown into a
powerhouse program that goes beyond just beach-related spinal cord injuries. In addition to injury and drowning prevention, the program’s broader water safety messaging focuses on how to have a safe day at the beach with education on topics such as ripcurrent safety, marine animal behavior and safety, identification and education related to beach hazards, best practices in the water for surfers and swimmers, and sun protection.
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After a couple of quiet years due to COVID-19, Project Wipeout is back, and working toward getting back into schools for beach safety presentations and other community outreach events. Additionally, the Annual Lifeguard Conference will take place on Wednesday, July 13 from 7-9 p.m. virtually via Zoom. Partnering with Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla, the conference will include both Orange County and San Diego lifeguards and is open to anyone.
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Additionally, Project Wipeout is working on developing and hosting topic-specific trainings and webinars such as de-escalation for lifeguards. For more information on the lifeguard conference, upcoming webinars, or a collaboration, contact Project Wipeout Coordinator Lauren Tabios at lauren.tabios@hoag.org.
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09 Human Options at a Glance Human Options offers safety, empowerment and healing in times of a domestic crisis. Among the many services they provide are: • Emergency Shelter
• Services for Military Families
• Transitional Housing
• Prevention & Education
• Counseling & Supportive Services
• Legal Advocacy Services
• Safe Options for Seniors
• 24-hour Toll Free Hotline 7 days a week: 877-854-3694
Five Questions
with Maricela Rios-Faust, CEO of Human Options Four decades of impact and community benefit gives Human Options good reason to celebrate. And as a partner agency of the Melinda Hoag Smith Center for Healthy Living, we’re continually inspired by their great work.
At the helm of the organization is CEO, Maricela Rios-Faust. Following are five questions we asked about her work and Human Options.
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What prompted you to pursue a Masters in Social Work at USC?
MRF: My first job was at a nonprofit that worked with youth involved with gangs. My supervisor encouraged me to pursue a graduate degree, emphasizing the impact I could make on both individuals and communities by furthering my education.
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How does Human Options’ partnership with the Melinda Hoag Smith Center for Healthy Living advance and strengthen your mission to help the vulnerable in our community? MRF: The physical presence of the Center and the ability to connect with its existing services facilitates our partnership, allowing us to more effectively reach our audience. Our goal is one we share with the Center: extending a safe place for individuals and their children to access our services.
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How has the pandemic affected the services of Human Options?
MRF: Over the last two years with COVID-19, there was almost an immediate spike in services needed, many of those legal, relating to child custody. We witnessed an increase in the severity of abuse over the course of the pandemic due to isolation and escalating violence. Calls continue to be steady; we’re seeing more people with depression and anxiety due to prolonged abuse and delay in reaching out to us.
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If you could have more of one resource or tool to help advance your cause and/ or end domestic abuse, what would it be? MRF: The ability to share the experiences of survivors — a consistent way of making sure that we have the capacity to get the word out where we are collectively sharing the journeys of others. Being able to hear directly from victims is so important. Effective storytelling creates empathy, connections and shifts our understanding.
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Domestic abuse is frequently part of a generational cycle. In addition to helping families already in crisis, is Human Options doing something to stop the cycle? MRF: Human Options works to identify abuse early through screening, intervention, and education. The key to ending this cycle of domestic abuse is to promote awareness and provide tools to process trauma, working to identify abuse early on, and providing the tools needed to help families move forward.
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Founded in 1981, four pioneering women conceived Human Options because they believed no woman or child should be afraid in their own home. Today, Human Options offers comprehensive programs and services that address the range of needs of domestic violence victims in our community. They provide services including emergency shelter, safe housing, legal advocacy, counseling and education for parents, teens, and children. Human Options is committed to a future in which every person and family in Orange County experiences safe, healthy relationships and lives free from fear.
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Leading by Example Josh and Kimberly Snyder moved here from Los Angeles three years ago and quickly put down roots in Orange County — in more ways than one. One of those ways was philanthropy, which has always played an important role in their family.
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So when the Snyders learned about the Melinda Hoag Smith Center for Healthy Living, they were particularly impressed by the Center’s mission under Michaell Rose’s leadership. Josh points out, “The service to the under-served and vulnerable communities that the Center provides inspired our giving.” When asked about the impact of their donation, Josh reflects, “We hope that our giving will strike a chord with other people that will also
encourage them to witness all the great things the Center is accomplishing and to give to the Melinda Hoag Smith Center for Healthy Living themselves.” Josh adds, “The best type of giving is the type of giving that will promote other giving, to create a snowball effect.” The Snyders are already at home in Newport Beach, investing in the community philanthropically, generously providing for that snowball effect, and leading by example.
“ We hope that our giving will strike a chord with other people that will also encourage them to witness all the great things the Center is accomplishing and to give to the Melinda Hoag Smith Center for Healthy Living themselves. The best type of giving is the type of giving that will promote other giving, to create a snowball effect.” ~ Josh Snyder
Your Giving Changes Lives Hunger. Eviction. Mental health crises. These struggles are very real, even in Orange County. Even more pronounced during the pandemic, daily life became increasingly challenging for so many. But thanks to generous donors, the Melinda Hoag Smith Center for Healthy Living has been able to continue its mission to serve as a lifeline for the vulnerable in our community.
Since its founding six years ago, the Melinda Hoag Smith Center for Healthy Living has established itself as an invaluable and trusted resource in the community. All under one roof, organizations work together to provide individuals and families with the services they need. We greatly appreciate not only the skilled leadership and wonderful partner agencies, but especially the generosity of our donors who make it all possible.
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Our generous donors are the real lifeline who enable the Center to serve in concrete ways. Food assistance and meals distributed, hunger lessened. Rental assistance provided, evictions averted. Mental health support offered. Even in the
midst of the pandemic, the Center was able to meet the most basic and crucial needs for so many, thanks to our donors. Generous giving has maximized outcomes and changed lives.
The Melinda Hoag Smith Center for Healthy Living
YEAR IN REVIEW 2021
12,548
4,261
3,428
Individuals Received Food Assistance
No Cost Therapy Sessions
Individuals Served Through No Cost Wellness Classes
$8.8M
3,624
$300K
Community Benefit Grants to Local Nonprofits
Individuals Served Through Case Management
Rental Assistance
233,378
11,407
758
Diapers Distributed
Encounters in Door-to-Door Outreach
Individuals Served By Community Nurse Navigators
The Golden Rule Magazine Published by Hoag’s Department of Community Health
307 Placentia Ave Newport Beach, CA 92663
(949) 764-6551 www.hoag.org/communitybenefit