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The Bay Area Region is pleased to debut its newest therapeutic space for clients, a physical wellness center at the Gish campus in San Jose, Calif! This center is equipped with weights, yoga mats, a treadmill and bike, a punching bag, and yoga balls, with more to come. The Wellness Center is Pacific Clinics’ next step in providing a holistic approach to mental health services and supports. Research shows exercise and movement releases dopamine and endorphins in the brain, which is important for reducing stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. This groundbreaking work is thanks to the Fund Development Team and the generous donation from the Leach Family Foundation, Project Assistant Monica Rivera for her project management skills, Clinical Director Duyen Pham, Hope Drop-In Center Program Manager Jorge Mota, Senior Clinical Director Simon Purse and Clinical Director Kevin Burnside (a Bay Area-based employee who passed away unexpectedly in February 2023), for identifying this unique need for our youth and supporting the creation of it.
Growing up, Monica and her brother were severely abused physically, emotionally, and psychologically by their mother's partner. By 11, Monica knew she had to seek help. She and her brother ran away, Child Protective Services was called, and they were both placed into foster care. Soon after her internship through PIVOTAL, an organization providing education and employment support to foster youth, Monica became a Project Assistant for Pacific Clinics. Today, Monica is a primary supervisor for this year’s round of PIVOTAL Scholar interns at Pacific Clinics! Read this article to learn more about Monica’s story and how she plans to impact the #fostercare system.
Pacific Clinics employees are invited to join the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Affinity Group and Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Office of Pacific Clinics on Saturday, August 19th from 2-5PM (PST) for a special screening and post-film discussion with the directors of the award-winning film Far East, Deep South. This event will be in-person with a hybrid/streaming option. Produced by Larissa Lam, Far East, Deep South follows the story of a Chinese American family as they discover their historic experiences as immigrants that lived during the times of the segregated South. From navigating the complex experiences between Asian and Black communities during the Jim Crow Era to connecting with long lost family and friends, the film reinforces the importance of combatting anti-Blackness in Asian communities, understanding our shared struggles, and building cross-racial solidarity. Employees who attend this event will receive Culturally Relevant & Respectful Services (CRRS) credit. This event is free and open to the public! We encourage our clients and community members to register.
In the article, “San Jose Mayor Supports State Mental Health Reforms,” published in the San Jose Spotlight, Chief Public Policy Officer Eva Terrazas speaks about the reforms that target those with severe mental illness and the unhoused population. A portion of the revenue from the Mental Health Services Act will fund housing for those with mental illness and substance use disorders. Specifically, Terrazas is concerned the new language eliminates funding for children ages 25 and younger, which will decreasing funding for prevention and early intervention. “(If) there is no dedicated (funding) set aside for children, (we) are concerned that children will be left out of some significant fundings in the future for behavioral health.”
Pacific Clinics Asian Pacific Family Center Mental Health Therapists Maggie Liu and Kevin Nguyen presented at the National Training and Technical Assistance Center’s Annual Summit, hosting the session, “AAPI Community Wellness: Fostering the Relationship between Youth, Families, & Schools.” During the presentation, they discussed practices that have been effective in building sustained relationships with schools to increase engagement, awareness, and access to mental health care for Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) youth. Practices such as harm-reduction efforts, psychoeducation classes and youth engagement in mental health advocacy in school-based environments have helped to eliminate cultural gaps between schools and the communities they serve. “[Pacific Clinics] employees and clinicians show up for our clients on every level in terms of meeting their needs,” says Maggie. “We make ourselves accessible to schools and we try to build genuine relationships with school staff we interact with.”
Don Taylor, Regional Executive Director, will be speaking at the 2023 OPEN MINDS Management Best Practices Institute alongside Tara Beckman, Chief Program Office at Hope Services, Anna Fernandez, LMFT, Director of Mental Health at Hope Services, and Dee DeWitt, Senior Associate at OPEN MINDS. Questions that will be addressed during the discussion: Can home-based services improve outcomes more efficiently? Can the overall effects be strengthened for vulnerable families who enroll but fail to benefit from current models? Learn more: management.openminds.com
The Pacific Clinics Recovery Education Institute’s (REI) inaugural Peer Workforce Training event last Friday was a HUGE SUCCESS! Hosted at REI's campus in Orange, CA, this first time event welcomed close to 100 participants. This free event featured guest workshop speakers, Narcan training, swag bags, community mental health & employment resources, a special Peer Support Specialist recognition and free food. Our Student Peer Council also unveiled our new staff/student agreements. REI is an academic program for adults living with mental illness or live with family with a mental illness. REI provides college general education classes, humans services certifications, GED study preparation, ESL courses and enrichment workshops at NO COST to eligible students living in Orange County. Courses are available in English and Spanish. Thank you to our vendors: OC Pathways, Be Well OC, ORANGE COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH CARE AGENCY, The Mental Health Agency of Orange County, California Department of Rehabilitation and Taro Thomas.
For Men's Health Month, Clark Gregg, Champion of Mental Health® and Actor, sheds light on anxiety, a common mental health condition, and shares that effective treatments are available. To reach out for help, visit www.pacificclinics.org.
Join us for a hiring event in Los Angeles! From 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 13, you’ll have an opportunity to speak with our recruiters on job openings. The following positions will be highlighted at this event: 1️⃣ Mental Health Worker II 2️⃣ Peer Partner 3️⃣ Clinician I 4️⃣ Mental Health Therapist
As we reflect on Mental Health Awareness Month, we must continue to talk about the exponential number of traumas, burdens and barriers faced by Black women. Pacific Clinics Clinical Team Supervisor Vikki Charles share their thoughts on barriers to care for Black women and why we must factor these challenges into our approach to treatment and services.
